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Immersive virtual reality assessments of working memory and psychomotor skills:A comparison between immersive and non-immersive assessments
Get PDFObjectiveImmersive virtual reality (VR) enhances ecological validity and facilitates intuitive and ergonomic hand interactions for performing neuropsychological assessments. However, its comparability to traditional computerized methods remains unclear. This study investigates the convergent validity, user experience and usability of VR-based versus PC-based assessments of short-term and working memory, as well as psychomotor skills, while also examining how demographic and IT-related skills influence performance in both modalities.MethodsSixty-six participants performed the Digit Span Task (DST), Corsi Block Task (CBT) and Deary-Liewald Reaction Time Task (DLRTT) in both VR- and PC-based formats. Participants' experience in using computers and smartphones, and playing videogames, was considered. User experience and system usability of the formats were also evaluated.ResultsWhile performance on DST was similar across modalities, PC assessments enabled better performance on CBT and faster reaction times in DLRTT. Significant correlations between VR and PC versions supported convergent validity. Regression analyses revealed that performance on PC versions was influenced by computing and gaming experience, whereas performance on VR versions was largely independent of these factors, except for gaming experience predicting performance on CBT backward recall. Moreover, VR assessments received higher ratings for user experience and usability than PC-based assessments.ConclusionImmersive VR assessments provide an engaging alternative to traditional computerized methods, with minimal reliance on prior IT experience and demographic factors. This resilience to individual differences suggests that VR may offer a more equitable and accessible platform for automated cognitive assessment. Future research should explore the long-term reliability of VR-based assessments
Quantifying the carbon footprint of canine breed-specific surgical care in a veterinary referral setting
Get PDFObjective To develop and apply a calculator to quantify the carbon footprint of breed-specific surgical care in dogs, from hospital admission to discharge, in a veterinary referral setting. Materials and methods Breed-specific procedures were defined as surgeries performed uniquely or predominantly in particular breeds due to inherited or conformational pathology, as identified by the relevant clinical services. All dogs undergoing breed-specific procedures at a UK veterinary referral hospital over an eight-month period were prospectively studied. Data collected included procedure type, diagnostic imaging, anaesthesia, pharmaceuticals, surgical waste, travel distance, and personal protective equipment use. Published carbon conversion factors were applied to calculate the carbon footprint (kg CO₂e) for each component of care and the total per-patient emissions. Results Data were collected from 41 patients undergoing breed-specific surgeries. The mean carbon footprint per patient was calculated to be 103kg CO2e (standard deviation ± 47.5, range 33–220kg CO2e). Mean carbon footprint per patient for breed-specific procedures was; BOAS 100kg CO2e (standard deviation ± 36.4, range 49-174kg CO2e), medial canthoplasty 55kg CO2e (standard deviation ± 20.3, range 33-89kg CO2e), screw tail caudectomy 120kg CO2e (standard deviation ± 22.6, range 104-136kg CO2e), ‘Y’ fracture 159kg CO2e (standard deviation ± 48.2, range 103-211kg CO2e), ‘Y’ fracture and prophylactic humeral transcondylar screw 200kg CO2e (standard deviation ± 28.9, range 180-220kg CO2e) and prophylactic unilateral or bilateral humeral transcondylar screw 99kg CO2e (standard deviation ± 15.9, range 84-115kg CO2e) (Table 2). The largest contributors were pharmaceuticals excluding volatile agents (mean 55kg CO₂e, 40-67% of procedure-based emissions), owner travel (mean 19kg CO₂e, 9-28% of procedure-based emissions), and volatile agents (14kg CO₂e, 8-24% of procedure-based emissions). Diagnostic imaging accounted for 6kg CO₂e (0-8% of procedure-based emissions). Conclusions Breed-related procedures generate substantial carbon emissions, with pharmaceuticals and owner travel being major contributors. These findings provide a foundation for identifying environmentally impactful practices and support efforts to improve sustainability in referral veterinary care. This study also prompts broader ethical reflection on the environmental cost of inherited breed disorders, offering a new dimension to discussions on animal welfare, responsible breeding, and sustainability in companion animal medicine
Prefrontal cortex astrocytes modulate distinct neuronal populations to control anxiety-like behavior
Get PDFAccumulating evidence has supported diverse regulatory functions of astrocytes in different neural circuits as well as various aspects of complex behaviors. However, little is known about how astrocytes regulate different neuronal subpopulations that are linked to specific behavioral aspects within a single brain region. Here, we show that astrocytes in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) encode anxiogenic environmental cues in freely behaving mice. Silencing mPFC astrocyte Ca 2+ signaling heightens anxiety-like behavior and triggers opposing functional responses in excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Moreover, neuronal subpopulations tuned to anxiety-like behavior are differentially modulated by mPFC astrocytes at single cell and network levels. Using cell type-specific proximity biotinylation approaches, we identified significant intracellular and intercellular proteomic alterations in mPFC astrocytes and at the astrocyte-neuron interface associated with anxiety. Collectively, our findings uncover mechanisms underpinning the heterogenous astrocyte-neuron interaction that is behaviorally relevant and offer critical insights into the pathophysiology of emotional disorders. </p
Amazon rainforest adjusts to long-term experimental drought
Get PDFDrought-induced mortality is expected to cause substantial biomass loss in the Amazon basin. However, rainforest responses to prolonged drought are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that an Amazonian rainforest plot subjected to more than two decades of large-scale experimental drought reached eco-hydrological stability. After elevated tree mortality during the first 15 years, ecosystem-level structural changes resulted in the remaining trees no longer experiencing drought stress. The loss of the largest trees led to increasing water availability for the remaining trees, stabilizing biomass in the last 7 years of the experiment. Hydraulic variables linked to physiological stress, such as leaf water potential, sap flow and tissue water content, converged to the values observed in a corresponding non-droughted control forest, indicating hydraulic homeostasis. While it prevented drought-induced collapse, eco-hydrological stabilization resulted in a forest with reduced biomass and carbon accumulation in wood. These findings show how tropical rainforests may be resilient to persistent soil drought
How do borrower ESG performance and risks matter to banks?
Get PDFWe examine how two distinct Environmental, social and governance (ESG) measures—disclosure-based ESG performance and event-driven ESG risks—affect the cost of bank loans. Using an international sample, we find that borrowers with higher ESG risks face significantly higher loan spreads, while stronger ESG performance is associated with lower spreads. The cost-saving effect of ESG performance depends on ESG risk but not vice versa. Our analysis suggests that these relationships operate through mitigating information asymmetry and signalling borrower quality. Furthermore, matching between lenders’ and borrowers’ ESG profiles moderates banks’ pricing strategies, particularly in the risk dimension: ESG-aligned borrower–lender pairs are more likely to form lending relationships and secure loans at lower spreads. These findings provide new evidence on the pricing of different ESG dimensions in the loan market and highlight the role of lender–borrower ESG compatibility in shaping credit terms
Geochemistry of mantle peridotites and chromitites from Upper Cretaceous ophiolites in NW Türkiye: Insights into abyssal to forearc mantle settings
Get PDFThis paper presents new data on whole-rock and mineral chemistry, trace elements of clinopyroxene (Cpx) and chromite, along with detailed petrographic observations of mantle peridotites and chromitites from the NW Anatolian (Harmancık-Orhaneli, Bursa) ophiolites to better understand contrasting geochemical signatures and different stages of lithospheric evolution along the İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan Ocean (İAEO) in northern Türkiye. The mantle peridotites, characterized by abundant high-grade podiform chromitites in Harmancık and banded chromitites in Orhaneli, are particularly notable. The mantle rocks include depleted- lherzolites, Cpx-rich harzburgites, harzburgites, Cpx-poor harzburgites, and dunites. Compositional variations in the mantle peridotites from both Harmancık and Orhaneli reflect continuous evolution driven by melt depletion and metasomatic enrichment occurring in both mid-ocean ridge (MOR) and supra-subduction zone (SSZ) environments. Our modeling suggests that the depleted lherzolites and Cpx-rich harzburgites in the Harmancık area are residues of anhydrous MOR-type melting of a fertile mid-ocean ridge mantle (FMM), with partial melting degrees of approximately 12–17% and 15–22%, respectively. In contrast, the harzburgites, Cpx-poor harzburgites, and dunites in the Harmancık area represent residues after 20–25% partial melting of a depleted MORB-type mantle, which itself was a residue following around 22% partial melting of an FMM during subduction initiation in the Late Cretaceous. The mantle peridotites in the Orhaneli area are comparatively more depleted, comprising Cpx-rich harzburgites, harzburgites, and dunites. This is supported by highly depleted rare earth element (REE) contents, similar to SSZ-type peridotites, indicating residues after 20–35% partial melting of a depleted MORB-type mantle (DMM). Furthermore, the compositions of parental magmas, as well as the trace element contents of chromites from the high-Cr chromitites and associated dunites in both Harmancık and Orhaneli, suggest that they were generated from boninitic melts in a supra-subduction zone (SSZ) environment. All the data suggests that the peridotites with high-grade podiform chromitites in the Harmancık region form the deeper mantle levels, whereas the banded chromitites within extensive dunite bodies in the Orhaneli region suggests proximity to the Moho transition zone, derived from the İAE Ocean in Late Cretaceous
Comparison of cone beam CT and low field MRI findings of the equine foot in 80 standing horses
Get PDFIntroductionCone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the equine foot are increasingly carried out under standing sedation yet there is little published information to guide veterinarians on the selection of each or both modalities to optimise case management.MethodsA retrospective descriptive study to compare dual modality CBCT and MRI findings in the equine foot of images acquired in the standing sedated horse for clinical purposes. The clinical records and CBCT and MRI DICOM images of patients that underwent advanced imaging with both modalities on the same day (April 2024-March 2025) were reviewed. Key imaging findings were categorised to allow comparison of CBCT and MRI findings.ResultsImaging studies of 80 horses met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-eight of 80 horses had a primary soft tissue injury that was detected on MRI but not visible on CBCT. CBCT identified small sequestration of the distal phalanx (Figure 1) that was only identified on MRI retrospectively subsequent to CBCT evaluation. CBCT allowed clearer evaluation of cortical bone specifically at the margins of the flexor cortex of the navicular bone and the articular surfaces.ConclusionsThe primary diagnosis was provided by MRI in more cases than CBCT due to the ability of MRI to identify soft tissue injury. Combined MRI and CBCT imaging of the foot can provide more information in cases of solar penetration or where careful evaluation of cortical bone is neede
Cell death and infection: implications for host and microbe
Get PDFCell death is a part of life. Every day, billions of cells undergo programmed cell death within the human body as part of normal tissue turnover and homeostasis. The factors that initiate programmed cell death, the resulting signalling pathways that occur within the dying cell, the means to dispose of the dying cell, and the response of the neighbouring tissue to the dying cell are all highly evolutionarily conserved and tightly regulated processes. Decades of outstanding research has identified critical components of programmed cell death initiation, corpse clearance, and tissue response particularly in the context of homeostatic cell death or sterile injury induced cell death; however, multiple tissues are not sterile under homeostasis. In particular, the intestinal and respiratory tracts are ‘external environment facing’ tissues that are in constant contact with commensal microorganisms and are also frequently exposed to invading pathogenic microbes. Indeed, many pathogenic microbes are capable of inducing or inhibiting various forms of cell death during infection. The primary emphasis of the field has been on the identification of what form of programmed cell death is initiated during infection and what the immunological consequences are. In contrast, less is known about how the critical stages of cell death and cell clearance directly or indirectly impact the microbes (both commensal and pathogenic) themselves. In this review, we will pay particular attention to the host cell cell communication events occurring downstream of programmed cell death and highlight new research and new questions surrounding how these fundamental host processes interact with the bacterial communities, with a particular focus on the intestine and the lung
A model-free method for genealogical inference without phasing and its application for topology weighting
Get PDFRecent advances in methods to infer and analyze ancestral recombination graphs (ARGs) are providing powerful new insights in evolutionary biology and beyond. Existing inference approaches tend to be designed for use with fully phased datasets, and some rely on model assumptions about demography and recombination rate. Here I describe a simple model-free approach for genealogical inference along the genome from unphased genotype data called Sequential Tree Inference by Collecting Compatible Sites (sticcs). sticcs applies a heuristic algorithm based on the perfect phylogeny principle to reconstruct a local genealogy at each variant site in the genome, using a “collecting” procedure to import information from other nearby sites. Using simulations, I show that sticcs is accurate for ARG inference, but only when the sample size is small. However, I also describe how it can be applied for the purpose of topology weighting by “stacking” tree sequences inferred for multiple subsets of the data, removing the sample size restriction. Topology weights estimated in this way from unphased data tend to be more accurate than those computed with full ARGs inferred from perfectly phased data using several popular tools. The methods presented therefore have promise for analysis of relatedness and introgression in nonmodel species, including polyploids. The new methods are implemented in 2 Python packages, sticcs (for ARG inference) and twisst2 (for topology weighting using the stacking procedure), both of which interface with the tskit library for analysis of tree sequence objects
Predictors of treatment outcome in an early intervention eating disorder sample
Get PDFObjectiveTo examine baseline predictors of treatment completion and clinical outcomes in 16 to 25-year-olds referred for early intervention for a recent-onset eating disorder (ED).MethodParticipants (n = 228; 93% female, 63% White British) were drawn from the FREED-Up study, which evaluated First episode Rapid Early intervention for EDs (FREED) in England across 2017–2018. Measures were completed at baseline and 3-, 6- and 12-months. Generalized estimating equations were used to identify baseline predictors of treatment completion and symptom remission by 12-months. Linear mixed models were used to identify baseline predictors of change in global eating disorder examination-questionnaire (EDE-Q) scores, binge eating, purging and BMI (anorexia nervosa [AN] only) over 12-months. Possible predictors included baseline ED symptoms, depression, anxiety, stress, psychosocial impairment, expressed emotion from close others, functioning against personalized goals, age, ethnicity, duration of illness, waiting times and BMI.ResultsThere were no significant predictors of treatment completion. Lower stress at baseline predicted increased likelihood of symptom remission by 12 months. Lower purging and psychosocial impairment at baseline predicted lower Global EDE-Q scores over the following 12 months; lower purging predicted lower rates of binge eating; and lower Global EDE-Q scores, binge eating and assessment waiting times predicted lower rates of purging. Higher purging at baseline was associated with higher BMI in AN.DiscussionThis study provides new data on predictors of treatment outcomes in an early intervention ED sample. In addition to ED symptoms and waiting times, psychosocial impairment and stress warrant consideration as factors that may influence treatment outcomes
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