Consistent Pattern Of Response Research Articles

Mixtures of Dirichlet processes for joint spatial modelling of transcranial magnetic stimulation mapping data

Abstract A patient’s responses to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) pulses on the motor cortex have a complex spatial pattern, making it challenging to understand the response patterns across multiple patients. We developed a mixture of Dirichlet process models to distinguish between patient-specific and shared spatial patterns across multiple patients to provide insight into consistent response patterns essential for developing personalized treatment procedures. The Metropolis–Hastings within Gibbs sampler of the Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm was developed for estimation. The model was used to analyse the TMS data of 3 healthy subjects. The study revealed that the primary motor cortex of the hand consistently emerges as a promising region for eliciting optimal responses. This area serves as a key target for brain mapping using TMS to identify cortical hotspots. However, the excitability patterns in this region can vary significantly among patients.

Psychometric properties of common self-report measures for obsessive-compulsive disorder in sexual and gender minorities

Prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) appears to be higher in sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals compared to cisgender, heterosexual individuals. Although existing self-report measures for OCD (i.e., Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale Self-Report-II-Self Report [Y-BOCS-II-SR], Dimensional Obsessive Compulsive Scale [DOCS], and Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire-Short Form [OBQ-SF]) have demonstrated strong psychometric properties in prior samples, these studies have not reported the proportion of SGM individuals in their samples. Thus, it remains unclear how these measures perform when used with SGM individuals. Accordingly, the psychometric properties of the Y-BOCS-II-SR, DOCS, and OBQ-SF were examined in a sample of 318 sexual minority (98.4%) and gender minority (33.8%) adults with self-reported OCD (Mage = 27.5 years; 87.4% female sex at birth; 93.4% white). Replicating prior research, these measures demonstrated consistent response patterns and strong factor structures and loadings, internal consistency, and convergent validity. Overall, these measures appear to be psychometrically sound when used with SGM individuals, and the few psychometric weaknesses found in the present study parallel those found in other samples, suggesting that they are not specific to use with SGM individuals. Findings support that the Y-BOCS-II- SR, DOCS, and OBQ- SF can be accurately used and interpreted in samples that are comprised of SGM individuals.

Burden and Inattentive Responding in a 12-Month Intensive Longitudinal Study: Interview Study Among Young Adults.

Intensive longitudinal data (ILD) collection methods have gained popularity in social and behavioral research as a tool to better understand behavior and experiences over time with reduced recall bias. Engaging participants in these studies over multiple months and ensuring high data quality are crucial but challenging due to the potential burden of repeated measurements. It is suspected that participants may engage in inattentive responding (IR) behavior to combat burden, but the processes underlying this behavior are unclear as previous studies have focused on the barriers to compliance rather than the barriers to providing high-quality data. This study aims to broaden researchers' knowledge about IR during ILD studies using qualitative analysis and uncover the underlying IR processes to aid future hypothesis generation. We explored the process of IR by conducting semistructured qualitative exit interviews with 31 young adult participants (aged 18-29 years) who completed a 12-month ILD health behavior study with daily evening smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys and 4-day waves of hourly EMA surveys. The interviews assessed participants' motivations, the impact of time-varying contexts, changes in motivation and response patterns over time, and perceptions of attention check questions (ACQs) to understand participants' response patterns and potential factors leading to IR. Thematic analysis revealed 5 overarching themes on factors that influence participant engagement: (1) friends and family also had to tolerate the frequent surveys, (2) participants tried to respond to surveys quickly, (3) the repetitive nature of surveys led to neutral responses, (4) ACQs within the surveys helped to combat overly consistent response patterns, and (5) different motivations for answering the surveys may have led to different levels of data quality. This study aimed to examine participants' perceptions of the quality of data provided in an ILD study to contribute to the field's understanding of engagement. These findings provide insights into the complex process of IR and participant engagement in ILD studies with EMA. The study identified 5 factors influencing IR that could guide future research to improve EMA survey design. The identified themes offer practical implications for researchers and study designers, including the importance of considering social context, the consideration of dynamic motivations, and the potential benefit of including ACQs as a technique to reduce IR and leveraging the intrinsic motivators of participants. By incorporating these insights, researchers might maximize the scientific value of their multimonth ILD studies through better data collection protocols. RR2-10.2196/36666.

Mining for QTL controlling maize low-phosphorus response genes combined with deep resequencing of RIL parental genomes and in silico GWAS analysis.

Extensive and comprehensive phenotypic data from a maize RIL population under both low- and normal-Pi treatments were used to conduct QTL mapping. Additionally, we integrated parental resequencing data from the RIL population, GWAS results, and transcriptome data to identify candidate genes associated with low-Pi stress in maize. Phosphorus (Pi) is one of the essential nutrients that greatly affect the maize yield. However, the genes underlying the QTL controlling maize low-Pi response remain largely unknown. In this study, a total of 38 traits at both seedling and maturity stages were evaluated under low- and normal-Pi conditions using a RIL population constructed from X178 (tolerant) and 9782 (sensitive), and most traits varied significantly between low- and normal-Pi treatments. Twenty-nine QTLs specific to low-Pi conditions were identified after excluding those with common intervals under both low- and normal-Pi conditions. Furthermore, 45 additional QTLs were identified based on the index value ((Trait_under_LowPi-Trait_under_NormalPi)/Trait_under_NormalPi) of each trait. These 74 QTLs collectively were classified as Pi-dependent QTLs. Additionally, 39 Pi-dependent QTLs were clustered in nine HotspotQTLs. The Pi-dependent QTL interval contained 19,613 unique genes, 6,999 of which exhibited sequence differences with non-synonymous mutation sites between X178 and 9782. Combined with in silico GWAS results, 277 consistent candidate genes were identified, with 124 genes located within the HotspotQTL intervals. The transcriptome analysis revealed that 21 genes, including the Pi transporter ZmPT7 and the strigolactones pathway-related gene ZmPDR1, exhibited consistent low-Pi stress response patterns across various maize inbred lines or tissues. It is noteworthy that ZmPDR1 in maize roots can be sharply up-regulated by low-Pi stress, suggesting its potential importance as a candidate gene for responding to low-Pi stress through the strigolactones pathway.

Providing Stimulus to Animals Results in Response in the form of Animal Behavior Patterns to the Environment: A Literature Review

Behavior is an organism's response to internal and external stimuli. By definition, behavior is an action performed by a living being in reaction to a stimulus. A consistent pattern of response to specific stimuli is categorized as behavior. An animal's ability to survive is reflected in these behavioral patterns. Each animal species has a unique way of acting, corresponding to their anatomical structure. Therefore, it is crucial to study animal behavior patterns in depth, given their critical role in maintaining ecosystem sustainability and balance. This research aims to investigate how the provision of stimuli to animals generates responses in the form of behavioral patterns towards their environment. By writing this research, it is hoped that the general public can understand more about animal behavior patterns. This research method is a literature review or literature review through several research articles, this review is done by searching from a database in the form of Google Scholar and obtaining 5 research articles.

Changes in productivity partitioning induced by precipitation extremes increase inaccuracy of grassland carbon estimation.

The fraction of net primary productivity (NPP) allocated to belowground organs (fBNPP) in grasslands is a critical parameter in global carbon cycle models; moreover, understanding the effect of precipitation changes on this parameter is vital to accurately estimating carbon sequestration in grassland ecosystems. However, how fBNPP responds to temporal precipitation changes along a gradient from extreme drought to extreme wetness, remains unclear, mainly due to the lack of long-term data of belowground net primary productivity (BNPP) and the fact that most precipitation experiments did not have a gradient from extreme drought to extreme wetness. Here, by conducting both a precipitation gradient experiment (100-500 mm) and a long-term observational study (34 years) in the Inner Mongolia grassland, we showed that fBNPP decreased linearly along the precipitation gradient from extreme drought to extreme wetness due to stronger responses in aboveground NPP to drought and wet conditions than those of BNPP. Our further meta-analysis in grasslands worldwide also indicated that fBNPP increased when precipitation decreased, and the vice versa. Such a consistent pattern of fBNPP response suggests that plants increase the belowground allocation with decreasing precipitation, while increase the aboveground allocation with increasing precipitation. Thus, the linearly decreasing response pattern in fBNPP should be incorporated into models that forecast carbon sequestration in grassland ecosystems; failure to do so will lead to underestimation of the carbon stock in drought years and overestimation of the carbon stock in wet years in grasslands.

Measuring the Reliability of a Gamified Stroop Task: Quantitative Experiment.

Few gamified cognitive tasks are subjected to rigorous examination of psychometric properties, despite their use in experimental and clinical settings. Even small manipulations to cognitive tasks require extensive research to understand their effects. This study aims to investigate how game elements can affect the reliability of scores on a Stroop task. We specifically investigated performance consistency within and across sessions. We created 2 versions of the Stroop task, with and without game elements, and then tested each task with participants at 2 time points. The gamified task used points and feedback as game elements. In this paper, we report on the reliability of the gamified Stroop task in terms of internal consistency and test-retest reliability, compared with the control task. We used a permutation approach to evaluate internal consistency. For test-retest reliability, we calculated the Pearson correlation and intraclass correlation coefficients between each time point. We also descriptively compared the reliability of scores on a trial-by-trial basis, considering the different trial types. At the first time point, the Stroop effect was reduced in the game condition, indicating an increase in performance. Participants in the game condition had faster reaction times (P=.005) and lower error rates (P=.04) than those in the basic task condition. Furthermore, the game condition led to higher measures of internal consistency at both time points for reaction times and error rates, which indicates a more consistent response pattern. For reaction time in the basic task condition, at time 1, rSpearman-Brown=0.78, 95% CI 0.64-0.89. At time 2, rSpearman-Brown=0.64, 95% CI 0.40-0.81. For reaction time, in the game condition, at time 1, rSpearman-Brown=0.83, 95% CI 0.71-0.91. At time 2, rSpearman-Brown=0.76, 95% CI 0.60-0.88. Similarly, for error rates in the basic task condition, at time 1, rSpearman-Brown=0.76, 95% CI 0.62-0.87. At time 2, rSpearman-Brown=0.74, 95% CI 0.58-0.86. For error rates in the game condition, at time 1, rSpearman-Brown=0.76, 95% CI 0.62-0.87. At time 2, rSpearman-Brown=0.74, 95% CI 0.58-0.86. Test-retest reliability analysis revealed a distinctive performance pattern depending on the trial type, which may be reflective of motivational differences between task versions. In short, especially in the incongruent trials where cognitive conflict occurs, performance in the game condition reaches peak consistency after 100 trials, whereas performance consistency drops after 50 trials for the basic version and only catches up to the game after 250 trials. Even subtle gamification can impact task performance albeit not only in terms of a direct difference in performance between conditions. People playing the game reach peak performance sooner, and their performance is more consistent within and across sessions. We advocate for a closer examination of the impact of game elements on performance.

Differential response patterns of soil fungal and bacterial communities to typical vegetation types in the Yellow River floodplain ecosystem

Soil microorganisms are one of the primary driving factors of biogeochemical cycles in floodplain ecosystems. Vegetation type has an impact on the activities of soil microorganisms. However, it is currently unclear whether the composition and structure of soil bacterial and fungal communities in floodplain ecosystems have a consistent response pattern to vegetation communities. In this research, Illumina Mi-Seq sequencing technology was employed to study the soil fungal and bacterial communities covered by three typical vegetation communities in the Yellow River floodplain ecosystem. Our results showed that the underground biomass, total carbon (TC) and nitrogen (TN) were significantly different between the three vegetation communities. In the surface soil of summer, the Shannon index of fungi community was the highest in Tamarix chinensis (T. chinensis) and the lowest in Phragmites australis (P.australis). In autumn, the Shannon and Simpson indices of bacterial communities in surface soil were the highest in the P.australis and the lowest in the Sonchus arvensis (S.arvensis), but there was no significant difference in the β-diversity of bacterial community among the three vegetation communities. In autumn, the Chao1 index of fungal community in subsoil was the highest in P.australis and the lowest in S.arvensis, while there was no significant difference in the α-diversity of bacterial community among the three vegetation communities. In addition, there were considerable disparities in the fungal and bacteria community structure in various vegetation soils. Redundancy analysis (RDA analysis) showed that TN, TC, AP, pH, NO3 -, NH4 + and moisture content were key factors driving bacterial community structure, while TP, NH4 +, pH and moisture content were essential factors driving fungal community composition. These outcomes help to improve our understanding of the ecological model of soil fungal and bacterial community in floodplain ecosystems and give assistance in improving the role of an ecological barrier and floodplain service possibilities.

Screening/diagnosis of pediatric endocrine disorders through the artificial intelligence model in different language settings

This study is aimed at examining the impact of ChatGPT on pediatric endocrine and metabolic conditions, particularly in the areas of screening and diagnosis, in both Chinese and English modes. A 40-question questionnaire covering the four most common pediatric endocrine and metabolic conditions was posed to ChatGPT in both Chinese and English three times each. Six pediatric endocrinologists evaluated the responses. ChatGPT performed better when responding to questions in English, with an unreliable rate of 7.5% compared to 27.5% for Chinese questions, indicating a more consistent response pattern in English. Among the reliable questions, the answers were more comprehensive and satisfactory in the English mode. We also found disparities in ChatGPT’s performance when interacting with different target groups and diseases, with improved performance for questions posed by clinicians in English and better performance for questions related to diabetes and overweight/obesity in Chinese for both clinicians and patients. Language comprehension, providing incomprehensive answers, and errors in key data were the main contributors to the low scores, according to reviewer feedback.Conclusion: Despite these limitations, as ChatGPT continues to evolve and expand its network, it has significant potential as a practical and effective tool for clinical diagnosis and treatment.What is Known:• The deep learning-based large-language model ChatGPT holds great promise for improving clinical practice for both physicians and patients and has the potential to increase the speed and accuracy of disease screening and diagnosis, as well as enhance the overall efficiency of the medical process. However, the reliability and appropriateness of AI model responses in specific field remains unclear.• This study focused on the reliability and appropriateness of AI model responses to straightforward and fundamental questions related to the four most prevalent pediatric endocrine and metabolic disorders, for both healthcare providers and patients, in different language scenarios.What is New:• The AI model performed better when responding to questions in English, with more consistent, as well as more comprehensive and satisfactory responses. In addition, we also found disparities in ChatGPT’s performance when interacting with different target groups and different diseases.• Despite these limitations, as ChatGPT continues to evolve and expand its network, it has significant potential as a practical and effective tool for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Portuguese adaptation of the Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire (BIQ)

Behavioral inhibition (BI) is a temperamental trait characterized by a consistent pattern of behavioral and emotional responses to unfamiliar people and novel situations. BI exhibits moderate stability across development and is considered a risk factor for the emergence of emotional disorders in adolescence and adulthood, making early assessment crucial for understanding this behavioral pattern. In the Portuguese context, there is a paucity of measures specifically designed to assess BI in childhood. To address this gap, we aimed to adapt and examine the psychometric properties of the Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire (BIQ) in Portuguese children. We obtained BIQ ratings from both parents and teachers of 435 children (average age = 57.1 months; SD = 13.8). Confirmatory factor analysis supported a six-factor measurement model, each factor loading onto a higher-order BI factor. Additionally, we included a method factor to account for reversed items. Full scalar measurement invariance across gender and age groups was supported. Parents and teachers showed good agreement in their ratings of BIQ scores. Comparisons with other instruments revealed good convergent validity. The BIQ scores showed acceptable reliability, although the subscales exhibited limited sensitivity in discriminating between different contexts where BI may manifest. This study suggests that the BIQ is a reliable and valid tool for assessing BI in Portuguese children.

Seasonal and Interannual Variations of Global Tides in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere Neutral Winds: I. Diurnal Tides

AbstractIn the mesosphere and lower thermosphere, diurnal tides are responsible for the dynamics and structures at low latitudes since they have largest amplitudes there. Based on the 20‐year (2002−2021) observations from Thermosphere‐Ionosphere‐Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics Doppler interferometer (TIDI), we investigate the seasonal variations of three diurnal tidal components (DW1, DE3, DW2), and their responses to stratospheric quasi‐biennial oscillation (SQBO) and solar cycle globally. The results show that: (a) DW1, DE3 and DW2 show prominent semiannual (SAO) and annual oscillations (AO) in their peak regions where the ratio of their annual mean amplitude to their maximum annual mean amplitude is larger than 0.8. DW1 also exhibit strong terannual oscillations (TAO) especially in meridional wind. (b) The responses of the amplitudes of seasonal variations of DW1, DE3 and DW2 to SQBO and solar cycle are comparable in magnitude to those of their annual mean amplitudes (for response to solar cycle, even stronger in some cases), and thus cannot be neglected. (c) In their respective peak regions, the responses of annual mean amplitudes of these diurnal tidal components to SQBO are uniformly positive except DW2, and their responses to solar cycle are uniformly negative. For these diurnal tides, the amplitudes of the dominant seasonal variations exhibit consistent response patterns with those of annual means to the SQBO/solar cycle. (d) Empirical formulas are given, which well describe the seasonal and interannual variations of dominant diurnal tidal components in their peak regions.

Divergent effects of warming on nonstructural carbohydrates in woody plants: a meta-analysis.

Nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC, including soluble sugars and starch) are essential for supporting growth and survival of woody plants, and play multifunctional roles in various ecophysiological processes that are being rapidly changed by climate warming. However, it still remains unclear whether there is a consistent response pattern of NSC dynamics in woody plants to climate warming across organ types and species taxa. Here, based on a compiled database of 52 woody plant species worldwide, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the effects of experimental warming on NSC dynamics. Our results indicated that the responses of NSC dynamics to warming were primarily driven by the fluctuations of starch, while soluble sugars did not undergo significant changes. The effects of warming on NSC shifted from negative to positive with the extension of warming duration, while the negative warming effects on NSC became more pronounced as warming magnitude increased. Overall, our study showed the divergent responses of NSC and its components in different organs of woody plants to experimental warming, suggesting a potentially changed carbon (C) balance in woody plants in future global warming. Thus, our findings highlight that predicting future changes in plant functions and terrestrial C cycle requires a mechanism understanding of how NSC is linked to a specific global change driver.

Effects of Seasonal Changes on Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Physiological Characteristics in the Two Taxus Species.

Taxus is a rare and endangered woody plant worldwide with important economic and ecological values. However, the weak environmental adaptability of Taxus species, in particular the unstable photosynthetic activity in different seasons, always affects its normal growth and development and limits its conservation and exploitation. To improve the survival of Taxus trees in cultivated areas, the seasonal dynamics of chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) and key physiological parameters were comprehensively investigated in T. media and T. mairei. The results demonstrated that the photosynthetic activity of both Taxus species was sensitive to local summer and winter environmental conditions, with the heterogeneity of fluorescence signatures intuitively presented on the needle surface by CF-Imaging detection, while images of maximum quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm) demonstrated values below 0.7 in the blue-green sectors in winter. The distribution of light energy was regulated by the photosynthetic apparatus in both Taxus species to maintain a stable actual quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (φPSII), which was around 0.4-0.5. Based on a redundancy discriminant analysis, the interpretation rate of light intensity and air temperature ranked as the top two in both Taxus species, which were considered the main environmental factors affecting the photosynthetic performance of Taxus by disturbing the electron transport chain. In the winter, T. mairei exhibited weaker electron transport activity than T. media, thus caused lower photochemistry and more severe photosynthetic damages. Interestingly, both Taxus species demonstrated consistent response patterns, including diverse energy dissipation strategies and enhancement of osmoregulatory substances and antioxidative activities, thus maintaining stable photosynthetic functions in response to environmental changes.

RINGSIDE phase 2/3 trial of AL102 for treatment of desmoid tumors (DT): Phase 2 results.

11515 Background: For patients with desmoid tumors (DT, aggressive fibromatosis), systemic therapy that results in tumor regression, symptom improvement and durable tolerability is needed. Gamma secretase inhibitors (GSIs) have demonstrated antitumor activity against DT. AL102 is a potent, orally available, selective GSI under investigation for treatment of DT. Methods: RINGSIDE (AL-DES-01) is a Phase 2/3 study for patients with progressing DT. In the open-label Phase 2 study (Part A), adults with progressing DT (≥10% unidimensional growth within 18 months or DT-related pain requiring non-opioid medication) were randomized to three dosing regimens: 1.2 mg QD, 2 mg intermittent BIW (2 days on 5 days off), or 4 mg intermittent BIW. Patients who complete Phase 2 roll over into an open-label extension (OLE). RINGSIDE Phase 3 (Part B) is a double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the chosen dose regimen from Phase 2 (1.2 mg once daily) utilizing PFS as the primary endpoint. We report updated efficacy and safety results from RINGSIDE Phase 2. Results: Enrollment of all 42 patients into Phase 2 was completed as of March 2022. As of January 3, 2023, median time on study was 10.5 months (range 0.8 – 14.7) and 30 patients (71.4%) were still on study, 10 (23.8%) of whom rolled over to the OLE. Mean age was 39.9 years, 73.8% were women and 69% had received prior desmoid cancer therapy. The best response in the evaluable population as assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR) was partial response (PR) in 6/12 patients (50%) for 1.2 mg QD, 3/13 patients (23.1%) for 4 mg BIW, and 5/11 patients (45.5%) for 2 mg BIW. Disease control rate was 100%, 91%, and 97% in these groups, respectively. A consistent pattern of deeper, more rapid and maintained response was observed with 1.2 mg QD. Median volume change (BICR) from baseline was -51.9% for 1.2 mg QD, -9.5% for 4 mg BIW, and -15.2% for 2 mg BIW at Week 16 and -76.4%, -35.5%, and -51.2%, respectively, at Week 28. Similar patterns were observed for % changes from baseline in T2 signal intensity, suggesting reduction of tumor cellularity. Consistent with the mechanism of action of GSIs, the five most common Grade 1-2 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, alopecia, and dry skin. Grade 3 drug-related TEAEs were reported in 26.2% of patients across all tested doses. There were no Grade 4, Grade 5, or serious TEAEs related to AL102 per investigator assessment. There were no new safety signals. Conclusions: In this Phase 2 study, AL102 was safe and generally well tolerated across all tested doses. The safety profile was consistent with the GSI class of drugs. Tumor response, volume reduction and T2 signal reduction were observed earlier in the 1.2 mg QD group, with deeper and maintained treatment responses. This dose was selected for study in RINGSIDE Phase 3, which is currently enrolling in multiple countries. Clinical trial information: NCT04871282 .

Longitudinal fNIRS and EEG metrics of habituation and novelty detection are correlated in 1–18-month-old infants

IntroductionHabituation and novelty detection are two fundamental and widely studied neurocognitive processes. Whilst neural responses to repetitive and novel sensory input have been well-documented across a range of neuroimaging modalities, it is not yet fully understood how well these different modalities are able to describe consistent neural response patterns. This is particularly true for infants and young children, as different assessment modalities might show differential sensitivity to underlying neural processes across age. Thus far, many neurodevelopmental studies are limited in either sample size, longitudinal scope or breadth of measures employed, impeding investigations of how well common developmental trends can be captured via different methods. MethodThis study assessed habituation and novelty detection in N = 204 infants using EEG and fNIRS measured in two separate paradigms, but within the same study visit, at 1, 5 and 18 months of age in an infant cohort in rural Gambia. EEG was acquired during an auditory oddball paradigm during which infants were presented with Frequent, Infrequent and Trial Unique sounds. In the fNIRS paradigm, infants were familiarised to a sentence of infant-directed speech, novelty detection was assessed via a change in speaker. Indices for habituation and novelty detection were extracted for both EEG and NIRS ResultsWe found evidence for weak to medium positive correlations between responses on the fNIRS and the EEG paradigms for indices of both habituation and novelty detection at most age points. Habituation indices correlated across modalities at 1 month and 5 months but not 18 months of age, and novelty responses were significantly correlated at 5 months and 18 months, but not at 1 month. Infants who showed robust habituation responses also showed robust novelty responses across both assessment modalities. DiscussionThis study is the first to examine concurrent correlations across two neuroimaging modalities across several longitudinal age points. Examining habituation and novelty detection, we show that despite the use of two different testing modalities, stimuli and timescale, it is possible to extract common neural metrics across a wide age range in infants. We suggest that these positive correlations might be strongest at times of greatest developmental change.

Environmental drivers of waterbird diversity in a world heritage subtropical estuarine system

This study analyzed how environmental, temporal, and spatial variables influenced the distribution and diversity of waterbird assemblages during the dry and rainy seasons in a subtropical estuarine complex in southern Brazil, a world heritage site. From March 2020 to February 2021, we determined the alpha and beta diversities of waterbird in the Paranaguá Estuarine Complex (PEC), southern Brazil, by sampling 36 transects distributed in three bays. Altogether we recorded 46 species distributed in 17 families and eight genera. Despite the similar species richness observed in the dry versus rainy season (41 and 39 species, respectively), we found a weak seasonal influence on the composition of the waterbird assemblage due to the presence of migratory species. Species richness was positively related with water temperature and dissolved oxygen during the wet season. While in the dry season, we recorded a negative relationship between species diversity and turbidity. Despite the great diversity of waterbird species recorded in the PEC, we did not detect a consistent pattern of alpha and beta diversity responses. Balanced variation in abundance was the component that most contributed to total beta diversity, which is consistent for highly mobile species that roam heterogeneous landscapes. Due to their high mobility, waterbird quickly track dynamic features in time and space. The lack of apparent patterns in species distribution and alpha and beta diversity may reflect this dynamic. Our findings reinforce the need to use robust, long-term databases to understand and monitor beta diversity, providing information to support practical actions to protect local and regional biodiversity. Therefore, strategic management plans that use integrated protection networks and aim at biodiversity conservation at different scales must consider these results.

Contextual processing and its alterations in patients with addictive disorders

Contextual processing is implicated in the pathophysiology of addictive disorders, but the nature of putative deficiencies remains unclear. We assessed some aspects of contextual processing across multimodal experimental procedures with detoxified subjects who were dependent on opioids (n = 18), alcohol- (n = 20), both opioids and alcohol (n = 22) and healthy controls (n = 24) using a) facial- and b) emotionally laden images; c) gambling task and d) sucrose solutions. Healthy subjects displayed consistent response pattern throughout all categories of the presented stimuli. As a group, dependent subjects rated (i.e., valuated) attractive and average faces respectively more and less attractive in comparison to controls. Dependent subjects' motivational effort, measured in the units of computer keypress to determine the attractive faces' viewing time, accorded the valuational context but was diminished relatively to the average faces’ valuation. Dependent subjects’ motivational effort for pleasant and aversive images respectively mirrored the attractive and average faces; their neutral images’ motivational effort was incongruent with the valuational context framed by the intermixed images. Also, dependent subjects’ emotional responses to counterfactual comparisons of gambling outcomes were unmatched by the riskiness context. Moreover, dependent subjects failed to show greater liking of sweet solutions that normally accompanies low sweetness perceptual context indicative of higher sucrose concentration needed for maximal hedonic experience. Consistent differences among the dependent groups (opioid vs. alcohol vs. comorbid) on the above procedures were not observed. The present findings suggest that opioid and/or alcohol dependence may be associated with amplified hedonic and motivational valuation of pleasant stimuli and with a disrupted link between behavioral/emotional responsivity and contextual variations. Further research is warranted to unravel the distinctive features of contextual processing in opioid- vis-à-vis alcohol addiction and how these features may interrelate in comorbid conditions.

Efficacy of dupilumab in moderate and severe atopic dermatitis

AbstractBackgroundTreatment responses may differ between patients with severe versus moderate atopic dermatitis (AD).ObjectivesTo assess dupilumab response by baseline AD severity in adolescent and adult patients with moderate‐to‐severe AD.MethodsWe assessed dupilumab response by baseline AD severity in 1719 patients aged ≥12 years with moderate‐to‐severe AD from five randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trials. Patients received subcutaneous placebo or dupilumab as monotherapy (300 mg [adults, adolescents] or 200 mg [adolescents] every 2 weeks; 16 weeks), or with concomitant topical corticosteroids (TCS) (adults; 16/52 weeks). Patients were stratified by baseline Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) score (3 [moderate]/4 [severe]).ResultsDupilumab‐treated patients with moderate AD had numerically higher absolute proportions of patients achieving IGA 0/1 (clear/almost clear) than those with severe AD; risk differences (dupilumab vs. placebo) were 18.9–35.5 for moderate AD and 16.4–34.2 for severe AD. For all other endpoints assessed, no meaningful differences or consistent response patterns between moderate and severe subgroups were observed.ConclusionsDupilumab with or without TCS demonstrated similar efficacy in patients with moderate or severe AD.

Farmers’ Rice Yield in Fallow - T. Aman Rice - Fallow Cropping Pattern Due to Variability in Genotype And Management

Farmers’ existing rice production practices provide key indications of interventions for improving yield in their environments. This study aimed to explore those indications in the Fallow - T. Aman rice - Fallow cropping pattern (CP) under rainfed farming practiced by the farmers in Kapasia, Gazipur. Research method employed one-to-one and face-to face interview of 154 farmers practicing the CP. The average yield of T. Aman was estimated as 3.23 t ha-1, slightly below the national average yield of 3.93 t ha-1, in the range of 1.18 to 5.65 t ha-1. Variety was one of the two broad factors that determined the yield variation. The high yeld potential (HYP) category absolutely preferred the production aim, where Swarna-Ranjit (31.2% by farmer) and BRRI dhan49 (24.7% by farmer) were the dominated varieties where average yields were very close (3.51 and 3.36 t ha-1) for Swarna-Ranjit and BRRI dhan49, respectively). Management was the second factor determining the yield variation within varieties. While both the varieties received similar maximum yield (5.65 t ha-1), Swarna-Ranjit produced the minimum yield of 1.40 t ha-1 and BRRI dhan49 of 1.98 t ha-1. This study did not find a consistent pattern of response of the three measured management components - transplanting time, seedling age and seedling density to yield in either variety. The yield variance of BRRI dhan49 under three management components was higher compared to Swarna-Ranjit. Farmers practiced relatively a wide range of three management combinations to achieve high yield in Swarna-Ranjit, but a narrow range of the three management combinations for BRRI dhan49 to achieve the same level of yield. It is concluded that the variety-specific agronomic management to be the avenue for yield improvements in farmers’ fields. Bangladesh Agron. J. 2022, 25(1): 23-36

Scaredy-cat: Assessment of individual differences in response to an acute everyday stressor across development in the domestic cat

A concern in animal welfare is the degree to which the animals in our charge experience stress during everyday procedures. Central to this is how to appropriately assess stress in relevant daily contexts. As one of the most popular companion animals worldwide, the domestic cat Felis silvestris catus is a good example. The cat may experience situations in daily life which can be considered stressful, such as confinement in a pet carrier for veterinary visits or to accompany its owners on holiday. It was therefore our aim in the present study to assess the response of pet domestic cats to brief confinement in a standard pet carrier during which we employed two behavioural and one non-invasive physiological measure thought to be indicators of stress. We investigated the presence of individual differences in 74 kittens’ responses before weaning (before 2 months of age) and the stability of these across development to adulthood in a subset of the same individuals tested after adoption in their new homes at 6, 12 and 18 months of age. Individuals were tested by placing them alone for 2 min in a pet carrier in an isolated room. Motor activity and vocalisation were continuously recorded, and eye and nose temperature were registered immediately before and after each test using a thermal camera. Statistical analyses showed stable (repeatable) individual differences for various measures of vocalisation and to a lesser extent for motor activity within and across age classes, but no relation between measures of the two. Thermographic measures of eye temperature showed no consistent pattern of thermal response to the test, and only weak and contradictory patterns of change in the temperature of the nose. In conclusion, we suggest measures of vocalisation to be a good indicator of individual differences of stress in response to such everyday procedures in the cat, although still needing validation from physiological measures. Facial thermography presently does not seem sufficiently reliable in this regard. Additionally, we emphasize the importance of conducting repeated tests across time to identify and develop reliable indicators of stress in whatever species.