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For decades, researchers have struggled with measurement problems related to the "construct validity" of divergent and convergent thinking in creativity assessments. In response, some have called for battery-based approaches. Recently, digital games have emerged as a potential alternative, offering increased "scalability" and "improved ecological validity." This article presents CREA: a new, scalable, game-based assessment suite. CREA includes crea.tiles and crea.blender, non-verbal games featuring both divergent and convergent thinking modes, as well as crea.ideas - the Alternative Uses Task, a standard test of divergent thinking, and crea.logic - a test of abstract reasoning. The novel convergent and divergent thinking game modes are constructed within the same contextual environment and with theoretically motivated differences in game-prompts to understand and generalize from the emerging elicited behaviors. In this study, 408 participants completed the CREA suite and selected validation measures, representing the largest game-based validation study to date. Both convergent and discriminant validity is demonstrated for crea.tiles with respect to standard tests, with correlations ranging from r = 0.1-0.4. Having CREA freely accessible, we aim to broaden the accessibility of creativity assessment to researchers, educators, and the general public and through this scaleup validate the rich creative behavioral patterns observed in this study.

AbstractLobsters are ubiquitous, economically important decapod crustaceans with apparently conflicting evolutionary relationships. Here, we describe the chromosomal location of the major (45S rDNA) and minor (5S rDNA) ribosomal gene families in four species of Astacidea and five of Achelata, using two-color FISH. The major ribosomal family is located in 4–16 sites per diploid chromosome set, with Nephrops norvegicus (Nephropidae) showing the highest number described so far in Decapoda. The 5S rDNA is located in two sites in eight species; only in the crayfish Procambarus clarkii the 5S FISH signals were detected in four sites together with additional weaker signals. Furthermore, in N. norvegicus the minor ribosomal genes are syntenic with one major ribosomal cluster. Moreover, we located by two-color FISH the pentanucleotide (TTAGG)n telomeric repeat in the Nephropidae studied, showing the occurrence of a colocalization with 45S ribosomal sequences in Homarus gammarus. The comparison of chromosomal locations of repetitive sequences in Mediterranean, Atlantic, and South African lobster species as well as in marine and freshwater ones provides information on chromosomal evolution and cytotaxonomy of Decapoda.

BackgroundLeptospirosis is suspected to be a major cause of illness in rural Tanzania associated with close contact with livestock. We sought to determine leptospirosis prevalence, identify infecting Leptospira serogroups, and investigate risk factors for leptospirosis in a rural area of Tanzania where pastoralist animal husbandry practices and sustained livestock contact are common.MethodsWe enrolled participants at Endulen Hospital, Tanzania. Patients with a history of fever within 72 hours, or a tympanic temperature of ≥38.0°C were eligible. Serum samples were collected at presentation and 4-6 weeks later. Sera were tested using microscopic agglutination testing with 20 Leptospira serovars from 17 serogroups. Acute leptospirosis cases were defined by a ≥four-fold rise in antibody titre between acute and convalescent serum samples or a reciprocal titre ≥400 in either sample. Leptospira seropositivity was defined by a single reciprocal antibody titre ≥100 in either sample. We defined the predominant reactive serogroup as that with the highest titre. We explored risk factors for acute leptospirosis and Leptospira seropositivity using logistic regression modelling.ResultsOf 229 participants, 99 (43.2%) were male and the median (range) age was 27 (0, 78) years. Participation in at least one animal husbandry practice was reported by 160 (69.9%). We identified 18 (7.9%) cases of acute leptospirosis, with Djasiman 8 (44.4%) and Australis 7 (38.9%) the most common predominant reactive serogroups. Overall, 69 (30.1%) participants were Leptospira seropositive and the most common predominant reactive serogroups were Icterohaemorrhagiae (n = 20, 29.0%), Djasiman (n = 19, 27.5%), and Australis (n = 17, 24.6%). Milking cattle (OR 6.27, 95% CI 2.24-7.52) was a risk factor for acute leptospirosis, and milking goats (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.07-5.16) was a risk factor for Leptospira seropositivity.ConclusionsWe identified leptospirosis in approximately one in twelve patients attending hospital with fever from this rural community. Interventions that reduce risks associated with milking livestock may reduce human infections.

Creativity assessments should be valid, reliable, and scalable to support various stakeholders (e.g., policy-makers, educators, corporations, and the general public) in their decision-making processes. Established initiatives toward scalable creativity assessments have relied on well-studied standardized tests. Although robust in many ways, most of these tests adopt unnatural and unmotivating environments for expression of creativity, mainly observe coarse-grained snippets of the creative process, and rely on subjective, resource-intensive, human-expert evaluations. This article presents a literature review of game-based creativity assessment and discusses how digital games can potentially address the limitations of traditional testing. Based on an original sample of 127 papers, this article contributes an in-depth review of 16 papers on 11 digital creativity assessment games. Despite the relatively small sample, a wide variety of design decisions are covered. Major findings and recommendations include identifying (1) a disconnect between the "potential" of scaling up assessment of creativity with the use of digital games, and the "actual" reach achieved in the examined studies (2) the need for complementary methods such as stealth assessment, algorithmic support and crowdsourcing when designing creativity assessment games, and (3) a need for interdisciplinary dialogs to produce, validate and implement creativity assessment games at scale.

Seen as one of the essential domains for active citizenship, examining how students relate to science has become crucial. Based on a person-centered approach, this article investigates self-related dispositions and motivation in science using the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data set. By employing a latent profile analysis, student profiles were investigated among 11,583 15-year-old-students in Italy. Five distinct student groups were identified. The index of economic, social, and cultural status (ESCS), immigrant background, gender, study programs, and the accompanying learning environment were also inspected. Each group was observed against particular subdomains in science competence in line with the PISA framework and environmental awareness. The results indicate the profiles differed on the examined covariates and showed distinct patterns relative to achievement and environmental awareness. However, differences in achievement between the profiles could not be explained by students' variability in immigrant background or ESCS across the examined groups.

Since the discovery that rhythmic abilities are universal in humans, temporal features of vocal communication have greatly interested researchers studying animal communication. Rhythmic patterns are a valuable tool for species discrimination, mate choice, and individual recognition. A recent study showed that bird songs and human music share rhythmic categories when a signal's temporal intervals are distributed categorically rather than uniformly. Following that study, we aimed to investigate whether songs of indris (Indri indri), the only singing lemur, may show similar features. We measured the inter-onset intervals (tk), delimited by the onsets of two consecutive units, and the rhythmic ratios between these intervals (rk), calculated by dividing an interval by itself plus its adjacent, and finded a three-cluster distribution. Two clusters corresponded to rhythmic categories at 1:1 and 1:2, and the third approached a 2:1 ratio. Our results demonstrated for the first time that another primate besides humans produces categorical rhythms, an ability likely evolved convergently among singing species such as songbirds, indris, and humans. Understanding which communicative features are shared with other species is fundamental to understanding how they have evolved. In this regard, thanks to the simplicity of data processing and interpretation, our study relied on an accessible analytical approach that could open up new branches of the investigation into primate communication, leading the way to reconstruct a phylogeny of rhythm abilities across the entire order.

The present study, based on microsatellite markers, describes a population genetic analysis of the small-spotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula (Linnaeus, 1758), representing one of the most abundant and commonly caught cartilaginous fishes in the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent areas. The analyses were performed to unravel the genetic features (variability, connectivity, sex-biased dispersal) of their relative geographic populations, both at the small (around the coast of Sardinia, Western Mediterranean Sea) and at a larger spatial scale (pan-Mediterranean level and between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea). Individual clustering, multivariate and variance analyses rejected the hypothesis of genetic homogeneity, with significant genetic differences mainly within the Mediterranean between the Western and Eastern basins, as well as between the Mediterranean and the NE Atlantic Ocean. In detail, our results seem to confirm that the Strait of Gibraltar could not represent a complete barrier to the exchange of individuals of small-spotted catshark between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. In the latter area, a complex genetic structuring for S. canicula was found. Apart from differences among the Western, Eastern and Adriatic sites, within the Western basin the small-spotted catsharks around Sardinian waters are strongly differentiated from all others (both from the eastern Tyrrhenian Sea and southernmost part of the Algerian basin) and are demographically stable. Several possible mechanisms, both biological and abiotic (e.g., migratory behavior, waterfronts, and oceanographic discontinuities), are discussed here to explain their peculiar characteristics. Overall, the genetic data presented, both at the local and regional level, could represent a baseline information, useful for the temporal monitoring of populations, and to assess the effects of present or future fishing/management/conservation measures.

Spatangoids are probably the least resolved group within echinoids, with known topological incongruencies between phylogenies derived from molecular (very scarce) and morphological data. The present work, based on the analysis of 270 specimens of Spatangidae (Echinoidea, Spatangoida) trawled in the Sardinian seas (Western Mediterranean), allowed us to verify the constancy of some characters that we consider to be diagnostic at the genus level —such as the path of the subanal fasciole and the relationship between labrum and adjacent ambulacral plates —and to distinguish two distinct forms within the studied material. Based on morphological characters, morphometrics, and molecular analyses (sequencing of two mitochondrial markers: cytochrome c oxidase subunit1 (COI) and 16S), most of the individuals were classified as morphotype A and attributed to the species Spatangus purpureus, the most common spatangoid in the Mediterranean Sea, while a few corresponded to a different morphotype (B), genetically close to the species Spatangus raschi. Preliminary morphological analyses seemed to indicate that morphotype B specimens from Sardinia are slightly different from S. raschi and from Spatangus subinermis individuals, the second species of the family known to occur in the Mediterranean Sea. On the basis of morpho-structural observations and molecular analyses, comparing Mediterranean living forms with species from other areas (Central Eastern Atlantic, North Sea and neighboring basins, South African Sea, Philippines and Indonesian Archipelago, New Zealand, and Hawaiian Islands), the clear distinction of S. purpureus from several other species classified as Spatangus was confirmed. Based on the morphological and genetic differences, we propose to maintain the genus Spatangus including in it only the type species S. purpureus among the living species and to establish the new genus Propespatagus nov. gen. to include several other species previously classified as Spatangus. The clear distinction among different genera was also detected in fossil forms of Spatangus, Propespatagus nov. gen., and Sardospatangus (†) from the European Oligo-Miocene sedimentary rocks of Germany; the Miocene of Ukraine, Italy, and North Africa; the Plio-Pleistocene of Italy; and the Mio-Pliocene of Florida (USA). The new data can help in addressing taxonomic ambiguities within echinoids, as well as in improving species identification, and hence biodiversity assessments in the Mediterranean region.

The study of how animals adapt their behaviors depending on weather variables has gained particular significance in the context of climate change. This exploration offers insights into endangered species' potential threats and provides information on the direction to take in conservation activities. In this context, noninvasive, cost‐effective, and potentially long‐term monitoring systems, such as Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM), become particularly appropriate. Our study investigates the relationship between weather variables and the vocal behavior of Indri indri, the sole singing lemur species, within Madagascar's Maromizaha New Protected Area. Using PAM, we explore the factors shaping the vocalization patterns of this primate species in response to some environmental factors in their natural habitat. Analysis of an extensive audio data set collected across different years revealed the differential influence of temperature and precipitation on Indri indri vocal activity. We found that rainfall negatively influenced the emission of the vocalizations while warmer temperatures correlated with a greater emission of songs. The various environmental factors we considered also affected the timing of vocal emissions, showing the same pattern. Furthermore, our study confirms, once again, the strength of PAM as a valuable tool for studying vocal animal communication quickly, giving us information about long‐term behavioral patterns that would be difficult to get in other ways. This research gives us further valuable information about how indris use vocalizations in their environment and how they adjust to environmental changes. Research highlights: Indri indri, the only singing lemur, emits songs daily, a behavior strictly linked to intergroup territory spacing.We explored the influence of weather conditions on indris' songs in the Maromizaha New Protected Area using Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) and an automated detection algorithm.Indris adjusted their singing behavior based on weather conditions: rain and low temperatures are associated with decreased frequency. Rain determined delayed song emission in the morning. This suggests this behavior's plasticity is linked to energetic costs.Our study widens the knowledge of the behavior of an endangered species of nonhuman primates. It also showcases the strength of PAM in the conservation and behavioral study of different species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study focused on the three species of electric rays known to occur in the Mediterranean Sea: Torpedo torpedo, Torpedo marmorata and Tetronarce nobiliana. Correct identification of specimens is needed to properly assess the impact of fisheries on populations and species. Unfortunately, torpedoes share high morphological similarities, boosting episodes of field misidentification. In this context, genetic data was used (1) to identify specimens caught during fishing operations, (2) to measure the diversity among and within these species, and (3) to shed light on the possible occurrence of additional hidden species in the investigated area. New and already published sequences of COI and NADH2 mitochondrial genes were analyzed, both at a small scale along the Sardinian coasts (Western Mediterranean) and at a large scale in the whole Mediterranean Sea. High levels of genetic diversity were found in Sardinian populations, being significantly different from other areas of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea due to the biotic and abiotic factors here discussed. Sardinian torpedoes can hence be indicated as priority populations/areas to be protected within the Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, sequence data confirmed that only the three species occur in the investigated area. The application of several ‘species-delimitation’ methods found evidence of cryptic species in the three species outside the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in other genera/families, suggesting the urgent need for future studies and a comprehensive revision of the order Torpediniformes for its effective conservation.

Growing evidence suggests considerable variation in endemic typhoid fever incidence at some locations over time, yet few settings have multi-year incidence estimates to inform typhoid control measures. We sought to describe a decade of typhoid fever incidence in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. Cases of blood culture confirmed typhoid were identified among febrile patients at two sentinel hospitals during three study periods: 2007-08, 2011-14, and 2016-18. To account for under-ascertainment at sentinel facilities, we derived adjustment multipliers from healthcare utilization surveys done in the hospital catchment area. Incidence estimates and credible intervals (CrI) were derived using a Bayesian hierarchical incidence model that incorporated uncertainty of our observed typhoid fever prevalence, of healthcare seeking adjustment multipliers, and of blood culture diagnostic sensitivity. Among 3,556 total participants, 50 typhoid fever cases were identified. Of typhoid cases, 26 (52%) were male and the median (range) age was 22 (

Parent-offspring interactions are essential to interpret animal social evolution and behavior, but their role in mediating acoustic communication in animals that interact vocally is still unclear. Increasing evidence shows that primate vocal communication is way more flexible than previously assumed, and research on this topic can provide further information on how the social environment shaped vocal plasticity during the evolution of the Primate order. Indris communicate through elaborated vocal emissions, usually termed songs. Songs are interactive vocal displays in which all members of the family group alternate their emissions, taking turns during chorusing events. We aimed to understand whether specific rules regulate the turn-taking of different group members and investigate the flexibility of indris’ vocal behavior when co-singing with their offspring. We found that social factors can influence the turn-taking organization in a chorus, as offspring were more likely to drop out from the parents’ duet than join in, and we speculate that overlap might signal competition by members of the same-sex. The duet between the reproductive pair was the most common type of singing organization, followed by a duet between mothers and sons and the triadic interaction between mother, father, and son. Interestingly, parents’ solo singing seems to stimulate offspring to vocalize, and we also found that mothers and fathers simplify, at least in part, song elaboration when chorusing with offspring. Our results indicate that indris can perform short-time adjustments to the number of co-emitters and their identity: our approach is advantageous in highlighting the multilevel influences on primate vocal flexibility. Moreover, it provides evidence that some aspects of our vocal plasticity were already present in the lemur lineage.

We evaluated use of maribavir (MBV) for treatment of 15 episodes of refractory/resistant cytomegalovirus infection in 13 solid organ transplant recipients. Treatment failure due to treatment-emergent MBV resistance or early virological recurrence after MBV discontinuation occurred in 7 (47%) episodes. Sustained viral clearance was achieved in 6 (40%) episodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal songs differ from calls in function and structure, and have comparative and translational value, showing similarities to human music. Rhythm in music is often distributed in quantized classes of intervals known as rhythmic categories. These classes have been found in the songs of a few nonhuman species but never in their calls. Are rhythmic categories song‐specific, as in human music, or can they transcend the song–call boundary? We analyze the vocal displays of one of the few mammals producing both songs and call sequences: Indri indri. We test whether rhythmic categories (a) are conserved across songs produced in different contexts, (b) exist in call sequences, and (c) differ between songs and call sequences. We show that rhythmic categories occur across vocal displays. Vocalization type and function modulate deployment of categories. We find isochrony (1:1 ratio, like the rhythm of a ticking clock) in all song types, but only advertisement songs show three rhythmic categories (1:1, 1:2, 2:1 ratios). Like songs, some call types are also isochronous. Isochrony is the backbone of most indri vocalizations, unlike human speech, where it is rare. In indri, isochrony underlies both songs and hierarchy‐less call sequences and might be ancestral to both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for common characteristics between the musical abilities of humans and other animal species is still taking its first steps. One of the most promising aspects from a comparative point of view is the analysis of rhythmic components, which are crucial features of human communicative performance but also well-identifiable patterns in the vocal displays of other species. Therefore, the study of rhythm is becoming essential to understand the mechanisms of singing behavior and the evolution of human communication. Recent findings provided evidence that particular rhythmic structures occur in human music and some singing animal species, such as birds and rock hyraxes, but only 2 species of nonhuman primates have been investigated so far (Indri indri and Hylobates lar). Therefore, our study aims to consistently broaden the list of species studied regarding the presence of rhythmic categories. We investigated the temporal organization in the singing of 3 species of crested gibbons (Nomascus gabriellae, Nomascus leucogenys , and Nomascus siki) and found that the most prominent rhythmic category was isochrony. Moreover, we found slight variation in songs' tempo among species, with N. gabriellae and N. siki singing with a temporal pattern involving a gradually increasing tempo (a musical accelerando), and N. leucogenys with a more regular pattern. Here, we show how the prominence of a peak at the isochrony establishes itself as a shared characteristic in the small apes considered so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly conductive PEDOT:PSS is one of the most promising materials for indium tin oxide (ITO) substitution in printed electronics. Here, we report the development and optimisation of two PEDOT:PSS ink formulations for the fabrication of inkjet-printed transparent conductive layers. Starting from aqueous commercial solutions, co-solvents and a non-ionic surfactant were employed to modify the surface tension, improve the wetting capability of the ink, and obtain uniform and homogeneous thin films. In particular, the quantities of ethanol and surfactant were systematically adjusted to determine the optimal conditions for inkjet printing. The results demonstrate that a surface tension value between 28 and 40 mN/m and approximately 40 vol.% of a low-boiling-point co-solvent are fundamental to ensure the proper wetting of the glass substrate and a quick-drying process that confers uniformity to the printed thin film. The printed PEDOT:PSS thin films show good morphological, optical, and electrical properties that are similar to those observed for the corresponding spin-coated layers. The organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) fabricated with the inkjet-printed PEDOT:PSS electrodes showed a maximum quantum efficiency of 5.5% and a maximum current efficiency of 15 cd/A, which is comparable to spin-coated reference devices. Our study demonstrates the great potential of polymeric electrodes for the fabrication of high-efficiency printed OLED devices that are compatible with flexible and stretchable substrates.

Although the complex reasons underlying parents’ decision whether to vaccinate their children have been largely unraveled, a socio-cognitive perspective on the representational field of vaccination is missing. This study is a contribution to fill such a gap. A sample of 309 Portuguese mothers with children aged 0-6 years answered a self-administered questionnaire. Results show that psychosocial variables such as the number of children modulate mothers’ representations of vaccination as a matter of freedom of choice and preference for natural immunity, while age of children and having (or not) searched for information influence their confidence in vaccines. Also, results show that representations related to freedom of choice, preference for natural immunity, and conspiracy theories are positively predicted by individualism values and a dependent decision-making style, whereas confidence in vaccines is positively associated with universalism values and a rational decision-making style. We discuss the implications of the socio-cognitive dynamics organizing mothers’ representations about vaccines and vaccination for the understanding of behaviors about vaccines and the development of tailored measures for vaccination promotion.

We report the first successful treatment with the IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra, in association with the most promising and available antiviral therapy, of a severe case of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We describe the diagnosis, clinical course, and management of the case, including the respiratory failure at presentation, the progression to a scenario characterized by profound inflammatory dysregulation similar to that observed during macrophage activation syndrome, and the clinical improvement after treatment with the IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra. This case highlights the high tolerability and the interesting immunomodulatory profile of the IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra in the setting of severe COVID-19 associated with remdesivir therapy. Further studies are needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of this combination strategy in the treatment of this emerging infection.

Abstract Background Data regarding the prevalence of metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) among Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates in cystic fibrosis patients are scarce. Furthermore, there is limited knowledge on the effect of MBL production on patient outcomes. Here we describe a fatal respiratory infection due to P. aeruginosa producing VIM-type MBLs in a lung transplant recipient and the results of the subsequent epidemiological investigation. Case presentation P. aeruginosa isolates collected in the index patient and among patients temporally or spatially linked with the index patient were analyzed in terms of antibiotic susceptibility profile and MBL production. Whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic reconstruction were also performed for all P. aeruginosa isolates producing VIM-type MBLs. A VIM-producing P. aeruginosa strain was identified in a lung biopsy of a lung transplant recipient with cystic fibrosis. The strain was VIM-1-producer and belonged to the ST308. Despite aggressive treatment, the transplant patient succumbed to the pulmonary infection due to the ST308 strain. A VIM-producing P. aeruginosa strain was also collected from the respiratory samples of a different cystic fibrosis patient attending the same cystic fibrosis center. This isolate harbored the blaVIM-2 gene and belonged to the clone ST175. This patient did not experience an adverse outcome. Conclusions This is the first description of a fatal infection due to P. aeruginosa producing VIM-type MBLs in a lung transplant recipient. The circulation of P. aeruginosa isolates harboring MBLs pose a substantial risk to the cystic fibrosis population due to the limited therapeutic options available and their spreading potential.

The growing concern for the ongoing biodiversity loss drives researchers towards practical and large-scale automated systems to monitor wild animal populations. Primates, with most species threatened by extinction, face substantial risks. We focused on the vocal activity of the indri (Indri indri) recorded in Maromizaha Forest (Madagascar) from 2019 to 2021 via passive acoustics, a method increasingly used for monitoring activities in different environments. We first used indris’ songs, loud distinctive vocal sequences, to detect the species’ presence. We processed the raw data (66,443 10-min recordings) and extracted acoustic features based on the third-octave band system. We then analysed the features extracted from three datasets, divided according to sampling year, site, and recorder type, with a convolutional neural network that was able to generalise to recording sites and previously unsampled periods via data augmentation and transfer learning. For the three datasets, our network detected the song presence with high accuracy (>90%) and recall (>80%) values. Once provided the model with the time and day of recording, the high-performance values ensured that the classification process could accurately depict both daily and annual habits of indris‘ singing pattern, critical information to optimise field data collection. Overall, using this easy-to-implement species-specific detection workflow as a preprocessing method allows researchers to reduce the time dedicated to manual classification.

Restoration is considered an effective strategy to accelerate the recovery of biological communities at local scale. However, the effects of restoration actions in the marine ecosystems are still unpredictable. We performed a global analysis of published literature to identify the factors increasing the probability of restoration success in coastal and marine systems. Our results confirm that the majority of active restoration initiatives are still concentrated in the northern hemisphere and that most of information gathered from restoration efforts derives from a relatively small subset of species. The analysis also indicates that many studies are still experimental in nature, covering small spatial and temporal scales. Despite the limits of assessing restoration effectiveness in absence of a standardized definition of success, the context (degree of human impact, ecosystem type, habitat) of where the restoration activity is undertaken is of greater relevance to a successful outcome than how (method) the restoration is carried out. Contrary to expectations, we found that restoration is not necessarily more successful closer to protected areas (PA) and in areas of moderate human impact. This result can be motivated by the limits in assessing the success of interventions and by the tendency of selecting areas in more obvious need of restoration, where the potential of actively restoring a degraded site is more evident. Restoration sites prioritization considering human uses and conservation status present in the region is of vital importance to obtain the intended outcomes and galvanize further actions.

There is a consensus that the items proposed by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) program allow us to focus on the outcomes of the processes of appropriation and transformation of learning tools at the end of compulsory schooling, particularly regarding the key competencies for lifelong learning and citizenship in digital societies. Taking into account these assumptions, this paper focuses on a fine-grained analysis of the dynamics of students' performance when they are confronted with a question from the mathematics domain in PISA 2012, through the example of the Climbing Mount Fuji item (question 1). In the context of the interaction dynamics (between a student and a research assistant), twelve 15-year-old students from Naples (Campania, Italy) were requested to think aloud when answering the question 1 of the item. Verbatim transcripts of the interactions are analyzed from the point of view of the PISA framework, the mathematical educational framework, and the socio-psychological approach based on didactic contract. The results show that the students involved in this task commit themselves in a complex reasoning, relying on mathematical requirements (e.g., different mathematical procedures) in an attempt to resolve ambiguities in the text, also referring to their everyday school life, activated by the didactic contract implied by the scenario of the question. The interweaving of PISA performances, mathematical procedures, and the socio-psychological approach to test assessment is discussed as a tool for a better understanding of teaching and learning activities.

In 1990s, the European spiny lobster Palinurus elephas, one of the most commercially important species in the Mediterranean, exhibited a population decline. For this reason, fully protected areas (FPAs) appeared effective in re-establishing natural populations and supporting fishery-management objectives. Here, the reproductive parameters of P. elephas populations in two different FPAs (Su Pallosu and Buggerru, central-western Mediterranean), where a restocking programme was carried out, and in their surrounding commercial zones, were investigated from quantitative and qualitative perspectives. The comparison of fecundity between females collected inside and outside FPAs did not show statistical differences as well as the vitellogenin concentration, which did not vary among eggs of different size classes of females caught inside and outside the FPAs, indicating the same reproductive potential. The study demonstrated a benefit of overexploited populations in terms of enhancement of egg production overtime (15 years for Su Pallosu and 6 years for Buggerru) with a mean egg production 4.25–5.5 times higher at the end of the study than that observed at the beginning of the study. The main driver of eggs production appeared to be size, with larger lobsters more present inside the FPAs than outside. Given these results, the dominant contribution of the two studied FPAs to the regional lobster reproduction is remarkable.