Prediction of Psilocybin Response in Healthy Volunteers

Responses to hallucinogenic drugs, such as psilocybin, are believed to be critically dependent on the user's personality, current mood state, drug pre-experiences, expectancies, and social and environmental variables. However, little is known about the order of importance of these variables and their effect sizes in comparison to drug dose. Hence, this study investigated the effects of 24 predictor variables, including age, sex, education, personality traits, drug pre-experience, mental state before drug intake, experimental setting, and drug dose on the acute response to psilocybin. The analysis was based on the pooled data of 23 controlled experimental studies involving 409 psilocybin administrations to 261 healthy volunteers. Multiple linear mixed effects models were fitted for each of 15 response variables. Although drug dose was clearly the most important predictor for all measured response variables, several non-pharmacological variables significantly contributed to the effects of psilocybin. Specifically, having a high score in the personality trait of Absorption, being in an emotionally excitable and active state immediately before drug intake, and having experienced few psychological problems in past weeks were most strongly associated with pleasant and mystical-type experiences, whereas high Emotional Excitability, low age, and an experimental setting involving positron emission tomography most strongly predicted unpleasant and/or anxious reactions to psilocybin. The results confirm that non-pharmacological variables play an important role in the effects of psilocybin

Marine Biodiversity in the Caribbean: Regional Estimates and Distribution Patterns

This paper provides an analysis of the distribution patterns of marine biodiversity and summarizes the major activities of the Census of Marine Life program in the Caribbean region. The coastal Caribbean region is a large marine ecosystem (LME) characterized by coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses, but including other environments, such as sandy beaches and rocky shores. These tropical ecosystems incorporate a high diversity of associated flora and fauna, and the nations that border the Caribbean collectively encompass a major global marine biodiversity hot spot. We analyze the state of knowledge of marine biodiversity based on the geographic distribution of georeferenced species records and regional taxonomic lists. A total of 12,046 marine species are reported in this paper for the Caribbean region. These include representatives from 31 animal phyla, two plant phyla, one group of Chromista, and three groups of Protoctista. Sampling effort has been greatest in shallow, nearshore waters, where there is relatively good coverage of species records; offshore and deep environments have been less studied. Additionally, we found that the currently accepted classification of marine ecoregions of the Caribbean did not apply for the benthic distributions of five relatively well known taxonomic groups. Coastal species richness tends to concentrate along the Antillean arc (Cuba to the southernmost Antilles) and the northern coast of South America (Venezuela – Colombia), while no pattern can be observed in the deep sea with the available data. Several factors make it impossible to determine the extent to which these distribution patterns accurately reflect the true situation for marine biodiversity in general: (1) highly localized concentrations of collecting effort and a lack of collecting in many areas and ecosystems, (2) high variability among collecting methods, (3) limited taxonomic expertise for many groups, and (4) differing levels of activity in the study of different taxa

Biological community structure on patch reefs in Biscayne National Park, FL, USA

Coral reef ecosystem management benefits from continual quantitative assessment of the resources being managed, plus assessment of factors that affect distribution patterns of organisms in the ecosystem. In this study, we investigate the relationships among physical, benthic, and fish variables in an effort to help explain the distribution patterns of organisms on patch reefs within Biscayne National Park, FL, USA. We visited a total of 196 randomly selected sampling stations on 12 shallow (<10 m) patch reefs and measured physical variables (e.g., substratum rugosity, substratum type) and benthic and fish community variables. We also incorporated data on substratum rugosity collected remotely via airborne laser surveying (Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar—EAARL). Across all stations, only weak relationships were found between physical, benthic cover, and fish assemblage variables. Much of the variance was attributable to a “reef effect,” meaning that community structure and organism abundances were more variable at stations among reefs than within reefs. However, when the reef effect was accounted for and removed statistically, patterns were detected. Within reefs, juvenile scarids were most abundant at stations with high coverage of the fleshy macroalgae Dictyota spp., and the calcified alga Halimeda tuna was most abundant at stations with low EAARL rugosity. Explanations for the overwhelming importance of “reef” in explaining variance in our dataset could include the stochastic arrangement of organisms on patch reefs related to variable larval recruitment in space and time and/or strong historical effects due to patchy disturbances (e.g., hurricanes, fishing), as well as legacy effects of prior residents (“priority” effects)

Exposure to Parents’ Negative Emotions as a Developmental Pathway to the Family Aggregation of Depression and Anxiety in the First Year of Life

FSW - Self-regulation models for health behavior and psychopathology - ou

The roles of seagrasses in structuring associated fish assemblages and fisheries

Seagrasses are known to provide important habitats for a diversity of fish and fisheries species. Continued research has allowed us to re-evaluate the generalisations, and identify the gaps in our knowledge regarding these habitats, particularly in an Australian context. Seagrasses generally form part of a mosaic with other habitats within a seascape that contributes to its overall biodiversity of fish. Patterns of abundance and diversity of fish between seagrass and other habitats, such as unvegetated flats and reef habitats, is inconsistent and depends on the region, fish and seagrass species, and sampling method. Edge effects, adjacent habitats, and fragmentation can strongly influence fish assemblages. Seagrass structural complexity can enhance survival and growth of juvenile fishes, but recent studies show that survival rates of individual prey do not vary greatly across seagrass densities when densities of both prey and predators increase with seagrass density. The concept of the nursery habitat has been built on data from studies in estuaries or highly seasonal seagrass habitats, whereas recent studies in marine systems or cool temperate seagrass meadows suggest that this role does not always hold. Direct grazing on seagrasses by fishes occurs mainly in tropical regions, although there is a paucity of data on this process along with several other processes, from tropical Australia. Grazing on seagrasses by fishes appears to be limited in temperate regions, with consumption of seagrass restricted mainly to omnivorous species. However, tropicalisation, that is, the immigration of tropical grazers to higher latitudes due to global ocean warming, is predicted to increase grazing rates on temperate seagrasses. Reductions in seagrass biomass caused by increased grazing will disrupt connectivity processes between seagrass meadows and surrounding habitats, and are likely to have significant ramifications for the biodiversity and ecosystem services those other coastal habitats provide. Although other habitats rely on inputs of seagrass detritus, and the immigration of fish and fisheries species from their juvenile seagrass habitats, quantitative data on this link are limited. Evidence that fisheries declines, either directly or indirectly, have resulted from seagrass loss is equivocal to date, and therefore, the quantification of this role is still needed. Managing seagrass for fisheries is complex, and many fisheries agencies embrace ecosystem-based management, but do not have direct responsibility for seagrass habitat. Significant progress has been made in our knowledge of fish and fisheries in seagrasses, but our review highlights significant knowledge gaps where further research is recommended