Linking social behaviour and anxiety to attention to emotional faces in Williams syndrome

The neurodevelopmental disorder Williams syndrome (WS) has been associated with a social phenotype of hypersociability, non-social anxiety and an unusual attraction to faces. The current study uses eye tracking to explore attention allocation to emotionally expressive faces. Eye gaze and behavioural measures of anxiety and social reciprocity were investigated in adolescents and adults with WS when compared to typically developing individuals of comparable verbal mental age (VMA) and chronological age (CA). Results showed significant associations between high levels of behavioural anxiety and attention allocation away from the eye regions of threatening facial expressions in WS. The results challenge early claims of a unique attraction to the eyes in WS and suggest that individual differences in anxiety may mediate the allocation of attention to faces in WS

Quantitative trait loci for bone traits segregating independently of those for growth in an F-2 broiler X layer cross

An F broiler-layer cross was phenotyped for 18 skeletal traits at 6, 7 and 9 weeks of age and genotyped with 120 microsatellite markers. Interval mapping identified 61 suggestive and significant QTL on 16 of the 25 linkage groups for 16 traits. Thirty-six additional QTL were identified when the assumption that QTL were fixed in the grandparent lines was relaxed. QTL with large effects on the lengths of the tarsometatarsus, tibia and femur, and the weights of the tibia and femur were identified on GGA4 between 217 and 249 cM. Six QTL for skeletal traits were identified that did not co-locate with genome wide significant QTL for body weight and two body weight QTL did not coincide with skeletal trait QTL. Significant evidence of imprinting was found in ten of the QTL and QTL x sex interactions were identified for 22 traits. Six alleles from the broiler line for weight- and size-related skeletal QTL were positive. Negative alleles for bone quality traits such as tibial dyschondroplasia, leg bowing and tibia twisting generally originated from the layer line suggesting that the allele inherited from the broiler is more protective than the allele originating from the layer

Effect of yoga on pulse rate variability measured from a venous pressure waveform

The benefits of yoga have been studied in different fields, from chronic health conditions to mental disorders, showing that it can help to improve the overall health. In particular, it has been proven that yoga also improves the autonomic function. Heart rate variability (HRV) at rest is commonly used as a non-invasive measure of autonomic regulation of heart rate. Alternatively, pulse rate variability (PRV) has been proposed as a surrogate of HRV. VoluMetrix has developed a novel technology that captures venous waveforms via sensors on the volar aspect of the wrist, called NIVAband. This study aims to assess the effect of yoga in the autonomic nervous system by analyzing the PRV obtained from the NIVA signal. Temporal (statistics of the normal-to-normal intervals), spectral (power in low and high frequency bands) and nonlinear (lagged Poincaré Plot analysis) parameters are analyzed before and after a yoga session in 20 healthy volunteers. The PRV analysis shows an increase in parameters related to parasympathetic activity and overall variability, and a decrease in parameters related to sympathetic activity and mean heart rate. These results support the beneficial effect of yoga in autonomic nervous system, increasing the parasympathetic activity

A transfer-appropriate processing account of memory biases for threat in speech anxiety

Abstract not availabl

The effect of temporary deprivation of lying and feeding on the behaviour and production of lactating dairy cows

Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of depriving dairy cows of the ability to feed and lie down for short periods, on behaviour and production. In experiment 1, cows were deprived by confining them in pairs in a pen for 2 or 4 h, and they more frequently exhibited behaviour likely to suggest discomfort – leg stamping, repositioning themselves, shifting their weight between legs and butting. After deprivation, the cows deprived for 2 h made up their lost feeding time within 24 h, but cows deprived for 4 h did not restore their feeding time within the 41-h period of observation. Lying time was not restored in either treatment within the 41-h period. Milk yield was not affected by the treatment. However, in experiment 2, when cows were deprived of feeding and lying for 4 h, during which time their hooves were trimmed (which is likely to be a painful and stressful procedure and result in some discomfort for a period post-trimming) the evidence suggested that milk yield was reduced by approximately 2 l/day for 3 days, with corresponding increases during the subsequent 2 days. Walking speed on returning to the herd was the same as before the treatment. In summary, temporary deprivation of feeding and lying for 2 and 4 h/day induced behaviours that were indicative of discomfort and frustration but had no negative effect on milk production, except when 4 h of deprivation was accompanied by foot trimming