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Background: The interaction between visitors and captive birds is complex, with a potential impact on bird's behavior and welfare. Understanding this interaction is essential for effective conservation and management. Methods: We conducted a study at the University of Haripur's pheasantry in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan to investigate the effects of visitor numbers, duration of visitor presence, and climatic factors on the behavior of female pheasants. We observed the state and events of feeding, hiding, and moving behaviors of 16 randomly selected individuals from five species. Results: The mixed-effects modeling results show that visitors (VT), visitors' presence duration (VPD), and temperature (TP), significantly influence feeding events (p < 0.001), feeding duration (p < 0.001), hiding events (p < 0.001) and hiding duration of female pheasants (p < 0.001). The moving events of pheasants were also significantly affected by both VT and VPD (VT: p = 0.002, VPD: p < 0.001). Moreover, under high visitor conditions, the impact of VPD on the behavior of female pheasants was more pronounced (p < 0.001). Additionally, our result reveals that different species of pheasants exhibit varying sensitivities to human factors and climatic factors. For instance, the two species of female pheasants with the highest feeding and hiding events were the Green pheasant (Phasianus versicolor) and the Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus). While hiding duration of female Green pheasants, female Golden pheasants (Chrysolophus pictus), and female Silver pheasants (Lophura nycthemera) was longer than those of others. The mean number of moving events was highest in females of Ring-necked, followed by Golden pheasants. The female Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) and female Silver pheasants were the birds with the longest moving duration. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the necessity for customized management strategies, to lessen the effects of human disturbances in pheasantries. For a thorough understanding of these interactions, more studies involving larger sample sizes and a wider variety of species are advised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe necessity of human supervision and intervention during autonomous driving has long been a topic of controversial discussion. From a developer’s perspective, it is expected that users will readily adapt to well-calibrated autonomous driving systems (ADS) due to their superior performance in dynamic driving tasks (DDT) compared to conventional human-driven vehicles. However, when passengers experience an autonomous vehicle (AV), there may be an adjustment period during which they modify their behavior to accommodate the driving patterns of the ADS. Additionally, some passengers might not adapt to autonomous driving at all, highlighting potential limitations in the current ADS development strategy. This work studies the dynamics of human-automation interaction and introduces an “objective method”, which employs a Virtual Reality (VR)-enabled simulation approach for in-depth behavioral analysis concerning riders’ behavioral adaptation to autonomous driving. Specifically, we examined how participants interacted with and intervened in Level 4 ADS operating under conservative, moderate, and aggressive driving patterns in a fully autonomous environment. A realistic urban road network was recreated in VR, integrated with traffic microsimulation to generate various driving scenarios. Twenty-seven participants completed driving tasks across different AV modes, with their intervention behaviors analyzed in relation to traffic conditions and AV aggressiveness. Key findings include: (1) Participants showed higher intention to intervene but lower actual intervention rates under aggressive AV modes compared to moderate and conservative modes, suggesting quicker adaptation to more challenging driving scenarios. (2) Interventions generally proved unnecessary and sometimes detrimental to overall traffic performance in a full-AV environment. (3) Aggressive AV modes significantly improved traffic efficiency, with a 40% increase in average travel speed and a 53% reduction in waiting time. However, human interventions posed the greatest challenge to achieving optimal traffic conditions. This research provides insights into the complex dynamics of human-AV interaction and adaptation, offering valuable implications for AV interface design, implementation strategies, and public acceptance of autonomous driving technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines mobile commerce continuance intention based on integrating expectation-confirmation and tasktechnology models and incorporating flow experience and user adaptation perspectives in an emerging context of Vietnam. The dataset (n = 519) of face-to-face responses from mobile commerce consumers utilizing convenience and snowball sampling techniques was examined employing the partial least squares structural equation modeling SmartPLS4.0. The findings confirm that confirmation, perceived usefulness, and satisfaction are all positively related to continuance intention. Additionally, the findings show that while task-technology fit affects perceived usefulness and user adaptation, it does not directly predict satisfaction. Furthermore, the study indicates that flow and task-technology fit impact continuance intention. Remarkably, this study is the first to unveil the significant moderating effect of flow on the relationship between adaptation and continuation intention. The study offers insightful implications for firms to retain customers effectively by boosting the factors forming continuance intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The interaction between visitors and captive birds is complex, with a potential impact on bird’s behavior and welfare. Understanding this interaction is essential for effective conservation and management. Methods We conducted a study at the University of Haripur’s pheasantry in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan to investigate the effects of visitor numbers, duration of visitor presence, and climatic factors on the behavior of female pheasants. We observed the state and events of feeding, hiding, and moving behaviors of 16 randomly selected individuals from five species. Results The mixed-effects modeling results show that visitors (VT), visitors’ presence duration (VPD), and temperature (TP), significantly influence feeding events (p < 0.001), feeding duration (p < 0.001), hiding events (p < 0.001) and hiding duration of female pheasants (p < 0.001). The moving events of pheasants were also significantly affected by both VT and VPD (VT: p = 0.002, VPD: p < 0.001). Moreover, under high visitor conditions, the impact of VPD on the behavior of female pheasants was more pronounced (p < 0.001). Additionally, our result reveals that different species of pheasants exhibit varying sensitivities to human factors and climatic factors. For instance, the two species of female pheasants with the highest feeding and hiding events were the Green pheasant (Phasianus versicolor) and the Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus). While hiding duration of female Green pheasants, female Golden pheasants (Chrysolophus pictus), and female Silver pheasants (Lophura nycthemera) was longer than those of others. The mean number of moving events was highest in females of Ring-necked, followed by Golden pheasants. The female Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) and female Silver pheasants were the birds with the longest moving duration. Conclusion Our findings highlight the necessity for customized management strategies, to lessen the effects of human disturbances in pheasantries. For a thorough understanding of these interactions, more studies involving larger sample sizes and a wider variety of species are advised.

In urban and human-modified landscapes, animals face novel selection pressures resulting from differences in habitat structure and increased anthropogenic noise. Urban noise pollution can negatively impact songbirds because low-frequency noise often masks portions of birds' mating signals and reduces signal transmission. Previous research has demonstrated that the songs of birds in more urban habitats have structural differences that can enhance signal transmission when noise is present. The majority of these studies have focused on species that deliver short, stereotyped songs and have limited repertoires. Gray catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis, family: Mimidae) sing long bouts containing imitated, improvised, and invented song elements, and therefore may have an increased ability to vary songs in response to noise. We hypothesized that aspects of developed habitats including loud anthropogenic noise and changes to land cover would impact catbirds' song structural parameters, including song minimum, peak, and maximum frequency, frequency bandwidth, and entropy. We recorded and processed songs from 42 male catbirds and analyzed over 18,000 song elements from sites along an urban gradient from western Virginia to the Washington, DC metropolitan region. We quantified the urban intensity at each site-centroid based on percent canopy cover, percent impervious surface, and noise level. Song features such as minimum, maximum, and peak frequency increased significantly as noise levels increased, demonstrating that catbirds in noisier areas sing higher frequency songs compared to individuals in quieter habitats. Land cover variables also significantly predicted certain song features such as maximum frequency (impervious surface) or entropy (canopy cover). These structural differences in catbird song can limit the negative effects of environmental noise-masking, even for their long song bouts, and suggest that vocal mimics respond to anthropogenic noise. Future studies could investigate repertoire size and composition along an urban gradient and if these structural differences lead to functional consequences for the songs of vocal mimics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceptual decision-making is a dynamic cognitive process and is shaped by many factors, including behavioral state, reward contingency, and sensory environment. To understand the extent to which adaptive behavior in decision-making is dependent on pupil-linked arousal, we trained head-fixed rats to perform perceptual decision-making tasks and systematically manipulated the probability of Go and No-go stimuli while simultaneously measuring their pupil size in the tasks. Our data demonstrated that the animals adaptively modified their behavior in response to the changes in the sensory environment. The response probability to both Go and No-go stimuli decreased as the probability of the Go stimulus being presented decreased. Analyses within the signal detection theory framework showed that while the animals’ perceptual sensitivity was invariant, their decision criterion increased as the probability of the Go stimulus decreased. Simulation results indicated that the adaptive increase in the decision criterion will increase possible water rewards during the task. Moreover, the adaptive decision-making is dependent on pupil-linked arousal as the increase in the decision criterion was the largest during low pupil-linked arousal periods. Taken together, our results demonstrated that the rats were able to adjust their decision-making to maximize rewards in the tasks, and that adaptive behavior in perceptual decision-making is dependent on pupil-linked arousal. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Perceptual decision-making is a dynamic cognitive process and is shaped by many factors. However, the extent to which changes in sensory environment result in adaptive decision-making remains poorly understood. Our data provided new experimental evidence demonstrating that the rats were able to adaptively modify their decision criterion to maximize water reward in response to changes in the statistics of the sensory environment. Furthermore, the adaptive decision-making is dependent on pupil-linked arousal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the world. Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, underwent a 76-day lockdown. Research has indicated that the lockdown negatively impacted the quality of life of older individuals, but little is known about their specific experiences during the confinement period. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 elderly residents of Wuhan, aged 65 to 85, who experienced mandatory isolation throughout the pandemic. The interviews centered around three stages of experiences: the Early Lockdown stage (the first week of lockdown after the government implemented the lockdown policy in January 2020), Infection During Lockdown stage (from February to April 2020 when participants were affected by the lockdown), and the Post-Lockdown stage (after April 2020 when the government lifted the lockdown policy). We found that older adults experienced different core themes during each lockdown stage. In the Early Lockdown stage, they felt nervousness and fear while searching for information. During the Lockdown and Infection Stage, they relied on reciprocal support and adjusted to new lifestyles. In the Post-Lockdown stage, they expressed cautions, trust, and gratitude. The finding highlights the evolving emotions and coping strategies of older adults throughout the lockdown phases. This study has yielded valuable insights into the adaptations of behavior and the importance of social interactions, specifically emphasizing the significance of healthcare among the elderly population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization has dramatic impacts on natural habitats and such changes may potentially drive local adaptation of urban populations. Behavioral change has been specifically shown to facilitate the fast adaptation of birds to changing environments, but few studies have investigated the genetic mechanisms of this process. Such investigations could provide insights into questions about both evolutionary theory and management of urban populations. In this study, we investigated whether local adaptation has occurred in urban populations of a Neotropical bird species, Coereba flaveola , specifically addressing whether observed behavioral adaptations are correlated to genetic signatures of natural selection. To answer this question, we sampled 24 individuals in urban and rural environments, and searched for selected loci through a genome-scan approach based on RADseq genomic data, generated and assembled using a reference genome for the species. We recovered 46 loci as putative selection outliers, and 30 of them were identified as associated with biological processes possibly related to urban adaptation, such as the regulation of energetic metabolism, regulation of genetic expression, and changes in the immunological system. Moreover, genes involved in the development of the nervous system showed signatures of selection, suggesting a link between behavioral and genetic adaptations. Our findings, in conjunction with similar results in previous studies, support the idea that cities provide a similar selective pressure on urban populations and that behavioral plasticity may be enhanced through genetic changes in urban populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astrocytes respond to neurotransmitters and neuromodulators using G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to mediate physiological responses. Despite their importance, there has been no method to genetically, specifically, and effectively attenuate astrocyte Gq GPCR pathways to explore consequences of this prevalent signaling mechanism in vivo. We report a 122-residue inhibitory peptide from β-adrenergic receptor kinase 1 (iβARK; and inactive D110A control) to attenuate astrocyte Gq GPCR signaling. iβARK significantly attenuated Gq GPCR Ca2+ signaling in brain slices and, in vivo, altered behavioral responses, spared other GPCR responses, and did not alter astrocyte spontaneous Ca2+ signals, morphology, electrophysiological properties, or gene expression in the striatum. Furthermore, brain-wide attenuation of astrocyte Gq GPCR signaling with iβARK using PHP.eB adeno-associated viruses (AAVs), when combined with c-Fos mapping, suggested nuclei-specific contributions to behavioral adaptation and spatial memory. iβARK extends the toolkit needed to explore functions of astrocyte Gq GPCR signaling within neural circuits in vivo.

In urban and human-modified landscapes, animals face novel selection pressures resulting from differences in habitat structure and increased anthropogenic noise. Urban noise pollution can negatively impact songbirds because low-frequency noise often masks portions of birds’ mating signals and reduces signal transmission. Previous research has demonstrated that the songs of birds in more urban habitats have structural differences that can enhance signal transmission when noise is present. The majority of these studies have focused on species that deliver short, stereotyped songs and have limited repertoires. Gray catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis, family: Mimidae) sing long bouts containing imitated, improvised, and invented song elements, and therefore may have an increased ability to vary songs in response to noise. We hypothesized that aspects of developed habitats including loud anthropogenic noise and changes to land cover would impact catbirds’ song structural parameters, including song minimum, peak, and maximum frequency, frequency bandwidth, and entropy. We recorded and processed songs from 42 male catbirds and analyzed over 18,000 song elements from sites along an urban gradient from western Virginia to the Washington, DC metropolitan region. We quantified the urban intensity at each site-centroid based on percent canopy cover, percent impervious surface, and noise level. Song features such as minimum, maximum, and peak frequency increased significantly as noise levels increased, demonstrating that catbirds in noisier areas sing higher frequency songs compared to individuals in quieter habitats. Land cover variables also significantly predicted certain song features such as maximum frequency (impervious surface) or entropy (canopy cover). These structural differences in catbird song can limit the negative effects of environmental noise-masking, even for their long song bouts, and suggest that vocal mimics respond to anthropogenic noise. Future studies could investigate repertoire size and composition along an urban gradient and if these structural differences lead to functional consequences for the songs of vocal mimics.

Purpose – This paper aims to explore whether drivers would adapt their behavior when they drive among automated vehicles (AVs) compared to driving among manually driven vehicles (MVs).Understanding behavioral adaptation of drivers when they encounter AVs is crucial for assessing impacts of AVs in mixed-traffic situations. Here, mixed-traffic situations refer to situations where AVs share the roads with existing nonautomated vehicles such as conventional MVs. Design/methodology/approach – A driving simulator study is designed to explore whether such behavioral adaptations exist. Two different driving scenarios were explored on a three-lane highway: driving on the main highway and merging from an on-ramp. For this study, 18 research participants were recruited. Findings – Behavioral adaptation can be observed in terms of car-following speed, car-following time gap, number of lane change and overall driving speed. The adaptations are dependent on the driving scenario and whether the surrounding traffic was AVs or MVs. Although significant differences in behavior were found in more than 90% of the research participants, they adapted their behavior differently, and thus, magnitude of the behavioral adaptation remains unclear. Originality/value – The observed behavioral adaptations in this paper were dependent on the driving scenario rather than the time gap between surrounding vehicles. This finding differs from previous studies, which have shown that drivers tend to adapt their behaviors with respect to the surrounding vehicles. Furthermore, the surrounding vehicles in this study are more “free flow'” compared to previous studies with a fixed formation such as platoons. Nevertheless, long-term observations are required to further support this claim.

There is growing interest in understanding the interaction between weather and transportation and the ability of communities and the nation's infrastructure to withstand extreme conditions and events. This study aims to provide detailed insights on how people adjust and change their activity-travel and time use behaviors in the face of extreme heat conditions. By leveraging time use records integrated with weather data, the study compares activity-mobility patterns between extreme heat days and non-extreme days. A series of models are estimated to understand the impact of extreme heat even after controlling for other variables. The findings reveal that heat significantly impacts time use and activity-mobility patterns, with some groups exhibiting potentially greater vulnerability arising from the inability to adapt sufficiently to extreme heat. Designing dense, shaded urban environments, declaring heat days to facilitate indoor stays, and providing transportation vouchers for vulnerable populations can help mitigate the ill-effects of extreme heat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent declines in American lobster (Homarus americanus) settlement in the Gulf of Maine (GoM) have raised questions concerning the effects of climate change on lobster recruitment. Postlarval lobsters are strong swimmers that typically transit to inshore settlement habitats, an energy-intensive process that may be a metabolic bottleneck. Using 72-hr laboratory swimming challenges, we tested the performance of laboratory-reared postlarvae at historically favorable temperatures (15°C), as well as projected end-of-century GoM temperatures (22°C) to determine if increased water temperatures may impair the swimming abilities needed to reach settlement habitats. Video observation and analysis revealed that postlarvae in the 22°C treatment spent 25 % less time actively swimming compared with postlarvae at 15°C. Postlarvae in the 22°C swimming trials also had lower lipid content after the swimming challenge when compared with pre-trial controls; however, dry weight and protein content were not significantly different between the treatment groups. When sequential trials were run using postlarvae from the same clutch, dry weights increased with time since metamorphosis. Metabolic rates for lobsters increase in warmer temperatures, so it is possible that decreased swimming at warmer temperatures may be an adaptive strategy for energy conservation in less favorable, thermally stressful, conditions. Overall, decreased swimming activity in warmer waters may be a contributing factor in shifting patterns of lobster recruitment in the GoM. • Laboratory swim challenge trials show American lobster postlarvae swim less in warmer water. • Wild postlarvae are more resilient but still swim less in warmer conditions. • There was little evidence of nutritional deficits after 72-hr swimming challenges. • Reduced swimming may impair successful inshore recruitment by postlarvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemosensory signals play a key role in species recognition and mate location in both invertebrate and vertebrate species. Closely related species often produce similar but distinct signals by varying the ratios or components in pheromone blends to avoid interference in their communication channels and minimize cross-attraction among congeners. However, exploitation of reproductive signals by predators and parasites also may provide strong selective pressure on signal phenotypes. For example, bolas spiders mimic the pheromones of several moth species to attract their prey, and parasitic blister beetle larvae, known as triungulins, cooperatively produce an olfactory signal that mimics the sex pheromone of their female host bees to attract male bees, as the first step in being transported by their hosts to their nests. In both cases, there is strong selection pressure on the host to discriminate real mates from aggressive mimics and, conversely, on the predator, parasite, or parasitoid to track and locally adapt to the evolving signals of its hosts. Here we show local adaptation of a beetle, Meloe franciscanus (Coleoptera: Meloidae), to the pheromone chemistry and mate location behavior of its hosts, two species of solitary bees in the genus Habropoda We report that Mfranciscanus' deceptive signal is locally host-adapted in its chemical composition and ratio of components, with host bees from each allopatric population preferring the deceptive signals of their sympatric parasite population. Furthermore, in different locales, the triungulin aggregations have adapted their perching height to the height at which local male bees typically patrol for females.

Rapid learning in the young of most endothermic animals can be expected to be favored by natural selection because early independence reduces the period of vulnerability. Cases of comparatively slow juvenile development continue, therefore, to attract scientific attention. In most species of birds, including raptors, the young depend on their parents for some time after fledging for the provisioning of food and for protection while they learn to become nutritionally and otherwise independent. Among raptors, post-fledging dependence periods that exceed 6 months are exclusive to the largest species and these have reproductive cycles that exceed 12 months. By contrast, young of the medium-sized grey falcon Falco hypoleucos have been reported in close company with their parents up to 12 months after fledging, that is, at a time when the adults are expected to breed again. We investigated the occurrence and characteristics of prolonged adult–juvenile association relative to other falcons and similar-sized raptors. We found that the behavioral development of grey falcon young is extremely delayed, and that they even depend nutritionally on their parents for up to 12 months after fledging. We suggest that these 2 distinctive features are, ultimately, adaptations of the grey falcon to its extreme environment, Australia's arid and semi-arid zone, one of the hottest environments in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fragmented forests contain natural edges, including riparian zones, and anthropogenic edges. Edges generally have lower plant density and fewer large trees than forest interior. Riparian edges, however, contain gap-specialist trees yielding leaves with high protein content, providing primates with important resources. We examined mantled howler monkeys' behavioral responses to riparian and anthropogenic edges at La Suerte Biological Research Station (LSBRS), Costa Rica. We predicted the monkeys would spend more time resting and feeding and less time traveling, and be less spatially cohesive, in both anthropogenic and riparian edges compared to forest interior due to lower resource abundance in edges, and in anthropogenic compared to riparian edge due to higher leaf quality in riparian zones. From 2017 to 2020, we collected data across forest zones on activity and spatial cohesion patterns via focal sampling, recording data every 2 min. Howler monkeys were significantly more likely to rest and significantly less likely to travel in both anthropogenic and riparian edges compared to forest interior; however, there were no differences between these edge types. There were significantly more monkeys within a 5-m radius of focal subjects in both anthropogenic and riparian edges compared to forest interior, but no differences between these edge types. While prior research found no differences across zones when only anthropogenic edge and forest interior were compared, results of this study demonstrate that howler monkeys at LSBRS modify their activity patterns in anthropogenic and riparian edge zones compared to forest interior, highlighting the importance of focusing on both natural and anthropogenic edge zones to fully understand primates' behavioral responses in fragmented landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Human drivers' gap acceptance behavior was studied in a driving simulator. • Traffic included human driven vehicles and automated vehicles (AVs) • Recognizable and aggressive AVs resulted in larger accepted and critical gaps. • Non-recognizable and aggressive AVs resulted in smaller critical gaps. • Results suggest that AVs' appearance and driving styles affect human driving behavior. Future traffic will be composed of both human-driven vehicles (HDVs) and automated vehicles (AVs). To accurately predict the performance of mixed traffic, an important aspect is describing HDV behavior when interacting with AVs. A few exploratory studies show that HDVs change their behavior when interacting with AVs, being influenced by factors such as recognizability and driving style of AVs. Unsignalized priority intersections can significantly affect traffic flow efficiency and safety of the road network. To understand HDV behavior in mixed traffic at unsignalized priority T -intersections, a driving simulator experiment was set up in which 95 drivers took part in it. The route in the driving simulator included three T -intersections where the drivers had to give priority to traffic on the major road. The participants drove different scenarios which varied in whether the AVs were recognizable or not, and in their driving style (Aggressive or Defensive). The results showed that in mixed traffic having recognizable aggressive AVs , drivers accepted significantly larger gaps (and had larger critical gaps) when merging in front of AVs as compared to mixed traffic having either recognizable defensive AVs or recognizable mixed AVs (composed of both aggressive and defensive). This was not the case when merging in front of an HDV in the same scenarios. Drivers had significantly smaller critical gaps when driving in traffic having non-recognizable aggressive AVs compared to non-recognizable defensive AVs. The findings suggest that human drivers change their gap acceptance behavior in mixed traffic depending on the combined effect of recognizability and driving style of AVs, including accepting shorter gaps in front of non-recognizable aggressive AVs and changing their original driving behavior. This could have implications for traffic efficiency and safety at such priority intersections. Decision makers must carefully consider such behavioral adaptations before implementing any policy changes related to AVs and the infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to extreme heat is a significant public health problem and the primary cause of weather-related mortality, which can be anticipated by accurately predicting outdoor thermal sensation. Empirical models have shown better accuracy in predicting thermal sensation than the most frequently used theoretical thermal indices, which have ignored adaptability to local climate and resulted in underestimating or overestimating the neutral levels of residents. This study proposes a scheme to build an empirical model by considering the multiple linear regression of thermal sensation and microclimatic parameters during summer in Chongqing, China. Thermal environment parameters (air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and surface temperature) were recorded and analyzed, together with 375 questionnaire survey responses referring to different underlying surfaces. The results found that the proposed model predicted neutral sensations as warm and 19.4% of warm sensations as hot, indicating that local residents adapted to warm or even hot sensations. In addition, the empirical model could provide references for local pedestrians' daytime path choices. Residents might feel more comfortable staying beside a pond from 8:00 to 11:00 or sheltering under trees from 08:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 19:00. Masonry offered a comfortable microclimate between 10:15 and 11:00, and residents on the lawns were comfortable from 17:30 to 19:00. However, asphalt should be equipped with cooling infrastructures in order to cool thermal sensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study seeks to build on existing research into activity involvement and place attachment by considering the mediating effect of perceptions of threat and coping appraisal processes. Using Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) as a theoretical framework, the study evaluates how place attachment and activity involvement influence adaptation intentions by accounting for both the direct and indirect effect of these attachment variables. Australian and Canadian divers were surveyed to measure PMT constructs in relation to six adaptation responses, attachment to place, and activity involvement. Results from the study did not support PMT as a useful extension of place attachment and activity involvement in terms of additional explained variance, but the results did offer insights into competing and indirect effects. Overall, greater place attachment or activity involvement typically predicts less ability to adapt and less perceived effectiveness of an adaptation, suggesting adaptation may be perceived to be of less utility to these individuals. Implications for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal comfort research lacks continuous data collection on thermoregulation and adaptive behavior in real-world environments. This paper presents the findings of a field study that aimed at understanding the temporal and individual differences between humans' thermoregulation and adaptation within a dynamic thermal environment. The dataset contains a 6-week long summer field study of 2022 observing nine participants in a naturally ventilated office without a cooling system. The data collection comprises a total of 43 measurement days (22,776 data points at 60s frequency). The results indicate that the overall trend in clothing insulation deviates from standard assumptions (0.5 clo), especially above air temperatures of 26 °C. The mean clothing insulation was 0.29 clo ±0.08, overall ranging from 0.20 to 0.73 clo. The data showed significant sex differences in tonic levels of electrodermal activity, the low-frequency to high-frequency heart rate variability ratio, and clothing insulation. Other heart rate variability data, like the root mean square of successive differences and beats per minute, as well as the distal skin temperature of the wrist, show significant sex differences and time-of-day variations in morning-to-afternoon comparisons. The findings indicate a nuanced relationship between air temperature and thermoregulatory responses, highlighting the need for future research with larger, more diverse participant cohorts and enhanced environmental monitoring to strengthen the validity and generalizability of the findings. • The mean observed clothing insulation is 0.29 Clo, ranging from 0.20 0.73 Clo. • Participants wore less than 0.5 Clo above an operative temperature of 28.7 °C. • Distal skin temperature at the wrist showed significant temporal and sex difference. • Some heart rate variables showed significant temporal and/or sex difference. • Sex difference in wrist temperature diminishes towards higher operative temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to make appropriate decisions that result in an optimal outcome is critical for survival. This process involves assessing the environment as well as integrating prior knowledge about the environment with information about one's current internal state. There are many neural structures that play critical roles in mediating these processes, but it is not yet known how such information coalesces to influence behavioral output. The lateral habenula (LHb) has often been cited as a structure critical for adaptive and flexible responding when environmental contexts and internal state changes. A challenge, however, has been understanding how LHb promotes response flexibility. In this review, we hypothesize that the LHb enables flexible responding following the integration of context memory and internal state information by signaling downstream brainstem structures known to drive hippocampal theta. In this way, animals respond more flexibly in a task situation not because the LHb selects a particular action, but rather because LHb enhances a hippocampal neural state that is often associated with greater attention, arousal, and exploration. In freely navigating animals, these are essential conditions that are needed to discover and implement appropriate alternative choices and behaviors. As a corollary to our hypothesis, we describe short- and intermediate-term functions of the LHb. Finally, we discuss the effects on the behavior of LHb dysfunction in short- and intermediate-timescales, and then suggest that new therapies may act on the LHb to alleviate the behavioral impairments following long-term LHb disruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Human drivers' interactions with automated vehicles was studied in a field test. • Human drivers adapt their driving behaviour when interacting with automated vehicles. • Drivers interacting with recognizable automated vehicles adopt smaller critical gaps. • After overtaking, drivers merge closer in front of recognizable automated vehicles. • Results suggest potential exploitation of automated vehicles by drivers in traffic. Advancements in technology are bringing automated vehicles (AVs) closer to wider deployment. However, in the early phases of their deployment, AVs will coexist and frequently interact with human-driven vehicles (HDVs). These interactions might lead to changes in the driving behavior of HDVs. A field test was conducted in the Netherlands with 18 participants focusing on gap acceptance, car-following, and overtaking behaviors to understand such behavioral adaptations. The participants were asked to drive their vehicles in a controlled environment, interacting with an HDV and a Wizard of Oz AV. The effects of positive and negative information regarding AV behavior on the participants' driving behavior and their trust in AVs were also studied. The results show that human drivers adopted significantly smaller critical gaps when interacting with the approaching AV as compared to when interacting with the approaching HDV. Drivers also maintained a significantly shorter headway after overtaking the AV in comparison to overtaking the HDV. Positive information about the behavior of the AV led to closer interactions in comparison to HDVs. Additionally, drivers showed higher trust in the interacting AV when they were provided with positive information regarding the AV in comparison to scenarios where no information was provided. These findings suggest the potential exploitation of AV technology by HDV drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of the study is the adaptability of an industrial enterprise. The purpose of the study is to identify the most significant factors that affect the level of adaptability of an industrial enterprise. The research methods used in the work are observation, collection, analysis and synthesis, comparison, grouping, system and complex approach. Results of the work. Within the framework of this study, the authors analyzed the adaptability of an industrial enterprise, which by its results is logically related to the full range of final results of the enterprise functioning as a production system and is subordinated to the need to achieve a given level of such results. The scope of application of the research results is the innovation policy of the enterprise, focused on improving its positioning in the market. Conclusions. The efficiency, complexity and cost of implementing behavioral, parametric and structural adaptation of an enterprise to a changing external environment increase in the order they are listed. Therefore, the management of the enterprise always faces the problem of choosing the optimal method of adaptation, first, which allows to ensure the preservation of the state of homeostatic equality of the enterprise and its external environment, and secondly, which can be implemented by it both in terms of existing competence and available funds. The optimal adaptation methods are determined by the existing potential of the enterprise, the industry conditions of competitive interaction and the combination of macro-environment factors.

In urban habitats, animals are faced with different and often challenging environmental conditions compared to their native habitats. Behavior is the fastest response to environmental change and therefore a very important component to adjust to human-altered environments. Behaviors such as novelty responses and innovativeness which allow animals to cope with novel stimuli are often altered in urban populations. The mechanisms producing such adaptations are currently not well understood. In this study, we investigate whether urban living has an impact on the microevolution of mouse behavioral and life-history traits including boldness, stress-coping, growth, longevity, and emphasis on reproduction. We hypothesized that animals living together with humans for longer show increased novelty-seeking and boldness characteristics at the species and subspecies level. We, therefore, compared behavior and life history characteristics among Mus musculus, a commensal rodent, Mus spicilegus as a synanthropic but not commensal, and Apodemus uralensis as a strictly rural species. In addition, we compared three subspecies of M. musculus (in total six populations) that differ in the time living together with humans. Behavioral and life history differences are stronger between populations even of the same subspecies rather than showing a structural trend with the time animals have spent with humans. In addition, species differ in behavior and life history, albeit not in a pattern that suggests an evolutionary adaptation to living in human-altered habitats. We, therefore, suggest that behavioral adaptations of wild mice are geared toward environmental differences such as geographic origin or habitat specifics but not necessarily directly evolve by living together with humans.

The ability to make appropriate decisions that result in an optimal outcome is critical for survival. This process involves assessing the environment as well as integrating prior knowledge about the environment with information about one’s current internal state. There are many neural structures that play critical roles in mediating these processes, but it is not yet known how such information coalesces to influence behavioral output. The lateral habenula (LHb) has often been cited as a structure critical for adaptive and flexible responding when environmental contexts and internal state changes. A challenge, however, has been understanding how LHb promotes response flexibility. In this review, we hypothesize that the LHb enables flexible responding following the integration of context memory and internal state information by signaling downstream brainstem structures known to drive hippocampal theta. In this way, animals respond more flexibly in a task situation not because the LHb selects a particular action, but rather because LHb enhances a hippocampal neural state that is often associated with greater attention, arousal, and exploration. In freely navigating animals, these are essential conditions that are needed to discover and implement appropriate alternative choices and behaviors. As a corollary to our hypothesis, we describe short- and intermediate-term functions of the LHb. Finally, we discuss the effects on the behavior of LHb dysfunction in short- and intermediate-timescales, and then suggest that new therapies may act on the LHb to alleviate the behavioral impairments following long-term LHb disruption.

• Feedback-related ERPs were examined in a motor sequence learning task. • FRN amplitudes predicted goal-independent behavioral changes in the early practice. • LFCP amplitudes predicted goal-directed changes independent from practice phase. • The predictive value of ERPs is related to different neural learning mechanisms. • Complex error processing in early practice was facilitative for automatization. To examine the neural processing of valence-dependent augmented feedback, 38 students learned a sequential arm movement task with 192 trials in each of five practice sessions. The degree of motor automatization was tested under dual-task-conditions. Electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded in the first and last practice session. This study is an additional analysis of the data from Margraf et al. [Margraf, L., Krause, D., & Weigelt, M. (this issue). Valence-dependent neural correlates of augmented feedback processing in extensive motor sequence learning – Part I: Practice-related changes of feedback processing.]. While Part I focused on changes in neural feedback processing after extensive motor practice, Part II examines coherences between neural feedback processing and short-term behavioral adaptations, as well as different dimensions of long-term learning (i.e., accuracy, consistency, and automaticity). It was found that more negative amplitudes of the feedback-related-negativity (FRN) after negative feedback were predictive for goal-independent changes of behavior in the early practice phase, whereas more positive amplitudes of the late fronto-central positivity (LFCP) after negative feedback were predictive for goal-directed behavioral adaptations (error reduction), independent from the practice phase. Unexpectedly, more positive amplitudes of the P300 after positive feedback were also predictive for goal-directed behavioral adaptations. Concerning long-term learning and motor automatization, a positive correlation was found for the reduction of dual-task costs (DTC) and LFCP-amplitudes after positive feedback in the early practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deciding between different voluntary movements implies a continuous control of the competition between potential actions. Many theories postulate a leading role of prefrontal cortices in this executive function, but strong evidence exists that a motor region like the primary motor cortex (M1) is also involved, possibly via inhibitory mechanisms. This was already shown during the pre-movement decision period, but not after movement onset. For this pilot experiment we designed a new task compatible with the dynamics of post-onset control to study the silent period (SP) duration, a pause in electromyographic activity after single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation that reflects inhibitory mechanisms. A careful analysis of the SP during the ongoing movement indicates a gradual increase in inhibitory mechanisms with the level of competition, consistent with an increase in mutual inhibition between alternative movement options. However, we also observed a decreased SP duration for high-competition trials associated with change-of-mind inflections in their trajectories. Our results suggest a new post-onset adaptive process that consists in a transient reduction of GABAergic inhibition within M1 for highly conflicting situations. We propose that this reduced inhibition softens the competition between concurrent motor options, thereby favoring response vacillation, an adaptive strategy that proved successful at improving behavioral performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Climatic factors such as temperature and humidity vary seasonally in primate habitats; thus, behavioral adjustments and microhabitat selection by primate species have been interpreted as behavioral adaptations. François' langur (Trachypithecus francoisi), a native species to southwest China and northern Vietnam, inhabits a limestone habitat with extreme climatic conditions. To understand the potential effects of climatic seasonality on this species, we collected data on the individual behavioral budgets in a T. francoisi group between January and December 2010 in Fusui County, China. Monthly, we performed 5–11 days of observation during this period, using focal animal sampling and continuous recording methods. We also recorded ambient temperature (Ta) and relative humidity (Hr) data at our study site. Results indicated that Ta and Hr were significantly correlated with each other and fluctuated dramatically on a daily, monthly, and seasonal basis. The amount of time spent resting, grooming, basking, and huddling also varied on a daily, monthly, and seasonal basis. The proportion of resting time and total sedentary activity time significantly increased at high and low Tas, respectively. The total sedentary time, resting time, and plant branch use all showed positive significant correlations with Ta. Our results suggest that behavioral adjustment and support use of T. francoisi, at least partly, were related to thermoregulation. T. francoisi minimized thermal stress through behavioral adjustments and support use. It is an adaptive behavior associated with the climatic extremes of limestone habitat. This study can potentially advise conservation management strategies in this specific habitat. Conservation efforts should focus on vegetation restoration in langurs' habitat, including those in the foothills.

Deciding between different voluntary movements implies a continuous control of the competition between potential actions. Many theories postulate a leading role of prefrontal cortices in this executive function, but strong evidence exists that a motor region like the primary motor cortex (M1) is also involved, possibly via inhibitory mechanisms. This was already shown during the pre-movement decision period, but not after movement onset. For this pilot experiment we designed a new task compatible with the dynamics of post-onset control to study the silent period (SP) duration, a pause in electromyographic activity after single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation that reflects inhibitory mechanisms. A careful analysis of the SP during the ongoing movement indicates a gradual increase in inhibitory mechanisms with the level of competition, consistent with an increase in mutual inhibition between alternative movement options. However, we also observed a decreased SP duration for high-competition trials associated with change-of-mind inflections in their trajectories. Our results suggest a new post-onset adaptive process that consists in a transient reduction of GABAergic inhibition within M1 for highly conflicting situations. We propose that this reduced inhibition softens the competition between concurrent motor options, thereby favoring response vacillation, an adaptive strategy that proved successful at improving behavioral performance.

Rising demand for space cooling has been placing enormous strain on various technological, environmental, and societal dimensions, resulting in issues related to energy consumption, environmental sustainability, health and well-being, affordability, and equity. Holistic approaches that combine energy efficiency optimization, policy-making, and societal adaptation must be rapidly promoted as viable and timely solutions. We interpret the 30 year climatic-induced upward trend and spikes in urban space cooling demand from the perspective of climate change, urbanization, and background climates, through the lens of five major populated cities: Hong Kong, Sydney, Montreal, Zurich, and London. An unequivocal, worrying upward trend in cooling demand is observed in meteorological data, using cooling degree hours (CDHs) as a city-scale climatic-induced metric. The surge in cooling energy demand can be largely attributed to climate warming and urban heat islands, with the most abrupt spikes associated with intensified extreme heat events. Further, our quantification of the impact of the base temperature, in relation to the historical CDH, reveals that a 20% energy saving could be achieved instantly within a rather broad range of air temperature and relative humidity by increasing the setpoint temperature by one degree. With the rise in background temperatures due to climate change, the potential for energy saving diminishes for the same level of increase in setpoint temperature. For instance, an increase from 26 °C to 27 °C results in about 10% energy savings, while an increase from 22 °C to 23 °C could yield over 20% in energy savings. To reduce cooling energy demand rapidly in a warming climate, we highlight the necessity of promoting hard and soft behavioral adaptation along with regulatory intervention for the operation of space cooling systems.

Although many organisms experience relatively predictable environmental conditions throughout development, others, as a result of ontogenetic changes, inhabit very different environments across life stages, requiring them to navigate into habitats or microhabitats that they have not previously encountered. For holometabolous insects, late instars must often locate a safe site before undergoing pupation. In Lepidoptera, many pre‐pupae cease feeding and wander in search of an appropriate pupation site; their preferences display a shift in behavioral responses to habitat‐specific environmental cues, relative to those of feeding larvae. Having previously determined that pre‐pupae of Epargyreus clarus (Cramer) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) move from their Fabaceae host plant down into the leaf litter, where they construct a pupal refuge out of dried leaves and silk, we investigated the sensory cues used by E. clarus in selecting a pupation location. We further explored how responses to these cues vary between actively feeding larvae and non‐feeding pre‐pupae, both for individual insects and for stage‐based cohorts. Using Y‐tube assays, we determined that pre‐pupae used visual (light) and gravitational cues to move from host plants into the leaf litter, whereas the odor cues we tested did not appear to influence their decision‐making. Directional responses to both light and gravity reversed over ontogeny, allowing the two life stages to make use of the same cues to produce stage‐appropriate adaptive behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metacognitive accuracy describes the degree of overlap between the subjective perception of one's decision accuracy (i.e. confidence) and objectively observed performance. With older age, the need for accurate metacognitive evaluation increases; however, error detection rates typically decrease. We investigated the effect of ageing on metacognitive accuracy using event-related potentials (ERPs) reflecting error detection and confidence: the error/correct negativity (N e/c) and the error/correct positivity (P e/c). Sixty-five healthy adults (20 to 76 years) completed a complex Flanker task and provided confidence ratings. We found that metacognitive accuracy declined with age beyond the expected decline in task performance, while the adaptive adjustment of behaviour was well preserved. P e amplitudes following errors varied by confidence rating, but they did not mirror the reduction in metacognitive accuracy. N e amplitudes decreased with age for low confidence errors. The results suggest that age-related difficulties in metacognitive evaluation could be related to an impaired integration of decision accuracy and confidence information processing. Ultimately, training the metacognitive evaluation of fundamental decisions in older adults might constitute a promising endeavour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Taking human factors approach in which the human is involved as a part of the system design and evaluation process, this paper aims to improve driving performance and safety impact of driver support systems in the long view of human–automation interaction. Background: Adaptive automation in which the system implements the level of automation based on the situation, user capacity, and risk has proven effective in dynamic environments with wide variations of human workload over time. However, research has indicated that drivers may not efficiently deal with dynamically changing system configurations. Little effort has been made to support drivers' understanding of and behavioral adaptation to adaptive automation. Method: Using a within-subjects design, 42 participants completed a four-stage driving simulation experiment during which they had to gradually interact with an adaptive collision avoidance system while exposed to hazardous lane-change scenarios over 1 month. Results: Compared to unsupported driving (stage i), although collisions have been significantly reduced when first experienced driving with the system (stage ii), improvements in drivers' trust in and understanding of the system and driving behavior have been achieved with more driver–system interaction and driver training during stages iii and iv. Conclusion: While designing systems that take into account human skills and abilities can go some way to improving their effectiveness, this alone is not sufficient. To maximize safety and system usability, it is also essential to ensure appropriate users' understanding and acceptance of the system. Application: These findings have important implications for the development of active safety systems and automated driving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to extreme heat is a significant public health problem and the primary cause of weather-related mortality, which can be anticipated by accurately predicting outdoor thermal sensation. Empirical models have shown better accuracy in predicting thermal sensation than the most frequently used theoretical thermal indices, which have ignored adaptability to local climate and resulted in underestimating or overestimating the neutral levels of residents. This study proposes a scheme to build an empirical model by considering the multiple linear regression of thermal sensation and microclimatic parameters during summer in Chongqing, China. Thermal environment parameters (air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and surface temperature) were recorded and analyzed, together with 375 questionnaire survey responses referring to different underlying surfaces. The results found that the proposed model predicted neutral sensations as warm and 19.4% of warm sensations as hot, indicating that local residents adapted to warm or even hot sensations. In addition, the empirical model could provide references for local pedestrians’ daytime path choices. Residents might feel more comfortable staying beside a pond from 8:00 to 11:00 or sheltering under trees from 08:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 19:00. Masonry offered a comfortable microclimate between 10:15 and 11:00, and residents on the lawns were comfortable from 17:30 to 19:00. However, asphalt should be equipped with cooling infrastructures in order to cool thermal sensation.

Urbanization imposes novel challenges for wildlife, but also provides new opportunities for exploitation. Generalist species are commonly found in urban habitats, but the cognitive mechanisms facilitating their successful behavioral adaptations and exploitations are largely under-investigated. Cognitive flexibility is thought to enable generalists to be more plastic in their behavior, thereby increasing their adaptability to a variety of environments, including urban habitats. Yet direct measures of cognitive flexibility across urban wildlife are lacking. We used a classic reversal-learning paradigm to investigate the cognitive flexibility of three generalist mesocarnivores commonly found in urban habitats: striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), raccoons (Procyon lotor), and coyotes (Canis latrans). We developed an automated device and testing protocol that allowed us to administer tests of reversal learning in captivity without extensive training or experimenter involvement. Although most subjects were able to rapidly form and reverse learned associations, we found moderate variation in performance and behavior during trials. Most notably, we observed heightened neophobia and a lack of habituation expressed by coyotes. We discuss the implications of such differences among generalists with regard to urban adaptation and we identify goals for future research. This study is an important step in investigating the relationships between cognition, generalism, and urban adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Time headway is significantly different from various designs of dedicated lanes. • A significant lower time headway was observed on the continuous access lane. • The average time headway of males is distinctly lower than females. • Time headway is significantly negatively correlated with the years of driving. Automated vehicles (AVs) are expected to improve traffic flow efficiency and safety. The deployment of AVs on motorways is expected to be the first step in their implementation. One of the main concerns is how human drivers will interact with AVs. Dedicating specific lanes to AVs have been suggested as a possible solution. However, there is still a lack of evidence-based research on the consequence of dedicated lanes for AVs on human drivers' behavior. To bridge this research gap, a driving simulator experiment was conducted to investigate the behavior of human drivers exposed to different road design configurations of dedicated lanes on motorways. The experiment sample consisted of 34 (13 female) licensed drivers in the age range of 20–30. A repeated measures ANOVA was applied, which revealed that the type of separation between the dedicated lane and the other lanes has a significant influence on the behavior of human drivers driving in the proximity of AV platoons. Human drivers maintained a significantly lower time headway (THW) when driving in the proximity of a continuous access dedicated lane as compared to a limited-access dedicated lane with a guardrail separation for AV platoons. A similar result was found for the limited-access dedicated lane in comparison to the limited-access dedicated lane with guardrail separation. Moreover, the results regarding the empirical relationships between THW and sociodemographic variables indicate a significant THW difference between males and females as well as a significant inverse relationship between THW and the years of driving experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motor proficiency reflects the ability to perform precise and coordinated movements in different contexts. Previous research suggests that different profiles of motor proficiency may be associated with different cognitive functioning characteristics thus suggesting an interaction between cognitive and motor processes. The current study investigated this interaction in the general population of healthy adults with different profiles of motor proficiency by focusing on error-related cognitive control and behavioral adaptation mechanisms. In addition, the impact of these processes was assessed in terms of trait anxiety and worries. Forty healthy adults were divided into high and low motor proficiency groups based on an assessment of their motor skills. Using electroencephalography during a flanker task, error-related negativity (ERN) was measured as the neural indicator of cognitive control. Post-error slowing (PES) was measured to represent behavioral adaptation. Participants also completed an anxiety assessment questionnaire. Participants in the high motor proficiency group achieved better task accuracy and showed relatively enhanced cognitive control through increased ERN. Contrastingly, individuals in the lower motor proficiency group achieved poorer accuracy whilst showing some evidence of compensation through increased PES. Trait anxiety reflecting general worries was found to be correlated with motor functioning, but the study could not provide evidence that this was related to cognitive or behavioral control mechanisms. The interaction between cognitive and motor processes observed in this study is unique for healthy and sub-clinical populations and provides a baseline for the interpretation of similar investigations in individuals with motor disorders.