Inhibitory learning of phototaxis by honey bees in a passive-avoidance task

Honeybees are a standard model for the study of appetitive learning and memory. Yet, fewer attempts have been performedto characterize aversive learning and memory in this insect and uncover its molecular underpinnings. Here, wetook advantage of the positive phototactic behavior of bees kept away from the hive in a dark environment and establisheda passive-avoidance task in which they had to suppress positive phototaxis. Bees placed in a two-compartment box learned toinhibit spontaneous attraction to a compartment illuminated with blue light by associating and entering into that chamberwith shock delivery. Inhibitory learning resulted in an avoidance memory that could be retrieved 24 h after training andthat was specific to the punished blue light. It was mainly operant but involves a Pavlovian component linking the blue lightQ4 and the shock. Coupling and conditioning with transcriptional analyses in key areas of the brain showed that inhibitorylearning of phototaxis leads to an up-regulation of the dopaminergic receptor gene Amdop1 in the calyces of the mushroombodies, consistently with the role of dopamine signaling in different forms of aversive learning in insects. Our results thusintroduce new perspectives for uncovering further cellular and molecular underpinnings of aversive learning and memoryin bees. Overall, they represent an important step toward comparative learning studies between the appetitive and the aversiveframeworks.Fil: Marchal, P.. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Villar, María Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Heiyang, Geng. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Arrufat, Patrick. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Combe, Maud. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Viola, Haydee Ana Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Massou, Isabelle. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Giurfa, Martín. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Franci

An innovative therapeutic educational program to support older drivers with cognitive disorders: Description of a randomized controlled trial study protocol

Older drivers face the prospect of having to adjust their driving habits because of health problems, which can include neurocognitive disorders. Self-awareness of driving difficulties and the interaction between individual with neurocognitive disorders and natural caregiver seem to be important levers for the implementation of adaptation strategies and for the subsequent voluntary cessation of driving when the cognitive disorders become too severe. This study aims to evaluate an educational program for patient/natural caregiver dyads who wish to implement self-regulation strategies in driving activity, and to improve self-awareness of driving ability. The ACCOMPAGNE program is based on seven group workshops, which target the dyad. The workshops deal with the impact of cognitive, sensory and iatrogenic disorders on driving. They tackle questions about responsibility, and about autonomy and social life. They also provide alternative solutions aimed at maintaining outward-looking activities even if driving is reduced or stopped. A randomized controlled trial is planned to evaluate the effectiveness of the program 2 months and 6 months after inclusion, and to compare this to the effectiveness of conventional approaches. The main outcome of this trial (i.e., the implementation of self-regulated driving strategies), will be measured based on scores on the “Current Self-Regulatory Practices” subscale of the Driver Perception and Practices Questionnaire. The Driving Habits Questionnaire will be used to measure secondary outcomes (indicators of driving changes; indicators of changes in mood, quality of life and caregiver burden; and self-awareness of driving abilities). Indicators will be collected for both patients and natural caregivers. This cognitive, social and psychological program should allow older individuals with cognitive disorders to drive more safely, and help to maintain the quality of life and mood of both patient and natural caregiver despite driving limitations. The patient's care path would be optimized, as he/she would become an actor in the process of giving up driving, which will, most certainly, be needed at some point in the progress of neurocognitive disorders. This process ranges from becoming aware of driving difficulties, to implementing self-regulation strategies, through to complete cessation of driving when necessary.Clinical trial registration numberNCT04493957

Physical and land-cover variables influence ant functional groups and species diversity along elevational gradients

Of particular importance in shaping species assemblages is the spatial heterogeneity of the environment. The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of spatial heterogeneity and environmental complexity on the distribution of ant functional groups and species diversity along altitudinal gradients in a temperate ecosystem (Pyrenees Mountains). During three summers, we sampled 20 sites distributed across two Pyrenean valleys ranging in altitude from 1,009 to 2,339 m by using pitfall traps and hand collection. The environment around each sampling points was characterized by using both physical and land-cover variables. We then used a self-organizing map algorithm (SOM, neural network) to detect and characterize the relationship between the spatial distribution of ant functional groups, species diversity, and the variables measured. The use of SOM allowed us to reduce the apparent complexity of the environment to five clusters that highlighted two main gradients: an altitudinal gradient and a gradient of environmental closure. The composition of ant functional groups and species diversity changed along both of these gradients and was differently affected by environmental variables. The SOM also allowed us to validate the contours of most ant functional groups by highlighting the response of these groups to the environmental and land-cover variables

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Etude pilote sur l'efficacité du programme d'accompagnement des patients avec trouble cognitif dans le maintien ou le processus d'arrêt de la conduite automobile en Gériatrie et Neurologie (ACCOMPAGNE): résultats préliminaires

38ème Congrès annuel des hôpitaux de jour gériatriques, COLMAR, FRANCE, 07-/06/2018 - 08/06/2018Les gériatres et neurologues sont régulièrement confrontés à la question du maintien ou de l'arrêt de la conduite automobile chez des patients présentant un Trouble Neuro- Cognitif (TNC). Des stratégies de compensation, apprises au cours d'ateliers de prévention, peuvent être utilisées pour réduire le risque d'accident en cas de TNC et maintenir transitoirement la conduite automobile avant son arrêt définitif. Le projet ACCOMPAGNE est un programme de prévention de sécurité routière. Il est composé de différents ateliers : atelier de présentation, atelier cognitif, atelier représentation psychologiques, atelier législation, atelier foire aux questions, atelier solutions. Ce programme est destiné aux patients et aux aidants

Schematic description of the experimental networks.

<p>The left column corresponds to three-loop networks used in our robotic experiments, the right column to four-loop networks used in ant experiments in <a href="http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002903#pcbi.1002903-Garnier1" target="_blank">[16]</a>. The top row corresponds to the symmetrical (S) configuration of each network, the bottom row to their asymmetrical (A) configuration. S marks the starting area, T the target area.</p

Comparison with the behavior of ants.

<p>In white, proportion of robots (with confidence intervals) selecting the most direct branch when reaching an asymmetrical bifurcation. In gray, proportion of ants selecting the most direct branch (data from <a href="http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002903#pcbi.1002903-Garnier1" target="_blank">[16]</a>).</p

Pictures of the experimental setup.

<p>(a) Two Alice robots facing each other, with (left) and without (right) the additional module for light detection. (b) Three Alice robots pursuing a light trail. (c) Typical time course of an experiment with three loops (access to a fourth loop that is visible had been blocked) and symmetrical bifurcations. The letter S indicates the starting area of the network where the robots are placed at the beginning of the experiment. The letter T indicates the target area. The top three pictures represent 3 snapshots of an experiment where a group of 10 robots selects the shortest path.</p

Example of a time sequence showing 6 different path selection events (numbered 1 to 6) at the beginning of an experiment.

<p>The x-axis represents the time from the beginning of the experiment. The y-axis represents the length of the path most used by the robots at a given time during the experiment. It is of 4, 6, 8 or 10 segments when the path is connected to the starting and the target areas; L when the path is connected to the starting or the target area only and forms a loop; N when the path is only connected to the starting or the target area and does not form a loop. In this example, there was no path selected during the first 60 seconds of the experiment (event 1), and then the group used a path with 8 segments until about 200 seconds (event 2), etc.</p