Dataset Information

Obstacle negotiation in female desert locust oviposition digging.

ABSTRACT: The female locust lays its eggs deep within soft substrate to protect them from predators and provide optimal conditions for successful development and hatching. During oviposition digging, the female's abdomen is pooled and extends into the ground, guided by a dedicated excavation mechanism at its tip, comprising two pairs of specialized digging valves. Little is known about how these active valves negotiate the various obstacles encountered on their path. In this study, female locusts oviposited their eggs in specialized sand-filled tubes with pre-inserted 3D-printed plastic obstacles. The subterranean route taken by the abdomen and digging valves upon encountering the obstacles was investigated, characterized, and compared to that in control tubes without obstacles. Data were obtained by way of visual inspection, by utilizing cone beam computed tomography scans in high-definition mode, and by making paraffin casts of the oviposition burrows (after egg hatching). We demonstrate, for the first time, the subterranean navigation ability of the female locust's excavation mechanism and its ability to circumvent obstacles during oviposition. Finally, we discuss the role of active sensory-motor mechanisms versus the passive embodied function of the valves, central control, and decision-making.

SUBMITTER: Klechevski C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11310224 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Obstacle negotiation in female desert locust oviposition digging.

Klechevski Chen C Kats Lazar L Ayali Amir A

Die Naturwissenschaften 20240808 5

The female locust lays its eggs deep within soft substrate to protect them from predators and provide optimal conditions for successful development and hatching. During oviposition digging, the female's abdomen is pooled and extends into the ground, guided by a dedicated excavation mechanism at its tip, comprising two pairs of specialized digging valves. Little is known about how these active valves negotiate the various obstacles encountered on their path. In this study, female locusts oviposit ...[more]

PMID: 39115554

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Project description:Abstract Background and Objectives The influence of interindividual differences on brain activation during obstacle negotiation and the implications for walking performance are poorly understood in older adults. This study investigated the extent to which prefrontal recruitment during obstacle negotiation is explained by differences in age, executive function, and sex. These data were interpreted according to the Compensation-Related Utilization of Neural Circuits Hypothesis (CRUNCH) framework of brain aging. We also tested the association between prefrontal recruitment and walking performance. Research Design and Methods Prefrontal oxygenated hemoglobin concentration (O2Hb) was measured during typical walking (Typical) and obstacle negotiation (Obstacles) tasks in 50 adults aged 65 years and older using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The primary outcome was the change in prefrontal recruitment (?PFR), measured as Obstacles ?O2Hb minus Typical ?O2Hb. Multiple regression was used to test the relationship between ?PFR and age, executive function measured by the Trail Making Test, and sex. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to investigate the association between ?PFR and the cost of Obstacles walking speed relative to Typical walking. Results Age, executive function, and their interaction significantly predicted greater ?PFR (R2 = 0.34, p = .01). Participants were subgrouped according to age and executive function to examine the interaction effects. Adults of lower age and with lower executive function exhibited greater ?PFR during Obstacles compared to their peers with higher executive function (p = .03). Adults of advanced age exhibited a ceiling of prefrontal recruitment during obstacle negotiation, regardless of executive function level (p = .87). Greater ?PFR was significantly associated with a smaller cost of Obstacles (r = 0.3, p = .03). Discussion and Implications These findings are consistent with the CRUNCH framework: neural inefficiency where a greater amount of brain activation is needed for task performance at a similar level, compensatory overactivation to prevent a steeper decline in task performance, and capacity limitation with a recruitment ceiling effect.

Dataset Information

Obstacle negotiation in female desert locust oviposition digging.

Publications

Obstacle negotiation in female desert locust oviposition digging.

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