The role of arousal in the estimation of time-to-collision of threatening stimuli

The accurate estimation of time-to-collision (TTC) is essential for the survival of organisms. Previous studies have revealed that the emotional properties of approaching stimuli can influence the estimation of TTC, indicating that approaching threatening stimuli are perceived to collide with the observers earlier than they actually do, and earlier than non-threatening stimuli. However, not only are threatening stimuli more negative in valence, but they also have higher arousal compared to non-threatening stimuli. Up to now, the effect of arousal on TTC estimation remains unclear. In addition, inconsistent findings may result from the different experimental settings employed in previous studies. To investigate whether the underestimation of TTC is attributed to threat or high arousal, three experiments with the same settings were conducted. In Experiment 1, the underestimation of TTC estimation of threatening stimuli was replicated when arousal was not controlled, in comparison to non-threatening stimuli. In Experiments 2 and 3, the underestimation effect of threatening stimuli disappeared when compared to positive stimuli with similar arousal. These findings suggest that being threatening alone is not sufficient to explain the underestimation effect, and arousal also plays a significant role in the TTC estimation of approaching stimuli. Further studies are required to validate the effect of arousal on TTC estimation, as no difference was observed in Experiment 3 between the estimated TTC of high and low arousal stimuli.

Trajectories of positive attributes from childhood to young adulthood and its associations with threat and deprivation

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this study are to investigate the trajectory of positive attributes from childhood to early adulthood and to explore how those trajectories can be modified by two domains of childhood adversity - threat and deprivation.

METHODS

A large prospective school-based community cohort of youths (n=2,511, 6-14 years of age, 45% female) was assessed and followed up for 3 years (80% retention) and 6 years (71% retention). Positive attributes were assessed by the Youth Strength Inventory (YSI). Childhood exposure to threat and deprivation were assessed by a composite measure using multiple indicators.

RESULTS

Trajectories of YSI scores were non-linear and distinct for boys and girls. While boys presented a more stable trajectory; girls showed higher levels of positive attributes early in life that decrease over time around adolescence. Both exposure to threat and deprivation presented negative linear association with YSI over time. Furthermore, we found interactions between developmental stage and both adversity domains meaning that the effects of exposure to adversity were stronger at earlier developmental stages and almost non-significant closer to early adulthood.

CONCLUSION

Our findings provide new evidence on trajectories of positive attributes in youth and reveal and how experiences of adversity in early life impact not only mental disorder but also positive aspects of mental health.

Do dimensions of childhood adversity differ in their direct associations with youth psychopathology? A meta-analysis

Growing evidence supports the unique pathways by which threat and deprivation, two core dimensions of adversity, confer risk for youth psychopathology. However, the extent to which these dimensions differ in their direct associations with youth psychopathology remains unclear. The primary aim of this preregistered meta-analysis was to synthesize the associations between threat, deprivation, internalizing, externalizing, and trauma-specific psychopathology. Because threat is proposed to be directly linked with socioemotional development, we hypothesized that the magnitude of associations between threat and psychopathology would be larger than those with deprivation. We conducted a search for peer-reviewed articles in English using PubMed and PsycINFO databases through August 2022. Studies that assessed both threat and deprivation and used previously validated measures of youth psychopathology were included. One hundred and twenty-seven articles were included in the synthesis (N = 163,767). Results of our three-level meta-analyses indicated that adversity dimension significantly moderated the associations between adversity and psychopathology, such that the magnitude of effects for threat (r's = .21-26) were consistently larger than those for deprivation (r's = .16-.19). These differences were more pronounced when accounting for the threat-deprivation correlation. Additional significant moderators included emotional abuse and youth self-report of adversity. Findings are consistent with the Dimensional Model of Adversity and Psychopathology, with clinical, research, and policy implications.

Anthropogenic threats to the reintroduced population of Oriental storks in Japan: analysis of the causes of injury and death of 153 storks from 2005 to 2021

After the native population of Oriental stork (Ciconia boyciana) in Japan disappeared, a reintroduction project was implemented in 2005. All released storks and most wild-fledged storks were individually identified using colored rings on their legs. The size of the reintroduced population reached 256 by the end of 2021. In this study, we investigated the causes of stork injury and death in wild populations to clarify important medical issues for successful reintroduction. During the survey, 153 of 412 (78 released and 334 fledged storks) storks were injured or died between 2005 and 2021. At least 49.7% of the injuries and deaths were directly caused by human activities. Entanglement with pest control measures (such as bird- and beast-proofing nets) and accident with electrical and telecommunication equipment are two major causes of injury and death of reintroduced Oriental storks in Japan. It is important to recognize that these anthropogenic threats have a significant impact on the establishment and maintenance of the reintroduced populations of Oriental storks in Japan. Therefore, it is necessary to implement countermeasures against these threats to establish human and Oriental storks coexistence, which is a major goal of reintroduction.

Prevalence and predictors of workplace violence against nurses in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and Aims

Workplace violence (WPV) against nurses is a pervasive global issue, yet the extent of this phenomenon in the African context remains insufficiently explored. This review aimed to synthesize the available literature to identify the prevalence and predictors of WPV against nurses in Africa.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted across MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus, to identify studies published from 2000 to October 2023. The pooled prevalence of WPV and it subtypes were estimated using random-effect meta-analysis. Heterogeneity between studies was quantified with I 2 statistics. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were performed to identify sources of heterogeneity.

Results

This review included 27 studies, involving 9831 nurses. The pooled prevalence of WPV was 62.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 51.6-72.0). Verbal abuse emerged as the most common form of WPV, with a prevalence rate of 51.2% (95% CI: 41.3-61.1), followed by threat 23.3% (95% CI: 6.5-57.2), bullying 22.9% (95% CI: 14.0-35.2), physical abuse 15.1% (95% CI: 11.0-20.4), and sexual harassment 10.3% (95% CI: 5.9-17. 5). The proportion of WPV varied across geographical areas in Africa; however, the differences were not significant. The predictors of WPV encompassed demographic factors, personal habits, workplace characteristics, and nurses' past experience.

Conclusion

WPV against nurses is prevalent in Africa and transcends geographical boundaries in this region. This underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions and policy changes to address this issue in Africa.

Using EpiCore to Enable Rapid Verification of Potential Health Threats: Illustrated Use Cases and Summary Statistics

BACKGROUND

The proliferation of digital disease-detection systems has led to an increase in earlier warning signals, which subsequently have resulted in swifter responses to emerging threats. Such highly sensitive systems can also produce weak signals needing additional information for action. The delays in the response to a genuine health threat are often due to the time it takes to verify a health event. It was the delay in outbreak verification that was the main impetus for creating EpiCore.

OBJECTIVE

This paper describes the potential of crowdsourcing information through EpiCore, a network of voluntary human, animal, and environmental health professionals supporting the verification of early warning signals of potential outbreaks and informing risk assessments by monitoring ongoing threats.

METHODS

This paper uses summary statistics to assess whether EpiCore is meeting its goal to accelerate the time to verification of identified potential health events for epidemic and pandemic intelligence purposes from around the world. Data from the EpiCore platform from January 2018 to December 2022 were analyzed to capture request for information response rates and verification rates. Illustrated use cases are provided to describe how EpiCore members provide information to facilitate the verification of early warning signals of potential outbreaks and for the monitoring and risk assessment of ongoing threats through EpiCore and its utilities.

RESULTS

Since its launch in 2016, EpiCore network membership grew to over 3300 individuals during the first 2 years, consisting of professionals in human, animal, and environmental health, spanning 161 countries. The overall EpiCore response rate to requests for information increased by year between 2018 and 2022 from 65.4% to 68.8% with an initial response typically received within 24 hours (in 2022, 94% of responded requests received a first contribution within 24 h). Five illustrated use cases highlight the various uses of EpiCore.

CONCLUSIONS

As the global demand for data to facilitate disease prevention and control continues to grow, it will be crucial for traditional and nontraditional methods of disease surveillance to work together to ensure health threats are captured earlier. EpiCore is an innovative approach that can support health authorities in decision-making when used complementarily with official early detection and verification systems. EpiCore can shorten the time to verification by confirming early detection signals, informing risk-assessment activities, and monitoring ongoing events.

Can I see it in the eyes? An investigation of freezing-like motion patterns in response to avoidable threat

Freezing is one of the most extensively studied defensive behaviors in rodents. Both reduced body and gaze movements during anticipation of threat also occur in humans and have been discussed as translational indicators of freezing but their relationship remains unclear. We thus set out to elucidate body and eye movements and concomitant autonomic dynamics in anticipation of avoidable threat. Specifically, 50 participants viewed naturalistic pictures that were preceded by a colored fixation cross, signaling them whether to expect an inevitable (shock), no (safety), or a potential shock (flight) that could be avoided by a quick button press. Body sway, eye movements, the heart rate and skin conductance were recorded. We replicated previously described reductions in body sway, gaze dispersion, and the heart rate, and a skin conductance increase in flight trials. Stronger reductions in gaze but not in body sway predicted faster motor reactions on a trial-wise basis, highlighting their functional role in action preparation. We failed to find a trait-like relationship between body and gaze movements across participants, but their temporal profiles were positively related within individuals, suggesting that both metrics partly reflect the same construct. However, future research is desirable to assess these response patterns in naturalistic environments. A more ethological examination of different movement dynamics upon threat would not only warrant better comparability between rodent and human research but also help determine whether and how eye-tracking could be implemented as a proxy for fear-related movements in restricted brain imaging environments.

Unpredictable threat increases early event-related potential amplitudes and cardiac acceleration: A brain-heart coupling study

In the face of unpredictable threat, rapid processing of external events and behavioral mobilization through early psychophysiological responses are crucial for survival. While unpredictable threat generally enhances early processing, it would seem adaptive to particularly increase sensitivity for unexpected events as they may signal danger. To examine this possibility, n = 77 participants performed an auditory oddball paradigm and received unpredictable shocks in threat but not in safe contexts while a stream of frequent (standard) and infrequent (deviant) tones was presented. We assessed event-related potentials (ERP), heart period (HP), and time-lagged within-subject correlations of single-trial EEG and HP (cardio-EEG covariance tracing, CECT) time-locked to the tones. N1 and P2 ERP amplitudes were generally enhanced under threat. The P3 amplitude was enhanced to deviants versus standards and this effect was reduced in the threat condition. Regarding HP, both threat versus safe and unexpected versus expected tones led to stronger cardiac acceleration, suggesting separate effects of threat and stimulus expectancy on HP. Finally, CECTs revealed two correlation clusters, indicating that single-trial EEG magnitudes in the N1/P2 and P3 time-windows predicted subsequent cardiac acceleration. The current results show that an unpredictable threat context enhances N1 and P2 amplitudes and cardiac acceleration to benign auditory stimuli. They further suggest separable cortical correlates of different effects on cardiac activity: an early N1/P2 correlate associated with threat-effects on HP and a later P3 correlate associated with expectedness-effects. Finally, the results indicate that unpredictable threat attenuates rather than enhances the processing of unexpected benign events during the P3 latency.

Tackling Costly Fearful Avoidance Using Pavlovian Counterconditioning

Avoidance behavior constitutes a major transdiagnostic symptom that exacerbates anxiety. It hampers fear extinction and predicts poor therapy-outcome. Pavlovian counterconditioning with a reward could alleviate avoidance better than traditional extinction by reducing negative valence of the feared situation. However, previous studies are scarce and did not consider that pathological avoidance is often costly and typically evolves from an approach-avoidance conflict. Therefore, we used an approach-avoidance conflict paradigm to model effects of counterconditioning on costly avoidance (i.e., avoidance that leads to missing out on rewards). Results from our preregistered Bayesian Mixed Model analyses in 51 healthy participants (43 females) indicated that counterconditioning was more effective in reducing negative valuation and decreasing costly avoidance than traditional extinction. This study supports application of a simple counterconditioning technique, shows that its efficacy transfers to more complex avoidance situations, and suggests treatment may benefit from increasing reward drive in combination with extinction to overcome avoidance. Application in a clinical sample is a necessary next step to assess clinical utility of counterconditioning.

Auditory aversive generalization learning prompts threat-specific changes in alpha-band activity

Pairing a neutral stimulus with aversive outcomes prompts neurophysiological and autonomic changes in response to the conditioned stimulus (CS+), compared to cues that signal safety (CS-). One of these changes-selective amplitude reduction of parietal alpha-band oscillations-has been reliably linked to processing of visual CS+. It is, however, unclear to what extent auditory conditioned cues prompt similar changes, how these changes evolve as learning progresses, and how alpha reduction in the auditory domain generalizes to similar stimuli. To address these questions, 55 participants listened to three sine wave tones, with either the highest or lowest pitch (CS+) being associated with a noxious white noise burst. A threat-specific (CS+) reduction in occipital-parietal alpha-band power was observed similar to changes expected for visual stimuli. No evidence for aversive generalization to the tone most similar to the CS+ was observed in terms of alpha-band power changes, aversiveness ratings, or pupil dilation. By-trial analyses found that selective alpha-band changes continued to increase as aversive conditioning continued, beyond when participants reported awareness of the contingencies. The results support a theoretical model in which selective alpha power represents a cross-modal index of continuous aversive learning, accompanied by sustained sensory discrimination of conditioned threat from safety cues.

Instructional learning of threat-related attentional capture is modulated by state anxiety

The present study aimed to determine whether persistent threat-related attentional capture can result from instructional learning, when participants acquire knowledge of the aversive qualities of a stimulus through verbal instruction. Fifty-four nonclinical adults first performed a visual search task in which a green or red circle was presented as a target. They were instructed that one of these two colors might be paired with an electric shock if they responded slowly or inaccurately, whereas the other color was never associated with shock. However, no shocks were actually delivered. In a subsequent test phase, in which participants were explicitly informed that shocks were no longer possible, former-target-color stimuli were presented as distractors in a visual search task for a shape-defined target. In both tasks, although participants were never exposed to the electric shock, we observed a significant correlation between threat-related attentional priority and state anxiety. Our results demonstrate that exposure to a stimulus with the belief that it could be threatening is sufficient to generate a persistent attentional bias toward that stimulus, but this effect is modulated by state anxiety. Attentional biases for fear-relevant stimuli have been implicated in anxiety disorders, and our findings demonstrate that for anxious participants, attentional biases can be entirely the product of erroneous beliefs concerning the linking between stimuli and possible outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A call-to-action to assist in efforts to protect owl monkeys (Aotus spp.)

The majority of the 11 species of owl monkeys (Aotus spp.) have declining populations or are listed as data deficient. Deforestation due to agriculture, development, or logging poses threats to owl monkeys throughout their range. In some areas, Aotus are hunted for bushmeat or trapped for the wildlife trade. In Colombia, the country with the greatest number of Aotus species, owl monkeys are also threatened by civil unrest. To help combat these challenges, nonprofit organizations and field researchers in habitat countries have successfully implemented a variety of conservation projects such as censusing and monitoring owl monkey populations, establishing protected areas, reforesting degraded areas, filing lawsuits to protect wild populations, helping law enforcement with environmental regulation, and promoting environmental education. We highlight some of the conservation successes and suggest actions people around the world can take to contribute to these important efforts.

Investigating the Impact of Stress on Pain: A Scoping Review on Sense of Control, Social-Evaluative Threat, Unpredictability, and Novelty (STUN Model)

Background

Stress can have paradoxical effects on pain, namely hyperalgesia and hypoalgesia. Four situational characteristics activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, leading to a physiological stress response: lacking Sense of control, social-evaluative Threat, Unpredictability and Novelty (STUN). This scoping review reports on the types of evidence published on the effects of STUN characteristics on pain outcomes.

Databases/Data Treatment

Searches of primary electronic databases were performed to identify articles published on adults between 1990 and 2021 that contained search terms on pain and stress/STUN characteristics. A total of 329 articles were included in the analysis.

Results

Only 3.3% of studies examined simultaneously >1 STUN component. Almost all observational studies (177/180) examined the association between perceived stress and pain without measuring physiological stress responses. Of the 130 experimental studies, 78 (60.0%) manipulated stressful characteristics through nociception, and only 38.5% assessed if/how stress manipulation impacted perceived stress.

Conclusion

There is a clear lack of integration of the characteristics that trigger a physiological stress response in the pain field. Only 3.3% of studies examined simultaneously more than one STUN component and there is an unequal attention given to individual components of the STUN framework. Recommendations for future research include selection of stress manipulations/measurements that are more precisely inducing/reflecting neurobiological mechanisms of stress responses to insure valid integration of scientific knowledge.

Oxytocin differentially modulates the early neural responses to faces and non-social stimuli

Oxytocin (OT) alters social cognition partly through effects on the processing and appraisal of faces. It is debated whether the hormone also impacts the processing of other, non-social, visual stimuli. To this end, we conducted a randomized, counter-balanced, double-blind, placebo (PL)-controlled within-subjects' electro-encephalography (EEG) study with cismale participants (to control for gender dimorphic hormonal effects; n = 37). Participants received intranasal OT (24IU) and completed a one-back task viewing emotional (fearful/ happy) and neutral faces, and threat (snakes/spiders) and non-threat (mushrooms/flowers) non-social stimuli. OT differentially impacted event-related potentials (ERP)s to faces and non-social stimuli. For faces regardless of emotion, OT evoked greater occipital N1 and anterior P1 amplitudes at ∼155 ms than after PL, and lead to sustained differences over anterior, bilateral parietal and occipital sites from 205 ms onwards. For all non-social stimuli, OT evoked greater right parietal N1 amplitudes, and later only impacted threat stimuli over right parietal and occipital sites. None of these OT-induced modulations was related to individual anxiety levels. This pattern of results indicates that OT differentially modulates the processing of faces and non-social stimuli, and that the hormone's effect on visual processing and cognition does not occur as a function of non-clinical levels of anxiety.

Experimental manipulation of uncanny feeling does not increase adherence to conspiracy theories

Research over the past decade has shown that endorsement of conspiracy theories (CTs) is shaped by motivated cognition processes. Accordingly, CTs are theorized to stem from compensatory processes, as individuals attempt to cope with existential threats (i.e., uncertainty, loss of control). Based on the meaning maintenance model, we investigated whether this compensatory effect could follow from epistemic threats in domains unrelated to CTs in the form of uncanniness. Feelings of uncanniness were experimentally manipulated through exposure to absurdist art and literature in a set of five studies, followed by a mini meta-analysis (Ntotal  = 1,041). We conducted a final, preregistered sixth study (N = 266) manipulating uncanniness through autobiographical recall. No robust evidence for a compensatory effect was found. We discussed methodological and conceptual limitations of the meaning maintenance model, as well as boundary conditions under which conspiracy theories could have a compensatory function to deal with threats.

Perception of threat and intent to harm from vocal and facial cues

What constitutes a "threatening tone of voice"? There is currently little research exploring how listeners infer threat, or the intention to cause harm, from speakers' voices. Here, we investigated the influence of key linguistic variables on these evaluations (Study 1). Results showed a trend for voices perceived to be lower in pitch, particularly those of male speakers, to be evaluated as sounding more threatening and conveying greater intent to harm. We next investigated the evaluation of multimodal stimuli comprising voices and faces varying in perceived dominance (Study 2). Visual information about the speaker's face had a significant effect on threat and intent ratings. In both experiments, we observed a relatively low level of agreement among individual listeners' evaluations, emphasising idiosyncrasy in the ways in which threat and intent-to-harm are perceived. This research provides a basis for the perceptual experience of a "threatening tone of voice," along with an exploration of vocal and facial cue integration in social evaluation.

Face your fears: direct and indirect measurement of responses to looming threats

This study investigated the emotional and behavioural effects of looming threats using both recalled (self-reported valence) and real-time response measurements (facial expressions). The looming bias refers to the tendency to underestimate the time of arrival of rapidly approaching (looming) stimuli, providing additional time for defensive reactions. While previous research has shown negative emotional responses to looming threats based on self-reports after stimulus exposure, facial expressions offer valuable insights into emotional experiences and non-verbal behaviour during stimulus exposure. A face reading experiment examined responses to threats in motion, considering stimulus direction (looming versus receding motion) and threat strength (more versus less threatening stimuli). We also explored the added value of facial expression recognition compared to self-reported valence. Results indicated that looming threats elicit more negative facial expressions than receding threats, supporting previous findings on the looming bias. Further, more (vs. less) threatening stimuli evoked more negative facial expressions, but only when the threats were looming rather than receding. Interestingly, facial expressions of valence and self-reported valence showed opposing results, suggesting the importance of incorporating facial expression recognition to understand defensive responses to looming threats more comprehensively.

Curious about threats: Morbid curiosity and interest in conspiracy theories in US adults

Conspiracy theories allege secret plots between two or more powerful actors to achieve an outcome, sometimes explaining important events or proposing alternative understandings of reality in opposition to mainstream accounts, and commonly highlight the threat presented by the plot and its conspirators. Research in psychology proposes that belief in conspiracy theories is motivated by a desire to understand threats and is predicted by increased anxiety. Morbid curiosity describes the tendency to seek out information about threatening or dangerous situations and is associated with an interest in threat-related entertainment and increased anxiety. Across three studies, we investigated the relationship between morbid curiosity and conspiracy theories in US-based samples. We found that higher trait morbid curiosity was associated with higher general conspiracist beliefs (Study 1) and the perceived threat of conspiratorial explanations of events (Study 2). Using a behavioural choice paradigm, we found that participants who chose to investigate morbidly curious stimuli were more likely to choose to learn about conspiratorial explanations for events (Study 3). Greater curiosity about the minds of dangerous people was consistently the strongest predictor of conspiratorial ideation and interest. These results suggest that morbid curiosity is an important but hitherto unstudied predictor of conspiratorial interest and belief.

Cognitive stimulation as a mechanism linking socioeconomic status and neural function supporting working memory: a longitudinal fMRI study

Childhood experiences of low socioeconomic status are associated with alterations in neural function in the frontoparietal network and ventral visual stream, which may drive differences in working memory. However, the specific features of low socioeconomic status environments that contribute to these disparities remain poorly understood. Here, we examined experiences of cognitive deprivation (i.e. decreased variety and complexity of experience), as opposed to experiences of threat (i.e. violence exposure), as a potential mechanism through which family income contributes to alterations in neural activation during working memory. As part of a longitudinal study, 148 youth between aged 10 and 13 years completed a visuospatial working memory fMRI task. Early childhood low income, chronicity of low income in early childhood, and current income-to-needs were associated with task-related activation in the ventral visual stream and frontoparietal network. The association of family income with decreased activation in the lateral occipital cortex and intraparietal sulcus during working memory was mediated by experiences of cognitive deprivation. Surprisingly, however, family income and deprivation were not significantly related to working memory performance, and only deprivation was associated with academic achievement in this sample. Taken together, these findings suggest that early life low income and associated cognitive deprivation are important factors in neural function supporting working memory.

A network perspective on real-life threat, anxiety, and avoidance

BACKGROUND

Anxiety, approach, and avoidance motivation crucially influence mental and physical health, especially when environments are stressful. The interplay between anxiety and behavioral motivation is modulated by multiple individual factors. This proof-of-concept study applies graph-theoretical network analysis to explore complex associations between self-reported trait anxiety, approach and avoidance motivation, situational anxiety, stress symptoms, perceived threat, perceived positive consequences of approach, and self-reported avoidance behavior in real-life threat situations.

METHODS

A total of 436 participants who were matched on age and gender (218 psychotherapy patients, 218 online-recruited nonpatients) completed an online survey assessing these factors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The resulting cross-sectional psychological network revealed a complex pattern with multiple positive (e.g., between trait anxiety, avoidance motivation, and avoidance behavior) and negative associations (e.g., between approach and avoidance motivation). The patient and online subsample networks did not differ significantly, however, descriptive differences may inform future research.

Toleration, discrimination, or acceptance? How majorities interpret and legitimize minority toleration depends on outgroup threat

The notion of tolerance is widely embraced in plural contexts, but little is known about how majority members interpret the toleration of minorities. With four studies, we investigated majority group members' interpretations of a minority toleration situation (compared to full acceptance and discrimination situations) as a function of outgroup threat. Study 1 (N = 214) showed that higher perception of threat from Syrian refugees was associated with Turkish natives' stronger likelihood of interpreting a refugee toleration situation as 'acceptance'. Studies 2 (N = 161, threatening context: Syrian refugees-Turkish natives) and 3 (N = 206, non-threatening context: homosexuals-liberal heterosexual students) demonstrated that toleration was interpreted more as a form of acceptance in a high-threat context, whereas it was perceived more like discrimination in the non-threatening context. Experimental Study 4 (N = 150, pre-registered, Muslims-Christians in the UK) indicated that increasing outgroup threat led to higher legitimization of toleration, which, in turn, related to lower support of minority rights. It is concluded that outgroup threat affects how people interpret the way in which minorities are treated, which has implications for initiatives and policies that try to stimulate tolerance towards minority groups.

Parental motivated helplessness in vaccinating children against COVID-19: Its association with fear, effectiveness and willingness to vaccinate

According to the motivated helplessness hypothesis, parental feelings of helplessness regarding vaccinating children against COVID-19 may serve a protective function against vaccine fear and hesitancy. Two correlational studies conducted among Israelis (Study 1) and an international sample (Study 2), examined whether self-reported perceived helplessness in vaccinating children may be related to lower vaccine-fear, and higher perceived vaccine-effectiveness, trust in authorities' recommendations and willingness to vaccinate. Results indicated parents who felt they had no other choice but to vaccinate their children, exhibited less vaccine-fear, higher vaccine-effectiveness and greater intentions to vaccinate. Additionally, the relationships between vaccine-helplessness, vaccine-effectiveness and willingness to vaccinate were partially mediated by vaccine-fear. In Study 2, vaccine-helplessness was found related to higher trust in authorities' recommendations, which was partially mediated by vaccine-fear. The implications of these findings for research on the psychological function of helplessness in the parental decision-making process of vaccinating children during a pandemic are discussed.

Violence Against Iraqi Doctors: A Sample from the Baghdad City

Physicians have recently become a target of workplace-violence, with rates four times higher than other workers studied. This study aimed to investigate the enormity and nature of violence directed against Iraqi doctors as well as to determine doctors' experiences in dealing with post-violence exposure and their plans to leave country for good. In this cross-sectional study, 397-medical staff surveyed online using reproducible, validated, and piloted questionnaire over a period of four weeks. Chi-square test used to assess the association between the typology of doctors'-violence exposure and their socio-demographic and workplace characteristics. Verbal-violence is the dominant-type experienced by Iraqi physicians (84.1%) followed by threats and physical-violence (50.4% and 31.2%). Resident-doctors are most affected among work-placements for all types of violence. Significant-associations have been observed between these three types of violent attacks and many of the doctors' demographic-characteristics (P < 0.05). Violence against Iraqi doctors has become common with a steady increase since 2003. Verbal-violence is the most constantly repeated aggression, usually resulting in either threats or a physical assault, which is commonly settled by paying a large amount of money as is invariably the tribal custom for a malpractice-claim, instead of having recourse to more formal and well-established legal action.

Associations Between Early Life Adversity and Youth Psychobiological Outcomes: Dimensional and Person-Centered Approaches

Exposure to early life adversity (ELA) is associated with increased externalizing symptoms (e.g., aggression and oppositionality), internalizing symptoms (e.g., withdrawal and anxiety), and biological indicators of accelerated aging (e.g., telomere length) in childhood. However, little is known about how distinct dimensions of ELA, such as threat and deprivation, impact youth psychobiological outcomes. The present study includes data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), a large population-based, birth cohort study of majority (approximately 75%) racial and ethnic minority youth born between 1998 and 2000 across 20 large cities in the United States. The present study includes a subset of the original sample (N = 2,483, 51.6% male) who provided genetic data at age 9. First, confirmatory factor analyses were conducted, which revealed four distinct dimensions of ELA (home threat, community threat, neglect, and lack of stimulation) when children were age 3. Second, latent profile analyses identified an eight-profile solution based on unique patterns of the four ELA dimensions. Lastly, latent profiles were used to predict associations with child psychological and biological outcomes at age 9. Results suggest that exposure to specific combinations of ELA is differentially associated with internalizing and externalizing behaviors in childhood, but not with telomere length. Findings have implications for personalized early intervention and prevention efforts aimed at reducing ELA exposure to protect against downstream negative mental health outcomes for diverse youth.

Does reward processing moderate or mediate the link between childhood adversity and psychopathology: A longitudinal study

Childhood adversity is common and associated with elevated risk for transdiagnostic psychopathology. Reward processing has been implicated in the link between adversity and psychopathology, but whether it serves as a mediator or moderator is unclear. This study examined whether alterations in behavioral and neural reward processing function as a mechanism or moderator of psychopathology outcomes following adversity experiences, including threat (i.e., trauma) and deprivation. A longitudinal community sample of 10-15-year-old youths was assessed across two waves (Wave 1: n = 228; Wave 2: n = 206). Wave 1 assessed adverse experiences, psychopathology symptoms, reward processing on a monetary incentive delay task, and resting-state fMRI. At Wave 2, psychopathology symptoms were reassessed. Greater threat experiences were associated with blunted behavioral reward sensitivity, which, in turn, predicted increases in depression symptoms over time and mediated the prospective association between threat and depression symptoms. In contrast, reward sensitivity moderated the association between deprivation experiences and prospective externalizing symptoms such that the positive association of deprivation with increasing externalizing symptoms was absent for children with high levels of reward sensitivity.

Wilderness areas under threat from global redistribution of agriculture

Agriculture expansion is already the primary cause of terrestrial biodiversity loss globally1,2; yet, to meet the demands of growing human populations, production is expected to have to double by 2050.3 The challenge of achieving expansion without further detriment to the environment and biodiversity is huge and potentially compounded by climate change, which may necessitate shifting agriculture zones poleward to regions with more suitable climates,4 threatening species or areas of conservation priority.5,6,7 However, the possible future overlap between agricultural suitability and wilderness areas, increasingly recognized for significant biodiversity, cultural, and climate regulation values, has not yet been examined. Here, using high-resolution climate data, we model global present and future climate suitability for 1,708 crop varieties. We project, over the next 40 years, that 2.7 million km2 of land within wilderness will become newly suitable for agriculture, equivalent to 7% of the total wilderness area outside Antarctica. The increase in potentially cultivable land in wilderness areas is particularly acute at higher latitudes in the northern hemisphere, where 76.3% of newly suitable land is currently wilderness, equivalent to 10.2% of the total wilderness area. Our results highlight an important and previously unidentified possible consequence of the disproportionate warming known to be occurring in high northern latitudes. Because we find that, globally, 72.0% of currently cultivable land is predicted to experience a net loss in total crop diversity, agricultural expansion is a major emerging threat to wilderness. Without protection, the vital integrity of these valuable areas could be irreversibly lost.

When Is Masculinity "Fragile"? An Expectancy-Discrepancy-Threat Model of Masculine Identity

ACADEMIC ABSTRACT

Manhood is a precarious social status. Under perceived gender identity threat, men are disproportionately likely to enact certain stereotype-consistent responses such as aggression to maintain their gender status. Yet less is known regarding individual variation in men's threat responsiveness-that is, the psychological conditions under which one's masculine identity is more or less "fragile." We propose a novel model of masculine identity whereby masculine norm expectancy generates discrepancy within the self to the extent that rigid norms are internalized as obligational (actual-ought discrepancy) versus aspirational (actual-ideal discrepancy), which predict extrinsic versus intrinsic motivations to reduce these discrepancies, respectively. Under threat, then, extrinsic motivations predict externalized responses (e.g., aggression), and intrinsic motivations elicit internalized responses (e.g., anxiety, shame, self-harm). We also consider the conditions under which masculinity may be less fragile-for example, in contexts with less rigid expectations and among men who reject expectations-as pathways to mitigate adverse masculinity threat-related outcomes.

PUBLIC ABSTRACT

In many cultures, men prove their manhood by engaging in behaviors that harm themselves and others (e.g., violence, sexism, homophobia), particularly people from marginalized groups. Yet less is known about why some men are more likely than others to enact these masculinity-proving behaviors. The goal of our model is to specify certain conditions under which masculinities become "fragile" and elicit these responses when under threat. We start by describing the rigid expectations men experience-for example, that they are strong and tough. We propose that these expectations cause men to experience different forms of discrepancy within themselves that produce corresponding motivations to reduce these discrepancies. Under threat, motivations driven by others' expectations elicit outward attempts to restore masculine status (e.g., aggression), whereas motivations driven by self-ideals cause internalized responses (e.g., shame, self-harm). We conclude by discussing how to reduce these discrepancies, such as mitigating the rigidity of and encouraging men's resistance to masculinity expectations.

An Update in Knowledge of Pigs as the Source of Zoonotic Pathogens

The available data indicate that the human world population will constantly grow in the subsequent decades. This constant increase in the number of people on the Earth will lead to growth in food demand, especially in food of high nutritional value. Therefore, it is expected that the world livestock population will also increase. Such a phenomenon enhances the risk of transmitting pathogens to humans. As pig production is one of the most significant branches of the world's livestock production, zoonoses of porcine origins seem to be of particular importance. Therefore, in this review, we aim to introduce the latest data concerning, among other things, epidemiology and available preventive measures to control the most significant porcine zoonoses of viral, bacterial, and parasitic origin.

Self-regulation, stress appraisal, and esport action performance

Electronic sport has seen substantial growth in market value and popularity in the last 10 years. With this growth has come the pursuit of elite esports performance, especially from a psychological perspective. This study aimed to investigate potential variations in self-regulation levels among athletes of different levels (national vs. student), compare the self-regulation profiles of CS:GO players in the current study to an international sample of e'athletes and to assess the predictive capacity of self-regulation on performance outcomes. A total of 53 esports athletes (student competitors, n = 27 and national-level CS:GO competitors, n = 26), participated in an experiment exploring self-regulation, DRES, and action performance. Furthermore, analysis comparing our collective findings against a larger global sample of e'athletes (n = 993) was conducted. Results demonstrated that CS:GO players who displayed higher levels of self-regulation tended to perceive stressful situations as challenges, consequently showcasing superior accuracy and time trial performance. In contrast, individuals with lower self-regulation tended to perceive such situations as threats, which correlated with less favorable performance outcomes. On a broader scale, the study observed that CS:GO competitors generally exhibited lower levels of self-regulation when compared to the larger global sample. Furthermore, self-regulation was identified as a mediating variable in the relationship between stress appraisal and performance, suggesting that improved self-regulation skills can lead to enhanced accuracy and quicker time trial performance. This may imply that competitors with greater self-regulatory abilities perceive themselves as having more personal resources, enabling them to effectively assess challenging situations and employ problem-focused coping strategies. Overall, this research underscores the significance of self-regulation in optimizing esports performance, while providing valuable insights for player development, action performance, and overall outcomes in the field.

Bed nucleus of the stria terminalis GABA neurons are necessary for changes in foraging behaviour following an innate threat

Foraging is a universal behaviour that has co-evolved with predation pressure. We investigated the role of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) GABA neurons in robotic and live predator threat processing and their consequences in post-threat encounter foraging. Both robotic and live predator interactions increased BNST GABA neuron activity. Mice were trained to procure food in a laboratory-based foraging apparatus in which food pellets were placed at incrementally greater distances from a nest zone. After mice learned to forage, they were exposed to a robotic or live predator threat, while BNST GABA neurons were chemogenetically inhibited. Post-robotic threat encounter, mice spent more time in the nest zone, but other foraging parameters were unchanged compared with pre-encounter behaviour. Inhibition of BNST GABA neurons had no effect on foraging behaviour post-robotic threat encounter. Following live predator exposure, control mice spent significantly more time in the nest zone, increased their latency to successfully forage, and significantly altered their overall foraging performance. Inhibition of BNST GABA neurons during live predator exposure prevented changes in foraging behaviour from developing after a live predator threat. BNST GABA neuron inhibition did not alter foraging behaviour during robotic or live predator threats. We conclude that these results demonstrate that while both robotic and live predator encounters effectively intrude on foraging behaviour, the perceived risk and behavioural consequences of the threat are distinguishable. Additionally, BNST GABA neurons may play a role in the integration of prior innate predator threat experience that results in hypervigilance during post-encounter foraging behaviour.

Recognizing the Death Motif in the Near-Death Experience

The typical near-death experience (NDE) is generally understood as an altered state of consciousness in which the experient has the impression of existing as an extrapersonal self out of and/or away from their physical body during real or presumed life-threatening and/or near-death circumstances. This presumed extrapersonal self can sometimes have a perception of being located within the proximity of the physical body whereas at other times it is under the assumption of having ventured to a transcendental location such as an otherworldly realm. The ego, while in this presumed disembodied state, often has the impression of encountering NDE personages such as deceased people, otherworldly spirits, and/or divine beings, especially during transcendental NDEs. However, this paper suggests that all of these noted features are part of a broader recognizable death motif in NDE reports, and provides qualitative examples of different types of this death symbolism for examination and exploration. It then discusses how the death motif in NDE reports possibly indicates a purposeful psychological function to heighten awareness of a threat to life though death symbolism that is meant to boost the desire and resilience to live and survive.

Inhibitory Pedunculopontine Neurons Gate Dopamine-Mediated Motor Actions of Unsigned Valence

BACKGROUND

The pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) maintains a bidirectional connectivity with the basal ganglia that supports their shared roles in the selection and execution of motor actions. Previous studies identified a role for PPN neurons in goal-directed behavior, but the cellular substrates underlying this function have not been elucidated. We recently revealed the existence of a monosynaptic GABAergic input from the PPN that inhibits dopamine neurons of the substantia nigra. Activation of this pathway interferes with the execution of learned motor sequences when the actions are rewarded, even though the inhibition of dopamine neurons did not shift the value of the action, hence suggesting executive control over the gating of behavior.

OBJECTIVE

To test the attributes of the inhibition of dopamine neurons by the PPN in the context of goal-directed behavior regardless of whether the outcome is positive or negative.

METHODS

We delivered optogenetic stimulation to PPN GABAergic axon terminals in the substantia nigra during a battery of behavioral tasks with positive and negative valence.

RESULTS

Inhibition of dopamine neurons by PPN optogenetic activation during an appetitive task impaired the initiation and overall execution of the behavioral sequence without affecting the consumption of reward. During an active avoidance task, the same activation impaired the ability of mice to avoid a foot shock, but their escape response was unaffected. In addition, responses to potential threats were significantly attenuated.

CONCLUSION

Our results show that PPN GABAergic neurons modulate learned, goal-directed behavior of unsigned valence without affecting overall motor behavior.

Psychometric Properties, Factor Structure, and Validity of the Sensitivity to Threat and Affiliative Reward Scale in Children and Adults

Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits identify children at high risk of antisocial behavior. A recent theoretical model proposed that CU traits arise from low sensitivity to threat and affiliation. To assess these dimensions, we developed the parent- and self-reported Sensitivity to Threat and Affiliative Reward Scale (STARS) and tested its psychometric properties, factor structure, and construct validity. Samples 1 (N =3 03; age 3-10; United States) and 2 (N = 854 age 5-9; Spain) were children and Sample 3 was 514 young adults (Mage = 19.89; United States). In Sample 1, differential item functioning and item response theory techniques were used to identify the best-performing items from a 64-item pool, resulting in 28 items that functioned equivalently across age and gender. Factor analysis indicated acceptable fit for the theorized two-factor structure with separate threat and affiliation factors in all three samples, which showed predictive validity in relation to CU traits in children and psychopathic traits in young adults.

Threat effects on cognitive systems: Testing links to aggression proneness

The biobehavioral study of aggression has implications for expanding our understanding of transdiagnostic processes that increase risk for disinhibited behaviors. Toward this end, our study tested tenets from the process model of aggression (Verona & Bresin, 2015). First, we expected that the predictability of threat would differentially alter cognitive networks, including attentional alerting and executive control. Second, we examined the moderating effects of self- and informant reports of aggression on threat-related changes in cognitive functioning. Using event-related potential (ERP) measures of cognitive-attentional processes, 143 community individuals participated in a well-validated and translational threat manipulation (NPU) task (Schmitz & Grillon, 2012) while completing the Attention Network Test (Fan et al., 2002). Analyses revealed that relatively unpredictable threat quickened alerting-related reaction time, whereas predictable threat interfered with processing of flanker task stimuli. The results, however, failed to show reliable relationships between aggression proneness and threat-related cognitive alterations. The findings fit with a broader literature on cognitive and behavioral outputs of threat activation and provide fruitful avenues for better understanding threat-related aggression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Family study of the startle reflex and event-related potentials in anticipation of predictable and unpredictable threat in adolescents and their parents

A heightened sensitivity to unpredictable threat has been identified as a potential transdiagnostic mechanism of psychopathology. The majority of supporting research has been conducted in adults, and it is unclear whether psychophysiological indicators of sensitivity to unpredictable threat are comparable in youth during developmental periods associated with increased risk for psychopathology. In addition, no studies have examined whether sensitivity to unpredictable threat is correlated between parents and their offspring. The present study examined defensive motivation (startle reflex) and attentional engagement (probe N100, P300) in anticipation of predictable and unpredictable threat in a sample of 15-year-old adolescents (N = 395) and a biological parent (N = 379). Adolescents, compared to their parents, demonstrated greater startle potentiation and probe N100 enhancement in anticipation of unpredictable threat. In addition, overall startle potentiation in anticipation of threat was correlated between the adolescents and their parents. Adolescence is a key developmental period characterized by heightened defensive motivation and attentional engagement in anticipation of both predictable and unpredictable threat. Sensitivity to threat might index is one mechanism of vulnerability that is at least partially shared between parents and their offspring.

Negative versus withdrawn maternal behavior: Differential associations with infant gray and white matter during the first 2 years of life

Distinct neural effects of threat versus deprivation emerge by childhood, but little data are available in infancy. Withdrawn versus negative parenting may represent dimensionalized indices of early deprivation versus early threat, but no studies have assessed neural correlates of withdrawn versus negative parenting in infancy. The objective of this study was to separately assess the links of maternal withdrawal and maternal negative/inappropriate interaction with infant gray matter volume (GMV), white matter volume (WMV), amygdala, and hippocampal volume. Participants included 57 mother-infant dyads. Withdrawn and negative/inappropriate aspects of maternal behavior were coded from the Still-Face Paradigm at four months infant age. Between 4 and 24 months (M age = 12.28 months, SD = 5.99), during natural sleep, infants completed an MRI using a 3.0 T Siemens scanner. GMV, WMV, amygdala, and hippocampal volumes were extracted via automated segmentation. Diffusion weighted imaging volumetric data were also generated for major white matter tracts. Maternal withdrawal was associated with lower infant GMV. Negative/inappropriate interaction was associated with lower overall WMV. Age did not moderate these effects. Maternal withdrawal was further associated with reduced right hippocampal volume at older ages. Exploratory analyses of white matter tracts found that negative/inappropriate maternal behavior was specifically associated with reduced volume in the ventral language network. Results suggest that quality of day-to-day parenting is related to infant brain volumes during the first two years of life, with distinct aspects of interaction associated with distinct neural effects.

The Way They See Us: Examining the Content, Accuracy, and Bias of Metaperceptions Held by Syrian Refugees About the Communities That Host Them

Discourse about people seeking refuge from conflict varies considerably. To understand what components of this discourse reach refugees the most, we examined refugees' perceptions of how their host communities perceive them (i.e., intergroup metaperceptions). We sampled refugees who fled Syria to Jordan, Lebanon, Germany, and the Netherlands. Focus groups with 102 Syrian refugees revealed that the most prevalent metaperception discussed by refugees was that they thought their host communities saw them as threatening (Study 1). Surveys with 1,360 Syrian refugees and 1,441 members of the host communities (Study 2) found that refugees' metaperceptions tracked the perceptions held by their host communities (i.e., they were accurate), but there was also a significant mean difference, indicating that they were positively biased. Analyses further tested the roles of evaluative concern and group salience on metaperception accuracy, as well as differences in accuracy and bias across country and perception domain.

The Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic Made People Feel Threatened, but Had a Limited Impact on Political Attitudes in the United States

We investigated if the COVID-19 pandemic's onset caused changes in political attitudes. Influential theories predict that the pandemic's onset will cause people to adopt more conservative attitudes, more culturally conservative attitudes, or more extreme attitudes. We comprehensively tested the external validity of these predictions by estimating the causal effect of the pandemic's onset on 84 political attitudes and eight perceived threats using fine-grained repeated cross-sectional data (Study 1, N = 232,684) and panel data (Study 2, N = 552) collected in the United States. Although the pandemic's onset caused feelings of threat, the onset only caused limited attitude change (six conservative shifts, four extremity shifts, 12 liberal shifts, 62 no change). Prominent theories of threat and politics did not make accurate predictions for this major societal threat. Our results highlight the necessity of testing psychological theories' predictive powers in real-life circumstances.

Distinct Associations of Deprivation and Threat With Alterations in Brain Structure in Early Childhood

OBJECTIVE

The dimensional model of adversity and psychopathology hypothesizes deprivation and threat impact distinct neurobiological pathways, such as brain structure. This hypothesis has not been examined longitudinally or in young children. This study tested longitudinal associations between threat and deprivation measured in preschool and brain structure in childhood. It was hypothesized that threat would be associated with amygdala and hippocampal subcortical volume and deprivation would be associated with cortical thickness in association cortex.

METHOD

The study included T1-weighted scans from 72 children (5-10 years old, 54.2% female participants). Threat was measured by the presence of domestic violence, sexual abuse, physical abuse, or neighborhood violence. Deprivation was measured by the presence of neglect. Associations of deprivation or threat with brain structure were examined controlling for other dimension (deprivation or threat) and nuisance covariates using whole-brain vertex-wise analyses. Subcortical volume was extracted, and the same associations were examined using multiple regression.

RESULTS

Threat was associated with widespread decreases in cortical surface area across the prefrontal cortex and other regions. Threat was not associated with amygdala or hippocampal volume. Deprivation was associated with increased thickness in occipital cortex, insula, and cingulate.

CONCLUSION

Results suggest distinct associations of deprivation and threat on brain structure in early childhood. Threat is associated with widespread differences in surface area, and deprivation is associated with differences in cortical thickness. These observations are consistent with work in adolescence and adulthood and reflect how dimensions of adversity differentially impact neural structure.

From pity to fear: security as a mechanism for (re)production of vulnerability

Vulnerability is not only a shared basic condition, but also a condition of potential. In the context of disasters and crises, the concept of vulnerability is frequently used to portray individuals and groups as 'weak', 'threatened', and 'in need of help'. Occasionally, though, a shift occurs and the 'threatened'-and therefore usually the pitied-become those who are feared and hated, that is, they become a 'threat'. This paper explores how apparently incompatible discursive regimes of 'threatened' and 'threat' intertwine, merge, and feed upon each other, and how vulnerability can be and is consequently securitised. It demonstrates that too often the freedoms and opportunities prescribed by the neoliberal state are impossible to actualise when 'normality' and hence 'otherness' are also defined by the state, where people are first and foremost subjects of a global market. These considerations are critical if we are truly to reduce vulnerabilisation by focusing on justice.

Heat-related illnesses are an increasing threat for travellers to hot climate destinations

The transition to El Niño during 2023 will result in a sharp rise in global heating, increasing the likelihood of breaking temperature records. Travellers are at increasing risk of heat-related illnesses (HRI) and should be prepared with advice about HRI prevention, recognition of early signs and first aid management.

Mice identify subgoal locations through an action-driven mapping process

Mammals form mental maps of the environments by exploring their surroundings. Here, we investigate which elements of exploration are important for this process. We studied mouse escape behavior, in which mice are known to memorize subgoal locations-obstacle edges-to execute efficient escape routes to shelter. To test the role of exploratory actions, we developed closed-loop neural-stimulation protocols for interrupting various actions while mice explored. We found that blocking running movements directed at obstacle edges prevented subgoal learning; however, blocking several control movements had no effect. Reinforcement learning simulations and analysis of spatial data show that artificial agents can match these results if they have a region-level spatial representation and explore with object-directed movements. We conclude that mice employ an action-driven process for integrating subgoals into a hierarchical cognitive map. These findings broaden our understanding of the cognitive toolkit that mammals use to acquire spatial knowledge.

ForDigitStress: presentation and evaluation of a new laboratory stressor using a digital job interview-scenario

Introduction

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, working environments and private lives have changed dramatically. Digital technologies and media have become more and more important and have found their way into nearly all private and work environments. Communication situations have been largely relocated to virtual spaces. One of these scenarios is digital job interviews. Job interviews are usually-also in the non-digital world-perceived as stressful and associated with biological stress responses. We here present and evaluate a newly developed laboratory stressor that is based on a digital job interview-scenario.

Methods

N = 45 healthy people participated in the study (64.4% female; mean age: 23.2 ± 3.6 years; mean body mass index = 22.8 ± 4.0 kg/m²). Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and cortisol were assessed as measures for biological stress responses. Furthermore, perceived stress was rated at the time points of the saliva samplings. The job interviews lasted between 20 and 25 min. All materials, including instructions for the experimenter (i.e., the job interviewer) and the data set used for statistical analysis, as well as a multimodal data set, which includes further measures, are publicly available.

Results

Typical subjective and biological stress-response patterns were found, with peak sAA and perceived stress levels observed immediately after the job interviews and peak cortisol concentrations 5 min afterwards. Female participants experienced the scenario as more stressful than male participants. Cortisol peaks were higher for participants who experienced the situation as a threat in comparison to participants who experienced it as a challenge. Associations between the strength of the stress response with further person characteristics and psychological variables such as BMI, age, coping styles, and personality were not found.

Discussion

Overall, our method is well-suited to induce biological and perceived stress, mostly independent of person characteristics and psychological variables. The setting is naturalistic and easily implementable in standardized laboratory settings.

The effect of prey abundance and fisheries on the survival, reproduction, and social structure of killer whales (Orcinus orca) at subantarctic Marion Island

Most marine apex predators are keystone species that fundamentally influence their ecosystems through cascading top-down processes. Reductions in worldwide predator abundances, attributed to environmental- and anthropogenic-induced changes to prey availability and negative interactions with fisheries, can have far-reaching ecosystem impacts. We tested whether the survival of killer whales (Orcinus orca) observed at Marion Island in the Southern Indian Ocean correlated with social structure and prey variables (direct measures of prey abundance, Patagonian toothfish fishery effort, and environmental proxies) using multistate models of capture-recapture data spanning 12 years (2006-2018). We also tested the effect of these same variables on killer whale social structure and reproduction measured over the same period. Indices of social structure had the strongest correlation with survival, with higher sociality associated with increased survival probability. Survival was also positively correlated with Patagonian toothfish fishing effort during the previous year, suggesting that fishery-linked resource availability is an important determinant of survival. No correlation between survival and environmental proxies of prey abundance was found. At-island prey availability influenced the social structure of Marion Island killer whales, but none of the variables explained variability in reproduction. Future increases in legal fishing activity may benefit this population of killer whales through the artificial provisioning of resources they provide.

Extinction Risk Assessment and Chemical Composition of Aerial Parts Essential Oils from Two Endangered Endemic Malagasy Salvia Species

Seven essential oil samples of two endemic species of Malagasy sage, Salvia sessilifolia Baker and Salvia leucodermis Baker, were investigated via GC(RI), GC-MS and 13C NMR spectrometry. In total, 81compounds were identified accounting for 93.5% to 98.7% of the total composition. The main constituents for the both species were (E)-β-caryophyllene (29.2% to 60.1%), myrcene (1.2% to 21.7%), α-humulene (5.2% to 19.7%), (E)-nerolidol (0.8% to 15.5%) and caryophyllene oxide (1.4% to 10.8%). Ethnobotanical survey of 46 informants revealed that decoctions of leafy twigs and chewed leaves were usually used. Due to the repeated fires, over-harvesting and grazing, the populations of S. sessilifolia and S. leucodermis are drastically fragmented. These risk factors led to threats to the habitats of the target species. Salvia sessilifolia Baker and Salvia leucodermis Baker are proposed to be classified as endangered species.

Epidemiology, host range, and associated risk factors of monkeypox: an emerging global public health threat

Based on recent multiregional epidemiological investigations of Monkeypox (MPX), on 24 July 2022, the World Health Organization declared it a global public health threat. Retrospectively MPX was an ignored zoonotic endemic infection to tropical rainforest regions of Western and Central African rural communities until a worldwide epidemic in May 2022 verified the potential threat of monkeypox virus (MPXV) to be propagated across the contemporary world via transnational tourism and animal movements. During 2018-2022, different cases of MPX diagnosed in Nigerian travelers have been documented in Israel, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and the United States. More recently, on 27 September 2022, 66,000 MPX cases have been confirmed in more than 100 non-endemic countries, with fluctuating epidemiological footprinting from retrospective epidemics. Particular disease-associated risk factors fluctuate among different epidemics. The unpredicted appearance of MPX in non-endemic regions suggests some invisible transmission dynamic. Hence, broad-minded and vigilant epidemiological attention to the current MPX epidemic is mandatory. Therefore, this review was compiled to highlight the epidemiological dynamic, global host ranges, and associated risk factors of MPX, concentrating on its epidemic potential and global public health threat.

The infralimbic and prelimbic cortical areas bidirectionally regulate safety learning during normal and stress conditions

Safety learning is a critical function for behavioral adaptation, environmental fitness, and mental health. Animal models have implicated the prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) subregions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in safety learning. However, whether these regions differentially contribute to safety learning and how their contributions become affected by stress still remain poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated these issues using a novel semi-naturalistic mouse model for threat and safety learning. As mice navigated within a test arena, they learned that specific zones were associated with either noxious cold temperatures ("threat") or pleasant warm temperatures ("safety"). Optogenetic-mediated inhibition revealed critical roles for the IL and PL regions for selectively controlling safety learning during these naturalistic conditions. This form of safety learning was also highly susceptible to stress pre-exposure, and while IL inhibition mimicked the deficits produced by stress, PL inhibition fully rescued safety learning in stress-exposed mice. Collectively, these findings indicate that IL and PL bidirectionally regulate safety learning during naturalistic situations, with the IL region promoting this function and the PL region suppressing it, especially after stress. A model of balanced IL and PL activity is proposed as a fundamental mechanism for controlling safety learning.

Extreme Reactions to Globalization: Investigating Indirect, Longitudinal, and Experimental Effects of the Globalization-Radicalization Nexus

Radicalization-as a complex process of adopting extremist attitudes-includes maladaptive responses to the transformative power of globalization. Globalization contains sociocultural disruptive and acculturative processes, initiating exclusionary and integrative reactions. These reactions have dissimilarly been associated with aspects of extremism. In seven preregistered studies (N = 2,161), we draw on various methods combining naturalistic circumstances, cross-sectional, longitudinal, experimental, and representative data to scrutinize the complex globalization-radicalization nexus within the contexts of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Pakistan. Our results provide empirical support for the hypothesis that insecure life attachment (i.e., experience of contextual safety, inclusiveness, reliability, fairness, and facilitating well-being) and globalization perceived as a threat can lead to extremism through defensive reactions to globalization. Specifically, we found ethnic protection to be a central mechanism connecting sociocultural disruption and threats with extremism. Globalized radicalization ascends as a contemporary phenomenon reflecting the dark side of global interconnectivity.