The aerodynamics of flight in an insect flight-mill.

Predicting the dispersal of pest insects is important for pest management schemes. Flight-mills provide a simple way to evaluate the flight potential of insects, but there are several complications in relating tethered-flight to natural flight. We used high-speed video to evaluate the effect of flight-mill design on flight of the red palm weevil (Rynchophorous ferruginneus) in four variants of a flight-mill.

Exploring the Relationship between Brain Plasticity, Migratory Lifestyle, and Social Structure in Birds.

Studies in Passerines have found that migrating species recruit more new neurons into brain regions that process spatial information, compared with resident species. This was explained by the greater exposure of migrants to spatial information, indicating that this phenomenon enables enhanced navigational abilities. The aim of the current study was to test this hypothesis in another order-the Columbiformes - using two closely-related dove species-the migrant turtle-dove () and the resident laughing dove (), during spring, summer, and autumn.

Possible linkage between neuronal recruitment and flight distance in migratory birds.

New neuronal recruitment in an adult animal's brain is presumed to contribute to brain plasticity and increase the animal's ability to contend with new and changing environments. During long-distance migration, birds migrating greater distances are exposed to more diverse spatial information. Thus, we hypothesized that greater migration distance in birds would correlate with the recruitment of new neurons into the brain regions involved with migratory navigation.

A possible relation between new neuronal recruitment and migratory behavior in Acrocephalus warblers.

Evidence suggests a possible correlation between learning abilities of adults and new neuronal recruitment into their brains. The hypothesis is that this brain plasticity enables animals to adapt to environmental changes. We examined whether there are differences in neuronal recruitment between resident and migrant birds.

Selective loss of glycogen synthase kinase-3α in birds reveals distinct roles for GSK-3 isozymes in tau phosphorylation.

Mammalian glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3), a critical regulator in neuronal signaling, cognition, and behavior, exists as two isozymes GSK-3α and GSK-3β. Their distinct biological functions remains largely unknown. Here, we examined the evolutionary significance of each of these isozymes.

Neuronal recruitment in adult zebra finch brain during a reproductive cycle.

Previous studies suggest that adult neurogenesis and neuronal replacement are related to the acquisition of new information. The present study supports this hypothesis by showing that there is an increase in new neuron recruitment in brains of adult male and female zebra finches that coincides with the need to memorize vocalizations of nestlings before they fledge. We counted [(3)H]-Thymidine labeled neurons 40 days after [(3)H]-Thymidine injections.