scholarly journals Unsupervised identification of the internal states that shape natural behavior

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam J. Calhoun ◽  
Jonathan W. Pillow ◽  
Mala Murthy
Keyword(s):  
Animal Behavior ◽  
Environmental Cues ◽  
Command Neurons ◽  
Natural Behavior ◽  
Internal States ◽  
Song Production ◽  
Behavioral States ◽  
Motor Outputs ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Feedback Cues

SummaryInternal states can shape stimulus responses and decision-making, but we lack methods to identify internal states and how they evolve over time. To address this gap, we have developed an unsupervised method to identify internal states from behavioral data, and have applied it to the study of a dynamic social interaction. During courtship, Drosophila melanogaster males pattern their songs using feedback cues from their partner. Our model uncovers three latent states underlying this behavior, and is able to predict the moment-to-moment variation in natural song patterning decisions. These distinct behavioral states correspond to different sensorimotor strategies, each of which is characterized by different mappings from feedback cues to song modes. Using the model, we show that a pair of neurons previously thought to be command neurons for song production are sufficient to drive switching between states. Our results reveal how animals compose behavior from previously unidentified internal states, a necessary step for quantitative descriptions of animal behavior that link environmental cues, internal needs, neuronal activity, and motor outputs.

scholarly journals The Dynamic Life of Virus Capsids

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 618
Author(s):  
Michael B. Sherman ◽  
Hong Q. Smith ◽  
Thomas J. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Small Molecules ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Environmental Cues ◽  
Virus Capsids ◽  
P Domain ◽  
Single Polypeptide ◽  
Dynamic Structures ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Right

Protein-shelled viruses have been thought as “tin cans” that merely carry the genomic cargo from cell to cell. However, through the years, it has become clear that viruses such as rhinoviruses and caliciviruses are active and dynamic structures waiting for the right environmental cues to deliver their genomic payload to the host cell. In the case of human rhinoviruses, the capsid has empty cavities that decrease the energy required to cause conformational changes, resulting in the capsids “breathing”, waiting for the moment when the receptor binds for it to release its genome. Most strikingly, the buried N-termini of VP1 and VP4 are transiently exposed during this process. A more recent example of a “living” protein capsid is mouse norovirus (MNV). This family of viruses have a large protruding (P) domain that is loosely attached to the shell via a single-polypeptide tether. Small molecules found in the gut, such as bile salts, cause the P domains to rotate and collapse onto the shell surface. Concomitantly, bile alters the conformation of the P domain itself from one that binds antibodies to one that recognizes receptors. In this way, MNV appears to use capsid flexibility to present one face to the immune system and a completely different one to attack the host tissue. Therefore, it appears that even protein-shelled viruses have developed an impressive array of tricks to dodge our immune system and efficiently attack the host.

Genetics of Behavior in C. elegans

2017 ◽  
pp. 150-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise S. Walker ◽  
Yee Lian Chew ◽  
William R. Schafer
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Molecular Genetics ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Macro Level ◽  
Gene Products ◽  
Individual Gene ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Behavioral States ◽  
Motor Outputs

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is among the most intensely studied animals in modern experimental biology. In particular, because of its amenability to classical and molecular genetics, its simple and compact nervous system, and its transparency to optogenetic recording and manipulation, C. elegans has been widely used to investigate how individual gene products act in the context of neuronal circuits to generate behavior. C. elegans is the first and at present the only animal whose neuronal connectome has been characterized at the level of individual neurons and synapses, and the wiring of this connectome shows surprising parallels with the micro- and macro-level structures of larger brains. This chapter reviews our current molecular- and circuit-level understanding of behavior in C. elegans. In particular, we discuss mechanisms underlying the processing of sensory information, the generation of specific motor outputs, and the control of behavioral states.

scholarly journals Networks of Causal Linkage Between Eigenmodes Characterize Behavioral Dynamics of Caenorhabditis elegans

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. e1009329
Author(s):  
Erik Saberski ◽  
Antonia K. Bock ◽  
Rachel Goodridge ◽  
Vitul Agarwal ◽  
Tom Lorimer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Animal Behavior ◽  
Escape Response ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
High Dimensional ◽  
Behavioral Differences ◽  
Behavioral Dynamics ◽  
Mutant Strains ◽  
Behavioral States

Behavioral phenotyping of model organisms has played an important role in unravelling the complexities of animal behavior. Techniques for classifying behavior often rely on easily identified changes in posture and motion. However, such approaches are likely to miss complex behaviors that cannot be readily distinguished by eye (e.g., behaviors produced by high dimensional dynamics). To explore this issue, we focus on the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, where behaviors have been extensively recorded and classified. Using a dynamical systems lens, we identify high dimensional, nonlinear causal relationships between four basic shapes that describe worm motion (eigenmodes, also called “eigenworms”). We find relationships between all pairs of eigenmodes, but the timescales of the interactions vary between pairs and across individuals. Using these varying timescales, we create “interaction profiles” to represent an individual’s behavioral dynamics. As desired, these profiles are able to distinguish well-known behavioral states: i.e., the profiles for foraging individuals are distinct from those of individuals exhibiting an escape response. More importantly, we find that interaction profiles can distinguish high dimensional behaviors among divergent mutant strains that were previously classified as phenotypically similar. Specifically, we find it is able to detect phenotypic behavioral differences not previously identified in strains related to dysfunction of hermaphrodite-specific neurons.

Amygdala neuronal ensembles dynamically encode behavioral states

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Gründemann ◽  
Yael Bitterman ◽  
Tingjia Lu ◽  
Sabine Krabbe ◽  
Benjamin F. Grewe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Internal State ◽  
Relative Activity ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Basal Nucleus ◽  
State Dependent ◽  
Internal States ◽  
Behavioral States ◽  
Sensory Responses ◽  
Motivated Behaviors ◽  
External Stimuli

AbstractInternal states, including affective or homeostatic states, are important behavioral motivators. The amygdala is a key brain region involved in the regulation of motivated behaviors, yet how distinct internal states are represented in amygdala circuits is unknown. Here, by imaging somatic neural calcium dynamics in freely moving mice, we identify changes in the relative activity levels of two major, non-overlapping populations of principal neurons in the basal nucleus of the amygdala (BA) that predict switches between exploratory and non-exploratory (defensive, anxiety-like) behavioral states across different environments. Moreover, the amygdala widely broadcasts internal state information via several output pathways to larger brain networks, and sensory responses in BA occur independently of behavioral state encoding. Thus, the brain processes external stimuli and internal states in an orthogonal manner, which may facilitate rapid and flexible selection of appropriate, state-dependent behavioral responses.

scholarly journals Navigation of a Freely Walking Fruit Fly in Infinite Space Using a Transparent Omnidirectional Locomotion Compensator (TOLC)

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1651
Author(s):  
Pikam Pun ◽  
Jacobs Brown ◽  
Tyler Cobb ◽  
Robert J. Wessells ◽  
Dal Hyung Kim
Keyword(s):  
Animal Behavior ◽  
Imaging System ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Small Animals ◽  
Natural Behavior ◽  
Infinite Space ◽  
Locomotion Compensator ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Experimental Apparatus

Animal behavior is an essential element in behavioral neuroscience study. However, most behavior studies in small animals such as fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) have been performed in a limited spatial chamber or by tethering the fly’s body on a fixture, which restricts its natural behavior. In this paper, we developed the Transparent Omnidirectional Locomotion Compensator (TOLC) for a freely walking fruit fly without tethering, which enables its navigation in infinite space. The TOLC maintains a position of a fruit fly by compensating its motion using the transparent sphere. The TOLC is capable of maintaining the position error < 1 mm for 90.3% of the time and the heading error < 5° for 80.2% of the time. The inverted imaging system with a transparent sphere secures the space for an additional experimental apparatus. Because the proposed TOLC allows us to observe a freely walking fly without physical tethering, there is no potential injury during the experiment. Thus, the TOLC will offer a unique opportunity to investigate longitudinal studies of a wide range of behavior in an unrestricted walking Drosophila.

scholarly journals The Six Ways to Well-Being (6W-WeB): Assessing the Frequency of and Motivation for Six Behaviours Linked to Well-Being

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geetanjali Basarkod ◽  
Baljinder K. Sahdra ◽  
Nic Hooper ◽  
Joseph Ciarrochi
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Experiential Avoidance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Behavioural Science ◽  
Female Age ◽  
Internal States ◽  
Adolescent Sample ◽  
Relevant Variables ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Personal Strivings

Contextual Behavioural Science (CBS) interventions focus on activating value-consistent behaviours, yet the outcomes measured in these interventions often focus on internal states. Building on past CBS work, personal strivings research, and self-determination theory, we developed a new behaviour-focused measure of valued action, the Six Ways to Well-Being (6W-WeB). This measure captures both the specific actions individuals engage in as well as why they do so (i.e., underlying values). Participants in Study 1 (American sample; N1 = 1800, 60.3% female, Age: M = 40.9, SD = 13.21), Study 2 (Australian sample; N2 = 855, 47.3% female, Age: M = 38.16, SD = 13.35), and Study 3 (Australian adolescent sample; N3 = 518, 100% female, Age: M = 14.29, SD = 1.46) completed the 6W-WeB and theoretically-relevant criterion measures of flourishing, psychological distress, experiential avoidance, and nonattachment. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a bifactor model, with three global factors (behaviour engagement, activity importance, and activity pressure), and six behaviour-specific factors (connecting with others, challenging oneself, giving to others, engaging in physical activity, embracing the moment, and caring for oneself), that was invariant across gender, age, and country of sampling. The subscales of the 6W-WeB were linked to the theoretically-relevant variables in meaningful and expected ways. Additionally, in a test of known-groups validity, the 6W-WeB successfully differentiated between participants who met criteria for high psychological distress and those who did not. The results suggest that the new measure can be a clinically relevant tool, helping CBS practitioners identify the specific behaviour domains that can promote their clients’ value-consistent living.

scholarly journals Unsupervised identification of the internal states that shape natural behavior

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 2040-2049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam J. Calhoun ◽  
Jonathan W. Pillow ◽  
Mala Murthy
Keyword(s):  
Natural Behavior ◽  
Internal States

Political Science and the Life Sciences

1981 ◽  
Vol 14 (03) ◽  
pp. 590-594
Author(s):  
Peter Corning ◽  
Joseph Losco ◽  
Thomas C. Wiegele
Keyword(s):  
Political Science ◽  
Animal Behavior ◽  
Behavior Genetics ◽  
Life Sciences ◽  
Environmental Crisis ◽  
Naturalistic Study ◽  
Short Article ◽  
Intellectual Activity ◽  
Behavioral States ◽  
The Relationship

At the 1980 APSA meeting in Washington, a group of approximately 25 political scientists and others, out of a much larger network of contributors and sympathizers, agreed to form anAssociation for Politics and the Life Sciencesdedicated to the advancement of an integrated biosocial perspective in our discipline. Although this short article is intended primarily to announce that fact and detail plans for the immediate future, we feel that this might also be an appropriate occasion to review briefly the history and rationale behind this intellectual activity and describe some of the objectives of the Association.The study of the relationship between biology and politics (sometimes called “biobehavioral political science” and sometimes also “biopolitics”) drew its initial impetus in the latter 1960s and early 1970s from emergent developments in a number of other disciplines, particularly (a)ethology(the naturalistic study of animal behavior and adaptation), (b)psychophysiology(specifically, efforts to correlate various physiological characteristics and “indicators” with various mental and behavioral states), (c)psychobiology(including neurological and endocrine influences on social behavior), (d)behavior genetics(involving both human and non-human animal research), (e)psychopharmacology(especially the chemical manipulation of behavioral states), (f)sociobiology(the application of modern Darwinian theory to the explanation of social behaviors), and (g)ecology(the study of the relationships between organisms and their environments, which gained visibility when the so-called “environmental crisis” erupted).

scholarly journals Mechanisms of competitive selection: A canonical neural circuit framework

eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shreesh P Mysore ◽  
Ninad B Kothari
Keyword(s):  
Circuit Design ◽  
Animal Behavior ◽  
First Principles ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Neural Circuit ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Perceptual Categorization ◽  
Competitive Selection ◽  
Experimental Discovery ◽  
Internal States

Competitive selection, the transformation of multiple competing sensory inputs and internal states into a unitary choice, is a fundamental component of animal behavior. Selection behaviors have been studied under several intersecting umbrellas including decision-making, action selection, perceptual categorization, and attentional selection. Neural correlates of these behaviors and computational models have been investigated extensively. However, specific, identifiable neural circuit mechanisms underlying the implementation of selection remain elusive. Here, we employ a first principles approach to map competitive selection explicitly onto neural circuit elements. We decompose selection into six computational primitives, identify demands that their execution places on neural circuit design, and propose a canonical neural circuit framework. The resulting framework has several links to neural literature, indicating its biological feasibility, and has several common elements with prominent computational models, suggesting its generality. We propose that this framework can help catalyze experimental discovery of the neural circuit underpinnings of competitive selection.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document