Atypical speech versus non-speech detection and discrimination in 4-to 6-yr old children with autism spectrum disorder: An ERP study

This work was supported by Autistica (https://www.autistica.org.uk)

Domestic cats and dogs create a landscape of fear for pest rodents around rural homesteads

Using domestic predators such as cats to control rodent pest problems around farms and homesteads is common across the world. However, practical scientific evidence on the impact of such biological control in agricultural settings is often lacking. We tested whether the presence of domestic cats and/or dogs in rural homesteads would affect the foraging behaviour of pest rodents. We estimated giving up densities (GUDs) from established feeding patches and estimated relative rodent activity using tracking tiles at 40 homesteads across four agricultural communities. We found that the presence of cats and dogs at the same homestead significantly reduced activity and increased GUDs (i.e. increased perception of foraging cost) of pest rodent species. However, if only cats or dogs alone were present at the homestead there was no observed difference in rodent foraging activity in comparison to homesteads with no cats or dogs. Our results suggest that pest rodent activity can be discouraged through the presence of domestic predators. When different types of predator are present together they likely create a heightened landscape of fear for foraging rodents

Ohio State 4-H Green Building

Congressionally directed project to pay in part for construction of a building on the Ohio State University campus

Effects of maternal depression in the Still-Face Paradigm: A meta-analysis

The Still-Face Paradigm (SFP) enables researchers to examine the quality of mother-infant interactions. In typical infants, a classic still-face effect (SFE) has been confirmed whereby infants demonstrate reduced positive affect (PA), reduced gaze (GA), and increased negative affect (NA). Recently, the SFP has been used to examine the effect of maternal depression upon infant behaviour. However, the nature and consistency of the behavioural responses of infants of depressed mothers during the SFP remains unclear. In the current meta-analysis, we examined whether or not infants of depressed mothers demonstrate the classic SFE, as well as whether or not these infants display the same levels of PA, NA, and GA as their counterparts with non-depressed mothers. Results revealed that infants of depressed mothers display the classic SFE like infants of their non-depressed counterparts. However, infants of depressed mothers also demonstrated significantly higher levels of PA during the still-face episode. One potential interpretation of this finding is that infants prior experience of similar, depressed interactions with their mothers, encourages them to amplify their positive attachment signals in order to engage maternal attention and response. Alternatively, or additionally, infants of depressed mothers could be using PA in order to regulate their own NA

Patterns of survival and roost switching in an African insectivorous bat

Variation in survival over time and amongst age and sex classes drives population dynamics for a large majority of long-lived species and is critical to understanding species demography. For highly mobile species that actively move among potential breeding locations, coupling survival information with estimates of locational fidelity provides the basis for our understanding of species population dynamics. We studied the effect of time, age and sex class, and climatic variables on survival and roost transition probabilities on a population of Egyptian slit-faced bats in Swaziland from 1450 marked individuals from 16 roosts over a 10 year period. We then used variance components analysis to estimate average annual survival and associated temporal process variance. Annual apparent survival varied with sex and age, being highest in adult males and lowest in juvenile females. We did not find evidence of survival being influenced by climatological factors as commonly observed in temperate bats. Roost switching occurred frequently, with more transitions to roosts harboring larger number of bats. Furthermore, the probability of transitioning to another roost was related to its distance from the original roost. The dispersal patterns revealed in this study were consistent with the fission-fusion dynamics common for colonial bats.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1469-79982016-05-31hb2015Zoology and EntomologyMammal Research Institut

Developmental changes in mu suppression to observed and executed actions in autism spectrum disorders

There has been debate over whether disruptions in the mirror neuron system (MNS) play a key role in the core social deficits observed in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). EEG mu suppression during the observation of biological actions is believed to reflect MNS functioning, but understanding of the developmental progression of the MNS and EEG mu rhythm in both typical and atypical development is lacking. To provide a more thorough and direct exploration of the development of mu suppression in individuals with ASD, a sample of 66 individuals with ASD and 51 typically developing individuals of 6-17 years old were pooled from four previously published studies employing similar EEG methodology. We found a significant correlation between age and mu suppression in response to the observation of actions, both for individuals with ASD and typical individuals. This relationship was not seen during the execution of actions. Additionally, the strength of the correlation during the observation of actions did not significantly differ between groups. The results provide evidence against the argument that mirror neuron dysfunction improves with age in individuals with ASD and suggest, instead, that a diagnosis-independent developmental change may be at the root of the correlation of age and mu suppression

Root branching plasticity: collective decision-making results from local and global signalling

Cells within tissues can be regarded as autonomous entities that respond to their local environment and to signals from neighbours. Coordination between cells is particularly important in plants, as the architecture of the plant adapts to environmental cues. To explain the architectural plasticity of the root, we propose to view it as a swarm of coupled multi-cellular structures, rhizomers, rather than a large set of autonomous cells. Each rhizomer contains a primed site with the potential to develop a single lateral root. Rhizomers are spaced through oscillatory genetic events that occur at the basal root tip. The decision whether or not to develop a lateral root primordium results from the interplay between local interactions of the rhizomer with its immediate environment, such as local nutrient availability, long-range interactions between the rhizomers and global cues, such as overall nutrient uptake. It can halt lateral root progression through its developmental stages, resulting in the observed complex root architecture

A scale for quantifying behavior based on aggressiveness in bats

Behavior and personality play a crucial role in the evolution and ecology of animal species. We have limited knowledge of bat personality traits, partially due to the time, equipment, and facilities needed to measure them. To help fill this gap, we developed a scale for quantifying aggressiveness in bats that can be used during ordinary fieldwork and handling by researchers. This scale is based on observations of the following ecologically relevant and easily observed behaviors in wild-captured bats during routine handling: amount and intensity of physical struggling, teethbaring, and biting. We then applied this scale to 35 wild-caught individual bats belonging to three different species or species groups (Chaerephon pumilus, n=29; Scotophilus dinganii, n=3; and pipistrelloid bats, n=3) and measured agreement between observers using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). We found that agreement between observers was good to excellent. This scale of aggressiveness provides an important, practical tool for researchers to reliably quantify this personality trait in wild bats that requires no additional equipment and minimal additional handling time. Collecting data on aggressive behavior during handling has the potential to increase our understanding of both intra- and interspecific variation in aggressiveness in bats, as well as the influence of this trait on many aspects of bat ecology. Finally, collecting data using this scale can facilitate comparisons between studies and promote research at broader spatial and temporal scales than commonly used in behavioral ecology studies.The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, a Student Research Grant from Bat Conservation International, a National Geographic Young Explorer’s Grant and a grant from The Explorers Club Exploration Fund – Mamont Scholars Program.https://secemu.org/en/journal-of-bat-research-and-conservationam2022Mammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog