scholarly journals How prior pair-bonding experience affects future bonding behavior in monogamous prairie voles

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsey J. Harbert ◽  
Matteo Pellegrini ◽  
Katelyn M. Gordon ◽  
Zoe R. Donaldson
Keyword(s):  
Preference Test ◽  
Pair Bond ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Partner Preference ◽  
Prairie Voles ◽  
Separation Time ◽  
Pair Bonds ◽  
Preference Strength ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractMonogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) form mating-based pair bonds. Although wild prairie voles rarely re-pair following loss of a partner, laboratory studies have shown that previous pairing and mating does not negate the ability to form a new partner preference. However, little is known about how prior bond experience may alter the trajectory and display of a new pair bond. In the present study, we disrupted an initial pair bond by separating partners and then varied the amount of time before a new partner was introduced. We assessed how separation time affected the stability of partner preference over time and influenced decision-making in male voles performing a head-to-head partner preference test in which they chose between the first and second partner. We found that the ability to consistently display a preference for the second partner, supplanting the initial pair bond, depended on how long the test animal was separated from their first partner. Prior bonding experience also shaped the subsequent effects of mating on partner preference. Partner preference strength was sensitive to latency to mate with the second partner but not the first partner, irrespective of separation time. These results suggest that the ability to form a consistent, strong preference for a new partner after an initial pair bond depends upon the amount of time that has passed since separation from the first partner. These results provide valuable insight into how social bonds are dynamically shaped by prior social experience and identify variables that contribute to recovery from partner loss and the ability to form a new pair bond.

scholarly journals Prolonged partner separation erodes nucleus accumbens transcriptional signatures of pair bonding in male prairie voles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie M Sadino ◽  
Xander G Bradeen ◽  
Conor J Kelly ◽  
Deena M Walker ◽  
Zoe R Donaldson
Keyword(s):  
Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Pair Bond ◽  
Pair Bonding ◽  
Partner Preference ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Prairie Voles ◽  
Pair Bonds ◽  
Transcriptional Changes ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Over Time

The loss of a spouse is often cited as the most traumatic event in a person's life. However, for most people, the severity of grief and its maladaptive effects subside over time via an understudied adaptive process. Like humans, socially monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) form opposite-sex pair bonds, and upon partner separation, show behavioral and neuroendocrine stress phenotypes that diminish over time. Eventually, they can form a new bond, a key indicator of adapting to the loss of their partner. Thus, prairie voles provide an ethologically-relevant model for examining neuromolecular changes that emerge following partner separation for adapting to loss. Here, we test the hypothesis that extended partner separation diminishes pair bond-associated behaviors (partner preference and selective aggression) and causes pair bond transcriptional signatures to erode. Pairs were cohoused for 2 weeks and then either remained paired or were separated for 48hrs or 4wks before collecting fresh nucleus accumbens tissue for RNAseq. In a separate cohort, we assessed partner preference and selective aggression at these time points. Surprisingly, pair bond-associated behaviors persist despite prolonged separation and are similar between same-sex and opposite-sex paired voles. In contrast, we found that opposite-sex pair bonding, as compared with same-sex pairing, led to changes in accumbal transcription that were stably maintained as long as animals remained paired but eroded following prolonged partner separation. Eroded genes are primarily associated with gliogenesis and myelination, suggesting a previously undescribed role for glia in maintaining pair bonds and adapting to partner loss. We further reasoned that relevant neuronal transcriptional changes may have been masked by the prominent transcriptional signals associated with glia. Thus, we pioneered neuron-specific translating ribosomal affinity purification in voles. Neuronally-enriched transcriptional changes revealed dopaminergic-, mitochondrial-, and steroid hormone signaling-associated gene clusters whose expression patterns are sensitive to acute pair bond disruption and loss adaptation. Together, our results suggest that partner separation results in erosion of transcriptomic signatures of pair bonding despite core behavioral features of the bond remaining intact, revealing potential molecular processes central to priming a vole to be able to form a new bond.

scholarly journals Effects of Alcohol Consumption on Pair Bond Maintenance and Potential Neural Substrates in Female Prairie Voles

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre T Walcott ◽  
Andrey E Ryabinin
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Partner Preference ◽  
Drinking Alcohol ◽  
Prairie Voles ◽  
Pair Bonds ◽  
Intimate Partner Relationships ◽  
Partner Relationships

Abstract Aims Discordant heavy alcohol use is a risk factor for disruption of intimate partner relationships. Modeling these relationships in prairie voles indicates that biological effects of alcohol can contribute to this risk. In particular, alcohol consumption disrupted an established preference for a female partner in male prairie voles if the partner was drinking water, but not if the partner was drinking alcohol. The current study investigated the effects of alcohol consumption on pair bonds in female prairie voles. Methods Female and male prairie voles established pair bonds during 1 week of cohabitation. Following cohabitation, females and their partners were put into mesh-divided cages where they were given access to 10% ethanol and water or only water for 1 week. Pair bonds in female prairie voles were tested using the partner preference test (PPT). Following the PPT, we examined oxytocin, vasopressin and FosB immunoreactivity across several brain regions. Results Female prairie voles consumed more alcohol if their male partner was also drinking alcohol, but not if their partner was drinking water. During PPT, females preferred their partner over a stranger, regardless of their partner’s drinking status. Alcohol consumption decreased oxytocin immunoreactivity in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and increased FosB immunoreactivity in the centrally projecting Edinger–Westphal nucleus. Conclusions Established partner preference in female prairie voles is resistant to alcohol consumption. This finding suggests that the risk for disruption of intimate partner relationships in females is not mediated by a decreased motivation to be with their partners.

scholarly journals Brain functional networks associated with social bonding in monogamous voles

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Fernanda López-Gutiérrez ◽  
Zeus Gracia-Tabuenca ◽  
Juan J Ortiz ◽  
Francisco J Camacho ◽  
Larry J Young ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Preference Test ◽  
Social Bonding ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Pair Bonding ◽  
Partner Preference ◽  
Affiliative Behavior ◽  
Prairie Voles ◽  
Related Pair ◽  
Socially Relevant

Previous studies have related pair-bonding in Microtus ochrogaster, the prairie vole, with plastic changes in several brain regions. However, the interactions between these socially relevant regions have yet to be described. In this study, we used resting-state magnetic resonance imaging to explore bonding behaviors and functional connectivity of brain regions previously associated with pair-bonding. Thirty-two male and female prairie voles were scanned at baseline, 24 hr, and 2 weeks after the onset of cohabitation. By using network-based statistics, we identified that the functional connectivity of a corticostriatal network predicted the onset of affiliative behavior, while another predicted the amount of social interaction during a partner preference test. Furthermore, a network with significant changes in time was revealed, also showing associations with the level of partner preference. Overall, our findings revealed the association between network-level functional connectivity changes and social bonding.

Study of the resistor material of an automotive spark plug by use of the charge-up effect along with elemental mapping in an electron microprobe

1991 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 742-743
Author(s):  
D. R. Liu ◽  
S. S. Shinozaki ◽  
J. S. Park ◽  
B. N. Juterbock
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microprobe ◽  
Present Report ◽  
Coated Sample ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Elemental Mapping ◽  
Spark Plug ◽  
Carbon Coated ◽  
Electron Image ◽  
Electron Imaging ◽  
Insight Into

The electric and thermal properties of the resistor material in an automotive spark plug should be stable during its service lifetime. Containing many elements and many phases, this material has a very complex microstructure. Elemental mapping with an electron microprobe can reveal the distribution of all relevant elements throughout the sample. In this work, it is demonstrated that the charge-up effect, which would distort an electron image and, therefore, is normally to be avoided in an electron imaging work, could be used to advantage to reveal conductive and resistive zones in a sample. Its combination with elemental mapping can provide valuable insight into the underlying conductivity mechanism of the resistor.This work was performed in a CAMECA SX-50 microprobe. The spark plug used in the present report was a commercial product taken from the shelf. It was sectioned to expose the cross section of the resistor. The resistor was known not to contain the precious metal Au as checked on the carbon coated sample. The sample was then stripped of carbon coating and re-coated with Au.

Quantum Mechanical Interpretation of the Ultra-Low Energy Methyl-Rotation Dynamics in Porous Metal-Organic Frameworks Probed by Low-Frequency Vibrational Spectroscopy and ab initio Simulations

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Li ◽  
Adam J. Zaczek ◽  
Timothy M. Korter ◽  
J. Axel Zeitler ◽  
Michael T. Ruggiero
Keyword(s):  
Ab Initio ◽  
Metal Organic Frameworks ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Rotor Dynamics ◽  
Quantum Mechanical ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Void Space ◽  
Ab Initio Simulations ◽  
Metal Organic ◽  
Insight Into

<div>Understanding the nature of the interatomic interactions present within the pores of metal-organic frameworks</div><div>is critical in order to design and utilize advanced materials</div><div>with desirable applications. In ZIF-8 and its cobalt analogue</div><div>ZIF-67, the imidazolate methyl-groups, which point directly</div><div>into the void space, have been shown to freely rotate - even</div><div>down to cryogenic temperatures. Using a combination of ex-</div><div>perimental terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, low-frequency</div><div>Raman spectroscopy, and state-of-the-art ab initio simulations,</div><div>the methyl-rotor dynamics in ZIF-8 and ZIF-67 are fully charac-</div><div>terized within the context of a quantum-mechanical hindered-</div><div>rotor model. The results lend insight into the fundamental</div><div>origins of the experimentally observed methyl-rotor dynamics,</div><div>and provide valuable insight into the nature of the weak inter-</div><div>actions present within this important class of materials.</div>

A Review of Phytochemical and Pharmacological Studies of Inula Species

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 557-567
Author(s):  
Aparoop Das ◽  
Anshul Shakya ◽  
Surajit Kumar Ghosh ◽  
Udaya P. Singh ◽  
Hans R. Bhat
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Chemical Constituents ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Important Ingredient ◽  
Pharmacological Activities ◽  
Medicinal Uses ◽  
The Family ◽  
Pharmacological Studies ◽  
Perennial Herbs ◽  
Insight Into

Background: Plants of the genus Inula are perennial herbs of the family Asteraceae. This genus includes more than 100 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Africa and Asia including India. Many of them are indicated in traditional medicine, e.g., in Ayurveda. This review explores chemical constituents, medicinal uses and pharmacological actions of Inula species. Methods: Major databases and research and review articles retrieved through Scopus, Web of Science, and Medline were consulted to obtain information on the pharmacological activities of the genus Inula published from 1994 to 2017. Results: Inula species are used either alone or as an important ingredient of various formulations to cure dysfunctions of the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, urinary system, central nervous system and digestive system, and for the treatment of asthma, diabetes, cancers, skin disorders, hepatic disease, fungal and bacterial infections. A range of phytochemicals including alkaloids, essential and volatile oils, flavonoids, terpenes, and lactones has been isolated from herbs of the genus Inula, which might possibly explain traditional uses of these plants. Conclusion: The present review is focused on chemical constituents, medicinal uses and pharmacological actions of Inula species and provides valuable insight into its medicinal potential.

scholarly journals Compound heterozygous variants in LAMC3 in association with posterior periventricular nodular heterotopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla De Angelis ◽  
Alicia B. Byrne ◽  
Rebecca Morrow ◽  
Jinghua Feng ◽  
Thuong Ha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Development ◽  
Occipital Cortex ◽  
Compound Heterozygous ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Periventricular Nodular Heterotopia ◽  
Case Presentation ◽  
Malformation Of Cortical Development ◽  
Nodular Heterotopia ◽  
Compound Heterozygous Variants ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract Background Periventricular nodular heterotopia (PNH) is a malformation of cortical development characterized by nodules of abnormally migrated neurons. The cause of posteriorly placed PNH is not well characterised and we present a case that provides insights into the cause of posterior PNH. Case presentation We report a fetus with extensive posterior PNH in association with biallelic variants in LAMC3. LAMC3 mutations have previously been shown to cause polymicrogyria and pachygyria in the occipital cortex, but not PNH. The occipital location of PNH in our case and the proposed function of LAMC3 in cortical development suggest that the identified LAMC3 variants may be causal of PNH in this fetus. Conclusion We hypothesise that this finding extends the cortical phenotype associated with LAMC3 and provides valuable insight into genetic cause of posterior PNH.

scholarly journals Detecting Convergence Trends among EU Universities

Economies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
Maria Adamakou ◽  
Dimitris Kallioras ◽  
George Petrakos
Keyword(s):  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Traditional Role ◽  
University Ranking ◽  
Convergence Clubs ◽  
Development Processes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Empirical Analysis ◽  
Insight Into

Universities are emerging growth determinants. This is so as, in addition to the fulfillment of their traditional role in teaching and (basic) research, universities, as aptly described within the helix framework, are expected to engage in regional development processes. The paper aims to detect trends of convergence among EU universities in terms of performance. To the best of our knowledge, this topic has not hitherto been examined. The empirical analysis of the paper covers the period 2014–2021, utilizes data obtained from URAP (University Ranking by Academic Performance), and employs the methodological approach of convergence clubs. The findings of the paper provide valuable insight into both theory and policy-making. We conclude that despite the unification of EU educational space, trends of divergence among EU universities are still present, and notable divisions still remain. Consequently, this indicates that the impact of EU universities on the formation of spatial disparities across EU space is not neutral.

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