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Abstract
Ant species exhibit behavioural commonalities when solving navigational challenges for successful orientation and to reach goal locations. These behaviours rely on a shared toolbox of navigational strategies that guide individuals under an array of motivational contexts. The mechanisms that support these behaviours, however, are tuned to each species' habitat and ecology with some exhibiting unique navigational behaviours. This leads to clear differences in how ant navigators rely on this shared toolbox to reach goals. Species with hybrid foraging structures, which navigate partially upon a pheromone-marked column, express distinct differences in their toolbox, compared to solitary foragers. Here, we explore the navigational abilities of the Western Thatching ant (Formica obscuripes), a hybrid foraging species whose navigational mechanisms have not been studied. We characterise their reliance on both the visual panorama and a path integrator for orientation, with the pheromone's presence acting as a non-directional reassurance cue, promoting continued orientation based on other strategies. This species also displays backtracking behaviour, which occurs with a combination of unfamiliar terrestrial cues and the absence of the pheromone, thus operating based upon a combination of the individual mechanisms observed in solitarily and socially foraging species. We also characterise a new form of goalless orientation in these ants, an initial retreating behaviour that is modulated by the forager's path integration system. The behaviour directs disturbed inbound foragers back along their outbound path for a short distance before recovering and reorienting back to the nest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody A Freas
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2113, Australia.
| | - Marcia L Spetch
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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2
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Pastras CJ, Curthoys IS. Vestibular Testing-New Physiological Results for the Optimization of Clinical VEMP Stimuli. Audiol Res 2023; 13:910-928. [PMID: 37987337 PMCID: PMC10660708 DOI: 10.3390/audiolres13060079] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Both auditory and vestibular primary afferent neurons can be activated by sound and vibration. This review relates the differences between them to the different receptor/synaptic mechanisms of the two systems, as shown by indicators of peripheral function-cochlear and vestibular compound action potentials (cCAPs and vCAPs)-to click stimulation as recorded in animal studies. Sound- and vibration-sensitive type 1 receptors at the striola of the utricular macula are enveloped by the unique calyx afferent ending, which has three modes of synaptic transmission. Glutamate is the transmitter for both cochlear and vestibular primary afferents; however, blocking glutamate transmission has very little effect on vCAPs but greatly reduces cCAPs. We suggest that the ultrafast non-quantal synaptic mechanism called resistive coupling is the cause of the short latency vestibular afferent responses and related results-failure of transmitter blockade, masking, and temporal precision. This "ultrafast" non-quantal transmission is effectively electrical coupling that is dependent on the membrane potentials of the calyx and the type 1 receptor. The major clinical implication is that decreasing stimulus rise time increases vCAP response, corresponding to the increased VEMP response in human subjects. Short rise times are optimal in human clinical VEMP testing, whereas long rise times are mandatory for audiometric threshold testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Pastras
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia;
| | - Ian S. Curthoys
- Vestibular Research Laboratory, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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Dahill LM, Morrison NMV, Touyz S, Mitchison D, Bussey K, Mannan H, Hay P. An exploration of how adolescents experience and reason their parents' comments on their weight, shape, and eating. J Adolesc 2023; 95:1488-1504. [PMID: 37464918 DOI: 10.1002/jad.12221] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Disordered eating among adolescents is of increasing concern given associated physical and mental health sequelae. Cognitions underlying disordered eating are formed in childhood and adolescence. Parents are a significant presence during this period, so it is critical to understand how they influence their adolescent's eating cognitions and behaviors. METHODS Qualitative analysis using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology was employed to consider the lived experiences of 10 Australian adolescents (14-19 years), 60% female, as they engaged with their parents in a range of weight, shape, and eating communications. RESULTS Our inductive IPA revealed three key themes representing adolescents' experiences and meaning-making: Parents as Influencers-adolescents acknowledged parents are influencers (objects) within a wider context of community and cultural norms (symbols) and can be protective for peer influence on body image ideals; Expression and Perception-the "what" (weight-talk as an object) and the "how" (objects as independent influences) of gendered parental communication related to health and fitness ideals and illustrated diverse interpretations of both verbal and non-verbal expression; and Fertile Soil and Maturity-the adolescent's characteristics and context influence perceptions of communication, a fear of deviating from norms, and an overarching focus on being "healthy" yet not always knowing what that was. Perception of bidirectional communication also offered valuable insights into potential dangers through family loyalty and in-group permissions. CONCLUSIONS Findings highlight implications for the nuanced influence of parental communication and illustrate the pivotal role of parents within the bioecosystem of adolescent development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy M Dahill
- Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Natalie M V Morrison
- Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stephen Touyz
- University of Sydney Inside Out, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Deborah Mitchison
- Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia
- University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kay Bussey
- Centre for Emotional Health, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Haider Mannan
- Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Phillipa Hay
- Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia
- South West Sydney Local Health District, Camden and Campbelltown Hospitals, Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia
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Ashton BJ, Thornton A, Speechley EM, Ridley AR. Does trappability and self-selection influence cognitive performance? R Soc Open Sci 2022; 9:220473. [PMID: 36117861 PMCID: PMC9470268 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220473] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Recent research has highlighted how trappability and self-selection-the processes by which individuals with particular traits may be more likely to be caught or to participate in experiments-may be sources of bias in studies of animal behaviour and cognition. It is crucial to determine whether such biases exist, and if they do, what effect they have on results. In this study, we investigated if trappability (quantified through 'ringing status'-whether or not a bird had been trapped for ringing) and self-selection are sources of bias in a series of associative learning experiments spanning 5 years in the Western Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis). We found no evidence of self-selection, with no biases in task participation associated with sex, age, group size or ringing status. In addition, we found that there was no effect of trappability on cognitive performance. These findings give us confidence in the results generated in the animal cognition literature and add to a growing body of literature seeking to determine potential sources of bias in studies of animal behaviour, and how they influence the generalizability and reproducibility of findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J. Ashton
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Alex Thornton
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Elizabeth M. Speechley
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Amanda R. Ridley
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
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Ashton BJ, Thornton A, Cauchoix M, Ridley AR. Long-term repeatability of cognitive performance. R Soc Open Sci 2022; 9:220069. [PMID: 35620015 PMCID: PMC9128854 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Measures of cognitive performance, derived from psychometric tasks, have yielded important insights into the factors governing cognitive variation. However, concerns remain over the robustness of these measures, which may be susceptible to non-cognitive factors such as motivation and persistence. Efforts to quantify short-term repeatability of cognitive performance have gone some way to address this, but crucially the long-term repeatability of cognitive performance has been largely overlooked. Quantifying the long-term repeatability of cognitive performance provides the opportunity to determine the stability of cognitive phenotypes and the potential for selection to act on them. To this end, we quantified long-term repeatability of cognitive performance in wild Australian magpies over a three-year period. Cognitive performance was repeatable in two out of four cognitive tasks-associative learning and reversal-learning performance was repeatable, but spatial memory and inhibitory control performance, although trending toward significance, was not. Measures of general cognitive performance, obtained from principal components analyses carried out on each cognitive test battery, were highly repeatable. Together, these findings provide evidence that at least some cognitive phenotypes are stable, which in turn has important implications for our understanding of cognitive evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J. Ashton
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Alex Thornton
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Maxime Cauchoix
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS (UMR5321), Moulis, France
| | - Amanda R. Ridley
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
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Jones J, Mirzaei M, Ravishankar P, Xavier D, Lim DS, Shin DH, Bianucci R, Haynes PA. Identification of proteins from 4200-year-old skin and muscle tissue biopsies from ancient Egyptian mummies of the first intermediate period shows evidence of acute inflammation and severe immune response. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2016; 374:rsta.2015.0373. [PMID: 27644972 PMCID: PMC5031639 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2015.0373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
We performed proteomics analysis on four skin and one muscle tissue samples taken from three ancient Egyptian mummies of the first intermediate period, approximately 4200 years old. The mummies were first dated by radiocarbon dating of the accompany-\break ing textiles, and morphologically examined by scanning electron microscopy of additional skin samples. Proteins were extracted, separated on SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) gels, and in-gel digested with trypsin. The resulting peptides were analysed using nanoflow high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. We identified a total of 230 unique proteins from the five samples, which consisted of 132 unique protein identifications. We found a large number of collagens, which was confirmed by our microscopy data, and is in agreement with previous studies showing that collagens are very long-lived. As expected, we also found a large number of keratins. We identified numerous proteins that provide evidence of activation of the innate immunity system in two of the mummies, one of which also contained proteins indicating severe tissue inflammation, possibly indicative of an infection that we can speculate may have been related to the cause of death.This article is part of the themed issue 'Quantitative mass spectrometry'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Jones
- Department of Ancient History, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Mehdi Mirzaei
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Prathiba Ravishankar
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Dylan Xavier
- Australian Proteome Analysis Facility, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Do Seon Lim
- Department of Dental Hygiene, College of Health Sciences, Eulji University, Sungnam, South Korea
| | - Dong Hoon Shin
- Department of Anatomy, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Raffaella Bianucci
- Department of Public Health and Paediatric Sciences, Legal Medicine Section, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy UMR 7268, Laboratoire d'Anthropologie bio-culturelle, Droit, Étique and Santé (ADÉS), Faculté de Médecine de Marseille, 13344 Marseille, France
| | - Paul A Haynes
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
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