@article {pmid39850750,
year = {2025},
author = {Chen, Y and Xu, Y and Wang, J and Chen, T and Liu, B and Chen, P and Lu, C},
title = {The Eurasian Magpie Preys on the Nests of Vinous-throated Parrotbills in Invasive Smooth Cordgrass.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {e70905},
pmid = {39850750},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Native animals worldwide are experiencing long-term coexistence with invasive plants, leading to diverse behavioral changes. Invasive plants may create new habitat structures that affect the distribution or behavior of prey, which in turn might attract predators to these novel habitats, thereby altering predator-prey dynamics within the ecosystem. However, this phenomenon is rarely reported. Our previous research found that in the Yellow Sea wetlands of China, the native bird species, the vinous-throated parrotbill (Sinosuthora webbiana), has adapted to breeding in the invasive smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) by increasing its nesting height. Here, our observations indicate that in cordgrass habitats, the main nest predator of parrotbills was the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica), accounting for 75% of predation events. In contrast, in native habitats, the primary predators were mammals and snakes, accounting for 83% of predation events, with no nests being predated by magpies. We believe that changes in the breeding and nesting behavior of parrotbills may have attracted magpie predation in cordgrass habitats. Our findings may provide an empirical case of how behavioral changes induced by invasive plants can lead to dynamic shifts in predation relationships. We advocate for further research into this intriguing phenomenon, as it could enhance our understanding of changes in interspecific relationships and their ecological consequences within the context of biological invasions.},
}

@article {pmid39839126,
year = {2024},
author = {Liu, B and Sun, H and Zhao, Q and Li, L and Tian, R and Lui, S and Zhu, H},
title = {Plastic but not progressive changes in cognitive function and hippocampal volume in an adolescent with bipolar disorder: a case report.},
journal = {Frontiers in psychiatry},
volume = {15},
number = {},
pages = {1507333},
pmid = {39839126},
issn = {1664-0640},
abstract = {Bipolar disorder (BD) is a prevalent mood disorder characterized by alternating episodes of depression and mania, often accompanied by varying degrees of cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairments often serve as indicators of a bleak prognosis or the likelihood of progressing to dementia. Additionally, some studies suggest that individuals diagnosed with BD may undergo a decline in hippocampal volume. However, the potential for reversibility of these changes, particularly in adolescents, remains unclear. We present an intriguing case involving an 18-year-old male student who experiences concurrent occurrences of both BD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), accompanied by a subtle reduction in hippocampal volume. Initially, the individual exhibited impaired general cognitive function, as indicated by an IQ score of 80 on the Standard Raven's Progressive Matrices test, and demonstrated slightly reduced bilateral hippocampal volume compared to the normative reference, as determined through quantitative structural magnetic resonance imaging (qsMRI). The deposition profiles of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide in the brain were not identified with 18F-AV45 PET/MRI. Following six months of combined psychopharmacological treatment and cognitive behavioral therapy, the individual's psychopathological symptoms improved significantly, leading to a restoration of his IQ score to 116 and normalization of hippocampal volume. This case suggests that the hippocampal volume reduction and cognitive impairment seen in some adolescents with BD may demonstrate greater plasticity compared to neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). These findings highlight the potential importance of early intervention in young BD patients with cognitive impairments.},
}

@article {pmid22930049,
year = {2012},
author = {Lobato, L and Miranda, A and Faria, IM and Bethony, JM and Gazzinelli, MF},
title = {Development of cognitive abilities of children infected with helminths through health education.},
journal = {Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical},
volume = {45},
number = {4},
pages = {514-519},
doi = {10.1590/s0037-86822012000400020},
pmid = {22930049},
issn = {1678-9849},
mesh = {Brazil ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Child Development/*physiology ; Cognition Disorders/*parasitology ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; *Health Education ; Helminthiasis/*complications/drug therapy ; Humans ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/*complications/drug therapy ; Longitudinal Studies ; Male ; },
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of health education in learning and cognitive development of children infected, previously treated in an endemic area for helminthiasis.

METHODS: It is a longitudinal, experimental, with random allocation of participants. The study included 87 children of both sexes enrolled in the school hall of Maranhão, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and divided into two groups: intervention and control. Initially the children were submitted to the parasitological fecal examination for infection diagnosis and, when positive, they were treated. For the data collection, a structured questionnaire and the psychological tests Raven, Wisc-III and DAP III were applied, before and after the educational intervention. For the group comparison, the Mann Whitney test was used, and established significance level of 5%.

RESULTS: It was found that previously infected children who received the educational intervention, children showed higher performance than the control group in strutured questionnaire (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: It is acceptable to suppose the positive influence and the importance in the use of educational interventions in the cognitive recovery and learning of children previously treated with anthelmintics.},
}

Brazil
Case-Control Studies
Child
Child Development/*physiology
Cognition Disorders/*parasitology
Feces/parasitology
Female
*Health Education
Helminthiasis/*complications/drug therapy
Humans
Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/*complications/drug therapy
Longitudinal Studies
Male

@article {pmid18166662,
year = {2008},
author = {Hayden, J and Cottrell, R and Bernhardt, J},
title = {Ascending the career ladder, with Dr. Jay Bernhardt.},
journal = {Health promotion practice},
volume = {9},
number = {1},
pages = {12-15},
doi = {10.1177/1524839907310526},
pmid = {18166662},
issn = {1524-8399},
mesh = {*Career Mobility ; Health Education ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; United States ; },
abstract = {There are many options available for enhancing one's career, including acquiring further education, obtaining certifications, learning new tools of the trade, and writing for publication, to name just a few. Over the years, many of these have been addressed in this journal. One that has not is career development through studying successful careers of others. For the first career case study, the authors are delighted to present Dr. Jay Bernhardt, director of the National Center for Health Marketing at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.},
}

*Career Mobility
Health Education
Health Promotion
Humans
United States

@article {pmid15778139,
year = {2004},
author = {Smith, A and Christopher, S and McCormick, AK},
title = {Development and implementation of a culturally sensitive cervical health survey: a community-based participatory approach.},
journal = {Women & health},
volume = {40},
number = {2},
pages = {67-86},
doi = {10.1300/J013v40n02_05},
pmid = {15778139},
issn = {0363-0242},
mesh = {Adult ; Community Health Planning/*standards ; Community Participation/*methods ; Cultural Characteristics ; Female ; Health Education/*methods ; Humans ; Indians, North American/*psychology ; Mass Screening/statistics & numerical data ; Middle Aged ; Models, Organizational ; Montana ; Program Development ; Program Evaluation ; Social Change ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/*prevention & control/psychology ; Vaginal Smears ; Women's Health Services/*standards ; },
abstract = {Cervical cancer mortality rates are higher for Great Plains Native American women than for Caucasian women and other Native women. Messengers for Health, a project based on the Apsáalooke (Crow Indian) reservation, utilizes a lay health advisor approach to decrease cervical cancer screening barriers, increase knowledge regarding screening and prevention, and increase the proportion of women receiving Pap tests among Apsáalooke women aged 18 and older. This project utilizes a community-based participatory research model, which emphasizes community member involvement in all phases of the project. The initial phase of this project was the development and implementation of a culturally sensitive survey used to guide the program and benefit the community. The process and preliminary results are presented.},
}

Adult
Community Health Planning/*standards
Community Participation/*methods
Cultural Characteristics
Female
Health Education/*methods
Humans
Indians, North American/*psychology
Mass Screening/statistics & numerical data
Middle Aged
Models, Organizational
Montana
Program Development
Program Evaluation
Social Change
Surveys and Questionnaires
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/*prevention & control/psychology
Vaginal Smears
Women's Health Services/*standards

@article {pmid10620932,
year = {1999},
author = {Booth, C},
title = {Cosmetic surgery. Light makes right for everything from crow's-feet to blotchy skin, lasers are the cosmetic quick fix of the moment.},
journal = {Time},
volume = {154},
number = {15},
pages = {66, 69-70},
pmid = {10620932},
issn = {0040-781X},
mesh = {Cicatrix/surgery ; Hair Removal/methods ; *Health Education ; Humans ; Laser Therapy ; Surgery, Plastic/*methods ; Tooth Discoloration/therapy ; United States ; },
}

Cicatrix/surgery
Hair Removal/methods
*Health Education
Humans
Laser Therapy
Surgery, Plastic/*methods
Tooth Discoloration/therapy
United States

@article {pmid2019516,
year = {1991},
author = {Fleming, J},
title = {Child health and education in Kenyan schools programmes.},
journal = {Health visitor},
volume = {64},
number = {3},
pages = {80-81},
pmid = {2019516},
issn = {0017-9140},
mesh = {Child ; Community Health Nursing/*organization & administration/standards ; Health Education/*organization & administration/standards ; Humans ; Kenya ; School Health Services/*organization & administration/standards ; },
abstract = {Jane Fleming describes the health education in schools programme launched by the Aga Khan Health Services in Kisumu, Kenya. The project has brought major improvements in child health and mortality rates as well as better health awareness to the community as a whole.},
}

Child
Community Health Nursing/*organization & administration/standards
Health Education/*organization & administration/standards
Humans
Kenya
School Health Services/*organization & administration/standards

@article {pmid38830782,
year = {2025},
author = {Higginbotham, GD},
title = {The Dark Side of Safety: A Call for a More Thorough Consideration of Racism and Collective Power Motivations in the Social Psychology of Firearms.},
journal = {Psychological reports},
volume = {128},
number = {1},
pages = {267-304},
doi = {10.1177/00332941241252773},
pmid = {38830782},
issn = {1558-691X},
mesh = {Humans ; *Firearms/legislation & jurisprudence ; *Racism ; *Motivation ; *Safety ; *Power, Psychological ; Psychology, Social ; United States ; Black or African American/psychology/ethnology ; White People/psychology ; Ownership ; White ; },
abstract = {This paper situates current social psychological research on the symbolic use of firearms (e.g., as a source of personal safety) in broader historical context to motivate a more thorough consideration of collective power motives. Historically, firearms have been used to dominate racial outgroup members (e.g., White Americans use of firearms and firearm laws to dispossess indigenous people of land or control free and enslaved Black people) or, at times, attempt to resist group-based oppression (e.g., Black Americans use of firearms to struggle against White Jim Crow terrorism). Given most gun owners report self-protection as their primary reason for firearm ownership and yet anti-Black attitudes are still a consistently important predictor of firearm ownership among dominant group members (e.g., White Americans), this paper examines how guns may function as a perceived source of personal safety and collective power. I center the persistent role of White supremacy and anti-Blackness in original U.S. firearm psychology and policy to illuminate the interrelatedness of personal safety and collective power perceptions, and how perceived threats to in-group power may motivate the use of guns and policies that selectively regulate gun access to mitigate associated safety concerns. Seeking to nudge social psychology to more thoroughly examine firearms' potential function as a symbolic source of collective power, I end by discussing how considering collective power can help us better understand how historically dominant and historically marginalized groups view firearms today while also illuminating some barriers to the pursuit of gun safety for all.},
}

Humans
*Firearms/legislation & jurisprudence
*Racism
*Motivation
*Safety
*Power, Psychological
Psychology, Social
United States
Black or African American/psychology/ethnology
White People/psychology
Ownership
White

@article {pmid39790721,
year = {2025},
author = {Marie Montenegro, V and Mateo-Tomás, P and Schneider, J and Dent, DH and Crowther, T and Bello, C},
title = {Linking Functional Traits To Trophic Roles In Scavenger Assemblages.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {e70485},
pmid = {39790721},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Scavenging is a widespread feeding strategy involving a diversity of taxa from different trophic levels, from apex predators to obligate scavengers. Scavenger species play a crucial role in ecosystem functioning by removing carcasses, recycling nutrients and preventing disease spread. Understanding the trophic roles of scavenger species can help identify specialized species with unique roles and species that may be more vulnerable to ecological changes. To identify species with specialized roles, we studied three scavenger networks (one in north temperate Spain and two in central-south Mediterranean Spain) that comprised 25 scavenger species (65% birds and 35% mammals), consuming carcasses of four wild ungulate species. We characterized the trophic role of a species by combining four species-level network metrics (normalized degree, specialization, closeness, and betweenness centrality) into a single centrality metric, quantifying how scavenger species interact with carcass species within their ecological network. Higher centrality indicates the species feeds on a greater variety of carcasses and may contribute more to carrion consumption than species with lower centrality, which have more peripheral and specialized roles. The griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) and the azure-winged magpie (Cyanopica cyanus) had the highest centrality. In contrast, the red kite (Milvus milvus) in the northern site had the lowest centrality, and the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) was among the most peripheral species for all three networks. In general, scavengers with large home ranges and nocturnal or crepuscular activity patterns tended to have more central roles, whereas species that forage silently tended to have more peripheral roles. Changes in species' centrality between sites and the high centrality of species with large home ranges suggest that management strategies in one location can have implications that extend beyond, highlighting the need to implement coordinated transboundary protection efforts to ensure the resilience and functionality of scavenger networks and derived ecosystem services.},
}

@article {pmid39779656,
year = {2025},
author = {Worsfold, E and Clayton, NS and Cheke, LG},
title = {Revisiting episodic-like memory in scrub jays: Is there more we can still learn from what-where-when caching behaviour?.},
journal = {Learning & behavior},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {39779656},
issn = {1543-4508},
abstract = {Professor Nicola Clayton is perhaps best known for her work on food-caching scrub jays. Her seminal 1998 paper, together with Anthony Dickinson, showed that scrub jays could remember what food they had cached, where and how long ago, suggesting memory ability that is 'episodic-like' in nature. Here, we present data from a previously unpublished study that sought to replicate and extend these findings. The results replicate previous findings and address potential alternative explanations for earlier results. We argue that the controlled behavioural analyses introduced in this study have the potential to add nuance to our understanding of memory in scrub jay cache retrieval, and to inspire new studies exploring this phenomenon, about which we still have so much to learn.},
}

@article {pmid39754886,
year = {2025},
author = {Liao, DA and Moll, FW and Nieder, A},
title = {Bridging the fields of cognition and birdsong with corvids.},
journal = {Current opinion in neurobiology},
volume = {90},
number = {},
pages = {102965},
doi = {10.1016/j.conb.2024.102965},
pmid = {39754886},
issn = {1873-6882},
abstract = {Corvids, readily adaptable across social and ecological contexts, successfully inhabit almost the entire world. They are seen as highly intelligent birds, and current research examines their cognitive abilities. Despite being songbirds with a complete 'song system', corvids have historically received less attention in studies of song production, learning, and perception compared to non-corvid songbirds. However, recent neurobiological studies have demonstrated that songbird vocal production and its neuronal representations are regularly influenced by environmental and cognitive factors. This opinion article discusses the literature on 'corvid song' before introducing other flexible vocal behaviors of corvids in both the wild and controlled laboratory studies. We suggest corvids with their flexible vocal control as promising model species to study the links between brain networks for cognition and vocalization. Studying corvid vocal flexibility and associated cognitive processes in both ecological and lab settings offers complementary insights, crucial for bridging the fields of cognition and birdsong.},
}

@article {pmid39747186,
year = {2025},
author = {Bapat, A and Kempf, AE and Friry, S and Boucherie, PH and Bugnyar, T},
title = {Patterns of object play behaviour and its functional implications in free-flying common ravens.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {137},
pmid = {39747186},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {P33960//Austrian Science Fund/ ; P33960//Austrian Science Fund/ ; P33960//Austrian Science Fund/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Crows/physiology ; *Behavior, Animal/physiology ; Female ; Male ; *Social Behavior ; Play and Playthings/psychology ; Austria ; },
abstract = {Object play has been proposed to provide individuals with information about their environment, facilitating foraging skills and tool use. In species where object play co-occurs with locomotor or social play, it may have additional functional implications, such as facilitating the evaluation of peers or forming social bonds. For instance, ravens judge others' competitiveness via play caching and engage in social play by exchanging objects. However, most raven studies were conducted on a restricted number of individuals and under controlled captive settings. To validate these findings and to gauge the functional scope of object play under field conditions, we investigated the patterns and characteristics of object play in individually marked free-flying ravens in the Austrian Alps. Using two large data sets, we show a decrease in object play with age and a preference for playing longer with novel objects, supporting findings from captivity. We also find adults occasionally playing with objects and no difference in the duration of social or non-social object play bouts across age classes. Taken together, our findings are in line with the assumption that raven object play likely has more than one function and serves to gain information about the individual's physical and social environment.},
}

Animals
*Crows/physiology
*Behavior, Animal/physiology
Female
Male
*Social Behavior
Play and Playthings/psychology
Austria

@article {pmid39738289,
year = {2024},
author = {Lanszki, J and Molnár, TG and Erős, T and Ónodi, G and Lanszki, Z and Purger, JJ},
title = {Testing how environmental variables affect the survival of freshwater turtle nests and hatchlings using artificial nests and dummy hatchlings.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {31713},
pmid = {39738289},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {RRF-2.3.1-21-2022-00014//Hungarian National Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Climate Change/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Turtles/physiology ; *Nesting Behavior/physiology ; *Predatory Behavior/physiology ; *Ecosystem ; Fresh Water ; Reproduction/physiology ; Wetlands ; Female ; },
abstract = {The European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) is a wide-ranging, long-living freshwater species with low reproductive success, mainly due to high predation pressure. We studied how habitat variables and predator communities in near-natural marshes affect the survival of turtle eggs and hatchlings. We followed the survival of artificial turtle nests placed in marshes along Lake Balaton (Hungary) in May and June as well as hatchlings (dummies) exposed in September. We found that the fewest nests remained intact in the least disturbed, most extensive area with the largest turtle population without predator control. Hatchlings, compared to nests had a significantly higher probability of survival. The density of carnivore dens indicated the negative influence on the number of exposure days, while marsh vegetation coverage was unrelated. The role of carnivores, especially the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in the predation of nests was more significant, while predation by corvids (Corvidae) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) increased for the hatchlings. Predation by mammals increased with the limited availability of dry terrestrial surfaces suitable for laying eggs and with distance to water. Our multifactorial analyses highlight the need for targeted conservation efforts to improve the reproductive success of turtles in these ecologically sensitive environments.},
}

Animals
*Turtles/physiology
*Nesting Behavior/physiology
*Predatory Behavior/physiology
*Ecosystem
Fresh Water
Reproduction/physiology
Wetlands
Female

@article {pmid39730262,
year = {2024},
author = {Danek, A},
title = {The 1888 dissertation of a female medical student, Ueber Character-Veränderungen des Menschen in Folge von Laesionen des Stirnhirns (On character changes of man as a consequence of lesions of the frontal lobe).},
journal = {Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.cortex.2024.11.008},
pmid = {39730262},
issn = {1973-8102},
abstract = {A case of brain injury with a transient syndrome of mainly disinhibited behaviour (Franz Binz) was the subject of the 1888 medical dissertation of Leonore Welt (∗1859 Chernivtsi, Ukraine; †1944 Geneva, Switzerland) which came to be discussed quite controversially. Although Binz was never fully forgotten, the similar "American crow-bar case" (Phineas Gage) attracted more interest. Welt's study, in contrast, provides not only well-illustrated neuropathological findings but also more detailed clinical data. Here, the clinical report and sections of its analysis are translated from the German original. Through comparison with similar cases, Welt proposed the straight gyrus (gyrus rectus) as the main area responsible. The transient nature of the behavioural alteration was taken as indicating a peculiar disease process at that location. She stressed that disinhibited behaviour suggests fronto-orbital lesions, but that the conclusion is not to be reversed. She had noted the absence of symptoms in the majority of similarly situated injuries: normal behaviour thus being no proof of an intact fronto-orbital region. Along with two sisters, Rosa Welt-Straus (1856-1938) and Sara Welt-Kakels (1860-1943), Leonore Gourfein-Welt was among the first females from then Austria to graduate in medicine - against considerable resistance. After her thesis work, she turned to practising ophthalmology in Geneva.},
}

@article {pmid39614750,
year = {2024},
author = {George, DN and Dwyer, DM and Haselgrove, M and Le Pelley, ME},
title = {Apparent statistical inference in crows may reflect simple reinforcement learning.},
journal = {Quarterly journal of experimental psychology (2006)},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {17470218241305622},
doi = {10.1177/17470218241305622},
pmid = {39614750},
issn = {1747-0226},
abstract = {Johnston et al. report results which they argue demonstrate that crows engage in statistical inference during decision-making. They trained two crows to associate a set of stimuli with different reward probabilities (from 10% to 90%) before choice tests between pairs of stimuli. Across most pairwise combinations, and in a control task in which the number of rewards was equated between probabilities, both crows preferred the stimulus associated with higher reward probability. The magnitude of this preference was affected by the absolute difference between the two probabilities, although (contrary to a claim made by Johnston et al. 2023) preference did not reflect the ratio of prior probabilities independently of absolute differences. Johnston et al. argue that preference for the stimulus with the higher reward probability is "the signature of true statistical inference" (p. 3238), implemented by an analogue magnitude system that represents the reward probability associated with each stimulus. Here, we show that a simple reinforcement learning model, with no explicit representation of reward probabilities, reproduces the critical features of crows' performance-and indeed better accounts for the observed empirical findings than the concept of statistical inference based on analogue magnitude representations, because it correctly predicts the absence of a ratio effect that would reflect magnitudes when absolute distance is controlled. Contrary to Johnston et al.'s claims, these patterns of behaviour do not necessitate retrieval of calculated reward probabilities from long-term memory and dynamic application of this information across contexts, or (more specifically) require the involvement of an analogue magnitude system in representing abstract probabilities.},
}

@article {pmid39703216,
year = {2024},
author = {Wolff, LM and Stevens, JR},
title = {Less activity means improved welfare? How pair housing influences pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) behaviour.},
journal = {Animal welfare (South Mimms, England)},
volume = {33},
number = {},
pages = {e49},
pmid = {39703216},
issn = {2054-1538},
abstract = {The activity level and specific behaviours exhibited by captive animals are crucial indicators of welfare. Stereotypies, or repetitive behaviours that have no apparent function or goal, are performed by animals experiencing poor conditions in their environment and indicate welfare concerns. Changes in the housing environment in particular may have critical influences on behaviour and welfare. Here, we measured behavioural changes in a captive pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) population (n = 10) associated with a shift from single to pair housing. Using automated video processing, we show that pair housing greatly reduced overall activity levels in these birds. The stark reduction in activity was surprising, as we expected that social housing would increase interactions between birds, thus increasing activity levels. Upon further analysis, however, we found that stereotypic behaviours, such as beak scraping, jumping, pecking, and route tracing decreased after pair housing, whereas the positive welfare behaviours of perching and preening increased. Our results indicate that pair housing may reduce overall activity in pinyon jays; however, this reduction is primarily in stereotypic behaviours.},
}

@article {pmid39696032,
year = {2024},
author = {Mahjubi, K and Effatpanah, M and Parsaei, M and Mojtahedi, SY and Izadi, A and Tavakolizadeh, R},
title = {Association of anthropometric parameters with intelligence quotient in early school-aged children: a cross-sectional study in Iran.},
journal = {BMC pediatrics},
volume = {24},
number = {1},
pages = {809},
pmid = {39696032},
issn = {1471-2431},
mesh = {Humans ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Male ; Child ; Iran ; *Intelligence/physiology ; *Anthropometry ; Intelligence Tests ; Body Mass Index ; Waist Circumference ; Body Weight ; Linear Models ; Body Height ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: While the link between body growth indices in the first three years of life and neurodevelopment is well established, the relationship between these indicators and intelligence levels in later stages is not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the association between various anthropometric indices and Intelligence Quotient in early school-aged children.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited healthy students aged 7 to 8 years from four primary schools in Tehran, Iran. Measurements included body weight, height, body mass index, arm circumference, waist circumference, and hip circumference. Intelligence Quotient was assessed using the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices Test, with scores standardized by age according to the Raven's manual. Separate univariate linear regression analyses evaluated the association between each anthropometric index and children's Intelligence Quotient scores. Multivariate linear regression analyses were then performed to adjust for potential confounding factors, including the child's sex, age, and parental education levels.

RESULTS: A cohort of 160 children (80 females), with a mean age of 7.5 ± 0.6 years, was included in the study. The participants exhibited the following mean anthropometric values: weight 27.7 ± 6.5 kg, height 1.2 ± 0.1 m, body mass index 17.9 ± 3.4 kg/m[2], arm circumference 20.7 ± 2.8 cm, waist circumference 56.4 ± 6.4 cm, and hip circumference 68.1 ± 6.6 cm. Their mean Intelligence Quotient score was 106 ± 16.6. In the univariate analysis, children's weight was not significantly associated with Intelligence Quotient score (P-value = 0.153, β = 0.288 [-0.108, 0.684]), while height was negatively associated (P-value = 0.048, β = -31.685 [-63.142, -0.228]) and body mass index showed a positive association (P-value = 0.001, β = 1.265 [0.524, 2.006]). Abdominal circumference was not significantly associated with Intelligence Quotient (P-value = 0.913, β = 0.051 [-0.870, 0.972]), but both waist circumference (P-value = 0.007, β = 0.542 [0.147, 0.937]) and hip circumference (P-value = 0.013, β = 0.484 [0.102, 0.866]) demonstrated significant positive associations with Intelligence Quotient. However, none of the anthropometric indices maintained statistically significant associations with Intelligence Quotient after adjusting for potential confounders (P-values > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated no strong relationship between various body measurements and intelligence levels in school-aged children after adjusting the analyses for confounders. This suggests that intelligence in these children may be largely shaped by genetic and sociodemographic factors, with minimal influence from physical growth patterns.},
}

Humans
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Male
Child
Iran
*Intelligence/physiology
*Anthropometry
Intelligence Tests
Body Mass Index
Waist Circumference
Body Weight
Linear Models
Body Height

@article {pmid39691435,
year = {2024},
author = {Zuo, T and Wang, J and Liu, J and Liu, J and Zhou, Q and Hou, J},
title = {Recognition of Predator Type and Risk Level in Azure-Winged Magpies (Cyanopica cyanus) Through Visual and Auditory Cues.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {14},
number = {12},
pages = {e70749},
doi = {10.1002/ece3.70749},
pmid = {39691435},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Predation events are an important key factor determining the survival and reproduction of prey species. To cope, prey species have evolved various anti-predator strategies, including mechanisms for accurate predator identification and distinguishing predator types and risk levels. Birds rely on visual, auditory, and olfactory cues to perceive and categorize predators. However, previous studies have focused on single sensory modalities and have largely been conducted during breeding seasons. Thus, analyses of the accuracy and differences in predator recognition cues, especially during non-breeding periods, are needed. In this study, predator recognition in Azure-winged Magpies (Cyanopica cyanus) was evaluated during the non-breeding season. We examined responses to two predators, Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) and Domestic Cat (Felis catus), and two non-predators, Oriental Magpie (Pica serica) and Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis). Using specimens and playback experiment, the ability of Azure-winged magpies to identify threats through both visual and auditory cues was evaluated. The results showed that Azure-winged Magpies can identify predator types through both visual and auditory cues, accurately distinguish threat levels, and adjust their foraging behavior accordingly. Notably, they exhibited the strongest anti-predator response to Domestic Cats (frequently encountered under natural conditions), as evidenced by longer observation times, shorter foraging duration, and quicker flight responses. The results indicate that Azure-winged Magpies can correctly identify predator types and threat levels through both visual and auditory cues and exhibit stronger anti-predator behaviors with increasing apparent threat levels.},
}

@article {pmid39685698,
year = {2024},
author = {Trinczer, IL and Shalev, L},
title = {Computerised Attention Functions Training Versus Computerised Executive Functions Training for Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Randomised Controlled Trial.},
journal = {Journal of clinical medicine},
volume = {13},
number = {23},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/jcm13237239},
pmid = {39685698},
issn = {2077-0383},
support = {//Tel Aviv University Argentinian's Friends/ ; //The Minducate Learning Innovation Research and Entrepreneurship Center/ ; },
abstract = {Background: Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by deficits in attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Current treatments, such as stimulant medication and behavioural therapy, ameliorate symptoms but do not address the core cognitive dysfunctions. This study aimed to investigate the effects of two computerised neurocognitive training programs, attention functions training and executive functions training, in children with ADHD. Methods: Eighty children with ADHD (ages 8-13) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Attention functions training (AFT), targeting sustained, selective-spatial, orienting, and executive attention; executive functions training (EFT), focusing on working memory, cognitive flexibility, and problem solving; or a passive control group. Training sessions were administered in small groups twice a week for nine weeks. Participants underwent comprehensive assessments of attention (Continuous Performance Test, Conjunctive Visual Search Task), executive functions (Corsi Block-Tapping Tasks), nonverbal reasoning (Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices), parent-rated behavioural symptoms, and arithmetic performance at baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up. Results: The AFT group demonstrated significant improvements in sustained and selective-spatial attention, nonverbal reasoning, inattentive symptoms, and arithmetic performance, and most improvements persisted at follow-up. The EFT group showed gains in nonverbal reasoning and inattentive symptoms, although no improvements were documented in working memory or in parent ratings of executive functions. Conclusions: The AFT program that addressed core attentional functions in children with ADHD produced robust cognitive and behavioural benefits, whereas the EFT program yielded behavioural benefits and a limited improvement in executive functions. Future research should explore different training protocols for broader gains in executive functions. These findings support the potential of theory-driven, structured neurocognitive training targeting basic cognitive functions as an effective small-group intervention for ADHD.},
}

@article {pmid39678049,
year = {2024},
author = {Bildiren, A and Fırat, T and Kavruk, SZ},
title = {The Validity and Reliability Study of TONI-3 Test for 4-17 Aged Children.},
journal = {Noro psikiyatri arsivi},
volume = {61},
number = {4},
pages = {358-362},
pmid = {39678049},
issn = {1300-0667},
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Since there are not enough scales to evaluate the cognitive performance of adolescents in Türkiye, the aim of this study is to conduct a reliability and validity study of the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence-3 (TONI-3) for individuals aged between 14 and 17.

METHODS: A total of 566 children between the ages of 14-17 were included in the study. A form of TONI-3 test was administered to all participants. Test-retest and parallel form application were made for reliability analyses, and Raven Standard Progressive Matrices Test (RSPM) and Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT-I) tests were applied for validity analyses.

RESULTS: It has been found that the TONI-3 Test has a high reliability with an average reliability coefficient of 0.92. It was determined that there was a high, positive and significant relationship between Form A and Form B of the TONI-3 Test (r=0.76, p<0.01). The correlation coefficient between the scores was found to be 0.83 between the first application of the TONI-3 test and the test repeated after 4 weeks. A high, positive and significant correlation was found between TONI-3 Test, RSPM Test and NNAT-I (r=0.69, p<0.01; r=0.81, p<0.01).

CONCLUSION: This study revealed evidence of the reliability and validity of the TONI-3 test between the ages of 14-17. This is the first study of the TONI-3 test in this age group. It is thought that clinicians can practically evaluate cognitive abilities in children who are clinically referred to or determined to have behavior disorders at school through this test.},
}

@article {pmid39666895,
year = {2024},
author = {Marsja, E and Holmer, E and Stenbäck, V and Micula, A and Tirado, C and Danielsson, H and Rönnberg, J},
title = {Fluid Intelligence Partially Mediates the Effect of Working Memory on Speech Recognition in Noise.},
journal = {Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-12},
doi = {10.1044/2024_JSLHR-24-00465},
pmid = {39666895},
issn = {1558-9102},
abstract = {PURPOSE: Although the existing literature has explored the link between cognitive functioning and speech recognition in noise, the specific role of fluid intelligence still needs to be studied. Given the established association between working memory capacity (WMC) and fluid intelligence and the predictive power of WMC for speech recognition in noise, we aimed to elucidate the mediating role of fluid intelligence.

METHOD: We used data from the n200 study, a longitudinal investigation into aging, hearing ability, and cognitive functioning. We analyzed two age-matched samples: participants with hearing aids and a group with normal hearing. WMC was assessed using the Reading Span task, and fluid intelligence was measured with Raven's Progressive Matrices. Speech recognition in noise was evaluated using Hagerman sentences presented to target 80% speech-reception thresholds in four-talker babble. Data were analyzed using mediation analysis to examine fluid intelligence as a mediator between WMC and speech recognition in noise.

RESULTS: We found a partial mediating effect of fluid intelligence on the relationship between WMC and speech recognition in noise, and that hearing status did not moderate this effect. In other words, WMC and fluid intelligence were related, and fluid intelligence partially explained the influence of WMC on speech recognition in noise.

CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the importance of fluid intelligence in speech recognition in noise, regardless of hearing status. Future research should use other advanced statistical techniques and explore various speech recognition tests and background maskers to deepen our understanding of the interplay between WMC and fluid intelligence in speech recognition.},
}

@article {pmid39646984,
year = {2024},
author = {Salinas-Velasco, HV and Valdez-Mondragón, A and Bueno-Villegas, J},
title = {A new species of the spider genus Mexentypesa Raven (Araneae: Nemesiidae) from Hidalgo, Mexico and taxonomic comments on M. chiapas Raven.},
journal = {Zootaxa},
volume = {5453},
number = {2},
pages = {233-244},
doi = {10.11646/zootaxa.5453.2.4},
pmid = {39646984},
issn = {1175-5334},
mesh = {Animals ; *Spiders/classification/anatomy & histology ; Mexico ; Male ; Female ; *Animal Distribution ; Animal Structures/anatomy & histology/growth & development ; Body Size ; Organ Size ; Ecosystem ; },
abstract = {A new species of the enigmatic spider genus Mexentypesa (Raven, 1987) from a cloud forest in Hidalgo state, Mexico is described: M. hidalguensis sp. nov. The description of the species is based on both male and female adult specimens. This discovery increases the diversity of the genus to two species: Mexentypesa chiapas (Raven, 1987) and the new species described herein. Additionally, Aptostichus sabinae syn. nov. (=M. chiapas), which was previously described as a different species, is formally synonymized.},
}

Animals
*Spiders/classification/anatomy & histology
Mexico
Male
Female
*Animal Distribution
Animal Structures/anatomy & histology/growth & development
Body Size
Organ Size
Ecosystem

@article {pmid39645881,
year = {2024},
author = {Scherz, MD and Rudolph, J and Rakotondratsima, M and Ratsoavina, FM and Crottini, A and Andreone, F and Glaw, F and Vences, M},
title = {Molecular systematics of the subgenus Gephyromantis (Phylacomantis) with description of a new subspecies.},
journal = {Zootaxa},
volume = {5446},
number = {2},
pages = {205-220},
doi = {10.11646/zootaxa.5446.2.3},
pmid = {39645881},
issn = {1175-5334},
mesh = {Animals ; Madagascar ; *Phylogeny ; *Animal Distribution ; Female ; *Anura/anatomy & histology/genetics/classification ; Male ; Animal Structures/anatomy & histology/growth & development ; Body Size ; Organ Size ; Genetic Variation ; },
abstract = {The mantellid subgenus Phylacomantis (genus Gephyromantis) currently contains four species of frogs distributed in the South (G. corvus, G. kintana), West (G. atsingy), North East, North, and Sambirano regions (G. pseudoasper) in Madagascar. We assess the molecular systematics of these amphibians based on extended sampling and analysis of multiple nuclear-encoded and mitochondrial genes. We confirm the delimitation of the four known species, which form monophyletic groups in a mitochondrial tree and separate phylogroups without haplotype sharing in haplotype networks of four nuclear markers. Newly included samples of G. pseudoasper from the North and North East regions confirm a comparatively low genetic variation of this species across its range, with pairwise genetic distance in the 16S gene not exceeding 1.4%. On the contrary, newly collected specimens from three sites in the North East and North West of the island strongly differed from all other Phylacomantis, with genetic distances exceeding 4.8% for the16S gene. Mitochondrial and nuclear markers strongly suggest them to be sister to G. corvus from the South. Due to haplotype sharing in two nuclear genes, absence of detectable morphological differences, and lack of data on bioacoustic differentiation, we describe these populations as a new subspecies, G. corvus bakilana ssp. nov., emphasizing that this taxon may be elevated to species status in the future pending new data. This biogeographic pattern, with apparently disjunct sister lineages in the South vs. North West of Madagascar, is rare among Malagasy anurans and calls for increased exploration of the remaining humid forest fragments in the North West and West of the island.},
}

Animals
Madagascar
*Phylogeny
*Animal Distribution
Female
*Anura/anatomy & histology/genetics/classification
Male
Animal Structures/anatomy & histology/growth & development
Body Size
Organ Size
Genetic Variation

@article {pmid39644715,
year = {2024},
author = {Hirao, AJ and Aoyama, M and Sugita, S},
title = {During the breeding season, lymphocytes assemble into ellipse-shaped clusters in the uropygial gland of the jungle crow Corvus macrorhynchos.},
journal = {Morphologie : bulletin de l'Association des anatomistes},
volume = {109},
number = {364},
pages = {100924},
doi = {10.1016/j.morpho.2024.100924},
pmid = {39644715},
issn = {1286-0115},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Recent studies indicate that the uropygial gland produces intraspecific chemosensory cues. The jungle crow Corvus macrorhynchos, which is a type of passerine, exhibits extreme morphological variation in the gonadal gland during the breeding season. Because the uropygial gland of the jungle crow sometimes exhibits morphological changes during the breeding season, we attempted to clarify the morphological changes in the uropygial gland of the jungle crow according to development and season.

METHODS: Captured birds were divided into three age groups according to the color of their upper palate: <1 year, 1-2 years, and >2 years old. Paraffin sections of the uropygial gland were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, Elastica van Gieson, Giemsa, and a proliferating cell nuclear antigen antibody.

RESULTS: Sexual dimorphism was not seen in the morphology of the uropygial gland in the jungle crow. However, changes due to growth and season were identified. During the breeding season in birds>2 years old, lymphocytes formed ellipse-shaped clusters around the glandular cavity. These clusters were invaded by collagen fibers from spherical cells.

CONCLUSIONS: Collagen fibers, which develop from spherical cells, seem to be related to lymphoid cluster migration. Ellipse-shaped lymphoid clusters may play a crucial role in reproductive behavior during the breeding season.},
}

@article {pmid39638926,
year = {2024},
author = {Lois-Milevicich, J and Rat-Fischer, L and de la Colina, MA and Gómez, RO and Reboreda, JC and Kacelnik, A},
title = {Mechanical problem solving by plush-crested jays: are tools special after all?.},
journal = {Animal cognition},
volume = {27},
number = {1},
pages = {82},
pmid = {39638926},
issn = {1435-9456},
support = {UBACyT 20020170100521BA//Universidad de Buenos Aires/ ; PICT 2015-1628//Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Problem Solving ; Male ; Tool Use Behavior ; Female ; Passeriformes/physiology ; },
abstract = {Tool use is taxonomically associated with high behavioural flexibility and innovativeness, and its prevalence is greater in primates and some bird species. This association, however, is not known to be causally determinant of tool-related competence since flexibility and innovativeness are often observed in the absence of tool use and vice versa. For this reason, it is interesting to explore whether animals that can be loosely categorized as outstanding, or 'intelligent' physical problem solvers, are also remarkable using tools innovatively, rather than tool use presenting special constraints. We investigate this problem using plush-crested jays (Cyanocorax chrysops), a corvid new to cognitive research that shows highly flexible and inquisitive behaviour in the wild and has not been reported to use tools. We tested jays in two tasks of apparent similar manipulative complexity and incentive, one involving a tool (T) and the other not (NT). In the NT task birds had to open a box with a transparent lid blocked by a latch to get a reward, whereas in the T task, they had to use a rake to pull out the reward from the box. Eight out of nine subjects succeeded in the NT task, whereas none of them learned to solve the T task. This is consistent with tool use involving dedicated competencies, rather than just high problem-solving proficiency.},
}

Animals
*Problem Solving
Male
Tool Use Behavior
Female
Passeriformes/physiology

@article {pmid39593442,
year = {2024},
author = {Roodbarani, M and Tagharrobi, Z and Sharifi, K and Sooki, Z and Zare, M},
title = {Influence of Brain Gym on children's behavioral problems with autism spectrum disorder: A randomized controlled clinical trial.},
journal = {Journal of bodywork and movement therapies},
volume = {40},
number = {},
pages = {1248-1254},
doi = {10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.07.048},
pmid = {39593442},
issn = {1532-9283},
mesh = {Humans ; *Autism Spectrum Disorder ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Iran ; Exercise Therapy/methods ; Stereotyped Behavior/physiology ; Communication ; Social Interaction ; },
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present with a variety of behavioral problems. The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of Brain Gym (BG) on the behavioral problems of children with ASD in Iran.

METHODS: This clinical trial was conducted on 36 children with ASD at Kashan and Arak in 2019. Samples were selected using the block randomization method and assigned to the intervention and control groups. The intervention group received ten sessions of BG according to Dennison's protocol. There was no intervention in the control group. The stereotyped behavior, communication, and social interactions of the behavioral problems were assessed at the beginning (T0), the end of the intervention (T1), and two months later (T2). The data were collected using the Demographics, Rutter, GARS-2, and Raven scales. Data from 33 children were analyzed via per-protocol and intention-to-treat analysis using repeated measures analysis of variance.

RESULTS: The two groups did not differ significantly in demographic variables. The results showed a significant interaction effect of time and intervention on the severity of behavioral problems (p < 0.0001). There was a significant difference in the severity of behavioral disorders between the two groups at T1 and T2 (p < 0.05). A within-group analysis revealed a significant difference in the severity of the behavioral disorder at the three time points between the BG and control groups (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION: BG can alleviate the behavioral problems of children with ASD. This intervention is recommended as a complementary treatment for affected families with children with ASD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: IRCT20100211003329N5.

DATE OF REGISTRATION: 2020-07-16.},
}

Humans
*Autism Spectrum Disorder
Male
Female
Child
Child, Preschool
Iran
Exercise Therapy/methods
Stereotyped Behavior/physiology
Communication
Social Interaction

@article {pmid39585881,
year = {2024},
author = {Landini, A and Segovia, M and Palma, M and Nayga, RM},
title = {Food for thought: The impact of short term fasting on cognitive ability.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {19},
number = {11},
pages = {e0312811},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0312811},
pmid = {39585881},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Humans ; *Fasting/physiology ; *Cognition/physiology ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Decision Making ; Time Factors ; Adolescent ; },
abstract = {Growing evidence suggests that resource scarcity can severely impede individuals' cognitive capacity, resulting in sub-optimal decision making. Few experimental studies investigate whether food deprivation as a form of resource scarcity influences decisions in other non-hunger related domains. We examine the effect of short term fasting on cognitive capacity by exogenously manipulating individuals' fasting time in a laboratory experiment. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: 1) 3-hour fast; 2) 12-hour fast; and 3) control, in which participants were not required to fast and consumed a protein shake upon arriving to the lab. Following the manipulation, participants completed the Raven's Progressive Matrices test which measures cognitive function. Although we find null treatment effects on cognitive ability, our results provide evidence that short term fasting does not directly inhibit cognition.},
}

Humans
*Fasting/physiology
*Cognition/physiology
Male
Female
Adult
Young Adult
Decision Making
Time Factors
Adolescent

@article {pmid39579366,
year = {2024},
author = {Fochesatto, CF and Brand, C and Cristi-Montero, C and da Costa, BGG and Dias, AF and Gaya, ACA and Gaya, AR},
title = {Getting up for brain health: Association of sedentary behavior breaks with cognition and mental health in children.},
journal = {Applied neuropsychology. Child},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-8},
doi = {10.1080/21622965.2024.2432342},
pmid = {39579366},
issn = {2162-2973},
abstract = {Children spend most of their waking hours sedentary and reducing this behavior has been challenging. Interrupting prolonged episodes of sedentary behavior with active breaks can provide mental and cognitive health benefits. Considering the multifactorial nature of these health aspects, this study aimed to verify the role of body mass index (BMI), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in the relationship between the break in sedentary time with cognitive and mental health in children. This is a cross-sectional study with 129 children (62 boys), aged between 6 and 11 years (mean 8.73 ± 1.53) from a public school in southern Brazil. For the assessment of fluid intelligence, psychologists applied Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices test. Mental health was measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Sedentary breaks were measured using accelerometers, and CRF was determined using the 6-min walk test. Generalized linear regression analyses were used to verify associations of sedentary breaks with fluid intelligence and mental health, according to children's BMI, CRF, and MVPA. All models were adjusted for sex, age, somatic maturation, and total time of accelerometer use. Our results indicated that sedentary breaks were associated with fluid intelligence in overweight/obese (β = 0.108; p = 0.021) and physically inactive children (β = 0.083; p = 0.010). Regarding mental health, no association was identified with sedentary breaks. In conclusion, sedentary breaks should be encouraged for the benefits of fluid intelligence, especially in children who do not meet physical activity recommendations and are overweight.},
}

@article {pmid39522295,
year = {2024},
author = {Musálek, M and Malambo, C and Chrudimský, J and Kokštejn, J and Bačáková, R and Vokounová, Š},
title = {Strength-agility and fine motor are differently associated with non-verbal intelligence in dependency to sex and age in school children: Structural equation modelling multigroup approach.},
journal = {Acta psychologica},
volume = {251},
number = {},
pages = {104546},
doi = {10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104546},
pmid = {39522295},
issn = {1873-6297},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: In today's digital age, demanding to interpret vast quantities of visual information with speed and accuracy, nonverbal Intelligence has become increasingly crucial for children, as it plays a key role in cognitive development and learning. While motor proficiency has been positively linked to various cognitive functions in children, its relationship with nonverbal Intelligence remains an open question. This study, therefore, explored the structural associations between motor proficiency and nonverbal Intelligence in school-aged children (6 to 11 years), focusing on potential age and sex-specific patterns.

METHODS: Data were obtained from 396 children aged 6 to 11 (214 boys, 182 girls; mean age 8.9 years ±1.3) divided into younger children 6-8 years and older Children 9-11 years. Motor proficiency was assessed using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOT-2), and non-verbal Intelligence was evaluated with the Raven Progressive Matrices (RPM). We conducted multigroup structural modelling with non-verbal Intelligence as a dependent latent variable.

RESULTS: The BOT-2 and RPM models demonstrated an acceptable fit in Czech children. Strength-agility and Fine motor control emerged as the strongest predictors of nonverbal intelligence level assessed by five sets of RPM. Age-specific analyses revealed that the Strength-agility construct was consistently a significant predictor of nonverbal intelligence level in both age categories. However, in older children, also Fine motor control was significantly linked to nonverbal intelligence level. Sex-specific differences were also observed in the structural modelling results, indicating significant predictor non-invariance based on participants' sex. In girls, both Fine motor control and the Strength-agility constructs were significant predictors of nonverbal Intelligence level, showing stronger associations with nonverbal Intelligence than boys. For boys, only the Strength-agility construct was a significant predictor of RPM performance.

CONCLUSION: This study reveals a nuanced age- and sex-specific relationship between children's motor proficiency and nonverbal Intelligence. The findings underscore the need for targeted physical interventions, particularly those emphasising fine motor and strength-agility exercises, to ensure equitable opportunities for motor skill development. Such interventions may enhance physical abilities and support cognitive development in an increasingly digital world.},
}

@article {pmid39520985,
year = {2024},
author = {Urban, L and Becker, R and Ochs, A and Sicks, F and Brecht, M and Kaufmann, LV},
title = {Water-hose tool use and showering behavior by Asian elephants.},
journal = {Current biology : CB},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2024.10.017},
pmid = {39520985},
issn = {1879-0445},
abstract = {Since Jane Goodall's famous observations of stick tool use by chimpanzees,[1] animal tool use has been observed in numerous species, including many primates, dolphins, and birds. Some animals, such as New Caledonian crows, even craft tools.[2][,][3] Elephants frequently use tools[4][,][5] and also modify them.[6] We studied water-hose tool use in Asian zoo elephants. Flexibility, extension, and water flow make hoses exceptionally complex tools. Individual elephants differed markedly in their water-hose handling. Female elephant Mary displayed sophisticated hose-showering behaviors. She showed lateralized hose handling, systematically showered her body, and coordinated the trunk-held water hose with limb behaviors. Mary usually grasped the hose behind the tip, using it as a stiff shower head. To reach her back, however, she grasped the hose further from the tip and swung it on her back, using hose flexibility and ballistics. Aggressive interactions between Mary and the younger female elephant, Anchali, ensued around Mary's showering time. At some point, Anchali started pulling the water hose toward herself, lifting and kinking it, then regrasping and compressing the kink. This kink-and-clamp behavior disrupted water flow and was repeated in several sessions as a strict sequence of maneuvers. The efficacy of water flow disruption increased over time. In control experiments with multiple hoses, it was not clear whether Anchali specifically targeted Mary's showering hose. We also observed Anchali pressing down on the water hose, performing an on-hose trunk stand, which also disrupted water flow. We conclude that elephants show sophisticated hose tool use and manipulation. VIDEO ABSTRACT.},
}

@article {pmid39475969,
year = {2024},
author = {Liu, J and Zhou, F and Yan, H and Liang, W},
title = {Breeding stages affect egg recognition in azure-winged magpies (Cyanopica cyanus).},
journal = {Animal cognition},
volume = {27},
number = {1},
pages = {71},
pmid = {39475969},
issn = {1435-9456},
support = {No. 32160242//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; Nos. 31970427 and 32270526//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Ovum ; Female ; *Recognition, Psychology ; Passeriformes/physiology ; China ; },
abstract = {Egg rejection often involves a cognitive process of recognizing foreign eggs, which can vary not only between species or among different individuals of the same species, but also within the same individual during different breeding stages, leading to markedly different responses to parasitic eggs. We conducted a comparative study in Wuhan, Hubei, and Fusong, Jilin, China, on the recognition and rejection behavior of azure-winged magpies (Cyanopica cyanus) at different breeding stages (pre-egg-laying, one-host-egg, multi-host-egg and early incubation stages). In the Fusong population, there was a significant difference in the rejection rate of model eggs by azure-winged magpies at different stages of the egg-laying period. During the one-host-egg stage, the rejection rate (63.6%) was significantly lower than that during the pre-egg-laying stage (85.7%) and the multi-host-egg stage (100%). The population of azure-winged magpies in Wuhan exhibited a 100% rejection rate towards model eggs during the pre-egg-laying stage. Furthermore, during the incubation stage, azure-winged magpies were able to accurately recognize and reject foreign eggs even when those were in majority. This indicates that azure-winged magpies employ a template-based recognition mechanism rather than relying on discordance mechanism for recognition after the onset of incubation. This study suggests that while azure-winged magpies can truly recognize their own eggs, different breeding stages still influence their rejection response towards parasitic eggs, especially during the pre-egg-laying and egg laying stages.},
}

Animals
*Ovum
Female
*Recognition, Psychology
Passeriformes/physiology
China

@article {pmid39474474,
year = {2024},
author = {Helmstetter, NA and Conway, CJ and Roberts, S and Adams, JR and Makela, PD and Waits, LP},
title = {Predator-specific mortality of sage-grouse nests based on predator DNA on eggshells.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {14},
number = {10},
pages = {e70213},
pmid = {39474474},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Greater sage-grouse (hereafter sage-grouse; Centrocercus urophasianus) populations have declined across their range. Increased nest predation as a result of anthropogenic land use is one mechanism proposed to explain these declines. However, sage-grouse contend with a diverse suite of nest predators that vary in functional traits (e.g., search tactics or hunting mode) and abundance. Consequently, generalizing about factors influencing nest fate is challenging. Identifying the explicit predator species responsible for nest predation events is, therefore, critical to understanding causal mechanisms linking land use to patterns of sage-grouse nest success. Cattle grazing is often assumed to adversely affect sage-grouse recruitment by reducing grass height (and hence cover), thereby facilitating nest detection by predators. However, recent evidence found little support for the hypothesized effect of grazing on nest fate at the pasture scale. Rather, nest success appears to be similar on pastures grazed at varying intensities. One possible explanation for the lack of observed effect involves a localized response by one or more nest predators. The presence of cattle may cause a temporary reduction in predator density and/or use within a pasture (the cattle avoidance hypothesis). The cattle avoidance hypothesis predicts a decreased probability of at least one sage-grouse nest predator predating sage-grouse nests in pastures with livestock relative to pastures without livestock present during the nesting season. To test the cattle avoidance hypothesis, we collected predator DNA from eggshells from predated nests and used genetic methods to identify the sage-grouse nest predator(s) responsible for the predation event. We evaluated the influence of habitat and grazing on predator-specific nest predation. We evaluated the efficacy of our genetic method by deploying artificial nests with trail cameras and compared the results of our genetic method to the species captured via trail camera. Our molecular methods identified at least one nest predator captured predating artificial nests via trail camera for 33 of 35 (94%) artificial nests. We detected nest predators via our molecular analysis at 76 of 114 (67%) predated sage-grouse nests. The primary predators detected at sage-grouse nests were coyotes (Canis latrans) and corvids (Corvidea). Grazing did not influence the probability of nest predation by either coyotes or corvids. Sagebrush canopy cover was negatively associated with the probability a coyote predated a nest, distance to water was positively associated with the probability a corvid predated a nest, and average minimum temperature was negatively associated with the probability that either a coyote or a corvid predated a nest. Our study provides a framework for implementing an effective, non-invasive method for identifying sage-grouse nest predators that can be used to better understand how management actions at local and regional scales may impact an important component of sage-grouse recruitment.},
}

@article {pmid39465599,
year = {2024},
author = {Coombs, S and Trestman, M},
title = {A multi-trait embodied framework for the evolution of brains and cognition across animal phyla.},
journal = {The Behavioral and brain sciences},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-52},
doi = {10.1017/S0140525X24000335},
pmid = {39465599},
issn = {1469-1825},
abstract = {Among non-human animals, crows, octopuses and honeybees are well-known for their complex brains and cognitive abilities. Widening the lens from the idiosyncratic abilities of exemplars like these to those of animals across the phylogenetic spectrum begins to reveal the ancient evolutionary process by which complex brains and cognition first arose in different lineages. The distribution of 35 phenotypic traits in 17 metazoan lineages reveals that brain and cognitive complexity in only three lineages (vertebrates, cephalopod mollusks, and euarthropods) can be attributed to the pivotal role played by body, sensory, brain and motor traits in active visual sensing and visuomotor skills. Together, these pivotal traits enabled animals to transition from largely reactive to more proactive behaviors, and from slow and two-dimensional motion to more rapid and complex three-dimensional motion. Among pivotal traits, high-resolution eyes and laminated visual regions of the brain stand out because they increased the processing demands on and the computational power of the brain by several orders of magnitude. The independent acquisition of pivotal traits in cognitively complex (CC) lineages can be explained as the completion of several multi-trait transitions over the course of evolutionary history, each resulting in an increasing level of complexity that arises from a distinct combination of traits. Whereas combined pivotal traits represent the highest level of complexity in CC lineages, combined traits at lower levels characterize many non-CC lineages, suggesting that certain body, sensory and brain traits may have been linked (the trait-linkage hypothesis) during the evolution of both CC and non-CC lineages.},
}

@article {pmid39463687,
year = {2024},
author = {Yuan, K and Yang, S and Liu, J and Liang, W},
title = {Responses of birds to observers holding popguns: Hunting history influences escape behavior of urban birds.},
journal = {Current zoology},
volume = {70},
number = {5},
pages = {631-636},
pmid = {39463687},
issn = {1674-5507},
abstract = {Human activities affect bird behavior both directly and indirectly. Birds constantly regulate their behavior in response to human disturbance. Gun hunting, a major directional disturbance, puts enormous selection pressure on birds. In China, gun bans have been in place for nearly 30 years, and little hunting using guns occurs in modern cities. However, little attention has been paid to whether a history of hunting still affects the behavioral adaptations of urban birds. In this study, we compared the flight initiation distance (FID) of the Eurasian tree sparrow Passer montanus, Azure-winged magpie Cyanopica cyanus, Common hoopoe Upupa epops and Eurasian magpie Pica pica in the presence of observers with or without popguns. The Eurasian tree sparrow, Azure-winged magpie, and Eurasian magpie effectively recognized the difference between the observers, and perceived the armed observer as a greater threat, exhibiting earlier escape behavior, but this phenomenon was not found in the Common hoopoe. The different expressions in FID of experimental bird species in China cities may be affected by the different levels of recognition of hunting pressure due to different hunting histories.},
}

@article {pmid39460872,
year = {2024},
author = {Govindharaj, V and Herald Victor, MBB and Garber, PA and Parthasarathy, TN},
title = {Nest raiding by bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) and the response of nest guarding birds in a suburban habitat.},
journal = {Primates; journal of primatology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {39460872},
issn = {1610-7365},
support = {PU/AD-3/URF-Extension/025191/23F85502/204//Periyar University/ ; },
abstract = {In many primate species, nest raiding is a form of opportunistic foraging behavior designed to acquire protein-rich eggs and nestlings. In urban environments, this is a significant cause of nest failure in birds. Here, we describe nest raiding and egg predation in bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) inhabiting a suburban area of Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. During nest raiding, large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) and house crows (Corvus splendens), actively defended their nest from the macaques. When several macaque foragers jointly raided the nest, they were successful in obtaining and consuming the eggs. In contrast, when a solitary macaque attempted to raid the nest, it was unsuccessful. Bird size appeared to play an important role in nest defense. Small birds, such as the scaly breasted munia (Lonchura punctulata) and the purple sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus) were not able to protect their nests from lone bonnet macaques. These observations indicate that in urban landscapes, bonnet macaques are egg predators of many bird species. When macaques coordinate their actions and forage in small subgroups, they were more successful in preying on the eggs of larger-bodied bird species.},
}

@article {pmid39447325,
year = {2024},
author = {Kruger, RF and Pédra, MMG and Fonseca, LDS and Morales, DF and Rodrigues, GD and Marinho, MAT},
title = {The impact of burnt carcass on the occurrence probability of Chrysomya albiceps and Lucilia ochricornis (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in southern Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.},
journal = {Forensic science international},
volume = {365},
number = {},
pages = {112249},
doi = {10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112249},
pmid = {39447325},
issn = {1872-6283},
abstract = {We evaluated the impact of burnt carcasses on the probability of finding Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819) and Lucilia ochricornis (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), and the time it took for them to arrive at the experimental carcasss. These species are biological indicators of the postmortem interval (PMI) in forensic scenarios. Using stillborn pig carcasses, this study analysed how different degrees of burning affect the level of attraction and colonisation by these species. Experimental models were subjected to level 2 (CG2) and 4 (CG4) burning according to the Crow-Glassman (CG) scale, ranging from fresh to skeletonization. Generalised Linear Models (GLM) with a Binomial distribution were used to evaluate the influence of decomposition time and experimental treatment on the probability of occurrence of each species. Additionally, survival analyses with the Weibull distribution were used to investigate how long it takes until the arrival of the first fly species in each experimental group. The results indicate that burning affects the probability of occurrence and colonisation time of the studied fly species. Although both species were affected by high degrees of burning, Lucilia ochricornis was more heavily affected than Chrysomya albiceps. This pattern was reflected in the time it took for the first occurrence of each fly species. In both cases, it took longer for flies to arrive at carcasses that had been more severely burnt. In the case of C. albiceps, the longest mean time until a fly was detected (Weibull, α = 79.9 h) happened in the CG4 group, followed by the CG2 group (α = 65.6 h) and the control group (α = 51.5 h). In contrast, for L. ochricornis, the longest mean first occurrence time (α = 85.4 h) was in CG2 group, followed by the Control (α = 49.1 h) and CG4 (α = 54.4 h) groups. This study emphasises the importance of considering whether or not a carcass was burnt and its degree of burning in forensic investigations, given that this variable can influence the accuracy of PMI estimation in crime scenes.},
}

@article {pmid39437743,
year = {2024},
author = {Taylor, AH and Johnston, M},
title = {How do animals understand the physical world?.},
journal = {Current biology : CB},
volume = {34},
number = {20},
pages = {R996-R999},
doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.005},
pmid = {39437743},
issn = {1879-0445},
mesh = {Animals ; *Behavior, Animal/physiology ; Cognition ; Environment ; },
abstract = {The natural world is full of examples of animals interacting with their physical environment in surprising ways: capuchin monkeys crack open nuts with rocks; dolphins use sponges as 'gloves' on their rostra when searching for prey on the sea floor; and New Caledonian crows manufacture stick tools to pull grubs from logs (Figure 1). Deeper into the phylogenetic tree we continue to see interesting examples of behaviors of this kind, such as octopuses using coconut shells for protection, tuskfish breaking open cockles by hitting them against coral heads, and bees learning to pull string to gain out-of-reach food. These sophisticated behavioral interactions with their physical environment suggest that animals might have a deep understanding of their physical world at a cognitive level. In this primer, we review the performances of a variety of species when faced with tasks that probe their understanding of their physical world.},
}

Animals
*Behavior, Animal/physiology
Cognition
Environment

@article {pmid39419984,
year = {2024},
author = {Lengyel, K and Rudra, M and Berghof, TVL and Leitão, A and Frankl-Vilches, C and Dittrich, F and Duda, D and Klinger, R and Schleibinger, S and Sid, H and Trost, L and Vikkula, H and Schusser, B and Gahr, M},
title = {Unveiling the critical role of androgen receptor signaling in avian sexual development.},
journal = {Nature communications},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {8970},
pmid = {39419984},
issn = {2041-1723},
mesh = {Animals ; *Receptors, Androgen/metabolism/genetics ; Male ; Female ; *Signal Transduction ; *Chickens/metabolism ; *Testosterone/metabolism ; *Sexual Development ; Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology ; Fertility ; },
abstract = {Gonadal hormone activities mediated by androgen and estrogen receptors, along with cell-autonomous mechanisms arising from the absence of sex-chromosome dosage compensation, are key factors in avian sexual development. In this study, we generate androgen receptor (AR) knockout chickens (AR[-/-]) to explore the role of androgen signaling in avian sexual development. Despite developing sex-typical gonads and gonadal hormone production, AR[-/-] males and females are infertile. While few somatic sex-specific traits persist (body size, spurs, and tail feathers), crucial sexual attributes such as comb, wattles and sexual behaviors remain underdeveloped in both sexes. Testosterone treatment of young AR[-/-] males fails to induce crow behavior, comb development, or regression of the bursa of Fabricius, which are testosterone-dependent phenotypes. These findings highlight the significance of androgen receptor mechanisms in fertility and sex-specific traits in chickens, challenging the concept of a default sex in birds and emphasizing the dominance of androgen signaling in avian sexual development.},
}

Animals
*Receptors, Androgen/metabolism/genetics
Male
Female
*Signal Transduction
*Chickens/metabolism
*Testosterone/metabolism
*Sexual Development
Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology
Fertility

@article {pmid39409738,
year = {2024},
author = {Skoracki, M and Nielsen, ÓK and Sikora, B},
title = {Corvisyringophilus, a New Genus in the Family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) and Its Phylogenetic Position among Primitive Genera.},
journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI},
volume = {14},
number = {19},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/ani14192790},
pmid = {39409738},
issn = {2076-2615},
support = {UAM ID-UB 094/07/POB1/0013 (to M.S.)//Excellence Initiative Program "Mobility" of the UAM Research University/ ; UAM UD-UB 094/07/POB1/0012 (to B.S.)//Excellence Initiative Program "Mobility" of the UAM Research University/ ; },
abstract = {Syringophilidae is one of the most species-rich families in the superfamily Cheyletoidea, comprising approximately 420 species across 62 genera and two subfamilies. In this paper, we propose a new genus, Corvisyringophilus, and a new species, C. krummi gen. n. et sp. n., found in the wing covert quills of the Common Raven, Corvus corax Linnaeus, in Iceland. Corvisyringophilus is placed among the primitive genera of syringophilid mites, which possess the full complement of idiosomal and leg setae. Phylogenetic analysis based on morphological characters suggests that this genus forms a sister clade to Blaszakia Skoracki & Sikora, 2008, and Charadriphilus Bochkov & Mironov, 1998, which inhabit birds of the orders Musophagiformes and Charadriiformes, respectively. The study proposes that the current distribution patterns of quill mites, based on their morphological characteristics, may result from multiple host switching followed by co-speciation events, highlighting the complex evolutionary dynamics within this family.},
}

@article {pmid39406878,
year = {2024},
author = {Lequitte-Charransol, P and Robert, A and Jiguet, F},
title = {Increased adult movements and decreased juvenile apparent survival of urban crows during COVID-19 lockdowns.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {24135},
pmid = {39406878},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {ESOD//Ministère de l'Écologie, du Développement Durable et de l'Énergie/ ; },
mesh = {*Crows/physiology ; Animals ; *COVID-19/epidemiology/mortality/prevention & control ; Humans ; SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification ; Quarantine ; Paris/epidemiology ; Urban Population ; Population Dynamics ; Cities/epidemiology ; },
abstract = {The increasing abundance of animal species thriving in urban environments is a source of conflicts with managers and users of public spaces. Although opportunistic urban species often use resources originating from human food leftovers, the potential impact of a reduction in these resources on their demography is hard to quantify. The COVID-19 epidemic, which led many countries to set up lockdowns, gave us the opportunity to estimate the impact of a drastic reduction in such food resources and human activities on the demography of an urban bird population. Based on 7 years (2015-2021) of capture-mark-recapture of carrion crows (Corvus corone) in the city of Paris, France, we used multi-state models to examine the intra-annual (3-month time steps) apparent survival and movement patterns of crows during and outside COVID-19 lockdowns. We showed that the apparent survival of juvenile carrion crows decreased down during lockdown, while adult movements increased during this period, with more adult crows moving out of the urban district. Lockdown modified the demography of this urban crow population, suggesting that the reduction in food resources was sufficient to affect fitness and reduce carrying capacity.},
}

*Crows/physiology
Animals
*COVID-19/epidemiology/mortality/prevention & control
Humans
SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification
Quarantine
Paris/epidemiology
Urban Population
Population Dynamics
Cities/epidemiology

@article {pmid39140629,
year = {2024},
author = {Wang, SS and Parikh, JR},
title = {A Radiologist's Wellness Journey: AJR Podcast Series on Wellness, Episode 5.},
journal = {AJR. American journal of roentgenology},
volume = {223},
number = {3},
pages = {e2431888},
doi = {10.2214/AJR.24.31888},
pmid = {39140629},
issn = {1546-3141},
mesh = {Humans ; *Radiologists ; Webcasts as Topic ; Burnout, Professional/prevention & control ; Periodicals as Topic ; Health Promotion/methods ; },
}

Humans
*Radiologists
Webcasts as Topic
Burnout, Professional/prevention & control
Periodicals as Topic
Health Promotion/methods

@article {pmid37801469,
year = {2024},
author = {Viviano, A and Mori, E and Manzini, J and Paoletti, E and Hoshika, Y and Cotrozzi, L and Pisuttu, C and Risoli, S and Materassi, A and Moura, BB},
title = {The magpie and the grapes: increasing ozone exposure impacts fruit consumption by a common corvid in a suburban environment.},
journal = {Pest management science},
volume = {80},
number = {11},
pages = {5491-5499},
doi = {10.1002/ps.7819},
pmid = {37801469},
issn = {1526-4998},
mesh = {*Vitis ; *Ozone ; Animals ; *Fruit ; *Passeriformes/physiology ; Feeding Behavior ; Air Pollutants/analysis ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The Eurasian magpie Pica pica is a resident bird species able to colonize farmlands and anthropized environments. This corvid shows a wide trophic spectrum by including fruits, invertebrates, small vertebrates and carcasses in its diet. A camera-trap experiment was carried out to test the effect of different ozone (O3) concentrations on potted Vitis vinifera plants, which resulted in different grape consumption rates by suburban birds. The test was performed at an Ozone-Free Air Controlled Exposure (FACE) facility, consisting of nine plots with three ozone (O3) levels: AA (ambient O3 concentration); and two elevated O3 levels, 1.5× AA (ambient air with a 50% increase in O3 concentration) and 2.0× AA (ambient air with a 100% increase in O3 concentration). Camera-traps were located in front of each treatment area and kept active for 24 h day[-1] and for 5 days at a time over a period of 3 months to monitor grape consumption by birds.

RESULTS: We collected a total of 38 videos. Eurasian magpies were the only grape consumers, with a total of 6.7 ± 3.3 passages per hour (mean ± SD) and no differences across the different O3 treatments. Grapes in the AA treatment were consumed significantly more quickly than those in the 1.5× AA treatment, which in turn, were consumed faster than those in the 2.0× AA treatment. At 3 days from the start of treatment, 94%, 53% and 22% berries from the AA, 1.5× AA and 2.0× AA treatments had been eaten, respectively. When the O3 was turned off, berries were consumed at the same rate among treatments.

CONCLUSION: Increasing O3 concentrations limited grape consumption by magpies probably because O3 acted as a deterrent for magpies, although the lower sugar content recorded in the 2.0× AA berries did not affect the consumption when O3 was turned off. Our results provided valuable insights to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts in suburban environments. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.},
}

*Vitis
*Ozone
Animals
*Fruit
*Passeriformes/physiology
Feeding Behavior
Air Pollutants/analysis

@article {pmid9673101,
year = {1998},
author = {Vineis, P},
title = {[Interactions between genetics and environment].},
journal = {La Medicina del lavoro},
volume = {89},
number = {2},
pages = {117-123},
pmid = {9673101},
issn = {0025-7818},
mesh = {Aged ; *Carcinogens, Environmental ; Case-Control Studies ; Confidence Intervals ; Disease Susceptibility ; *Environment ; Ethics, Medical ; Female ; Genetic Testing ; Helicobacter Infections/complications ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms/chemically induced/*etiology/*genetics ; Occupational Diseases/*chemically induced/prevention & control ; *Occupational Exposure ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Racial Groups ; Smoking/adverse effects ; Stomach Neoplasms/etiology ; Tuberculosis/etiology ; },
abstract = {From a scientific point of view, the idea that genes exert an important role in explaining human pathology has gained much popularity in recent decades. However, according to Stephen Jay Gould, the "genetic fallacy" has been repeatedly used to avoid environmental action. In the case of occupational cancer, genetic screening of workers for their susceptibility to the action of chemical carcinogens, on the basis of "metabolic polymorphisms", would be unacceptable because of racial discrimination, related to uneven racial distribution of most polymorphisms, for example, 90% of Africans and 10% of Asians have the "slow" acetylator genotype. Therefore, not only technical and scientific aspects of genetic susceptibility to cancer, but also ethical and social implication have to be considered.},
}

Aged
*Carcinogens, Environmental
Case-Control Studies
Confidence Intervals
Disease Susceptibility
*Environment
Ethics, Medical
Female
Genetic Testing
Helicobacter Infections/complications
Helicobacter pylori
Humans
Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/etiology
Male
Middle Aged
Neoplasms/chemically induced/*etiology/*genetics
Occupational Diseases/*chemically induced/prevention & control
*Occupational Exposure
Polymorphism, Genetic
Racial Groups
Smoking/adverse effects
Stomach Neoplasms/etiology
Tuberculosis/etiology

@article {pmid7981593,
year = {1994},
author = {Bresolin, N and Castelli, E and Comi, GP and Felisari, G and Bardoni, A and Perani, D and Grassi, F and Turconi, A and Mazzucchelli, F and Gallotti, D},
title = {Cognitive impairment in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.},
journal = {Neuromuscular disorders : NMD},
volume = {4},
number = {4},
pages = {359-369},
doi = {10.1016/0960-8966(94)90072-8},
pmid = {7981593},
issn = {0960-8966},
mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cognition Disorders/diagnosis/*etiology ; Gene Deletion ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Language ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Memory ; Muscular Dystrophies/*complications/genetics/psychology ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Psychometrics ; Psychomotor Performance ; Tomography, Emission-Computed ; },
abstract = {Cognitive function and dystrophin gene mutations were investigated in 50 DMD patients (mean age 11.1 yr; range 3.5-20.3). General intelligence assessment showed 31% of patients with Wechsler full intelligence quotient (FIQ) lower than 75 (normal values: 100 +/- 14), and only 24% with appropriate FIQ level. Modal distribution of Wechsler verbal, performance, and FIQs, and Raven IQs was normal. Verbal IQ was more affected than performance IQ (PIQ) only in the younger group of subjects. Low PIQ correlated with the presence of macroglossia, detected in 13 out of 50 patients. Impairment of productive language was of non-dysphasic nature and correlated with defects of short-term memory, which was also affected in non-verbal skills. DMD patients shared the same spectrum of neuropsychological defects, regardless of whether they were or were not mentally retarded. The proportion of patients with dystrophin gene deletions was 64%. No statistically significant correlations were found between genetic data and psychometric assessment. Finally, (18F)-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography studies demonstrated cerebellar hypometabolism in all the DMD patients examined and variable involvement of associative cortical areas. These findings suggest a possible role of the cerebral and cerebellar hypometabolism in the cognitive impairment of DMD.},
}

Adolescent
Adult
Animals
Child
Child, Preschool
Cognition Disorders/diagnosis/*etiology
Gene Deletion
Humans
Intelligence
Language
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Memory
Muscular Dystrophies/*complications/genetics/psychology
Neuropsychological Tests
Psychometrics
Psychomotor Performance
Tomography, Emission-Computed

@article {pmid39355196,
year = {2024},
author = {Agarwalla, S and Chandra, B and Kundu, GK},
title = {Influence of Age and Gender on Emotional Intelligence, Intelligence Quotient, Anxiety, and Behavior of Children in a Dental Setup.},
journal = {International journal of clinical pediatric dentistry},
volume = {17},
number = {5},
pages = {518-523},
pmid = {39355196},
issn = {0974-7052},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Children's age is a significant predictor factor for their panic and conduct intraoperatively. A child's developmental stage influences their ability to handle stress in dental operations, and it seems that younger children are more anxious and have a better capacity to cope with dental procedures. Age and gender are said to have a significant influence on emotional quotient (EQ) and intelligence quotient (IQ), but the data regarding this is extremely sparse in the dental literature.

AIM: To find the impact of age and gender on EQ, IQ, panic, and conduct of children in an oral care setup.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 57 female and 50 male (total 107) children were considered participants aged 7-12 years. The study was executed in two sessions in the pediatric dentistry department. In the first session, "Bar-On emotional quotient inventory: youth version (Bar-On EQ-i: YV)" and the "Raven's colored progressive matrices (RCPM)" tests were administered to evaluate the EQ and IQ of the children, and a clinical psychologist supervised and guided the whole procedure. In the second appointment, anxiety was recorded using the "faces version of the modified child's dental anxiety scale (MCDAS(f))," whereas behavior was recorded with the "sound, eye, and motor (SEM) scale." Interpretation of data was done by statistical methods.

RESULTS: The difference in IQ scores between the groups aged 7-9 and 10-12 years was not statistically significant. There was a statistically notable difference (p-value of 0.006) in the RCPM IQ scores among male and female participants, where female participants scored better. There was a statistically insignificant variation in total EQ scores between male and female participants. Based on age and gender, a statistically insignificant variation was noted in the anxiety scores (MCDAS(f)) among participants. A statistically notable difference (p-value of 0.018) was seen between the SEM scores of the 7-9 and 10-12 years age-groups. SEM scores of male and female participants showed no significant difference.

CONCLUSION: There was no influence of age on the IQ and EQ scores of the participants. A gender difference was found in relation to the IQ scores and the intrapersonal and stress management subscales of EQ. Based on age and gender, there was a statistically nonsignificant difference between the anxiety scores (MCDAS(f)) of the participants. A statistically notable variation was seen between the SEM scores for behavior of the 7-9 and 10-12 years age-groups. Statistically insignificant variation was noted between the SEM scores of both genders.

HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Agarwalla S, Chandra B, Kundu GK. Influence of Age and Gender on Emotional Intelligence, Intelligence Quotient, Anxiety, and Behavior of Children in a Dental Setup. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(5):518-523.},
}

@article {pmid39328063,
year = {2024},
author = {Romero, FG and Beaudry, FEG and Hovmand Warner, E and Nguyen, TN and Fitzpatrick, JW and Chen, N},
title = {A new high-quality genome assembly and annotation for the threatened Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens).},
journal = {G3 (Bethesda, Md.)},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/g3journal/jkae232},
pmid = {39328063},
issn = {2160-1836},
abstract = {The Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), a Federally Threatened, cooperatively-breeding bird, is an emerging model system in evolutionary biology and ecology. Extensive individual-based monitoring and genetic sampling for decades has yielded a wealth of data, allowing for the detailed study of social behavior, demography, and population genetics of this natural population. Here, we report a linkage map and a chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation for a female Florida Scrub-Jay made with long-read sequencing technology, chromatin conformation data, and the linkage map. We constructed a linkage map comprising 4,468 SNPs that had 34 linkage groups and a total sex-averaged autosomal genetic map length of 2446.78 cM. The new genome assembly is 1.33 Gb in length, consisting of 33 complete or near-complete autosomes and the sex chromosomes (ZW). This highly contiguous assembly has an NG50 of 68 Mb and a Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCO) completeness score of 97.1% with respect to the Aves database. The annotated gene set has a BUSCO transcriptome completeness score of 95.5% and 17,964 identified protein-coding genes, 92.5% of which have associated functional annotations. This new, high-quality genome assembly and linkage map of the Florida Scrub-Jay provides valuable tools for future research into the evolutionary dynamics of small, natural populations of conservation concern.},
}

@article {pmid39307930,
year = {2024},
author = {Micula, A and Holmer, E and Ning, R and Danielsson, H},
title = {Relationships Between Hearing Status, Cognitive Abilities, and Reliance on Visual and Contextual Cues.},
journal = {Ear and hearing},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {39307930},
issn = {1538-4667},
abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Visual and contextual cues facilitate speech recognition in suboptimal listening conditions (e.g., background noise, hearing loss, hearing aid signal processing). Moreover, successful speech recognition in challenging listening conditions is linked to cognitive abilities such as working memory and fluid intelligence. However, it is unclear which cognitive abilities facilitate the use of visual and contextual cues in individuals with normal hearing and hearing aid users. The first aim was to investigate whether individuals with hearing aid users rely on visual and contextual cues to a higher degree than individuals with normal hearing in a speech-in-noise recognition task. The second aim was to investigate whether working memory and fluid intelligence are associated with the use of visual and contextual cues in these groups.

DESIGN: Groups of participants with normal hearing and hearing aid users with bilateral, symmetrical mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss were included (n = 169 per group). The Samuelsson and Rönnberg task was administered to measure speech recognition in speech-shaped noise. The task consists of an equal number of sentences administered in the auditory and audiovisual modalities, as well as without and with contextual cues (visually presented word preceding the sentence, e.g.,: "Restaurant"). The signal to noise ratio was individually set to 1 dB below the level obtained for 50% correct speech recognition in the hearing-in-noise test administered in the auditory modality. The Reading Span test was used to measure working memory capacity and the Raven test was used to measure fluid intelligence. The data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects modeling.

RESULTS: Both groups exhibited significantly higher speech recognition performance when visual and contextual cues were available. Although the hearing aid users performed significantly worse compared to those with normal hearing in the auditory modality, both groups reached similar performance levels in the audiovisual modality. In addition, a significant positive relationship was found between the Raven test score and speech recognition performance only for the hearing aid users in the audiovisual modality. There was no significant relationship between Reading Span test score and performance.

CONCLUSIONS: Both participants with normal hearing and hearing aid users benefitted from contextual cues, regardless of cognitive abilities. The hearing aid users relied on visual cues to compensate for the perceptual difficulties, reaching a similar performance level as the participants with normal hearing when visual cues were available, despite worse performance in the auditory modality. It is important to note that the hearing aid users who had higher fluid intelligence were able to capitalize on visual cues more successfully than those with poorer fluid intelligence, resulting in better speech-in-noise recognition performance.},
}

@article {pmid39257567,
year = {2024},
author = {Ham, JR and Pellis, SM and Pellis, VC},
title = {Oppositions, joints, and targets: the attractors that are the glue of social interactions.},
journal = {Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience},
volume = {18},
number = {},
pages = {1451283},
pmid = {39257567},
issn = {1662-5153},
abstract = {Social interactions are often analyzed by scoring segments of predefined behavior and then statistically assessing numerical and sequential patterns to identify the structure of the encounters. However, this approach can miss the dynamics of the animals' relationship over the course of the encounter, one that often involves invariant bonds, say a nose-to-nose orientation, with many different movements performed by both partners acting to counteract each other's attempts to break or maintain the relationship. Moreover, these invariant bonds can switch from one configuration to another during an interaction, leading from one stable configuration to another. It is this stepwise sequence of configurational stabilities that lead to functional outcomes, such as mating, aggression, or predation. By focusing on the sequence of invariant relational configurations, the deep structure of interactions can be discerned. This deep structure can then be used to differentiate between compensatory movements, no matter how seemingly stereotyped they may appear, from movement patterns which are restricted to a particular form when more than one option is available. A dynamic perspective requires suitable tools for analysis, and such tools are highlighted as needed in describing particular interactions.},
}

@article {pmid39253095,
year = {2024},
author = {d' Isa, R and Parsons, MH and Chrzanowski, M and Bebas, P and Stryjek, R},
title = {Catch me if you can: free-living mice show a highly flexible dodging behaviour suggestive of intentional tactical deception.},
journal = {Royal Society open science},
volume = {11},
number = {7},
pages = {231692},
pmid = {39253095},
issn = {2054-5703},
abstract = {Intentional tactical deception, the employment of a tactic to intentionally deceive another animal, is a complex behaviour based on higher-order cognition, that has rarely been documented outside of primates and corvids. New laboratory-to-field assays, however, provide the opportunity to investigate such behaviour among free-living mice. In the present study, we placed laboratory-style test chambers with a single entrance near a forest outside Warsaw, where we observed the social interactions of two territorial murids, black-striped and yellow-necked mice, under food competition for seven months. Notably, among the social interactions, we video-recorded 21 instances of deceptive pursuer evasion. In the most obvious cases, an individual inside the chamber, to avoid an incoming mouse, hid by the chamber opening (the only means to enter or exit), paused until the pursuer entered and passed by, and then exploited the distraction of the back-turned pursuer by fleeing through the opening in a direction opposite to the one the pursuer came from. This deceptive dodging is the first evidence of a behaviour suggestive of intentional tactical deception among mice. As such, this deceptive behaviour may be of interest not only for rodent psychology but also, more generally, for the fields of non-human intentionality and theory of mind.},
}

@article {pmid39252993,
year = {2024},
author = {Prinja, S and Dixit, J and Nimesh, R and Garg, B and Khurana, R and Paliwal, A and Aggarwal, AK},
title = {Impact of health benefit package policy interventions on service utilisation under government-funded health insurance in Punjab, India: analysis of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).},
journal = {The Lancet regional health. Southeast Asia},
volume = {28},
number = {},
pages = {100462},
pmid = {39252993},
issn = {2772-3682},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The design of health benefits package (HBP), and its associated payment and pricing system, is central to the performance of government-funded health insurance programmes. We evaluated the impact of revision in HBP within India's Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) on provider behaviour, manifesting in terms of utilisation of services.

METHODS: We analysed the data on 1.35 million hospitalisation claims submitted by all the 886 (222 government and 664 private) empanelled hospitals in state of Punjab, from August 2019 to December 2022, to assess the change in utilisation from HBP 1.0 to HBP 2.0. The packages were stratified based on the nature of revision introduced in HBP 2.0, i.e., change in nomenclature, construct, price, or a combination of these. Data from National Health System Cost Database on cost of each of the packages was used to determine the cost-price differential for each package during HBP 1.0 and 2.0 respectively. A dose-response relationship was also evaluated, based on the multiplicity of revision type undertaken, or based on extent of price correction done. Change in the number of monthly claims, and the number of monthly claims per package was computed for each package category using an appropriate seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) time series model.

FINDINGS: Overall, we found that the HBP revision led to a positive impact on utilisation of services. While changes in HBP nomenclature and construct had a positive effect, incorporating price corrections further accentuated the impact. The pricing reforms highly impacted those packages which were originally significantly under-priced. However, we did not find statistically significant dose-response relationship based on extent of price correction. Thirdly, the overall impact of HBP revision was similar in public and private hospitals.

INTERPRETATION: Our paper demonstrates the significant positive impact of PM-JAY HBP revisions on utilisation. HBP revisions need to be undertaken with the anticipation of its long-term intended effects.

FUNDING: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).},
}

@article {pmid39228068,
year = {2024},
author = {Forbes, SL and Huculak, M and Watson, CJ},
title = {Taphonomic impact of vertebrate scavengers on degradation and dispersal of remains, southeastern British Columbia.},
journal = {Journal of forensic sciences},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/1556-4029.15620},
pmid = {39228068},
issn = {1556-4029},
support = {C150-2017-12//The Canada 150 Research Chairs/ ; RGPIN/6098/2019//Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada/ ; },
abstract = {Vertebrate scavengers represent important taphonomic agents that can act on a body, particularly when in an outdoor environment. Understanding the effects of these agents will direct how and where to search for human remains and influence the likelihood of discovery in a particular region. The current study aimed to identify the taphonomic impact of scavenger guilds in the peri-urban and rural regions of southeastern British Columbia. Vertebrate scavenger activity on pig carcasses was recorded remotely using trail cameras and analyzed to determine temporal scavenging profiles. Both the peri-urban and rural environments produced comparable scavenger guilds, namely: turkey vultures, American crows/northern ravens (classified as "corvids"), American black bears, and coyotes. Although the two locations had different study lengths due to variable degrees of scavenging, for the period that was common to both locations (summer to early fall), the black bear was the most frequent scavenger followed by coyote. However, the dispersal of remains by the mammalian scavengers was distinctly different between sites. Only 12%-33% of skeletal elements were recovered at the rural sites compared to 80%-90% recovered at the peri-urban sites, even though the latter sites had a longer study timeframe. The extended timeframe of the peri-urban sites confirmed that certain scavengers (e.g., turkey vultures and black bears) are only seasonally active in this region. These findings demonstrate the variability of scavenger behavior and the need to assign caution and local ecological knowledge when predicting scavenger trends. Such taphonomic information is relevant for human remains searches in regions with comparable scavenger guilds.},
}

@article {pmid39227504,
year = {2024},
author = {Cornero, FM and Clayton, NS},
title = {Object permanence in rooks (Corvus frugilegus): Individual differences and behavioral considerations.},
journal = {Learning & behavior},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {39227504},
issn = {1543-4508},
abstract = {Piagetian object permanence (OP) refers to the ability to know that an object continues to exist when out of sight: In humans, it develops in six stages. Species of great apes, other mammals, and birds (parrots, corvids, and pigeons) have been shown to possess partial or full OP, which is a prerequisite for more complex physical cognition abilities they may possess. In birds, the greatest variation is in Stage 6 (invisible displacements) and in "A-not-B" errors-incorrectly persevering in searching an empty location rewarded previously. Caching abilities have been invoked as holding explanatory power over results in corvids, for which this error is sometimes completely absent. The rook (Corvus frugilegus), a cognitively advanced, social, caching corvid, has not yet been studied for OP. This study applies tasks of one OP scale commonly adapted for nonhuman animals, Uzgiris and Hunt's Scale 1, as well as later-conceived tasks 16 and S, to a sample of adult, captive rooks. One rook demonstrated full OP (Stage 6b, multiple invisible displacements), whereas other individuals varied, attaining between Stages 5a (single visible displacements) and 6a (single invisible displacements). Like some corvids, a few made transient "A-not-B" errors. Behavioral considerations potentially underlying observed individual variation in results in rooks, including dominance, neophobia, past experiences, and individual idiosyncrasies, are examined. Rooks, like other corvids, possess well-developed OP abilities, and these results support the idea that exertion of executive control is required to avoid "A-not-B" errors, rather than caching abilities or developmental age, as previously suggested.},
}

@article {pmid39224166,
year = {2024},
author = {Stone, MM and Afriandi, H and Suwanda, FN and Andono, A and Mahmud, R and Khairani, OK and Clark, AB and Webster, M and McGowan, K and Radcliffe, RW},
title = {Symbiosis between the Javan rhinoceros and slender-billed crow: A novel inferred cleaning mutualism.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {14},
number = {9},
pages = {e70224},
pmid = {39224166},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Over the past century, the Javan rhinoceroses' (Rhinoceros sondaicus) secluded nature and low population size have led to a gap in knowledge of their ecology. With fewer than 80 individuals surviving in a single population in West Java, Indonesia, the Javan rhinoceros is one of the most critically endangered mammals in the world. As part of a pilot bioacoustics study of the Javan rhinoceros in 2019, we systematically reviewed camera trap footage from the core Javan rhinoceros range in Ujung Kulon National Park (UKNP). In doing so, we discovered a previously unknown interaction between the Javan rhinoceros and the slender-billed crow (Corvus enca), in which the crow finds and eats ectoparasites from the rhinoceros (Figure 1). We describe this interaction and suggest that it may represent a cleaning mutualism with benefits for both the crow and the rhinoceros.},
}

@article {pmid39215030,
year = {2024},
author = {Malik, S and Patro, SGK and Mahanty, C and Lasisi, A and Al-Sareji, OJ},
title = {Hybrid raven roosting intelligence framework for enhancing efficiency in data clustering.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {20163},
pmid = {39215030},
issn = {2045-2322},
abstract = {The field of data exploration relies heavily on clustering techniques to organize vast datasets into meaningful subgroups, offering valuable insights across various domains. Traditional clustering algorithms face limitations in terms of performance, often getting stuck in local minima and struggling with complex datasets of varying shapes and densities. They also require prior knowledge of the number of clusters, which can be a drawback in real-world scenarios. In response to these challenges, we propose the "hybrid raven roosting intelligence framework" (HRIF) algorithm. HRIF draws inspiration from the dynamic behaviors of roosting ravens and computational intelligence. What distinguishes HRIF is its effective capacity to adeptly navigate the clustering landscape, evading local optima and converging toward optimal solutions. An essential enhancement in HRIF is the incorporation of the Gaussian mutation operator, which adds stochasticity to improve exploration and mitigate the risk of local minima. This research presents the development and evaluation of HRIF, showcasing its unique fusion of nature-inspired optimization techniques and computational intelligence. Extensive experiments with diverse benchmark datasets demonstrate HRIF's competitive performance, particularly its capability to handle complex data and avoid local minima, resulting in accurate clustering outcomes. HRIF's adaptability to challenging datasets and its potential to enhance clustering efficiency and solution quality position it as a promising solution in the world of data exploration.},
}

@article {pmid39195074,
year = {2024},
author = {Rasouli, N and Malakouti, SK and Bayat, M and Mahjoubnavaz, F and Fallahinia, N and Khosrowabadi, R},
title = {Frontal Activity of Recent Suicide Attempters: EEG spectrum Power Performing Raven Task.},
journal = {Clinical EEG and neuroscience},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {15500594241273125},
doi = {10.1177/15500594241273125},
pmid = {39195074},
issn = {2169-5202},
abstract = {Background: Deficits in problem-solving may be related to vulnerability to suicidal behavior. We aimed to identify the electroencephalographic (EEG) power spectrum associated with the performance of the Raven as a reasoning/problem-solving task among individuals with recent suicide attempts. Methods: This study with the case-control method, consisted of 61 participants who were assigned to three groups: Suicide attempt + Major Depressive Disorder (SA + MDD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and Healthy Control (HC). All participants underwent clinical evaluations and problem-solving abilities. Subsequently, EEG signals were recorded while performing the Raven task. Results: The SA + MDD and MDD groups were significantly different from the HC group in terms of anxiety, reasons for life, and hopelessness. Regarding brain oscillations in performing the raven task, increased theta, gamma, and betha power extending over the frontal areas, including anterior prefrontal cortex, dlPFC, pre-SMA, inferior frontal cortex, and medial prefrontal cortex, was significant in SA + MDD compared with other groups. The alpha wave was more prominent in the left frontal, particularly in dlPFC in SA + MDD. Compared to the MDD group, the SA + MDD group had a shorter reaction time, while their response accuracy did not differ significantly. Conclusions: Suicidal patients have more frontal activity in planning and executive function than the two other groups. Nevertheless, it seems that reduced activity in the left frontal region, which plays a crucial role in managing emotional distress, can contribute to suicidal tendencies among vulnerable individuals. Limitation The small sample size and chosen difficult trials for the Raven task were the most limitations of the study.},
}

@article {pmid39172108,
year = {2024},
author = {Mason, LLK and Masuda, B and Swaisgood, RR and Flanagan, AM},
title = {Nest quality predicts the probability of egg loss in the critically endangered 'Alalā (Corvus hawaiiensis).},
journal = {Zoo biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1002/zoo.21849},
pmid = {39172108},
issn = {1098-2361},
support = {//San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance/ ; //State of Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife/ ; //Max and Yetta Karasik Family Foundation/ ; //National Fish and Wildlife Foundation/ ; //U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/ ; //Anonymous/ ; },
abstract = {Conservation breeding programs for endangered species face challenges, notably in the development of husbandry techniques, complicated by the impracticality of conducting controlled experiments. To reduce uncertainty regarding what works in conservation breeding programs, it is essential to capture data. In avian breeding programs, the construction of quality nests and appropriate incubation and handling of eggs by the parents are essential prerequisites to the successful production of offspring. Here, we study factors influencing nest-building and parental incubation outcomes in 'alalā (Corvus hawaiiensis), which is extinct in the wild and numbers fewer than 130 individuals in human care. Using parent-incubated egg data from 2018 to 2021 (171 clutches, 55 pairs), we evaluated the role of husbandry factors in determining the quality of nests constructed by 'alalā and the likelihood of nest quality and other social and environmental factors to predict egg loss (breaking, cannibalization, or ejection of an egg from the nest). More than half of all eggs laid failed to reach the hatch date. Nest quality was the most influential predictor of egg loss, with eggs in higher quality nests more likely to reach the hatch date. Male age also influenced egg loss, with very young (3 years old) and older males (⪞12 years old) experiencing more egg loss. Furthermore, the two facilities and two aviary types also differed in the quality of nests 'alalā constructed, indicating that nest-building behavior can be influenced by husbandry practices. These findings reduce uncertainty and provide insights for recommended management interventions to facilitate successful reproduction in human care.},
}

@article {pmid39148142,
year = {2024},
author = {Martínez-Renau, E and Martín-Platero, AM and Bodawatta, KH and Martín-Vivaldi, M and Martínez-Bueno, M and Poulsen, M and Soler, JJ},
title = {Social environment influences microbiota and potentially pathogenic bacterial communities on the skin of developing birds.},
journal = {Animal microbiome},
volume = {6},
number = {1},
pages = {47},
pmid = {39148142},
issn = {2524-4671},
support = {PRE2018-085378//Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación/ ; CGL2017-83103-P//Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación/ ; CGL2017-83103-P//European Regional Development Fund/ ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Animal bacterial symbionts are established early in life, either through vertical transmission and/or by horizontal transmission from both the physical and the social environment, such as direct contact with con- or heterospecifics. The social environment particularly can influence the acquisition of both mutualistic and pathogenic bacteria, with consequences for the stability of symbiotic communities. However, segregating the effects of the shared physical environment from those of the social interactions is challenging, limiting our current knowledge on the role of the social environment in structuring bacterial communities in wild animals. Here, we take advantage of the avian brood-parasite system of Eurasian magpies (Pica pica) and great spotted cuckoos (Clamator glandarius) to explore how the interspecific social environment (magpie nestlings developing with or without heterospecifics) affects bacterial communities on uropygial gland skin.

RESULTS: We demonstrated interspecific differences in bacterial community compositions in members of the two species when growing up in monospecific nests. However, the bacterial community of magpies in heterospecific nests was richer, more diverse, and more similar to their cuckoo nest-mates than when growing up in monospecific nests. These patterns were alike for the subset of microbes that could be considered core, but when looking at the subset of potentially pathogenic bacterial genera, cuckoo presence reduced the relative abundance of potentially pathogenic bacterial genera on magpies.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the role of social interactions in shaping the assembly of the avian skin bacterial communities during the nestling period, as exemplified in a brood parasite-host system.},
}

@article {pmid39141936,
year = {2024},
author = {Nelson, APK and Mole, J and Pombo, G and Gray, RJ and Ruffle, JK and Chan, E and Rees, GE and Cipolotti, L and Nachev, P},
title = {The minimal computational substrate of fluid intelligence.},
journal = {Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior},
volume = {179},
number = {},
pages = {62-76},
doi = {10.1016/j.cortex.2024.07.003},
pmid = {39141936},
issn = {1973-8102},
mesh = {Humans ; *Intelligence/physiology ; Male ; Female ; *Neural Networks, Computer ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Cognition/physiology ; Young Adult ; Intelligence Tests ; Aged ; Neuropsychological Tests ; },
abstract = {The quantification of cognitive powers rests on identifying a behavioural task that depends on them. Such dependence cannot be assured, for the powers a task invokes cannot be experimentally controlled or constrained a priori, resulting in unknown vulnerability to failure of specificity and generalisability. Evaluating a compact version of Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM), a widely used clinical test of fluid intelligence, we show that LaMa, a self-supervised artificial neural network trained solely on the completion of partially masked images of natural environmental scenes, achieves representative human-level test scores a prima vista, without any task-specific inductive bias or training. Compared with cohorts of healthy and focally lesioned participants, LaMa exhibits human-like variation with item difficulty, and produces errors characteristic of right frontal lobe damage under degradation of its ability to integrate global spatial patterns. LaMa's narrow training and limited capacity suggest matrix-style tests may be open to computationally simple solutions that need not necessarily invoke the substrates of reasoning.},
}

Humans
*Intelligence/physiology
Male
Female
*Neural Networks, Computer
Adult
Middle Aged
Cognition/physiology
Young Adult
Intelligence Tests
Aged
Neuropsychological Tests

@article {pmid39140880,
year = {2024},
author = {Machado, RB and Amorim, TOS and de Castro, F and Andriolo, A},
title = {Use of whistles for acoustic classification of delphinids (odontoceti: Delphinidae) in the Western South Atlantic Ocean.},
journal = {The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America},
volume = {156},
number = {2},
pages = {1070-1080},
doi = {10.1121/10.0028170},
pmid = {39140880},
issn = {1520-8524},
mesh = {Animals ; *Vocalization, Animal/classification ; *Acoustics ; Atlantic Ocean ; *Dolphins/classification/physiology ; Sound Spectrography ; Brazil ; Species Specificity ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; },
abstract = {This study focuses on the acoustic classification of delphinid species at the southern continental slope of Brazil. Recordings were collected between 2013 and 2015 using towed arrays and were processed using a classifier to identify the species in the recordings. Using Raven Pro 1.6 software (Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY), we analyzed whistles for species identification. The random forest algorithm in R facilitates classification analysis based on acoustic parameters, including low, high, delta, center, beginning, and ending frequencies, and duration. Evaluation metrics, such as correct and incorrect classification percentages, global accuracy, balanced accuracy, and p-values, were employed. Receiver operating characteristic curves and area-under-the-curve (AUC) values demonstrated well-fitting models (AUC ≥ 0.7) for species definition. Duration and delta frequency emerged as crucial parameters for classification, as indicated by the decrease in mean accuracy. Multivariate dispersion plots visualized the proximity between acoustic and visual match data and exclusively acoustic encounter (EAE) data. The EAE results classified as Delphinus delphis (n = 6), Stenella frontalis (n = 3), and Stenella longirostris (n = 2) provide valuable insights into the presence of these species between approximately 23° and 34° S in Brazil. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of acousting classification in discriminating delphinids through whistle parameters.},
}

Animals
*Vocalization, Animal/classification
*Acoustics
Atlantic Ocean
*Dolphins/classification/physiology
Sound Spectrography
Brazil
Species Specificity
Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted

@article {pmid39110762,
year = {2024},
author = {Zandberg, L and Morfi, V and George, JM and Clayton, DF and Stowell, D and Lachlan, RF},
title = {Bird song comparison using deep learning trained from avian perceptual judgments.},
journal = {PLoS computational biology},
volume = {20},
number = {8},
pages = {e1012329},
pmid = {39110762},
issn = {1553-7358},
mesh = {Animals ; *Deep Learning ; *Vocalization, Animal/physiology ; *Finches/physiology ; Algorithms ; Computational Biology/methods ; Judgment/physiology ; Male ; Sound Spectrography/methods ; Conditioning, Operant/physiology ; Humans ; },
abstract = {Our understanding of bird song, a model system for animal communication and the neurobiology of learning, depends critically on making reliable, validated comparisons between the complex multidimensional syllables that are used in songs. However, most assessments of song similarity are based on human inspection of spectrograms, or computational methods developed from human intuitions. Using a novel automated operant conditioning system, we collected a large corpus of zebra finches' (Taeniopygia guttata) decisions about song syllable similarity. We use this dataset to compare and externally validate similarity algorithms in widely-used publicly available software (Raven, Sound Analysis Pro, Luscinia). Although these methods all perform better than chance, they do not closely emulate the avian assessments. We then introduce a novel deep learning method that can produce perceptual similarity judgements trained on such avian decisions. We find that this new method outperforms the established methods in accuracy and more closely approaches the avian assessments. Inconsistent (hence ambiguous) decisions are a common occurrence in animal behavioural data; we show that a modification of the deep learning training that accommodates these leads to the strongest performance. We argue this approach is the best way to validate methods to compare song similarity, that our dataset can be used to validate novel methods, and that the general approach can easily be extended to other species.},
}

Animals
*Deep Learning
*Vocalization, Animal/physiology
*Finches/physiology
Algorithms
Computational Biology/methods
Judgment/physiology
Male
Sound Spectrography/methods
Conditioning, Operant/physiology
Humans

@article {pmid39073820,
year = {2024},
author = {Krieger, N and Testa, C and Chen, JT and Johnson, N and Watkins, SH and Suderman, M and Simpkin, AJ and Tilling, K and Waterman, PD and Coull, BA and De Vivo, I and Smith, GD and Diez Roux, AV and Relton, C},
title = {Epigenetic Aging and Racialized, Economic, and Environmental Injustice: NIMHD Social Epigenomics Program.},
journal = {JAMA network open},
volume = {7},
number = {7},
pages = {e2421832},
pmid = {39073820},
issn = {2574-3805},
mesh = {Humans ; Male ; Female ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Middle Aged ; *Epigenomics/methods ; *Aging/genetics ; Aged ; *Epigenesis, Genetic/genetics ; United States ; Racism/statistics & numerical data ; Adult ; Social Justice ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Aged, 80 and over ; },
abstract = {IMPORTANCE: Epigenetic age acceleration is associated with exposure to social and economic adversity and may increase the risk of premature morbidity and mortality. However, no studies have included measures of structural racism, and few have compared estimates within or across the first and second generation of epigenetic clocks.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether epigenetic age acceleration is positively associated with exposures to diverse measures of racialized, economic, and environmental injustice measured at different levels and time periods.

This cross-sectional study used data from the My Body My Story (MBMS) study between August 8, 2008, and December 31, 2010, and examination 5 of the Multi-Ethnic Atherosclerosis Study (MESA) from April 1, 2010, to February 29, 2012. In the MBMS, DNA extraction was performed in 2021; linkage of structural measures to the MBMS and MESA, in 2022. US-born individuals were randomly selected from 4 community health centers in Boston, Massachusetts (MBMS), and 4 field sites in Baltimore, Maryland; Forsyth County, North Carolina; New York City, New York; and St Paul, Minnesota (MESA). Data were analyzed from November 13, 2021, to August 31, 2023.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Ten epigenetic clocks (6 first-generation and 4 second-generation), computed using DNA methylation data (DNAm) from blood spots (MBMS) and purified monocytes (MESA).

RESULTS: The US-born study population included 293 MBMS participants (109 men [37.2%], 184 women [62.8%]; mean [SD] age, 49.0 [8.0] years) with 224 Black non-Hispanic and 69 White non-Hispanic participants and 975 MESA participants (492 men [50.5%], 483 women [49.5%]; mean [SD] age, 70.0 [9.3] years) with 229 Black non-Hispanic, 191 Hispanic, and 555 White non-Hispanic participants. Of these, 140 (11.0%) exhibited accelerated aging for all 5 clocks whose estimates are interpretable on the age (years) scale. Among Black non-Hispanic MBMS participants, epigenetic age acceleration was associated with being born in a Jim Crow state by 0.14 (95% CI, 0.003-0.27) SDs and with birth state conservatism by 0.06 (95% CI, 0.01-0.12) SDs, pooling across all clocks. Low parental educational level was associated with epigenetic age acceleration, pooling across all clocks, for both Black non-Hispanic (0.24 [95% CI, 0.08-0.39] SDs) and White non-Hispanic (0.27 [95% CI, 0.03-0.51] SDs) MBMS participants. Adult impoverishment was positively associated with the pooled second-generation clocks among the MESA participants (Black non-Hispanic, 0.06 [95% CI, 0.01-0.12] SDs; Hispanic, 0.07 [95% CI, 0.01-0.14] SDs; White non-Hispanic, 0.05 [95% CI, 0.01-0.08] SDs).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The findings of this cross-sectional study of MBMS and MESA participants suggest that epigenetic age acceleration was associated with racialized and economic injustice, potentially contributing to well-documented inequities in premature mortality. Future research should test the hypothesis that epigenetic accelerated aging may be one of the biological mechanisms underlying the well-documented elevated risk of premature morbidity and mortality among social groups subjected to racialized and economic injustice.},
}

Humans
Male
Female
Cross-Sectional Studies
Middle Aged
*Epigenomics/methods
*Aging/genetics
Aged
*Epigenesis, Genetic/genetics
United States
Racism/statistics & numerical data
Adult
Social Justice
Socioeconomic Factors
Aged, 80 and over

@article {pmid39069816,
year = {2024},
author = {Connelly, F and Johnsson, RD and Mulder, RA and Hall, ML and Lesku, JA},
title = {Experimental playback of urban noise does not affect cognitive performance in captive Australian magpies.},
journal = {Biology open},
volume = {13},
number = {8},
pages = {},
pmid = {39069816},
issn = {2046-6390},
support = {//Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment/ ; //Ecological Society of Australia/ ; DP170101003//Australian Research Council/ ; //La Trobe University/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Cognition ; *Noise/adverse effects ; Australia ; *Passeriformes/physiology ; Behavior, Animal ; Male ; },
abstract = {Exposure of wildlife to anthropogenic noise is associated with disruptive effects. Research on this topic has focused on behavioural and physiological responses of animals to noise, with little work investigating links to cognitive function. Neurological processes that maintain cognitive performance can be impacted by stress and sleep disturbances. While sleep loss impairs cognitive performance in Australian magpies, it is unclear whether urban noise, which disrupts sleep, can impact cognition as well. To fill this gap, we explored how environmentally relevant urban noise affected the performance of wild-caught, city-living Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen tyrannica) on a cognitive task battery including associative and reversal learning, inhibitory control, and spatial memory. Birds were housed and tested in a laboratory environment; sample sizes varied across tasks (n=7-9 birds). Tests were conducted over 4 weeks, during which all magpies were exposed to both an urban noise playback and a quiet control. Birds were presented with the entire test battery twice: following exposure to, and in the absence of, an anthropogenic noise playback; however, tests were always performed without noise (playback muted during testing). Magpies performed similarly in both treatments on all four tasks. We also found that prior experience with the associative learning task had a strong effect on performance, with birds performing better on their second round of trials. Like previous findings on Australian magpies tested on the same tasks in the wild under noisy conditions, we could not find any disruptive effects on cognitive performance in a controlled experimental laboratory setting.},
}

Animals
*Cognition
*Noise/adverse effects
Australia
*Passeriformes/physiology
Behavior, Animal
Male

@article {pmid38954382,
year = {2024},
author = {de Almeida, AT and de Sanctis Pecora, C and Marques, ER and Contin, L and de Almeida, CT and da Cunha, AL},
title = {Assessment of the Efficacy and Durability of IncobotulinumtoxinA in the Treatment of the Upper Face in Adult Women.},
journal = {Dermatology and therapy},
volume = {14},
number = {8},
pages = {2093-2108},
pmid = {38954382},
issn = {2193-8210},
support = {001/2022//Merz Pharmaceuticals/ ; },
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: IncobotulinumtoxinA (Xeomin®) is used in the treatment of dynamic wrinkles and the aesthetic repositioning of facial structures. The duration of its muscular effect typically extends for around 4 months. However, the residual aesthetic benefit can be observed for a longer period. To date, the long-term aesthetic benefit of incobotulinumtoxinA in facial aesthetics has not been systematically evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate longitudinally the duration and aesthetic benefits of incobotulinumtoxinA in the treatment of the upper face in adult women.

METHODS: A quasi-experimental, evaluator-blind, clinical trial involving 28 adult women (30-60 years old) with facial movement lines, undergoing treatment of the upper face with incobotulinumtoxinA by two injectors, following an individualized protocol (ONE21 and glabellar contraction patterns) was performed. Participants were evaluated on the day of the intervention (day 0) and days 30, 120, 180, and 240, and subjected to standardized photographs. The following outcomes were evaluated blindly at each visit: Merz Aesthetics Facial Contraction Scale (MAS), GAIS (Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale), and patient satisfaction. Adverse effects were evaluated at each visit.

RESULTS: Participants ranged in age from 30 to 60 years, 93% were self-declared white, and most of their baseline MAS scores for dynamic lines were moderate and severe. All the parameters presented significative reduction from baseline until day 180. At day 240, the dynamic MAS scores were lower than baseline for forehead lines in 15.4% (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.8-30.0%) of the participants, for glabellar lines in 38.5% (95% CI 18.8-58.1%), and for crow's feet lines in 26.9% (95% CI 9.0-44.8%). Aesthetic improvement compared to baseline was identified in 35% (CI 95% 23‒50%) of the participants at day 240, and 62% (CI 95% 42‒81%) of the sample kept reporting some satisfaction with the procedure.

CONCLUSION: The aesthetic treatment of the upper face with incobotulinumtoxinA demonstrates enduring clinical benefits, and patient satisfaction lasting up to 180 days in most participants. The length of efficacy, which exceeded those reported in the literature, may be attributed to the use of techniques based on individualized assessment such as ONE21 and glabellar patterns of contraction.},
}

@article {pmid38945195,
year = {2024},
author = {Desai, JK and Trangadia, BJ and Patel, UD and Patel, HB and Kalaria, VA and Kathiriya, JB},
title = {Reply to comment on "Neurotoxicity of 4-nonylphenol in adult zebrafish: Evaluation of behaviour, oxidative stress parameters and histopathology of brain" by Jay K. Desai. et al. [Environmental Pollution 334 (2023): 122206].},
journal = {Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)},
volume = {357},
number = {},
pages = {124441},
doi = {10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124441},
pmid = {38945195},
issn = {1873-6424},
mesh = {Animals ; *Phenols/toxicity ; *Zebrafish ; *Oxidative Stress/drug effects ; *Brain/drug effects/metabolism ; Behavior, Animal/drug effects ; Water Pollutants, Chemical/toxicity ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes ; },
}

Animals
*Phenols/toxicity
*Zebrafish
*Oxidative Stress/drug effects
*Brain/drug effects/metabolism
Behavior, Animal/drug effects
Water Pollutants, Chemical/toxicity
Neurotoxicity Syndromes

@article {pmid38927338,
year = {2024},
author = {Beauchamp, G and Barve, S},
title = {Gazing Strategies among Sentinels of a Cooperative Breeder Are Repeatable but Unrelated to Survival.},
journal = {Biology},
volume = {13},
number = {6},
pages = {},
pmid = {38927338},
issn = {2079-7737},
abstract = {Vigilance is a common behavioural adaptation to increase the chances of detecting predators before it is too late to escape. Behavioural traits are often repeatable among individuals over the long term, suggesting differences in personality. Earlier studies have documented individual consistency in the time allocated to vigilance. However, little is known about individual consistency in the ways vigilance is achieved from one moment to another and whether different patterns of vigilance among individuals are associated with survival. We aimed to determine whether sentinels of a cooperative breeder showed individual consistency in their vigilance and if individual variation was related to annual survival. During sentinel bouts from vantage points, Florida scrub-jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) turn their heads from side to side to monitor their surroundings. Over three field seasons, we found that the head-turning frequency was repeatable in breeders but not in juveniles or non-breeding helpers. The moderate repeatability in breeders was not related to survival. Our results suggest that the head-turning frequency in sentinels of the Florida scrub-jay is repeatable in breeders but not in less experienced juveniles or helpers and, therefore, likely becomes more repeatable as individuals age. The assumption that individual variation in vigilance is related to survival was unsupported in our study and requires further study.},
}

@article {pmid38921693,
year = {2024},
author = {Ma, Y and Yin, J and Xuan, H and Ren, X and He, J and Wang, T},
title = {Personality Traits and Family SES Moderate the Relationship between Media Multitasking and Reasoning Performance.},
journal = {Journal of Intelligence},
volume = {12},
number = {6},
pages = {},
pmid = {38921693},
issn = {2079-3200},
support = {32000761//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 20YJC880095//Humanities and Social Science Fund of Ministry of Education of China/ ; 2020FDD04//China Association of Higher Education/ ; },
abstract = {The prevalence of media multitasking has raised concerns regarding its potential impact on cognitive abilities. Despite increasing attention given to this topic, there remains no consensus on how media multitasking is related to cognitive performance. This study aims to shed light on this issue by examining whether and how personality traits and family socioeconomic status (SES) moderate the relationship between media multitasking and reasoning performance. To this end, a large sample of university students (n = 777) completed a battery of measures, including the Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices, the Media Multitasking Inventory, the Big Five Inventory, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, the Grit Scale, and the Family SES Questionnaire. Results revealed a negative correlation between media multitasking and reasoning performance. However, this relationship was substantially moderated by conscientiousness, extraversion, openness, and family SES. Specifically, media multitasking was more detrimental to reasoning performance among individuals with lower levels of conscientiousness, extraversion, openness, and family SES, whereas it was less detrimental to counterparts with higher levels of these personality traits and family SES. The proposed moderation model, for the first time, not only offers novel insights into the theoretical accounts regarding how media multitasking relates to cognitive abilities, but also identifies the protective factors that may buffer the negative impacts of media multitasking.},
}

@article {pmid38906144,
year = {2024},
author = {Harten, L and Chen, X and de Marcas, L and Rachum, A and Handel, M and Goldshtein, A and Levi, MF and Rosencwaig, S and Yovel, Y},
title = {Time-mapping and future-oriented behavior in free-ranging wild fruit bats.},
journal = {Current biology : CB},
volume = {34},
number = {13},
pages = {3005-3010.e4},
doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.046},
pmid = {38906144},
issn = {1879-0445},
mesh = {Animals ; *Chiroptera/physiology/psychology ; Feeding Behavior ; Male ; Female ; },
abstract = {Episodic memory and mental time travel have been viewed as uniquely human traits.[1][,][2][,][3] This view began to shift with the development of behavioral criteria to assess what is referred to as "episodic-like memory" in animals.[4][,][5] Key findings have ranged from evidence of what-where-when memory in scrub-jays, rats, and bees; through decision-making that impacts future foraging in frugivorous primates; to evidence of planning based on future needs in scrub-jays and tool use planning in great apes.[4][,][6][,][7][,][8][,][9][,][10][,][11][,][12][,][13] Field studies of these issues have been rare, though there is field-based evidence for future-oriented behaviors in primates.[8][,][10][,][14][,][15] We report evidence that free-ranging wild fruit bats rely on mental temporal maps and exhibit future-oriented behaviors when foraging. We tracked young bats as they navigated and foraged, documenting every tree they visited over many months. We prevented the bats from foraging outside for different time periods and monitored their foraging decisions, revealing that the bats map the spatiotemporal patterns of resources in their environment. Following a long period in captivity, the bats did not visit those trees that were no longer providing fruit. We show that this time-mapping ability requires experience and is lacking in inexperienced bats. Careful analysis of the bats' movement and foraging choices indicated that they plan which tree to visit while still in the colony, thus exhibiting future-oriented behavior and delayed gratification on a nightly basis. Our findings demonstrate how the need for spatiotemporal mental mapping can drive the evolution of high cognitive abilities that were previously considered exclusive to humans.},
}

Animals
*Chiroptera/physiology/psychology
Feeding Behavior
Male
Female

@article {pmid38889775,
year = {2024},
author = {Hashizume, A and Koda, R and Nakashima, Y},
title = {Infection risk associated with carnivore carcasses may govern trophic interactions between maggots and insectivorous passerine birds.},
journal = {Biology letters},
volume = {20},
number = {6},
pages = {20240069},
pmid = {38889775},
issn = {1744-957X},
support = {//Japan Society for the Promotion of Science/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Food Chain ; *Predatory Behavior ; *Passeriformes/physiology ; Raccoons/physiology ; Larva/physiology ; Japan ; Feeding Behavior ; },
abstract = {Infection risk by pathogenic agents motivates hosts to avoid using resources with high risks. This, in turn, results in increased availability of these resources for other species that are more tolerant of infections. For instance, carcasses of mammalian carnivores are frequently avoided by conspecific or closely related carnivores, allowing them to be almost exclusively used by maggots. This may lead to novel interactions with other species. This study investigated the consumption of maggots from carnivore carcasses by non-corvid passerines. We successfully monitored 66 raccoon carcasses in Hokkaido, Japan, from 2016 to 2019. Vertebrates only scavenged 14 carcasses before maggot dispersal; the other 52 carcasses produced abundant maggots that regularly fed at least 12 species of non-corvid passerines. Surprisingly, predation occurred at a distance from the carcasses, mainly after maggot dispersal for pupation, despite the higher efficiency of feeding on maggot masses on the carcasses. Birds are likely to reduce the potential risk of infection from the carcass and/or from maggots on the carcasses. Overall, only 1% of maggots were consumed. Our results suggest that necrophagous flies could benefit from the infection risk associated with carnivore carcasses, which may decrease scavenging by other carnivores and constrain maggot consumption by insectivorous birds.},
}

Animals
*Food Chain
*Predatory Behavior
*Passeriformes/physiology
Raccoons/physiology
Larva/physiology
Japan
Feeding Behavior

@article {pmid38865769,
year = {2024},
author = {Graziosi, G and Lupini, C and Favera, FD and Martini, G and Dosa, G and Trevisani, G and Garavini, G and Mannelli, A and Catelli, E},
title = {Characterizing the domestic-wild bird interface through camera traps in an area at risk for avian influenza introduction in Northern Italy.},
journal = {Poultry science},
volume = {103},
number = {8},
pages = {103892},
pmid = {38865769},
issn = {1525-3171},
mesh = {Animals ; *Influenza in Birds/epidemiology/virology ; Italy/epidemiology ; *Animals, Wild ; Poultry Diseases/epidemiology/virology ; Chickens ; Birds ; },
abstract = {Direct or indirect interactions between sympatric wildlife and poultry can lead to interspecies disease transmission. Particularly, avian influenza (AI) is a viral epidemic disease for which the poultry-wild bird interface shapes the risks of new viral introductions into poultry holdings. Given this background, the study hereby presented aimed to identify wild bird species in poultry house surroundings and characterize the spatiotemporal patterns of these visits. Eight camera traps were deployed for a year (January to December 2021) in 3 commercial chicken layer farms, including free-range and barn-type setups, located in a densely populated poultry area in Northern Italy at high risk for AI introduction via wild birds. Camera traps' positions were chosen based on wildlife signs identified during preliminary visits to the establishments studied. Various methods, including time series analysis, correspondence analysis, and generalized linear models, were employed to analyze the daily wild bird visits. A total of 1,958 camera trap days yielded 5,978 videos of wild birds from 27 different species and 16 taxonomic families. The animals were predominantly engaged in foraging activities nearby poultry houses. Eurasian magpies (Pica pica), ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus), and Eurasian collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto) were the most frequent visitors. Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), an AI reservoir species, were observed only in a farm located next to a fishing sport lake. Time series analysis indicated that wild bird visits increased during spring and winter. Farm and camera trap location also influenced visit frequencies. Overall, the results highlighted specific species that could be prioritized for future AI epidemiological surveys. However, further research is required to assess their susceptibility and infectivity to currently circulating AI viruses, essential for identifying novel bridge hosts.},
}

Animals
*Influenza in Birds/epidemiology/virology
Italy/epidemiology
*Animals, Wild
Poultry Diseases/epidemiology/virology
Chickens
Birds

@article {pmid38859176,
year = {2024},
author = {Aslan, B and Franchi, R and Biasi, S and Ali, S and Pavesi, L},
title = {On the spectral response of a taiji-CROW device.},
journal = {Optics express},
volume = {32},
number = {9},
pages = {15177-15198},
doi = {10.1364/OE.514629},
pmid = {38859176},
issn = {1094-4087},
abstract = {Physical systems with topological properties are robust against disorder. However, implementing them in integrated photonic devices is challenging because of the various fabrication imperfections and/or limitations that affect the spectral response of their building blocks. One such feature is strong backscattering due to the surface wall roughness of the waveguides, which can flip the propagating modes to counterpropagating modes and destroy the desired topological behavior. Here, we report a study on modeling, designing and testing an integrated photonic structure based on a sequence of two taiji microresonators coupled with a middle link microresonator (a taiji-CROW device, where CROW stands for coupled resonator optical waveguides). Our study provides design constraints to preserve the ideal operation of the structure by quantifying a minimum ratio between the coupling coefficients and the backscattering coefficients. This ratio is valuable to avoid surface roughness problems in designing topological integrated photonic devices based on arrays of microresonators.},
}

@article {pmid38835280,
year = {2024},
author = {Speechley, EM and Ashton, BJ and Thornton, A and King, SL and Simmons, LW and Woodiss-Field, SL and Ridley, AR},
title = {Aggressive interactions influence cognitive performance in Western Australian magpies.},
journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences},
volume = {291},
number = {2024},
pages = {20240435},
pmid = {38835280},
issn = {1471-2954},
mesh = {Animals ; *Cognition ; *Social Behavior ; Western Australia ; *Aggression ; Male ; Passeriformes/physiology ; Female ; },
abstract = {Extensive research has investigated the relationship between the social environment and cognition, suggesting that social complexity may drive cognitive evolution and development. However, evidence for this relationship remains equivocal. Group size is often used as a measure of social complexity, but this may not capture intraspecific variation in social interactions. Social network analysis can provide insight into the cognitively demanding challenges associated with group living at the individual level. Here, we use social networks to investigate whether the cognitive performance of wild Western Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis) is related to group size and individual social connectedness. We quantified social connectedness using four interaction types: proximity, affiliative, agonistic and vocal. Consistent with previous research on this species, individuals in larger groups performed better on an associative learning task. However, social network position was also related to cognitive performance. Individuals receiving aggressive interactions performed better, while those involved in aggressive interactions with more group members performed worse. Overall, this suggests that cognitive performance is related to specific types of social interaction. The findings from this study highlight the value of considering fine-grained metrics of sociality that capture the challenges associated with social life when testing the relationship between the social environment and cognition.},
}

Animals
*Cognition
*Social Behavior
Western Australia
*Aggression
Male
Passeriformes/physiology
Female

@article {pmid38826666,
year = {2024},
author = {Tozzi, A and Peters, JF},
title = {Towards a single parameter for the assessment of EEG oscillations.},
journal = {Cognitive neurodynamics},
volume = {18},
number = {3},
pages = {1209-1214},
pmid = {38826666},
issn = {1871-4080},
abstract = {The single macroscopic flow on the boundary of a closed curve equals the sum of the countless microscopic flows in the enclosed area. According to the dictates of the Green's theorem, the counterclockwise movements on the border of a two-dimensional shape must equal all the counterclockwise movements taking place inside the shape. This mathematical approach might be useful to analyse neuroscientific data sets for its potential capability to describe the whole cortical activity in terms of electric flows occurring in peripheral brain areas. Given a map of raw EEG data to coloured ovals in which different colours stand for different amplitudes, the theorem suggests that the sum of the electric amplitudes measured inside every oval equals the amplitudes measured just on the oval's edge. This means that the collection of the vector fields detected from the scalp can be described by a novel, single parameter summarizing the counterclockwise electric flow detected in the outer electrodes. To evaluate the predictive power of this parameter, in a pilot study we investigated EEG traces from ten young females performing Raven's intelligence tests of various complexity, from easy tasks (n = 5) to increasingly complex tasks (n = 5). Despite the seemingly unpredictable behavior of EEG electric amplitudes, the novel parameter proved to be a valuable tool to to discriminate between the two groups and detect hidden, statistically significant differences. We conclude that the application of this promising parameter could be expanded to assess also data sets extracted from neurotechniques other than EEG.},
}

@article {pmid38788911,
year = {2024},
author = {Novčić, I and Mikula, P},
title = {Nearest neighbour distance does not affect escape behaviour in urban hooded crows.},
journal = {Behavioural processes},
volume = {219},
number = {},
pages = {105057},
doi = {10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105057},
pmid = {38788911},
issn = {1872-8308},
mesh = {*Crows/physiology ; Animals ; *Escape Reaction/physiology ; Behavior, Animal/physiology ; Male ; Feeding Behavior/physiology ; Female ; },
abstract = {The nearest-neighbour distance is an important property of a group, as individuals can obtain environmental information more quickly and easily from nearby individuals. We examined whether distance to the nearest neighbour affected two components of escape behaviour - alert distance (AD) and flight initiation distance (FID) - in an urban population of hooded crows Corvus cornix, while controlling for confounding variables. We did not find evidence that AD and FID were influenced by the nearest neighbour distance. However, both AD and FID were negatively affected by feeding activity of individuals - focal crows alerted later and escaped at shorter distance if they were feeding during our approach. In addition, AD and FID were positively related to starting distance and grass coverage. The lack of evidence for the nearest neighbour effect on escape behaviour of crows may be due to: (1) disturbance by close neighbours that may impede antipredator behaviour of focal birds, (2) variable distribution of familiar, dominant or experienced individuals within a flock, and (3) dynamic change in position of the nearest neighbour during the potential predator approach.},
}

*Crows/physiology
Animals
*Escape Reaction/physiology
Behavior, Animal/physiology
Male
Feeding Behavior/physiology
Female

@article {pmid38783132,
year = {2024},
author = {Lenharo, M},
title = {These crows have counting skills previously only seen in people.},
journal = {Nature},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {38783132},
issn = {1476-4687},
}

@article {pmid38781375,
year = {2024},
author = {Liao, DA and Brecht, KF and Veit, L and Nieder, A},
title = {Crows "count" the number of self-generated vocalizations.},
journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)},
volume = {384},
number = {6698},
pages = {874-877},
doi = {10.1126/science.adl0984},
pmid = {38781375},
issn = {1095-9203},
mesh = {Animals ; Acoustics ; *Crows/physiology ; Cues ; *Vocalization, Animal ; },
abstract = {Producing a specific number of vocalizations with purpose requires a sophisticated combination of numerical abilities and vocal control. Whether this capacity exists in animals other than humans is yet unknown. We show that crows can flexibly produce variable numbers of one to four vocalizations in response to arbitrary cues associated with numerical values. The acoustic features of the first vocalization of a sequence were predictive of the total number of vocalizations, indicating a planning process. Moreover, the acoustic features of vocal units predicted their order in the sequence and could be used to read out counting errors during vocal production.},
}

Animals
Acoustics
*Crows/physiology
Cues
*Vocalization, Animal

@article {pmid38777168,
year = {2024},
author = {Wascher, CAF and Hillemann, F},
title = {Observation of female-male mounting in the carrion crow.},
journal = {Behavioural processes},
volume = {219},
number = {},
pages = {105055},
doi = {10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105055},
pmid = {38777168},
issn = {1872-8308},
mesh = {Animals ; *Crows/physiology ; Female ; Male ; *Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology ; Social Behavior ; Copulation/physiology ; },
abstract = {In the biological sciences, sexual behaviours in non-human animals are traditionally investigated in the context of reproduction and direct fitness benefits. While the evolutionary functions of non-conceptive sexual behaviours ('socio-sexual behaviours') remain less well explored, these interactions and displays have been suggested to be important for shaping and maintaining social relationships. Here, we report an observation of a captive female carrion crow, Corvus corone corone, mounting her co-housed male partner. We highlight the importance of more systematic research, reporting, and discussions of rarely observed behaviours in social evolution research, including considerations for behaviours that transcend binary or heteronormative frameworks, for a more comprehensive understanding of non-conceptive socio-sexual behaviours.},
}

Animals
*Crows/physiology
Female
Male
*Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology
Social Behavior
Copulation/physiology

@article {pmid38768208,
year = {2024},
author = {Broad, HR and Dibnah, AJ and Smith, AE and Thornton, A},
title = {Anthropogenic disturbance affects calling and collective behaviour in corvid roosts.},
journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences},
volume = {379},
number = {1905},
pages = {20230185},
pmid = {38768208},
issn = {1471-2970},
support = {//Leverhulme Trust/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Vocalization, Animal ; *Crows/physiology ; *Noise ; *Social Behavior ; Anthropogenic Effects ; Human Activities ; },
abstract = {Acoustic communication plays an important role in coordinating group dynamics and collective movements across a range of taxa. However, anthropogenic disturbance can inhibit the production or reception of acoustic signals. Here, we investigate the effects of noise and light pollution on the calling and collective behaviour of wild jackdaws (Corvus monedula), a highly social corvid species that uses vocalizations to coordinate collective movements at winter roosting sites. Using audio and video monitoring of roosts in areas with differing degrees of urbanization, we evaluate the influence of anthropogenic disturbance on vocalizations and collective movements. We found that when levels of background noise were higher, jackdaws took longer to settle following arrival at the roost in the evening and also called more during the night, suggesting that human disturbance may cause sleep disruption. High levels of overnight calling were, in turn, linked to disruption of vocal consensus decision-making and less cohesive group departures in the morning. These results raise the possibility that, by affecting cognitive and perceptual processes, human activities may interfere with animals' ability to coordinate collective behaviour. Understanding links between anthropogenic disturbance, communication, cognition and collective behaviour must be an important research priority in our increasingly urbanized world. This article is part of the theme issue 'The power of sound: unravelling how acoustic communication shapes group dynamics'.},
}

Animals
*Vocalization, Animal
*Crows/physiology
*Noise
*Social Behavior
Anthropogenic Effects
Human Activities

@article {pmid38768205,
year = {2024},
author = {Walsh, SL and Townsend, SW and Engesser, S and Ridley, AR},
title = {Call combination production is linked to the social environment in Western Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis).},
journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences},
volume = {379},
number = {1905},
pages = {20230198},
pmid = {38768205},
issn = {1471-2970},
support = {//Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment/ ; //Ecological Society of Australia Incorporated/ ; //Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Vocalization, Animal ; Western Australia ; Social Environment ; Social Behavior ; Male ; Passeriformes/physiology ; Female ; Songbirds/physiology ; },
abstract = {It has recently become clear that some language-specific traits previously thought to be unique to humans (such as the capacity to combine sounds) are widespread in the animal kingdom. Despite the increase in studies documenting the presence of call combinations in non-human animals, factors promoting this vocal trait are unclear. One leading hypothesis proposes that communicative complexity co-evolved with social complexity owing to the need to transmit a diversity of information to a wider range of social partners. The Western Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis) provides a unique model to investigate this proposed link because it is a group-living, vocal learning species that is capable of multi-level combinatoriality (independently produced calls contain vocal segments and comprise combinations). Here, we compare variations in the production of call combinations across magpie groups ranging in size from 2 to 11 birds. We found that callers in larger groups give call combinations: (i) in greater diversity and (ii) more frequently than callers in smaller groups. Significantly, these observations support the hypothesis that combinatorial complexity may be related to social complexity in an open-ended vocal learner, providing an important step in understanding the role that sociality may have played in the development of vocal combinatorial complexity. This article is part of the theme issue 'The power of sound: unravelling how acoustic communication shapes group dynamics'.},
}

Animals
*Vocalization, Animal
Western Australia
Social Environment
Social Behavior
Male
Passeriformes/physiology
Female
Songbirds/physiology

@article {pmid38758592,
year = {2024},
author = {Erker, TD and Arif, Y and John, JA and Embury, CM and Kress, KA and Springer, SD and Okelberry, HJ and McDonald, KM and Picci, G and Wiesman, AI and Wilson, TW},
title = {Neuromodulatory effects of parietal high-definition transcranial direct-current stimulation on network-level activity serving fluid intelligence.},
journal = {The Journal of physiology},
volume = {602},
number = {12},
pages = {2917-2930},
pmid = {38758592},
issn = {1469-7793},
support = {F30 AG076259/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; P20 GM144641/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; P20-GM144641//HHS | National Institutes of Health (NIH)/ ; F30-AG076259//HHS | National Institutes of Health (NIH)/ ; R01 MH116782/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; RF1 MH117032/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; S10 OD028751/OD/NIH HHS/United States ; S10-OD028751//HHS | National Institutes of Health (NIH)/ ; RF1-MH117032//HHS | National Institutes of Health (NIH)/ ; F32-NS119375//HHS | National Institutes of Health (NIH)/ ; R01-MH116782//HHS | National Institutes of Health (NIH)/ ; F32 NS119375/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Humans ; *Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation/methods ; Adult ; *Parietal Lobe/physiology ; Male ; Female ; *Intelligence/physiology ; Young Adult ; Nerve Net/physiology ; Magnetoencephalography/methods ; },
abstract = {Fluid intelligence (Gf) involves rational thinking skills and requires the integration of information from different cortical regions to resolve novel complex problems. The effects of non-invasive brain stimulation on Gf have been studied in attempts to improve Gf, but such studies are rare and the few existing have reached conflicting conclusions. The parieto-frontal integration theory of intelligence (P-FIT) postulates that the parietal and frontal lobes play a critical role in Gf. To investigate the suggested role of parietal cortices, we applied high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) to the left and right parietal cortices of 39 healthy adults (age 19-33 years) for 20 min in three separate sessions (left active, right active and sham). After completing the stimulation session, the participants completed a logical reasoning task based on Raven's Progressive Matrices during magnetoencephalography. Significant neural responses at the sensor level across all stimulation conditions were imaged using a beamformer. Whole-brain, spectrally constrained functional connectivity was then computed to examine the network-level activity. Behaviourally, we found that participants were significantly more accurate following left compared to right parietal stimulation. Regarding neural findings, we found significant HD-tDCS montage-related effects in brain networks thought to be critical for P-FIT, including parieto-occipital, fronto-occipital, fronto-parietal and occipito-cerebellar connectivity during task performance. In conclusion, our findings showed that left parietal stimulation improved abstract reasoning abilities relative to right parietal stimulation and support both P-FIT and the neural efficiency hypothesis. KEY POINTS: Abstract reasoning is a critical component of fluid intelligence and is known to be served by multispectral oscillatory activity in the fronto-parietal cortices. Recent studies have aimed to improve abstract reasoning abilities and fluid intelligence overall through behavioural training, but the results have been mixed. High-definition transcranial direct-current stimulation (HD-tDCS) applied to the parietal cortices modulated task performance and neural oscillations during abstract reasoning. Left parietal stimulation resulted in increased accuracy and decreased functional connectivity between occipital regions and frontal, parietal, and cerebellar regions. Future studies should investigate whether HD-tDCS alters abstract reasoning abilities in those who exhibit declines in performance, such as healthy ageing populations.},
}

Humans
*Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation/methods
Adult
*Parietal Lobe/physiology
Male
Female
*Intelligence/physiology
Young Adult
Nerve Net/physiology
Magnetoencephalography/methods

@article {pmid38729409,
year = {2024},
author = {Espinoza, MJ and Laviada, I and Taberner Cerezo, A and Luna, Á and Gil-Delgado, JA and Bernat-Ponce, E},
title = {Do birds select the plastics debris used for nest construction? A case study in a Mediterranean agricultural landscape.},
journal = {Environmental research},
volume = {255},
number = {},
pages = {119117},
doi = {10.1016/j.envres.2024.119117},
pmid = {38729409},
issn = {1096-0953},
mesh = {Animals ; *Plastics/analysis ; *Nesting Behavior ; *Agriculture ; Spain ; Waste Products/analysis ; Passeriformes ; Environmental Monitoring ; },
abstract = {Plastic pollution is becoming a global problem due to its ubiquitous occurrence and the impacts detected for many species. However, the research about plastics in nests of terrestrial bird species has remained relatively overlooked in comparison to those devoted to marine ecosystems. Here we study the occurrence and patterns of use of anthropogenic material in nests of two passerine birds, the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica) and the European serin (Serinus serinus), breeding in an orange tree cultivation in Mediterranean Spain. Our results show that both species use extensively plastic debris as nest material; almost 71% of the European serin nests and 96% of nests of Eurasian magpies contained plastic debris. Furthermore, by analyzing the plastic debris availability in the agricultural landscape surveyed we confirmed a selection pattern in the two species. Thus, both species preferably select plastic filaments over other plastic debris. The Eurasian magpie does not select plastic based on size or color but the European serin avoid black plastics prefer smaller fragments in comparison to the average size available. Moreover, we suggest the apparent similarity of plastic filaments with the natural materials typically used by these species, as well as how they use the plastic in their nests could influence their selection behavior. More studies focused on terrestrial birds inhabiting human modified habitats could offer a deeper approach to how plastic debris interacts with wildlife in different ways.},
}

Animals
*Plastics/analysis
*Nesting Behavior
*Agriculture
Spain
Waste Products/analysis
Passeriformes
Environmental Monitoring

@article {pmid38722645,
year = {2024},
author = {Driscoll, RMH and Beaudry, FEG and Cosgrove, EJ and Bowman, R and Fitzpatrick, JW and Schoech, SJ and Chen, N},
title = {Allele frequency dynamics under sex-biased demography and sex-specific inheritance in a pedigreed jay population.},
journal = {Genetics},
volume = {227},
number = {3},
pages = {},
pmid = {38722645},
issn = {1943-2631},
support = {R35 GM133412/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; //National Science Foundation/ ; /NH/NIH HHS/United States ; 1939268//NSF Graduate Research Fellowship/ ; 2109639//NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship/ ; },
mesh = {Male ; Female ; *Gene Frequency ; Animals ; *Pedigree ; Models, Genetic ; },
abstract = {Sex-biased demography, including sex-biased survival or migration, can alter allele frequency changes across the genome. In particular, we can expect different patterns of genetic variation on autosomes and sex chromosomes due to sex-specific differences in life histories, as well as differences in effective population size, transmission modes, and the strength and mode of selection. Here, we demonstrate the role that sex differences in life history played in shaping short-term evolutionary dynamics across the genome. We used a 25-year pedigree and genomic dataset from a long-studied population of Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) to directly characterize the relative roles of sex-biased demography and inheritance in shaping genome-wide allele frequency trajectories. We used gene dropping simulations to estimate individual genetic contributions to future generations and to model drift and immigration on the known pedigree. We quantified differential expected genetic contributions of males and females over time, showing the impact of sex-biased dispersal in a monogamous system. Due to female-biased dispersal, more autosomal variation is introduced by female immigrants. However, due to male-biased transmission, more Z variation is introduced by male immigrants. Finally, we partitioned the proportion of variance in allele frequency change through time due to male and female contributions. Overall, most allele frequency change is due to variance in survival and births. Males and females make similar contributions to autosomal allele frequency change, but males make higher contributions to allele frequency change on the Z chromosome. Our work shows the importance of understanding sex-specific demographic processes in characterizing genome-wide allele frequency change in wild populations.},
}

Male
Female
*Gene Frequency
Animals
*Pedigree
Models, Genetic

@article {pmid38701068,
year = {2024},
author = {Stefanova, V and Scheepers, C and Wilson, P and Papageorgiou, KA},
title = {Grandiose narcissism associates with higher cognitive performance under stress through more efficient attention distribution: An eye-tracking study.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {19},
number = {5},
pages = {e0302644},
pmid = {38701068},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Humans ; Male ; Female ; *Narcissism ; *Cognition/physiology ; Adult ; *Attention/physiology ; Young Adult ; Eye-Tracking Technology ; Stress, Psychological ; Adolescent ; Self Concept ; },
abstract = {Narcissism is a part of the Dark Triad that consists also of the traits of Machiavellianism and psychopathy. Two main types of narcissism exist: grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. Being a Dark Triad trait, narcissism is typically associated with negative outcomes. However, recent research suggests that at least the grandiose type may be linked (directly or indirectly) to positive outcomes including lower levels of psychopathology, higher school grades in adolescents, deeper and more strategic learning in university students and higher cognitive performance in experimental settings. The current pre-registered, quasi-experimental study implemented eye-tracking to assess whether grandiose narcissism indirectly predicts cognitive performance through wider distribution of attention on the Raven's Progressive Matrices task. Fifty-four adults completed measures of the Dark Triad, self-esteem and psychopathology. Eight months to one year later, participants completed the Raven's, while their eye-movements were monitored during high stress conditions. When controlling for previous levels of psychopathology, grandiose narcissism predicted higher Raven's scores indirectly, through increased variability in the number of fixations across trials. These findings suggest that grandiose narcissism predicts higher cognitive performance, at least in experimental settings, and call for further research to understand the implications of this seemingly dark trait for performance across various settings.},
}

Humans
Male
Female
*Narcissism
*Cognition/physiology
Adult
*Attention/physiology
Young Adult
Eye-Tracking Technology
Stress, Psychological
Adolescent
Self Concept

@article {pmid38689546,
year = {2024},
author = {Storms, RF and Carere, C and Musters, R and Hulst, R and Verhulst, S and Hemelrijk, CK},
title = {A robotic falcon induces similar collective escape responses in different bird species.},
journal = {Journal of the Royal Society, Interface},
volume = {21},
number = {214},
pages = {20230737},
pmid = {38689546},
issn = {1742-5662},
support = {//Dutch Research Council (NWO)/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Escape Reaction/physiology ; *Falconiformes/physiology ; *Robotics ; Predatory Behavior/physiology ; Birds/physiology ; Species Specificity ; },
abstract = {Patterns of collective escape of a bird flock from a predator are fascinating, but difficult to study under natural conditions because neither prey nor predator is under experimental control. We resolved this problem by using an artificial predator (RobotFalcon) resembling a peregrine falcon in morphology and behaviour. We imitated hunts by chasing flocks of corvids, gulls, starlings and lapwings with the RobotFalcon, and compared their patterns of collective escape to those when chased by a conventional drone and, in case of starlings, hunted by wild peregrine falcons. Active pursuit of flocks, rather than only flying nearby by either the RobotFalcon or the drone, made flocks collectively escape more often. The RobotFalcon elicited patterns of collective escape in flocks of all species more often than the drone. Attack altitude did not affect the frequency of collective escape. Starlings escaped collectively equally often when chased by the RobotFalcon or a wild peregrine falcon. Flocks of all species reacted most often by collective turns, second most often by compacting and third by splitting into subflocks. This study demonstrates the potential of an artificial aerial predator for studying the collective escape behaviour of free-living birds, opening exciting avenues in the empirical study of prey-predator interactions.},
}

Animals
*Escape Reaction/physiology
*Falconiformes/physiology
*Robotics
Predatory Behavior/physiology
Birds/physiology
Species Specificity

@article {pmid38683398,
year = {2024},
author = {Smirnova, AA and Bulgakova, LR and Cheplakova, MA and Jelbert, SA},
title = {Hooded crows (Corvus cornix) manufacture objects relative to a mental template.},
journal = {Animal cognition},
volume = {27},
number = {1},
pages = {36},
pmid = {38683398},
issn = {1435-9456},
support = {No. 23-28-00364//Russian Science Foundation Project/ ; No. 23-28-00364//Russian Science Foundation Project/ ; No. 23-28-00364//Russian Science Foundation Project/ ; },
mesh = {*Crows ; Animals ; *Tool Use Behavior ; Female ; Male ; Reward ; Cognition ; },
abstract = {It was recently found that not only tool-specialized New Caledonian crows, but also Goffin cockatoos can manufacture physical objects in accordance with a mental template. That is, they can emulate features of existing objects when they manufacture new items. Both species spontaneously ripped pieces of card into large strips if they had previously learned that a large template was rewarded, and small strips when they previously learned that a small template was rewarded. Among New Caledonian crows, this cognitive ability was suggested as a potential mechanism underlying the transmission of natural tool designs. Here, we tested for the same ability in another non-specialised tool user-Hooded crows (Corvus cornix). Crows were exposed to pre-made template objects, varying first in colour and then in size, and were rewarded only if they chose pre-made objects that matched the template. In subsequent tests, birds were given the opportunity to manufacture versions of these objects. All three crows ripped paper pieces from the same colour material as the rewarded template, and, crucially, also manufactured objects that were more similar in size to previously rewarded, than unrewarded, templates, despite the birds being rewarded at random in both tests. Therefore, we found the ability to manufacture physical objects relative to a mental template in yet another bird species not specialized in using or making foraging tools in the wild, but with a high level of brain and cognitive development.},
}

*Crows
Animals
*Tool Use Behavior
Female
Male
Reward
Cognition

@article {pmid38656932,
year = {2024},
author = {Sutton, AO and Strickland, D and Lachapelle, J and Young, RG and Hanner, R and Brunton, DF and Skevington, JH and Freeman, NE and Norris, DR},
title = {Fecal DNA metabarcoding helps characterize the Canada jay's diet and confirms its reliance on stored food for winter survival and breeding.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {19},
number = {4},
pages = {e0300583},
pmid = {38656932},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Animals ; *Seasons ; *Feces/chemistry ; *Diet ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic/methods ; Passeriformes/physiology ; Feeding Behavior ; Breeding ; Canada ; DNA/analysis/genetics ; },
abstract = {Accurately determining the diet of wild animals can be challenging if food items are small, visible only briefly, or rendered visually unidentifiable in the digestive system. In some food caching species, an additional challenge is determining whether consumed diet items have been previously stored or are fresh. The Canada jay (Perisoreus canadensis) is a generalist resident of North American boreal and subalpine forests with anatomical and behavioural adaptations allowing it to make thousands of arboreal food caches in summer and fall that are presumably responsible for its high winter survival and late winter/early spring breeding. We used DNA fecal metabarcoding to obtain novel information on nestling diets and compiled a dataset of 662 published and unpublished direct observations or stomach contents identifications of natural foods consumed by Canada jays throughout the year. We then used detailed natural history information to make informed decisions on whether each item identified to species in the diets of winter adults and nestlings was best characterized as 'likely cached', 'likely fresh' (i.e., was available as a non-cached item when it appeared in a jay's feces or stomach), or 'either possible'. Of the 87 food items consumed by adults in the winter, 39% were classified as 'likely cached' and 6% were deemed to be 'likely fresh'. For nestlings, 29% of 125 food items identified to species were 'likely cached' and 38% were 'likely fresh'. Our results support both the indispensability of cached food for Canada jay winter survival and previous suggestions that cached food is important for late winter/early spring breeding. Our work highlights the value of combining metabarcoding, stomach contents analysis, and direct observations to determine the cached vs. non-cached origins of consumed food items and the identity of food caches, some of which could be especially vulnerable to degradation through climate change.},
}

Animals
*Seasons
*Feces/chemistry
*Diet
DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic/methods
Passeriformes/physiology
Feeding Behavior
Breeding
Canada
DNA/analysis/genetics

@article {pmid38640235,
year = {2024},
author = {Zhang, C and Jia, B and Zhu, Y and Zhu, SC},
title = {Human-level few-shot concept induction through minimax entropy learning.},
journal = {Science advances},
volume = {10},
number = {16},
pages = {eadg2488},
pmid = {38640235},
issn = {2375-2548},
abstract = {Humans learn concepts both from labeled supervision and by unsupervised observation of patterns, a process machines are being taught to mimic by training on large annotated datasets-a method quite different from the human pathway, wherein few examples with no supervision suffice to induce an unfamiliar relational concept. We introduce a computational model designed to emulate human inductive reasoning on abstract reasoning tasks, such as those in IQ tests, using a minimax entropy approach. This method combines identifying the most effective constraints on data via minimum entropy with determining the best combination of them via maximum entropy. Our model, which applies this unsupervised technique, induces concepts from just one instance, reaching human-level performance on tasks of Raven's Progressive Matrices (RPM), Machine Number Sense (MNS), and Odd-One-Out (O[3]). These results demonstrate the potential of minimax entropy learning for enabling machines to learn relational concepts efficiently with minimal input.},
}

@article {pmid38622257,
year = {2024},
author = {Schumm, YR and Lederer-Ponzer, N and Masello, JF and Quillfeldt, P},
title = {High prevalence of haemosporidian parasites in Eurasian jays.},
journal = {Parasitology research},
volume = {123},
number = {4},
pages = {182},
pmid = {38622257},
issn = {1432-1955},
support = {LOEWE priority project Nature 4.0 - Sensing Biodiversity//Hessen State Ministry for Higher Education, Research and the Arts/ ; },
mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Parasites ; Prevalence ; DNA, Protozoan ; Phylogeny ; *Songbirds ; *Passeriformes ; *Haemosporida/genetics ; *Bird Diseases/epidemiology/parasitology ; *Protozoan Infections, Animal/epidemiology/parasitology ; },
abstract = {Avian haemosporidians are vector-borne parasites, infecting a great variety of birds. The order Passeriformes has the highest average infection probability; nevertheless, some common species of Passeriformes have been rather poorly studied. We investigated haemosporidians in one such species, the Eurasian jay Garrulus glandarius (Corvidae), from a forest population in Hesse, Central Germany. All individuals were infected with at least one haemosporidian genus (overall prevalence: 100%). The most common infection pattern was a mixed Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon infection, whereas no Plasmodium infection was detected. Results on lineage diversity indicate a rather pronounced host-specificity of Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon lineages infecting birds of the family Corvidae.},
}

Humans
Animals
*Parasites
Prevalence
DNA, Protozoan
Phylogeny
*Songbirds
*Passeriformes
*Haemosporida/genetics
*Bird Diseases/epidemiology/parasitology
*Protozoan Infections, Animal/epidemiology/parasitology

@article {pmid38583936,
year = {2024},
author = {Hu, B and Wang, JM and Zhang, QX and Xu, J and Xing, YN and Wang, B and Han, SY and He, HX},
title = {Enterococcus faecalis provides protection during scavenging in carrion crow (Corvus corone).},
journal = {Zoological research},
volume = {45},
number = {3},
pages = {451-463},
pmid = {38583936},
issn = {2095-8137},
mesh = {Animals ; Mice ; *Crows ; Enterococcus faecalis ; Ecosystem ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; Feeding Behavior ; Birds ; },
abstract = {The gut microbiota significantly influences host physiology and provides essential ecosystem services. While diet can affect the composition of the gut microbiota, the gut microbiota can also help the host adapt to specific dietary habits. The carrion crow (Corvus corone), an urban facultative scavenger bird, hosts an abundance of pathogens due to its scavenging behavior. Despite this, carrion crows infrequently exhibit illness, a phenomenon related to their unique physiological adaptability. At present, however, the role of the gut microbiota remains incompletely understood. In this study, we performed a comparative analysis using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing technology to assess colonic content in carrion crows and 16 other bird species with different diets in Beijing, China. Our findings revealed that the dominant gut microbiota in carrion crows was primarily composed of Proteobacteria (75.51%) and Firmicutes (22.37%). Significant differences were observed in the relative abundance of Enterococcus faecalis among groups, highlighting its potential as a biomarker of facultative scavenging behavior in carrion crows. Subsequently, E. faecalis isolated from carrion crows was transplanted into model mice to explore the protective effects of this bacterial community against Salmonella enterica infection. Results showed that E. faecalis down-regulated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and interleukin 6 (IL-6), prevented S. enterica colonization, and regulated the composition of gut microbiota in mice, thereby modulating the host's immune regulatory capacity. Therefore, E. faecalis exerts immunoregulatory and anti-pathogenic functions in carrion crows engaged in scavenging behavior, offering a representative case of how the gut microbiota contributes to the protection of hosts with specialized diets.},
}

Animals
Mice
*Crows
Enterococcus faecalis
Ecosystem
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
Feeding Behavior
Birds

@article {pmid38557350,
year = {2024},
author = {Wang, Z and Mayer, CH and Li, J},
title = {A psychobiographical analysis of Empress Dowager Cixi: exploring the femininity castrated complex.},
journal = {International review of psychiatry (Abingdon, England)},
volume = {36},
number = {1-2},
pages = {56-68},
doi = {10.1080/09540261.2023.2274934},
pmid = {38557350},
issn = {1369-1627},
mesh = {Female ; Humans ; Animals ; *Femininity ; *Chickens ; },
abstract = {In Chinese culture, there is a widely circulated phrase, 'A hen crows in the morning'. This phrase is used to humiliate women who steal power and engage in the political field. It demonstrates the complicated relationship between women and power in the context of Chinese culture. Women are not completely excluded from the politics, but women in power are often stigmatised. This study explores the life of Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908), the last female dominator in Chinese history, takes psychobiography as the research method, and attempts to understand the complicated relationship between women and power in Chinese culture through analysing Cixi's life from the perspective of complex and cultural complex theory which originated with C.G. Jung and analytical theory. The research findings show that humiliating and suppressing women with political talent can trigger their complexes, both personal and cultural. This study attempts to propose the femininity castrated complex to better describe the conscious and unconscious psychological dynamics impacting on women within patriarchal, political Chinese culture. This complex further relates to (1) denying her biological sex in order to avoid accusations of superego and, (2) the relationship with her son who is not only her son, but also her enemy regarding (political) power.},
}

Female
Humans
Animals
*Femininity
*Chickens

@article {pmid38553766,
year = {2024},
author = {Chambon, R and Paillisson, JM and Fournier-Sowinski, J and Dugravot, S},
title = {Agricultural habitat use and selection by a sedentary bird over its annual life cycle in a crop-depredation context.},
journal = {Movement ecology},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {26},
pmid = {38553766},
issn = {2051-3933},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Modern agriculture has undoubtedly led to increasing wildlife-human conflicts, notably concerning bird damage in productive and attractive crops during some parts of the annual cycle. This issue requires utmost attention for sedentary birds that may impact agricultural crops at any stage of their annual life cycle. Reducing bird-human conflicts requires a better understanding of the relationship between bird foraging activity and the characteristics of agricultural areas, notably with respect to changes in food-resource availability and crop sensitivity across the year.

METHODS: We explored how GPS-tagged adult male western jackdaws- sedentary corvids- utilize agricultural areas throughout their annual cycle, in a context of crop depredation. More precisely, we described their daily occurrence distribution and the extent of habitat use and selection consistency with respect to landscape composition across time.

RESULTS: Jackdaws moved in the close agricultural surroundings of their urban nesting place over the year (< 2.5 km from the nest, on average). Daily occurrence distributions were restricted (< 2.2 km[2]), relatively centered on the nesting locality (distance between the daily occurrence centroid and the nest < 0.9 km), and rather spatially stable during each annual life-cycle period (overlap range: 63.4-76.1%). Their foraging patterns highlighted that they fed mainly in grasslands all year round, and foraged complementarily and opportunistically in maize (during sowing- coinciding with the first stages of the birds' breeding period) and cereal crops (during harvesting- their post-fledging period).

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate the very limited space use by breeding male jackdaws which foraged preferentially in grasslands. We call for future investigations in other agricultural contexts and also considering non-breeders for extrapolation purposes.},
}

@article {pmid38545615,
year = {2024},
author = {Hooper, R and Maher, K and Moore, K and McIvor, G and Hosken, D and Thornton, A},
title = {Ultimate drivers of forced extra-pair copulations in birds lacking a penis: jackdaws as a case-study.},
journal = {Royal Society open science},
volume = {11},
number = {3},
pages = {231226},
pmid = {38545615},
issn = {2054-5703},
support = {/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; },
abstract = {Forced copulation is common, presumably because it can increase male reproductive success. Forced extra-pair copulation (FEPC) occurs in birds, even though most species lack a penis and are widely thought to require female cooperation for fertilization. How FEPC persists, despite a presumed lack of siring success and likely non-negligible costs to the male, is unknown. Using the jackdaw (Corvus monedula) as a case study, we use SNPs to quantify the extra-pair paternity rate through FEPC and evaluate explanations for the persistence of FEPC in species without a penis. We then collate evidence for FEPC across penis-lacking birds. Combining genetic and behavioural analyses, our study suggests that the most likely explanations for the maintenance of FEPC in jackdaws are that it provides a selective advantage to males or it is a relic. Our literature review shows that across birds lacking a penis, FEPC is taxonomically widespread, and yet, little is known about its evolution. A broader implementation of the approach used here, combining both genetic and behavioural data, may shed light on why this widespread sexual behaviour persists. Additional work is necessary to understand whether a penis is needed for paternity through forced copulation and to quantify the costs of FEPC.},
}

@article {pmid38545558,
year = {2024},
author = {Tummeleht, L and Häkkä, SSS and Jürison, M and Vilem, A and Nurmoja, I and Viltrop, A},
title = {Wild boar (Sus scrofa) carcasses as an attraction for scavengers and a potential source for soil contamination with the African swine fever virus.},
journal = {Frontiers in veterinary science},
volume = {11},
number = {},
pages = {1305643},
pmid = {38545558},
issn = {2297-1769},
abstract = {The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a social animal species native to Eurasia. During the last decade, the wild boar population in Estonia has been severely affected by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), which has also affected domestic pig farming. The potential transmission routes of ASFV remain unclear and are currently under intensive investigation. This pilot study aimed to clarify the frequency and characteristics of contacts between living wild boars and the carcasses of their conspecifics, which could play a role in the transmission of ASFV. Wild animals' contact and scavenging behavior on wild boar carcasses were studied using trail cameras in an experimental setting on Hiiumaa, Western Estonia. Four legally hunted carcasses were used in the present study. This study aimed to determine whether intraspecies scavenging occurs in wild boars. The persistence of ASFV DNA in soil contaminated with infected wild boar carcasses was investigated separately. Among the 17 identified wildlife species that visited wild boar carcasses, the common raven (Corvus corax) was the most frequent one (37.26%), followed by raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides; 4.25%), carcass conspecific/wild boars (3.16%), and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes; 2.14%). Regarding the direct contact with the carcass, the same species ranking was detected: common raven (74.95%), raccoon dogs (9.94%), wild boars (4.21%), and red foxes (4.21%). No clear signs of cannibalism were noted among the wild boars, although brief physical contact with the carcasses was evident. The persistence of ASFV DNA in soil contaminated by infected wild boar carcasses was investigated separately. This study revealed that ASFV DNA from infected carcasses could be detected in forest soil for prolonged periods, even after removing the carcasses. Hence, the carcasses of infected wild boars may play an important role in spreading the African swine fever virus in wild boar populations; thus, prompt removal and disinfection of the soil could be considered necessary to limit the spread of the infection.},
}

@article {pmid38538209,
year = {2024},
author = {Shatkovska, OV and Ghazali, M and Mytiai, IS and Stegney, MM},
title = {Patterns of integrated growth of body parts in Rook (Corvus frugilegus) ontogeny.},
journal = {Journal of morphology},
volume = {285},
number = {4},
pages = {e21690},
doi = {10.1002/jmor.21690},
pmid = {38538209},
issn = {1097-4687},
support = {2020.02/0247//National Research Foundation of Ukraine/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Crows ; Wings, Animal ; Chickens ; Hindlimb ; Forelimb ; },
abstract = {The early period of ontogeny is key to understanding the patterns of body plan formation in birds. Most studies of avian development have focused on the development of individual avian characters, leaving their developmental integration understudied. We explored the dynamics and integration of relative percentage increments in body mass, lengths of head, skeletal elements of wing and leg, and primary flight feathers in the embryonic and postnatal development of the Rook (Corvus frugilegus). The relative percentage increments were calculated according to Brody's equation. Groups of similar growing traits (modules) were determined using hierarchical cluster analysis, and the degree of correlation between modules was estimated by PLS analysis. The embryonic and postnatal periods demonstrate significant consistency both in the dynamics of changes in relative percentage increments of studied traits as well as in the clustering of individual modules. The modules mainly include the body mass and head length, as well as the elements that form the fore- and hind limbs. Differences were revealed in the combination of modules into clusters in embryonic and postnatal periods. Hind limb elements clustered together with wing elements in the embryonic period but with body mass and the head in the postnatal period. The strongest modularity was noted for the leg in embryogenesis, and for the wing in postnatal development. The forelimb and especially the primary feathers had more distinctive growth patterns. We suggest the changes in the degree of integration between locomotor modules in ontogenesis are connected with the earlier functioning of the legs in the postnatal period and with the preparation of the wings for functioning after a chick leaves the nest.},
}

Animals
*Crows
Wings, Animal
Chickens
Hindlimb
Forelimb

@article {pmid38512931,
year = {2024},
author = {Gutema, BT and Tariku, EZ and Melketsedik, ZA and Levecke, B and De Henauw, S and Abubakar, A and Abbeddou, S},
title = {Assessing the influence of COVID-19 lockdown measures on cognition and behavior in school age children in Arba Minch Health and Demographic Surveillance site, Southern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study.},
journal = {PLOS global public health},
volume = {4},
number = {3},
pages = {e0002978},
pmid = {38512931},
issn = {2767-3375},
abstract = {Ethiopian schools were closed for nearly 40 weeks as a measure to control the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of the study was to evaluate the role of COVID-19 pandemic's restrictive measures on cognition and behavioral difficulties of schoolchildren in Arba Minch Health and Demographic Surveillance Site. Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in November 2019 (pre-COVID-19-lockdown) and November 2020 (post-COVID-19 lockdown). Data were collected both at the school and homes of the children. Cognitive development of the children was assessed using digit span, Raven's coloured progressive matrices (RCPM) and Visual search using cancellation task. Behavioral difficulties score of the children was assessed using Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare between the cognition outcomes and behavioral difficulties score pre- and post-COVID-19-lockdown. In a sub-group of children who provided data in both surveys, the difference in cognitive and behavioral outcomes was tested using a mixed effect model. Compared to the pre-COVID-19-lockdown, schoolchildren post-COVID-19-lockdown scored lower in the standardized performance index for the visual search task, which measures attention (0.27 SD, 95% confidence intervals (95%CI): -0.40, -0.13). However, they scored higher by 0.26 SD (95%CI: 0.13, 0.40) and 0.36 SD (95%CI: 0.22, 0.49) in digit span and RCPM, respectively, measuring working memory and non-verbal intelligence. There was no significant difference in total difficulties score between pre- and post-COVID-19-lockdown (0.01 SD, 95%CI: -0.12, 0.15). The subgroup analysis showed a significant increase in digit span among children post-COVID-19-lockdown while the other domains did not show a significant change. Factors contributing to the improvement of children's cognitive domains while away from the school environment should be explored and utilized to enhance child development. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04137354 on October 14, 2019.},
}

@article {pmid38464619,
year = {2024},
author = {Scognamiglio, C and Sorge, A and Borrelli, G and Perrella, R and Saita, E},
title = {Exploring the connection between childhood trauma, dissociation, and borderline personality disorder in forensic psychiatry: a comprehensive case study.},
journal = {Frontiers in psychology},
volume = {15},
number = {},
pages = {1332914},
pmid = {38464619},
issn = {1664-1078},
abstract = {This case study examines the complex relationship between childhood trauma, dissociation, and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) within the context of forensic psychiatry. It focuses on a young murder defendant named "Paul," who has experienced various traumatic events, including childhood maltreatment and domestic violence. These experiences have led to dissociative states marked by high emotional intensity, particularly of an aggressive nature, and impaired impulse control, resulting in violent behavior during dissociative episodes. The study employs advanced assessment tools like Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM), the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III), and the Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI) to gain a comprehensive understanding of Paul's psychopathological condition, risk factors, and rehabilitation needs. The LS/CMI assessment highlights a high risk of recidivism, mainly influenced by family relationships, educational challenges, interpersonal connections, and aggressive tendencies. To address the multifaceted needs of individuals like Paul, the study emphasizes the importance of using transdiagnostic models for trauma and dissociation. This approach informs tailored treatment programs that include processing past traumatic experiences, improving self-identity, nurturing healthy relational patterns, and enhancing emotional regulation. Although this study is based on a single case, it serves as a model for integrating assessment tools and theoretical-clinical models in the field of forensic psychiatry. Understanding the intricate dynamics of childhood trauma, dissociation, and BPD is crucial for making informed decisions, conducting risk assessments, and developing rehabilitation programs within the justice system. Future research should expand the scope of cases and further validate assessment tools to advance our understanding of this complex relationship.},
}

@article {pmid38419376,
year = {2024},
author = {Burban, E and Tenaillon, MI and Glémin, S},
title = {RIDGE, a tool tailored to detect gene flow barriers across species pairs.},
journal = {Molecular ecology resources},
volume = {24},
number = {4},
pages = {e13944},
doi = {10.1111/1755-0998.13944},
pmid = {38419376},
issn = {1755-0998},
support = {//Région Bretagne/ ; ANR-17-EUR-0007//Agence Nationale de la Recherche/ ; ANR-19-CE32-0009-02//Agence Nationale de la Recherche/ ; GDR 3765//Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/ ; },
mesh = {*Gene Flow ; Bayes Theorem ; *Genetic Speciation ; Genomics ; Genome ; },
abstract = {Characterizing the processes underlying reproductive isolation between diverging lineages is central to understanding speciation. Here, we present RIDGE-Reproductive Isolation Detection using Genomic polymorphisms-a tool tailored for quantifying gene flow barrier proportion and identifying the relevant genomic regions. RIDGE relies on an Approximate Bayesian Computation with a model-averaging approach to accommodate diverse scenarios of lineage divergence. It captures heterogeneity in effective migration rate along the genome while accounting for variation in linked selection and recombination. The barrier detection test relies on numerous summary statistics to compute a Bayes factor, offering a robust statistical framework that facilitates cross-species comparisons. Simulations revealed RIDGE's efficiency in capturing signals of ongoing migration. Model averaging proved particularly valuable in scenarios of high model uncertainty where no migration or migration homogeneity can be wrongly assumed, typically for recent divergence times <0.1 2Ne generations. Applying RIDGE to four published crow data sets, we first validated our tool by identifying a well-known large genomic region associated with mate choice patterns. Second, while we identified a significant overlap of outlier loci using RIDGE and traditional genomic scans, our results suggest that a substantial portion of previously identified outliers are likely false positives. Outlier detection relies on allele differentiation, relative measures of divergence and the count of shared polymorphisms and fixed differences. Our analyses also highlight the value of incorporating multiple summary statistics including our newly developed outlier ones that can be useful in challenging detection conditions.},
}

*Gene Flow
Bayes Theorem
*Genetic Speciation
Genomics
Genome

@article {pmid38401133,
year = {2024},
author = {Penhale, SH and Arif, Y and Schantell, M and Johnson, HJ and Willett, MP and Okelberry, HJ and Meehan, CE and Heinrichs-Graham, E and Wilson, TW},
title = {Healthy aging alters the oscillatory dynamics and fronto-parietal connectivity serving fluid intelligence.},
journal = {Human brain mapping},
volume = {45},
number = {3},
pages = {e26591},
pmid = {38401133},
issn = {1097-0193},
support = {P20-GM144641/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; R01-DA047828/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; R01-DA056223/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; R01-MH116782/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; R01-MH118013/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; F31-DA056296/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; R36-DA059323/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Humans ; Aged ; *Healthy Aging ; Brain/diagnostic imaging/physiology ; Magnetoencephalography/methods ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Brain Mapping/methods ; Intelligence/physiology ; },
abstract = {Fluid intelligence (Gf) involves logical reasoning and novel problem-solving abilities. Often, abstract reasoning tasks like Raven's progressive matrices are used to assess Gf. Prior work has shown an age-related decline in fluid intelligence capabilities, and although many studies have sought to identify the underlying mechanisms, our understanding of the critical brain regions and dynamics remains largely incomplete. In this study, we utilized magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate 78 individuals, ages 20-65 years, as they completed an abstract reasoning task. MEG data was co-registered with structural MRI data, transformed into the time-frequency domain, and the resulting neural oscillations were imaged using a beamformer. We found worsening behavioral performance with age, including prolonged reaction times and reduced accuracy. MEG analyses indicated robust oscillations in the theta, alpha/beta, and gamma range during the task. Whole brain correlation analyses with age revealed relationships in the theta and alpha/beta frequency bands, such that theta oscillations became stronger with increasing age in a right prefrontal region and alpha/beta oscillations became stronger with increasing age in parietal and right motor cortices. Follow-up connectivity analyses revealed increasing parieto-frontal connectivity with increasing age in the alpha/beta frequency range. Importantly, our findings are consistent with the parieto-frontal integration theory of intelligence (P-FIT). These results further suggest that as people age, there may be alterations in neural responses that are spectrally specific, such that older people exhibit stronger alpha/beta oscillations across the parieto-frontal network during abstract reasoning tasks.},
}

Humans
Aged
*Healthy Aging
Brain/diagnostic imaging/physiology
Magnetoencephalography/methods
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Brain Mapping/methods
Intelligence/physiology

@article {pmid38396520,
year = {2024},
author = {Zhang, Z and Bi, J and Zhao, X and Cai, Y and Yang, C},
title = {Comparison of Reproductive Strategies between Two Sympatric Copsychus Passerines.},
journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI},
volume = {14},
number = {4},
pages = {},
pmid = {38396520},
issn = {2076-2615},
support = {32260127//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; },
abstract = {Reproduction plays a crucial role in determining the development, fate, and dynamics of bird populations. However, reproductive strategies vary among species and populations. In this study, we investigated the reproductive strategies of the Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis) and White-rumped Shama (C. malabarica), which are closely related passerines that reproduce in sympatric areas. We found that although these two species were both cavity nesting, their nest-site selection differed; the Shama preferred nesting close to trees and forests, whereas the Magpie Robin nested close to human residential areas. Furthermore, their egg incubation patterns differed; the Shama increased daily incubation frequency with incubation time, but the Magpie Robin maintained its daily incubation time regardless of changes in incubation frequency. However, the nestling heating patterns of these two species were similar, indicating a critical demand for regulating hatchling body temperature during this crucial stage. The feeding frequencies of male parents were strongly correlated with those of females in both species, suggesting equal contribution and good synchronization between the sexes. Nestling feeding frequency was also correlated with nest cleaning frequency, implying coordination between feeding and defecation by parents and offspring, respectively. This research explored the divergence and convergence of reproductive strategies between these two sympatric species, providing valuable insights into the niche differentiation theory.},
}

@article {pmid38381738,
year = {2024},
author = {Mustafa, FE and Ahmed, I and Basit, A and Alqahtani, M and Khalid, M},
title = {An adaptive metaheuristic optimization approach for Tennessee Eastman process for an industrial fault tolerant control system.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {19},
number = {2},
pages = {e0296471},
pmid = {38381738},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Reproducibility of Results ; Tennessee ; *Algorithms ; *Environment ; },
abstract = {The Tennessee Eastman Process (TEP) is widely recognized as a standard reference for assessing the effectiveness of fault detection and false alarm tracking methods in intricate industrial operations. This paper presents a novel methodology that employs the Adaptive Crow Search Algorithm (ACSA) to improve fault identification capabilities and mitigate the occurrence of false alarms in the TEP. The ACSA is an optimization approach that draws inspiration from the observed behavior of crows in their natural environment. This algorithm possesses the capability to adapt its search behavior in response to the changing dynamics of the optimization process. The primary objective of our research is to devise a monitoring strategy that is adaptable in nature, with the aim of efficiently identifying faults within the TEP while simultaneously minimizing the occurrence of false alarms. The ACSA is applied in order to enhance the optimization of monitoring variables, alarm thresholds, and decision criteria selection and configuration. When compared to traditional static approaches, the ACSA-based monitoring strategy is better at finding faults and reducing false alarms because it adapts well to changes in process dynamics and disturbances. In order to assess the efficacy of our suggested methodology, we have conducted comprehensive simulations on the TEP dataset. The findings suggest that the monitoring strategy based on ACSA demonstrates superior fault identification rates while concurrently mitigating the frequency of false alarms. In addition, the flexibility of ACSA allows it to efficiently manage process variations, disturbances, and uncertainties, thereby enhancing its robustness and reliability in practical scenarios. To validate the effectiveness of our proposed approach, extensive simulations were conducted on the TEP dataset. The results indicate that the ACSA-based monitoring strategy achieves higher fault detection rates while simultaneously reducing the occurrence of false alarms. Moreover, the adaptability of ACSA enables it to effectively handle process variations, disturbances, and uncertainties, making it robust and reliable for real-world applications. The contributions of this research extend beyond the TEP, as the adaptive monitoring strategy utilizing ACSA can be applied to other complex industrial processes. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the development of advanced fault detection and false alarm monitoring techniques, offering significant benefits in terms of process safety, reliability, and operational efficiency.},
}

Reproducibility of Results
Tennessee
*Algorithms
*Environment

@article {pmid38378710,
year = {2024},
author = {Khadem, A and Nadery, M and Noori, S and Ghaffarian-Ensaf, R and Djazayery, A and Movahedi, A},
title = {The relationship between food habits and physical activity and the IQ of primary school children.},
journal = {Journal of health, population, and nutrition},
volume = {43},
number = {1},
pages = {29},
pmid = {38378710},
issn = {2072-1315},
mesh = {Child ; Humans ; Male ; Female ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Intelligence Tests ; *Feeding Behavior ; *Exercise ; Schools ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Children's intelligence quotient (IQ) is influenced by various environmental and genetic variables. The current study aimed to determine how children's dietary choices and physical activity levels correlated with their IQ.

METHODS: A total of 190 students (111 girls and 79 boys) between the ages of 8 and 10 were chosen randomly for this cross-sectional research. For all children, questionnaires were utilized to gather information on their anthropometry, socio-economic position, food habits, and 24-h memory. Children's physical activity questionnaire (CPAQ) was also used to gauge their level of physical activity. Raven's color progressive intelligence test was also used to gauge children's IQ. All the questions may be filled out online with the assistance of parents. SPSS software was used to gather and evaluate the generated data.

RESULTS: Of 190 respondents, 79 (41.6%) are males, and 111 (58.4%) are girls. The results of the study showed that, a positive correlation between children's IQ and physical activity (P = 0.017, r = 0.17), if this relationship was not seen by gender. In addition, a positive correlation was observed between the IQ and food habits scores in all children (P = 0.001, r = 0.24), as well as by gender, that is, male (P = 0.04, r = 0.23) and female (P = 0.006, r = 0.26), which indicates that children with better food habits were associated with higher IQ.

CONCLUSION: It was shown that elementary school children's IQ, food habits, and degree of physical activity are all positively correlated.},
}

Child
Humans
Male
Female
Cross-Sectional Studies
Intelligence Tests
*Feeding Behavior
*Exercise
Schools