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Effortful control (EC), a self-regulation skill, is associated with long-term developmental outcomes. Music has been associated with infant self-regulation and may be an intervention strategy for enhancing EC during toddlerhood. This investigation included 32 parent-child dyads from a previously conducted randomized controlled trial (RCT). Participants (9-15-months old at baseline) attended either a music enrichment program or a playdate control once a week for 1 year and monthly for an additional year. At age 3, participants completed snack and gift delay effortful control tasks. Groups were compared using one-way ANOVA. We found that participants in the music group had a significantly higher score during snack delay (music mean = 3.47 ± 0.94; control mean = 2.45 ± 1.51; p = 0.03; Cohen's d = 0.84). We did not find a significant group difference for latency to peek (music mean = 39.10 ± 20.10; control mean = 30.90 ± 19.88; p = 0.25; d = 0.57) or latency to touch (music mean = 105.73 ± 417.69; control mean = 98.35 ± 28.84; p = 0.38; d = 0.29) for the gift task. This study provides initial evidence that early participation in a music enrichment program may benefit later development of EC. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02936284)., (© 2023 International Congress of Infant Studies.)

Despite increasing research, the links between racial discrimination and Black Americans' romantic relationship dynamics remain unclear. Guided by models of mundane extreme environmental stress (Peters & Massey, 1983), sociocultural family stress (McNeil Smith & Landor, 2018), and Black marital outcomes (Bryant et al., 2010), we conducted a systematic review of the literature examining racial discrimination and relationship dynamics among Black Americans in same-race and interracial romantic relationships. Synthesizing findings from 32 published empirical articles, we find support for manifestations of each component of MEES in Black intimate life. We uncover evidence that racial discrimination is associated with compromised relationship functioning for Black Americans. Several psychosocial resources were also identified as either buffering these associations or posing drawbacks/limitations for Black Americans. We discuss notable gaps in the literature and directions for future research including intersectional investigations, broader examination of the MEES context, and de-centering whiteness among studies of interracial relationship dynamics.

Host species that are particularly abundant, infectious and/or infected tend to contribute disproportionately to symbiont (parasite or mutualist) maintenance in multi-host systems. Therefore, in a facultative multi-host system where two host species had high densities, high symbiont infestation intensities and high infestation prevalence, we expected interspecific transmission rates to be high. Instead, we found that interspecific symbiont transmission rates to caged sentinel hosts were an order of magnitude lower than intraspecific transmission rates in the wild. Using laboratory experiments to decompose transmission rates, we found that opportunities for interspecific transmission were frequent, where interspecific and intraspecific contact rate functions were statistically indistinguishable. However, most interspecific contacts did not lead to transmission events owing to a previously unrecognized transmission barrier: strong host preferences. During laboratory choice experiments, the symbiont preferred staying on or dispersing to its current host species, even though the oligochaete symbiont is a globally distributed host generalist that can survive and reproduce on many snail host species. These surprising results suggest that when managing symbiont transmission, identifying key host species is still important, but it may be equally important to identify and manage transmission barriers that keep potential superspreader host species in check.

Caroline McGregor Argo argues that the new vet school at SRUC will not just be 'more of the same', and that instead it will have a clear remit to produce vets with attributes aligned with society's priority needs., (© 2021 British Veterinary Association.)

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact human health and welfare on a global level. In March 2020, stringent national restrictions were enforced in the UK to protect public health and slow the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Restrictions were likely to have resulted in collateral consequences for the health and welfare of horses and ponies, especially those at risk of obesity and laminitis and this issue warranted more detailed exploration. The current study utilised qualitative methodology to investigate the implications of COVID-19 related policies upon equine management and welfare with a focus on horses and ponies at risk of laminitis and obesity. Twenty-four interviews with five sub-groups of key equestrian welfare stakeholders in the UK were conducted between May and July of 2020 to understand the challenges facing equine welfare in the context of laminitis and obesity susceptible animals. Thematic analysis revealed lockdown-associated factors with the potential to compromise welfare of horses and ponies at risk of obesity and laminitis. These included: disparate information and guidance, difficulties enacting public health measures in yard environments, and horses having reduced exercise during the pandemic. Positive examples of clear and consistent information sharing by farriers were reported to have improved horse owner understanding of routine hoof care during lockdown. Analysis suggested that the recommendations for supporting the management-based needs of horses under reduced supervision were not clearly defined, or were not sufficiently disseminated, across the equine industry. These findings support the development of guidelines specific to the care of horses and ponies at risk of obesity and laminitis through collaborative input from veterinary and welfare experts, to reduce the negative impacts of future lockdown events in the UK., Competing Interests: Co-author PH is employed by the funding organization. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. All other authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Background: Obesity is an important equine welfare issue. Whilst dietary restriction is the most effective weight-loss tool, individual animals range in their weight-loss propensity. Gastrointestinal-derived bacteria play a fundamental role in host-health and have been associated with obesity and weight-loss in other species. This study evaluated the faecal microbiome (next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA genes) of 15 obese Welsh Mountain pony mares, in the same 11-week period across 2 years (n = 8 Year 1; n = 7 Year 2). Following a 4-week acclimation period (pre-diet phase) during which time individuals were fed the same hay to maintenance (2% body mass (BM) as daily dry matter (DM) intake), animals underwent a 7-week period of dietary restriction (1% BM hay as daily DM intake). Faeces were sampled on the final 3 days of the pre-diet phase and the final 3 days of the dietary restriction phase. Bacterial communities were determined using Next Generation Sequencing of amplified V1-V2 hypervariable regions of bacterial 16S rRNA., Results: Losses in body mass ranged from 7.11 to 11.59%. Changes in the faecal microbiome composition following weight-loss included a reduction in the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Tenericutes and a reduction in indices of bacterial diversity. Pre-diet diversity was negatively associated with weight-loss. Pre-diet faecal acetate concentration was a strong predictor of subsequent weight-loss and negatively associated with Sphaerochaeta (Spirochaetes phylum) abundance. When animals were divided into 3 groups (high, mid, low) based overall weight loss, pre-diet bacterial community structure was found to have the greatest divergence between the high and low weight-loss groups (R = 0.67, p <  0.01), following PERMANOVA and ANOSIM analysis., Conclusions: Weight-loss in this group of ponies was associated with lower pre-diet faecal bacterial diversity and greater pre-diet acetate concentration. Overall, these data support a role for the faecal microbiome in weight-loss propensity in ponies and provide a baseline for research evaluating elements of the faecal microbiome in predicting weight-loss success in larger cohorts.

The literature on typically developing siblings of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD-Sibs) provides inconsistent results, with some studies reporting ASD-Sibs are more likely to have negative outcomes than comparison groups, and others reporting no significant differences. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to meta-analytically aggregate study effect sizes to more accurately calculate the degree to which ASD-Sibs function similarly or differently compared to siblings of people who do not have ASD. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they had a sample of ASD-Sibs older than 5; reported on emotional, psychological, behavioral, or social functioning; and provided information necessary for calculating relevant effect sizes. Results from 69 independent samples indicated that ASD-Sibs have significantly more negative outcomes than comparison groups overall (g = - 0.26); specific areas of functioning in which ASD-Sibs fared worse include internalizing behavior problems, psychological functioning, beliefs, social functioning, and the sibling relationship, but no significant differences in adjustment, attention/hyperactivity, externalizing behavior problems, coping, or family functioning. Noteworthy sub-areas of functioning in which ASD-Sibs also fared worse included beliefs about disability (g = - 0.56), anxiety symptoms (g = - 0.25), and depression symptoms (g = - 0.36). In terms of comparison group, ASD-Sibs had significantly lower functioning than siblings of individuals with other intellectual and developmental disabilities (g = - 0.31), including Down syndrome (g = - 0.40) and siblings of individuals without any disabilities (g = - 0.31). Clinicians and service providers should work to ensure that ASD-Sibs are included in family interventions and support strategies, and researchers should further explore individual differences that may relate to enhanced or impaired functioning in ASD-Sibs.

The present study examined 97 adolescent siblings of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), or no disabilities. Siblings reported on their feelings toward their brother or sister (anxiety, hostility, and positive affect), and parents reported on general optimism, child behavior problems, and perceptions of how the child impacts the family, including the sibling. There were no differences between siblings of individuals with ASD and siblings of individuals with IDD on any sibling self-reported feelings toward their brother or sister, though parents of individuals with ASD reported significantly less optimism and more negative perception of the child's impact on the family than did parents of children with IDD or no disability.

All dynamic species interaction models contain an assumption that describes how contact rates scale with population density. Choosing an appropriate contact-density function is important, because different functions have different implications for population dynamics and stability. However, this choice can be challenging, because there are many possible functions, and most are phenomenological and thus difficult to relate to underlying ecological processes. Using one such phenomenological function, we described a nonlinear relationship between field transmission rates and host density in a common snail-oligochaete symbiosis. We then used a well-known contact function from predator-prey models, the Holling Type II functional response, to describe and predict host snail contact rates in the laboratory. The Holling Type II functional response accurately described both the nonlinear contact-density relationship and the average contact duration that we observed. Therefore, we suggest that contact rates saturate with host density in this system because each snail contact requires a non-instantaneous handling time, and additional possible contacts do not occur during that handling time. Handling times and nonlinear contact rates might also explain the nonlinear relationship between symbiont transmission and snail density that we observed in the field, which could be confirmed by future work that controls for other potential sources of seasonal variation in transmission rates. Because most animal contacts are not instantaneous, the Holling Type II functional response might be broadly relevant to diverse host-symbiont systems.

TNF/CD80 mice, a CD8(+) T cell-mediated model for type 1 diabetes, transgenically express tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and the costimulatory molecule CD80 in their pancreatic islets. Here we show that these molecules bypass the need for CD40-CD154 costimulatory interactions in activation of CD8(+) T cells, allowing us to determine the role of CD40-CD154 signals in regulation of autoaggressive CD8(+) T cells after their in vivo priming. TNF/CD80 CD154-deficient mice rapidly develop diabetes, whereas CD154-sufficient mice do not. This finding correlates with the decreased numbers of CD4(+)CD25(+) T regulatory (T(R)) cells in the islets and pancreatic lymph nodes, in comparison to disease-protected CD154-sufficient mice. Administration of a CD40 agonistic antibody induces a systemic and tissue-specific increase in T(R) cells. However, this increase fails to delay diabetes development in the absence of CD154. Adoptive transfer studies show that CD8(+) T cells from TNF/CD80 CD154-deficient, but not CD154-sufficient, mice are resistant to regulation in vivo. This study provides evidence that CD40-transduced signals initiate T(R) cell increase in vivo and that CD154-transduced signals sensitize autoaggressive CD8(+) T cells to suppression.

Pancreatic lymph node-derived CD4+CD25+ T regulatory (Treg) cells inhibit in situ differentiation of islet-reactive CD8+ T cells into cytotoxic T lymphocytes, thereby preventing diabetes progression. The mechanism by which these Treg cells suppress anti-islet CD8+ T cells is unknown. Here, we show by using a CD8+ T cell-mediated model of type 1 diabetes that transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta-TGF-beta receptor signals are critical for CD4+CD25+ Treg cell regulation of autoreactive islet-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Transgenic expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha from birth to 25 days of age in the islets of B6 mice that constitutively express CD80 on their beta cells results in accumulation of CD4+CD25+TGF-beta+ cells exclusively in the islets and pancreatic lymph nodes, which delays diabetes progression. In contrast, expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha until 28 days of age prevents islet accumulation of CD4+CD25+TGF-beta+ Treg cells, resulting in acceleration to diabetes. Furthermore, adoptive transfer experiments demonstrated that CD4+CD25+ Treg cells could not control naïve or activated islet-reactive CD8+ T cells bearing a dominant negative TGF-beta receptor type II. Our data demonstrate that, in vivo, TGF-beta signaling in CD8+ T cells is critical for CD4+CD25+ Treg cell suppression of islet-reactive CD8+ T cells in type 1 diabetes.

Hospitals are a major provider of resources for individuals with HIV-related conditions. With the changing nature of HIV, tracking the dependence on and impact of related care delivered in these institutions is critical to monitoring overall resource need. This report documents HIV inpatient care in U.S. hospitals during 1991 by surveying 1,931 acute care institutions (19% of all acute care institutions). In addition, this report documents changes in HIV care in 124 teaching hospitals between 1988 and 1991. Of the 1,081 hospitals completing the 1991 survey (56%), 773 reported treating at least one HIV inpatient and a total of 58,211 inpatients. Northeastern and public hospitals provided significantly more care. Public-related payer sources financed almost 90% of care in public institutions and > 60% in private institutions. Hospitals reported an average loss of $ 92,025 and an estimated total cost-based loss of $ 71.1 million among all responding institutions. The number of HIV inpatients increased 68% between 1988 and 1991. During these years, substantial increases in revenue and modest reductions in per patient use led to a decrease in total inpatient losses of $ 540,748 to $ 260,331 per hospital. Results show that HIV-associated inpatient care is extensive and increasing and that support for care has become a predominantly public sector responsibility. Teaching hospitals' increase in care suggests that they have become "magnets" for patients with HIV-related disease. However, treatment economies and reimbursement rate improvements have worked to lower losses. Any HIV financing policies should work to balance support for non-hospital care with the continuing need for inpatient treatment.