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Mustile M, Kourtis D, Edwards MG, Ladouce S, Volpe D, Pilleri M, Pelosin E, Learmonth G, Donaldson DI, Ietswaart M. Characterizing neurocognitive impairments in Parkinson's disease with mobile EEG when walking and stepping over obstacles. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad326. [PMID: 38107501 PMCID: PMC10724048 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural correlates that help us understand the challenges that Parkinson's patients face when negotiating their environment remain under-researched. This deficit in knowledge reflects the methodological constraints of traditional neuroimaging techniques, which include the need to remain still. As a result, much of our understanding of motor disorders is still based on animal models. Daily life challenges such as tripping and falling over obstacles represent one of the main causes of hospitalization for individuals with Parkinson's disease. Here, we report the neural correlates of naturalistic ambulatory obstacle avoidance in Parkinson's disease patients using mobile EEG. We examined 14 medicated patients with Parkinson's disease and 17 neurotypical control participants. Brain activity was recorded while participants walked freely, and while they walked and adjusted their gait to step over expected obstacles (preset adjustment) or unexpected obstacles (online adjustment) displayed on the floor. EEG analysis revealed attenuated cortical activity in Parkinson's patients compared to neurotypical participants in theta (4-7 Hz) and beta (13-35 Hz) frequency bands. The theta power increase when planning an online adjustment to step over unexpected obstacles was reduced in Parkinson's patients compared to neurotypical participants, indicating impaired proactive cognitive control of walking that updates the online action plan when unexpected changes occur in the environment. Impaired action planning processes were further evident in Parkinson's disease patients' diminished beta power suppression when preparing motor adaptation to step over obstacles, regardless of the expectation manipulation, compared to when walking freely. In addition, deficits in reactive control mechanisms in Parkinson's disease compared to neurotypical participants were evident from an attenuated beta rebound signal after crossing an obstacle. Reduced modulation in the theta frequency band in the resetting phase across conditions also suggests a deficit in the evaluation of action outcomes in Parkinson's disease. Taken together, the neural markers of cognitive control of walking observed in Parkinson's disease reveal a pervasive deficit of motor-cognitive control, involving impairments in the proactive and reactive strategies used to avoid obstacles while walking. As such, this study identified neural markers of the motor deficits in Parkinson's disease and revealed patients' difficulties in adapting movements both before and after avoiding obstacles in their path.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Mustile
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
- The Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Dimitrios Kourtis
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Martin G Edwards
- The Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Simon Ladouce
- Department of Brain and Cognition, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Daniele Volpe
- Fresco Parkinson Center, Villa Margherita, S. Stefano Riabilitazione, 36100 Vicenza, Italy
| | - Manuela Pilleri
- Fresco Parkinson Center, Villa Margherita, S. Stefano Riabilitazione, 36100 Vicenza, Italy
| | - Elisa Pelosin
- Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, IRCCS, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Gemma Learmonth
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
- School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - David I Donaldson
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 9AJ, UK
| | - Magdalena Ietswaart
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
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2
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Mustile M, Kourtis D, Edwards MG, Donaldson DI, Ietswaart M. The neural response is heightened when watching a person approaching compared to walking away: Evidence for dynamic social neuroscience. Neuropsychologia 2022; 175:108352. [PMID: 36007672 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The action observation network has been proposed to play a key role in predicting the action intentions (or goals) of others, thereby facilitating social interaction. Key information when interacting with others is whether someone (an agent) is moving towards or away from us, indicating whether we are likely to interact with the person. In addition, to determine the nature of a social interaction, we also need to take into consideration the distance of the agent relative to us as the observer. How this kind of information is processed within the brain is unknown, at least in part because prior studies have not involved live whole-body motion. Consequently, here we recorded mobile EEG in 18 healthy participants, assessing the neural response to the modulation of direction (walking towards or away) and distance (near vs. far distance) during the observation of an agent walking. We evaluated whether cortical alpha and beta oscillations were modulated differently by direction and distance during action observation. We found that alpha was only modulated by distance, with a stronger decrease of power when the agent was further away from the observer, regardless of direction. Critically, by contrast, beta was found to be modulated by both distance and direction, with a stronger decrease of power when the agent was near and facing the participant (walking towards) compared to when they were near but viewed from the back (walking away). Analysis revealed differences in both the timing and distribution of alpha and beta oscillations. We argue that these data suggest a full understanding of action observation requires a new dynamic neuroscience, investigating actual interactions between real people, in real world environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Mustile
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
| | - Dimitrios Kourtis
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Martin G Edwards
- Institute of Research in the Psychological Sciences, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain- la- Neuve, Belgium
| | - David I Donaldson
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St. Andrews, UK
| | - Magdalena Ietswaart
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
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3
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Riga A, Gathy E, Ghinet M, De Laet C, Bihin B, Regnier M, Leeuwerck M, De Coene B, Dricot L, Herman B, Edwards MG, Vandermeeren Y. Evidence of Motor Skill Learning in Acute Stroke Patients Without Lesions to the Thalamus and Internal Capsule. Stroke 2022; 53:2361-2368. [PMID: 35311345 PMCID: PMC9232242 DOI: 10.1161/strokeaha.121.035494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background:
It is currently unknown whether motor skill learning (MSkL) with the paretic upper limb is possible during the acute phase after stroke and whether lesion localization impacts MSkL. Here, we investigated MSkL in acute (1–7 days post) stroke patients compared with healthy individuals (HIs) and in relation to voxel-based lesion symptom mapping.
Methods:
Twenty patients with acute stroke and 35 HIs were trained over 3 consecutive days on a neurorehabilitation robot measuring speed, accuracy, and movement smoothness variables. Patients used their paretic upper limb and HI used their nondominant upper limb on an MSkL task involving a speed/accuracy trade-off. Generalization was evaluated on day 3. All patients underwent a 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging used for VSLM.
Results:
Most patients achieved MSkL demonstrated by day-to-day retention and generalization of the newly learned skill on day 3. When comparing raw speed/accuracy trade-off values, HI achieved larger MSkL than patients. However, relative speed/accuracy trade-off values showed no significant differences in MSkL between patients and HI on day 3. In patients, MSkL progression correlated with acute motor and cognitive impairments. The voxel-based lesion symptom mapping showed that acute vascular damage to the thalamus or the posterior limb of the internal capsule reduced MSkL.
Conclusions:
Despite worse motor performance for acute stroke patients compared with HI, most patients were able to achieve MSkL with their paretic upper limb. Damage to the thalamus and posterior limb of the internal capsule, however, reduced MSkL. These data show that MSkL could be implemented into neurorehabilitation during the acute phase of stroke, particularly for patients without lesions to the thalamus and posterior limb of the internal capsule.
Registration:
URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT01519843.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Riga
- Department of Neurology, Stroke Unit, CHU UCL Namur, UCLouvain, Yvoir, Belgium (A.R., E.G., M.G., C.D.L., Y.V.)
- NEUR Division, Institute of NeuroScience, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium (A.R., L.D., M.G.E., Y.V.)
- Louvain Bionics, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. (A.R., B.H., M.G.E., Y.V.)
| | - Estelle Gathy
- Department of Neurology, Stroke Unit, CHU UCL Namur, UCLouvain, Yvoir, Belgium (A.R., E.G., M.G., C.D.L., Y.V.)
| | - Marisa Ghinet
- Department of Neurology, Stroke Unit, CHU UCL Namur, UCLouvain, Yvoir, Belgium (A.R., E.G., M.G., C.D.L., Y.V.)
| | - Chloë De Laet
- Department of Neurology, Stroke Unit, CHU UCL Namur, UCLouvain, Yvoir, Belgium (A.R., E.G., M.G., C.D.L., Y.V.)
| | - Benoît Bihin
- Scientific Support Unit, CHU UCL Namur, UCLouvain, Yvoir, Belgium. (B.B., M.R.)
| | - Maxime Regnier
- Scientific Support Unit, CHU UCL Namur, UCLouvain, Yvoir, Belgium. (B.B., M.R.)
| | - Maria Leeuwerck
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, CHU UCL Namur, UCLouvain, Yvoir, Belgium. (M.L.)
| | - Béatrice De Coene
- Department of Radiology (B.D.C.), CHU UCL Namur, UCLouvain, Yvoir, Belgium
| | - Laurence Dricot
- NEUR Division, Institute of NeuroScience, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium (A.R., L.D., M.G.E., Y.V.)
| | - Benoît Herman
- Louvain Bionics, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. (A.R., B.H., M.G.E., Y.V.)
- Institute of Mechanics, Materials and Civil Engineering, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. (B.H.)
| | - Martin G. Edwards
- NEUR Division, Institute of NeuroScience, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium (A.R., L.D., M.G.E., Y.V.)
- Louvain Bionics, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. (A.R., B.H., M.G.E., Y.V.)
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute (M.G.E.), UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Yves Vandermeeren
- Department of Neurology, Stroke Unit, CHU UCL Namur, UCLouvain, Yvoir, Belgium (A.R., E.G., M.G., C.D.L., Y.V.)
- NEUR Division, Institute of NeuroScience, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium (A.R., L.D., M.G.E., Y.V.)
- Louvain Bionics, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. (A.R., B.H., M.G.E., Y.V.)
- Faculty of Medicine, Laboratory of Anatomy, Université de Namur, Belgium (Y.V.)
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4
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Mustile M, Kourtis D, Ladouce S, Learmonth G, Edwards MG, Donaldson DI, Ietswaart M. Mobile EEG reveals functionally dissociable dynamic processes supporting real-world ambulatory obstacle avoidance: Evidence for early proactive control. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:8106-8119. [PMID: 33465827 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The ability to safely negotiate the world on foot takes humans years to develop, reflecting the extensive cognitive demands associated with real-time planning and control of walking. Despite the importance of walking, methodological limitations mean that surprisingly little is known about the neural and cognitive processes that support ambulatory motor control. Here, we report mobile EEG data recorded from 32 healthy young adults during real-world ambulatory obstacle avoidance. Participants walked along a path while stepping over expected and unexpected obstacles projected on the floor, allowing us to capture the dynamic oscillatory response to changes in environmental demands. Compared to obstacle-free walking, time-frequency analysis of the EEG data revealed clear neural markers of proactive and reactive forms of movement control (occurring before and after crossing an obstacle), visible as increases in frontal theta and centro-parietal beta power respectively. Critically, the temporal profile of changes in frontal theta allowed us to arbitrate between early selection and late adaptation mechanisms of proactive control. Our data show that motor plans are updated as soon as an upcoming obstacle appears, rather than when the obstacle is reached. In addition, regardless of whether motor plans required updating, a clear beta rebound was present after obstacles were crossed, reflecting the resetting of the motor system. Overall, mobile EEG recorded during real-world walking provides novel insight into the cognitive and neural basis of dynamic motor control in humans, suggesting new routes to the monitoring and rehabilitation of motor disorders such as dyspraxia and Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Mustile
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Dimitrios Kourtis
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Simon Ladouce
- Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (ISAE), Toulouse, France
| | - Gemma Learmonth
- Institute of Neuroscience & Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Martin G Edwards
- Institute of Research in the Psychological Sciences, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - David I Donaldson
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St. Andrews, UK
| | - Magdalena Ietswaart
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
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5
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Roberts A, Boeckman CJ, Mühl M, Romeis J, Teem JL, Valicente FH, Brown JK, Edwards MG, Levine SL, Melnick RL, Rodrigues TB, Vélez AM, Zhou X, Hellmich RL. Sublethal Endpoints in Non-target Organism Testing for Insect-Active GE Crops. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:556. [PMID: 32582674 PMCID: PMC7295912 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Historically, genetically engineered (GE) plants that have incorporated genes conferring insect protection have primarily used Cry proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to achieve their insecticidal phenotype. As a result, regulators have developed a level of familiarity and confidence in reviewing plants incorporating these insecticidal proteins. However, new technologies have been developed that produce GE plants that incorporate pest protection by triggering an RNA interference (RNAi) response or proteins other than Bt Cry proteins. These technologies have new modes of action. Although the overall assessment paradigm for GE plants is robust, there are ongoing discussions about the appropriate tests and measurement endpoints needed to inform non-target arthropod assessment for technologies that have a different mode of action than the Bt Cry proteins. As a result, increasing attention is being paid to the use of sublethal endpoints and their value for environmental risk assessment (ERA). This review focuses on the current status and history of sublethal endpoint use in insect-active GE crops, and evaluates the future use of sublethal endpoints for new and emerging technologies. It builds upon presentations made at the Workshop on Sublethal Endpoints for Non-target Organism Testing for Non-Bt GE Crops (Washington DC, USA, 4-5 March 2019), and the discussions of government, academic and industry scientists convened for the purpose of reviewing the progress and status of sublethal endpoint testing in non-target organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Roberts
- Agriculture and Food Systems Institute, Washington, DC, United States
| | | | - Marina Mühl
- Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Pesca, Dirección de Biotecnología, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jörg Romeis
- Research Division Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - John L Teem
- Agriculture and Food Systems Institute, Washington, DC, United States
| | | | - Judith K Brown
- School of Plant Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Martin G Edwards
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | | | - Rachel L Melnick
- Agriculture and Food Systems Institute, Washington, DC, United States
| | | | - Ana M Vélez
- Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
| | - Xuguo Zhou
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Richard L Hellmich
- USDA, Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit, Ames, IA, United States.,Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
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6
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Al-Harbi A, Lary S, Edwards MG, Qusti S, Cockburn A, Poulsen M, Gatehouse AMR. A proteomic-based approach to study underlying molecular responses of the small intestine of Wistar rats to genetically modified corn (MON810). Transgenic Res 2019; 28:479-498. [PMID: 31172414 PMCID: PMC6848250 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-019-00157-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
A genetically modified (GM) commercial corn variety, MON810, resistant to European corn borer, has been shown to be non-toxic to mammals in a number of rodent feeding studies carried out in accordance with OECD Guidelines. Insect resistance results from expression of the Cry1Ab gene encoding an insecticidal Bt protein that causes lysis and cell death in susceptible insect larvae by binding to midgut epithelial cells, which is a key determinant of Cry toxin species specificity. Whilst whole animal studies are still recognised as the 'gold standard' for safety assessment, they only provide indirect evidence for changes at the cellular/organ/tissue level. In contrast, omics-based technologies enable mechanistic understanding of toxicological or nutritional events at the cellular/receptor level. To address this important knowledge-gap and to gain insights into the underlying molecular responses in rat to MON810, differential gene expression in the epithelial cells of the small intestine of rats fed formulated diets containing MON810, its near isogenic line, two conventional corn varieties, and a commercial (Purina™) corn-based control diet were investigated using comparative proteomic profiling. Pairwise and five-way comparisons showed that the majority of proteins that were differentially expressed in the small intestine epithelial cells in response to consumption of the different diets in both 7-day and 28-day studies were related to lipid and carbohydrate metabolism and protein biosynthesis. Irrespective of the diet, a limited number of stress-related proteins were shown to be differentially expressed. However these stress-related proteins differed between diets. No adverse clinical or behavioural effects, or biomarkers of adverse health, were observed in rats fed GM corn compared to the other corn diets. These findings suggest that MON810 has negligible effects on the small intestine of rats at the cellular level compared with the well-documented toxicity observed in susceptible insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmaa Al-Harbi
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box: 42805, Jeddah, 21551, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Sahira Lary
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box: 42805, Jeddah, 21551, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Martin G Edwards
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Safaa Qusti
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box: 42805, Jeddah, 21551, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Andrew Cockburn
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Morten Poulsen
- The National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Angharad M R Gatehouse
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
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7
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Montedoro V, Alsamour M, Dehem S, Lejeune T, Dehez B, Edwards MG. Robot Diagnosis Test for Egocentric and Allocentric Hemineglect. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2019; 34:481-494. [PMID: 30084880 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acy062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Patients with hemineglect fail to respond to egocentric stimuli or allocentric parts of stimuli contralateral to the brain lesion. The clinical diagnosis of hemineglect mainly involves evaluation of the egocentric form, while less sensitive standardized tests exist for other forms. Our global aim is to develop an innovative integrative robot measure, the MonAmour test, combining the assessment of egocentric, allocentric and motor hemineglect. Here, we present the egocentric and allocentric evaluations. METHODS Thirty-five first stroke patients (25 hemineglect) and 56 age-matched healthy controls were assessed on the index test (MonAmour) and on three reference standard tests (Bells test, Apples test and Neglect subtest of the Test for Attentional Performance). Based on controls' performance, normative data were created. Validity was evaluated between the MonAmour and the reference standard tests through correlations and test sensitivity/specificity. Reliability of the MonAmour was measured with test-retest and minimal detectable change. RESULTS Results demonstrated moderate to strong correlations between the MonAmour and the reference standard tests (r = .40-.88, p < .001 - p = .016). The sensitivity was high (50%-96%), with accurate diagnosis of patients with hemineglect, and reliability was excellent (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient = .79-.95, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS The MonAmour robot test is a valid, sensitive and reliable tool that can diagnose egocentric and allocentric hemineglect. Future studies will deepen the assessment and understanding of the different forms of hemineglect by testing the motor component of the test in order to use this accurate and integrative measure in daily clinical routine. REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov(NCT02543424).
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenza Montedoro
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute for Research in Psychological Science, Place cardinal Mercier 10, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Bionics, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marie Alsamour
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute for Research in Psychological Science, Place cardinal Mercier 10, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Bionics, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Stéphanie Dehem
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Bionics, Brussels, Belgium.,Université catholique de Louvain, Secteur des Sciences de la Santé, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, NMSK, Avenue Mounier 53, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thierry Lejeune
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Bionics, Brussels, Belgium.,Université catholique de Louvain, Secteur des Sciences de la Santé, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, NMSK, Avenue Mounier 53, Brussels, Belgium.,Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Service de médecine physique et réadaptation, Avenue Hippocrate 10, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bruno Dehez
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Bionics, Brussels, Belgium.,Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Mechanics, Materials and Civil Engineering, Place du Levant 2, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Martin G Edwards
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute for Research in Psychological Science, Place cardinal Mercier 10, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Bionics, Brussels, Belgium
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8
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Laudani F, Strano CP, Edwards MG, Malacrinò A, Campolo O, Abd El Halim HM, Gatehouse AMR, Palmeri V. RNAi-mediated gene silencing in Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Oliver) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Open Life Sci 2017; 12:214-222. [DOI: 10.1515/biol-2017-0025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractRNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful strategy for gene function analysis, and it is also widely studied in view of a promising use in pest control. The red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Oliver) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is one of the most devastating pests of palm in the world. Conventional pest management practices are not adequate to control this insect, thus the development of efficient approaches with minimal environmental impact are needed. In this work, the potential of RNAi in R. ferrugineus has been investigated through the silencing of three different genes (α-amylase, V-ATPase, Ecdysone receptor). For each gene we tested two different doses (1,500 and 5,500 ng) and two delivery techniques (injection and ingestion), evaluating both gene knockdown and mortality on insects. Results show that RNAi mediated gene silencing in R. ferrugineus varies from gene to gene, and that the response is dose-dependent, with stronger effects when dsRNA was administered by injection. In parallel, the same study was carried out with the model organism Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), with results showing a different pattern of response, although the two insects belong to the same order.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Laudani
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università “Mediterranea” di Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89122, Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Cinzia P. Strano
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università “Mediterranea” di Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89122, Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Martin G. Edwards
- School of Biology, Newcastle University, NewcastleUpon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Antonino Malacrinò
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università “Mediterranea” di Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89122, Reggio Calabria, Italy
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Orlando Campolo
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università “Mediterranea” di Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89122, Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | | | | | - Vincenzo Palmeri
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università “Mediterranea” di Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89122, Reggio Calabria, Italy
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9
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Callow N, Jiang D, Roberts R, Edwards MG. Kinesthetic Imagery Provides Additive Benefits to Internal Visual Imagery on Slalom Task Performance. J Sport Exerc Psychol 2017; 39:81-86. [PMID: 28033030 DOI: 10.1123/jsep.2016-0168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent brain imaging research demonstrates that the use of internal visual imagery (IVI) or kinesthetic imagery (KIN) activates common and distinct brain areas. In this paper, we argue that combining the imagery modalities (IVI and KIN) will lead to a greater cognitive representation (with more brain areas activated), and this will cause a greater slalom-based motor performance compared with using IVI alone. To examine this assertion, we randomly allocated 56 participants to one of the three groups: IVI, IVI and KIN, or a math control group. Participants performed a slalom-based driving task in a driving simulator, with average lap time used as a measure of performance. Results revealed that the IVI and KIN group achieved significantly quicker lap times than the IVI and the control groups. The discussion includes a theoretical advancement on why the combination of imagery modalities might facilitate performance, with links made to the cognitive neuroscience literature and applied practice.
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10
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Abd El Halim HM, Alshukri BMH, Ahmad MS, Nakasu EYT, Awwad MH, Salama EM, Gatehouse AMR, Edwards MG. RNAi-mediated knockdown of the voltage gated sodium ion channel TcNav causes mortality in Tribolium castaneum. Sci Rep 2016; 6:29301. [PMID: 27411529 PMCID: PMC4944135 DOI: 10.1038/srep29301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The voltage-gated sodium ion channel (VGSC) belongs to the largest superfamily of ion channels. Since VGSCs play key roles in physiological processes they are major targets for effective insecticides. RNA interference (RNAi) is widely used to analyse gene function, but recently, it has shown potential to contribute to novel strategies for selectively controlling agricultural insect pests. The current study evaluates the delivery of dsRNA targeted to the sodium ion channel paralytic A (TcNav) gene in Tribolium castaneum as a viable means of controlling this insect pest. Delivery of TcNav dsRNA caused severe developmental arrest with larval mortalities up to 73% post injection of dsRNA. Injected larvae showed significant (p < 0.05) knockdown in gene expression between 30-60%. Expression was also significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in pupae following injection causing 30% and 42% knockdown for early and late pupal stages, respectively. Oral delivery of dsRNA caused dose-dependant mortalities of between 19 and 51.34%; this was accompanied by significant (p < 0.05) knockdown in gene expression following 3 days of continuous feeding. The majority of larvae injected with, or fed, dsRNA died during the final larval stage prior to pupation. This work provides evidence of a viable RNAi-based strategy for insect control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hesham M. Abd El Halim
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Environment and Sustainability, School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
- Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Benha, Egypt
| | - Baida M. H. Alshukri
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Environment and Sustainability, School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Munawar S. Ahmad
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Environment and Sustainability, School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of, Swabi, KPK, Pakistan
| | - Erich Y. T. Nakasu
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Environment and Sustainability, School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Mohammed H. Awwad
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Benha, Egypt
| | - Elham M. Salama
- Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Benha, Egypt
| | - Angharad M. R. Gatehouse
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Environment and Sustainability, School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Martin G. Edwards
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Environment and Sustainability, School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
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11
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Evans C, Edwards MG, Taylor LJ, Ietswaart M. Perceptual decisions regarding object manipulation are selectively impaired in apraxia or when tDCS is applied over the left IPL. Neuropsychologia 2016; 86:153-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2015] [Revised: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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12
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Nakasu EY, Karamaouna F, Partsinevelos GK, Abd El Halim HM, Fitches EC, Pyati P, Gatehouse JA, Gatehouse AM, Edwards MG. Sublethal effects of the insecticidal fusion protein ω-ACTX-Hv1a/GNA on the parasitoid Eulophus pennicornis via its host Lacanobia oleracea. Pest Manag Sci 2016; 72:585-590. [PMID: 25914218 DOI: 10.1002/ps.4030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2015] [Revised: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The neurotoxin peptide ω-ACTX-Hv1a, fused to the carrier molecule GNA, presents potential for insect control as a biopesticide, being orally toxic to insect pests from different orders. However, thorough evaluation is required to assure its safety towards non-target invertebrates. Effects of this novel biopesticide on the parasitoid Eulophus pennicornis via its host Lacanobia oleracea are presented. RESULTS Hv1a/GNA did not cause mortality when injected or fed to fifth-stage L. oleracea, but caused up to 39% reduction in mean larval weight (P < 0.05) and increased developmental time when injected. When fed, GNA, but not Hv1a/GNA, caused ∼35% reduction in larval weight, indicating that host quality was not affected by the fusion protein. Although GNA and Hv1a/GNA were internalised by the hosts following ingestion, and thus were available to higher trophic levels, no significant changes in the rate of E. pennicornis parasitism occurred. Number of parasitoid pupae per host, adult emergence and sex ratio were unaffected by GNA- or Hv1a/GNA-treated hosts (P > 0.05). The fusion protein was degraded by parasitoid larvae, rendering it non-toxic. CONCLUSION Hv1a/GNA has negligible effects on the parasitoid, even under worst-case scenarios. This low toxicity to these insects is of interest in terms of biopesticide specificity and safety to non-target organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erich Yt Nakasu
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Environment and Sustainability, School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- Capes Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasília, Brazil
| | | | | | - Hesham M Abd El Halim
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Environment and Sustainability, School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Benha, Egypt
| | - Elaine C Fitches
- The Food and Environment Research Agency, Sand Hutton, York, UK
- School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Prashant Pyati
- School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - John A Gatehouse
- School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Angharad Mr Gatehouse
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Environment and Sustainability, School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Martin G Edwards
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Environment and Sustainability, School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
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13
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Evans C, Edwards MG, Taylor LJ, Ietswaart M. Impaired Communication Between the Dorsal and Ventral Stream: Indications from Apraxia. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:8. [PMID: 26869897 PMCID: PMC4733863 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with apraxia perform poorly when demonstrating how an object is used, particularly when pantomiming the action. However, these patients are able to accurately identify, and to pick up and move objects, demonstrating intact ventral and dorsal stream visuomotor processing. Appropriate object manipulation for skilled use is thought to rely on integration of known and visible object properties associated with “ventro-dorsal” stream neural processes. In apraxia, it has been suggested that stored object knowledge from the ventral stream may be less readily available to incorporate into the action plan, leading to an over-reliance on the objects’ visual affordances in object-directed motor behavior. The current study examined grasping performance in left hemisphere stroke patients with (N = 3) and without (N = 9) apraxia, and in age-matched healthy control participants (N = 14), where participants repeatedly grasped novel cylindrical objects of varying weight distribution. Across two conditions, object weight distribution was indicated by either a memory-associated cue (object color) or visual-spatial cue (visible dot over the weighted end). Participants were required to incorporate object-weight associations to effectively grasp and balance each object. Control groups appropriately adjusted their grasp according to each object’s weight distribution across each condition, whereas throughout the task two of the three apraxic patients performed poorly on both the memory-associated and visual-spatial cue conditions. A third apraxic patient seemed to compensate for these difficulties but still performed differently to control groups. Patients with apraxia performed normally on the neutral control condition when grasping the evenly weighted version. The pattern of behavior in apraxic patients suggests impaired integration of visible and known object properties attributed to the ventro-dorsal stream: in learning to grasp the weighted object accurately, apraxic patients applied neither pure knowledge-based information (the memory-associated condition) nor higher-level information given in the visual-spatial cue condition. Disruption to ventro-dorsal stream predicts that apraxic patients will have difficulty learning to manipulate new objects on the basis of information other than low-level visual cues such as shape and size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carys Evans
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Psychology, Northumbria University Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Martin G Edwards
- Institute of Research in the Psychological Sciences, Université catholique de Louvain Louvain-le-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Lawrence J Taylor
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Psychology, Northumbria University Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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14
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Bikkavilli RK, Avasarala S, Van Scoyk M, Arcaroli J, Brzezinski C, Zhang W, Edwards MG, Rathinam MKK, Zhou T, Tauler J, Borowicz S, Lussier YA, Parr BA, Cool CD, Winn RA. Wnt7a is a novel inducer of β-catenin-independent tumor-suppressive cellular senescence in lung cancer. Oncogene 2016; 34:5406. [PMID: 26473947 PMCID: PMC7608321 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2015.165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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15
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Smalle EHM, Bogaerts L, Simonis M, Duyck W, Page MPA, Edwards MG, Szmalec A. Can Chunk Size Differences Explain Developmental Changes in Lexical Learning? Front Psychol 2016; 6:1925. [PMID: 26779065 PMCID: PMC4703851 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In three experiments, we investigated Hebb repetition learning (HRL) differences between children and adults, as a function of the type of item (lexical vs. sub-lexical) and the level of item-overlap between sequences. In a first experiment, it was shown that when non-repeating and repeating (Hebb) sequences of words were all permutations of the same words, HRL was slower than when the sequences shared no words. This item-overlap effect was observed in both children and adults. In a second experiment, we used syllable sequences and we observed reduced HRL due to item-overlap only in children. The findings are explained within a chunking account of the HRL effect on the basis of which we hypothesize that children, compared with adults, chunk syllable sequences in smaller units. By hypothesis, small chunks are more prone to interference from anagram representations included in the filler sequences, potentially explaining the item-overlap effect in children. This hypothesis was tested in a third experiment with adults where we experimentally manipulated the chunk size by embedding pauses in the syllable sequences. Interestingly, we showed that imposing a small chunk size caused adults to show the same behavioral effects as those observed in children. Departing from the analogy between verbal HRL and lexical development, the results are discussed in light of the less-is-more hypothesis of age-related differences in language acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonore H M Smalle
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Louisa Bogaerts
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University Ghent, Belgium
| | - Morgane Simonis
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Wouter Duyck
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University Ghent, Belgium
| | - Michael P A Page
- Department of Psychology, University of Hertfordshire Hatfield, UK
| | - Martin G Edwards
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Arnaud Szmalec
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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16
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Ietswaart M, Butler AJ, Jackson PL, Edwards MG. Editorial: Mental practice: clinical and experimental research in imagery and action observation. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:573. [PMID: 26528172 PMCID: PMC4606014 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew J Butler
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University Atlanta, USA
| | - Philip L Jackson
- École de Psychologie and CIRRIS and CRIUSMQ, Université Laval Québec, Canada
| | - Martin G Edwards
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences Psychologiques, Université Catholique de Louvain Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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17
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Grade S, Pesenti M, Edwards MG. Evidence for the embodiment of space perception: concurrent hand but not arm action moderates reachability and egocentric distance perception. Front Psychol 2015; 6:862. [PMID: 26167153 PMCID: PMC4481150 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The perception of reachability (i.e., whether an object is within reach) relies on body representations and action simulation. Similarly, egocentric distance estimation (i.e., the perception of the distance an object is from the self) is thought to be partly derived from embodied action simulation. Although motor simulation is important for both, it is unclear whether the cognitive processes underlying these behaviors rely on the same motor processes. To investigate this, we measured the impact of a motor interference dual-task paradigm on reachability judgment and egocentric distance estimation, while allocentric length estimation (i.e., how distant two stimuli are from each other independent from the self) was used as a control task. Participants were required to make concurrent actions with either hand actions of foam ball grip squeezing or arm actions of weight lifting, or no concurrent actions. Results showed that concurrent squeeze actions significantly slowed response speed in the reachability judgment and egocentric distance estimation tasks, but that there was no impact of the concurrent actions on allocentric length estimation. Together, these results suggest that reachability and distance perception, both egocentric perspective tasks, and in contrast to the allocentric perspective task, involve action simulation cognitive processes. The results are discussed in terms of the implication of action simulation when evaluating the position of a target relative to the observer's body, supporting an embodied view of spatial cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Grade
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences Psychologiques, Université Catholique de Louvain , Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium ; Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain , Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Mauro Pesenti
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences Psychologiques, Université Catholique de Louvain , Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium ; Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain , Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Martin G Edwards
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences Psychologiques, Université Catholique de Louvain , Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium ; Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain , Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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18
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Jiang D, Edwards MG, Mullins P, Callow N. The neural substrates for the different modalities of movement imagery. Brain Cogn 2015; 97:22-31. [PMID: 25956141 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2015.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Revised: 02/19/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Research highlights that internal visual, external visual and kinesthetic imagery differentially effect motor performance (White & Hardy, 1995; Hardy & Callow, 1999). However, patterns of brain activation subserving these different imagery perspectives and modalities have not yet been established. In the current study, we applied the Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire-2 (VMIQ-2) to study the brain activation underpinning these types of imagery. Participants with high imagery ability (using the VMIQ-2) were selected to participate in the study. The experimental conditions involved imagining an action (one item from the VMIQ-2) using internal visual imagery, external visual imagery, kinesthetic imagery and a perceptual control condition involved looking at a fixation cross. The imagery conditions were presented using a block design and the participants' brain activation was recorded using 3T fMRI. A post-experimental questionnaire was administered to test if participants were able to maintain the imagery during the task and if they switched between the imagery perspective/modalities. Four participants failed to adhere to the imagery conditions, and their data was excluded from analysis. As hypothesized, the different perspectives and modalities of imagery elicited both common areas of activation (in the right supplementary motor area, BA6) and dissociated areas of activation. Specifically, internal visual imagery activated occipital, parietal and frontal brain areas (i.e., the dorsal stream) while external visual imagery activated occipital ventral stream areas and kinesthetic imagery activated caudate and cerebellum areas. These results provide the first central evidence for the visual perspectives and modalities delineated in the VMIQ-2, and, initial biological validity for the VMIQ-2. However, given that only one item from the VMIQ-2 was employed, future fMRI research needs to explore all items to further examine these contentions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Jiang
- Institute for the Psychology of Elite Performance, School of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences at Bangor University, UK
| | - Martin G Edwards
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute at the Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium
| | | | - Nichola Callow
- Institute for the Psychology of Elite Performance, School of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences at Bangor University, UK.
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19
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Letesson C, Grade S, Edwards MG. Different but complementary roles of action and gaze in action observation priming: Insights from eye- and motion-tracking measures. Front Psychol 2015; 6:569. [PMID: 25999886 PMCID: PMC4419854 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Action priming following action observation is thought to be caused by the observed action kinematics being represented in the same brain areas as those used for action execution. But, action priming can also be explained by shared goal representations, with compatibility between observation of the agent’s gaze and the intended action of the observer. To assess the contribution of action kinematics and eye-gaze cues in the prediction of an agent’s action goal and action priming, participants observed actions where the availability of both cues was manipulated. Action observation was followed by action execution, and the congruency between the target of the agent’s and observer’s actions, and the congruency between the observed and executed action spatial location were manipulated. Eye movements were recorded during the observation phase, and the action priming was assessed using motion analysis. The results showed that the observation of gaze information influenced the observer’s prediction speed to attend to the target, and that observation of action kinematic information influenced the accuracy of these predictions. Motion analysis results showed that observed action cues alone primed both spatial incongruent and object congruent actions, consistent with the idea that the prime effect was driven by similarity between goals and kinematics. The observation of action and eye-gaze cues together induced a prime effect complementarily sensitive to object and spatial congruency. While observation of the agent’s action kinematics triggered an object-centered and kinematic-centered action representation, independently, the complementary observation of eye-gaze triggered a more fine-grained representation illustrating a specification of action kinematics toward the selected goal. Even though both cues differentially contributed to action priming, their complementary integration led to a more refined pattern of action priming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clément Letesson
- Psy-NAPS Group, Institut de Recherches en Sciences Psychologiques, Université Catholique de Louvain Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium ; Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Stéphane Grade
- Psy-NAPS Group, Institut de Recherches en Sciences Psychologiques, Université Catholique de Louvain Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium ; Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Martin G Edwards
- Psy-NAPS Group, Institut de Recherches en Sciences Psychologiques, Université Catholique de Louvain Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium ; Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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21
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Abstract
In the scientific literature, there is much evidence of a relationship between age and dexterity, where increased age is related to slower, less nimble and less smooth, less coordinated and less controlled performances. While some suggest that the relationship is a direct consequence of reduced muscle strength associated to increased age, there is a lack of research that has systematically investigated the relationships between age, strength and hand dexterity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the associations between age, grip strength and dexterity. 107 adults (range 18-93 years) completed a series of hand dexterity tasks (i.e. steadiness, line tracking, aiming, and tapping) and a test of maximal grip strength. We performed three phases of analyses. Firstly, we evaluated the simple relationships between pairs of variables; replicating the existing literature; and found significant relationships of increased age and reduced strength; increased age and reduced dexterity, and; reduced strength and reduced dexterity. Secondly, we used standard Multiple Regression (MR) models to determine which of the age and strength factors accounted for the greater variance in dexterity. The results showed that both age and strength made significant contributions to the data variance, but that age explained more of the variance in steadiness and line tracking dexterity, whereas strength explained more of the variance in aiming and tapping dexterity. In a third phase of analysis, we used MR analyses to show an interaction between age and strength on steadiness hand dexterity. Simple Slopes post-hoc analyses showed that the interaction was explained by the middle to older aged adults showing a relationship between reduced strength and reduced hand steadiness, whereas younger aged adults showed no relationship between strength and steadiness hand dexterity. The results are discussed in terms of how age and grip strength predict different types of hand dexterity in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason A. Martin
- Functional Neuroimaging Group, Department of Radiology, University Hospital Bonn, Sigmund-Freud Str. 25, 53127, Bonn, Germany
- Division of Neuropsychology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Eberhard Karls University, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 3, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jill Ramsay
- School of Health and Population Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher Hughes
- Institute of Sport & Exercise Science, University of Worcester, Worcester, United Kingdom
| | - Derek M. Peters
- Institute of Sport & Exercise Science, University of Worcester, Worcester, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Health & Sport Sciences, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway
| | - Martin G. Edwards
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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22
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Guan W, Ferry N, Edwards MG, Bell HA, Othman H, Gatehouse JA, Gatehouse AMR. Proteomic analysis shows that stress response proteins are significantly up-regulated in resistant diploid wheat ( Triticum monococcum) in response to attack by the grain aphid ( Sitobion avenae). Mol Breed 2015; 35:57. [PMID: 25642140 PMCID: PMC4308650 DOI: 10.1007/s11032-015-0220-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2014] [Accepted: 11/27/2014] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The grain aphid Sitobion avenae (F.) is a major pest of wheat, acting as a virus vector as well as causing direct plant damage. Commonly grown wheat varieties in the UK have only limited resistance to this pest. The present study was carried out to investigate the potential of a diploid wheat line (ACC20 PGR1755), reported as exhibiting resistance to S. avenae, to serve as a source of resistance genes. The diploid wheat line was confirmed as partially resistant, substantially reducing the fecundity, longevity and growth rate of the aphid. Proteomic analysis showed that approximately 200 protein spots were reproducibly detected in leaf extracts from both the resistant line and a comparable susceptible line (ACC5 PGR1735) using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and image comparison software. Twenty-four spots were significantly up-regulated (>2-fold) in the resistant line after 24 h of aphid feeding (13 and 11 involved in local and systemic responses, respectively). Approximately 50 % of all differentially expressed protein spots were identified by a combination of database searching with MS and MS/MS data, revealing that the majority of proteins up-regulated by aphid infestation were involved in metabolic processes (including photosynthesis) and transcriptional regulation. However, in the resistant line only, several stress response proteins (including NBS-LRR-like proteins) and oxidative stress response proteins were identified as up-regulated in response to aphid feeding, as well as proteins involved in DNA synthesis/replication/repair. This study indicates that the resistant diploid line ACC20 PGR1755 may provide a valuable resource in breeding wheat for resistance to aphids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenzhu Guan
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability, School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
| | - Natalie Ferry
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability, School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
- School of Environment and Life Science, Salford University, Salford, M5 4WT UK
| | - Martin G. Edwards
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability, School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
| | - Howard A. Bell
- The Food and Environment Research Agency, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ UK
| | - Hamizah Othman
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability, School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
| | - John A. Gatehouse
- School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Durham, Durham, DH1 3LE UK
| | - Angharad M. R. Gatehouse
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability, School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
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23
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Nakasu EYT, Williamson SM, Edwards MG, Fitches EC, Gatehouse JA, Wright GA, Gatehouse AMR. Novel biopesticide based on a spider venom peptide shows no adverse effects on honeybees. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 281:rspb.2014.0619. [PMID: 24898372 PMCID: PMC4071547 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence is accumulating that commonly used pesticides are linked to decline of pollinator populations; adverse effects of three neonicotinoids on bees have led to bans on their use across the European Union. Developing insecticides that pose negligible risks to beneficial organisms such as honeybees is desirable and timely. One strategy is to use recombinant fusion proteins containing neuroactive peptides/proteins linked to a ‘carrier’ protein that confers oral toxicity. Hv1a/GNA (Galanthus nivalis agglutinin), containing an insect-specific spider venom calcium channel blocker (ω-hexatoxin-Hv1a) linked to snowdrop lectin (GNA) as a ‘carrier’, is an effective oral biopesticide towards various insect pests. Effects of Hv1a/GNA towards a non-target species, Apis mellifera, were assessed through a thorough early-tier risk assessment. Following feeding, honeybees internalized Hv1a/GNA, which reached the brain within 1 h after exposure. However, survival was only slightly affected by ingestion (LD50 > 100 µg bee−1) or injection of fusion protein. Bees fed acute (100 µg bee−1) or chronic (0.35 mg ml−1) doses of Hv1a/GNA and trained in an olfactory learning task had similar rates of learning and memory to no-pesticide controls. Larvae were unaffected, being able to degrade Hv1a/GNA. These tests suggest that Hv1a/GNA is unlikely to cause detrimental effects on honeybees, indicating that atracotoxins targeting calcium channels are potential alternatives to conventional pesticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erich Y T Nakasu
- School of Biology, Newcastle Institute for Research and Sustainability, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK Capes Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Caixa Postal 250, Brasília 70040-020, Brazil
| | - Sally M Williamson
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Martin G Edwards
- School of Biology, Newcastle Institute for Research and Sustainability, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Elaine C Fitches
- The Food and Environment Research Agency, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, UK
| | - John A Gatehouse
- School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Geraldine A Wright
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Angharad M R Gatehouse
- School of Biology, Newcastle Institute for Research and Sustainability, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
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Nakasu EYT, Edwards MG, Fitches E, Gatehouse JA, Gatehouse AMR. Transgenic plants expressing ω-ACTX-Hv1a and snowdrop lectin (GNA) fusion protein show enhanced resistance to aphids. Front Plant Sci 2014; 5:673. [PMID: 25506351 PMCID: PMC4246675 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2014.00673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2014] [Accepted: 11/12/2014] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant fusion proteins containing arthropod toxins have been developed as a new class of biopesticides. The recombinant fusion protein Hv1a/GNA, containing the spider venom toxin ω-ACTX-Hv1a linked to snowdrop lectin (GNA) was shown to reduce survival of the peach-potato aphid Myzus persicae when delivered in artificial diet, with survival <10% after 8 days exposure to fusion protein at 1 mg/ml. Although the fusion protein was rapidly degraded by proteases in the insect, Hv1a/GNA oral toxicity to M. persicae was significantly greater than GNA alone. A construct encoding the fusion protein, including the GNA leader sequence, under control of the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter was transformed into Arabidopsis; the resulting plants contained intact fusion protein in leaf tissues at an estimated level of 25.6 ± 4.1 ng/mg FW. Transgenic Arabidopsis expressing Hv1a/GNA induced up to 40% mortality of M. persicae after 7 days exposure in detached leaf bioassays, demonstrating that transgenic plants can deliver fusion proteins to aphids. Grain aphids (Sitobion avenae) were more susceptible than M. persicae to the Hv1a/GNA fusion protein in artificial diet bioassays (LC50 = 0.73 mg/ml after 2 days against LC50 = 1.81 mg/ml for M. persicae), as they were not able to hydrolyze the fusion protein as readily as M. persicae. Expression of this fusion protein in suitable host plants for the grain aphid is likely to confer higher levels of resistance than that shown with the M. persicae/Arabidopsis model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erich Y. T. Nakasu
- Plant-Insect Molecular Interactions Group, Newcastle Institute for Sustainability, School of Biology, Newcastle UniversityNewcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Capes Foundation, Ministry of Education of BrazilBrasília, Brazil
| | - Martin G. Edwards
- Plant-Insect Molecular Interactions Group, Newcastle Institute for Sustainability, School of Biology, Newcastle UniversityNewcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Elaine Fitches
- School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham UniversityDurham, UK
| | - John A. Gatehouse
- School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham UniversityDurham, UK
| | - Angharad M. R. Gatehouse
- Plant-Insect Molecular Interactions Group, Newcastle Institute for Sustainability, School of Biology, Newcastle UniversityNewcastle upon Tyne, UK
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Bartolo A, Coello Y, Edwards MG, Delepoulle S, Endo S, Wing AM. Contribution of the motor system to the perception of reachable space: an fMRI study. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 40:3807-17. [PMID: 25308823 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigates the neural correlates of reachability judgements. In a block design experiment, 14 healthy participants judged whether a visual target presented at different distances in a virtual environment display was reachable or not with the right hand. In two control tasks, they judged the colour or the relative position of the visual target according to flankers. Contrasting the activations registered in the reachability judgement task and in the control tasks, we found activations in the frontal structures, and in the bilateral inferior and superior parietal lobe, including the precuneus, and the bilateral cerebellum. This fronto-parietal network including the cerebellum overlaps with the brain network usually activated during actual motor production and motor imagery. In a following event-related design experiment, we contrasted brain activations when targets were rated as 'reachable' with those when they were rated as 'unreachable'. We found activations in the left premotor cortex, the bilateral frontal structures, and the left middle temporal gyrus. At a lower threshold, we also found activations in the left motor cortex, and in the bilateral cerebellum. Given that reaction time increased with target distance in reachable space, we performed a subsequent parametric analysis that revealed a related increase of activity in the fronto-parietal network including the cerebellum. Unreachable targets did not show similar activation, and particularly in regions associated to motor production and motor imagery. Taken together, these results suggest that dynamical motor representations used to determine what is reachable are also part of the perceptual process leading to the distinct representation of peripersonal and extrapersonal spaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Bartolo
- Research Unit on Cognitive and Affective Sciences (URECA), Université de Lille Nord de France, Lille, France
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Jin T, Chang X, Gatehouse AMR, Wang Z, Edwards MG, He K. Downregulation and mutation of a Cadherin gene associated with Cry1Ac resistance in the Asian Corn Borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée). Toxins (Basel) 2014; 6:2676-93. [PMID: 25216082 PMCID: PMC4179154 DOI: 10.3390/toxins6092676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Revised: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 08/15/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Development of resistance in target pests is a major threat to long-term use of transgenic crops expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry toxins. To manage and/or delay the evolution of resistance in target insects through the implementation of effective strategies, it is essential to understand the basis of resistance. One of the most important mechanisms of insect resistance to Bt crops is the alteration of the interactions between Cry toxins and their receptors in the midgut. A Cry1Ac-selected strain of Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis, a key pest of maize in China, evolved three mutant alleles of a cadherin-like protein (OfCAD) (MPR-r1, MPR-r2 and MPR-r3), which mapped within the toxin-binding region (TBR). Each of the three mutant alleles possessed two or three amino acid substitutions in this region, especially Thr1457→Ser. In highly resistant larvae (ACB-Ac200), MPR-r2 had a 26-amino acid residue deletion in the TBR, which resulted in reduced binding of Cry1Ac compared to the MPR from the susceptible strain, suggesting that the number of amino acid deletions influences the level of resistance. Furthermore, downregulation of OfCAD gene (ofcad) transcription was observed in the Cry1Ac resistant strain, ACB-Ac24, suggesting that Cry1Ac resistance in ACB is associated with the downregulation of the transcript levels of the cadherin-like protein gene. The OfCAD identified from ACB exhibited a high degree of similarity to other members of the cadherin super-family in lepidopteran species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Jin
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Xue Chang
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Angharad M R Gatehouse
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability, School of Biology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK.
| | - Zhenying Wang
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Martin G Edwards
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability, School of Biology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK.
| | - Kanglai He
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
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Zhang T, He M, Gatehouse AMR, Wang Z, Edwards MG, Li Q, He K. Inheritance patterns, dominance and cross-resistance of Cry1Ab- and Cry1Ac-selected Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée). Toxins (Basel) 2014; 6:2694-707. [PMID: 25216083 PMCID: PMC4179155 DOI: 10.3390/toxins6092694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Revised: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Two colonies of Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée), artificially selected from a Bt-susceptible colony (ACB-BtS) for resistance to Cry1Ab (ACB-AbR) and Cry1Ac (ACB-AcR) toxins, were used to analyze inheritance patterns of resistance to Cry1 toxins. ACB-AbR and ACB-AcR evolved significant levels of resistance, with resistance ratios (RR) of 39-fold and 78.8-fold to Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac, respectively. The susceptibility of ACB-AbR larvae to Cry1Ac and Cry1F toxins, which had not previously been exposed, were significantly reduced, being >113-fold and 48-fold, respectively. Similarly, susceptibility of ACB-AcR larvae to Cry1Ab and Cry1F were also significantly reduced (RR > nine-fold, RR > 18-fold, respectively), indicating cross-resistance among Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, and Cry1F toxins. However, ACB-AbR and ACB-AcR larvae were equally susceptible to Cry1Ie as were ACB-BtS larvae, indicating no cross-resistance between Cry1Ie and Cry1Ab or Cry1Ac toxins; this may provide considerable benefits in preventing or delaying the evolution of resistance in ACB to Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac toxins. Backcrossing studies indicated that resistance to Cry1Ab toxin was polygenic in ACB-AbR, but monogenic in ACB-AcR, whilst resistance to Cry1Ac toxin was primarily monogenic in both ACB-AbR and ACB-AcR, but polygenic as resistance increased.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiantao Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Mingxia He
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Angharad M R Gatehouse
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability, School of Biology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK.
| | - Zhenying Wang
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Martin G Edwards
- Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability, School of Biology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK.
| | - Qing Li
- Agronomy College, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
| | - Kanglai He
- The State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
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Durham KF, Sackley CM, Wright CC, Wing AM, Edwards MG, van Vliet P. Attentional focus of feedback for improving performance of reach-to-grasp after stroke: a randomised crossover study. Physiotherapy 2013; 100:108-15. [PMID: 23796803 DOI: 10.1016/j.physio.2013.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2012] [Accepted: 03/07/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate whether feedback inducing an external focus (EF) of attention (about movement effects) was more effective for retraining reach-to-grasp after stroke compared with feedback inducing an internal focus (IF) of attention (about body movement). It was predicted that inducing an EF of attention would be more beneficial to motor performance. DESIGN Crossover trial where participants were assigned at random to two feedback order groups: IF followed by EF or EF followed by IF. SETTING Research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS Forty-two people with upper limb impairment after stroke. INTERVENTION Participants performed three reaching tasks: (A) reaching to grasp a jar; (B) placing a jar forwards on to a table; and (C) placing a jar on to a shelf. Ninety-six reaches were performed in total over one training session. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Kinematic measures were collected using motion analysis. Primary outcome measures were movement duration, peak velocity of the wrist, size of peak aperture and peak elbow extension. RESULTS Feedback inducing an EF of attention produced shorter movement durations {first feedback order group: IF mean 2.53 seconds [standard deviation (SD) 1.85]; EF mean 2.12 seconds (SD 1.63), mean difference 0.41 seconds; 95% confidence interval -0.68 to 1.5; P=0.008}, an increased percentage time to peak deceleration (P=0.01) when performing Task B, and an increased percentage time to peak velocity (P=0.039) when performing Task A compared with feedback inducing an IF of attention. However, an order effect was present whereby performance was improved if an EF of attention was preceded by an IF of attention. CONCLUSIONS Feedback inducing an EF of attention may be of some benefit for improving motor performance of reaching in people with stroke in the short term; however, these results should be interpreted with caution. Further research using a randomised design is recommended to enable effects on motor learning to be assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- K F Durham
- School of Health and Population Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - C M Sackley
- Primary Care and General Practice, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of East Anglia, Queens Building, Earlham Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJUK
| | - C C Wright
- School of Health and Population Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - A M Wing
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - M G Edwards
- School of Sport Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - P van Vliet
- School of Health and Population Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK; School of Health Sciences, University of Newcastle, Hunter Building, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
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Xu L, Ferry N, Wang Z, Zhang J, Edwards MG, Gatehouse AMR, He K. A proteomic approach to study the mechanism of tolerance to Bt toxins in Ostrinia furnacalis larvae selected for resistance to Cry1Ab. Transgenic Res 2013; 22:1155-66. [DOI: 10.1007/s11248-013-9718-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2013] [Accepted: 05/28/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Schweinberger SR, Edwards MG, Neyer FJ. Editorial. Br J Psychol 2013; 104:1-2. [PMID: 23320438 DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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31
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Routen AC, Upton D, Edwards MG, Peters DM. Discrepancies in accelerometer-measured physical activity in children due to cut-point non-equivalence and placement site. J Sports Sci 2012; 30:1303-10. [DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2012.709266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Loporto M, McAllister CJ, Edwards MG, Wright DJ, Holmes PS. Prior action execution has no effect on corticospinal facilitation during action observation. Behav Brain Res 2012; 231:124-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2011] [Revised: 03/05/2012] [Accepted: 03/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Hardwick RM, McAllister CJ, Holmes PS, Edwards MG. Transcranial magnetic stimulation reveals modulation of corticospinal excitability when observing actions with the intention to imitate. Eur J Neurosci 2012; 35:1475-80. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2012.08046.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Abstract
Previous studies demonstrate that observing the movements of others can interfere with concurrent movement execution. This interference effect is attributed to incongruence between the observed and executed movements. The study presented here examined different aspects of observed and executed movement congruency. Participants attempted to trace straight lines in the air using one of two movement tasks while observing an experimenter perform movements varied by their task and spatial congruency. The data revealed that kinematic aspects of the observed movements were incorporated into the observer's own movements. Observing the same kinematics led to interference or facilitation effects depending on whether the direction of the observed movement was congruent or incongruent with the movement the participant performed. These data suggest that low-level properties of observed movements can modulate participant performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Hardwick
- aBehavioural Brain Sciences Centre, School of Psychology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
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Williams SE, Cumming J, Edwards MG. The functional equivalence between movement imagery, observation, and execution influences imagery ability. Res Q Exerc Sport 2011; 82:555-564. [PMID: 21957714 DOI: 10.1080/02701367.2011.10599788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Based on literature identifying movement imagery, observation, and execution to elicit similar areas of neural activity, research has demonstrated that movement imagery and observation successfully prime movement execution. To investigate whether movement and observation could prime ease of imaging from an external visual-imagery perspective, an internal visual-imagery perspective, and kinesthetic modality, 36 participants (M age = 20.58; SD = 3.11; 18 women and 18 men) completed an adapted version of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised under four modes of delivery (movement prime, external observation prime, internal observation prime, and image-only). The results revealed that ease of imaging was significantly greater during the movement and observation prime conditions compared to the image-only condition (p < .05). Specifically when priming external visual imagery and internal visual imagery, observation facilitated ease of imaging only when the perspective was congruent with the imagery perspective. The results support the use of movement and observation to facilitate ease of imaging, but highlight the importance of considering the visual perspective when using observation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Williams
- School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
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Gatehouse AMR, Ferry N, Edwards MG, Bell HA. Insect-resistant biotech crops and their impacts on beneficial arthropods. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2011; 366:1438-52. [PMID: 21444317 PMCID: PMC3081576 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
With a projected population of 10 billion by 2050, an immediate priority for agriculture is to achieve increased crop yields in a sustainable and cost-effective way. The concept of using a transgenic approach was realized in the mid-1990s with the commercial introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops. By 2010, the global value of the seed alone was US $11.2 billion, with commercial biotech maize, soya bean grain and cotton valued at approximately US $150 billion. In recent years, it has become evident that insect-resistant crops expressing δ-endotoxin genes from Bacillus thuringiensis have made a significant beneficial impact on global agriculture, not least in terms of pest reduction and improved quality. However, because of the potential for pest populations to evolve resistance, and owing to lack of effective control of homopteran pests, alternative strategies are being developed. Some of these are based on Bacillus spp. or other insect pathogens, while others are based on the use of plant- and animal-derived genes. However, if such approaches are to play a useful role in crop protection, it is desirable that they do not have a negative impact on beneficial organisms at higher trophic levels thus affecting the functioning of the agro-ecosystem. This widely held concern over the ecological impacts of GM crops has led to the extensive examination of the potential effects of a range of transgene proteins on non-target and beneficial insects. The findings to date with respect to both commercial and experimental GM crops expressing anti-insect genes are discussed here, with particular emphasis on insect predators and parasitoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M R Gatehouse
- School of Biology, Institute for Research on Environment and Sustainability, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK.
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Routen AC, Edwards MG, Upton D, Peters DM. The impact of school-day variation in weight and height on National Child Measurement Programme body mass index-determined weight category in Year 6 children. Child Care Health Dev 2011; 37:360-7. [PMID: 21276038 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2214.2010.01204.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In England, the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) annually measures the weight and height of Year 6 schoolchildren (age 10-11 years). While measurement protocols are defined, the time of measurement within the school day is not. This study examined the impact of school-day variation in weight and height on NCMP body mass index (BMI)-determined weight category in Year 6 children. METHODS Standing height and weight were measured in morning and afternoon sessions in 74 children, boys (n= 34; height: 141.16 ± 7.45 cm; weight: 36.48 ± 9.46 kg, BMI: 18.19 ± 3.98 kg/m(2) ) and girls (n= 40; height: 144.58 ± 7.66 cm; weight: 42.25 ± 11.29 kg; BMI: 19.97 ± 3.98 kg/m(2) ) aged 11 ± 0.3 years. RESULTS In the whole sample, height decreased (Mean =-0.51 cm, 95% CI: -0.39 to -0.64 cm, P= 0.01), weight did not change (Mdn = 36.40 to 36.35, P= 0.09) and BMI increased (Mdn = 18.04 to 18.13, P= 0.01). In girls weight increased (Mdn = 41.40 to 41.60, P= 0.01). BMI percentile increased (Mdn = 57th to 59.5th centile, P= 0.01). One girl increased in BMI category from morning to afternoon according to the clinical cut-offs (≤2nd, >91st and >98th) and three girls increased BMI category according to the population monitoring cut-offs (≤2nd, ≥85th, ≥95th). CONCLUSIONS School-day variation in height (and in girls alone, weight) impact upon increased BMI and BMI percentile in afternoon versus morning measurements in Year 6 children. Although not reaching statistical significance, resultant variation in categorization at the individual level may lead to unwarranted follow-up procedures being initiated. Further research with larger samples is required to further explore the impact of daily variability in height and weight upon both clinical and population monitoring BMI-determined weight status categorization in the NCMP.
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Affiliation(s)
- A C Routen
- Institute of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Worcester, Worcester, UK
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Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that the observation of action can modulate motor performance. This literature has focused on manipulating the observed goal of the action, rather than examining whether action observation effects could be elicited by changing observed kinematics alone. In the study presented here, observed reach trajectory kinematics unrelated to the goal of the action were manipulated in order to examine whether observed movement kinematics alone could influence the action of the observer. Participants observed an experimenter grasp a target object using either a normal or an exaggeratedly high reaching action (as though reaching over an invisible obstacle). When participants observed the experimenter perform actions with a high reach trajectory, their own movements took on aspects of the observed action, showing greater wrist height throughout their reaching trajectory than under conditions in which they observed normal reaching actions. The data are discussed in relation to previous findings which suggest that kinematic aspects of observed movements can prime action through kinematic or intention based matching processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Hardwick
- School of Psychology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
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Ramsey R, Cumming J, Eastough D, Edwards MG. Incongruent imagery interferes with action initiation. Brain Cogn 2010; 74:249-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2010.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2010] [Revised: 08/10/2010] [Accepted: 08/12/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Edwards MG, Gatehouse JA, Gatehouse AMR. Molecular and biochemical characterisation of a dual proteolytic system in vine weevil larvae (Otiorhynchus sulcatus Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Insect Biochem Mol Biol 2010; 40:785-791. [PMID: 20709171 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2010.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2009] [Revised: 07/19/2010] [Accepted: 07/27/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The ability of phytophagous insects to utilise the relatively low nitrogen content of plant tissues is typically the limiting factor in their nutritional uptake. In the larval stage, the vine weevil feeds predominantly on root tissues of plants. The root tissue as a whole has low levels of free amino acids, and thus effective hydrolysis of dietary proteins is essential for survival. In contrast to previous reports the present study demonstrates through both molecular and biochemical studies the presence of proteolytic enzymes from two mechanistic classes, cysteine and serine proteases, in the gut of larval vine weevil; with the latter being the predominant form. cDNA clones encoding cathepsin B-like and serine-like sequences were isolated from a gut specific cDNA library; the cathepsin B-like clone has the Cys-His-Asn catalytic triad. However, the sequence showed the replacement of the conserved His-His sequence in the "occluding loop" region of the enzyme with Asp-His. This may result in a change to the substrate specificity. Two trypsin precursors contained evidence of a signal peptide, activation peptide, and conserved N-termini (IVGG). Other structural features included typical His, Asp, and Ser residues of the catalytic amino acid triad indicative of serine proteases, characteristic residues in the substrate-binding pocket, and four pairs of cysteine residues for disulfide bridges. The apparent abundance of the trypsin-like cDNA clones compared to the cathepsin B clones suggests that serine proteases are the predominant form, thus supporting data from the biochemical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- M G Edwards
- Newcastle University, School of Biology, Institute for Research on Environment and Sustainability, Devonshire Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK.
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Riddoch MJ, Edwards MG, Humphreys GW, West R, Heafield T. VISUAL AFFORDANCES DIRECT ACTION: NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FROM MANUAL INTERFERENCE. Cogn Neuropsychol 2010; 15:645-83. [DOI: 10.1080/026432998381041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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Jane Riddoch M, Humphreys GW, Edwards MG. NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL EVIDENCE DISTINGUISHING OBJECT SELECTION FROM ACTION (EFFECTOR) SELECTION. Cogn Neuropsychol 2010; 17:547-62. [DOI: 10.1080/02643290050110647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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Eastough D, Edwards MG. Movement kinematics in prehension are affected by grasping objects of different mass. Exp Brain Res 2006; 176:193-8. [PMID: 17072606 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-006-0749-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2006] [Accepted: 10/04/2006] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has identified that prehension is composed of a reach and a grasp component and that the position and size of the object can independently affect each. However, no effects on prior to contact prehension kinematics have been reported for manipulations in object mass. We felt that this 'lack of a finding' was surprising, as a more accurate grip position on heavier objects would prevent slippage and rotation when lifting the object. Therefore, we hypothesized that increased object mass would effect the grasp component movement kinematics prior to contact in preparation for a stable final grip placement on the object. We report two experiments in which participants reached, grasped and lifted objects of various size and mass, and their movement kinematics were recorded using a motion tracking system. The results showed that the mass of the object significantly influenced prior-to-contact grasp kinematics. Both studies showed that the heavy compared to light objects caused increased peak grasp aperture, a final finger and thumb placement on the object that more closely passed through the object centre of mass, increased lift delay and reduced peak lift velocity. The data are discussed in terms of how object mass influences the reach, grasp and lift components of prehensile movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Eastough
- School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
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Ferry N, Edwards MG, Gatehouse J, Capell T, Christou P, Gatehouse AMR. Transgenic plants for insect pest control: a forward looking scientific perspective. Transgenic Res 2006; 15:13-9. [PMID: 16475006 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-005-4803-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2005] [Accepted: 11/04/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
One of the first successes of plant biotechnology has been the creation and commercialisation of transgenic crops exhibiting resistance to major insect pests. First generation products encompassed plants with single insecticidal Bt genes with resistance against major pests of corn and cotton. Modelling studies predicted that usefulness of these resistant plants would be short-lived, as a result of the ability of insects to develop resistance against single insecticidal gene products. However, despite such dire predictions no such collapse has taken place and the acreage of transgenic insect resistance crops has been increasing at a steady rate over the 9 years since the deployment of the first transgenic insect resistant plant. However, in order to assure durability and sustainability of resistance, novel strategies have been contemplated and are being developed. This perspective addresses a number of potentially useful strategies to assure the longevity of second and third generation insect resistant plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Ferry
- School of Biology, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
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Edwards MG, Wing AM, Stevens J, Humphreys GW. Knowing your nose better than your thumb: measures of over-grasp reveal that face-parts are special for grasping. Exp Brain Res 2004; 161:72-80. [PMID: 15480598 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-004-2047-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2004] [Accepted: 06/28/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Typically, when a grasping response is made, the hand opens wider than the target object. We show that this "over-grasp" response is reduced when we reach to parts of our own face, relative to when we reach to other body parts or to neutral objects. This is not due to reaching to different parts of body space, as over-grasp responses are indifferent to whether or not other body parts or neutral objects are placed close to the face. It is also not due to differences in perceptual knowledge of the size of the target object. We conclude instead that the familiarity of face parts influences the grasping response directly. Subsequent experiments demonstrate that the movement representation determining any effect is not based on a torso-centred frame, and not abstracted from the specific hand used for grasping. We discuss the implications of the results for understanding and measuring motor representations for familiar actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- M G Edwards
- School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK,
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Abstract
Recent advances in our understanding of induced responses in plants and their regulation, brought about by a revolution in molecular biology, have re-focused attention on the potential exploitation of endogenous resistance mechanisms for crop protection. The future goal of crop biotechnology is thus to engineer a durable, multimechanistic resistance to insect pests through an understanding of the diversity of plant responses to insect attack.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Ferry
- School of Biology, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, Newcastle, NE1 7RU, UK
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Fitches E, Edwards MG, Mee C, Grishin E, Gatehouse AMR, Edwards JP, Gatehouse JA. Fusion proteins containing insect-specific toxins as pest control agents: snowdrop lectin delivers fused insecticidal spider venom toxin to insect haemolymph following oral ingestion. J Insect Physiol 2004; 50:61-71. [PMID: 15037094 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2003.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2003] [Revised: 09/25/2003] [Accepted: 09/26/2003] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The mannose-specific snowdrop lectin (Galanthus nivalis agglutinin: GNA), when fed to insects, binds to the gut epithelium and passes into the haemolymph. The ability of GNA to act as a carrier protein to deliver an insecticidal spider venom neurotoxin (Segestria florentina toxin 1: SFI1) to the haemolymph of lepidopteran larvae was investigated. Constructs encoding SFI1 and an SFI1/GNA fusion protein were expressed in Pichia pastoris. The insecticidal activity of purified recombinant proteins on injection was found to be comparable to published values for SfI1 purified from spider venom [Toxicon 40 (2002) 125]. Whereas neither GNA nor SFI1 alone showed acute toxicity when fed to larvae of tomato moth (Lacanobia oleracea), feeding SFI1/GNA fusion at 2.5% of dietary proteins was insecticidal to first stadium larvae, causing 100% mortality after 6 days. The protein also showed a significant, dose dependent, toxicity towards fourth and fifth stadium larvae, with growth reduced by up to approximately 90% over a 4-day assay period compared to controls. Delivery of intact SFI1/GNA to the haemolymph in these insects was shown by western blotting; haemolymph samples from fusion-fed larvae contained a GNA-immunoreactive protein of the same molecular weight as the SFI1/GNA fusion. SFI1/GNA and similar fusion proteins offer a novel and effective approach for delivering haemolymph active toxins by oral administration, which could be used in crop protection by expression in transgenic plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Fitches
- Central Science Laboratory, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, UK
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Abstract
Previous research has shown that the observation of actions and the execution of actions activate common neural systems. More recently, we have presented data showing that action observation of prehension primes subsequent execution (Castiello, Lusher, Mari, Edwards, & Humphreys, 2002). In the current paper we examined action priming under conditions in which the size of the prime did not predict the size of the target (only 20% of trials were valid). We demonstrated reliable priming under these conditions, consistent with the effect occurring automatically. In addition, we show priming even when observers saw just the object rather than the object and a reaching action on the prime trial. We discuss the findings in relation to the role of mirror neurons and object affordances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin G Edwards
- School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, UK.
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