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Several studies have suggested that atypical social processing in multiple psychiatric conditions (e.g., autism) is associated with differences in excitation and inhibition, through changes in the levels of glutamate and GABA levels. While associations between baseline metabolite levels and behaviours can be insightful, assessing the neurometabolic response of GABA and Glutamate during social processing may inform altered neurochemical function in more depth. Thus far, there have been no attempts to determine whether changes in metabolite levels are detectable using functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (fMRS) during social processing in a control population. We performed MEGA-PRESS edited fMRS to measure the dynamic response of GABA and glutamate in the superior temporal sulcus (STS) and visual cortex (V1) while viewing social stimuli, using a design that allows for analysis in both block and event-related approaches. Sliding window analyses were used to investigate GABA and glutamate dynamics at higher temporal resolution. A small decrease in GABA levels was observed during social stimulus presentation in V1, but no change was observed in STS. Conversely, non-social stimulus elicited changes in both GABA and glutamate levels in both regions. We discuss the feasibility of using fMRS analysis approaches to assess changes in metabolite response during social processing.

Background: Cognitive decline is influenced by various factors including diet, cardiovascular disease, and glucose control. However, the combined effect of these risk factors on cognitive performance is yet to be fully understood. Objective: The current study aimed to explore the inter-relationship between these risk factors and cognitive performance in older adults at risk of future cognitive decline. Methods: The sample comprised 163 (Age: M = 65.23 years, SD = 6.50) participants. Food Frequency Questionnaire data was used to score diet quality and adherence to the Western Style Diet (WSD) and Prudent Style Diet (PSD). Glucose control was gauged by serum levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and arterial stiffness was measured using carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity. Cognitive performance was assessed using two subtests of the Swinburne University Computerized Cognitive Assessment Battery (SUCCAB) and Rey’s Verbal Learning Test (RVLT). Results: Diet quality, adherence to the WSD or PSD, and glucose control were not significantly related to cognitive outcomes. However, a significant negative association was found between arterial stiffness and the spatial working memory subtest of SUCCAB (β= –0.21, p

Understanding the relationships between cognitive abilities and fitness is integral to an evolutionary study of brain and behavior. However, these relationships are often difficult to measure and detect. Here we draw upon an opportunistic sample of brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) subjects that had two separate research experiences: First, they engaged in a large series of cognitive tests in David Sherry’s Lab in the Advanced Facility for Avian Research (AFAR) at Western University, then subsequently moved to the Field Avian Research Megalab (FARM) at Wilfrid Laurier University where they lived in large breeding flocks in aviaries with other wild-caught cowbirds. Thus, we had extensive measures of cognitive abilities, breeding behavior, and reproductive success for these birds. We report here, for the fist time, the surprisingly strong connections we found among these different measures. Female cowbirds’ spatial cognitive abilities correlated positively with how intensely they were courted by males, and with their overall egg production. Males’ spatial cognition correlated positively with their ability to engage in singing contests (“countersinging”) with other males. In addition, a separate non-spatial cognitive ability correlated positively with the attractiveness of the songs they sung. In sum, these results suggest the cognitive skills assessed in the lab were strongly connected to breeding behavior and reproductive success. Moreover, since certain cognitive abilities related to different aspects of breeding success, it suggests that cognitive modules may have specialized adaptive value, but also that these specialized skills may interact and influence fitness in surprising ways.

Neuroimaging data analysis often requires purpose-built software, which can be challenging to install and may produce different results across computing environments. Beyond being a roadblock to neuroscientists, these issues of accessibility and portability can hamper the reproducibility of neuroimaging data analysis pipelines. Here, we introduce the Neurodesk platform, which harnesses software containers to support a comprehensive and growing suite of neuroimaging software (https://www.neurodesk.org/). Neurodesk includes a browser-accessible virtual desktop environment and a command line interface, mediating access to containerized neuroimaging software libraries on various computing platforms, including personal and high-performance computers, cloud computing and Jupyter Notebooks. This community-oriented, open-source platform enables a paradigm shift for neuroimaging data analysis, allowing for accessible, flexible, fully reproducible, and portable data analysis pipelines.

Background: Previous randomized controlled trials examining cognitive and mood effects of combination multivitamin supplements in healthy, non-clinical adults have reported mixed results. One purported explanation for this is that the dietary status of participants at the start of supplement interventions may influence the magnitude of the effect of supplementation. Methods: In this study, we evaluated the effect of a multinutrient formula containing B group vitamins, Bacopa monniera and Ginkgo biloba on memory, attention, mood and biochemical markers of nutrient status in middle-aged adults (M = 52.84 years, n = 141) with ‘optimal’ and ‘sub-optimal’ diets over 12 weeks. We hypothesised that active supplementation would differentially improve memory and attention in those with a ‘sub-optimal’ diet. Results: Mixed model, repeated measures analysis revealed that, in comparison to placebo, active treatment was associated with significant increases in B vitamin status (B1, B6, B12). Regarding behavioural outcomes there was no significant benefit to memory (F(1, 113.51) = 0.53, p = 0.470) nor attention (F(1,113.77) = 1.89, p = 0.171) in the whole cohort. Contrary to our hypothesis, there was a significant beneficial effect of supplementation on attentional performance in individuals with an ‘optimal’ diet prior to supplementation (F(1,57.25) = 4.94, p = 0.030). In the absence of a main effect of supplementation across the entire cohort, there were also a number of significant three-way interactions (treatment by time by diet group) detected in secondary outcomes including lower state anxiety and mental fatigue in those with an ‘optimal’ diet. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the cognitive benefit of B vitamin and herbal supplementation may be dependent on diet quality, supporting the concepts of ‘co-nutrient optimisation’ and interdependency of nutrients. This warrants further investigation. This study advocates characterising the diet of participants prior to supplementation as it may influence the effect of a nutraceutical intervention.

The offshore renewable energy (ORE) industry is developing new solutions to enable floating facilities that can operate further from shore where more ocean space is available and stronger wind resources can be harnessed. Future ORE facilities will involve arrays of devices that connect and will transmit loads to the seafloor via mooring and anchoring systems. Therefore, it is essential to have a reliable estimation of the capacity that the anchoring system can provide for the variety of loads that are transmitted via the mooring lines. This paper provides a model for soft soils (i.e. soft clays, loose-medium silts and sand), where the capacity can evolve with time due to the sustained loads and variable components of the cyclic loads, which vary due to environmental conditions and the characteristics of the floating system. The model is referred to as a ‘macro-model’, meaning that the response of all soil elements around the anchor are defined by a representative value of strength and other properties at a single node. The model captures ‘hidden’ anchor capacity enhancements from (i) ‘whole-life’ changing soil strength, (ii) viscous effects on soil strength and (iii) added soil mass effects, which are usually absent in geotechnical foundation design. It is shown that these effects can be efficiently modelled and integrated into existing numerical analysis packages to provide a new basis for assessing through-life changes in geotechnical anchor capacity. This enables a better understanding of the fully coupled soil-anchoring-mooring behaviour of floating infrastructure over its operational lifetime.

Acoustic signalling is vital to courtship in many animals, yet the role of female vocalizations is understudied. Here, we combine observational and experimental methods to assess the courtship function of the female chatter call in brown-headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater. While the chatter call is likely multifunctional, it is frequently used in social interactions and overlapping duets with males during the breeding season. Based on a combination of focal- and scan-sampling data from large naturalistic aviaries, we did not find support for the hypothesis that the chatter call elicits male attention or encourages continued courtship. However, we did find evidence that the chatter call plays a role in pair bond formation, as females preferentially chattered in response to songs from pair-bond males in the 2 weeks leading up to the median date of first copulation. Females were less selective in male-directed chatter use after copulations began. We also found support for the hypothesis that chatter is used to signal-jam male songs. Frame-by-frame video analysis revealed that the majority of female chatter calls were tightly time-locked to song, occurring less than 500 ms after male vocal onset. To test the effect of signal jamming on male song potency, we designed a laboratory experiment in which male song playbacks were jammed by various recorded stimuli. Natural chatter calls more effectively reduced female copulatory responses to song than high-pass filtered chatter calls, suggesting that the low frequencies in natural chatter (2–4 kHz) are important for interfering with male song and reducing its potency. Our results suggest that sexual conflict is operating in cowbird courtship, with signal jamming serving as a mechanism by which females guard, resist or select their mates. We also discuss ways in which cowbird vocal interactions may function cooperatively to coordinate reproduction or transition females into breeding condition.

Highlights Rollovers are the leading cause of injury and fatality in farm all-terrain vehicle (ATV) incidents. Engineering technologies to prevent rollovers or protect the operator in ATV crashes were reviewed in this study. The advances in safety for ATVs are correlated with improvements in stability, handling, and crashworthiness. Operator protection devices and crash notification systems can protect the operator in ATV rollover incidents. Abstract . All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are the second most common source of injury, following tractors, in U.S. agriculture. Rollovers are the leading cause of death in farm ATV incidents, constituting about 85% of ATV-related deaths. There is neither a significant practical solution for ATV rollover crashes in the U.S. nor standards and rules for implementing such a solution. Behavior-based control methods have been used for several decades but have reached their limit of success. Hence, engineering controls are needed to significantly decrease the severity of injuries in ATV rollover incidents (as in tractor incidents). In this study, engineering technologies to protect the operator in agricultural ATV crashes were reviewed. The discussion includes improving crash testing and stability ratings, evaluating static stability of ATVs, dynamic handling tests of ATVs, using automatic systems to notify first responders of a crash, and testing and applying operator protection devices. The available standards, rules, and recommendations related to these technologies around the world are also discussed. Keywords: . Agriculture, All-terrain vehicle, ATV, CPD, Crush protection device, OPD, Quad bike, Safety.

Objective To investigate the effects of acute Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng) administration on steady state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs) during completion of working memory and continuous performance tasks. Methods A randomised, double‐blind, placebo controlled, balanced, cross‐over trial was conducted in middle‐aged volunteers aged between 40 and 60 years. Participants were administered 200 mg P. quinquefolius and placebo on two separate testing sessions. Six‐h post‐dose participants completed spatial working memory (SWM) and continuous performance (CP) tasks while SSVEP from a diffuse task‐irrelevant 13 Hz flicker was recorded. Results During SWM retrieval, P. quinquefolius was associated with significantly reduced prefrontal SSVEP latency. There were no significant treatment effects on CP nor behavioural performance of either task. Conclusions These findings provide preliminary evidence of increased recruitment of prefrontal brain regions during working memory processing following a single acute dose of P. quinquefolius.

A transient improvement in cognitive performance can be observed following the ingestion of a glucose drink, a phenomenon known as the ‘glucose facilitation effect’. The effect has been studied thoroughly in the last three decades, but its neural underpinnings remain a matter of speculation. A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the current evidence from studies applying neuroimaging or neurophysiological methods to investigate the glucose enhancement effect. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria of using neuroimaging in conjunction with cognitive outcomes. Six studies employed electroencephalography (EEG), four used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and one employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). All but one study reported modulation of neurophysiology or neuroimaging markers following glucose, while only five studies reported significant changes in cognitive outcomes. The evidence suggests that glucose administration enhances neurocognitive markers of episodic memory and attentional processes underpinned by medial temporal and frontal activation, sometimes in the absence of measurable behavioural effects. Further exploration of glucose facilitation using neuroimaging measures with increased sample sizes is warranted to replicate these findings.

SummaryAll social groups require organization to function optimally. Group organization is often shaped by social ‘rules’, which function to manage conflict, discourage cheating, or promote cooperation1–5. If social rules promote effective social living, then the ability to learn and follow these rules may be expected to influence individual and group-level fitness. However, such links can rarely be tested, due to the complexity of the factors mediating social systems and the difficulty of gathering data across multiple groups. Songbirds offer an opportunity to investigate the link between social rules and reproductive output because most of their social interactions are mediated by song, a well-studied and readily quantifiable behavior6,7. Using observations from 19 groups of brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) studied across 15 years, we find evidence for a previously undocumented social rule: cohesive group transitions between dominance- and courtship-related singing. Comparing across groups, the degree of cohesion in male singing behavior predicts the reproductive output of their group. Experimental manipulation of group structure via the introduction of juvenile males to captive flocks reduced group cohesion and adult male reproductive success. Taken together, these results demonstrate that cohesion in group behavioral states can affect both individual and group-level reproductive success, suggesting that selection can act not only on individual-level traits, but also on an individual’s ability and opportunity to participate effectively in organized social interactions. Social cohesion could therefore be an unappreciated force affecting social evolution in many diverse systems.

Recruitment of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) into the vaginal lumen is the hallmark of an acute immunopathologic inflammatory response during vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) caused by Candida albicans. Recurrent VVC (RVVC) remains a chronic health burden in affected women worldwide despite the use of antifungal therapy. Based on the role leukotrienes (LTs) play in promoting inflammation, leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs) targeted for LTB4 (etalocib) or LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4 (zafirlukast or montelukast) have been shown to reduce inflammation of epithelial tissues. An open-label pilot study using long-term regimens of zafirlukast in women with RVVC indicated the potential for some relief from recurrent episodes. To investigate this clinical observation further, we evaluated the effects of LT antagonistic agents and LT deficiency on the immunopathogenic response in a mouse model of VVC. Results showed that mice given daily intraperitoneal injections of individual LTRAs, starting 2days prior to vaginal inoculation with C. albicans and continuing through 14days post-inoculation, had no measurable reduction in PMN migration. The LTRAs were also ineffective in reducing levels of the hallmark vaginal inflammatory markers (S100A8, IL-1β) and tissue damage (LDH) associated with the immunopathogenic response. Finally, LT-deficient 5-lipoxygenase knockout mice showed comparable levels of vaginal fungal burden and PMN infiltration to wild-type mice following inoculation with a vaginal (ATCC 96113) or laboratory (SC5314) C. albicans isolate. These results indicate that despite some clinical evidence suggestive of off-target efficacy of LTRAs in RVVC, LTs and associated signaling pathways appear to be dispensable in the immunopathogenesis of VVC.

Songbirds hold a prominent role in the fields of neurobiology, evolution, and social behavior. Many of these fields have assumed that females lacked the ability to produce song and have therefore treated song as a male-specific behavior. Consequently, much of our understanding regarding the evolution and neural control of song behavior has been driven by these assumptions. Here we review literature from diverse fields to provide a broader perspective of the role of females in vocal communication and courtship. Recent evidence indicates that song evolved in both males and females and instances of female song are still common. The specialized neural circuit known as the "song system," which is necessary for singing in males, is also present in females, including those that do not sing, implying broader functions that include evaluating male song and controlling courtship behavior. In addition to having flexible, individualized preferences, females actively shape their social network through their interactions with males, females, and juveniles. We suggest that by developing more accurate hypotheses concerning the role of females we may better understand the evolution and neural mechanisms of song production and courtship behavior.

There are plenty of in situ tests available to examine pavement foundation performance regarding stiffness and support conditions. This study evaluates several in situ tests of the stiffness and support conditions of concrete pavement foundation layers. The principal objective of this study was to evaluate the outputs from Dynamic Cone Penetrometer tests and Falling Weight Deflectometer tests. The California Bearing Ratio from Dynamic Cone Penetrometer tests and the deflection data from Falling Weight Deflectometer tests were correlated to the design parameter – modulus of subgrade reaction k through correlations employed in pavement design manuals. Three methods for obtaining the k values were conducted, with the intent to evaluate which method provides the results most similar to the target value and whether the studied correlations are reliable. The back-calculated k values from Falling Weight Deflectometer deflections and the weak layer California Bearing Ratio correlated k values based on the Portland Cement Association method were close to the target value, while the California Bearing Ratio empirically correlated k based on the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials method presented values significantly higher than the target value. Those previously reported correlations were likely to overestimate the k values based on subgrade California Bearing Ratio values.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) has a storied history as a food crop, and it has long been a dietary staple of peoples in temperate climates. Contemporary research studies have focused mostly on hulled barley for malt and animal feed. As such, nitrogen (N) and seeding rate agronomic data for naked food barley are lacking. In this study, we evaluated the effects of N on ß-glucan and protein content, and N and seeding rate on phenotypic characteristics of naked food barley, including grain yield, emergence, plant height, days to heading, days to maturity, test weight, percent plump kernels, and percent thin kernels. Experiments were conducted at two no-till farms, located in Almota, WA, and Genesee, ID, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest from 2016 to 2018. The experiment comprised two varieties (“Havener” and “Julie”), employed N rates of 0, 62, 95, 129, and 162 kg N ha−1, and seeding rates of 250, 310, and 375 seeds/m−2. Increased N fertilization rate was shown to significantly increase all response variables, except β-glucan content of the variety Julie, days to heading, test weight, and percent plump and thin kernels. Increased N fertilization resulted in higher mean grain yield of Havener and Julie in both Almota and Genesee up to 95 kg N ha−1. Havener had higher yields (3,908 kg N ha−1) than Julie (3,099 kg N ha−1) across locations and years. Julie had higher β-glucan (8.2%) and protein (12.6%) content compared to Havener (β-glucan = 6.6%; protein = 9.1%). Our results indicate that β-glucan content is associated with genotype, environmental, and agronomic factors in dryland cropping systems of the Palouse.

It is the female response to male signals that determines courtship success. In most songbirds, females control reproduction via the copulation solicitation display (CSD), an innate, stereotyped posture produced in direct response to male displays. Because CSD can be elicited in the absence of males by the presentation of recorded song, CSD production enables investigations into the effects of underlying signal features and behavioral state on female mating preferences. Using computer vision to quantify CSD trajectory in female brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater), we show that both song quality and a female’s internal state predict CSD production, as well as the onset latency and duration of the display. We also show that CSD can be produced in a graded fashion based on both signal strength and internal state. These results emphasize the importance of underlying receiver state in determining behavioral responses and suggest that female responsiveness acts in conjunction with male signal strength to determine the efficacy of male courtship.

Vanadium remains an important microalloying element in the metallurgical industry and has more recently become important in energy storage. Such applications provide important opportunities in carbon reduction initiatives. They must be exploited safely and therefore understanding the toxicological profile of vanadium and its compounds, and ensuring ongoing regulatory efforts are appropriate is vital. This perspective details some of the technical challenges and common misconceptions in vanadium chemistry and toxicology and outlines knowledge gaps and areas of research that the authors believe must be addressed to achieve full benefit within a scientifically sound regulatory framework.

Docosahexaenoic acid is the main long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the brain and accounts for 30−40% of fatty acids in the grey matter of the human cortex. Although the influence of docosahexaenoic acid on memory function is widely researched, its association with brain volumes is under investigated and its association with spatial navigation is virtually unknown. This is despite the fact that spatial navigation deficits are a new cognitive fingerprint for symptomatic and asymptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. We investigated the cross-sectional relationship between docosahexaenoic acid levels and the major structural and cognitive markers of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease, namely hippocampal volume, entorhinal volume and spatial navigation ability. Fifty-three cognitively normal adults underwent volumetric magnetic resonance imaging, measurements of serum docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, including lysophosphatidylcholine DHA) and APOE ε4 genotyping. Relative regional brain volumes were calculated and linear regression models were fitted to examine DHA associations with brain volume. APOE genotype modulated serum DHA associations with entorhinal cortex volume and hippocampal volume. Linear models showed that greater serum DHA was associated with increased entorhinal cortex volume, but not hippocampal volume, in non APOΕ ε4 carriers. APOE also interacted with serum lysophosphatidylcholine DHA to predict hippocampal volume. After testing interactions between DHA and APOE on brain volume, we investigated whether DHA and APOE interact to predict spatial navigation performance on a novel virtual reality diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s disease in an independent population of APOE genotyped adults (n = 46). APOE genotype modulated DHA associations with spatial navigation performance, showing that DHA was inversely associated with path integration in APOE ε4 carriers only. This exploratory analysis suggests that interventions aiming to increase DHA blood levels to protect against cognitive decline should consider APOE ε4 carrier status. Future work should focus on replicating our initial findings and establishing whether a specific dose of supplementary DHA, at a particular time in the preclinical disease course can have a positive impact on Alzheimer’s disease progression in APOE ε4 carriers., Docosahexaenoic acid’s neuroprotective effect may be concentrated in the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. Here, we show that docosahexaenoic acid’s association with entorhinal volume and spatial navigation ability is modulated by the APOE genotype, with non-significant or inverse associations found in APOE ε4 carriers who are genetically-at-risk of Alzheimer’s disease., Graphical Abstract Graphical Abstract

It is well established that what certain nutrients benefit our physical health. More recently there has been growing interest in the relationship between diet and brain health. The dietary pattern that has received the most interest is the Mediterranean diet. Many years have passed since the original Seven Countries study, which indicated that individuals living in the Mediterranean region had lower rates of death due to coronary heart disease compared to those from Northern Europe and the United States. This finding was ascribed to the dietary pattern that is commonly adhered to in that region. A diet high in fresh fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals, nuts, olive oil, legumes, fish, moderate consumption of dairy, poultry, red wine, and low consumption of red meat—the Mediterranean diet. Since then, adherence to this dietary pattern has been repeatedly linked to lower risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, and the risk of developing dementia. This chapter explores the evidence for Mediterranean diet and its components in improving cognitive function and protecting against age-related cognitive decline.

All-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes are one of the leading causes of death and injury in agriculture across the United States. Use of ATVs is highly prevalent in rural areas and has seen an increase in their application for a variety of agricultural work tasks. Empirical research on the use of these vehicles for agricultural tasks and associated injuries is limited, especially in the United States. Moreover, little is known about the risk factors associated with ATV-related injuries while doing farm work. A comprehensive review was conducted to evaluate the current injury burden of ATV use in agriculture, the need for future research, and possible solutions related to agricultural ATV safety. Potential injury prevention approaches are evaluated based on the hierarchy of control, including elimination or substitution (using side-by-side vehicles instead of ATVs or modifying ATV design), engineering control (operator protection devices), administrative authority (regulations and standards in the United States and around the world), training, and use of personal protective equipment. In addition, vehicle nomenclature, risk factors, and crash mechanisms are reviewed. Recommendations to decrease the likelihood of ATV crashes and injuries are provided.

Anxiety heightens vigilance and stimulus-driven attention to the environment, which may in turn disrupt cognitive control processes such as response inhibition. How this unfolds at the neural level is unclear. Previous evidence implicates the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) as an important cortical node in both stimulus-driven attention and inhibitory control. Here we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate the neural mechanisms involved in the relationship between threat-induced anxiety and stopping during a stop-signal task, where a visual go signal was occasionally followed by an auditory stop signal. Healthy individuals (N = 18) performed the task during the threat of unpredictable shocks and safety to modulate anxious arousal. Behaviorally, we observed that stopping was impaired during threat (i.e. slower estimated stop-signal reaction times), indicating that anxious arousal weakens inhibitory control. MEG source analyses revealed that bilateral IFG and right dorsal prefrontal cortex showed increased beta-band activity (14-30 Hz) to the stop signal that varied as a function of successful stopping during nonanxious (safe) conditions only. Moreover, peak beta-band responses from right IFG were inversely correlated with stopping efficiency during nonanxious conditions. These findings support theoretical claims that beta oscillations function to maintain the current sensorimotor state, and that the lack of differential beta-band activity in prefrontal cortices underlies anxiety-related deficits in inhibitory control. We specifically argue that altered right IFG functioning might directly link impaired cognitive control to heightened stimulus-driven responding in anxiety states.

Curcumin (a flavonoid isolated from turmeric) affects several processes involved in neurocognitive aging. We have previously reported that short term (4-weeks) administration of a highly bioavailable curcumin preparation (Longvida&copy, ) improved working memory and reduced fatigue and stress reactivity in a healthy older cohort. The present trial (ACTRN12616000484448) was a partial replication study, evaluating similar effects at 4 and 12-weeks Longvida&copy, supplementation. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-groups trial was conducted. Eighty participants aged 50&ndash, 80 years (mean = 68.1, SD = 6.34) were randomised to receive Longvida&copy, (400 mg daily containing 80 mg curcumin) or a matching placebo. Assessment took place at baseline then following 4 and 12 weeks treatment. Outcome measures included cognitive performance, mood and biomarkers. Compared with placebo, curcumin was associated with several significant effects. These included better working memory performance at 12-weeks (Serial Threes, Serial Sevens and performance on a virtual Morris Water Maze), and lower fatigue scores on the Profile of Mood States (POMS) at both 4 and 12-weeks, and of tension, anger, confusion and total mood disturbance at 4-weeks only. The curcumin group had significantly elevated blood glucose. These results confirm that Longvida&copy, improves aspects of mood and working memory in a healthy older cohort. The pattern of results is consistent with improvements in hippocampal function and may hold promise for alleviating cognitive decline in some populations.

Botvinik-Nezer, Rotem et al., Data analysis workflows in many scientific domains have become increasingly complex and flexible. Here we assess the effect of this flexibility on the results of functional magnetic resonance imaging by asking 70 independent teams to analyse the same dataset, testing the same 9 ex-ante hypotheses. The flexibility of analytical approaches is exemplified by the fact that no two teams chose identical workflows to analyse the data. This flexibility resulted in sizeable variation in the results of hypothesis tests, even for teams whose statistical maps were highly correlated at intermediate stages of the analysis pipeline. Variation in reported results was related to several aspects of analysis methodology. Notably, a meta-analytical approach that aggregated information across teams yielded a significant consensus in activated regions. Furthermore, prediction markets of researchers in the field revealed an overestimation of the likelihood of significant findings, even by researchers with direct knowledge of the dataset. Our findings show that analytical flexibility can have substantial effects on scientific conclusions, and identify factors that may be related to variability in the analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging. The results emphasize the importance of validating and sharing complex analysis workflows, and demonstrate the need for performing and reporting multiple analyses of the same data. Potential approaches that could be used to mitigate issues related to analytical variability are discussed., European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en) under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 665501. A. Eed was supported by a predoctoral fellowship La Caixa-Severo Ochoa from Obra Social La Caixa. S.B.E. was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement no. 785907 (HBP SGA2).

Hard red spring wheat is an important crop in the Pacific Northwest and is a component of a 3-year crop rotation involving soft white winter wheat; cool season pulse crops such as pea, lentil and chickpea; and canola. Pythium root rot and damping-off have long been observed as an annual problem, particularly in spring planted crops. As such, a seed treatment that includes metalaxyl is very common. Recently, an increase in the incidence of Pythium damping-off highlighted that there is an emerging population of Pythium spp. that are resistant to traditional seed treatments containing metalaxyl. The use of alternative chemistries to manage Pythium root rot and damping-off has gained regional interest to increase crop health and improve yields. The effectiveness of ethaboxam was evaluated along with two other seed treatment cocktails in controlling metalaxyl-resistant Pythium in replicated field experiments of spring wheat over three growing seasons in northern Idaho. Emergence, seedling characteristics, plant height, yield and test weight were assessed. The addition of ethaboxam to metalaxyl-containing seed treatment blends consistently increased emergence and yield of spring wheat compared to seed treatment blends containing metalaxyl only. First leaf length, an indirect measure of early season Pythium damage, was longest in seed treatments containing ethaboxam and the average number of tillers was lower, likely due to increased emergence, than non-treated seed. These results indicate that ethaboxam can improve disease control in spring wheat production when applied as a seed treatment in combination with metalaxyl, specifically in the presence of metalaxyl-resistant Pythium spp.

The proportion of adults aged 60 years and over is expected to increase over the coming decades. This ageing of the population represents an important health issue, given that marked reductions to cerebral macro- and microstructural integrity are apparent with increasing age. Reduced cerebral structural integrity in older adults appears to predict poorer cognitive performance, even in the absence of clinical disorders such as dementia. As such, it is becoming increasingly important to identify those factors predicting cerebral structural integrity, especially factors that are modifiable. One such factor is nutritional intake. While the literature is limited, data from available cross-sectional studies indicate that increased intake of nutrients such as B vitamins (for example, B6, B12and folate), choline,n-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, or increased adherence to prudent whole diets (for example, the Mediterranean diet) predicts greater cerebral structural integrity in older adults. There is even greater scarcity of randomised clinical trials investigating the effects of nutritional supplementation on cerebral structure, though it appears that supplementation with B vitamins (B6, B12and folic acid) orn-3 fatty acids (DHA or EPA) may be beneficial. The current review presents an overview of available research examining the relationship between key nutrients or adherence to select diets and cerebral structural integrity in dementia-free older adults.

Recently we have found that when prospecting for nests, brood-parasitic female cowbirds (Molothrus ater) vary in their use of personal and social information when selecting a nest (White, Davies, Agyapong, & Seegmiller, 2017, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284, 1–8), with females that are most accurate at using personal information relying least on social information and vice versa. Here, using these same female subjects, we studied whether their strategies of using social and personal information would generalize to other cognitive tasks. In two experiments we investigated whether females would attend to others when selecting a foraging site. We varied the amount of social information present and the degree of conflict that existed between personal and social information about the location of mealworms hidden in soil. We found consistency in performance within females across nest-prospecting and foraging tasks: females that were most accurate at using personal information when prospecting for nests were also most accurate at using personal information when locating food sites. Also, similar to nest prospecting, the most personally accurate females were the least dependent on social information when personal information was present. Surprisingly, however, when no personal information was present, these accurate females were most responsive to social information. Taken together, these studies suggest that females weigh the relative value of social and personal information for decisions they make and they use the most valuable information for action.

Courtship-signalling theory often incorporates the assumption that males must consistently produce the highest-intensity displays they can achieve, thereby indicating their underlying quality to females. Contest-signalling theory, in contrast, assumes that flexible signal performance is routine. The two frameworks thereby suggest conflicting predictions about male flexibility when the same signal operates in both intrasexual and intersexual communication. Sexual competition often occurs within complex social environments where male displays can be received by potential mates, rivals, or both at once. In brown-headed cowbirds’ breeding flocks, for example, multiple males sometimes vie directly for a single female’s attention; at other times males have opportunities to sing to females without interference. We tested whether cowbirds vary the intensity of their signalling across contexts like these. We recorded songs from males courting females both with and without a male competitor in sight. We then played those recordings to solitary, naïve females in sound attenuation chambers, and also to a naïve aviary-housed flock. The songs males had produced when they could see their competitors were more attractive, eliciting more copulatory postures from naïve females and more approaches from birds in the flock. Results suggest high-intensity displays function within a larger, flexible signalling strategy in this species, and the varying audience composition that accompanies social complexity may demand flexible signalling even in classic display behaviours such as birdsong.