Behavioral Adaptations Research Articles

Regional fertility characteristics of urban population of Kazakhstan at the end of the 20th–first quarter of the 21st centuries

The article examines the current state of fertility processes in Kazakhstan, the diversity of reproductive scenarios, and the reasons for their formation. The authors proceed by analysing the sovereign demographic system formed in Kazakhstan in the first quarter of the 21st century based on the Kazakh ethnic group. Cluster analysis was performed for demographic zones, considering indicators such as the proportion of Kazakhs in the urban population and the total fertility rate in cities. We believe that case technology allows us to demonstrate the differences in the reproductive attitudes and behaviour of urban Kazakhs, ultimately determining the trends in reproductive processes in the country. The focus is given to the socio-cultural and socio-economic differences across the regions of Kazakhstan and their impact on fertility processes in the context of the accelerated urbanisation of Kazakhs. The main variants of adaptation of the reproductive behaviour of Kazakhs to new urban living conditions are described, and an assumption is made about further prospects for maintaining or changing birth rates in Kazakhstan.

Physical fitness in youth: a systematic review of changes during and after the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Background Restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic induced changes in the fitness behavior of children and adolescents, which may be associated with long-term public health challenges. This systematic review analyses how physical fitness has changed during the pandemic and to what extent the changes remain in the aftermath of the pandemic. Methods We conducted a systematic search in seven databases with a peer-reviewed search string for studies until Dec 2023. Our inclusion criteria encompassed studies with children and adolescents ≤19 years living in the WHO European Region and in which validated measurements were used (single measurements or test batteries). Eligibility screening, data extraction and risk of bias assessment (using ROBINS-E instrument) were all carried out independently by two reviewers. We published an a priori protocol in a peer-review journal and conducted reporting in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 statement. Trial registration: PROSPERO: CRD42023395871. Results Our search retrieved 28 studies from 15 WHO European Region countries with an age range from 5 to 19 years. Physical fitness was reported in 21 validated single measurements (e.g. 20 m shuttle run, handgrip strength, standing long jump) and 9 validated test batteries (e.g. Alpha-Fitness Battery, German Motor Test, International Physical Performance Test Profile). The preliminary analyses pointed to a sharp decline in youth physical fitness during the COVID-19 pandemic. After restrictions were eased, physical fitness improved, but remained under pre-pandemic levels, particularly in boys. Conclusions The findings indicate a potential suboptimal behavioral adaptation of children and adolescents after the COVID-19 pandemic. Medium and long-term programs to change passive behavior and improve physical fitness are urgently needed. In addition to individual prevention programs, stronger consideration should also be given to schools and sport clubs regarding activities promoting physical fitness. Key messages • Physical fitness in children and adolescents remains below pre-pandemic levels after restrictions removal. • Initiating immediate public health action to increase physical fitness is urgently needed.

Is harmonizing to social drinking norms associated with alcohol use in Danish high school students?

Abstract Background Alcohol use is positively linked with perceived drinking norms within the peer group and the social plasticity hypothesis proposes that youth are very good at harmonizing to social norms (social attunement). Youth with high social attunement may adjust their drinking habits to the perceived drinking norms of the peer group to a higher extent potentially leading to a larger impact on personal alcohol use. This study examined if frequency of personal alcohol use was associated with perceived peer approval of drinking and the role of social attunement in Danish high school students aged 15-19 years. Methods An online survey was administered to 2977 first-year students from 16 public high schools in Denmark. Students reported past month alcohol use (drinking days, using TLFB) and perceived approval of alcohol use among peers of their grade. Social attunement was calculated as a sum score of the 11-item Dutch Social Attunement Questionnaire (SAQ) (range: 11-77; α = 0.81). Number of drinking days was analysed as dependent variable, with age, gender, perceived peer approval and SAQ-score as independent variables. Results Older students were more likely to perceive peers to approve drinking (β = 0.25; p = 0.004) and getting drunk (β = 0.22; p = 0.003). More females (83.2%) than males (81.8%; p = 0.003) perceived peers to approve youth getting drunk. Multilevel regressions showed increased drinking days for students perceiving peers to approve of drinking (β = 1.68; p < 0.001) and getting drunk (β = 1.80; p < 0.001). We found interaction between SAQ-score and perceived drinking norms (β=-0.10; p < 0.001) indicating that perceived peer approval had less effect on drinking days for students with high SAQ-score. Conclusions Social attunement explained additional variance in the association between personal alcohol use and perceived drinking norms. Our findings stress the importance of addressing the influence of behavioural adaptation in e.g. school-based health promotion programs. Key messages • Students perceiving peers to approve of youth alcohol use drink more frequent, but the link is weakened when the need to harmonize to perceived drinking norms are high. • Social attunement needs to be considered when examining the link between individual alcohol consumption and perceived drinking norms and should be addressed in e.g. school health programs.

The presence of experienced individuals enhance the behavior and survival of reintroduced woolly monkeys in Colombia.

Primate populations are under threat due to human activities, like illegal trafficking, requiring conservation efforts such as reintroduction programs. However, these initiatives often encounter challenges, such as aspects of individual behavior related to movement and foraging. The presence of experienced conspecifics has been suggested to improve the success of these programs. This study focuses on woolly monkeys and examines how the presence of experienced conspecifics influences the performance of reintroduced individuals. Focal animal sampling was used to collect data on proximity, diet composition, home range, and use of vertical strata of three groups of reintroduced woolly monkeys. Data was analyzed for the first 2 and 6months after release of individuals. The results reveal that the involvement of experienced conspecifics speeds up the process of adaptation, particularly in terms of diet diversity and spatial utilization; however, differences in individual responses were also prevalent. Our findings highlight the importance of incorporating individuals with prior wild experience into reintroduction groups for improving the likelihood of success. Additionally, the study underscores the role of social learning in captive management practices, aiding in post-release behavioral adaptation and survival. This research offers valuable insights for primate conservation, emphasizing the significance of considering the presence of experienced individuals and possible social learning processes in the planning and execution of effective reintroduction efforts.

Effects of Automation Exposure and Non-Driving Related Tasks on Manual Driving Performance after Takeover of Manual Control

Prolonged exposure to an automated driving system (ADS) can lead drivers to acclimate to the ADS in maladaptive ways. For example, exposure to a conditional ADS that maintained a time headway of 0.3 s resulted in drivers adopting smaller time headways postautomation, which is attributed to behavioral adaptation. The current study investigated whether drivers adapt to an ADS’ performance over time and if this adaptation differs based on the duration of automation exposure (15 or 25 min) and the task performed during the automation (NDRT or driving-related task). A greater exposure to the automation did not lead drivers to adopt smaller time headways. Surprisingly, drivers who provided a higher evaluation of the automation adopted smaller time headways post-automation than drivers who provided a lower evaluation. Future research should explore the relationship between trust in ADS and driving behavior to guide the development of safer ADSs.

Variable habitat use supports fine-scale population differentiation of a freshwater piscivore (northern pike, Esox lucius) along salinity gradients in brackish lagoons.

In mobile animals, selection pressures resulting from spatio-temporally varying ecological factors often drive adaptations in migration behavior and associated physiological phenotypes. These adaptations may manifest in ecologically and genetically distinct ecotypes within populations. We studied a meta-population of northern pike (Esox lucius) in brackish environments and examined intrapopulation divergence along environmental gradients. Behavioral phenotypes in habitat use were characterized via otolith microchemistry in 120 individuals sampled from brackish lagoons and adjacent freshwater tributaries. We genotyped 1514 individual pike at 33highly informative genetic markers. The relationship between behavioral phenotype and genotype was examined in a subset of 101 pikes for which both phenotypic and genomic data were available. Thermosaline differences between juvenile and adult life stages indicated ontogenetic shifts from warm, low-saline early habitats towards colder, higher-saline adult habitats. Four behavioral phenotypes were found: Freshwater residents, anadromous, brackish residents, and cross-habitat individuals, the latter showing intermediary habitat use between brackish and freshwater areas. Underlying the behavioral phenotypes were four genotypes,putative freshwater, putativeanadromous, and two putativelybrackish genotypes. Through phenotype-genotype matching, three ecotypes were identified: (i) a brackish resident ecotype, (ii) a freshwater ecotype expressing freshwater residency or anadromy, and (iii) a previously undescribed intermediary cross-habitat ecotype adapted to intermediate salinities, showing limited reliance on freshwater. Life-time growth of all ecotypes was similar, suggesting comparable fitness. Bycombining genetic data with lifelong habitat use and growth as a fitness surrogate, our study revealed strong differentiation in response to abiotic environmental gradients, primarily salinity, indicating ecotype diversity in coastal northern pike is higher than previously believed.

Oxidative state is associated with migration distance, but not traits linked to flight energetics

Flight can be highly energy demanding, but its efficiency depends largely on flight style, wing shape and wing loading, and a range of morphological and lifestyle adaptations that can modify the cost of sustained flight. Such behavioural and morphological adaptations can also influence the physiological costs associated with migration. For instance, during intense flight and catabolism of reserves, lipid damage induced by pro‐oxidants increases, and to keep oxidative physiological homeostasis under control, the antioxidant machinery can be upregulated. Studies on the oxidative physiology of endurance flight have produced contradictory results, making generalization difficult, especially because multispecies studies are missing. Therefore, to explore the oxidative cost of flight and migration, we used samples collected during the breeding season from 113 European bird species and explored the associations of measures of antioxidant capacity (total antioxidant status, uric acid and glutathione concentration) and oxidative damage of lipids (malondialdehyde) with variables reflecting flight energetics (year‐round or specifically during migration) using a phylogenetic framework. We found that none of the traits predicting year‐round flight energy expenditure (flight style, wing morphology and flight muscle morphology) explained any measures of oxidative state. Our results suggest that birds endure their everyday flight exercise without or with low oxidative cost. However, oxidative damage to lipids and one component of the endogenous antioxidant system (uric acid), measured after the end of spring migration on breeding adult birds, increased with migration distance. Our results suggest that migration could have oxidative consequences that might be carried over to subsequent life‐history stages (breeding).

Sea turtles stranded ashore: Sociocultural dissonance and identity conflicts in migration intentions of Chinese international student returnees

In the post-COVID-19 era, Chinese international student returnees are facing greater identity conflicts during their reintegration. Understanding their sociocultural and ideological identity negotiation will better accommodate their needs and facilitate their integration into society. This study explored identity conflicts experienced by Chinese student returnees across ecological systems after reentry to China during COVID-19. A qualitative approach was used with 20 returnees. The key findings of this study reveal multi-layered conflicts stemming from the discordance between traditional Eastern values and newly acquired Western perspectives across meso-to-macro systems. In addition, important factors corresponding to returnees’ social capital were identified during the acculturation. Coping mechanisms and migration intentions were observed to vary distinctly among the identified identity clusters. Individuals with a "homestayer" identity, characterized by a deep commitment to integrating with the Chinese community and a higher level of perceived social capital in China, predominantly employed positive coping strategies, such as behavioral adaptation. This group exhibited a strong inclination to remain in China. Conversely, those with a "wayfarer" identity, who experienced deeper immersion in foreign cultures and displayed critical views towards Chinese society with a perceived low social capital in China, tended to adopt negative coping strategies like social withdrawal, correlating with a pronounced intention to migrate. Finally, "navigators", who skillfully balance their native Chinese and foreign cultural identities and effectively manage transnational engagements and diverse cultural norms through their perceived strong social capital in both societies, demonstrated a tendency towards hybrid coping strategies tailored to individual scenarios, reflecting a nuanced, case-by-case approach. This group exhibited a mixed migration intention, indicative of their flexible identity orientation. These findings suggest the need for multi-level support systems and policies that not only facilitate returnee identity continuity but also foster an inclusive and diverse societal framework to effectively retain this valuable population.

Опыт использования проектных заданий при формировании лингвокультурологической компетенции у студентов нелингвистических специальностей на занятиях по иностранному языку

The study aims to describe the experience of using project-based assignments in forming linguocultural competence in non-linguistic students during foreign language classes. The study material consists of final project assignments at the end of sections in the textbook “Zeit für Deutsch” (“Time for German”) by S. A. Volina, G. B. Voronina, and L. M. Karpova. The scientific novelty of the study lies in describing the content and stages of project-based assignments aimed at forming linguocultural competence in non-linguistic students in German language classes, which corresponds with the goals of foreign language teaching in higher education institutions. The results of the study indicate a positive attitude of learners towards project-based assignments in the study of not only foreign languages but also the culture associated with the language. The following advantages of these assignments for learners should be highlighted: 1) application of previously learned vocabulary; 2) assimilation of new lexical units containing cultural semes; 3) motivation to seek new information related to cultural differences; 4) a creative approach to project implementation; 5) a playful nature of social interaction. The use of project-based assignments in foreign language teaching effectively forms linguocultural competence in non-linguistic students, which contributes to the adaptation of speech behavior to the cultural characteristics of the interlocutor, minimizing the likelihood of misunderstanding. This ensures successful and harmonious interaction in the process of cross-language communication.

The hind limb of Octodontidae (Rodentia, Mammalia): Functional implications for substrate preferences

Octodontids are South American caviomorph rodents endemic to mesic and arid biomes displaying a wide range of substrate preferences, from terrestrial to subterranean habits. However, the hind limb morphology of these rodents remain relatively poorly understudied, particularly from an ecomorphological perspective. To investigate the association between hind limb morphology and substrate preference—epigean, semifossorial, fossorial, and subterranean— this study analyzed six skeletal measurements of femur and tibia, along with five morphological indices. We employed phylogenetic mapping, allometry, and multivariate analyses (Phylogentic Flexible Discriminant and Principal Component analyses) on log-transformed variables and indices. The results suggest that the epigeans and subterraneans possess hind limb skeletal features that enhance their mechanical capabilities, which are advantageous for their respective lifestyles. However, in the absence of clear behavioral adaptations or associations, the functional habits of Octodontidae do not requires significant structural modifications of the proximal bones of the hind limbs. These results indicate that understanding the form-function relationship in octodontids requires direct field or laboratory observations of behavior and environmental interactions, highlighting the limitations of current research without such data.

EEG microstate transition cost correlates with task demands.

The ability to solve complex tasks relies on the adaptive changes occurring in the spatio-temporal organization of brain activity under different conditions. Altered flexibility in these dynamics can lead to impaired cognitive performance, manifesting for instance as difficulties in attention regulation, distraction inhibition, and behavioral adaptation. Such impairments result in decreased efficiency and increased effort in accomplishing goal-directed tasks. Therefore, developing quantitative measures that can directly assess the effort involved in these transitions using neural data is of paramount importance. In this study, we propose a framework to associate cognitive effort during the performance of tasks with electroencephalography (EEG) activation patterns. The methodology relies on the identification of discrete dynamical states (EEG microstates) and optimal transport theory. To validate the effectiveness of this framework, we apply it to a dataset collected during a spatial version of the Stroop task, a cognitive test in which participants respond to one aspect of a stimulus while ignoring another, often conflicting, aspect. The Stroop task is a cognitive test where participants must respond to one aspect of a stimulus while ignoring another, often conflicting, aspect. Our findings reveal an increased cost linked to cognitive effort, thus confirming the framework's effectiveness in capturing and quantifying cognitive transitions. By utilizing a fully data-driven method, this research opens up fresh perspectives for physiologically describing cognitive effort within the brain.

Accumbal Dopamine Responses Are Distinct between Female Rats with Active and Passive Coping Strategies.

There is a gap in existing knowledge of stress-triggered neurochemical and behavioral adaptations in females. This study was designed to explore the short-term consequences of a single social defeat (SD) on accumbal dopamine (DA) dynamics and related behaviors in female Wistar rats. During the SD procedure, rats demonstrated different stress-handling strategies, which were defined as active and passive coping. The "active" subjects expressed a significantly higher level of activity directed toward handling stress experience, while the "passive" ones showed an escalated freezing pattern. Remarkably, these opposite behavioral manifestations were negatively correlated. Twenty-four hours following the SD exposure, decreased immobility latency in the Porsolt test and cognitive augmentation in the new object recognition evaluation were evident, along with an increase in electrically evoked mesolimbic DA release in passive coping rats. Rats exhibiting an active pattern of responses showed insignificant changes in immobility and cognitive performance as well as in evoked mesolimbic DA response. Furthermore, the dynamics of the decline and recovery of DA efflux under the depletion protocol were significantly altered in the passive but not active female rats. Taken together, these data suggest that female rats with a passive coping strategy are more susceptible to developing behavioral and neurochemical alterations within 24 h after stress exposure. This observation may represent both maladaptive and protective responses of an organism on a short timescale.

Driver Behavior Mechanisms and Conflict Risk Patterns in Tunnel-Interchange Connecting Sections: A Comprehensive Investigation Based on the Behavioral Adaptation Theory

Tunnel-interchange sections are characterized by complex driving tasks and frequent traffic conflicts, posing substantial challenges to overall safety and efficiency. Enhancing safety in these areas is crucial for the sustainability of traffic systems. This study applies behavior adaptation theory as an integrated framework to examine the impact of environmental stimuli on driving behavior and conflict risk in small-spaced sections. Through driving simulation, 19 observation indicators are collected, covering eye-tracking, heart rate, subjective workload, driving performance, and conflict risk. The analysis, using single-factor ranking (Shapley Additive Explanation), interaction effects (dependence plots), and multi-factor analysis (Structural Equation Modeling), demonstrates that driving workload and performance dominate the fully mediating effects between external factors and conflict risk. High-load environmental stimuli, such as narrow spacing (≤500 m) and overloaded signage information (>6 units), significantly elevate drivers’ stress responses and impair visual acuity, thereby increasing task difficulty and conflict risk. Critical factors like saccade size, heart rate variability, lane deviation, and headway distance emerge as vital indicators for monitoring and supporting driving decisions. These findings provide valuable insights for the operational management of small-spacing sections and enhance the understanding of driving safety in these areas from a human factor perspective.

Hot and cold exposure triggers distinct transcriptional and behavioral responses in laboratory-inbred pond snails

Animals exhibit remarkable behavioral and molecular adaptations to cope with thermal stressors, which are crucial for survival in variable environments that are exacerbated by climate change. Aquatic poikilotherms like our model organism—the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis—face significant challenges due to their dependence on external temperatures. Our study provides valuable insights into the different behavioral and molecular responses of lab-inbred snails to cold and heat shock stressors (i.e., 4 °C and 30 °C), particularly in the context of learning and memory formation. We found that while short-term (1 h) cold exposure transiently upregulated the expression levels of HSP70 and HSP40 in the snail’s central ring ganglia, prolonged cold exposure (24 h) resulted in a significant downregulation of LymMIPII and an upregulation of LymMIPR. These data suggest, albeit at the transcriptional level, the existence of a negative feedback loop necessary for sustaining cellular functions when metabolic demands might shift towards conserving energy during prolonged cold exposure. At the behavioral level, we found that, compared to heat shock, cold exposure did not result in a Garcia effect (i.e., a “special form” of conditioned taste aversion). The difference in memory outcomes was associated with changes in the expression levels of selected targets involved in neuronal plasticity and the stress response. While both cold and heat shock upregulated the HSP levels in the snail's central ring ganglia, cold exposure did not affect the expression levels of the neuroplasticity genes LymGRIN1 and LymCREB1, contrasting with heat shock’s neurogenic effects. Overall, this study provides insights into L. stagnalis's adaptive responses to thermal stressors, emphasizing different molecular strategies for coping with heat versus cold challenges in aquatic environments. These findings contribute to our understanding of thermal biology and stress physiology in aquatic organisms, underscoring the importance of molecular mechanisms in shaping species' resilience in dynamic environments.

One style does not fit all: the relationship of mediator behavioral adaptivity to mediator empowerment, efficacy, and satisfaction

Purpose Prior research on the situated model of mediation has suggested that mediators’ abilities to be more flexible and adaptive in responding to potential derailers in mediation situations lead to better outcomes. The purpose if this paper is to build on this theory and research by developing a new scale of mediator behavioral adaptivity and investigating the hypothesized effects of mediator adaptivity on their sense of efficacy, empowerment and satisfaction when mediating. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents findings from two survey studies with currently active, experienced mediators. Findings The findings offer a new scale for the study of effective mediation – the mediator behavioral adaptivity scale – and offer support for the hypothesis that mediators reporting an ability to use more diverse behavioral tactics and strategies (both standard and specialized strategies) report higher levels of satisfaction with mediation outcomes as well as more self-efficacy and empowerment during mediations. Research limitations/implications These studies are both self-report and correlational and so should be supplemented by subsequent research using experimental methods and more objective measures of mediation outcomes. Originality/value The program of research extended in this paper offers a new integrative model of adaptive mediation, which aims to provide evidence-based guidelines for using different types of mediation strategies in categorically different conflict situations. The model can ultimately help the field transcend discussions of preferred or best mediation styles and focus instead on how distinct strategies offer different degrees of fit for different types of mediation challenges.

Crosstalk between the circatidal and circadian clocks mediates behavioral adaptation to tidal patterns.

The ability to anticipate tides is critical for a wide range of marine organisms, but this task is complicated by the diversity of tidal patterns on Earth. Previous findings suggest that organisms whose geographic range spans multiple types of tidal cycles can produce distinct patterns of rhythmic behavior that correspond to the tidal cycles they experience. How this behavioral plasticity is achieved, however, is unclear. Here, we show that Parhyale hawaiensis adapts its rhythmic behavior to various naturally occurring tidal regimens through the plastic contribution of its circatidal and circadian clocks. After entrainment to a tidal cycle that deviated only mildly from a regular 12.4h tidal cycle, animals exhibited strong circatidal rhythms. By contrast, following entrainment to more irregularly spaced tides or to tides that occurred every 24.8 h, a significant fraction of animals instead synchronized to the light/dark (LD) cycle and exhibited circadian behavior, while others showed rhythmic behavior with both circatidal and circadian traits. We also show that the circatidal clock, while able to entrain to various naturally occurring tidal patterns, does not entrain to an unnatural one. We propose that Parhyale hawaiensis's ecological success around the world relies in part on the plastic interactions between the circatidal and circadian clocks, which shape its rhythmic behavior appropriately according to tidal patterns.

Secretory Cells in Halla parthenopeia (Oenonidae): Potential Implications for the Feeding and Defence Strategies of a Carnivorous Burrowing Polychaete.

Carnivorous polychaetes are known to bear diversified and often unique anatomical and behavioural adaptations for predation and defence. Halla parthenopeia, a species known to be a specialized predator of clams, thrives in the soft bottoms of the Mediterranean Sea, holding potential for polyculture and biotechnology due to the secretion of bioactive compounds. Our objective was to provide a comprehensive description of H. parthenopeia's anatomy and microanatomy, shedding light on the relation between morphology and habitat, chemical defences, and feeding behaviour. The pharynx, housing maxillae and mandibles connected to an extensive mucus gland, occupies a considerable portion of the worm's length, reaching beyond the oesophagus. This unique gland is responsible for secreting the feeding mucus, which immobilizes and aids in the digestion of clams probably acting as a vehicle of bioactive compounds synthesized by specialized serous cells in the mouth. Moreover, H. parthenopeia combines behavioural tactics, such as burrowing, and anatomical defences to evade predators. Examination of its epidermis revealed a thick cuticle layer and abundant mucocytes secreting locomotion mucus, both of which save the worm from mechanical harm during movement. When it is preyed upon, the worm can release a substantial amount of Hallachrome, a toxic anthraquinone produced by specific cells in its distal region. This pigment, with its known antimicrobial properties, likely acts as a chemical shield in case of injury. The results suggest that the ability of H. parthenopeia to prey on bivalves and to provide mechanical protection plus defence against pathogens rely on its ability to secrete distinct types of mucus. The interplay between highly specialized microanatomical features and complex behaviours underscores its adaptation as a predator in marine benthic environments.

학령기 아동의 부모애착 및 부모의 민주적 양육행동과 초기 청소년기 학교적응 간의 관계에서 집행기능곤란의 매개효과

Objective: This study was conducted to verify the mediating effect of executive function difficulties in the relationship between school adaption in early adolescence and children’s parental attachment and democratic parenting behavior in school-age. Methods: Data of 9-year-olds from the 11th (2018) to 12-year-olds from the 14th (2021) Panel Study on Korean Children were used to extract variable data that fit the purpose of this study. Descriptive statistics were performed using SPSS 21.0, and AMOS 21.0 was used to analyze correlation, structural equation modeling, and mediating effects through bootstrapping to verify the research hypothesis model. Results: First, school-age children’s attachment to their parents had a direct positive effect on school adaptation in early adolescence, but parents’ democratic parenting behavior did not. Second, executive function fully mediated the relationship between democratic parenting behavior and school adaptation, and partially mediated the effect of parental attachment on school adaption. Conclusion: Executive function, secure parental attachment, and democratic parenting behavior in school-age children tended to reduce executive function difficulties in early adolescence. These results are discussed in terms of need to develop parent education programs to increase attachment to parents and teach desirable parenting behaviors. Also discussed to provide continuous and systematic guidance and education on the importance of executive function to parents.

Fisher activity patterns show potential for behavioral adaptations to human modified landscapes

Animals alter their diel activity in response to physiological constraints and ecological conditions. Fisher (Pekania pennanti) activity is known to vary through the diel cycle and change in response to cold stress and generally through both the climatic and biological seasons. However, less is known whether thermoregulatory effects impact fisher activity in milder climates and in areas of high human disturbance. We focused on two distinct research objectives to understand the 1) physiological constraints, and 2) ecological components of fisher activity in a highly disturbed landscape with a relatively mild climate. We used accelerometer data from 34 individual live-captured fisher in Rhode Island, USA from 2021 to 2023. We found that fisher activity patterns were primarily driven by diel cycle with higher activity levels at night than during the day. We did not observe any physiological influence of ambient temperature on fisher activity; daily minimum temperatures did not constrain fisher activity in the colder months, nor did daily maximum temperatures in warmer months. We did find that female activity levels differed by breeding status with non-pregnant females having higher activity levels than pregnant females. Considering ecological components, we found fisher decreased activity levels in higher road density areas during warmer months that coincide with higher traffic volumes. For fisher living in areas with lower road densities, we saw higher activity in the breeding season and summer than in winter. In contrast, fisher living in areas with high road densities had lower activity in the breeding season and summer than in winter. We conclude that fisher largely do not shift their activity to mitigate thermoregulatory costs in areas where temperatures do not reach extremes for extended periods of time. However, our findings suggest that behavioral shifts in activity are impacted by human disturbance and fisher minimize activity in risky areas.

THE POPULATION OF MILA FACING THE EARTHQUAKE OF AUGUST 07, 2020

The surge in urbanization within regions vulnerable to seismic activity poses a significant escalation in seismic risks. Effective mitigation strategies, reliant on improved architectural practices and behavioral adaptations, are imperative to curtail the toll of seismic events. Seismic vulnerability, intricately intertwined with seismic hazard, building conditions, and populace preparedness, underscores the need for comprehensive risk assessment. Although studies elucidating seismic risk knowledge and behaviors are scant in Algeria, they are more prevalent in Mediterranean regions. This paper delves into the examination of risk culture, discerning both direct and indirect causative factors behind the seismic disaster that befell Mila on August 7, 2020.Employing a research methodology that integrates the method Did You Feel It (DYFI USGS ) with a survey model used in Beirut, Lebanon.The findings offer notable insights for two principal reasons. Firstly, local perceptions of the seismic event's severity surpassed estimates by the US Geological Survey (USGS). Secondly, despite the relatively minor magnitude of seismic effects in the El Kherba neighborhood, the populace displayed inadequate preparedness for future earthquakes. Additionally, site-specific factors exerted substantial influence on crisis outcomes. In this context, the preparedness of Algerian society for seismic risks depends on understanding the phenomenon, recognizing associated hazards, and identifying available resources. Contribution: this study serves as a pivotal resource for fostering proactive local population preparedness and mitigating natural risks. Furthermore, it seeks to augment the efficacy of policies aimed at managing natural disaster risks in Algeria.