Dry matter production and botanical composition of multi-species pasture mixtures during the second year after establishment

A pasture mixture experiment was conducted, growing four species; perennial ryegrass, plantain, white clover and red clover under irrigation in Canterbury, New Zealand. The experiment set out to identifty an optimal pasture seed mixture that maximised annual dry matter (DM) yield by quantifying species identity and diversity effects from pasture mixtures. The plots were sown containing one- to four-species, based on a simplex mixture design containing all possible combinations. The annual and seasonal DM production were statistically analysed with a special cubic model created from the simplex mixture design, enabling predictions to be made on the mixture that would produce maximum yield for the second year of growth (May 2016 to May 2017). The DM production and botanical composition of each monoculture and mixture were measured, compared and analysed. To explain differences in yield between mixtures, N content, leaf area index and light interception were also measured. The modelled analysis showed that five two-species mixtures and one three-species mixture showed significant species interactions and subsequent yield increases over the mean of their component monocultures. The seed mix that was predicted to maximise yield consisted of 0.29 ryegrass, 0.20 plantain and 0.51 red clover in terms of seeds/unit area, predicted to yield 16.44 t DM/ha for the second year of growth. This mix produced 5.19 t DM/ha more than the rygrass and white clover (RG*WC) mixture, which yielded 11.25 t DM/ha. The greatest diversity effects were shown by the two species mixtures that included red clover, and produced 4.93 t DM/ha (RG*RC) and 5.31 t DM/ha (P*RC) above the mean yield of the monocultures. Species interactions and botanical compositions within the mixtures were not consisitent over time; the optimal mixture (ryegrass, plantain and red clover) displayed transgressive overyielding over six of the eight sampling dates. There were no significant species interactions across any of the mixtures at the early spring harvest (August 2016) and the late autumn harvest (May 2017). The botanical composition of the highest yielding mixture RG*P*RC vaired in botanical composition over the season. It deviated from its sown proportions of 0.33 RG -0.33 P - 0.33 RC to 0.24-0.54-0.22 of RG, P, RC respectively at the time of first harvest (2/08/2016). By the second harvest (22/09/2016) the botanical composition of the mixture had changed to 0.10-0.26-0.64; halving the proportion of ryegrass and plantain and tripling the proportion of red clover. There were significant differences in N content between the four monocultures, ranging from 2.30% (ryegrass) to 3.75% (red clover). The mixture N% was lower when white clover was included in the mixture (2.71% for RG*WC, 2.82% for P*WC) than when red clover was included (3.22% for RG*RC, 3.49% for P*RC). The N content of the mixtures can be used to explain yield as the average N concentration of the mixtures increased by 1%, the annual yield increased by 6.60 t DM/ha. Leaf area index and light interception analysis within the seventh and eighth harvests showed that significantly higher yielding mixtures such as RG*RC, P*RC and RG*P*RC reached critical light interceptance and had a significantly higher leaf area index than their component monocultures and mixtures that produced lower yields, such as RG*P, P*WC and WC*R

We are more selfish than we think:The endowment effect and reward processing within the human medial-frontal cortex

Perceived ownership has been shown to impact a variety of cognitive processes: attention, memory, and—more recently—reward processing. In the present experiment we examined whether or not perceived ownership would interact with the construct of value—the relative worth of an object. Participants completed a simple gambling game in which they gambled either for themselves or for another while electroencephalographic data were recorded. In a key manipulation, gambles for oneself or for another were for either small or large rewards. We tested the hypothesis that value affects the neural response to self-gamble outcomes, but not other-gamble outcomes. Our experimental data revealed that while participants learned the correct response option for both self and other gambles, the reward positivity evoked by wins was impacted by value only when gambling for oneself. Importantly, our findings provide additional evidence for a self-ownership bias in cognitive processing and further demonstrate the insensitivity of the medial-frontal reward system to gambles for another. </jats:p

Visual motion and decision-making in dyslexia: reduced accumulation of sensory evidence and related neural dynamics

Children with and without dyslexia differ in their behavioural responses to visual information, particularly when required to pool dynamic signals over space and time. Importantly, multiple processes contribute to behavioural responses. Here we investigated which processing stages are affected in children with dyslexia when performing visual motion processing tasks, by combining two methods that are sensitive to the dynamic processes leading to responses. We used a diffusion model which decomposes response time and accuracy into distinct cognitive constructs, and high-density EEG. 50 children with dyslexia (24 male) and 50 typically developing children (28 male) aged 6 to 14 years judged the direction of motion as quickly and accurately as possible in two global motion tasks (motion coherence and direction integration), which varied in their requirements for noise exclusion. Following our pre-registered analyses, we fitted hierarchical Bayesian diffusion models to the data, blinded to group membership. Unblinding revealed reduced evidence accumulation in children with dyslexia compared to typical children for both tasks. Additionally, we identified a response-locked EEG component which was maximal over centro-parietal electrodes which indicated a neural correlate of reduced drift-rate in dyslexia in the motion coherence task, thereby linking brain and behaviour. We suggest that children with dyslexia tend to be slower to extract sensory evidence from global motion displays, regardless of whether noise exclusion is required, thus furthering our understanding of atypical perceptual decision-making processes in dyslexia

Mortality after discharge from long-term psychiatric care in Scotland, 1977 – 94: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: Recent United Kingdom strategies focus on preventable suicide deaths in former psychiatric in-patients, but natural causes of death, accidents and homicide may also be important. This study was intended to find the relative importance of natural and unnatural causes of death in people discharged from long-term psychiatric care in Scotland in 1977 –1994. METHODS: People discharged alive from psychiatric hospitals in Scotland in 1977 – 94 after a stay of one year or longer were identified using routine hospital records. Computer record linkage was used to link hospital discharges to subsequent death records. Mortality was described using a person-years analysis, and compared to the general population rates. RESULTS: 6,776 people were discharged in the time period. 1,994 people (29%) died by the end of follow-up, 732 more deaths than expected. Deaths from suicide, homicide, accident and undetermined cause were increased, but accounted for only 197 of the excess deaths. Deaths from respiratory disease were four times higher than expected, and deaths from other causes, including cardiovascular disease, were also elevated. CONCLUSION: Suicide is an important cause of preventable mortality, but natural causes account for more excess deaths. Prevention activities should not focus only on unnatural causes of death

Feasibility and results of a randomised pilot-study of pre-discharge occupational therapy home visits

BACKGROUND: Pre-discharge home visits aim to maximise independence in the community. These visits involve assessment of a person in their own home prior to discharge from hospital, typically by an occupational therapist. The therapist may provide equipment, adapt the home environment and/or provide education. The aims of this study were to investigate the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial in a clinical setting and the effect of pre-discharge home visits on functional performance in older people undergoing rehabilitation. METHODS: Ten patients participating in an inpatient rehabilitation program were randomly assigned to receive either a pre-discharge home visit (intervention), or standard practice in-hospital assessment and education (control), both conducted by an occupational therapist. The pre-discharge home visit involved assessment of the older person's function and environment, and education, and took an average of 1.5 hours. The hospital-based interview took an average of 40 minutes. Outcome data were collected by a blinded assessor at 0, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Outcomes included performance of activities of daily living, reintegration to community living, quality of life, readmission and fall rates. RESULTS: Recruitment of 10 participants was slow and took three months. Observed performance of functional abilities did not differ between groups due to the small sample size. Difference in activities of daily living participation, as recorded by the Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living scale, was statistically significant but wide confidence intervals and low statistical power limit interpretation of results. CONCLUSION: Evaluation of pre-discharge home visits by occupational therapists in a rehabilitation setting is feasible, but a more effective recruitment strategy for a main study is favored by application of a multi-centre setting

Introduction and validation of Psychopathic Personality Traits Scale (PPTS) in a large prison sample

Purpose: The aim of this study was to create and validate a brief self-report scale of psychopathic personality traits for research purposes which would grasp the essence of a psychopathic personality, regardless of respondents’ age, gender, cultural background, and criminal history. Methods: The Psychopathic Personality Traits Scale (PPTS), The Measure of Criminal Social Identity, Self-Esteem Measure for Criminals, The Child Sexual Abuse Myth Scale, Attitudes Towards Male Sexual Dating Violence, and Lie Scale were administered to 1,794 prisoners systematically sampled from 10 maximum- and medium-security prisons. Dimensionality and construct validity of the PPTS was investigated using traditional CFA techniques, along with confirmatory bifactor analysis and multitrait-multimethod modelling (MTMM). Seven alternative models of the PPTS were specified and tested using Mplus with WLSMV estimation. Results: MTMM model of PPTS offered the best representation of the data. The results suggest that the PPTS consists of four subscales (affective responsiveness, cognitive responsiveness, interpersonal manipulation, and egocentricity) while controlling for two method factors (knowledge/skills and attitudes/beliefs). Good composite reliability and differential predictive validity was observed. Conclusion: This brief measure of psychopathic traits uncontaminated with behavioural items can be used in the same way among participants with and without criminal history

One hundred years of EEG for brain and behaviour research

On the centenary of the first human EEG recording, more than 500 experts reflect on the impact that this discovery has had on our understanding of the brain and behaviour. We document their priorities and call for collective action focusing on validity, democratization and responsibility to realize the potential of EEG in science and society over the next 100 years

A global horizon scan of the future impacts of robotics and autonomous systems on urban ecosystems

Technology is transforming societies worldwide. A major innovation is the emergence of robotics and autonomous systems (RAS), which have the potential to revolutionize cities for both people and nature. Nonetheless, the opportunities and challenges associated with RAS for urban ecosystems have yet to be considered systematically. Here, we report the findings of an online horizon scan involving 170 expert participants from 35 countries. We conclude that RAS are likely to transform land use, transport systems and human–nature interactions. The prioritized opportunities were primarily centred on the deployment of RAS for the monitoring and management of biodiversity and ecosystems. Fewer challenges were prioritized. Those that were emphasized concerns surrounding waste from unrecovered RAS, and the quality and interpretation of RAS-collected data. Although the future impacts of RAS for urban ecosystems are difficult to predict, examining potentially important developments early is essential if we are to avoid detrimental consequences but fully realize the benefits

A global horizon scan of the future impacts of robotics and autonomous systems on urban ecosystems

Technology is transforming societies worldwide. A major innovation is the emergence of robotics and autonomous systems (RAS), which have the potential to revolutionize cities for both people and nature. Nonetheless, the opportunities and challenges associated with RAS for urban ecosystems have yet to be considered systematically. Here, we report the findings of an online horizon scan involving 170 expert participants from 35 countries. We conclude that RAS are likely to transform land use, transport systems and human–nature interactions. The prioritized opportunities were primarily centred on the deployment of RAS for the monitoring and management of biodiversity and ecosystems. Fewer challenges were prioritized. Those that were emphasized concerns surrounding waste from unrecovered RAS, and the quality and interpretation of RAS-collected data. Although the future impacts of RAS for urban ecosystems are difficult to predict, examining potentially important developments early is essential if we are to avoid detrimental consequences but fully realize the benefits