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Animal Cognition Jun 2024The blank comparison (BLC) task was developed to assess stimulus relations in discrimination learning; that is, are subjects learning to "select" the correct stimulus...
The blank comparison (BLC) task was developed to assess stimulus relations in discrimination learning; that is, are subjects learning to "select" the correct stimulus (S+) or "reject" the incorrect stimulus (S-) or both? This task has been used to study exclusion learning, mostly in humans and monkeys, and the present study extends the procedure to rats. The BLC task uses an ambiguous stimulus (BLC+/-) that replaces S+ (in the presence of S-) and replaces S- (in the presence of S+). In the current experiment, four rats were trained to remove session-novel scented lids from sand-filled cups in a two-choice, simultaneous presentation procedure called the Odor Span Task (OST) before being trained on the BLC procedure using odors as the discriminative stimuli. The BLC training procedure utilized simple discrimination training (S+ and S-) and added select (S+ and BLC-) and reject (BLC+ and S-) trial types. All rats demonstrated accurate performance in sessions with both select and reject type trials. Next, BLC probe trials were interspersed in standard OST sessions to assess the form of stimulus control in the OST. Rats performed accurately on select type probe trials (similar to baseline OST performance) and also showed above chance accuracy on reject type trials. Thus, we demonstrated that rats could acquire an odor-based version of the BLC task and that both select and exclusion-based (reject) relations were active in the OST. The finding of exclusion in rats under the rigorous BLC task conditions confirms that exclusion-based responding is not limited to humans and non-human primates.
Topics: Animals; Rats; Odorants; Discrimination Learning; Male; Olfactory Perception; Choice Behavior; Rats, Long-Evans
PubMed: 38884865
DOI: 10.1007/s10071-024-01881-7 -
Learning & Memory (Cold Spring Harbor,... May 2024Animal brains need to store information to construct a representation of their environment. Knowledge of what happened in the past allows both vertebrates and... (Review)
Review
Animal brains need to store information to construct a representation of their environment. Knowledge of what happened in the past allows both vertebrates and invertebrates to predict future outcomes by recalling previous experience. Although invertebrate and vertebrate brains share common principles at the molecular, cellular, and circuit-architectural levels, there are also obvious differences as exemplified by the use of acetylcholine versus glutamate as the considered main excitatory neurotransmitters in the respective central nervous systems. Nonetheless, across central nervous systems, synaptic plasticity is thought to be a main substrate for memory storage. Therefore, how brain circuits and synaptic contacts change following learning is of fundamental interest for understanding brain computations tied to behavior in any animal. Recent progress has been made in understanding such plastic changes following olfactory associative learning in the mushroom bodies (MBs) of A current framework of memory-guided behavioral selection is based on the MB skew model, in which antagonistic synaptic pathways are selectively changed in strength. Here, we review insights into plasticity at dedicated MB output pathways and update what is known about the plasticity of both pre- and postsynaptic compartments of MB neurons.
Topics: Animals; Mushroom Bodies; Neuronal Plasticity; Drosophila; Synapses; Association Learning; Memory
PubMed: 38876487
DOI: 10.1101/lm.053919.124 -
Animal Cognition Jun 2024Although events are not always known to be important when they occur, people can remember details about such incidentally encoded information using episodic memory....
Although events are not always known to be important when they occur, people can remember details about such incidentally encoded information using episodic memory. Sheridan et al. (2024) argued that rats replayed episodic memories of incidentally encoded information in an unexpected assessment of memory. In one task, rats reported the third-last item in an explicitly encoded list of trial-unique odors. In a second task, rats foraged in a radial maze in the absence of odors. On a critical test, rats foraged in the maze, but scented lids covered the food. Next, memory of the third-last odor was assessed. The rats correctly answered the unexpected question. Because the odors used in the critical test were the same as those used during training, automatically encoding odors for the purpose of taking an upcoming test of memory (stimulus generalization) may have been encouraged. Here, we provided an opportunity for incidental encoding of novel odors. Previously trained rats foraged in the radial maze with entirely novel odors covering the food. Next, memory of the third-last odor was assessed. The rats correctly answered the unexpected question. High accuracy when confronted with novel odors provides evidence that the rats did not automatically encode odors for the purpose of taking an upcoming test, ruling out stimulus generalization. We conclude that rats encode multiple pieces of putatively unimportant information, and later replayed a stream of novel episodic memories when that information was needed to solve an unexpected problem.
Topics: Animals; Odorants; Rats; Male; Maze Learning; Memory, Episodic; Olfactory Perception; Rats, Long-Evans; Mental Recall
PubMed: 38874623
DOI: 10.1007/s10071-024-01880-8 -
Brain and Behavior Jun 2024Traumatic brain injury (TBI) refers to damage to brain tissue by mechanical or blunt force via trauma. TBI is often associated with impaired cognitive abilities, like... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) refers to damage to brain tissue by mechanical or blunt force via trauma. TBI is often associated with impaired cognitive abilities, like difficulties in memory, learning, attention, and other higher brain functions, that typically remain for years after the injury. Lithium is an elementary light metal that is only utilized in salt form due to its high intrinsic reactivity. This current review discusses the molecular mechanisms and therapeutic and neuroprotective effects of lithium in TBI.
METHOD
The "Boolean logic" was used to search for articles on the subject matter in PubMed and PubMed Central, as well as Google Scholar.
RESULTS
Lithium's therapeutic action is extremely complex, involving multiple effects on gene secretion, neurotransmitter or receptor-mediated signaling, signal transduction processes, circadian modulation, as well as ion transport. Lithium is able to normalize multiple short- as well as long-term modifications in neuronal circuits that ultimately result in disparity in cortical excitation and inhibition activated by TBI. Also, lithium levels are more distinct in the hippocampus, thalamus, neo-cortex, olfactory bulb, amygdala as well as the gray matter of the cerebellum following treatment of TBI.
CONCLUSION
Lithium attenuates neuroinflammation and neuronal toxicity as well as protects the brain from edema, hippocampal neurodegeneration, loss of hemispheric tissues, and enhanced memory as well as spatial learning after TBI.
Topics: Brain Injuries, Traumatic; Humans; Neuroprotective Agents; Animals; Lithium; Brain; Lithium Compounds
PubMed: 38874089
DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3595 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2024Kombucha fermentation yields a diverse range of beneficial macro and micronutrients. In our study, we examined the metabolites, antioxidant activity, organoleptic...
Kombucha fermentation yields a diverse range of beneficial macro and micronutrients. In our study, we examined the metabolites, antioxidant activity, organoleptic characteristics, and nutritional attributes of traditionally prepared kombucha tea, using black tea and sugar (control) as substrates, and compared them with tea made from tea dust and blackstrap molasses (test). Kombucha tea crafted from functional raw materials exhibited enhanced sensory qualities and improved health-promoting properties. The levels of tannins, flavonoids, and phenols play a crucial role in determining the antioxidant activity of kombucha tea. Using the DPPH and FRAP methods, we investigated the antioxidant activity throughout the fermentation period, ranging from day 0 to day 12, under optimized conditions. The results consistently demonstrated an initial increase in antioxidant activity from day 0 to 6, followed by a decline from day 6 to 12. Notably, statistical analysis revealed that the antioxidant activity of the test sample was significantly better ( > 0.001) compared to the control sample. The nutritional content of the kombucha from day 6 of the test sample is higher than the control sample provided sugars (fructose 0.4 ± 0.1, glucose 0.7 ± 0.1, sucrose 1.4 ± 0.1) g/100 mL, minerals (calcium, 19.4 ± 0.15, iron 23.1 ± 0.25, and potassium 28.3 ± 0.25) mg/100 mL, vitamins (B1 0.58 ± 0.01, B2 0.30 ± 0.02, B3 0.33 ± 0.02, B6 0.75 ± 0.02, B9 0.19 ± 0.03, B12 0.9 ± 0.03, and C 1.38 ± 0.06) mg/100 mL, sodium 4.35 ± 0.25 mg/100 mL, calories 14.85 ± 0.25 mg/100 mL, carbohydrates 3.135 ± 0.12, and acids (acetic acid 4.20 ± 0.02, glucuronic acid 1.78 ± 0.02) mg/100 mL on day 12. The predominant microbial species identified in both control and test samples included , and , each with varying dominance levels. These microorganisms play essential roles in metabolizing sugars, generating acids, and contributing to the distinctive flavor profile of kombucha. Sensory evaluations of the control and test samples were analyzed, and the overall preference was 88% for the test sample with tea dust and molasses. The sensory characteristics of the test sample included a fruity smell (41%), fizzy texture (66%), bright color (47%), and a fruity taste (67%), with overall acceptability (56%) rating it as excellent. Our research contributes to a deeper understanding of the interplay between raw materials, microbial composition, and the resulting composition of bioactive compounds.
PubMed: 38873151
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1367697 -
PloS One 2024Learning an olfactory discrimination task leads to heterogeneous results in honeybees with some bees performing very well and others at low rates. Here we investigated...
Learning an olfactory discrimination task leads to heterogeneous results in honeybees with some bees performing very well and others at low rates. Here we investigated this behavioral heterogeneity and asked whether it was associated with particular gene expression patterns in the bee's brain. Bees were individually conditioned using a sequential conditioning protocol involving several phases of olfactory learning and retention tests. A cumulative score was used to differentiate the tested bees into high and low performers. The rate of CS+ odor learning was found to correlate most strongly with a cumulative performance score extracted from all learning and retention tests. Microarray analysis of gene expression in the mushroom body area of the brains of these bees identified a number of differentially expressed genes between high and low performers. These genes are associated with diverse biological functions, such as neurotransmission, memory formation, cargo trafficking and development.
Topics: Animals; Bees; Behavior, Animal; Learning; Mushroom Bodies; Brain; Smell; Odorants; Gene Expression Profiling; Conditioning, Classical
PubMed: 38865313
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304563 -
Learning & Memory (Cold Spring Harbor,... May 2024Associative learning enables the adaptive adjustment of behavioral decisions based on acquired, predicted outcomes. The valence of what is learned is influenced not only...
Associative learning enables the adaptive adjustment of behavioral decisions based on acquired, predicted outcomes. The valence of what is learned is influenced not only by the learned stimuli and their temporal relations, but also by prior experiences and internal states. In this study, we used the fruit fly to demonstrate that neuronal circuits involved in associative olfactory learning undergo restructuring during extended periods of low-caloric food intake. Specifically, we observed a decrease in the connections between specific dopaminergic neurons (DANs) and Kenyon cells at distinct compartments of the mushroom body. This structural synaptic plasticity was contingent upon the presence of allatostatin A receptors in specific DANs and could be mimicked optogenetically by expressing a light-activated adenylate cyclase in exactly these DANs. Importantly, we found that this rearrangement in synaptic connections influenced aversive, punishment-induced olfactory learning but did not impact appetitive, reward-based learning. Whether induced by prolonged low-caloric conditions or optogenetic manipulation of cAMP levels, this synaptic rearrangement resulted in a reduction of aversive associative learning. Consequently, the balance between positive and negative reinforcing signals shifted, diminishing the ability to learn to avoid odor cues signaling negative outcomes. These results exemplify how a neuronal circuit required for learning and memory undergoes structural plasticity dependent on prior experiences of the nutritional value of food.
Topics: Animals; Mushroom Bodies; Drosophila melanogaster; Neuronal Plasticity; Dopaminergic Neurons; Eating; Optogenetics; Association Learning; Smell; Olfactory Perception; Reward; Animals, Genetically Modified
PubMed: 38862177
DOI: 10.1101/lm.053997.124 -
Learning & Memory (Cold Spring Harbor,... May 2024In this review, we aggregated the different types of learning and memory paradigms developed in adult and attempted to assess the similarities and differences in the... (Review)
Review
In this review, we aggregated the different types of learning and memory paradigms developed in adult and attempted to assess the similarities and differences in the neural mechanisms supporting diverse types of memory. The simplest association memory assays are conditioning paradigms (olfactory, visual, and gustatory). A great deal of work has been done on these memories, revealing hundreds of genes and neural circuits supporting this memory. Variations of conditioning assays (reversal learning, trace conditioning, latent inhibition, and extinction) also reveal interesting memory mechanisms, whereas mechanisms supporting spatial memory (thermal maze, orientation memory, and heat box) and the conditioned suppression of innate behaviors (phototaxis, negative geotaxis, anemotaxis, and locomotion) remain largely unexplored. In recent years, there has been an increased interest in multisensory and multicomponent memories (context-dependent and cross-modal memory) and higher-order memory (sensory preconditioning and second-order conditioning). Some of this work has revealed how the intricate mushroom body (MB) neural circuitry can support more complex memories. Finally, the most complex memories are arguably those involving social memory: courtship conditioning and social learning (mate-copying and egg-laying behaviors). Currently, very little is known about the mechanisms supporting social memories. Overall, the MBs are important for association memories of multiple sensory modalities and multisensory integration, whereas the central complex is important for place, orientation, and navigation memories. Interestingly, several different types of memory appear to use similar or variants of the olfactory conditioning neural circuitry, which are repurposed in different ways.
Topics: Animals; Memory; Drosophila; Mushroom Bodies; Behavior, Animal
PubMed: 38862165
DOI: 10.1101/lm.053810.123 -
PeerJ. Computer Science 2024The graphical user interface (GUI) in mobile applications plays a crucial role in connecting users with mobile applications. GUIs often receive many UI design smells,...
The graphical user interface (GUI) in mobile applications plays a crucial role in connecting users with mobile applications. GUIs often receive many UI design smells, bugs, or feature enhancement requests. The design smells include text overlap, component occlusion, blur screens, null values, and missing images. It also provides for the behavior of mobile applications during their usage. Manual testing of mobile applications (app as short in the rest of the document) is essential to ensuring app quality, especially for identifying usability and accessibility that may be missed during automated testing. However, it is time-consuming and inefficient due to the need for testers to perform actions repeatedly and the possibility of missing some functionalities. Although several approaches have been proposed, they require significant performance improvement. In addition, the key challenges of these approaches are incorporating the design guidelines and rules necessary to follow during app development and combine the syntactical and semantic information available on the development forums. In this study, we proposed a UI bug identification and localization approach called Mobile-UI-Repair (M-UI-R). M-UI-R is capable of recognizing graphical user interfaces (GUIs) display issues and accurately identifying the specific location of the bug within the GUI. M-UI-R is trained and tested on the history data and also validated on real-time data. The evaluation shows that the average precision is 87.7% and the average recall is 86.5% achieved in the detection of UI display issues. M-UI-R also achieved an average precision of 71.5% and an average recall of 70.7% in the localization of UI design smell. Moreover, a survey involving eight developers demonstrates that the proposed approach provides valuable support for enhancing the user interface of mobile applications. This aids developers in their efforts to fix bugs.
PubMed: 38855210
DOI: 10.7717/peerj-cs.2028 -
PeerJ. Computer Science 2024Numerous impediments beset contemporary art education, notably the unidimensional delivery of content and the absence of real-time interaction during instructional...
Numerous impediments beset contemporary art education, notably the unidimensional delivery of content and the absence of real-time interaction during instructional sessions. This study endeavors to surmount these challenges by devising a multimodal perception system entrenched in Internet of Things (IoT) technology. This system captures students' visual imagery, vocalizations, spatial orientation, movements, ambient luminosity, and contextual data by harnessing an array of interaction modalities encompassing visual, auditory, tactile, and olfactory sensors. The synthesis of this manifold information about learning scenarios entails strategically placing sensors within physical environments to facilitate intuitive and seamless interactions. Utilizing digital art flower cultivation as a quintessential illustration, this investigation formulates tasks imbued with multisensory channel interactions, pushing the boundaries of technological advancement. It pioneers advancements in critical domains such as visual feature extraction by utilizing DenseNet networks and voice feature extraction leveraging SoundNet convolutional neural networks. This innovative paradigm establishes a novel art pedagogical framework, accentuating the importance of visual stimuli while enlisting other senses as complementary contributors. Subsequent evaluation of the usability of the multimodal perceptual interaction system reveals a remarkable task recognition accuracy of 96.15% through the amalgamation of Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC) speech features with a long-short-term memory (LSTM) classifier model, accompanied by an average response time of merely 6.453 seconds-significantly outperforming comparable models. The system notably enhances experiential fidelity, realism, interactivity, and content depth, ameliorating the limitations inherent in solitary sensory interactions. This augmentation markedly elevates the caliber of art pedagogy and augments learning efficacy, thereby effectuating an optimization of art education.
PubMed: 38855203
DOI: 10.7717/peerj-cs.2047