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Math anxiety is a pervasive issue in higher education that is often associated with poor performance outcomes. A hypothesized reason for this association is that individuals with math anxiety experience negative and intrusive thoughts related to the situation, their performance, and its consequences. These distractions are thought to be specific to math-related contexts. However, recent empirical evidence from the test anxiety literature calls the anxiety-distraction association into question. Here, we demonstrate that (a) math anxiety is associated with higher average reports of negative distraction, (b) that math anxiety-induced distraction is specific to the math problem-solving domain, and (c) that test anxiety also accounts for higher ratings of math-specific negative distraction. Investigating potential mechanisms underlying the math anxiety–poor math performance relationship is necessary for implementing effective interventions that foster math success, both in educational settings and in everyday life.

Decision diffusion models are commonly used to explain the processes underlying decision-making. Many software options exist for cognitive scientists to fit diffusion models to data; however, they tend to lack customizability beyond existing model formulations that are already built into them, stymying new theoretical contributions. We introduce FlexDDM, a new Python package that requires minimal coding to develop new diffusion models. The package is equipped with four standard models of cognitive conflict tasks and a suite of fitting techniques. Our development of FlexDDM aims to broaden the accessibility and applicability of computational methods in cognitive science, thereby accelerating theoretical innovation and contributing to advancements in the field of behavioral sciences.

The adoption of in vivo digital measures in pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) presents an opportunity to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of discovering and developing new therapeutics. For clinical measures, the Digital Medicine Society’s (DiMe) V3 Framework is a comprehensive validation framework that encompasses verification, analytical validation, and clinical validation. This manuscript describes collaborative efforts to adapt this framework to ensure the reliability and relevance of digital measures for a preclinical context. Verification ensures that digital technologies accurately capture and store raw data. Analytical validation assesses the precision and accuracy of algorithms that transform raw data into meaningful biological metrics. Clinical validation confirms that these digital measures accurately reflect the biological or functional states in animal models relevant to their context of use. By widely adopting this structured approach, stakeholders—including researchers, technology developers, and regulators—can enhance the reliability and applicability of digital measures in preclinical research, ultimately supporting more robust and translatable drug discovery and development processes.

The Dada and Surrealist movements are known for producing work that challenges reader-viewers' perceptions of reality. These movements also prompted creators to experiment with unexpected mediums and materials, and this can be seen through the intersection of visual art and writing. This essay emphasizes the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to the teaching of Basic Writing and proposes an approach that uses the tenets of Dada and Surrealism as starting points for enacting an arts-based, transgenre pedagogy. Focusing on three Basic Writing courses as case studies, the essay explores the benefits of this arts-based pedagogical approach and assignments that require students to engage in art-making and writing simultaneously.

ABSTRACT The annual meeting for the Intermountain Branch was held in April 2024 on the campus of Brigham Young University. There were 127 branch members from Utah, Idaho, and Nevada who attended the meeting and were composed of undergraduate students, graduate or medical students, and faculty. This report highlights the diversity of, and the emerging trends in, the research conducted by American Society for Microbiology members in the Intermountain Branch.

This article proposes an arts-based pedagogy that highlights embodiment in first-year composition (FYC). In particular, this pedagogy focuses on "transgenre composing," or the intersecting of visual art and writing. I argue that, when embraced alongside the rhetoric of health and medicine (RHM), transgenre composing facilitates inclusive classroom spaces where embodiment is celebrated. In addition to providing context for this pedagogy in FYC, I also bring in possibilities for adopting this approach in other disciplines, including the social sciences and health professions. Further, to provide tangible representations of this arts-based, embodied pedagogy, I discuss two transgenre compositions: one is an original project that outlines my own embodied experience through RHM, and the other is a student project that was created in an FYC class where this approach was enacted.

IntroductionDespite increasing evidence that Environmental Health Monitoring (EHM) is an effective method to perform rodent colony health surveillance, promotes the 3Rs as a Replacement, is comparable or reduces cost, and demonstrates labor benefits, many research institutions continue to use live Soiled Bedding Sentinels (SBS). Some veterinarians and others responsible for rodent colony health monitoring remain cautious of the evidence supporting this new technology. Therefore, our objective was to perform a formal systematic review to identify, summarize, and evaluate the research on the efficacy of EHM as compared to SBS. This information is essential to establishing recommendations for rodent health monitoring programs.MethodsWe systematically searched and evaluated all articles comparing EHM to SBS identified from PubMed, Web of Science, and CAB abstracts initially on November 12, 2021 with an update on Oct 15, 2023. Our inclusion criteria included publication in a peer-reviewed journal and collection of empirical data on rodent health monitoring alternatives to soiled bedding sentinels. Outcome data was extracted and analyzed via logistic regression and secondary descriptive statistics. Due to the nature of the included studies, no risk of bias assessment was performed. No specific funding was received for this review.ResultsForty-two peer-reviewed articles passed inclusion criteria for analysis. The design of studies varied substantially but included publications investigating exhaust dust testing (n = 27), sentinel-free soiled bedding (n = 8), and direct colony sampling (n = 24). Based on both logistical regression and descriptive criteria, all types of EHM appear to be superior to soiled bedding sentinels at detecting pathogens, regardless of their taxonomic classification.ConclusionBased on these findings, we conclude there is a strong evidence base supporting the replacement of SBS with EHM. Looking forward, we encourage continued research on the detection of existing and emerging pathogens with these technologies and development of best practices for routine rodent health monitoring programs.

Discrete emotions are known to elicit changes in decision-making. Previous research has found that affect biases response times and the perception of evidence for choices, among other key factors of decision-making. However, little is known how affect influences the specific cognitive mechanisms that underlie decision-making. We investigated these mechanisms by fitting a hierarchical reinforcement-learning decision diffusion model to participant choice data. Following the collection of baseline decision-making data, participants took part in a writing exercise to generate neutral or discrete emotions. Following the writing exercise, participants made additional decisions. We found that exposure to discrete emotions modulates decision-making through several mechanisms including rates of learning and evidence accumulation, separation of decision thresholds, and sensitivity to noise. Furthermore, we found that exposure to each of the four discrete emotions modulated decision-making differently. These findings integrate learning and decision process models to expand on previous research and elucidate processes of affective decision-making.

Objective: The Symposium on Animal Systematic Reviews held 24 May 2022, sought to bring organisations working on animal literature searching and systematic reviews together into the same virtual space for introductions and discussion. Background: Groups working on animal research synthesis are often siloed into preclinical, veterinary, and One Health settings. This symposium sought to define commonalities and differences in methodologies, resources, and philosophies and to discuss future needs. Methods: The 3-hour virtual symposium for veterinarians, researchers, and information specialists began with introductions by panelists from organisations involved in searching the literature for animal studies and conducting systematic reviews. This was followed by a panel discussion and question and answer period. Results: Panelists identified a need to ensure planning and accurate description of primary animal studies as a precursor to quality systematic reviews. They acknowledged and discussed differences in evidence synthesis expectations and tools based on the type of review, the types of studies available on the topic, and the focus on preclinical, veterinary, or One Health topics. Conclusion: The need to increase the speed and quality of evidence reviews, and to automate updates, requires investing in the development of both skilled teams and platforms. The symposium provided a chance to identify existing resources, define challenges, and note gaps unique to systematic reviews of animal studies. Application: This symposium acts as a baseline for ongoing discussions centred on improving the culture and pipeline for evidence syntheses of animal studies that inform decision-making.

Introduction: Despite increasing evidence that Environmental Health Monitoring (EHM) is an effective method to perform rodent colony health surveillance, promotes the 3Rs as a Replacement, is comparable or reduces cost, and demonstrates labor benefits, many research institutions continue to use live Soiled Bedding Sentinels (SBS). Some veterinarians and others responsible for rodent colony health monitoring remain cautious of the evidence supporting this new technology. Therefore, our objective was to perform a formal systematic review to identify, summarize, and evaluate the research on the efficacy of EHM as compared to SBS. This information is essential to establishing recommendations for rodent health monitoring programs. Methods: We systematically searched and evaluated all articles comparing EHM to SBS identified from PubMed, Web of Science, and CAB abstracts initially on November 12, 2021 with an update on Oct 15, 2023. Our inclusion criteria included publication in a peer-reviewed journal and collection of empirical data on rodent health monitoring alternatives to soiled bedding sentinels. Outcome data was extracted and analyzed via logistic regression and secondary descriptive statistics. Due to the nature of the included studies, no risk of bias assessment was performed. No specific funding was received for this review. Results: Forty-two peer-reviewed articles passed inclusion criteria for analysis. The design of studies varied substantially but included publications investigating exhaust dust testing (n = 27), sentinel-free soiled bedding (n = 8), and direct colony sampling (n = 24). Based on both logistical regression and descriptive criteria, all types of EHM appear to be superior to soiled bedding sentinels at detecting pathogens, regardless of their taxonomic classification. Conclusion: Based on these findings, we conclude there is a strong evidence base supporting the replacement of SBS with EHM. Looking forward, we encourage continued research on the detection of existing and emerging pathogens with these technologies and development of best practices for routine rodent health monitoring programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rat tickling is a heterospecific interaction for experimenters to mimic the interactions of rat play, where they produce 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalisations (USV), symptoms of positive affect; tickling can improve laboratory rat welfare. The standard rat tickling protocol involves gently pinning the rat in a supine position. However, individual response to this protocol varies. This suggests there is a risk that some rats may perceive tickling as only a neutral experience, while others as a positive one, depending on how tickling is performed. Based on our research experiences of the standard tickling protocol we have developed a playful handling (PH) protocol, with reduced emphasis on pinning, intended to mimic more closely the dynamic nature of play. We will test whether our PH protocol gives rise to more uniform increases in positive affect across individuals relative to protocols involving pinning. We will compare the response of juvenile male and female Wistar rats as: Control (hand remains still against the side of the test arena), P0 (PH with no pinning), P1 (PH with one pin), P4 (PH with four pins). P1 and P4 consist of a background of PH, with treatments involving administration of an increasing dosage of pinning per PH session. We hypothesise that rats exposed to handling protocols that maximise playful interactions (where pinning number per session decreases) will show an overall increase in total 50 kHz USV as an indicator of positive affect, with less variability. We will explore whether behavioural and physiological changes associated with alterations in PH experience are less variable. We propose that maximising the numbers of rats experiencing tickling as a positive experience will reduce the variation in response variables affected by tickling and increase the repeatability of research where tickling is applied either as a social enrichment or as a treatment.

Refined handling improves laboratory mouse welfare and research outcomes when compared to traditional tail handling, yet implementation does not seem to be widespread. Refined handling includes picking up a mouse using a tunnel or cupped hands. The aim of this study was to determine the current prevalence of and beliefs towards refined handling using the theory of planned behavior. It was predicted that refined handling prevalence is low compared to traditional handling methods, and its implementation is determined by individual and institutional beliefs. Research personnel were recruited via online convenience sampling through email listservs and social media. A total of 261 participants in diverse roles (e.g. veterinarians, managers, caretakers, researchers, etc.) responded primarily from the USA (79%) and academic institutions (61%) Participants were surveyed about their current use, knowledge, and beliefs about refined handling. Quantitative data were analyzed via descriptive statistics and generalised regression. Qualitative data were analyzed by theme. Research personnel reported low levels of refined handling implementation, with only 10% of participants using it exclusively and a median estimate of only 10% of institutional mice being handled with refined methods. Individually, participants had positive attitudes, neutral norms, and positive control beliefs about refined handling. Participants' intention to provide refined handling in the future was strongly associated with their attitudes, norms, and control beliefs (p

Rat tickling is a heterospecific interaction for experimenters to mimic the interactions of rat play, where they produce 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalisations (USV), symptoms of positive affect; tickling can improve laboratory rat welfare. The standard rat tickling protocol involves gently pinning the rat in a supine position. However, individual response to this protocol varies. This suggests there is a risk that some rats may perceive tickling as only a neutral experience, while others as a positive one, depending on how tickling is performed. Based on our research experiences of the standard tickling protocol we have developed a playful handling (PH) protocol, with reduced emphasis on pinning, intended to mimic more closely the dynamic nature of play. We will test whether our PH protocol gives rise to more uniform increases in positive affect across individuals relative to protocols involving pinning. We will compare the response of juvenile male and female Wistar rats as: Control (hand remains still against the side of the test arena), P0 (PH with no pinning), P1 (PH with one pin), P4 (PH with four pins). P1 and P4 consist of a background of PH, with treatments involving administration of an increasing dosage of pinning per PH session. We hypothesise that rats exposed to handling protocols that maximise playful interactions (where pinning number per session decreases) will show an overall increase in total 50 kHz USV as an indicator of positive affect, with less variability. We will explore whether behavioural and physiological changes associated with alterations in PH experience are less variable. We propose that maximising the numbers of rats experiencing tickling as a positive experience will reduce the variation in response variables affected by tickling and increase the repeatability of research where tickling is applied either as a social enrichment or as a treatment.

Exploratory discriminant analysis was used to determine the extent adult consumers' interest motivation to participate in a free educational dairy farm event and their beliefs of the dairy industry could correctly classify the respondents' predicted participation in a nonformal educational event. The most prominent conclusion of the study was that nearly three of four adult consumers in an Indiana community would attend an educational event on a dairy farm if they: (1) were motivated to attend an educational agricultural event because it is fun, interesting, and enjoyable, (2) were motivated to attend educational agricultural events to acquire new knowledge and meet a challenge, (3) were motivated to attend educational agricultural events out of desire to be nutritionally healthy, (4) were familiar with agriculture or directly involved in the industry, (5) were in agreement with the animal welfare practices that dairy farmers implement, and (6) resided in a household that reportedly consumed at least three gallons of fluid milk per week, on average, while at home. This finding may help outreach organizations develop non-formal, educational events that are more appealing to their target audiences as well as market those events in a way that will motivate more consumers to attend.

New data on 52 non-indigenous mollusks in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea is reported. Fossarus sp. (aff. aptus sensu Blatterer 2019), Coriophora lessepsiana Albano, Bakker & Sabelli, sp. nov., Cerithiopsis sp. aff. pulvis, Joculator problematicus Albano & Steger, sp. nov., Cerithiopsis sp., Elachisina sp., Iravadia aff. elongata, Vitrinella aff. Vitrinella sp. 1 (sensu Blatterer 2019), Melanella orientalis, Parvioris aff. dilecta, Odostomia cf. dalli, Oscilla virginiae, Parthenina cossmanni, Parthenina typica, Pyrgulina craticulata, Turbonilla funiculata, Cylichna collyra, Musculus coenobitus, Musculus aff. viridulus, Chavania erythraea, Scintilla cf. violescens, Iacra seychellarum and Corbula erythraeensis are new records for the Mediterranean. An unidentified gastropod, Skeneidae indet., Triphora sp., Hypermastus sp., Sticteulima sp., Vitreolina cf. philippi, Odostomia (s.l.) sp. 1, Henrya (?) sp., and Semelidae sp. are further potential new non-indigenous species although their status should be confirmed upon final taxonomic assessment. Additionally, the status of Dikoleps micalii, Hemiliostraca clandestina comb. nov. and H. athenamariae comb. nov. is changed to non-indigenous, range extensions for nine species and the occurrence of living individuals for species previously recorded from empty shells only are reported. Opimaphora blattereri Albano, Bakker & Sabelli, sp. nov. is described from the Red Sea for comparison with the morphologically similar C. lessepsiana Albano, Bakker & Sabelli, sp. nov. The taxonomic part is followed by a discussion on how intensive fieldwork and cooperation among institutions and individuals enabled such a massive report, and how the poor taxonomic knowledge of the Indo-Pacific fauna hampers non-indigenous species detection and identification. Finally, the hypothesis that the simultaneous analysis of quantitative benthic death assemblages can support the assignment of non-indigenous status to taxonomically undetermined species is discussed.

In drug discovery and development, traditional assessment of human patients and preclinical subjects occurs at limited time points in potentially stressful surroundings (i.e., the clinic or a test arena), which can impact data quality and welfare. However, recent advances in remote digital monitoring technologies enable the assessment of human patients and preclinical subjects across multiple time points in familiar surroundings. The ability to monitor a patient throughout disease progression provides an opportunity for more relevant and efficient diagnosis as well as improved assessment of drug efficacy and safety. In preclinical in vivo animal models, these digital technologies allow for continuous, longitudinal, and non-invasive monitoring in the home environment. This manuscript provides an overview of digital monitoring technologies for use in preclinical studies including their history and evolution, current engagement through use cases, and impact of digital biomarkers (DBs) on drug discovery and the 3Rs. We also discuss barriers to implementation and strategies to overcome them. Finally, we address data consistency and technology standards from the perspective of technology providers, end-users, and subject matter experts. Overall, this review establishes an improved understanding of the value and implementation of digital biomarker (DB) technologies in preclinical research.

Although the increased risk of developing sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) associated with the inheritance of the apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) allele is well characterized, the molecular underpinnings of how ApoE4 imparts risk remains unknown. Enhanced proteolysis of the ApoE4 protein with a toxic-gain of function has been suggested and a 17 kDa amino-terminal ApoE4 fragment (nApoE41-151) has been identified in post-mortem human AD frontal cortex sections. Recently, we demonstrated in vitro, exogenous treatment of nApoE41-151 in BV2 microglial cells leads to uptake, trafficking to the nucleus and increased expression of genes associated with cell toxicity and inflammation. In the present study, we extend these findings to zebrafish (Danio rerio), an in vivo model system to assess the toxicity of nApoE41-151. Exogenous treatment of nApoE41-151 to 24-hour post-fertilization for 24 hours resulted in significant mortality. In addition, developmental abnormalities were observed following treatment with nApoE41-151 including improper folding of the hindbrain, delay in ear development, deformed yolk sac, enlarged cardiac cavity, and significantly lower heart rates. A similar nApoE31-151 fragment that differs by a single amino acid change (C>R) at position 112 had no effects on these parameters under identical treatment conditions. Decreased presence of pigmentation was noted for both nApoE31-151- and nApoE41-151-treated larvae compared with controls. Behaviorally, touch-evoked responses to stimulus were negatively impacted by treatment with nApoE41-151 but did not reach statistical significance. Additionally, triple-labeling confocal microscopy not only confirmed the nuclear localization of the nApoE41-151 fragment within neuronal populations following exogenous treatment, but also identified the presence of tau pathology, one of the hallmark features of AD. Collectively, these in vivo data demonstrating toxicity as well as sublethal effects on organ and tissue development support a novel pathophysiological function of this AD associated-risk factor.