Subject objects

2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Suchman
Keyword(s):  
Biological Sciences ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Humanoid Robot ◽  
Model Organisms

The focus of my inquiry in this article is the figure of the Human that is enacted in the design of the humanoid robot. The humanoid or anthropomorphic robot is a model (in)organism, engineered in the roboticist’s laboratory in ways that both align with and diverge from the model organisms of biology. Like other model organisms, the laboratory robot’s life is inextricably infused with its inherited materialities and with the ongoing — or truncated — labours of its affiliated humans. But while animal models are rendered progressively more standardised and replicable as tools for the biological sciences, the humanoid robot is individuated and naturalised. Three stagings of human— robot encounters (with the robots Mertz, Kismet and Robota respectively) demonstrate different possibilities for conceptualising these subject objects, for the claims about humanness that they corporealise, and for the kinds of witnessing that they presuppose.

Reductionist thinking and animal models in neuropsychiatric research

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole M. Baran
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Disorders ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Developmental Genetic ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
Mechanisms Of Plasticity

AbstractReductionist thinking in neuroscience is manifest in the widespread use of animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders. Broader investigations of diverse behaviors in non-model organisms and longer-term study of the mechanisms of plasticity will yield fundamental insights into the neurobiological, developmental, genetic, and environmental factors contributing to the “massively multifactorial system networks” which go awry in mental disorders.

scholarly journals Subsecond dopamine fluctuations in human striatum encode superposed error signals about actual and counterfactual reward

2015 ◽  
Vol 113 (1) ◽  
pp. 200-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth T. Kishida ◽  
Ignacio Saez ◽  
Terry Lohrenz ◽  
Mark R. Witcher ◽  
Adrian W. Laxton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Dopamine Neurons ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Mammalian Brain ◽  
Prediction Errors

In the mammalian brain, dopamine is a critical neuromodulator whose actions underlie learning, decision-making, and behavioral control. Degeneration of dopamine neurons causes Parkinson’s disease, whereas dysregulation of dopamine signaling is believed to contribute to psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, addiction, and depression. Experiments in animal models suggest the hypothesis that dopamine release in human striatum encodes reward prediction errors (RPEs) (the difference between actual and expected outcomes) during ongoing decision-making. Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) imaging experiments in humans support the idea that RPEs are tracked in the striatum; however, BOLD measurements cannot be used to infer the action of any one specific neurotransmitter. We monitored dopamine levels with subsecond temporal resolution in humans (n = 17) with Parkinson’s disease while they executed a sequential decision-making task. Participants placed bets and experienced monetary gains or losses. Dopamine fluctuations in the striatum fail to encode RPEs, as anticipated by a large body of work in model organisms. Instead, subsecond dopamine fluctuations encode an integration of RPEs with counterfactual prediction errors, the latter defined by how much better or worse the experienced outcome could have been. How dopamine fluctuations combine the actual and counterfactual is unknown. One possibility is that this process is the normal behavior of reward processing dopamine neurons, which previously had not been tested by experiments in animal models. Alternatively, this superposition of error terms may result from an additional yet-to-be-identified subclass of dopamine neurons.

scholarly journals Variation under domestication in animal models: the case of the Mexican axolotl

BMC Genomics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
María Torres-Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Reproducible Research ◽  
Biological Research ◽  
Research Knowledge ◽  
Mexican Axolotl ◽  
Different Strains

Abstract Background Species adaptation to laboratory conditions is a special case of domestication that has modified model organisms phenotypically and genetically. The characterisation of these changes is crucial to understand how this variation can affect the outcome of biological experiments. Yet despite the wide use of laboratory animals in biological research, knowledge of the genetic diversity within and between different strains and populations of some animal models is still scarce. This is particularly the case of the Mexican axolotl, which has been bred in captivity since 1864. Results Using gene expression data from nine different projects, nucleotide sequence variants were characterised, and distinctive genetic background of the experimental specimens was uncovered. This study provides a catalogue of thousands of nucleotide variants along predicted protein-coding genes, while identifying genome-wide differences between pigment phenotypes in laboratory populations. Conclusions Awareness of the genetic variation could guide a better experimental design while helping to develop molecular tools for monitoring genetic diversity and studying gene functions in laboratory axolotls. Overall, this study highlights the cross-taxa utility that transcriptomic data might have to assess the genetic variation of the experimental specimens, which might help to shorten the journey towards reproducible research.

scholarly journals Sentiency, bioethics and animal welfare: concepts that need to be discussed in higher education to change the teaching and researching paradigm

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 4031
Author(s):  
Anderson Do Prado Duzanski ◽  
Ana Paula Millet Evangelista dos Santos ◽  
Mariza Fordellone Rosa Cruz ◽  
Emília De Paiva Porto ◽  
Petrônio Pinheiro Porto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Sciences ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
Veterinary Medicine ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Ethics Committees ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Scientific Practices ◽  
Great Resistance ◽  
Animal Use

This study investigated the knowledge of students of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences of the State University of Northern Paraná, Campus Luiz Meneghel, on the ethical and legal guidelines of animal experimentation, as well as the possibility of substitute methods for using sentient animals in classes and scientific practices. The research involved 162 freshman students and graduating students, aged 17 to 32 years. The students responded to the questionnaire containing objective and subjective questions, and the answers were analysed by descriptive statistics. It was observed that 87% of the students were unaware of the concept of the “3Rs” and 81.5% did not know the existence of alternative methods that can replace the use of live animals in studies. In addition, only 24.7% of respondents reported they had studied “bioethics” before graduation. However, 94.3% and 96.2% of the students from veterinary medicine and biological sciences, respectively, considered it important to insert animal welfare and bioethics in the curriculum of such courses. The results demonstrated that the ethical and statutory guidelines that rule the use of animals in scientific experiments and in classes are unknown even among senior students and there is still great resistance to the exclusion of animal models. Thus, it is important that animal welfare and bioethics remain in the curriculum in higher education through the insertion of such subjects, even as elective courses that aim to work with methodologies and innovative strategies in synergistic action with ethics committees for animal use, which are responsible for analysing, guiding and supervising the relevance of animal use in education and research. Therefore, the curriculum will be able to achieve rationalization in the use of animal models, the sustainable and “humanitarian” development of teaching and research, and the training of more conscious and ethical professionals, perceptions that must be achieved through a national education curriculum.

scholarly journals TRIM28 regulates the nuclear accumulation and toxicity of both alpha-synuclein and tau

eLife ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxime WC Rousseaux ◽  
Maria de Haro ◽  
Cristian A Lasagna-Reeves ◽  
Antonia De Maio ◽  
Jeehye Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Alpha Synuclein ◽  
Nuclear Accumulation ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Gain Of Function ◽  
Entry Points ◽  
Specific Proteins ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Lines Of Evidence

Several neurodegenerative diseases are driven by the toxic gain-of-function of specific proteins within the brain. Elevated levels of alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) appear to drive neurotoxicity in Parkinson's disease (PD); neuronal accumulation of tau is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD); and their increased levels cause neurodegeneration in humans and model organisms. Despite the clinical differences between AD and PD, several lines of evidence suggest that α-Syn and tau overlap pathologically. The connections between α-Syn and tau led us to ask whether these proteins might be regulated through a shared pathway. We therefore screened for genes that affect post-translational levels of α-Syn and tau. We found that TRIM28 regulates α-Syn and tau levels and that its reduction rescues toxicity in animal models of tau- and α-Syn-mediated degeneration. TRIM28 stabilizes and promotes the nuclear accumulation and toxicity of both proteins. Intersecting screens across comorbid proteinopathies thus reveal shared mechanisms and therapeutic entry points.

scholarly journals Genetic perturbations of disease risk genes in mice capture transcriptomic signatures of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravi S. Pandey ◽  
Leah Graham ◽  
Asli Uyar ◽  
Christoph Preuss ◽  
Gareth R. Howell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Mouse Models ◽  
Genetic Risk ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Similar Data ◽  
Risk Genes ◽  
Genetic Perturbations

Abstract Background New genetic and genomic resources have identified multiple genetic risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) and characterized this common dementia at the molecular level. Experimental studies in model organisms can validate these associations and elucidate the links between specific genetic factors and transcriptomic signatures. Animal models based on LOAD-associated genes can potentially connect common genetic variation with LOAD transcriptomes, thereby providing novel insights into basic biological mechanisms underlying the disease. Methods We performed RNA-Seq on whole brain samples from a panel of six-month-old female mice, each carrying one of the following mutations: homozygous deletions of Apoe and Clu; hemizygous deletions of Bin1 and Cd2ap; and a transgenic APOEε4. Similar data from a transgenic APP/PS1 model was included for comparison to early-onset variant effects. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify modules of correlated genes and each module was tested for differential expression by strain. We then compared mouse modules with human postmortem brain modules from the Accelerating Medicine’s Partnership for AD (AMP-AD) to determine the LOAD-related processes affected by each genetic risk factor. Results Mouse modules were significantly enriched in multiple AD-related processes, including immune response, inflammation, lipid processing, endocytosis, and synaptic cell function. WGCNA modules were significantly associated with Apoe−/−, APOEε4, Clu−/−, and APP/PS1 mouse models. Apoe−/−, GFAP-driven APOEε4, and APP/PS1 driven modules overlapped with AMP-AD inflammation and microglial modules; Clu−/− driven modules overlapped with synaptic modules; and APP/PS1 modules separately overlapped with lipid-processing and metabolism modules. Conclusions This study of genetic mouse models provides a basis to dissect the role of AD risk genes in relevant AD pathologies. We determined that different genetic perturbations affect different molecular mechanisms comprising AD, and mapped specific effects to each risk gene. Our approach provides a platform for further exploration into the causes and progression of AD by assessing animal models at different ages and/or with different combinations of LOAD risk variants.

scholarly journals Are Model Organisms Theoretical Models?

Disputatio ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (47) ◽  
pp. 471-498
Author(s):  
Veli-Pekka Parkkinen
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Causal Structure ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Theoretical Modelling ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Target System ◽  
Inductive Step ◽  
Epistemic Role

AbstractThis article compares the epistemic roles of theoretical models and model organisms in science, and specifically the role of non-human animal models in biomedicine. Much of the previous literature on this topic shares an assumption that animal models and theoretical models have a broadly similar epistemic role—that of indirect representation of a target through the study of a surrogate system. Recently, Levy and Currie (2015) have argued that model organism research and theoretical modelling differ in the justification of model-to-target inferences, such that a unified account based on the widely accepted idea of modelling as indirect representation does not similarly apply to both. I defend a similar conclusion, but argue that the distinction between animal models and theoretical models does not always track a difference in the justification of model-to-target inferences. Case studies of the use of animal models in biomedicine are presented to illustrate this. However, Levy and Currie’s point can be argued for in a different way. I argue for the following distinction. Model organisms (and other concrete models) function as surrogate sources of evidence, from which results are transferred to their targets by empirical extrapolation. By contrast, theoretical modelling does not involve such an inductive step. Rather, theoretical models are used for drawing conclusions from what is already known or assumed about the target system. Codifying assumptions about the causal structure of the target in external representational media (e.g. equations, graphs) allows one to apply explicit inferential rules to reach conclusions that could not be reached with unaided cognition alone (cf. Kuorikoski and Ylikoski 2015).

scholarly journals The Microbiota and Gut-Related Disorders: Insights from Animal Models

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 2401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Layla Kamareddine ◽  
Hoda Najjar ◽  
Muhammad Umar Sohail ◽  
Hadil Abdulkader ◽  
Maha Al-Asmakh
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Host Immune System ◽  
Mice Model ◽  
Host Microbe Interactions

Over the past decade, the scientific committee has called for broadening our horizons in understanding host–microbe interactions and infectious disease progression. Owing to the fact that the human gut harbors trillions of microbes that exhibit various roles including the production of vitamins, absorption of nutrients, pathogen displacement, and development of the host immune system, particular attention has been given to the use of germ-free (GF) animal models in unraveling the effect of the gut microbiota on the physiology and pathophysiology of the host. In this review, we discuss common methods used to generate GF fruit fly, zebrafish, and mice model systems and highlight the use of these GF model organisms in addressing the role of gut-microbiota in gut-related disorders (metabolic diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer), and in activating host defense mechanisms and amending pathogenic virulence.

scholarly journals Animal Models of Epilepsy: Legacies and New Directions

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Grone ◽  
Scott Baraban
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Genetic Model ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Rodent Models ◽  
New Directions ◽  
Nonhuman Animals ◽  
History Of ◽  
Animal Models Of Epilepsy ◽  
Models Of Epilepsy

Human epilepsies encompass a wide variety of clinical, behavioral and electrical manifestations. Correspondingly, studies of this disease in nonhuman animals have brought forward an equally wide array of animal models, i.e. species and acute or chronic seizure induction protocols. Epilepsy research has a long history of comparative anatomical and physiological studies on a range of mostly mammalian species. Nonetheless, a relatively limited number of rodent models emerged as the primary choices for most epilepsy-related investigations. In many cases these animal models are selected based on convenience or tradition, though technical or experimental rationale does, and should, factor into these decisions. More complex mammalian brains and, especially, genetic model organisms including zebrafish have been studied less but offer significant advantages that are being widely recognized.

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