Anticipatory Effects Research Articles

Knowing What's Coming: Unpredictable Motion Causes More Motion Sickness.

ObjectiveThis study explores the role of anticipation in motion sickness. We compared three conditions varying in motion predictability and assessed the effect of anticipation on subsequent illness ratings using a within-subjects design.BackgroundAnticipation is thought to play a role in motion sickness by reducing the discrepancy between sensed and expected sensory information. However, both the exact role and potential magnitude of anticipation on motion sickness are unknown.MethodParticipants (N = 17) were exposed to three 15-min conditions consisting of repeated fore-aft motion on a sled on a 40-m rail (1) at constant intervals and consistent motion direction, (2) at constant intervals but varied motion direction, and (3) at varied intervals but consistent motion direction. Conditions were otherwise identical in motion intensity and displacement, as they were composed of the same repetitions of identical blocks of motion. Illness ratings were recorded at 1-min intervals using an 11-point motion sickness scale.ResultsAverage illness ratings after exposure were significantly lower for the predictable condition, compared with both the directionally unpredictable condition and the temporally unpredictable condition.ConclusionUnpredictable motion is significantly more provocative compared with predictable motion. Findings suggest motion sickness results from a discrepancy between sensed and expected motion, rather than from unpreparedness to motion.ApplicationThis study underlines the importance of an individual’s anticipation to motion in motion sickness. Furthermore, this knowledge could be used in domains such as that of autonomous vehicles to reduce carsickness.

The late acquisition of coarticulatory patterns associated with English liquid articulation

The late acquisition of liquids is well documented and attributed to the simultaneous anterior and posterior lingual constrictions required. But adult-like segmental production also entails the acquisition of coarticulatory patterns. Liquids are interesting in this regard because they have exceptionally strong effects on their surround, including long-distance anticipatory effects. The current study investigated the development of these effects in 5-year-old, 8-year-old, and adult speech using a previously validated perceptually based measurement technique (Redford et al., 2018). Ten participants per age-group produced minimal pair words with /r/ and /l/ onsets in sentences with several unstressed function words preceding the target liquid. Overall results indicated longer distance anticipatory effects for /r/ than /l/. Two group differences were also identified: anticipatory coarticulation of /l/ was equal to /r/ in 5-year-old speech, and greater than anticipatory coarticulation of /l/ in 8-year-old or adult speech. The results indicate distinct timing patterns for English /r/ and /l/. We suggest that the greater anticipatory coarticulation of /l/ observed in 5-year-olds’ speech may indicate its default articulation in a running speech context, and that the development of its adult-like articulation therefore requires learning to inhibit extensive pre-posturing. [Work funded by NIH grant No. R01HD087452.]The late acquisition of liquids is well documented and attributed to the simultaneous anterior and posterior lingual constrictions required. But adult-like segmental production also entails the acquisition of coarticulatory patterns. Liquids are interesting in this regard because they have exceptionally strong effects on their surround, including long-distance anticipatory effects. The current study investigated the development of these effects in 5-year-old, 8-year-old, and adult speech using a previously validated perceptually based measurement technique (Redford et al., 2018). Ten participants per age-group produced minimal pair words with /r/ and /l/ onsets in sentences with several unstressed function words preceding the target liquid. Overall results indicated longer distance anticipatory effects for /r/ than /l/. Two group differences were also identified: anticipatory coarticulation of /l/ was equal to /r/ in 5-year-old speech, and greater than anticipatory coarticulation of /l/ in 8-year-old or a...

Anticipation of drop height affects neuromuscular control and muscle-tendon mechanics.

This study examined the effect of drop height on neuromechanical control of the plantarflexors in drop jumps (DJs) before and during ground contact (GC). The effect of anticipation on muscle mechanical configurations was investigated in 22 subjects in three conditions (20, 30, and 40cm): (i) known, (ii) unknown, or (iii) cheat falling heights (announced 40cm, but actual drop height was 20cm). Electromyographic (EMG) activity of the m. gastrocnemius medialis (GM) and other shank muscles was recorded and analyzed before GC and during GC separately for the short-, medium-, and long-latency responses (SLR, MLR, and LLR). Changes in GM fascicle length (LM ) were determined via B-mode ultrasound, and muscle-tendon unit length (LMTU ) was estimated. Peak force (P<.001), rate of force development (RFD) (P=.001) and GM EMG activity prior to (P=.003) and during GC (P=.007) was reduced in the unknown compared with the known conditions (P<.05). The amount of shortening in LMTU during GC in unknown and cheat was less compared with the known conditions (P=.005; P=.049). Changes in LMTU lengthening negatively correlated with changes in GM activity around SLR and MLR (P=.006; P=.02) in known and unknown conditions. Taken together, it seems that the central nervous system applies a protective strategy in the unknown condition by reducing muscle activity to result in a lower muscular stiffness and increased tendinous lengthening prior to and during GC. This might be a mechanism to absorb greater elastic energy in the tendon and reduce the magnitude and rate of muscle lengthening and subsequent stretch-induced muscle damage.

The scope of the kinematic effects of prominence in Greek

It is well established that speech units under prominence present longer, larger, and faster constriction gestures than their non-prominent counterparts. However, little is known about the scope of these kinematic effects and how their scope interacts with prosodic boundaries. Previous research has mainly focused on the durational dimension (lengthening) and contrastive focus. The current study uses electromagnetic articulography (EMA) to investigate the scope of the kinematic effects of prominence related to non-contrastive focus as a function of stress position (word-initial, word-medial, word-final) and boundary type (phrase versus word boundary) in Greek. The kinematic dimensions examined are duration, position, velocity, and stiffness. Results from five speakers indicate that all kinematic dimensions affect the stressed syllable but also present both anticipatory and spillover effects. The strongest effect of the dimensions of duration and position is found within the stressed syllable, while the maximum of the velocity and stiffness effects is within the syllable that immediately follows the stressed one. Interestingly, when stress is final, the velocity and stiffness effects extend across prosodic boundaries, regardless of the boundary type, affecting the formation constriction of the first post-boundary consonant. A model of prominence is proposed within the framework of Articulatory Phonology. [Work supported by NIH.]

Effect of preference conditioning in the anticipatory contrast effect in rats.

Effect of preference conditioning in the anticipatory contrast effect in rats.

Evaluating the Internal Labor Migration Effects of Compulsory Peacetime Conscription

ABSTRACT Conscription typically involves migration to the duty base location. According to DaVanzo’s theory of repeat migration, this military-motivated migration might foster post-military migration. This paper investigates this issue empirically using individual-level data drawn from the 1992, 1998, and 2001 editions of the French survey of labor market entrants ‘Génération.’ The methods used to identify the causal effect of compulsory peacetime conscription on the post-military propensity to migrate exploit the abolition of conscription in France in October 1997 plus information on the timing of service among those who served. Conscription stimulated the post-military propensity to migrate for work of French male labor-market entrants with upper-class origins. Furthermore, there is evidence of a previously overlooked anticipatory effect of conscription: French males who were waiting to be called up for military service were approximately 25% less likely to migrate for work than comparable non-conscripts. Some implications of these findings and a consideration of their external validity are also provided.

Anticipatory effects of taxation in the commons: When do taxes work, and when do they fail?

This paper considers a common-pool resource where a regulator announces a new policy curbing appropriation (usage fee). While firms respond reducing their appropriation once the fee is in effect, we identify under which conditions firms choose to increase their appropriation before the fee comes into effect. We demonstrate that this policy-induced appropriation increase is more likely when: (1) several firms compete for the resource; (2) firms sustain some market power; (3) firms impose significant cost externalities on each other; and (4) the resource is scarce. Our results, therefore, indicate that policy announcements can trigger increases in resource exploitation before the policy comes into effect.

Prosodic encoding in Mandarin spontaneous speech: Evidence for clause-based advanced planning in language production

This study reports the cross-boundary f0 shifting of prosodic units (PU) in Mandarin conversational speech by analyzing the PU-initial and PU-final f0 heights as a function of its semantic structure. Initial and final f0 heights were defined as the f0 values extracted at the energy max of the first and the last syllable of the PU. The semantic structure of the PU was defined based on its co-extensiveness with a semantic unit in discourse (DU), i.e., a proposition, often encoded by a clause. Our analysis shows significant relationships between the cross-boundary f0 heights and the PU-DU co-extensiveness. PU-DU left alignment introduces a significant up-shifting effect on both initial and final f0 heights. This pitch resetting is effective across the whole PU, suggesting speakers’ sensitivity to the initiation of propositions in production. On the other hand, PU-DU right alignment introduces a down-shifting effect on both f0 heights. The regressive f0-lowering observed in the PU-initial f0 heights (anticipatory effect based on the PU-terminal semantics) and the progressive f0-raising of the PU-final f0 heights (carried-over effect based on the PU-initial semantics) both shed light on the psycholinguistic importance of the proposition and support its central role in advanced planning in spontaneous speech production.

Somatosensory attending to the lower back is associated with response speed of movements signaling back pain

The present study investigated if preparing a movement that is expected to evoke pain results in hesitation to initiate the movement (i.e., avoidance) and, especially, if the allocation of attention to the threatened body part mediates such effect. To this end, healthy volunteers (N = 33) performed a postural perturbation task recruiting lower back muscles. In 'threat trials', the movement was sometimes followed by an experimental pain stimulus on the back, whereas in 'no-threat trials', a non-painful control stimulus was applied. Electroencephalography (EEG) was used to assess attending to the lower back. Specifically, somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) to task-irrelevant tactile stimuli administered to the lower back were recorded during movement preparation. Reaction times (RTs) were recorded to assess movement initiation. The results revealed faster responses and enhanced somatosensory attending to the lower back on threat trials than on no-threat trials. Importantly, the amplitude of the N95 SEP component predicted RTs and was found to partially mediate the effect of pain anticipation on movement initiation. These findings suggest that somatosensory attending might be a potential mechanism by which pain anticipation can modulate motor execution.

Between- and Within-Individual Variation of Maternal Thyroid Hormone Deposition in Wild Great Tits (Parus major).

Maternal hormones are often considered a mediator of anticipatory maternal effects; namely, mothers adjust maternal hormone transfer to prepare the offspring for the anticipated environment. The flexibility for mothers to adjust hormone transfer is therefore a prerequisite for such anticipatory maternal effects. Nevertheless, previous studies have focused only on the average differences of maternal hormone transfer between groups and neglected the substantial individual variation, despite the fact that individual plasticity in maternal hormone transfer is actually the central assumption. In this study, we studied the between- and within-individual variation of maternal thyroid hormones (THs) in egg yolk of wild great tits (Parus major) and estimated the individual plasticity of maternal yolk THs across environmental temperature, clutch initiation dates, and egg laying order using linear mixed effects models. Interestingly, our models provide statistical evidence that the two main THs-the main biologically active hormone T3 and T4, which is mostly considered a prohormone-exhibited different variation patterns. Yolk T3 showed significant between-individual variation on the average levels, in line with its previously reported moderate heritability. Yolk T4, however, showed significant between-clutch variation in the pattern over the laying sequence, suggesting a great within-individual plasticity. Our findings suggest that the role and function of the hormone within the endocrine axis likely influences its flexibility to respond to environmental change. Whether the flexibility of T4 deposition brings a fitness advantage should be examined along with its potential effects on offspring, which remain to be further investigated.

Anticipatory effect of execution on observation: an approach using ExoPinch finger robot

Background/aimThis study aims to explore the mirror neuron system (MNS) involvement using mu (8–12 Hz)/beta (15–25 Hz) band suppression in an action observation-execution paradigm.Materials and methodsElectrophysiological (EEG) data from 16 electrodes were recorded while 8 participants observed video clips of a hand squeezing a spring. Specifically, the effect of anticipated execution on observation was studied. For this purpose, a fully actuated finger exoskeleton robot was utilized to synchronize observation and execution and to control the execution condition for the participants. Anticipatory effect was created with a randomized robot accompany session.ResultsThe results showed that the observational condition (with or without anticipation) interacted with hemisphere at central channels near somatosensory cortex. Additionally, we explored the response of MNS on the kinetics features of visual stimuli (hard or soft spring).ConclusionThe results showed an interaction effect of kinetics features and hemisphere at frontal channels corresponding nearly to the ventral premotor cortex area of the brain. The activation of mirror neurons in this area plays a crucial role in observational learning. Based on our results, we propose that specific type of visual stimuli can be combined with the functional abilities of the MNS in the action observation based treatment of hand motor dysfunction of stroke patients to have a positive additional impact.

The aesthetics of surprise in Waller’s ‘Song’ (‘Go, lovely Rose’)

Edmund Waller’s ‘Song’ (‘Go, lovely Rose’) ends shockingly: when the rose, which had been acting as a gently chiding intermediary between the speaker and the beloved, is suddenly commanded to perish. But this surprise is prepared for by a host of imperceptible effects, making readers experience the surprise as, paradoxically, an inevitable one. The quietness of the anticipatory effects may account for why this poem has occasioned such scant critical commentary despite it being one of the masterpieces of the late English Renaissance.

IDENTIFICATION OF BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS IN FLOWER OF TABERNAEMONTANA DIVARICATA (L.) USING GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY–MASS SPECTROMETRY ANALYSIS

Objective: Herbs are a key resource with therapeutic properties. Nowadays, there is a focus on the identification of bioactive compounds with the ability to act against various disorders.&#x0D; Methods: In the present study, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis was conducted to determine the occurrence of different phytochemical compounds in ethanolic flower extract of Tabernaemontana divaricata (L.).&#x0D; Results: The ethanol extract of flower revealed the presence of several bioactive compounds such as n-hexadecanoic acid, squalene, Vitamin D3, Vitamin A aldehyde, desulfosinigrin, and Urs-12-en-24-oic acid, 3-oxo-, methyl ester, (+)-.&#x0D; Conclusion: The perceived compounds from ethanolic extract of flower have diverse beneficial properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, cancer anticipatory effect, pesticide, and antiarthritic.

Drones, Surveillance, and Violence: Theory and Evidence from a US Drone Program

AbstractWe investigate the impact of the US drone program in Pakistan on insurgent violence. Using details about US-Pakistan counterterrorism cooperation and geocoded violence data, we show that the program was associated with monthly reductions of around nine to thirteen insurgent attacks and fifty-one to eighty-six casualties in the area affected by the program. This change was sizable, as in the year before the program, the affected area experienced around twenty-one attacks and one hundred casualties per month. Additional quantitative and qualitative evidence suggests that this drop is attributable to the drone program. However, the damage caused in strikes during the program cannot fully account for the reduction. Instead, anticipatory effects induced by the program played a prominent role in subduing violence. These effects stemmed from the insurgents’ perception of the risk of being targeted in drone strikes; their efforts to avoid targeting severely compromised their movement and communication abilities, in addition to eroding within-group trust. These findings contrast with prominent perspectives on air-power, counterinsurgency, and US counterterrorism, suggesting select drone deployments can be an effective tool of counterinsurgency and counterterrorism.

Anticipatory effects on lower extremity kinetics during a land and cross step maneuver in female volleyball players.

Anticipation has been previously shown to affect lower extremity mechanics during both landing and cutting maneuvers. However, little research has been conducted looking at the effects of anticipation on lower body kinetics and kinematics during a land and cross step maneuver, which due to similar kinematics, may elicit injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate competitive female volleyball players and the effect of anticipation on lower extremity mechanics during a landing and subsequent cross stepping maneuver. Twelve female, college-level volleyball players performed right and left cross step maneuvers following a landing under anticipated and unanticipated conditions. Kinetics were measured for the ankle, knee and hip of the dominant limb during the landing phase of the land and cross step anticipatory conditions. An interaction effect (anticipation x direction; P=0.001) was observed for vertical ground reaction force (VGRF), in which greater VGRF was found during unanticipated pivoting maneuvers. Additional interaction effects were determined for ankle (P=0.004) and hip (P=0.037) power absorption, in which greater absorption was found during anticipated, push off conditions. Frontal plant knee kinetics revealed a higher-order interaction, as a larger knee adduction moment was shown during anticipated, push off trials (P=0.001). High risk cross step maneuvers were found during unanticipated and anticipated conditions, as athletes demonstrated movement mechanics that may increase the risk of knee injury when performing movements away from the dominant limb. Consideration should be given to drills familiarizing volleyball players with unanticipated and anticipated changes of direction, as well as improving strength of the lower extremity muscles required to effectively decelerate the body, as both training modalities may minimize injury risk during cross step maneuvers.

Anticipatory effects of the implementation of the Chilean Law of Food Labeling and Advertising on food and beverage product reformulation.

This study evaluated the anticipated food and beverage product reformulation by industry before the Chilean Law of Food Labeling and Advertising (Law 20.606) was implemented in June 2016 requiring a front-of-package (FOP) warning label for products high in sodium, total sugars, saturated fats, and/or total energy. Fieldworkers photographed a purposive sample of packaged food and beverage products in February 2015 (n=5421) and February 2016 (n=5479) from six different supermarkets in Santiago, Chile. The same products collected in both years (n=2086) from 17 food and beverage categories with added critical nutrients (nutrients of concern: sodium, total sugars, and saturated fats) were included in this longitudinal study. The average change in energy and critical nutrient content was estimated by category. The number of warning labels potentially avoided because of reformulation was determined. Between February 2015 and February 2016, no category experienced reductions >5% average change in energy or critical nutrient content; and some increased in critical nutrient content. Few products (<2%) would have avoided at least one warning label with reformulation. In a diverse sample of food and beverage products, there was minimal reformulation by industry in anticipation of the implementation of the 2016 Chilean Law of Food Labeling and Advertising.

Effect of speed deviation and anticipation effect of flux difference in the lattice hydrodynamic model

To ease traffic pressure and reduce congestion, an extended lattice hydrodynamic model by considering speed deviation and anticipation effect of flux difference is presented. The linear stability condition of this model is derived by control method. The results reveal that these two factors can enhance traffic flow stability. Through nonlinear analysis, the mKdV equation near the critical point is obtained, which describes the phase transition of traffic flow. Numerical simulations are applied to this paper to prove the result of theoretical analysis. Simulation results demonstrate that high estimate of speed and anticipation effect of flux difference play a positive role in relieving traffic jams, and the stability of traffic flow is impeded when the low estimate of speed is added.

Do Children Carry the Weight of Divorce?

Relatively few studies have examined the physical health of children who experience parental separation. The few studies on this topic have largely focused on the United States and have used cross-sectional designs. Our study investigates the relationship between parental separation and children’s body mass index (BMI) and overweight/obesity risk using the UK Millennium Cohort Study. Treating parental separation as a process, we analyze variations in children’s physical health before and after the date of their parents’ separation in order to capture potential anticipation, adaptation, delayed, or cumulative effects. We estimate fixed-effects models to account for the potential correlation between children’s physical health and unobserved factors associated with parental separation, such as socioeconomic background and other time-invariant parental characteristics. We find no evidence of statistically significant anticipation effects in the build-up to parental separation or of statistically significant changes in children’s physical health immediately after separation. However, our results show that in the longer term, the BMI of children whose parents separate significantly deviates from the BMI of children from intact families. Furthermore, this association is especially strong for separations that occur when children are under age 6.

The Apparent Genetic Anticipation in PMS2-Associated Lynch Syndrome Families Is Explained by Birth-cohort Effect.

PMS2-associated Lynch syndrome is characterized by a relatively low colorectal cancer penetrance compared with other Lynch syndromes. However, age at colorectal cancer diagnosis varies widely, and a strong genetic anticipation effect has been suggested for PMS2 families. In this study, we examined proposed genetic anticipation in a sample of 152 European PMS2 families. The 152 families (637 family members) that were eligible for analysis were mainly clinically ascertained via clinical genetics centers. We used weighted Cox-type random effects model, adjusted by birth cohort and sex, to estimate the generational effect on the age of onset of colorectal cancer. Probands and young birth cohorts were excluded from the analyses. Weights represented mutation probabilities based on kinship coefficients, thus avoiding testing bias. Family data across three generations, including 123 colorectal cancers, were analyzed. When compared with the first generation, the crude HR for anticipation was 2.242 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.162-4.328] for the second generation and 2.644 (95% CI, 1.082-6.464) for the third generation. However, after correction for birth cohort and sex, the effect vanished [HR = 1.302 (95% CI, 0.648-2.619) and HR = 1.074 (95% CI, 0.406-2.842) for second and third generations, respectively]. Our study did not confirm previous reports of genetic anticipation in PMS2-associated Lynch syndrome. Birth-cohort effect seems the most likely explanation for observed younger colorectal cancer diagnosis in subsequent generations, particularly because there is currently no commonly accepted biological mechanism that could explain genetic anticipation in Lynch syndrome. This new model for studying genetic anticipation provides a standard for rigorous analysis of families with dominantly inherited cancer predisposition.

Women and Men Use Different Strategies to Stabilize the Head in Response to Impulsive Loads: Implications for Concussion Injury Risk.

Cervical musculoskeletal and neuromuscular attributes, which may vary between men and women, influence an individual's capacity to stabilize the head. To examine sex differences in cervical musculoskeletal and neuromuscular attributes and their impact on head stability. The secondary objective was to examine the effects of anticipation and preload on head kinematics. Thirty-four (20 men, 14 women) recreationally active adult athletes completed a perturbation protocol with anticipation and preloading conditions in this descriptive cross-sectional study. We assessed the neuromuscular response of the sternocleidomastoid to perturbation and head kinematics. We measured neck girth, sternocleidomastoid physiological cross-sectional area, and isometric strength. Women had smaller neck girth, smaller sternocleidomastoid physiological cross-sectional area, and lower isometric strength than men. Women had greater baseline electromyography (EMG) amplitude and greater peak EMG response than men. There were no sex differences in sternocleidomastoid onset latency or head kinematics. Women had a greater increase in baseline EMG amplitude after preloading and anticipated conditions. Preloading attenuated sex differences in muscle onset latency. Across the sexes, there was a significant main effect of anticipation on head kinematics. Men and women used different strategies to stabilize the head, and responded differently to the preloading and anticipation conditions. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2019;49(11):779-786. Epub 15 May 2019. doi:10.2519/jospt.2019.8760.