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Humans vary in their sensitivity to stressful and supportive environments and experiences. Such individual differences in environmental sensitivity are associated with mechanisms of stress-related psychiatric symptoms. In recent years, researchers have focused on bidirectional interactions in the brain-gut-microbiota axis as a neurophysiological pathway contributing to the mechanisms of stress-related psychiatric symptoms, and evidence is rapidly accumulating. Data on environmental sensitivity, gut microbiota, gut permeability (lipopolysaccharide-binding protein; LBP) and inflammation (C-reactive protein; CRP) were collected from 90 adults (50 % female; M age = 42.1; SD age = 10.0). Environmental sensitivity was measured using a self-report questionnaire. Study participants' feces were analyzed, and observed operational taxonomic units for richness, Shannon's index for evenness, and phylogenetic diversity for biodiversity were evaluated as indicators of gut microbiota. In addition, participants' serum was analyzed for CRP and LBP. We investigated whether the interaction between environmental sensitivity and gut microbiota is associated with biomarkers of inflammation and gut permeability. The interaction between environmental sensitivity and gut microbiota (excluding the Shannon's index) explained the levels of these biomarkers. Individuals with high environmental sensitivity displayed higher levels of CRP and LBP, when the richness and diversity of the gut microbiota was low. However, even highly susceptible individuals had lower levels of CRP and LBP, when the richness and diversity of the gut microbiota was high. Our study indicates that high environmental sensitivity can be a risk factor for inflammation and gut permeability, when the gut microbiota diversity is low, suggesting a brain-gut-microbiota axis interaction. • The relationship between environmental sensitivity, gut microbiota, and inflammation. • Higher sensitivity is correlated with inflammation. • Sensitivity moderates the relationship between gut microbiota and inflammation. • Higher sensitivity and lower gut microbiota diversity are associated with inflammation. • Environmental sensitivity may be related to the brain-gut-microbiota axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to examine primary school teachers' attitudes towards environmental problems and their environmental sensitivities. Scanning model was used in the research. Environmental attitude and environmental sensitivity behavior scales were applied to 100 Classroom teachers working in the Classroom Teaching branch in all school/institution types operating in Kastamonu city center in 2019-2020. Teachers' environmental awareness behaviors and attitudes towards environmental problems were determined and their differences according to years of seniority, age and gender were investigated. When the research findings are examined; It was determined that primary school teachers showed environmental attitude behavior, but it did not depend on demographic characteristics such as gender, age and seniority. According to the results of this research, environmental sensitivity behavior does not differ according to gender. It has been reported in the literature that environmental sensitivity behavior increases with increasing age. Since the years of seniority and age are directly related, they are considered together. With the advancing age, people's experiences increase, and their knowledge, experience and experiences about the environment increase. Environmental problems are perceived as a new issue for young people, and it can be said that the sensitivity increases with increasing age, internalizing the problem as a more serious and long-term issue. It was determined that all teachers participating in the study had a positive attitude towards environmental problems and a high degree of environmentally sensitive behavior. It has been determined that environmental attitude does not depend on demographic characteristics, and environmental sensitive behavior differs according to age and seniority. In order to eliminate the differences in the attitudes and behaviors of classroom teachers towards the environment, training on environmental attitudes and behaviors regardless of gender, seniority and age, workshops, seminars. It is recommended to support their participation in the symposiums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the rapidly increasing environmental, nature problems and individual behaviors have drawn the attention of researchers in this direction. Therefore, the aim of the research is to reveal the environmental awareness, environmental sensitivity and connectedness to nature behaviors of teachers, who are one of the most important parts of the education process. The population of the research consisted of teachers in Gaziantep, and the sample consisted of 634 teachers selected by random sampling. As data collection tools, "Environmental Awa reness and Sensitivity Scale" developed by Yeşilyurt, Gül and Demir (2013) and "Connectedness to the Nature Scale" developed by Mayer, F. S., and Frantz, C. M. (2004) and adapted into Turkish by Bektaş, F., Kural, B., & Orçan (2017) were used. In the analysis of the data, Independent Sample t test, Anova and Pearson Correlation analysis were used. According to the findings, significant differences were found in environmental sensitivity in the gender variable and in environmental awareness in the age variable. Significant differences were found in part of nature, environmental awareness and environmental sensitivity according to the branch variable; while significant differences were found in integration with nature and part of nature subdimensions according to sports experience variable (p<0.05). As a result, it can be said that teachers' connectedness to nature, environmental awareness and environmental sensitivity are generally at moderate levels. It is recommended to hold developer seminars for connectedness to nature and the solution of environmental problems. Environmental awareness and awareness activities can be carried out through outdoor-based sports activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Tointroduce the Highly Sensitive Child Scale-21 Item Version (HSC-21) and test its validity and reliability. Methods: Totally 1 150 middle school students were selected and the data were analyzed with confirmatory factor analysis, criterion validity analysis and internal consistency reliability test. The neuroticism, openness, and extraversion subscales of the Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory (CBF-PI) and the behavioral inhibition system subscales of the Behavioral Inhibition/Activation System Scale(BIS/BAS) were used as calibration tools. Two weeks later, 100 junior middle school students were selected to complete the retest. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis showed three factors bi-factor model (x/df = 2.90, CFI = 0.93, TLI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.04). The HSC-21 total scores and low sensory threshold scores were positively correlated with the scores of CBF-PI neuroticism, openness score and BIS scores (r=0.38,0.15,0.40, Ps<0.01). The Cronbach a coefficient were 0.81 for the total scale, and 0.70, 0.69 and 0.77 for the three factors (ease of excitation, low sensory threshold and aesthetic sensitivity). The retest reliabilities (ICC) were 0.70 for the total scale, and 0.68, 0.72, and 0.66 for the three factors. Conclusion: The High Sensitive Child Scale-21 (HSC-21) shows good validity and reliability for assessing the level of environmental sensitivity in the middle school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This multimethod study investigated an environmental recycling project in a Finnish kindergarten group, tailored for children aged 4 to 6, as part of early childhood environmental education for sustainable development. We aimed to identify the main drivers of sustainable lifestyles in the families of kindergarten children and evaluate the project’s effective practices. We utilized a qualitative approach using interviews with parents and feedback from teachers and employed the Following a Thread approach alongside inductive thematic analysis. The results highlight the crucial role of Finland’s socio-cultural context, including the emphasis on free play in natural settings and the encouragement of exploration under gentle guidance, in fostering sustainable behaviors among children. Additionally, the parents’ strong environmental sensitivity was manifested in their will to engage with their surrounding community to promote sustainability. The results underscore the importance of collaboration between parents and educators in promoting environmental awareness from an early age. The study advocates for policy changes to ensure that children and teachers have access to natural environments during day care, suggesting that integrating free play in nature with hands-on recycling activities can significantly contribute to sustainable education. Moreover, this topic should be further investigated in different living environments.

The differential sensitivity hypothesis argues that environmental sensitivity has the bivalent effect of predisposing individuals to both the risk-inducing and development-enhancing influences of early social environments. However, the hypothesis requires that this variation in environmental sensitivity be general across domains. In this study, we focused on neural sensitivity and autonomic arousal to test domain generality. Neural sensitivity can be assessed by correlating measures of perceptual sensitivity, as indexed by event-related potentials (ERP) in electrophysiology. The sensitivity of autonomic arousal can be tested via heart rate changes. Domain generality was tested by comparing associations in perceptual sensitivity across auditory and visual domains, and associations between sensitivity in sensory domains and heart rate. We contrasted ERP components in auditory (P3) and visual (P1, N290 and P4) detection-of-difference tasks for N = 68 infants longitudinally at 6 and 12 months of age. Domain generality should produce correlated individual differences in sensitivity across the two modalities, with higher levels of autonomic arousal associating with increased perceptual sensitivity. Having controlled for multiple comparisons, at 6 months of age, the difference in amplitude of the P3 component evoked in response to standard and deviant tones correlated with the difference in amplitude of the P1 N290 and P4 face-sensitive components evoked in response to fearful and neutral faces. However, this correlation was not found at 12 months of age. Similarly, autonomic arousal correlated with neural sensitivity at 6 months but not at 12 months. The results suggest bottom-up neural perceptual sensitivity is domain-general across auditory and visual domains and is related to autonomic arousal at 6 months but not at 12 months of age. We interpret the development of the association of these markers of ES within a neuroconstructivist framework and with respect to the concept of interactive specialisation. By 12 months of age, more experience of visual processing may have led to top-down endogenous attention mechanisms that process visual information in a way that no longer associates with automatic auditory perceptual sensitivity.

Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) is theorized to be a fundamental trait capturing children's general sensitivity to the environment. Yet, scientific knowledge of SPS is mostly based on findings from Western cultures and few translated measures exist to assess children's SPS outside of Western countries. Therefore, we developed the Chinese Highly Sensitive Child (HSC) scale. In Study 1, we investigated the scale's psychometric properties for both self-reports (N = 2925, Mage = 11.74 years, 43.3% girls) and caregiver reports (n = 460, Mchild age = 9.02 years, 44.0% girls). Findings replicated most psychometric properties found in international studies including: (a) a bifactor structure with one general sensitivity component and three specific components, (b) acceptable internal consistency of the total scale (although not for self-report of elementary school children, and not for the subscales), and (c) at least partial invariance across age groups, gender, and informants. In Study 2, we investigated convergent validity with related temperament and personality measures using self-reports from both elementary school children (n = 845, Mage = 9.71 years, 41.9% girls) and middle school children (n = 563, Mage = 13.17 years, 43.2% girls). Findings replicated bivariate associations found in Western studies: Ease of Excitation (EOE) was associated with more positive traits, whereas Aesthetic Sensitivity (AES) was associated with more negative traits, suggesting that EOE and AES may capture the "dark" and "bright side" of sensitivity, respectively. We hope that our studies help spur research on SPS across western and Chinese cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To revise the Highly Sensitive Child (HSC) Scale for Chinese Adolescents and investigate the role of adolescents' sensitivity to environmental influences. Methods The HSC Scale was translated into Chinese. A total of 2166 adolescents in Xi'an were selected for exploratory factor, confirmatory factor analyses and reliability analysis. The participants were 609 healthy adolescents and 105 depressive adolescents aged 14-17 years, who were evaluated with the HSC scale and PHQ-9 scale as well as sleep duration and academic achievement questions. Results First, the factor structure (CFI=0.989, GFI=0.977, AGFI=0.958, TLI=0.983, RMSEA = 0.042, RMR = 0.050) indicated that HSC scale was a reliable measure of environmental sensitivity. The results supported a bifactor model with a general sensitivity factor and three group factors. Second, the Cronbach & was 0. 892, and the test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.743. Third, depressive adolescents had a significantly higher HSC score, compared with the healthy ones (F=15.1, P<0.01). Fourth, the relationship between BMI and adolescent adjustment was moderated by environmental sensitivity. Simple slope analysis showed that when the level of environmental sensitivity was higher, weight gain could predict adolescents' emotional, sleep and academic problems. Conclusion The Chinese version of HSC has good psychometric characteristics and may be applied in Chinese adolescents. Environmental sensitivity may be a personality factor that influences depressive symptoms in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the research is to improve the environmental sensitivity of teacher candidates through environmental education practices based on project-based teaching. In this research carried out in the action research pattern, an action plan containing environmental education practices based on project-based teaching has been prepared. The research was conducted with 25 social studies teacher candidates determined by criterion sampling, one of the purposeful sampling methods. The data of the research were obtained using the attitude towards the environment scale and a semi-structured interview form. The analysis of the obtained quantitative data was evaluated by t test; the analysis of qualitative data was evaluated by content analysis. As a result of the research, a statistically significant difference was found between the pre-test and post-test average scores taken from the attitude towards the environment scale. Teacher candidates' views on project-based teaching based practices are that it improves their environmental sensitivity, has a positive impact on their knowledge, attitudes and behaviors towards the environment. In addition, teacher candidates propose various applications aimed at gaining environmental sensitivity in their daily lives and when they start their profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructures exhibit a large surface-to-volume ratio, which makes them sensitive to their ambient conditions. In particular, GaN nanowires and nanofins react to their environment as adsorbates influence their (opto-) electronic properties. Charge transfer between the semiconductor surface and adsorbed species changes the surface band bending of the nanostructures, and the adsorbates can alter the rate of non-radiative recombination in GaN. Despite the importance of these interactions with the ambient environment, the detailed adsorption mechanisms are still not fully understood. In this article, we present a systematic study concerning the environmental sensitivity of the electrical conductivity of GaN nanofins. We identify oxygen- and water-based adsorbates to be responsible for a quenching of the electrical current through GaN nanofins due to an increased surface band bending. Complementary contact potential difference measurements in controlled atmospheres on bulk m - and c -plane GaN reveal additional complexity with regard to water adsorption, for which surface dipoles might play an important role besides an increased surface depletion width. The sensitive reaction of the electrical parameters to the environment and surface condition underlines the necessity of a reproducible pre-treatment and/or surface passivation. The presented results help to further understand the complex adsorption mechanisms at GaN surfaces. Due to the sensitivity of the nanofin conductivity on the environment, such structures could perform well as sensing devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the antecedents of sustainable development in tourism destinations and explores residents' environmental knowledge and perceived justice and how these influence pro-environmental behaviour. The study discusses: (a) environmental knowledge and environmental sensitivity; (b) perceived justice and residents' satisfaction; (c) place attachment; and (d) pro-environmental behaviour. By presenting seven hypotheses for analysis, the study develops a measurement framework that involves resident perception of justice in Kaifeng, one of the first sets of the 24 'Historical and Cultural Cities in China'. A pilot survey (103 respondents) and a final survey (558) were conducted to identify the role of the antecedents of residents' pro-environmental behaviour in a tourism destination. The results reveal the positive influence of environmental knowledge, environmental sensitivity, and perceived justice on pro-environmental behaviour. This finding expands our cognition of the inter-relationships of the dimensions that belonged to the construct. The study illustrates that perceived justice significantly influences overall community satisfaction and indirectly impacts pro-environmental behaviour in tourism destinations. This pioneering study thus expands the early framework of pro-environmental behaviour and provides practical information to amplify the concept of justice in tourism studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the findings of how green human resource management (GHRM) practices can influence the perceptions of hotel employees regarding their organizations' commitments to green psychological climate (GPC) and their environmentally responsible behavior. GHRM practices refer to the policies and procedures that support environmental sustainability and reduce the negative effects of business activities on the environment. The data used in the research were collected from 425 employees working in 11 5-star hotels in the Antalya/Manavgat districts. For data analysis, data scan analysis was used and the results were then analyzed through the AMOS software to test the structural model. The study has suggested that GHRM practices can positively affect the perceptions of employees concerning their commitment to GPC, which in turn can lead to more environmentally green behaviors. The study also examines the roles of environmental sensitivity and altruism in the relationship between GHRM practices and environmental behavior. The research has shown that individuals with higher levels of environmental sensitivity and altruism are more likely to exhibit environmentally responsible behavior. This means that the employees who are sensitive to environmental issues and have an altruistic personality are more liable to respond positively to GHRM practices of their businesses and are more likely to be environmentally responsible. The research has also emphasized that businesses should consider individual differences in environmental attitudes and behaviors when implementing GHRM practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new two-step method is suggested for the preparation of homogeneous alginate gels. In the first step, alginate chains are weakly bonded by Ca 2 + ions in an aqueous solution with a low pH. In the next step, the gel is immersed into a strong solution of CaCl 2 to finalize the cross-linking process. Homogeneous alginate gels preserve their integrity in aqueous solutions with a pH ranging from 2 to 7 and ionic strength in the interval from 0 to 0.2 M, at temperatures ranging from room temperature up to 50 °C, and can be used in biomedical applications. The immersion of these gels into aqueous solutions with low pH induces the partial breakage of ionic bonds between chains (treated as gel degradation). This degradation affects the equilibrium and transient swelling of homogeneous alginate gels and makes them sensitive to the history of loading and environmental conditions (pH, ionic strength and temperature of aqueous solutions). As sensitivity to the environmental stimuli is a characteristic feature of polymer networks connected by catch bonds, homogeneous alginate gels may serve as a simple model, mimicking the behavior of more sophisticated structures in living matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the literary realm, the relationship between environmental sensitivity and postcolonial woundedness is an interestingly intersecting perspective. Ecocriticism highlights Nature as a space of sociocultural values where the writer uses his imaginative bend to explore issues related to the environment, such as the maltreatment of the environment by humans and anthropocentric utilization of nature. Taking Aamer Hussein's collection of short stories, i.e., The Swan's Wife, as a sample, the current study, in this context, sheds light on how nature/environment and postcolonial understanding can serve as a metaphoric signifier for healing colonial wounds. Through a detailed qualitative content analysis, the paper explains how nature is an engaging mechanism in Aamer Hussein's selected work that assimilates diasporic imagination with eco-consciousness. The study, thus, initiates a much-needed debate between the role of ecocritical thought and postcolonial consciousness in the Pakistani context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many factors drive land desertification, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. However, the sheer number of these driving factors of desertification makes analyses computer-intensive. Cloud computing offers a solution to address this problem, especially in developing countries. The objective of this work was to assess the sensitivity of the East Atlantic Basin, Brazil, to desertification using the Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use (MEDALUS) model and Google Earth Engine (GEE). The model is composed of four environmental Quality Indices (QIs) associated with soil (SQI), vegetation (VQI), climate (CQI), and management (MQI), each encompassing factors that influence the desertification process. Digital databases corresponding to these factors were pre-processed and uploaded to GEE for analysis. We report Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) and Environmentally Critical Factors (ECF) maps of the East Atlantic Basin, which show that most of the basin is in either a critical (49.4%) or fragile (35.7%) state of sensitivity. In contrast, only a smaller portion of the area is unaffected (5%) or potentially affected (10.1%). The analysis also revealed an inverse correlation between desertification sensitivity and the presence of vigorous vegetation. A joint evaluation of ESAs and ECF shed light on the importance of each factor in the sensitivity to desertification. The East Atlantic Basin shows a high degree of sensitivity to desertification, thereby demanding more attention and the establishment of measures to mitigate the negative impacts of the desertification process.

Abstract Background The challenging combination of breastfeeding and work is one of the main reasons for early breastfeeding cessation. Although the availability of a lactation room (defined as a private space designated for milk expression or breastfeeding) is important in enabling the combination of breastfeeding and work, little is known about the effects of lactation room quality on mothers’ feelings and thoughts related to breastfeeding and work. We hypothesized that a high-quality lactation room (designed using the Theory of Supportive Design) would cause mothers to experience less stress, have more positive thoughts about milk expression at work, perceive more organizational support, and report more subjective well-being, than a low-quality lactation room. Methods In an online randomized controlled trial (Study 1), Dutch mothers (N = 267) were shown either a high-quality or a low-quality lactation room (using pictures and descriptions for the manipulation) and were then asked about their feelings and thoughts. In a subsequent field experiment (Study 2) we modified the lactations rooms in a large organization in Groningen, the Netherlands, to manipulate lactation room quality, and asked mothers (N = 61) who used either a high-quality or low-quality lactation room to fill out surveys to assess the dependent variables. Results The online study showed that mothers exposed to the high-quality lactation room anticipated less stress, more positive cognitions about milk expression at work, more perceived organizational support, and more subjective well-being than mothers exposed to the low-quality lactation room (p

School bullying is a serious public health concern in many countries worldwide. Over recent decades, several effective anti-bullying prevention programs have been developed. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an adapted version of the “Equipping Youth to Help One Another (EQUIP) for Educators” (EfE) program in reducing adolescents’ engagement in school bullying perpetration by correcting their use of self-serving cognitive distortions (CDs). Furthermore, guided by the vantage sensitivity framework, we investigated whether the intervention effects varied depending on the adolescents’ gender and environmental sensitivity. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test with a control group design involved 354 Italian middle and high school adolescents (51.7% males; Mage = 14.86, SD = 2.54). Both the control (n = 187) and experimental group (n = 167) completed self-report questionnaires, before and after the intervention. Structural equation modeling revealed a significant moderated mediation effect: highly sensitive males participating in the EfE program decreased their engagement in bullying by reducing CDs, compared to females and those with low- and medium- sensitivity. These findings support the effectiveness of the EfE program in equipping youth to think and act more responsible and shed light on “why” and “for whom” the intervention might work better to counteract school bullying during adolescence.

Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) is a basic trait to describe individual differences in sensitivity and reactivity to environmental stimuli. Studies in Western countries have suggested that people fall into the three sensitivity groups, namely high-, medium-, and low-SPS groups and explored their characteristics. This study investigated whether the results found in Western studies can be replicated in Japanese samples. Two samples of Japanese university students, namely Sample A (n = 1257) and Sample B (n = 720), participated in a questionnaire-based survey. In both samples their SPS levels were assessed using the Japanese version of Highly Sensitive Person Scale. Additionally, only in Sample B their temperament and affect were assessed using the Japanese version of the Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Activation System (BIS/BAS) scale and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. A series of latent class analysis indicated that the three-class model fitted best with the data. Each group could be interpreted as a high-, medium-, and low-SPS group, respectively. Furthermore, the characteristics of each group were explored considering the levels of BIS/BAS and positive and negative affect. Analyses of variance suggested that each sensitivity group in the Japanese samples had similar characteristics as those in Western samples. Although several issues should be addressed, most of the findings from Western studies could be replicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, many companies have started to include references to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in their corporate reporting as a means for demonstrating their contribution to sustainable development. However, connecting company results to the SDGs is not straightforward, since this framework has not been originally designed for corporate reporting, resulting in high heterogeneity among companies and industries. Moving from this consideration, this paper focuses on a sector that is highly sensitive in relation to the SDGs – the oil and gas (O&G) industry – and aims to analyse whether O&G companies mention the SDGs in their corporate reporting and examine what are the characteristics of companies engaging more with such reporting. By conducting an empirical analysis of corporate reporting practices on a sample of 75 companies, the study confirms the relevance of SDG reporting in the O&G industry and shows the influence of company size, geographical area, the level of internationalisation and the economic performance of firms on the usage of the SDG reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a heritable trait and persons who are characterized by a high level of it are termed highly sensitive. The first and the most frequently used scale developed to measure high sensitivity is the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS), which has become increasingly popular and has been adapted to many languages in recent years. The present article forms a part of the publications which deal with the subject of tool adaptation and the exploration of their structure. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE This article presents the results of research conducted on a Polish sample of emerging adults consisting of 470 persons. The aim of this study is to further analyse the psychometric properties of the HSPS, as well as to provide initial evidence for the properties of the scale on a Polish sample. The analyses conducted to date have been extended and the item response theory (IRT) model has been included. Also, a proposal for a shortened scale is presented. RESULTS The results show that the Polish version of the HSPS constitutes a reliable method whose validity is proven by correlations with the Pavlovian Temperament Survey as well as being a reliable measure of the SPS construct. CONCLUSIONS The results obtained support the multi-factor structure of the scale. There is a need for further analysis of the cultural aspect in sensitivity studies as well as for exploring gender differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Environmental sensitivity (ES) is considered a significant personality factor in the development and maintenance of depressive symptoms in adolescents. However, a clear instrument that can capture ES in Chinese adolescents is lacking. The current study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the Highly Sensitive Child (HSC) Scale for assessing adolescent ES, and explore the potential moderation effect of ES on relationships between maternal behaviors and adolescent depressive symptoms. Methods: In total, 2,166 students from four middle and high schools and 105 depressed adolescents completed measurements of environmental sensitivity, maternal behaviors, depressive emotions, sleep duration, and academic performance. Results: First, exploratory factor and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the HSC scale had a good model fit with the bifactor construct, total scale reliability was adequate-good, and measurement invariances across genders and different samples were supported. Furthermore, the results confirmed that the relationship between maternal behaviors and adolescent depressive symptoms had small effects. Compared to low environmentally sensitive adolescents, high environmentally sensitive adolescents exhibited less depressive emotions and better academic performance in the context of high-quality maternal behaviors. Low-quality maternal behaviors significantly predicted increased depressive emotions and worse academic performance in adolescents when environmental sensitivity was high. Moreover, on the contrary, maternal behaviors did not influence depressive emotions and academic performance in adolescents who were less sensitive to their environment. The relationship between maternal behaviors and adolescent depressive symptoms is influenced by different levels of environmental sensitivity. Conclusion: Our findings support the HSC scale as a comprehensive and psychometrically robust tool to measure ES in Chinese adolescents. In addition, the present study clarifies the moderating role of environmental sensitivity underlying the relationship between maternal behaviors and adolescent depressive symptoms. It is important to consider the role of ES in prevention and intervention strategies targeting adolescent depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bu çalışmada, yedinci sınıf öğrencilerinin ‘‘Evsel atıklar ve geri dönüşüm’’ konusunda, yaşam temelli öğrenme yaklaşımına dayalı olarak yapılan öğretimin, öğrencilerin çevre bilinci ve çevresel duyarlılık kazanımlarına etkisi araştırılmıştır. Araştırmada nicel araştırma yöntemlerinden ön test-son test kontrol gruplu yarı deneysel desen kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu, Akdeniz Bölgesindeki bir ilimizde yedinci sınıfta öğrenim gören, 21 deney grubu, 21 kontrol grubu öğrencisi olmak üzere toplamda 42 öğrenci oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak çevre bilinci ve çevresel duyarlılık ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen veriler SPSS paket programında Eşleştirilmiş İki Grup Arasındaki Fark Testi (paired-samples t-test) ile analiz edilmiştir. Araştırma bulgularına göre; Yaşam Temelli Öğrenme Yaklaşımı uygulamalarının deney grubu öğrencilerinin kirlilik bilinci, tasarruf bilinci ve geri dönüşüm bilinci puan ortalamalarında olumlu yönde farklılık oluşturduğu, bilişsel tepkiler, duyuşsal tepkiler ve etkinlik ve faaliyetlere katılım puan ortalamalarında artış meydana getirdiği tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca deney ve kontrol grubu öğrencilerinin çalışma öncesinde, orta düzeyde çevre bilinci ve çevresel duyarlılık kazanımına sahip oldukları ancak çalışma süreci sonunda, deney grubu öğrencilerinin çevre bilinci ve çevresel duyarlılık kazanımlarının çok iyi seviyeye yükseldiği görülmüştür. Bu çalışma, ortaokul yedinci sınıf öğrencilerinin çevreye karşı tam bilinçli olmasını, çevre duyarlılığının oluşumunu ve bu bilinç ve duyarlılığın sürekli olmasını sağlamak için geleneksel öğretim yöntemleri yerine Yaşam Temelli Öğrenme Yaklaşımı kullanımının daha uygun olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır.

Variation in feed resource availability within production systems can cause genotype by environment interactions that change the ranking of the best animals to select between environments. Mediterranean environments have high variation in pasture growth between years that could cause genetic by environment interactions for sheep production traits. Therefore, we estimated heritabilities for live weight, fleece weight, fibre diameter and number of lambs weaned in six years from 2000 to 2005 and correlations between years comparing multivariate analysis and random regression analysis. We compared 3 methods: 1 multivariate analysis estimating (co)variances for traits in each year, 2 Random regression estimated (co)variances for intercept and slope for traits as repeated measurements fitted against average pasture growth in each year and 3. Random regression fitted against corrected average performance of animals in each year. Random regression was estimated with an order of polynomial of one for additive genetic variance and zero for permanent environmental effects. This combination of polynomials was the best fit based on Bayesian information criterion. We estimated heritabilities for each year and correlations between years using records from 3299 pedigreed Merino ewes managed at Katanning in Western Australia. There were 4651 records for adult live weight, 6750 for adult clean fleece weight, 6965 for adult fibre diameter, and 7774 for number of lambs weaned across all 6 years. Number of lambs weaned had more genotype by environment interactions than other traits, with fibre diameter and fleece weight having genotype by environment interactions between only a few years. Based on Bayesian information criterion values, multivariate analysis fit the data better for live weight, fleece weight and fibre diameter. Additionally, random regression estimated higher genetic correlations between years than multivariate analysis suggesting there was not enough flexibility in the random regression analysis, which used only first order polynomials, to fit differences between years. Pasture growth across years did not explain differences in performance for traits across years. Therefore, for number of lambs weaned, random regression using corrected average performance was a better fit than average pasture growth. For other traits, more years or a better indicator of variation in performance within and between years are required to use random regression for genotype by environment interactions. • Sheep breeding programs in environments with variable feed availability are affected by pasture availability across years. • Reproduction was most effected so the best genetically animal in one year may not be the best animal in other years. • This makes selection of animals that will perform well in all years difficult. • Animal performance distinguishes genetic differences between years better than pasture growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of environmental sensitivity on , Employee Pro-Environmental Behaviour, considering the role of mediating effect of Social comparison nudge and Green nudge. The purpose of this study is descriptive and survey method. The statistical sample in this study was 189 employees of the environmental organization of Semnan province who were selected randomly. In order to analyze the data, partial least squares method was used. The findings indicate that the instrument of measuring is well-suited and its reliability coefficient is more than 0.7 for all research structures. The results indicate that environmental sensitivity has a positive and significant effect on Employee Pro-Environmental Behaviour. Also the environmental sensitivity has a positive and significant effect on Social comparison nudge and Green nudge. On the other hand, the Social comparison nudge has a negative and significant effect on the Employee Pro-Environmental Behaviour, but the Green nudge has a positive and significant effect on these behaviors. In addition, the Social comparison nudge and Green nudge does not play the role of mediation between environmental sensitivity and Employee Pro-Environmental Behaviour. With notice of ignoring the role and importance of organizational nudges, it can be said that this research has a novel and fresh look at this category, which can lead to the emergence of more nudges to improve and strengthen behaviors in the organizational arena.

Some children are more affected than others by their upbringing due to their increased sensitivity to the environment. More sensitive children are at heightened risk for the development of internalizing problems, particularly when experiencing unsupportive parenting. However, little is known about how the interplay between children's sensitivity and parenting leads to higher levels of depressive symptoms. In the current study, we investigated the interaction between early parenting and children's sensitivity on levels of depressive symptomatology in middle childhood, exploring the role of rumination as a possible mediator in a community sample. Participants included 196 USA resident families, from a middle class and mostly European–American background, and their healthy children, followed up from age 3 until 9 and 12 years. Environmental sensitivity was assessed observationally when children were 3 years old. Parenting style was based on parent-report at the age of 3 years. When children were nine, they completed questionnaires on rumination and depressive symptoms (repeated at 12 years). Analyses were run applying a Bayesian approach. Children's sensitivity interacted with permissive parenting in predicting rumination at age 9. Rumination, in turn, was associated with depressive symptoms at age 9 and, to a lesser extent, at age 12. No relevant interactions emerged for authoritative and authoritarian parenting. Sensitive children may be at heightened risk for internalizing problems when exposed to a permissive parenting style. Permissive parenting was associated with increased ruminative coping strategies in sensitive children which, in turn, predicted higher levels of depression. Hence, rumination emerged as an important cognitive risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms in sensitive children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the Differential Susceptibility Theory, we examined whether the relationship between pubertal maturation and depressive symptoms can be moderated by individual differences in environmental sensitivity. The current article used the three‐wave data collected from Japanese adolescents aged from 12 to 15 years (girls = 111, boys = 98). Consequently, a significant Sensitivity × Pubertal Development interaction was observed in 12‐ to 13‐year‐old boys, but not girls. Sensitive boys who experienced accelerated physical maturation reported decreased depressive symptoms, while those who experienced less maturation had increased depressive symptoms. The shape of the interaction supported both the Differential Susceptibility Theory and the Diathesis–StressModel. Our findings suggest that sensitivity during early puberty among boys could be reconsidered as susceptibility rather than vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In animal breeding, the different climatic conditions and production systems in beef cattle can result in the genotype by environment interaction. These interactions also need to be considered in genetic evaluations. In this study, five reaction norm models were tested on eleven traits related to growth, reproduction, and visual score measured in Nellore cattle breeding programs to check changes in the estimated genetic values of sires according to the selection environment. Using the best fitted statistical model, the presence of genotype by environment interaction was observed for some traits such as age at first calving, scrotal circumference, weaning to yearling weight gain, and yearling weight. For these traits, it is possible to select the best sires to increase productivity and reduce environmental sensitivity. Overall, the reaction norms trajectories for these traits seem to be affected by a non-linear component, and selecting robust animals for these traits is an alternative to increase production and reduce environmental sensitivity. The assessment of the presence of genotype by environment interaction (GxE) in beef cattle is very important in tropical countries with diverse climatic conditions and production systems. The present study aimed to assess the presence of GxE by using different reaction norm models for eleven traits related to growth, reproduction, and visual score in Nellore cattle. We studied five reaction norm models (RNM), fitting a linear model considering homoscedastic residual variance (RNM_homo), and four models considering heteroskedasticity, being linear (RNM_hete), quadratic (RNM_quad), linear spline (RNM_l-l), and quadratic spline (RNM_q-q). There was the presence of GxE for age at first calving (AFC), scrotal circumference (SC), weaning to yearling weight gain (WYG), and yearling weight (YW). The best models were RNM_l-l for YW and RNM_q-q for AFC, SC, and WYG. The heritability estimates for RNM_l-l ranged from 0.07 to 0.20, 0.42 to 0.61, 0.24 to 0.42, and 0.47 to 0.63 for AFC, SC, WYG, and YW, respectively. The heteroskedasticity in reaction norm models improves the assessment of the presence of GxE for YW, WYG, AFC, and SC. Additionally, the trajectories of reaction norms for these traits seem to be affected by a non-linear component, and selecting robust animals for these traits is an alternative to increase production and reduce environmental sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In dry-hot areas, such as southern Tunisia, the availability of good water is very limited by the low scanty rainfall, the long dry periods and the high evaporation rate. Thus, to deal with these issues, information concerning the quality of irrigation water and the variability of groundwater quality across the oasis system from water well to the final runoff released into the natural environment, is required to evaluate the potential impacts on agricultural soil fertility and to assess the effects of land-use and agricultural practices in environmental conservation and natural resources exploitation. In the current study, 28 water samples have been collected from public wells along the irrigation scheme and drainage canals and have been analyzed. The obtained data prove that groundwater has large spatial variability (EC between 2.93 and 10.05 ms/cm and TDS between 1.95 and 8.15 g/L) caused by different influencing factors such as aquifer water quality, overexploitation, distribution system and evaporation processes. According to the used ionic ratios (SAR, KR, PI, MH, TH, SSP, ESP, etc..), the used waters are locally of permissible quality, while the majority fall unsuitable class to be used in irrigation with a maximum SAR of 18 at El Hamma region. The findings indicate that, besides the severe restrictions required for the use of these high mineralized resources, CI water quality shows a slight variability along irrigation scheme, which may provide additive water resources that may be reused in agriculture, the runoff released into the environment and the excess of irrigation water lost to evaporation process. The evaluation of chemical quality of drainage water may provide a scientific basis for the reuse of these waters to more efficient land management aiming to the sustainable development of oasis agriculture and the prevention of land degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Picture analyses are a highly valid method used to understand students' emotions. There are many research findings indicating that gifted and talented students are highly sensitive to environmental problems. However, there is a need for more multidimensional and deeper analyses. In this study, picture analyses on environmental problems were conducted in order to understand the students' relationships with the environment and their feelings about these relationships. This research, which was conducted with case study, one of the qualitative research methods, was applied in the city of Malatya, which is at the middle level according to the development index in Turkey. A total of 24 primary school fourth grade students, 12 boys and 12 girls, who are gifted and intelligent, were studied. These students were also receiving support education in the science and arts centres in their region. As a data collection tool, the drawings of gifted students on environmental problems were used. These drawings were analysed by four teachers who are experts in their fields. Semi-structured interview forms were used to support the analyses of these drawings about environmental problems. The interviews were subjected to content analysis. According to the findings of the research, it was determined that there were feelings of desire for a clean and green environment, love and protection for living creatures in the natural environment, deep sadness for a degraded environment, constant discomfort in the face of visual, auditory and sound pollution, anger and anger against the inadequacy of the measures taken against environmental pollution, and high anxiety about the deterioration of the natural environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Basic Sciences Journal of Textile Universities / Fangzhi Gaoxiao Jichu Kexue Xuebao is the property of Basic Sciences Journal of Textile Universities and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) and social support are widely examined factors of child maltreatment. However, it remains unclear whether these factors influence all parents equally., Objective: Guided by the environmental sensitivity framework, we examined whether environmental sensitivity, a personality trait describing individuals' susceptibility to external environments, moderates the direct associations of SES and social support with maltreatment risks and their indirect associations via financial stress and psychological distress., Methods: A total of 612 parents of primary school-aged children completed an online survey measuring their SES, social support, financial stress, psychological distress, environmental sensitivity, and psychological and physical maltreatment. Bayesian structural equation modeling was employed for analysis., Results: We found that parents' environmental sensitivity moderated the direct association between income sufficiency and psychological maltreatment, as well as the indirect relation between income sufficiency and physical maltreatment via financial stress. Specifically, the negative direct association between income sufficiency and psychological maltreatment was only significant among parents with higher environmental sensitivity. The indirect association between income sufficiency and physical maltreatment was more pronounced among parents with higher environmental sensitivity. Neither the direct nor the indirect associations between social support and psychological or physical maltreatment were moderated by environmental sensitivity., Conclusions: These results suggest that parents with high environmental sensitivity from low SES backgrounds are at the highest risk of maltreating their children. These findings highlight the importance of prioritizing such parents in interventions aimed at preventing child maltreatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In pig breeding, environmental challenges can affect the welfare and productivity of animals. Resilient animals have the capacity to be minimally affected by these environmental challenges. Understanding the genetic basis of sensitivity to these environmental challenges is crucial for selecting more resilient animals, thereby enhancing welfare and productivity. The aims of this study were to: (1) estimate the probability of the occurrence of an unrecorded environmental challenge at a given day using daily feed intake (DFI) data, and (2) evaluate the genetic determinism of environmental sensitivity in three pig lines bred in real selection conditions. Data comprised of 100,799, 186,247, and 304,826 DFI records from 1,618, 2,517, and 3,788 Landrace (LA), Large White (LW) and Piétrain (PI) male pigs, respectively. The pedigree included 3,730, 5,649, and 9,293 animals for LA, LW, and PI, respectively. The probabilities of the occurrence of an unrecorded environmental challenge at a given day were estimated via a mixture model. The probabilities (p) of being "high CV days" were then taken as reference and used in genetic analysis as an environmental descriptor to describe the environment. DFI records were analysed using two linear models: a linear reaction norm animal model (RNAM) and the animal model. (Co)variance components were estimated using average-information restricted maximum likelihood (AI-REML). The means of the probabilities of the occurrence of an environmental challenge for LA, LW, and PI were 0.24, 0.10, and 0.22, respectively, indicating that the probability of an environmental challenge was low for most of the days. The genetic correlations between the intercept and the slope obtained from the RNAM for LA, LW, PI were -0.52, 0.06, and -0.36, respectively. These findings suggest that selecting hypothetically for decreased DFI in non-stressful conditions would result in pigs with increased DFI in stressful conditions in the LA and PI lines, whereas it would have a minor impact on the environmental sensitivity of LW. The proportion of resilient animals for LA, LW, and PI was 75.0, 74.2, and 72.2%, respectively, implying that most of the animals were resilient. The study demonstrated that the slope of DFI is heritable and can effectively be used as an indicator of sensitivity to environmental challenges. These results are valuable in improving the resilience of livestock species to environmental challenges through genetic selection., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.)

School teachers are among workers most exposed to stress and burnout-a relevant occupational phenomenon leading to psychological and economic costs. The Environmental Sensitivity individual trait-as captured by the psychological marker of sensory processing sensitivity (SPS)-has been found to have a relevant role in stress and emotional exhaustion at work. Yet, little is still known about heightened SPS in the educational field and on underlying mechanisms occurring in the relationship between SPS, stress and burnout. The current work aimed to explore the association between SPS and burnout among teachers as well as the moderating role of perceived stress and school climate in this association. One hundred and ninety eight teachers (44.3 years; SD = 9.7, 94% F) reported on their levels of SPS, occupational burnout, perceived stress and school climate quality. In line with a vulnerability effect, we found heightened SPS largely associated with burnout. This was particularly evident in a context of high-perceived stress, suggesting that teachers high on SPS may experience more challenges in the face of elevated stress with the need of more support. When exposed to positive and supportive school climate, highly sensitive teachers showed a decrease in burnout, suggesting high SPS as a valuable strength for benefiting from positive experiences. Findings have the potential to inform the customisation of support programs, assisting both schools and work agencies in increasing their awareness of the role of individual differences in responding to both work-demand-related stress and to positive work environments., (© 2024 The Author(s). Stress and Health published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The challenging combination of breastfeeding and work is one of the main reasons for early breastfeeding cessation. Although the availability of a lactation room (defined as a private space designated for milk expression or breastfeeding) is important in enabling the combination of breastfeeding and work, little is known about the effects of lactation room quality on mothers' feelings and thoughts related to breastfeeding and work. We hypothesized that a high-quality lactation room (designed using the Theory of Supportive Design) would cause mothers to experience less stress, have more positive thoughts about milk expression at work, perceive more organizational support, and report more subjective well-being, than a low-quality lactation room. Methods: In an online randomized controlled trial (Study 1), Dutch mothers (N = 267) were shown either a high-quality or a low-quality lactation room (using pictures and descriptions for the manipulation) and were then asked about their feelings and thoughts. In a subsequent field experiment (Study 2) we modified the lactations rooms in a large organization in Groningen, the Netherlands, to manipulate lactation room quality, and asked mothers (N = 61) who used either a high-quality or low-quality lactation room to fill out surveys to assess the dependent variables. Results: The online study showed that mothers exposed to the high-quality lactation room anticipated less stress, more positive cognitions about milk expression at work, more perceived organizational support, and more subjective well-being than mothers exposed to the low-quality lactation room (p < 0.05). Moreover, the effect of lactation room quality on perceived organizational support was especially pronounced for mothers who were higher in environmental sensitivity. The field experiment showed that use of the high-quality room led to less reported stress than use of the low-quality room (p < 0.05). We also found that mothers who were higher in environmental sensitivity perceived more control over milk expression at work and experienced more subjective well-being in the high-quality condition than in the low-quality condition (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The current studies show that not only the availability, but also the quality of lactation rooms is important in facilitating the combination of breastfeeding and work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children differ in their response to environmental exposures, with some being more sensitive to contextual factors than others. According to theory, such variability is the result of individual differences in neurobiological sensitivity to environmental features, with some individuals generally more affected by both negative and/or positive experiences. In this exploratory study we tested whether left and right amygdala and hippocampus volumes (corrected for total brain size) account for individual differences in response to environmental influences in a sample of 62 boys. Cumulative general environmental quality, ranging from low to high, was measured across the first 9 years and child behavior was reported by teachers when boys were 12–13 years old. According to analyses, only the left amygdala volume – not any of the other brain volumes – emerged as an important brain region for sensitivity to positive environmental aspects. Boys with a larger left amygdala benefited significantly more from higher environmental quality than boys with a smaller left amygdala whilst not being more vulnerable to lower quality. Besides providing preliminary evidence for differences in environmental sensitivity due to brain structure, the results also point to the left amygdala as having a specific role regarding the response to environmental influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactions among society, water resources, and environment systems have become increasingly prominent with the progressively far-reaching impact of human activities. Therefore, this paper aims to construct a co-evolution model to establish the mutual feedback relationship among society, water resources, and environment from the perspective of socio-hydrology. Firstly, social factors such as environmental sensitivity, environmental protection awareness, and technological level are introduced to this model to describe the coevolutionary trajectory of society, water resources and environment subsystems. Then, this model is implemented in 11 provincial administrative regions in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the degree of coordination of their coupling is evaluated. Results show that the water-use efficiency of each provincial administrative region in the Yangtze River Economic Belt gradually increases during the forecast period. The coupling-coordinated degree of each provincial administrative region of the Yangtze River Economic Belt has greatly improved during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, reflecting that policy support has played a significant role in the coordinated development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The dynamic fluctuation process of environmental sensitivity effectively depicts the co-evolution process of the coupling system, which provides a reference for the subsequent exploration and cognition of the human-water coevolutionary mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School bullying is a serious public health concern in many countries worldwide. Over recent decades, several effective anti-bullying prevention programs have been developed. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an adapted version of the "Equipping Youth to Help One Another (EQUIP) for Educators" (EfE) program in reducing adolescents' engagement in school bullying perpetration by correcting their use of self-serving cognitive distortions (CDs). Furthermore, guided by the vantage sensitivity framework, we investigated whether the intervention effects varied depending on the adolescents' gender and environmental sensitivity. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test with a control group design involved 354 Italian middle and high school adolescents (51.7% males; Mage = 14.86, SD = 2.54). Both the control (n = 187) and experimental group (n = 167) completed self-report questionnaires, before and after the intervention. Structural equation modeling revealed a significant moderated mediation effect: highly sensitive males participating in the EfE program decreased their engagement in bullying by reducing CDs, compared to females and those with low- and medium- sensitivity. These findings support the effectiveness of the EfE program in equipping youth to think and act more responsible and shed light on "why" and "for whom" the intervention might work better to counteract school bullying during adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children differ in their sensitivity to positive and negative environmental influences, which can be measured with the Highly Sensitive Child (HSC) scale. The present study introduces the HSC-21, an adaptation of the original 12 item scale with new items and factor structure that are meant to be more informative than the original ones. The psychometric properties of the HSC-21 were investigated in 1,088 children across Belgium and the Netherlands, including child and mother reports. Results showed evidence for (a) bifactor model with a general sensitivity factor and two specific factors (i.e., Ease of Excitation–Low Sensory Threshold and Aesthetic Sensitivity); (b) (partial) measurement invariance across gender, developmental stage, country, and informants; (c) moderate child–mother agreement; (d) good reliability; (e) normally distributed item scores; and (f) meaningful associations with personality and temperament across both samples. No evidence was found for HSC-21 as a moderator in the relationship between parenting and problem behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young adolescents are hypothesized to differ in their environmental sensitivity, at both phenotypic (i.e., Sensory Processing Sensitivity [SPS]) and physiological (i.e., biological stress response) level. This is the first study that investigated whether individual differences in environmental sensitivity at physiological level could be predicted by individual differences at phenotypic level, as measured with the HSC scale. A total of 101 adolescents (M age = 11.61, SD age = 0.64) participated in a standardized social stress task (i.e., Trier Social Stress Task-Modified version for children and adolescents (TSST-M)). From baseline to the end of recovery, eight cortisol samples were collected, as well as a continuous measure of Autonomic Nervous System activity. Adolescents reported on SPS and on perceived stress before, during, and after TSST-M. As a follow-up analysis, the quality of the environment, the possible overlap with Neuroticism, and several covariates were considered. Multilevel models were used to investigate within- and between-person differences in stress reactivity across different systems. Results indicate significant individual differences in heart rate, heart rate variability, skin conductance, cortisol, and perceived stress in response to the TSST-M. Only for perceived stress significant differences in SPS were observed, with more sensitive individuals perceiving more negative and less positive affect. For environmental quality and the interaction between SPS and Neuroticism results showed higher recovery rates of heart rate in high quality environments and stronger cortisol responses for adolescents scoring high on both SPS and Neuroticism. Potential explanations for these findings and implications for current theorizing on environmental sensitivity are discussed. • Individual differences in Environmental Sensitivity at both physiological and phenotypic level within the same individuals • The role of person-environment interactions in the prediction of individual differences in stress reactivity • The inclusion of multiple physiological systems (i.e., ANS, HPA) and self-reported perceived stress across different phases of a standardized stress paradigm • A standardized stress paradigm, including a baseline, stress, and long recovery phase, for children and adolescents was used • The examination of within and between person variability in stress reactivity during a stress task using sophisticated (Bayesian) multilevel models [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of plastic responses to external cues allows species to maintain fitness in response to the environmental variations they regularly experience. However, it remains unclear how plasticity evolves during adaptation. To test whether distinct patterns of plasticity are associated with adaptive divergence, we quantified plasticity for two closely related but ecologically divergent Sicilian daisy species (Senecio, Asteraceae). We sampled 40 representative genotypes of each species from their native range on Mt. Etna and then reciprocally transplanted multiple clones of each genotype into four field sites along an elevational gradient that included the native elevational range of each species, and two intermediate elevations. At each elevation, we quantified survival and measured leaf traits that included investment (specific leaf area), morphology, chlorophyll fluorescence, pigment content, and gene expression. Traits and differentially expressed genes that changed with elevation in one species often showed little changes in the other species, or changed in the opposite direction. As evidence of adaptive divergence, both species performed better at their native site and better than the species from the other habitat. Adaptive divergence is, therefore, associated with the evolution of distinct plastic responses to environmental variation, despite these two species sharing a recent common ancestor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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