本研究得到了重大科技创新项目（2020CXGC010802）的支持。

注意:在诱捕野生型迁徙昆虫之前要注意安全措施，建议穿戴安全装备（手套、长袖衬衫和护目镜）。此外，不使用时请关闭疏水阀，以免出现其他安全隐患和灯过热。解剖前遵循安全规程很重要，例如戴手套、护目镜和实验室外套，以防止接触体液和化学物质。
1. 迁徙昆虫的诱捕
<ol><li>通过使用探照灯诱捕昆虫来开始此协议。在本协议中，测试昆虫来源为中国山东省济南市济阳区（北纬36.977088°，东经116.982747°）。</li>
	<li>使用探照灯灯的主体，即不生锈的钢，盒子，这是一个矩形的主体，GT75型卤素大灯，功率为1000W，将前照灯放在中间作为光源。</li>
	<li>在灯的内部和底部放置一个漏斗状的昆虫收集通道，放置一个直径为5厘米的昆虫收集箱，然后放置一个60阶的昆虫收集网袋（0.5 m x 0.5 m），用于收集被光困住的昆虫。已知的光投射距离地面约500 m。</li>
	<li>该协议强调野生型雌性的迁徙动态和卵巢发育;因此，收集不同种类的昆虫（这里的收集是在 2021 年至 2022 年期间的 4 月至 8 月进行的）。避免收集小型和受伤的昆虫，选择类似大小的大型害虫进行此实验。</li>
</ol>2.昆虫的制备
<ol><li>将所有收集的昆虫从网袋（0.5 m）转移到网笼（30 cm x 30 cm），然后提供含有10%蜂蜜水灭菌溶液的培养皿（喂食可选）。将笼子置于27±2°C，65%±12%相对湿度下，并在黑暗中保持8-12小时。</li>
	<li>选择同一天飞入笼子内的野生型雌性，小心地将它们转移到单独的小瓶管中，并用棉盖关闭每个管子。避免直接处理，否则可能会因压力过大而损坏或伤害害虫。 注意:所有野生型雌性均在夜间捕获，并在白天进行解剖。因此，每个实验都在一天内进行。</li>
</ol>3.昆虫麻痹法的制备方法（图1）
<ol><li>将选定的雌性害虫单独放入中间的苍蝇瓶管中，并通过握住吹枪针使用CO2 气体麻醉雌性害虫，以引起轻度麻痹。要确认害虫是否瘫痪，请使用软刷轻轻推或触摸害虫。对软刺激和不动没有反应表明瘫痪成功。 注意:低温（-20°C）也可用作麻痹昆虫的替代技术。</li>
</ol>4. 昆虫解剖
<ol><li>将新鲜瘫痪的雌性放入含有无水乙醇（10mL）的解剖培养皿中。为避免解剖过程中鳞片毛和翅膀粉末的影响，用无水酒精浸入活的或瘫痪的昆虫中，并用清水冲洗。</li>
	<li>使用两对镊子将背翅与胸部和腹部身体的交界处分开。</li>
	<li>将腹部转移到新的一次性培养皿中，装有适量的水（2-5mm深），并使用解剖镊子沿着背腹线从尖嘴到尾巴轻轻剥离腹部外骨骼。在另一侧重复相同的步骤，然后将其放入清水中以分散完整的组织。</li>
	<li>用镊子小心地剥离表皮脂肪组织，轻轻拉动并释放卵巢。</li>
	<li>使用解剖镊轻轻去除卵巢周围的脂肪颗粒和其他器官。一般害虫卵巢多在腹部两侧向内折叠，在展开卵巢的同时尝试在液体环境中操作，从中间慢慢剥离交配囊，挑出附着在卵巢管上的脂肪颗粒。</li>
	<li>从垂直的后端轻轻抓住卵巢和交配囊，然后小心地向下展开。为避免在展开过程中损坏，将卵巢转移到装有水的新培养皿或干净的培养皿中。握住卵巢尖端，向内展开卵巢;小心执行此步骤以避免卵泡受损。</li>
</ol>5. 分析卵巢组织解剖学数据
<ol><li>在此步骤中，根据卵的颜色和大小评估每种昆虫的卵发育，以判断其成熟度。然后，根据卵子发育情况判断卵巢等级。 注意:卵巢发育水平的划分主要分为卵子前或卵黄沉淀水平的卵发育。为了更清楚起见，昆虫的卵粒发育进一步分为几个阶段，如卵黄发生阶段、卵黄成熟阶段和卵黄死亡阶段。蛋粒的成熟度取决于鸡蛋的饱满度、颜色和大小来判断其成熟度。</li>
	<li>解剖后，确保将雌配囊组织与完整的卵巢分开，并观察形态以区分物种，因为大多数交配囊的解剖结构因物种而异。因此，使用交配囊来区分物种。</li>
	<li>在此步骤中，评估卵巢解剖结构，并分析卵巢发育分级。将卵巢组织分为五个等级（1级至5级）。<ol><li>寻找以下组织的变化和结构:一级（1）是发育的早期阶段（乳白色透明），腹部饱满，柔软，脂肪体蓬松，颜色浅，难以剥离。二级（2）是卵黄沉积阶段，在观察更长和更厚的卵巢管后，如果需要，可以单独对卵巢进行分级。三年级（3）的脂肪体较少，只有少数颗粒附着在子房上。四年级（4）看起来弹性较差，容易折断，子宫管中间可能存在一些卵子。五年级 （5） 很容易识别，身体脂肪较少或没有脂肪，卵巢萎缩和脆弱。</li>
	</ol></li>
	<li>根据实验需要使用数码相机拍摄图像。</li>
</ol>

通过卵巢生殖分析鉴定迁徙昆虫的解剖

作者没有利益冲突需要声明。

卵巢分析方法通常用于植物保护，以阐明昆虫飞行和种群的运动，以预测19,20,21，并详细阐述昆虫的生理变化。人们注意到，棉铃虫、粘虫、芋头毛虫、甜菜蛾等常见农业害虫独特的迁徙和快速扩散能力，使其他地区难以预测。一些研究认为 Athetis lepigone 是迁徙性害虫22,23，但...

昆虫的迁徙在全球昆虫分布的种群动态中起着至关重要的作用，这些昆虫如棉铃虫、东方粘虫、草地贪夜蛾（芋头毛虫）、甜菜粘虫等昆虫的种群动态，这些昆虫在中国被报告为严重害虫 1,2,3,4.迁徙距离长、季节变化大、迁徙性强、生态因素等因素给这些害虫的预测、预报和防控带来了很大的困难5。需要对有害生物迁移进行监测，以揭示根据气候变化或周期促进迁移性有害生物的适应性和行为变化6.为了维持它们的生长、繁殖和生存，昆虫在进化过程中获得了连续的适应性;这一系列的适应性生活使生殖系统发生了许多变化，例如迁徙策略导致在漫长的迁徙过程中控制卵巢发育。
卵巢发育在迁徙性害虫中很常见，这会影响其种群的增长7.因此，卵巢发育长期以来一直是迁徙性害虫研究的热点。一系列研究导致了几个卵巢发育指标和分类策略。到目前为止，已经使用了几种方法来分析卵巢发育，例如，Loxostege sticticalis - 草甸蛾 - 卵巢发育，包括初始羽化阶段、早期产卵期、产卵期和产卵期结束 8.一些研究人员根据迁徙性鳞翅目害虫的蛋黄颜色发育来划分卵巢水平，例如甜菜粘虫 S. exigua、Pseudaletia unipuncta - 真正的粘虫和 Cnaphalocrocis medinalis（水稻叶文件夹等）9,10,11,12.以往研究将棉铃虫、水稻卷叶虫等害虫的卵巢发育水平分为卵黄沉积期、卵粒成熟期、成熟等待期、卵源高峰期和产卵期结束13,14。欧洲玉米螟的卵巢发育分为6个发育阶段:卵黄沉积期、卵成熟期、卵前处置期、产卵高峰期和末产卵期15。
此外，同一属昆虫的发育阶段不同，草地贪夜蛾（草地贪夜蛾）的卵巢发育水平分为四个层次:卵黄沉积期、成熟等待分娩期、卵阳性高峰期和产卵期结束16。另一方面，甜菜蛾（甜菜蛾）的卵巢发育有五个层次:透明、卵生、卵成熟、产卵和晚期产卵水平17。
以前的研究只能使用卵黄的颜色成熟度、产卵和卵子发育来对单个卵巢发育水平到多个卵巢发育水平进行分类，但不能根据生殖系统的解剖结构进行分类。基于形态发生解剖学的卵巢发育是一个研究较少的领域。本文采用解剖方法，利用两种卵巢组织类型预测种群中的迁徙雌性，基于卵巢发育阶段和交配囊的解剖形态发生，阐述其生殖动力学，为区分迁徙野生型雌性提供直接证据。
一些研究发现，洄游 夜蛾科 昆虫物种经常被探照灯捕获18。大多数洄游 夜蛾科 昆虫的子房在迁徙初期处于发育的早期阶段，卵巢水平随着迁徙的进行而增加。本研究描述了卵巢发育等级的解剖方法，研究了探照灯捕获的不同雌性种群害虫的两种生殖组织。该方法不仅推进了对迁徙动态的研究，而且为昆虫分类、昆虫生理学研究、害虫预测和雌性害虫物种的预测提供了便利。

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Digital camera</td>
			<td>Canon ( China ) co., LTD</td>
			<td>EOS 800D</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dropper</td>
			<td>Qingdao jindian biochemical equipment co., LTD</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethanol absolute (99.7%)</td>
			<td>Shanghai Hushi Laboratory Equipmentco., LTD</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Forceps</td>
			<td>&#160;Vetus Tools co., LTD</td>
			<td>ST-14</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GT75 type halogen headlamp (1000 W)</td>
			<td>Shanghai Yadeng Industry co., LTD</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Helicoverpa armigera, Mythimna separate, Spodoptera litura, Spodoptera exigua</td>
			<td>Jiyang district, Jinan city, Shandong province, China</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Measuring cylinder, beaker, flask</td>
			<td>Qingdao jindian biochemical equipment co., LTD</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Net bag&#160;</td>
			<td>Qingdao jindian biochemical equipment co., LTD</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>0.5 m&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Net cages&#160;</td>
			<td>Qingdao jindian biochemical equipment co., LTD</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>30 cm x 30 cm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Petri dishes</td>
			<td>Qingdao jindian biochemical equipment co., LTD</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>&#160;60 mm diameter</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

dissection and grading of ovarian development in wild-type female insects

迁徙性害虫对全世界的粮食生产和安全构成严重挑战。可以使用探照灯陷阱监测和捕获迁徙性害虫。迁徙性有害生物预测的最重要技术之一是识别迁徙物种。但是，在大多数情况下，仅凭外观很难获得信息。因此，利用通过对雌性生殖系统进行系统分析获得的知识，有助于了解探照灯陷阱捕获的野生型迁徙昆虫的卵巢交配囊和卵巢发育分级的综合解剖形态。为证明该方法的适用性，直接评估了 蛤蜊、蛤蜊、 苔 藓荠蛾和 苔 藓蛾的卵巢发育状况和卵粒发育阶段，并研究了卵巢交配囊 Agrotis ipsilon、Spaelotis valida、Helicoverpa armigera、Athetis lepigone、Mythimna separata、Spodoptera litura、Mamestra brassicae 和 Spodoptera exigua，探索他们的关系。本工作展示了预测野生型迁徙昆虫的具体解剖方法，比较了不同迁徙昆虫的独特生殖系统。然后，进一步研究了两个组织，即卵巢和交配囊。该方法有助于预测野生型雌性迁徙昆虫生殖系统的动态和结构发育。

卵子的发育 上述方案用于分析卵巢中卵子的发育。为此，首先将卵分为四个阶段，以区分所有物种（如棉铃虫、粘虫、芋头毛虫和甜菜蛾）的卵发育早期和成熟阶段。在这里，观察到羽化的早期阶段（乳白色透明阶段）。 图2A 显示卵巢尚未开始发育，卵巢导管呈丝状，弹性好。由于鸡蛋的美味，形成的蛋粒在日光下无法看到，并且通过拉伸卵巢管可以看到透...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Analysis of Ovarian Anatomy in Migratory Insects to Overcome Experimental Challenges at JoVE.com

作者聚焦:分析迁徙昆虫的卵巢解剖结构以克服实验挑战 

该协议展示了一种简单易行的解剖方法，适用于用探照灯陷阱捕获的野生型迁徙雌性昆虫。该技术可以通过比较两种生殖组织（即野生型雌性昆虫的交配囊和卵巢发育）来显着阐明同一物种。

野生型雌性昆虫卵巢发育的解剖和分级

Migratory insect pests pose serious challenges to food production and security all over the world. The migratory pests can be monitored and captured using ...

我们的目标是将这种简单和最新的方法应用于迁徙性害虫，以描述迁徙雌性的卵巢解剖结构。这些信息将有助于分析相似的单个物种。预测迁徙的雌性昆虫是相当具有挑战性的。因此，卵巢解剖结构的可视化非常容易且非常有用。

dissection-grading-ovarian-development-wild-type-female

Research

JoVE Journal

Behavior

Dissection and Grading of Ovarian Development in Wild-Type Female Insects

1.2K 次观看.  Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences. 我们的目标是将这种简单和最新的方法应用于迁徙性害虫，以描述迁徙雌性的卵巢解剖结构。这些信息将有助于分析相似的单个物种。预测迁徙的雌性昆虫是相当具有挑战性的。因此，卵巢解剖结构的可视化非常容易且非常有用。

视频: 作者聚焦:分析迁徙昆虫的卵巢解剖结构以克服实验挑战 

Marble Burying and Nestlet Shredding as Tests of Repetitive, Compulsive-like Behaviors in Mice

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are serious and debilitating psychiatric conditions and each constitutes a significant public health concern, particularly in children. Both of these conditions are highlighted by the repeated expression of meaningless behaviors. Individuals with OCD often show checking, frequent hand washing, and counting. Children with ASDs also engage in repetitive tapping, arm or hand flapping, and rocking. These behaviors can vary widely in intensity and frequency of expression. More intense forms of repetitive behaviors can even result in injury (e.g.&#160;excessive grooming, hand washing, and self-stimulation). These behaviors are therefore very disruptive and make normal social discourse difficult. Treatment options for repetitive behaviors in OCD and ASDs are somewhat limited and there is great interest in developing more effective therapies for each condition. Numerous animal models for evaluating compulsive-like behaviors have been developed over the past three decades. Perhaps the animal models with the greatest validity and ease of use are the marble burying test and the nestlet shredding test. Both tests take advantage of the fact that the target behaviors occur spontaneously in mice. In the marble burying test, 20 marbles are arrayed on the surface of clean bedding. The number of marbles buried in a 30 min session is scored by investigators blind to the treatment or status of the subjects. In the nestlet shredding test, a nestlet comprised of pulped cotton fiber is preweighed and placed on top of cage bedding and the amount of the nestlet remaining intact after a 30 min test session is determined. Presently, we describe protocols for and show movie documentation of marble burying and nestlet shredding. Both tests are easily and accurately scored and each is sensitive to small changes in the expression of compulsive-like behaviors that result from genetic manipulations, disease, or head injury.

Disease, head injury, genetic modifications, and treatment of mice with drugs can have profound effects on behavior. Utilizing well-characterized and validated approaches such as marble burying and nestlet shredding, compulsive-like behaviors can be documented accurately in mice as models of human obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism spectrum disorder.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are serious and debilitating psychiatric conditions and each constitutes a ...

科研

行为学

A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance

The ability to adjust behavior to sudden changes in the environment develops gradually in childhood and adolescence. For example, in the Dimensional Change Card Sort task, participants switch from sorting cards one way, such as shape, to sorting them a different way, such as color. Adjusting behavior in this way exacts a small performance cost, or switch cost, such that responses are typically slower and more error-prone on switch trials in which the sorting rule changes as compared to repeat trials in which the sorting rule remains the same. The ability to flexibly adjust behavior is often said to develop gradually, in part because behavioral costs such as switch costs typically decrease with increasing age. Why aspects of higher-order cognition, such as behavioral flexibility, develop so gradually remains an open question. One hypothesis is that these changes occur in association with functional changes in broad-scale cognitive control networks. On this view, complex mental operations, such as switching, involve rapid interactions between several distributed brain regions, including those that update and maintain task rules, re-orient attention, and select behaviors. With development, functional connections between these regions strengthen, leading to faster and more efficient switching operations. The current video describes a method of testing this hypothesis through the collection and multivariate analysis of fMRI data from participants of different ages.

This video presents a method of examining age-related changes in functional connectivity of cognitive control networks engaged by targeted tasks/processes. The technique is based on multi-variate analysis of fMRI data.

针对调查中的认知控制网络与关联维度变化卡片分类性能的功能连通性年龄相关性差异的方法

The ability to adjust behavior to sudden changes in the environment develops gradually in childhood and adolescence. For example, in the Dimensional ...

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills

Cognitive impairments affect the majority of patients with schizophrenia and these impairments predict poor long term psychosocial outcomes.&#160; Treatment studies aimed at cognitive impairment in patients with schizophrenia not only require demonstration of improvements on cognitive tests, but also evidence that any cognitive changes lead to clinically meaningful improvements.&#160; Measures of &#8220;functional capacity&#8221; index the extent to which individuals have the potential to perform skills required for real world functioning. &#160;Current data do not support the recommendation of any single instrument for measurement of functional capacity.&#160; The Virtual Reality Functional Capacity Assessment Tool (VRFCAT) is a novel, interactive gaming based measure of functional capacity that uses a realistic simulated environment to recreate routine activities of daily living. Studies are currently underway to evaluate and establish the VRFCAT&#8217;s sensitivity, reliability, validity, and practicality.&#160;This new measure of functional capacity is practical, relevant, easy to use, and has several features that improve validity and sensitivity of measurement of function in clinical trials of patients with CNS disorders.

A challenge for proving treatment efficacy for cognitive impairments in schizophrenia is finding the optimizing measurement of skills related to everyday functioning.&#160; The Virtual Reality Functional Capacity Assessment Tool (VRFCAT) is an interactive gaming based computerized measure aimed at skills associated with everyday functioning, including baseline impairments and treatment related changes.

每天生活技能的虚拟现实评估的发展

Cognitive impairments affect the majority of patients with schizophrenia and these impairments predict poor long term psychosocial outcomes.&#160; ...

Protocol for Studying Extinction of Conditioned Fear in Naturally Cycling Female Rats

Extinction of conditioned fear has been extensively studied in male rodents. Recently, there have been an increasing number of studies indicating that neural mechanisms for certain behavioral tasks and response behaviors are different in females and males. Using females in research studies can represent a challenge because of the variation of gonadal hormones during their estrous cycle. This protocol describes well-established procedures that are useful in investigating the role of estrogen in fear extinction memory consolidation in female rats. Phase of the estrous cycle and exogenous estrogen administration prior to extinction training can influence extinction recall 24 hr later. The vaginal swabbing technique for estrous phase identification described here aids the examination and manipulation of naturally cycling gonadal hormones. The use of this basic rodent model may further delineate the mechanisms by which estrogen can modulate fear extinction memory in females.

Gonadal hormones such as estrogen modulate memory formation in a number of experimental paradigms including fear extinction memory. This protocol describes a set of methods for investigating the influence of gonadal hormones specifically during extinction in naturally cycling females, including estrous cycle monitoring and exogenous estrogen administration.

协议在骑自行车自然雌性大鼠学习条件性恐惧灭绝

Extinction of conditioned fear has been extensively studied in male rodents. Recently, there have been an increasing number of studies indicating that ...

Behavioral Disturbances: An Innovative Approach to Monitor the Modulatory Effects of a Nutraceutical Diet

In dogs, diets are often used to modulate behavioral disturbances related to chronic anxiety and stress caused by intense and restless activity. However, the traditional ways to monitor behavioral changes in dogs are complicated and not efficient. In the current clinical evaluation, a new, simple monitoring system was used to assess the effectiveness of a specific diet in positively modulating the intense and restless activity of 24 dogs of different ages and breeds. This protocol describes how to easily and rapidly evaluate improvement in a set of symptoms related to generalized anxiety by using a specific sensor, a mobile phone app, a wireless router, and a computer. The results showed that dogs treated with specific diets showed significant improvement in the times spent active and at rest after 10 days (p &lt; 0.01 and p &lt; 0.05, respectively). These dogs also showed an overall significant improvement in clinical and behavioral symptoms. A specific sensor, along with its related hardware, was demonstrated to successfully monitor behavioral changes relating to movement in dogs.

We report a simple approach to evaluate the effectiveness of a specific diet in positively modulating the daily activity and clinical and behavioral symptoms of dogs with evident behavioral disturbances.

行为障碍:一个创新的方法来监控保健品饮食的调节作用

In dogs, diets are often used to modulate behavioral disturbances related to chronic anxiety and stress caused by intense and restless activity. However, ...

An Objective and Child-friendly Assessment of Arm Function by Using a 3-D Sensor

Progressive and irreversible muscle atrophy characterizes Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and other similar muscle disorder diseases. Objective assessment of muscle functions is an essential and important, although challenging, prerequisite for successful clinical trials. Current clinical rating scales restrain the movement abnormalities to certain predefined coarse-grained individual items. The Kinect 3-D sensor has emerged as a low-cost and portable motion sensing technology used to capture and track people&#39;s movement in many medical and research fields. A novel approach using this 3-D sensor was developed and a game-like test was designed to objectively measure the upper limb function of patients with SMA. The prototype test targeted joint movement capability. While sitting in a virtual scene, the patient was instructed to extend, flex, and lift the whole arm in order to reach and place some objects. Both kinematic and spatiotemporal characteristics of upper limb movement were extracted and analyzed, e.g., elbow extension and flexion angles, hand velocity, and acceleration. The first study included a small cohort of 18 ambulant SMA patients and 19 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. A comprehensive analysis of arm movement was achieved; however, no significant difference between the groups were found due to the mismatch of patient&#39;s capability and the test difficulty. Based on this experience, a second version of the test consisting of a modified version of the first game with increased difficulties and a second game targeting muscle endurance were designed and implemented. The new test has not been conducted in any patient groups yet. Our work has demonstrated the potential capability of the 3-D sensor in assessing such muscle function and suggested an objective approach to complement the clinical rating scales.

An objective measure of muscle functions is challenging especially in children. Based on a commercially available digital 3-D sensor, a child-friendly gaming test was developed to assess upper limb function for clinical trials.

基于3维传感器的 Arm 功能的客观和儿童友好评估

Progressive and irreversible muscle atrophy characterizes Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and other similar muscle disorder diseases. Objective assessment ...

Automated, Long-term Behavioral Assay for Cognitive Functions in Multiple Genetic Models of Alzheimer's Disease, Using IntelliCage

Multiple factors&#8212;such as aging and genes&#8212;are frequently associated with cognitive decline. Genetically modified mouse models of cognitive decline, such as Alzheimer&#39;s disease (AD), have become a promising tool to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and promote the therapeutic advances. An important step is the validation and characterization of expected behavioral abnormality in the models, in the case of AD, cognitive decline. The long-term behavioral investigations of laboratory animals to study the effect of aging demand substantial efforts from researchers. The IntelliCage system is a high-throughput and cost-effective test battery for mice that eliminates the need for daily human handling. Here, we describe how the system is utilized in the long-term phenotyping of a genetic Alzheimer&#39;s disease model, specifically focusing on the cognitive functions. The experiment employs repeated battery of tests that assess spatial learning and executive functions. This cost-effective age-dependent phenotyping allows us to identify the transient and/or permanent effects of genes on various cognitive aspects.

This paper describes a protocol for cognitive assessments for genetic models of the Alzheimer&#39;s disease using the IntelliCage system, which is a high throughput automated behavioral monitoring system with operant conditioning.

基于 IntelliCage 的阿尔茨海默病多基因模型认知功能的自动、长期行为检测

Multiple factors&#8212;such as aging and genes&#8212;are frequently associated with cognitive decline. Genetically modified mouse models of cognitive ...

Using Flight Mills to Measure Flight Propensity and Performance of Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (LeConte)

The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is an economically important pest of corn in the northern United States. Some populations have developed resistance to management strategies including transgenic corn that produces insecticidal toxins derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Knowledge of western corn rootworm dispersal is of critical importance for models of resistance evolution, spread, and mitigation. Flight behavior of an insect, especially over a long distance, is inherently difficult to observe and characterize. Flight mills provide a means to directly test developmental and physiological impacts and consequences of flight in the laboratory that cannot be obtained in field studies. In this study, flight mills were used to measure the timing of flight activity, total number of flights, and the distance, duration, and speed of flights taken by female rootworms during a 22-h test period. Sixteen flight mills were housed in an environmental chamber with programmable lighting, temperature, and humidity control. The flight mill described is of a typical design, where a flight arm is free to rotate about a central pivot. Rotation is caused by flight of an insect tethered to one end of the flight arm, and each rotation is recorded by a sensor with a time-stamp. Raw data are compiled by software, which are subsequently processed to provide summary statistics for flight parameters of interest. The most difficult task for any flight mill study is attachment of the tether to the insect with an adhesive, and the method used must be tailored to each species. The attachment must be strong enough to hold the insect in a rigid orientation and to prevent detachment during movement, while not interfering with natural wing motion during flight. The attachment process requires dexterity, finesse, and speed, making video footage of the process for rootworms of value.

Using Flight Mills to Measure Flight Propensity and Performance of Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte

Flight mills are important tools for comparing how age, sex, mating status, temperature, or various other factors may influence an insect&#8217;s flight behavior. Here we describe protocols to tether and measure the flight propensity and performance of western corn rootworm under different treatments.

使用飞行磨坊测量西部玉米根虫的飞行倾向和性能，二溴二恶十二药病毒病毒（LeConte）

The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is an economically important pest of corn in the northern ...

Integrating Visual Psychophysical Assays within a Y-Maze to Isolate the Role that Visual Features Play in Navigational Decisions

Collective animal behavior arises from individual motivations and social interactions that are critical for individual fitness. Fish have long inspired investigations into collective motion, specifically, their ability to integrate environmental and social information across ecological contexts. This demonstration illustrates techniques used for quantifying behavioral responses of fish, in this case, Golden Shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas), to visual stimuli using computer visualization and digital image analysis. Recent advancements in computer visualization allow for empirical testing in the lab where visual features can be controlled and finely manipulated to isolate the mechanisms of social interactions. The purpose of this method is to isolate visual features that can influence the directional decisions of the individual, whether solitary or with groups. This protocol provides specifics on the physical Y-maze domain, recording equipment, settings and calibrations of the projector and animation, experimental steps and data analyses. These techniques demonstrate that computer animation can elicit biologically-meaningful responses. Moreover, the techniques are easily adaptable to test alternative hypotheses, domains, and species for a broad range of experimental applications. The use of virtual stimuli allows for the reduction and replacement of the number of live animals required, and consequently reduces laboratory overhead.
This demonstration tests the hypothesis that small relative differences in the movement speeds (2 body lengths per second) of virtual conspecifics will improve the speed and accuracy with which shiners follow the directional cues provided by the virtual silhouettes. Results show that shiners directional decisions are significantly affected by increases in the speed of the visual cues, even in the presence of background noise (67% image coherency). In the absence of any motion cues, subjects chose their directions at random. The relationship between decision speed and cue speed was variable and increases in cue speed had a modestly disproportionate influence on directional accuracy.

Here, we present a protocol to demonstrate a behavioral assay that quantifies how alternative visual features, such as motion cues, influence directional decisions in fish. Representative data are presented on the speed and accuracy where Golden Shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas) follow virtual fish movements.

在 Y-Maze 中集成视觉心理物理分析,以隔离视觉特征在导航决策中扮演的角色

Collective animal behavior arises from individual motivations and social interactions that are critical for individual fitness. Fish have long inspired ...

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure

Valid and efficient measures for assessing the quality of parent-child relationships are needed to facilitate research and evidence-based practice with parents. This paper focuses on such a method, namely Five-Minute Speech Sample-Coherence (FMSS-Coherence). In this method, a parent is asked to speak for five uninterrupted minutes about her/his child and their relationship. The resulted narrative is coded for coherence, namely the extent to which the parent provides&#160;in the narrative&#160;a clear, consistent, multidimensional and well-supported portrayal of the child. FMSS-Coherence is based on attachment research that shows that the coherence of parents&#8217; narratives is indicative of the quality of the parent-child relationship and child adjustment. It overcomes the limitations of attachment narrative measures which are typically labor intensive. FMSS-Coherence is less nuanced than extant attachment narrative measures. Yet, studies of families from different cultural backgrounds, across different child ages and in the context of typically developing children as well as children with special needs suggest that coherence can be reliably evaluated using the FMSS procedure. Furthermore, parents&#8217; FMSS-Coherence is associated with parenting quality and children&#8217;s socio-emotional adjustment. Thus, it holds promise for researchers and practitioners who seek a relatively time- and cost-effective method for assessing the coherence of parents&#8217; narratives regarding their child.

This paper introduces a method for assessing the coherence of parents' short narratives regarding their child and their relationship using the five-minute speech sample procedure.

使用五分钟言语样本程序评估家长对孩子的简短叙述的一致性

Valid and efficient measures for assessing the quality of parent-child relationships are needed to facilitate research and evidence-based practice with ...