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Introduction: Disruptive behaviors produce harmful effects, which reduce students' well-being and learning opportunities. This paper presents a new strategy named Differential Reinforcement for All (DR-All), which has been inspired by DR and Social Learning Theory. Methods: We conducted one study in which we applied DR-All to three classes with first grade students (intervention 1), then in kindergarten (intervention 2), and fifth grade students (intervention 3). In all three interventions, the measurements of student-student relationships and disruptive behaviors were taken 1 week before implementation and after 2 weeks of implementation. In intervention 1, disruptive behaviors were measured again 1 year after, among the 10 students who remained with the same teacher the following year. Results: Concerning student-student relationships, we only observed one effect, which was a positive effect on the most rejected pupils in the first-grade intervention, who were significantly less rejected by their classmates after the implementation. However, the results of all three interventions showed a significant decrease in the frequency of disruptive behaviors after the strategy implementation. This was also true for the intervention 1 measurement 1 year later. Discussion: To conclude, the consistent application of DR-All can reduce disruptive behaviors in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From a game of darts to neurorehabilitation, the ability to explore and fine tune our movements is critical for success. Past work has shown that exploratory motor behaviour in response to reinforcement (reward) feedback is closely linked with the basal ganglia, while movement corrections in response to error feedback is commonly attributed to the cerebellum. While our past work has shown these processes are dissociable during adaptation, it is unknown how they uniquely impact exploratory behaviour. Moreover, converging neuroanatomical evidence shows direct and indirect connections between the basal ganglia and cerebellum, suggesting that there is an interaction between reinforcement-based and error-based neural processes. Here we examine the unique roles and interaction between reinforcement-based and error-based processes on sensorimotor exploration in a neurotypical population. We also recruited individuals with Parkinson's disease to gain mechanistic insight into the role of the basal ganglia and associated reinforcement pathways in sensorimotor exploration. Across three reaching experiments, participants were given either reinforcement feedback, error feedback, or simultaneously both reinforcement & error feedback during a sensorimotor task that encouraged exploration. Our reaching results, a re-analysis of a previous gait experiment, and our model suggests that in isolation, reinforcement-based and error-based processes respectively boost and suppress exploration. When acting in concert, we found that reinforcement-based and error-based processes interact by mutually opposing one another. Finally, we found that those with Parkinson's disease had decreased exploration when receiving reinforcement feedback, supporting the notion that compromised reinforcement-based processes reduces the ability to explore new motor actions. Understanding the unique and interacting roles of reinforcement-based and error-based processes may help to inform neurorehabilitation paradigms where it is important to discover new and successful motor actions. Author summary: Reinforcement-based and error-based processes play a pivotal role in regulating our movements. Converging neuroanatomical evidence show interconnected reinforcement-based and error-based neural circuits. Yet is unclear how reinforcement-based and error-based processes interact to influence sensorimotor behavior. In our past work we showed that reinforcement-based and error-based processes are dissociable. Building on this work, here we show that these process can also interact to influence trial-by-trial sensorimotor behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectivesMethodologyFindings and conclusionsTo delve into the phenomenon of memorial tattoos in Israel following the October 7, 2023, massacre, and the ensuing Iron Swords War utilizing Terror Management Theory.A qualitative approach employing digital ethnography and visual content analysis was adopted to scrutinize 250 war tattoo images sourced from Israeli tattoo artists’ Instagram pages and Facebook groups. Data collection spanned the initial four months of the war, from October 2023 to January 2024.The analysis highlights existential anxieties stemming from the massacre and ongoing conflict, which are both reflected and addressed through the tattoos’ content and meaning. Memorial tattoos serve as responses to mortality salience, depicting themes that adhere to the three anxiety-buffer mechanisms proposed by the theory: reinforcement of collective worldviews; enhancement of self-esteem; and seeking continued attachment relationships. Through these mechanisms, tattoo recipients invest efforts in giving meaning to the inconceivable events and their ongoing grief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Walking is a common and preferred form of exercise. Although there are current recommendations for walking volume (e.g., steps per day), recent research has begun to distinguish volume from intensity (e.g., “brisk” walking) as an important dimension of exercise. Increasing intensity may confer health advantages beyond volume measures because it shifts cardiovascular performance to more vigorous training zones. Reinforcement‐based approaches have been valuable in increasing volume measures of exercise, and the present study sought to develop a corresponding reinforcement approach to training walking intensity. For this study, we used a continuous reinforcement paradigm where music played only while walking met specified criteria; otherwise, music playback stopped. As a result, music was synchronized with walking performance. Seventeen participants walked on a nonmotorized treadmill at a self‐selected pace. Across the session, different conditions arranged for music to play independent of walking speed or contingent on speed increases or decreases. An extinction component assessed performance when music was withdrawn completely. Walking speed was selectively increased and decreased by adjusting the contingencies that were arranged for music, and variability in speed increased during extinction, with both findings indicating that music was a reinforcer. Heart rate was also increased to moderate–vigorous intensities during reinforcement. The findings provide a compelling case that walking intensity can be modified by music reinforcement. We suggest that synchronous schedules may be an important foundation for future exercise technologies that are based on reinforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy cattle experience a variety of stressors associated with routine farm practices, including injections, pen movements, regrouping, and artificial insemination. The primary objective of this study was to assess ear position (categorized according to 5 positions) and body movement responses of heifers during their first experience of artificial insemination, in comparison with responses during baseline observations before and after this procedure. A secondary objective was to test whether heifers exposed to positive reinforcement training (PRT) responded differently to this procedure. We tested 12 heifers (13 ± 0.7 mo. old); 7 were trained using PRT (as part of another study) and 5 had no experience with PRT. Ear axial and ear forward positions were more frequent during observations before and after artificial insemination relative to during artificial insemination (4.57 ± 0.82 vs. 0.31 ± 0.82 times/period, and 3.45 ± 0.51 vs. 0.50 ± 0.51 times/period, respectively). Backward pinned ear position was observed less frequently before and after versus during artificial insemination (0.12 ± 0.76 vs. 3.76 ± 0.76 times/period). We found no effect of period relative to artificial insemination on any of the 4 body movements assessed (leaning forward, backward, and steps taken with front legs and back legs).We found an effect of PRT on forward ear position (1.00 ± 0.51 times/PRT group vs. 2.95 ± 0.60 times/control group), and found that control heifers leaned forward and took more steps with their front legs than did PRT heifers (0.93 ± 0.57 times/PRT group vs. 3.55 ± 0.67 times/control group and 1.29 ± 0.68 times/PRT group vs. 3.85 ± 0.81 times/control group). We conclude that heifers experiencing artificial insemination for the first time express distinct ear positions that are consistent with responses to a negative emotional state. Further work is required to validate these responses and to determine the extent that they can be used to assess affective responses to this and other procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-scene resuscitation time is associated with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) outcomes. We developed and validated reinforcement learning models for individualized on-scene resuscitation times, leveraging nationwide Korean data. Adult OHCA patients with a medical cause of arrest were included (N = 73,905). The optimal policy was derived from conservative Q-learning to maximize survival. The on-scene return of spontaneous circulation hazard rates estimated from the Random Survival Forest were used as intermediate rewards to handle sparse rewards, while patients' historical survival was reflected in the terminal rewards. The optimal policy increased the survival to hospital discharge rate from 9.6% to 12.5% (95% CI: 12.2–12.8) and the good neurological recovery rate from 5.4% to 7.5% (95% CI: 7.3–7.7). The recommended maximum on-scene resuscitation times for patients demonstrated a bimodal distribution, varying with patient, emergency medical services, and OHCA characteristics. Our survival analysis-based approach generates explainable rewards, reducing subjectivity in reinforcement learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeMethodResultsDiscussionThe current study evaluated treatments derived from two functional analyses (FA) for a 7-year-old student with autism.The FA assessment was conducted at different times of the day and each revealed different functions in the morning and the afternoon.The morning FA suggested that problem behavior was maintained by positive reinforcement in the form of attention, whereas the afternoon FA showed that problem behavior was maintained by both positive reinforcement in the form of attention and negative reinforcement in the form of escape from task demands.results of this study suggested that differential reinforcement for appropriate behavior in a multiple schedule arrangement effectively reduced multiply maintained problem behavior across the school day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the challenges of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face and different ways to develop social skills in children with ASD, such as behavioural approaches, speech and language therapy, social skill group training, Positive Behaviour Reinforcement Interventions, social narratives, video modelling, and Pivotal Response Training. The role of technology in developing social skills in children with ASD, including text-to-voice messages, battery-operated sensory toys, virtual and augmented reality, and augmentative and alternative communication technology is also discussed in the same light. These social skills can help ASD children mitigate certain issues related to communication and interaction, and improve their confidence, independence, and appropriate social behavior. Conclusion: We conclude that the PRT technique is the most effective way to develop social skills in children with ASD, as it is child-centered, naturalistic, and includes pivotal behavior that are necessary for social skill improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A competing stimulus assessment is used to identify stimuli that are associated with a low level of challenging behavior and a high level of engagement. These stimuli are often used as a treatment component for challenging behavior that is maintained by automatic reinforcement. One limitation of implementing competing stimulus assessments is that they may be time consuming. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy and efficiency of a latency‐based competing stimulus assessment. During the asssessment, a therapist presented potential competing stimuli to the participants and contingent on the first occurrence of challenging behavior, the trial was terminated. The results of a brief treatment evaluation indicated that stimuli that were associated with the longest latency to challenging behavior were more effective in competing with challenging behavior relative to stimuli that were associated with shorter latencies. However, procedural modifications were necessary for one participant. The use of latency‐based measures improved the efficiency of conducting a competing stimulus assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In order to take blood from pigs or minipigs, they are often secured using a maxillary sling. The animals express strong vocalisations, and the procedure subjectively appears to be stressful for the animals. In the present study, 12 Ellegaard minipigs were operantly conditioned to tolerate blood sampling from the neck without restraint by using positive reinforcement. The aim was to initially quantify the extent of stress during blood sampling; to prove whether minipigs can be trained to tolerate aversive stimuli, such as the insertion of a cannula without fixation; and to prove whether stress can be reduced through training. After an initial blood sample with fixation in the maxillary sling, the animals were trained for 3 weeks, and then blood was taken again, but without fixation. Blood and saliva samples were taken to determine cortisol concentration. Heart rate was measured before and during blood sampling. The results showed no difference in the cortisol concentration in serum between trained and untrained animals, while it was significantly lower in saliva after blood sampling in the trained animals, as was the heart rate. The training proved to be a suitable method to reduce stress when taking blood from pigs. Pigs (and minipigs) are often restrained with a maxillary sling for blood collection. They mainly produce strong vocalisations and show resistance to the procedure, which subjectively appears to be stressful for the animals. The present study investigated whether minipigs can be trained to tolerate aversive stimuli and whether training can reduce stress during blood collection. Blood was taken from 12 Ellegaard minipigs with fixation; thereafter, the animals were trained for 3 weeks using clicker training. Then, blood was taken again, but without fixation. Before and after each blood sample, saliva samples were taken. The cortisol concentration was determined using ELISAs. Serum cortisol was not significantly different before and after training (paired-sample t-test, t (9) = 2.052, p = 0.07). However, salivary cortisol was significantly lower after training (ANOVA (analysis of variance), p-value < 0.001, F-value 6.181). In addition, trained minipigs showed a significantly lower heart rate after blood sampling (paired-sample t-test, t (11) = 4.678, p = 0.001) as well as significantly lower heart rate variability (t (11) = 3.704, p = 0.003) compared to before training. The minipigs could be trained to tolerate aversive stimuli. This contributed to stress reduction when taking blood samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The determinants and driving forces of communication abilities in the locked-in state are poorly understood so far. Results from an experimental–clinical study on a completely paralyzed person involved in communication sessions after the implantation of a microelectrode array were retrospectively analyzed. The aim was to focus on the prerequisites and determinants for learning to control a brain–computer interface for communication in paralysis. A comparative examination of the communication results with the current literature was carried out in light of an ideomotor theory of thinking. We speculate that novel skill learning took place and that several aspects of the wording of sentences during the communication sessions reflect preserved cognitive and conscious processing. We also present some speculations on the operant learning procedure used for communication, which argues for the reformulation of the previously postulated hypothesis of the extinction of response planning and goal-directed ideas in the completely locked-in state. We highlight the importance of feedback and reinforcement in the thought–action–consequence associative chain necessary to maintain purposeful communication. Finally, we underline the necessity to consider the psychosocial context of patients and the duration of complete immobilization as determinants of the 'extinction of thinking' theory and to identify the actual barriers preventing communication in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is challenging to quickly restore full connectivity in a damaged multi-agent self-organizing network while maintaining the residual connectivity structure. Therefore, this paper proposed a connectivity restoring method based on subnet fusion for self-organized networks in multi-agent systems. Firstly, the method designed a subnet partition algorithm based on network fault detection, to identify faulty nodes and subnet fragmentation in the system. Secondly, the method deployed a leaderfollower mobility model within each subnet to maintain the residual network connectivity. Finally, the method designed a reinforcement learning-based subnet fusion algorithm for leader election, where elected leaders periodically according to a reward function related to mobility distance and energy consumption, being responsible for guiding their followers to move for fusion between subnets. The experimental results show that this method reduces average restoration time by 11.3% and decreases energy consumption by 10.58%, demonstrating its advantages in efficiency and energy usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bonobos appear to show little evidence of learning to make one response (R1) to an AB sequence and a different response (R2) to sequences BB, AA, and BA (Lind et al. PLoS ONE 18(9):e0290546, 2023), yet under different conditions, pigeons can learn this (Weisman et al. Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process 6(4):312, 1980). Aspects of the bonobo procedure may have contributed to this failure. Most important, no response was required in the presence of the stimuli to encourage attention to them. Furthermore, learning to make one response to the target sequence and another to the other sequences involves a bias that allows for better than chance responding. With the two-alternative forced-choice procedure used with the bonobos, the R1 response is correct for one sequence, whereas the R2 response is correct for three sequences. To correct for this, there are three times as many AB trials as each of the other sequences. However, this correction allows a bias to develop in which reinforcement often can be obtained by using only the last stimulus seen as the basis of choice (e.g., when the last stimulus is B respond R1 when the last stimulus is A respond R2). This solution yields reinforcement on five out of six, or 83%, of the trials. In the present experiment with pigeons, using this two-alternative forced choice procedure, most subjects tended to base their choice on the last-seen stimulus. This design allowed subjects to use a suboptimal but relatively effective choice strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intensive care units are critical environments where various alarm systems play a pivotal role in patient monitoring and safety. Alarm fatigue can lead to slower response times and missed alarms, compromising patient safety and increasing stress and burnout among intensive care unit nurses. Understanding how intensive care unit nurses respond to and manage these alarms is crucial in evaluating their impact on patient care and nursing well-being. Methods: This descriptive qualitative study explored the experiences of intensive care unit nurses in alarm management. Conducted in the medical and surgical intensive care units of a Northern Taiwan medical center, the study involved 15 nurses. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to investigate the working experiences of ICU nurses in alarm management and to identify their coping strategies for dealing with the constant inundation of medical device alarms. The interviews were transcribed, and content analysis was applied to identify key themes in the responses. Results: The study revealed five main themes in intensive care unit nurses' strategies for managing alarms: (1) Mastering alarm signals and acting; (2) Team monitoring for life preservation; (3) Enhancing senses and distinguishing carefully; (4) Learning from the lessons of incidents for vigilant reflection; and (5) Detach alarms' influence on daily life. These coping strategies are effective in alarm management, safeguarding patients' lives, enhancing the serenity of the clinical environment, and mitigating the physical and mental exhaustion caused by alarm fatigue. Conclusions: Intensive Care Unit nurses develop various coping strategies to manage medical device alarms, based on their experience. These strategies are crucial in maintaining patient safety and reducing nurse alarm fatigue. They can also be used for nursing education and clinical training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure reliefs (PRs) are self-care practices essential for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) to prevent life-threatening pressure injuries (PIs). Despite the benefits, individuals often do not do these exercises at home, leading to increased patient morbidity and mortality. To examine how digital technology could improve this population's adherence to PR exercises, we conducted a technology probe study with five individuals with SCI over ten consecutive business days. A chat-based intervention was created to send user-scheduled PR reminders, which were personalized with visual elements and progress trackers. Participants were interviewed before and after interacting with the probe to better understand their experiences with PIs and PR practices. Results shed light on specific factors that may impact individuals with SCI's behaviours towards PRs and four considerations to design a customisable reminder intervention: (1) easy to use and friendly technology, (2) design-your-own- schedule feature, (3) communication style feature, and (4) dialogue support features. Personalisation supported with gamified visual progress tracking and motivational messages emerged as a strong strategy to increase PR adherence. Both sets of findings expand upon the human-computer interaction (HCI) literature for mobile health tools that encourage self-care practices; in particular, to the specific needs of individuals with SCI and the use of visual elements to increase engagement. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Digital technology, such as chat-based reminders personalized with visual elements and progress trackers, has the potential to improve adherence to pressure reliefs among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Human-centered design is essential for creating effective digital interventions for this population, and four key features of a customizable reminder intervention include easy-to-use technology, a design-your-own schedule feature, communication style options, and dialogue support features. Gamified visual progress trackers and motivational messages may be useful strategies to increase adherence to pressure reliefs and make these exercises more enjoyable for individuals with SCI. This study contributes to the growing body of research on gamification, mHealth, and human-computer interaction, and highlights the potential for digital interventions to improve self-care practices among individuals with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: When people with drug addiction encounter cues associated with drug use, this can trigger cravings and relapse. These cues can include conditioned stimuli (CSs) signaling drug delivery and discriminative stimuli (DSs) signaling drug availability. Compared to CS effects, DS effects are less explored in preclinical studies on cue-induced relapse. Objective: We compared CS and DS effects on reward seeking following abstinence from intermittent-access cocaine (or sucrose) self-administration. Methods: During 15–20 intermittent-access sessions, rats self-administered i.v. cocaine or sucrose pellets paired with a light-tone CS. Cocaine/sucrose was available for 5-min (signalled by a light; DS+) and unavailable for 25 min (signalled by different lighting conditions; DS-), and this cycled for 4 h/session. Following abstinence, we measured cocaine/sucrose seeking under extinction triggered by CS and DS presentation, and instrumental responding reinforced by these cues. Results: Across intermittent-access sessions, rats increased lever pressing for cocaine or sucrose during DS+ periods and decreased responding during DS- periods. On days 2 and 21 of abstinence, only presentation of the DS+ or DS+ and CS combined elicited increased cocaine/sucrose-seeking behaviour (i.e., increased active lever presses). Presenting the DS- alongside the DS+ suppressed the increased cocaine-seeking behaviour otherwise produced by the DS+. Finally, on day 21 of abstinence, rats showed equivalent levels of lever pressing reinforced by the DS+ , CS and by the DS+ and CS combined, suggesting comparable conditioned reinforcing value. Conclusions: After intermittent self-administration, cocaine-associated DSs and CSs acquire similar conditioned reinforcing properties, but DSs more effectively trigger increases in drug seeking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Nicotine dependence is highly comorbid with opioid use disorders (OUDs). The use of nicotine-containing products increases the propensity to misuse prescription opioids and addressing both nicotine and opioid use simultaneously is more efficacious for treatment of OUDs than treating opioid use alone. Objectives: Given this extreme comorbidity, further elucidation of the effects of nicotine as a factor in promoting vulnerability to development of OUDs is needed. Here, we sought to further explore the effects of nicotine administration on operant self-administration of remifentanil (RMF), a fast-acting synthetic µ-opioid receptor agonist, using a heterogenous seeking–taking chain schedule of reinforcement in unpunished and punished conditions. Methods: Male and female rats received nicotine (0.4 mg/kg) or saline prior to operant self-administration sessions. These sessions consisted of pressing a 'seeking' lever to gain access to a 'taking' lever that could be pressed for delivery of 3.2 µg/kg RMF. After acquisition, continued drug seeking/taking was punished through contingent delivery of foot-shock. Results: Nicotine, relative to saline, increased RMF consumption. Furthermore, nicotine treatment resulted in significantly higher seeking responses and cycles completed, and this effect became more pronounced during punished sessions as nicotine-treated rats suppressed RMF seeking significantly less than controls. Nicotine treatment functionally reduced the efficacy of foot-shock punishment as a deterrent of opioid-seeking. Conclusions: Nicotine administration enhanced both appetitive and consummatory responding for RMF and engendered a punishment-insensitive phenotype for RMF that was less impacted by contingent administration of foot-shock punishment. These findings provide further support for the hypothesis that nicotine augments vulnerability for addiction-like behaviors for opioids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A resurgence in research on response disequilibrium theory has prompted a concise review of the literature from the past 5 years. Response disequilibrium, also known as response deprivation, attributes reinforcement and punishment effects to constraints on free‐operant baseline levels of behavior. By describing clinically relevant behaviors in terms of instrumental and contingent activities, researchers and practitioners can predict intervention outcomes with a disequilibrium model. We summarize the empirical outcomes of disequilibrium‐informed interventions across six articles and discuss areas of future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Signaling high sensitivity to others may help individuals with heightened sensitivity to stimuli to craft their social relations to a preferred activation level ("assertive signaling of specific needs" hypothesis). Signaling sensitivity could be also a deceptive strategy helping to extract resources or obtain the desired treatment ("deceptive signaling" hypothesis). The study presents the construction of the measure of signaling high sensitivity to influence others and an initial test of both hypotheses. Two hundred and one participants ranging in age from 18 to 67 (M = 25.6; SD = 7.03) reported on their reinforcement sensitivity (behavioral approach and inhibition system), sensory processing sensitivity, and the Dark Triad. Signaling high sensitivity to influence others was weakly, but significantly, associated with behavioral inhibition system sensitivity, which was consistent with the "assertive signaling of specific needs" hypothesis. The behavioral approach system was positively correlated with signaling high sensitivity, which indicated that this influence strategy could be treated as an assertive self-presentational strategy helping in achieving social rewards for individuals with high reward responsiveness. Narcissism and psychopathy accounted for an additional amount of variance in signaling high sensitivity over and beyond reinforcement sensitivity. This was consistent with the "deceptive signaling" hypothesis. Signaling high sensitivity could be regarded as a strategy to achieve social goals using deception rather than as an expression of sensitive personality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pica is a life-threatening behavior that is relatively common among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Pica can be conceptualized as a response chain in which the pica item acts as a discriminative stimulus for the next response (i.e. picking up the pica item), which itself acts as a discriminative stimulus for the final response (i.e. consumption). Interventions that disrupt this response chain and alter the discriminative properties of the pica stimulus may be clinically indicated. Preliminary research supports response-interruption and redirection (RIRD) with differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) as an effective intervention for pica. We evaluated this procedure in an inpatient unit with a young boy with who engaged in pica. Our outcomes provide additional support for DRA with RIRD as an effective pica treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the efficacy of various forms of reinforcement learning with punishment in evolving linguistic conventions in the context of Lewis-Skyrms signalling games. We show that the learning strategy of reinforcement with iterative punishment is highly effective at evolving optimal conventions in even complex signalling games. It is also robust and can be easily extended to a self-tuning variety of reinforcement learning. We briefly discuss some of the virtues of reinforcement with iterative punishment and how it may be related to learning in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcohol use is a gendered behavior and motherhood is a life stage which may influence drinking motives. However, there are no drinking motive scales uniquely tailored to maternal populations. This work developed a new maternal drinking motives scale (M-DMS) and determined associations between the M-DMS and alcohol-related behavior. Methods: An online observational survey (n = 534) and online test–retest survey (n = 164) were conducted with adult, UK mothers. From the observational study, data on drinking motives was extracted to determine M-DMS items and factor loading. This was split into two data sets for exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and Timeline Follow back data, taken from both surveys, were combined to determine the M-DMS's predictive validity. Results: Following a parallel analysis and exploratory factor analysis, a two-factor model (positive reinforcement motives, negative reinforcement motives) was deemed the best fit. Probability functional analysis identified items with problematic responses. These were removed before confirmatory factor analysis (on the second dataset) demonstrated a good fit for the two-factor model. All factor loadings were significant and positive (βs > 0.56). Reliability of the two subscales was excellent: negative reinforcement (ωT = 0.95), positive reinforcement (ωT = 0.89). Test–retest reliability was good for both negative (ICC = 0.84, 95%CI = 0.80–0.88) and positive (ICC = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.71–0.82) subscales. Both subscales predicted AUDIT and quantity of alcohol consumption (ps < 0.001). Conclusion: The first tailored Maternal Drinking Motives Scale (M-DMS) provides a more valid research tool for assessing psychological mechanisms of alcohol use in mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reinforcement sensitivity is a hypothesized attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) intermediate phenotype but its role in transgenerational transmission of ADHD-linked psychopathology risk is largely unknown. We examined, in a carefully phenotyped, N = 123 sample of adolescents (M age = 15.27 years, SD = 0.984; 61.78% boys), whether (1) parental psychopathology is differentially associated with fMRI-indexed neural response to reward receipt and (2) both maternal and paternal psychopathology are associated with neural response to reward; across adolescents at-risk for and not at-risk for ADHD. Indices of parental psychopathology were differentially associated with adolescent offspring neural response to reward such that across measures, parental psychopathology was negatively or not associated with offspring superior frontal gyrus (SFG) response to reward receipt in adolescents at-risk for ADHD, but parental psychopathology was positively associated with offspring SFG response in adolescents not at-risk. Further, across measures, greater maternal psychopathology was associated with blunted adolescent SFG response to reward in adolescents at-risk for ADHD whereas greater maternal externalizing problems were linked to enhanced adolescent SFG response in adolescents not at-risk. Across measures, paternal psychopathology was not associated with adolescent response to reward, in either group. ADHD risk confers differential reward-related susceptibility to the effects of parental psychopathology. Results also show this association is nonspecific in terms of parental psychopathology type but is specific to maternal psychopathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article emphasizes the importance of rigorously evaluating health care quality measures before implementing them, particularly in accountability programs. The authors discuss conceptual and methodological issues related to validating process measures of health care quality. They stress the need for high-quality evidence linking the target process to important outcomes, careful consideration of measure specifications, and empirical verification of the association between process measures and outcomes. The article also cautions against using process measures as proxies for overall quality without sufficient evidence. Additionally, the authors highlight the importance of distinguishing between patient-level and entity-level analysis when evaluating the validity of process measures, and recommend using propensity-score-weighted mixed-effects regression models to evaluate the patient-level association between process measures and outcomes. They call for improved development and evaluation processes for quality measures in healthcare. [Extracted from the article]

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive technique that requires the participant to be completely motionless. To date, MRI in awake and unrestrained animals has only been achieved with humans and dogs. For other species, alternative techniques such as anesthesia, restraint and/or sedation have been necessary. Anatomical and functional MRI studies with sheep have only been conducted under general anesthesia. This ensures the absence of movement and allows relatively long MRI experiments but it removes the non-invasive nature of the MRI technique (i.e., IV injections, intubation). Anesthesia can also be detrimental to health, disrupt neurovascular coupling, and does not permit the study of higher-level cognition. Here, we present a proof-of-concept that sheep can be trained to perform a series of tasks, enabling them to voluntarily participate in MRI sessions without anesthesia or restraint. We describe a step-by-step training protocol based on positive reinforcement (food and praise) that could be used as a basis for future neuroimaging research in sheep. This protocol details the two successive phases required for sheep to successfully achieve MRI acquisitions of their brain. By providing structural brain MRI images from six out of ten sheep, we demonstrate the feasibility of our training protocol. This innovative training protocol paves the way for the possibility of conducting animal welfare-friendly functional MRI studies with sheep to investigate ovine cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most current RM approaches are developed for fixed bottlenecks. However, the number and locations of bottlenecks are usually uncertain and even time‐varying due to some unexpected phenomena, such as severe accidents and temporal lane closures. Thus, the RM approach should be able to enhance traffic flow stability by effectively handling the time‐delay effect and fluctuations in traffic flow rate caused by uncertain bottlenecks. This study proposed a novel approach called deep reinforcement learning with curriculum learning (DRLCL) to improve ramp metering efficacy under uncertain bottleneck conditions. The curriculum learning method transfers an optimal control policy from a simple on‐ramp bottleneck case to more challenging bottleneck tasks, while DRLCL agents explore and learn from the tasks gradually. Four RM control tasks were developed in the modified cell transmission model, including typical on‐ramp bottleneck, fixed downstream bottleneck, random‐location bottleneck, and multiple bottlenecks. With curriculum learning, the entire training process was reduced by 45.1% to 64.5%, while maintaining a similar maximum reward level compared to DRL‐based RM control with full learning from scratch. Specifically, the results also demonstrated that the proposed DRLCL‐based RM outperformed the feedback‐based RM due to its stronger predictive ability, faster response, and higher action precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responses occurring during intervals of operant tasks have been subdivided as interim, facultative, and terminal, depending on the time between response onset and reward. Although interval responses, also known as adjunctive responses, have been described in pigeons, rats, mice, monkeys, and humans, most experiments have been conducted in rats. We review the neurochemical basis of interval responses and examine the hypothesis that these responses modulate operant performance. Preliminary experiments indicate the involvement of biogenic amines, acetylcholine, and GABA during interval responding associated with operant tasks. In particular, catecholaminergic deafferentation of the basal ganglia modulated interval responses as did the peripheral injection of catecholamine reuptake blockers. Under the influence of amphetamine, interval responding may either increase or decrease, so that a wide range of responses must be selected to gauge drug effects. In non-drugged pigeons and rats, the expression of interval responses facilitates operant training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incentives have been extensively studied in the management and policy literature, with most attention focusing on their type, magnitude, alignment, and effects. More recently, scholars paid attention to discounting issues and how these issues impact the effectiveness of incentives. Building on the nascent literature related to incentive timing, we argue that timing can offer an additional dimension to better characterize incentives and leverage their power by exploiting windows of opportunity. Using conceptual reasoning, we identify several mechanisms by which the timing of incentives can be used to increase their behavioral power. Specifically, well-timed (green) incentives can harness temporal landmarks, intermittence, immediacy and surprise effects, and intrinsic motivation reinforcement to reach environmental goals without significantly increasing the overall costs. We also indicate new avenues for further research such as designing a timing menu or considering time itself as an incentive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To elicit the barriers and facilitators experienced by social prescribing service providers when designing and delivering social prescribing services to support adult mental health. Design. Semistructured interviews were conducted with social prescribing service providers across England and Wales in the third sector. Data were analysed in accordance with the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and Thematic Framework Analysis (TFA). Results. Twenty‐one providers (15 females and 6 males) from 17 social prescribing services agreed to participate. Nine analytical themes were identified across seven TDF domains associated with the design of services (e.g., skills and environmental context and resources). Thirteen analytical themes across nine TDF domains were associated with the delivery of services (e.g., beliefs about consequences and optimism). Key recommendations for future social prescribing services were increasing public knowledge of social prescribing; clearly communicating the role of a social prescriber to the public and professionals; providing training to providers on how to safely and effectively lived experiences; adopting a person‐centred approach, including use of person‐centred measures of mental health and well‐being; and strategies to address sustainability of social prescribing services. Conclusions. Service providers are an essential part of the design and delivery of social prescribing services. Person‐centred care, sustainable funding, and improved knowledge of social prescribing all warrant further research. Sustainable funding for social prescribing remains a salient policy‐level barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractLong-term placement could be stressful for youth, who may exhibit problem behaviors such as non-compliance in facilities. This study demonstrates that the consistent involvement of staff in modifying the youths’ behaviors, through a reward system featuring plus points and minus points as responses to particular behaviors, significantly influenced the likelihood of readmission. Furthermore, the research revealed that post-release contact with staff lowered the risk of readmission for non-student youths, highlighting the supportive staff-youth relationships in mitigating recidivism, particularly for the majority of youths detached from educational systems. These findings emphasize the importance of reinforcement and supportive interactions within youth corrections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractSocial learning theory is a prominent framework for understanding the relevance of socialization processes for predicting behavior. While recent research has focused on placing these processes within developmental contexts, there remain gaps in understanding how differential reinforcement for involvement in antisocial behavior may develop across adolescence and emerging adulthood and how definitions and differential association predict development. All 11 waves of the Pathways to Desistance dataset were analyzed, comprising the responses of 1354 justice-involved youth across seven years post-adjudication. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify developmental patterns of differential reinforcement and regression modeling was used to examine predictors of development. Results indicated that a two-group model of development best fit the reinforcement data (High, Low). Greater endorsement of antisocial definitions and greater differential association with deviant peers and a significant and positive interaction between these constructs predicted increased odds of assignment to the High group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nLay summary\nIMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICEThis study explores the impact of app-based imagery and traditional methods (i.e., reflective diary) on cognitive-specific (CS) imagery in junior national squash athletes. A total of 75 participants (mean age = 15.22, SD = 2.14) without prior imagery training were allocated into app-based imagery (n = 25), reflective diary (n = 25), and control groups (n = 25). After an imagery workshop and a 12-week reinforcement, CS imagery scores were assessed pretest, post-test, and follow-up using the Sport Imagery Questionnaire (SIQ), as well as technical shot execution (i.e., drive, boast, dropshot, lob, and volley). Using one-way repeated measures analysis of variance and the Friedman test, we examined differences in CS imagery and technical skills across timepoints. The app-based group showed significant improvements in SIQ scores at post- (F(2,72) = 58.53, p < .001, η2 = 0.61) and follow-up tests (F(2,72) = 97.31, p < .001, η2 = 0.73), as well as in technical skills (drive, χ2(2) = 40.92, p < 0.001; boast, χ2(2) = 45.81, p < 0.001; dropshot, χ2(2) = 38.57, p < 0.001; lob, χ2(2) = 42.51, p < 0.001; volley, χ2(2) = 41.81, p < 0.001). A post-hoc analysis revealed that the app-based imagery group experienced the most substantial effect, surpassing reflective diary and control groups, indicating the effectiveness of app-based interventions in enhancing CS imagery and technical performance. The results demonstrate that mobile applications represent a practical and effective substitute for traditional imagery and mental skill reinforcement techniques, rendering these essential tools more accessible to athletes.This study supports the effectiveness of app-based imagery in enhancing cognitive-specific imagery and technical skills among junior national squash athletes. It presents a robust alternative to the conventional reinforcement method, demonstrating greater effectiveness in comparative testing.Implementing app-based imagery as reinforcement following an imagery workshop can enhance the retention of knowledge and behavioral change in imagery skills.Mobile application technology serves as an effective medium for delivering reinforcement plans and improving imagery and technical performance.Given its interactive design tailored to an age group accustomed to mobile learning, app-based imagery can surpass conventional methods in effectiveness.Implementing app-based imagery as reinforcement following an imagery workshop can enhance the retention of knowledge and behavioral change in imagery skills.Mobile application technology serves as an effective medium for delivering reinforcement plans and improving imagery and technical performance.Given its interactive design tailored to an age group accustomed to mobile learning, app-based imagery can surpass conventional methods in effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectiveDesignStudy sampleResultsConclusionsVisual reinforcement audiometry (VRA) is a well-established behavioural test used to assess hearing in infants and young children. This scoping review aimed to summarise the evidence for different approaches to optimising and improving the effectiveness of VRA for clinical practice.A pre-registered scoping review was conducted.Fifty-nine original articles were included in the review.The review identified a number of factors which improved response behaviour, such as increased variety and complexity of visual reinforcers, short reinforcer durations, and providing breaks. Intermittent conditioning, where as few as 50% of conditioning trials were rewarded, did not have an impact on response behaviour, and neither did the (suprathreshold) presentation level used during conditioning. More responses were achieved for younger (around 12 months) than older (around 18–24 months) infants. Once infants were developmentally ready to condition to play audiometry, this allowed for a more comprehensive hearing evaluation.VRA is a successful behavioural hearing test for most infants of developmental age around 7–24 months, with well-established protocols describing its clinical implementation. Further evidence is needed to assess potential benefits of different reinforcers, different auditory stimuli (e.g. filtered familiar sounds), and technologies to assist response detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contract bridge is a competitive-cooperative multiplayer game. In the bidding phase, the decision-making process is complex, given the extensive range of inaccessible information from the partner and opponents. Inferring partner private information seems to be a viable way to promote cooperation. However, extant research has neglected the reliability and effective utilization of inferred information, consequently limiting adaptability in the face of unpredictable policies and hidden hands of opponents. This paper introduces a novel bidding decision algorithm for contract bridge, utilizing generative adversarial inferring (GAI) and alternate inference-decision reinforcement learning (AID-RL). Specifically, GAI advances the reliability and rationality of partner information inference, factoring in stochastic noises and utilizing adversarial training. Concurrently, AID-RL strengthens the effective and explicit exploitation of inference by integrating a reinforcement objective that increases decision-making payoff into the inference model training alongside the original generative objective. Moreover, a novel self-play approach, augmented by the counterfactual difference reward (CDR) mechanism is proposed to expedite policy updates and ensure robust decision-making against inference biases and unknown opponents. Empirical results demonstrate the superior performance of our algorithm, attaining a noteworthy victory of + 0.359 IMPs against Wbridge5, outperforming EPNN and SiB + 0.596 and + 0.062 IMPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannabis demand is sensitive to next‐day responsibilities, such as job interviews; however, it is unclear how demand is affected by non‐work‐related responsibilities and how reported compatibility of cannabis use (i.e., how suitable one perceives cannabis use to be in a situation) influences demand. This study examined the effects of a range of responsibilities on cannabis demand in a crowdsourced sample of adults who smoked cannabis at least monthly (n = 177; 78% White; 47% women; mean age = 36.52). Participants completed hypothetical marijuana purchase tasks asking how much cannabis they would consume at escalating prices in the context of no responsibilities and next‐day responsibilities spanning work, leisure, and caregiving. Cannabis demand was significantly reduced in all responsibility conditions (ps < .008; ds .28–.94), with the largest reductions for the job interview and caring‐for‐kids conditions. Higher ratings of suitability of cannabis use in each situation were correlated with higher demand. Finally, a qualitative thematic analysis characterized why cannabis use was considered suitable or unsuitable with each responsibility. These results suggest that demand is sensitive to next‐day responsibilities. However, these effects are not uniform, and future research is needed to examine these individual differences and the timing of upcoming responsibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional communication training is an effective intervention for establishing an appropriate, alternative response that produces the functional reinforcer maintaining challenging behavior. Once the alternative response is established, it is differentially reinforced—typically using dense schedules—while challenging behavior is placed on extinction. After achieving clinically significant reductions in challenging behavior, reinforcement schedule thinning is conducted to promote the maintenance of the alternative response under more practical reinforcement schedules. In the current study, we compared two different methods for thinning the schedule of reinforcement for the alternative response to a terminal schedule. One method, referred to as the dense‐to‐lean (DTL) approach, involves gradually decreasing the density of alternative reinforcement over successive sessions until the terminal schedule is reached. Another method, referred to as the fixed‐lean (FL) approach, involves abruptly decreasing the density of alternative reinforcement by rapidly transitioning to the terminal schedule. Whereas the former approach has been evaluated extensively within the applied literature, the latter approach has not been the focus of much empirical work in either the clinic or the laboratory. An alternating treatment design was used to directly compare these approaches, both of which included noncontingent access to competing stimuli. Participants achieved clinically significant reductions in challenging behavior at the terminal schedule more readily with the FL than the DTL approach. The results are further discussed in terms of the efficacy and efficiency for both approaches, the potential mediating effect of competing stimuli, and implications for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing the demand for integrating strength and durability reinforcement in shape memory polyurethane (SMPU) for diverse applications remains a significant challenge. Here a series of SMPUs with ultra‐high strength, self‐healing and recyclability, and excellent shape memory properties through introducing dynamic boron–urethane bonds are synthesized. The introducing of boric acid (BA) to polyurethane leading to the formation of dynamic covalent bonds (DCB) boron–urethane, that confer a robust cross‐linking structure on the SMPUs led to the formation of ordered stable hydrogen‐bonding network within the SMPUs. The flexible crosslinking with DCB represents a novel strategy for balancing the trade‐off between strength and durability, with their strengths reaching up to 82.2 MPa while also addressing the issue of durability in prolonged usage through the provision of self‐healing and recyclability. The self‐healing and recyclability of SMPU are demonstrated through rapid dynamic exchange reaction of boron–urethane bonds, systematically investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). This study sheds light on the essential role of such PU with self‐healing and recyclability, contributing to the extension of the PU's service life. The findings of this work provide a general strategy for overcoming traditional trade‐offs in preparing SMPUs with both high strength and good durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Depression is highly prevalent among university students. While behavioral activation has been shown to be an effective psychotherapy for depression, there is a lack of research regarding the behavioral activation mechanism. Furthermore, although self-compassion seems to be a factor in promoting behavioral activation, no studies have attempted to validate a behavioral activation model that includes positive self-compassion. In addition, mechanistic studies have lacked consideration in longitudinal studies of behavioral activation. Thus, in this longitudinal study, we constructed and validated an exploratory model of behavioral activation. Methods: A total of 300 undergraduate students completed online surveys in 2019, 2020, and 2021. We examined the longitudinal effects of five factors (value-based behavior, goal-oriented and scheduled activities, positive reinforcement, self-compassion, and depressive symptoms) using structural equation modeling based on maximum likelihood estimation using bootstrapping. Results: The exploratory model was found to be valid and to have a good fit with the data. The results indicate that value-based behaviors increase the frequency of goal-oriented and scheduled activities, which in turn increases the frequency of positive reinforcement in everyday life. Additionally, when self-compassion, value-based behavior, goal-oriented and scheduled activities, and positive reinforcement are considered together, self-compassion may be indirectly related to activation via value-based behavior. Conclusion: From the perspective of preventing depressive symptoms, it is important to increase the frequency of value-based activities. Furthermore, adding self-compassion is effective in behavioral activation to increase value-based activities. However, to address the limitations of this study, future studies should investigate the relationship among behavioral characteristics during interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used an adapted alternating treatments design to compare the effects of traditional and embedded discrete trial teaching (DTT) with adults with autism. Traditional DTT consisted of the instructor presenting a discriminative stimulus to start each trial ("Point to___"), implementing a prompt (i.e., manual guidance), and providing reinforcement (i.e., praise and token) for correct responding. Embedded DTT consisted of presenting this same trial structure within an ongoing activity (e.g., playing bean bag toss). The percentage of correct responses improved with the introduction of both types of DTT; however, for both participants, embedded DTT showed faster acquisition (i.e., fewer trials to criterion) but longer session durations than traditional DTT. Participants showed more positive affect during embedded DTT and chose it more often relative to traditional DTT. These results replicated and extended the results of Geiger et al. (Behav Anal Pract 5(2):49–59, 2012. 10.1007/bf03391823) and have implications for considering participant assent and interest in ABA-based instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the role of reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) in statistics education among two distinct samples of undergraduate psychology students. In Study 1, 318 students in a third-year statistics course completed self-report measures of RST, anxiety, attitudes, and self-efficacy concerning the study of statistics. In Study 2, 577 students from first-, second-, and third-year statistics courses participated. Controlling for age and gender, both studies found students who were high in goal-drive persistence reported lower statistics anxiety, higher statistics self-efficacy and more favourable attitudes toward learning statistics, while students who were high in the tendency to avoid threat reported higher statistics anxiety. Those with a more sensitive behavioural inhibition system reported greater statistics anxiety and less favourable attitudes, in Study 2 but not Study 1. Results indicate that RST dimensions account for as much as 23% of additional variance in statistics anxiety, 18% in statistics self-efficacy, and 11% in attitudes, after controlling for age and gender. These studies highlight the utility of RST dimensions, notably goal-drive persistence, threat sensitivity, and behavioural inhibition, in providing critical information as to personality differences among students that need to be considered when developing programs targeting statistics anxiety, attitudes, and self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For flight test engineering, the flight test task schedule is of great importance to the delivery node and the development cost of an aircraft, while in the real flight test process, dynamic events may frequently occur, which affect the schedule implementation and flight test progress. To adaptively adjust the real-world flight test schedule, this paper proposes a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) approach to solve the dynamic task scheduling problem for flight tests, with the objectives of flight test duration and task tardiness. Firstly, the task scheduling characteristics for flight tests are introduced, and a mixed-integer programming (MIP) model is constructed. Then, the addressed problem is formulated as a Markov decision process (MDP), including the well-designed state features, reward functions, and action space based on the heuristic rules for selecting the uncompleted flight test task and allocating the selected task to an appropriate aircraft. Proximal policy optimization (PPO) is adopted to train and learn the optimal policy. Finally, extensive experiments are carried out to verify the proposed method's effectiveness and efficiency in constructing a high-quality flight test task schedule in a dynamic flight test environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Although personality traits are assumed to have biological/physiological foundations, research has yielded mixed evidence regarding the relationship between personality and physiological stress responses. Moreover, the field has often overlooked the contemporary neuroscience-based personality approach, known as the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) of Personality, in stress research. Method: The present study examined the relationship between the revised RST's personality dimensions and heart rate and skin conductance level (SCL) in response to the Trier Social Stress Test in a sample of 61 healthy university students. Results: Piecewise latent growth curve analysis controlling for the participants' current life stress, smoking use, and caffeine intake revealed that individuals with higher behavioral inhibition exhibited higher physiological reactivity, whereas those with high reward sensitivity showed smaller heart rate reactivity. The behavioral disengagement facet of the behavioral inhibition scale was associated with reduced sympathetic arousal during the stress task. Additionally, reward interest was associated with a larger recovery of SCL. Conclusion: Results were generally in line with the revised theory. The study findings were discussed within the paradigm of the approach-avoidance conflict and highlighted the importance of reward sensitivity in stress resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the condition of urban rail transit uncertainty of passenger demand and the high frequency of departure intervals, this study presents an innovative real-time urban rail transit (URT) train service scheduling control framework. In the context of a bidirectional urban rail transit line, a high-fidelity urban rail transit simulation environment was constructed. Within this environment, an advantage actor–critic (A2C) reinforcement learning approach was utilized to train a suitable strategy aimed at minimizing both passenger waiting costs and transit authority operational expenses. Subject to specific constraints, the strategy is designed to generate real-time train schedule based on the representation of traffic state using station congestion levels and train positions. Experimental results on Lines 3 and S7 of Nanjing Metro demonstrated the agent's effectiveness in achieving high-performance schedules across various scenarios. This research integrates deep reinforcement learning into the optimization of dynamic traffic systems, showing great potential for enhancing the efficiency and resilience of urban transport systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring what practices early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers have been exposed to and use may highlight the need for improved dissemination and implementation supports. In this survey study, 312 U.S. ECSE teachers reported exposure (familiarity, training) and use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) and low-value practices (LVPs) for children with autism. Teachers reported high familiarity, training, and use of many EBPs (e.g., modeling, reinforcement), while other EBPs remain minimally used despite high familiarity (video modeling; 23.4%). Some teachers reported not using EBPs they had been trained in. Overall, teachers reported some familiarity and use of LVPs (m = 20.47, 0%–50.64%) and minimal training (preservice = 1.6%–33.33%). Research should explore exposure and other possible explanations of the limited use of effective practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: SYNGAP1‐ related intellectual disability (SYNGAP1‐ID) is a rare genetic disorder presenting with intellectual disability (ID), epilepsy, maladaptive behaviours and communication challenges. To date, few studies have assessed the context in which these maladaptive behaviours occur. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of problem behaviours, characterise the behavioural phenotype and use well‐validated measures to explore variables that maintain the behaviours. Methods: Our sample includes 19 individuals diagnosed with SYNGAP1‐ID and their parents. Parents provided information on behaviours that their children engage in, as well as their general behavioural dispositions. Well‐validated measures (e.g., the Repetitive Behaviour Scale‐Revised, Sensory Profile‐2 and Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale) were used. A subset of individuals underwent further direct experimental assessment of their problem behaviour to identify the variables maintaining those problem behaviours. Parental reports were analysed using nonparametric statistical analysis; the direct assessments of individuals' problem behaviour were analysed using visual analysis and validated supplemental measures. Results: All 19 individuals engaged in some form of maladaptive problem behaviour. Ratings of ritualistic, sameness and restricted behaviours measured by the RBS‐R were commensurate with individuals diagnosed with idiopathic autism spectrum disorder (ASD) while self‐injurious behaviours were endorsed at a higher level in SYNGAP1‐ID when compared with idiopathic ASD. The problem behaviours in our cohort of patients with SYNGAP1‐ID were maintained by automatic reinforcement and social attention and are positively correlated with atypical sensory responses. Conclusions: Individuals with SYNGAP1‐ID engage in problem behaviours commensurate with other populations (e.g., those with ASD), they exhibit atypical response to sensory stimuli. Problem behaviours were frequently maintained by automatic reinforcement, which may result from a dysregulated sensory system. Children with SYNGAP1‐ID may benefit from strategies used in persons with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem of isolating semantic information of existing transformer-based models in the image captioning tasks, a transformer model incorporating local graph semantic attention (TLGSA) is proposed. TLGSA consists of a multi-layer image convolutional encoder, a multi-label semantic recognizer, and a multi-layer natural language generation decoder. The image convolutional feature encoder outputs the spatial feature self-attention information, and the multi-label semantic recognizer combines the global corpus with the current image feature to output image semantic graph node encoding features using a graph convolutional neural network (GCN). The natural language decoder incorporates the input semantic self-attention, graph node encoding features, and spatial feature self-attention to form a local semantic multi-head attention, and finally generates a natural language caption of the image. Experimental results show that the proposed method has higher accuracy with meaningful semantic information than the existing SOTA methods, achieving 23%/23.2%/31.57% of Bleu-4 on the widely used test datasets Flickr8K, Flickr30K, and MS COCO, respectively, without reinforcement optimization stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale and objective: Avoidance of opioid withdrawal plays a key role in human opioid addiction. Here, we present a procedure for studying operant negative reinforcement in rats that was inspired by primate procedures where opioid-dependent subjects lever-press to prevent naloxone infusions. Methods: In Experiment 1, we trained rats (n = 30, 15 females) to lever-press to escape and then avoid mild footshocks (0.13–0.27 mA) for 35 days (30 trials/d). Next, we catheterized them and implanted minipumps containing methadone (10 mg/kg/day) or saline. We then paired (4 times, single session) a light cue (20-s) with a naloxone infusion (20 µg/kg, i.v) that precipitated opioid withdrawal. Next, we trained the rats to escape naloxone injections for 10 days (30 trials/d). Each trial started with the onset of the opioid-withdrawal cue. After 20-s, the lever extended, and an infusion of naloxone (1 to 2.2 µg/kg/infusion) began; a lever-press during an 11-s window terminated the withdrawal-paired cue and the infusion. In Experiment 2, we trained rats (n = 34, 17 females) on the same procedure but decreased the footshock escape/avoidance training to 20 days. Results: All rats learned to lever-press to escape or avoid mild footshocks. In both experiments, a subset, 56% (10/18) and 33% (8/24) of methadone-dependent rats learned to lever-press to escape naloxone infusions. Conclusions: We introduce an operant negative reinforcement procedure where a subset of opioid-dependent rats learned to lever-press to escape withdrawal-inducing naloxone infusions. The procedure can be used to study mechanisms of individual differences in opioid negative reinforcement-related behaviors in opioid-dependent rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a prosthesis made to compensate for the residual loss of the amputee's limb, the shoulder disarticulation upper limb prosthesis replaces the missing arm function of the shoulder amputee to a certain extent. However, the current upper limb prosthesis mainly interacts with the outside world through the prosthetic hand for grasping and gripping, and the interaction between other parts and the environment is often neglected, which is not in line with the use habits of the human arm. To address this problem, this paper proposes a reinforcement learning–based method for controlling the forearm interaction of a shoulder-disconnected upper limb prosthesis, and analyzes and solves the forces during the interaction, reducing the impact of uncertainty on interaction actions and accelerating training while ensuring the stability of handheld items. We evaluated the performance of the control method during the interaction between the upper limb prosthesis and the external environment through simulation experiments. After the training, the bionic arm was able to push the object into the target range for different objects and pushing distance requirements, which showed the good control effect of the method. Also, the control method can be applied to improve the interaction between the robotic arm and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (oRST) proposes two systems of approach (BAS) and avoidance (BIS) motivation to underpin personality and behavior. The revised‐RST (rRST) model separates avoidance motivation into passive (BIS; anxiety) and active (FFFS; fear) systems. Prior research has attempted to map RST onto lateralized frontal asymmetry to provide a neurophysiological marker of RST. The main aim is to examine the relationships of the o/rRST scales with trait (baseline) and state (manipulated through experimental paradigms) frontal asymmetry. A systematic review was conducted, resulting in 158 studies designated to neuroimaging research. In total, 54 studies were included in this review using either frontal asymmetry or spectral power. The results were split into three main categories: resting frontal alpha asymmetry (N = 23), emotional induction and state‐related frontal alpha asymmetry (N = 20), and spectral analysis (N = 16). Findings indicated that BAS was associated with enhanced left frontal asymmetry at baseline and during state‐related paradigms. Findings for BIS were more inconsistent, especially at rest, suggesting that BIS, in particular, may require active engagement with the environment. Only 9 of the 54 papers included used the revised RST model, highlighting the need for more rRST research. In a systematic review of reinforcement sensitivity (RST) and frontal asymmetry, we observed an over‐reliance on the original RST model (BIS/BAS). This may contribute to inconsistent findings between BIS and resting frontal asymmetry, as the original RST conflates passive (anxiety) and active (fear) avoidance into one system. We argue for the shift towards the revised‐RST model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Integrated planning for observation and data downlink tasks. • A priority adjustment method for higher revenue rate. • Rapid inference speed for multiple satellites. The autonomous coordination and integrated planning of observation and data downlink missions for the distributed agile Earth observation satellite (AEOS) constellation hold significant importance in practical applications. In order to address this issue, we introduce an abstract universal mission model and present an algorithm rooted in deep reinforcement learning (DRL), termed the Attention-based Distributed Satellite Mission Planning (ADSMP) algorithm, which is designed to generate effective planning solutions. This algorithm employs a neural network that utilizes the attention mechanism, enabling each satellite to independently make decisions with equal intelligence. Furthermore, a mission priority adjustment method is devised to facilitate the coordination of data download and observation scheduling. The ADSMP is trained using the REINFORCE algorithm with Rollout Baseline. By conducting comparative experiments, we demonstrate that the proposed algorithm attains the highest revenue rate in corresponding scenarios, while simultaneously ensuring fast inference speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]