The goat pan-genome reveals patterns of gene loss during domestication.

BACKGROUND: Unveiling genetic diversity features and understanding the genetic mechanisms of diverse goat phenotypes are pivotal in facilitating the preservation and utilization of these genetic resources. However, the total genetic diversity within a species can't be captured by the reference genome of a single individual. The pan-genome is a collection of all the DNA sequences that occur in a species, and it is expected to capture the total genomic diversity of the specific species. RESULTS: We constructed a goat pan-genome using map-to-pan assemble based on 813 individuals, including 723 domestic goats and 90 samples from their wild relatives, which presented a broad regional and global representation. In total, 146 Mb sequences and 974 genes were identified as absent from the reference genome (ARS1.2; GCF_001704415.2). We identified 3,190 novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using the pan-genome analysis. These novel SNPs could properly reveal the population structure of domestic goats and their wild relatives. Presence/absence variation (PAV) analysis revealed gene loss and intense negative selection during domestication and improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Our research highlights the importance of the goat pan-genome in capturing the missing genetic variations. It reveals the changes in genomic architecture during goat domestication and improvement, such as gene loss. This improves our understanding of the evolutionary and breeding history of goats.

Mosquitoes on a chip-environmental DNA-based detection of invasive mosquito species using high-throughput real-time PCR.

The monitoring of mosquitoes is of great importance due to their vector competence for a variety of pathogens, which have the potential to imperil human and animal health. Until now mosquito occurrence data is mainly obtained with conventional monitoring methods including active and passive approaches, which can be time- and cost-consuming. New monitoring methods based on environmental DNA (eDNA) could serve as a fast and robust complementary detection system for mosquitoes. In this pilot study already existing marker systems targeting the three invasive mosquito species Aedes (Ae.) albopictus, Ae. japonicus and Ae. koreicus were used to detect these species from water samples via microfluidic array technology. We compared the performance of the high-throughput real-time PCR (HT-qPCR) system Biomark HD with real-time PCR (qPCR) and also tested the effect of different filter media (Sterivex® 0.45 µm, Nylon 0.22 µm, PES 1.2 µm) on eDNA detectability. By using a universal qPCR protocol and only 6-FAM-MGB probes we successfully transferred these marker systems on the HT-qPCR platform. All tested marker systems detected the target species at most sites, where their presence was previously confirmed. Filter media properties, the final filtration volume and observed qPCR inhibition did not affect measured Ct values via qPCR or HT-qPCR. The Ct values obtained from HT-qPCR were significantly lower as Ct values measured by qPCR due to the previous preamplification step, still these values were highly correlated. Observed incongruities in eDNA detection probability, as manifested by non-reproducible results and false positive detections, could be the result of methodological aspects, such as sensitivity and specificity issues of the used assays, or ecological factors such as varying eDNA release patterns. In this study, we show the suitability of eDNA-based detection of mosquito species from water samples using a microfluidic HT-qPCR platform. HT-qPCR platforms such as Biomark HD allow for massive upscaling of tested species-specific assays and sampling sites with low time- and cost-effort, thus this methodology could serve as basis for large-scale mosquito monitoring attempts. The main goal in the future is to develop a robust (semi)-quantitative microfluidic-based eDNA mosquito chip targeting all haematophagous culicid species occurring in Western Europe. This chip would enable large-scale eDNA-based screenings to assess mosquito diversity, to monitor species with confirmed or suspected vector competence, to assess the invasion progress of invasive mosquito species and could be used in pathogen surveillance, when disease agents are incorporated.

Virtual Reality-Based Psychoeducation for Dementia Caregivers: The Link between Caregivers' Characteristics and Their Sense of Presence.

In neuropsychology and clinical psychology, the efficacy of virtual reality (VR) experiences for knowledge acquisition and the potential for modifying conduct are well documented. Consequently, the scope of VR experiences for educational purposes has expanded in the health field in recent years. In this study, we sought to assess the effectiveness of ViveDe in a psychoeducational caregiver program. ViveDe is a VR application that presents users with possible daily life situations from the perspective of individuals with dementia. These situations can be experienced in immersive mode through 360° video. This research aimed to ascertain the associations between the sense of presence that can be achieved in VR and some users' psychological characteristics, such as distress and empathetic disposition. The study involved 36 informal caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. These participants were assessed using scales of anxiety and depression, perceived stress, empathy, and emotional regulation. They were asked to participate in a six-session psychoeducation program conducted online on dementia topics, in addition to experiencing the ViveDe application. The immersive VR sessions enabled the caregivers to directly experience the symptoms of dementia (e.g., spatial disorientation, agnosia, difficulty in problem-solving, and anomia) in everyday and social settings. The results indicated that although the experience in ViveDe (evaluated using the XRPS scale and five questions about emotional attunement) showed efficacy in producing a sense of first-person participation in the symptoms of dementia, further research is needed to confirm this. The structural equation model provided evidence that the characteristics of individuals who enjoy the VR experience play a determining role in the perceived sense of presence, which in turn affects the efficacy of the VR experience as a psychoeducational tool. Further research will be conducted to ascertain the potential role of these elements in conveying change in the caregivers of people with dementia. This will help us study the long-term effectiveness of a large-scale psychoeducation program in VR.

Implementing a Social Presence-Based Teaching Strategy in Online Lecture Learning.

Previous studies have focused on the design of video lectures to improve students' social presence by enhancing instructor presence for learners in lecture-based online courses; however, there has been limited emphasis on the peer presence in which learning from video lectures takes place. This study's first objective is to develop a social presence (SP)-based teaching strategy to design online learning activities aimed at improving students' social presence by providing social clues about peer presence and encouraging peer communication. The second objective is to compare students' social presence, social interaction, and academic performance from lecture-based online learning supported by either a conventional teaching strategy or an SP-based teaching strategy. Using a quasi-experiment, we selected 81 Chinese university students to participate in a ten-week online course. The participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (EG) (N = 43) or a control group (CG) (N = 38). This study revealed that the SP-based strategy enhanced EG members' social presence in online learning and that EG members achieved better academic performance than CG members. A significant correlation was found between the EG members' academic performance and their social presence. The researchers also identified more concentrated social network sociograms with more cohesive subgroups in the EG members' online interactions. The results indicate the necessity of applying an SP-based teaching strategy in lecture-based online courses to promote students' social presence, social interaction, and academic performance.

Associations between biofilm formation and virulence factors among clinical Helicobacter pylori isolates.

INTRODUCTION: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) causes several gastrointestinal diseases. Its virulence factors contributing to disease development include biofilm formation, cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) and vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA) proteins that induce host tissue damage. In addition, urease activity enables H. pylori growth in the gastric acidic environment. This work aimed to characterize bacterial factors associated with biofilm production among 89 clinical H. pylori isolates, collected from patient gastric biopsies. METHODS: Biofilm production was detected using the crystal violet method. PCR was performed to determine vacA genotype (s1m1, s1m2, s2m1 and s2m2) and cagA gene presence. Urease activity was measured via the phenol red method. Susceptibility to six antibiotics was assessed by the Etest method. RESULTS: Most H. pylori isolates produced biofilm. No association was found between biofilm-formation capacity and cagA presence or vacA genotype. Urease activity levels varied across isolates; no association was found between biofilm-formation and urease activity. Clarithromycin resistance was measured in 49 % of the isolates. Isolates susceptible to tetracycline were more commonly strong biofilm producers. In contrast, a significantly higher rate of strong biofilm producers was observed among resistant isolates to amoxicillin, levofloxacin and rifampicin, compared to susceptible isolates. Non-biofilm producers were more common among isolates sensitive to rifampicin and metronidazole, compared to resistant isolates. CONCLUSIONS: Further studies are needed to understand the factors that regulate biofilm production in order to search for treatments for H. pylori biofilm destruction.

Effects of perceived stress on college students' sleep quality: a moderated chain mediation model.

BACKGROUND: Perceived Stress has been shown as a key contributor to sleep quality, but the underlying mechanism between perceived stress and sleep quality remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the impact of perceived stress on sleep quality of college students and the chain mediating roles of presence of meaning in life (PML) and depression, as well as the moderating role of search for meaning in life (SML). METHODS: Participants were 8178 college students (4599 boys and 3579 girls; Mage = 19.10 years, SD = 1.08) who completed self-report questionnaire, including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). RESULTS: The results showed that higher perceived stress was directly related to poorer sleep quality. This negative impact on sleep quality was mediated through the chained roles of PML and depression. Additionally, the study found that SML moderates the influence of perceived stress, PML and depression on sleep quality. Specifically, for individuals actively search for meaning, the adverse effects of perceived stress and depression on sleep quality are diminished. Concurrently, the positive influence of PML on sleep quality is enhanced. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the PML and depression mediate the effect of perceived stress on sleep quality, with SML playing a significant protective role. These results emphasize the necessity of integrating strategies to enhance PML and SML into interventions designed to improve emotion management and sleep quality among college students.

Does cognitive control mediate the relationship between peer presence and adolescent risk-taking? An ERP study.

Peer presence influences risk-taking behavior, particularly in adolescence. Based on the dual system model, this event-related potential study examined whether and how the presence of a peer displayed a preference for risky behavior would increase adolescents' risk-taking by disrupting their cognitive control processes in either emotional or non-emotional contexts. A sample of 106 adolescents (17-19 years of age) completed two Stoop tasks and a Balloon Analog Risk Task under three peer presence conditions. Results revealed that compared to other conditions, the presence of a risk-averse peer caused adolescents to make safer decisions through improving their conflict monitoring (more negative N200-diff), whereas a risk-preference peer's presence led adolescents to more risky decisions through disrupting their conflict resolution (more positive N450-diff) but they were only observed on the Emotional Stroop task. These findings suggest that different peer presence contexts could increase or decrease adolescents' risk-taking behaviors by influencing their cognitive control under an emotional context rather than in a non-emotional context.

[The social imaginary of ageing: broadening the horizon of possibilities]. / L'imaginaire social du vieillissement, élargir l'horizon des possibles.

The social imaginary of aging confines the elderly to a narrow horizon. We need to broaden this horizon to open up new possibilities. We can do this by exploring the ways in which older people live their old age, by discovering what is not known. We can also do this by inventing new ways of aging, using the arts.

The Effects of Video Presence on Associative and Source Memory Among Younger and Older Adults in a Virtual Social Simulation.

The current study aimed to examine how video presence in a simulated virtual socialization meeting would affect younger (n = 60) and older adults' (n = 65) associative and source memory. Participants were instructed to watch a simulated virtual meeting where speakers introduced themselves with a name and an occupation, half with their video on and the other half with their video off. Participants completed a recognition test of intact, rearranged, and new name-occupation pairs. For pairs recognized as old, participants were asked to identify whether the pair was presented with their video on or off. The associative memory accuracy (i.e., hit rate - false alarm rate) results showed a better performance in younger relative to older adults, but both age groups benefited equally from video presence. Source memory (i.e., video-on vs. video-off) results showed a significant benefit of video presence in older but not younger adults.

Examining the Mechanisms of Virtual Reality Tourism's Impact on the Mental Well-Being of Long-Term Care Facility Residents: Perspectives on Presence and Flow.

This study investigates the mechanisms of virtual reality (VR) tourism's impact on the well-being of residents in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). It aims to understand how presence and flow during VR experiences can enhance well-being. This experimental study used a quantitative approach with structured questionnaires to investigate VR experiences among LTCF residents in Taiwan. After obtaining ethical approval, 145 eligible participants from four LTCFs completed a full five-week VR tourism experience. Data collection took place from June to November 2022. This study employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with Smart PLS software to analyze the causal relationships between latent variables. The results confirm that the more vivid the virtual reality image (ß = 0.240, p < 0.05), the more immersive the experience (ß = 0.267, p < 0.05), the greater the ability to control the experience (ß = 0.465, p < 0.001), and the greater the ability to stimulate curiosity during the experience (ß = 0.290, p < 0.05), the greater the sense of presence. Increased presence leads to user engagement and a state of flow (ß = 0.556, p < 0.001), which is essential for personal hedonia (ß = 0.453, p < 0.001) and eudaimonia (ß = 0.220, p < 0.001). This study elucidates the mechanisms through which VR tourism experiences enhance well-being among LTCF residents, emphasizing the critical roles of presence and flow in promoting both hedonic and eudaimonic dimensions of well-being.

Machine learning based classification of presence utilizing psychophysiological signals in immersive virtual environments.

In Virtual Reality (VR), a higher level of presence positively influences the experience and engagement of a user. There are several parameters that are responsible for generating different levels of presence in VR, including but not limited to, graphical fidelity, multi-sensory stimuli, and embodiment. However, standard methods of measuring presence, including self-reported questionnaires, are biased. This research focuses on developing a robust model, via machine learning, to detect different levels of presence in VR using multimodal neurological and physiological signals, including electroencephalography and electrodermal activity. An experiment has been undertaken whereby participants (N = 22) were each exposed to three different levels of presence (high, medium, and low) in a random order in VR. Four parameters within each level, including graphics fidelity, audio cues, latency, and embodiment with haptic feedback, were systematically manipulated to differentiate the levels. A number of multi-class classifiers were evaluated within a three-class classification problem, using a One-vs-Rest approach, including Support Vector Machine, k-Nearest Neighbour, Extra Gradient Boosting, Random Forest, Logistic Regression, and Multiple Layer Perceptron. Results demonstrated that the Multiple Layer Perceptron model obtained the highest macro average accuracy of 93 ± 0.03 % . Posthoc analysis revealed that relative band power, which is expressed as the ratio of power in a specific frequency band to the total baseline power, in both the frontal and parietal regions, including beta over theta and alpha ratio, and differential entropy were most significant in detecting different levels of presence.

Perspectives of Families and Healthcare Staff on the Design of Inpatient Hospital Rooms in Saudi Arabia.

Aim: This study aims to explore the relationship between the perspectives of both family members and healthcare staff regarding the design of hospital inpatient rooms. It investigates the impact of family presence on the healing environment and examines the influence of specific design elements within inpatient rooms on the extent of family presence. Background: The positive impact of family presence in healthcare settings is rooted in the notion that patients and their families are significant stakeholders in the care process. However, little is known about the influence of inpatient room design elements on family presence in healthcare settings in the Middle East. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 359 participants, encompassing patients, family visitors, and healthcare professionals from three hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire items sought insights into the influence of design elements within inpatient rooms on family presence and the overall healing environment. Results: The results indicate a strong preference for single-patient rooms (74.5%), natural light (77.6%), comfortable seating (85.8%), and a family zone positioned by the window for unobstructed views of nature (50.5%). Furthermore, the study reveals that family presence is perceived to have positive effects on the healing environment (84.0%), patient safety (81.3%), and satisfaction with the care process (88.0%). Conclusion: This study proposes a design model for inpatient rooms that can effectively cater to the needs of patients and their families, thereby contributing to the overall improvement of healthcare building design.

Scale of self-perceived listening, empathy, and presence (LEP) abilities in associate degree nursing students for aging care.

This cross-sectional study involved 341 fifth-year associate degree nursing students who completed an online questionnaire survey from May 1 to July 31, 2020. Out of these, 196 effective responses were received, with participants' ages ranging from 19 to 29 years. Most were female, the eldest in their families, and had experience living with grandparents. They had also completed long-term care or elderly nursing courses, and had experience in practicing, volunteering, and caring for elders. The average scores for all listening and empathy items were above 4.0. The LEP self-perception abilities scale demonstrated expert content validity with a score of .94 and an internal consistency Cronbach's α of .96. Construct validity was confirmed with factor loadings ranging from .73 to .92, explaining 67.03% of the variance, indicating strong construct validity.

Felt presence and its determinants in young adults: results from three independent samples.

Felt presence (FP) is a phenomenon that might appear in individuals with mental and neurological disorders as well as those without any specific morbidity. Some studies have indicated that FP is closely related to psychotic symptomatology. Yet, the mechanisms underlying its occurrence remain largely unknown. The present study aimed to disentangle as to whether FP is associated with widely known risk factors of psychosis. Data from three independent samples of non-clinical young adults were analyzed. Self-reports were administered to assess psychopathological symptoms (samples 1 - 3), neurodevelopmental risk factors for psychosis (sample 1), social defeat components (sample 2), childhood trauma and loneliness (sample 3). A total of 4782 individuals were surveyed across all three samples. Unadjusted analyses showed that the following factors are associated with higher odds of FP: obstetric complications, childhood trauma, non-right handedness, a lower education level, unemployment, minority status, humiliation, perceived constraints, and loneliness. However, only minority status and a lower level of education were associated with higher odds of FP after adjustment for other psychopathological symptoms, age, and gender. Importantly, hallucination-like experiences across all recorded modalities and paranoia were associated with higher odds of FP in all samples. Depressive symptoms were weakly associated with FP in two samples. Findings from the present study suggest that the majority of known risk factors for psychosis contribute to the emergence of FP through the effects on psychotic experiences. Low educational attainment and minority status might be the only risk factors independently contributing to the emergence of FP.

Bee Together: Joining Bee Audio Datasets for Hive Extrapolation in AI-Based Monitoring.

Beehive health monitoring has gained interest in the study of bees in biology, ecology, and agriculture. As audio sensors are less intrusive, a number of audio datasets (mainly labeled with the presence of a queen in the hive) have appeared in the literature, and interest in their classification has been raised. All studies have exhibited good accuracy, and a few have questioned and revealed that classification cannot be generalized to unseen hives. To increase the number of known hives, a review of open datasets is described, and a merger in the form of the "BeeTogether" dataset on the open Kaggle platform is proposed. This common framework standardizes the data format and features while providing data augmentation techniques and a methodology for measuring hives' extrapolation properties. A classical classifier is proposed to benchmark the whole dataset, achieving the same good accuracy and poor hive generalization as those found in the literature. Insight into the role of the frequency of the classification of the presence of a queen is provided, and it is shown that this frequency mostly depends on a colony's belonging. New classifiers inspired by contrastive learning are introduced to circumvent the effect of colony belonging and obtain both good accuracy and hive extrapolation abilities when learning changes in labels. A process for obtaining absolute labels was prototyped on an unsupervised dataset. Solving hive extrapolation with a common open platform and contrastive approach can result in effective applications in agriculture.

Attitudes and Barriers of Emergency Nurses and Physicians Toward Family Presence During Resuscitation in Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Implementing family presence during resuscitation poses many challenges in developing countries, especially in developing countries like Iran, where cultural and contextual factors play significant roles. This study examined the attitudes and barriers of Muslim emergency nurses and physicians toward family presence during resuscitation in Iran. METHODS: A cross-sectional study included 300 physicians and 500 nurses. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytic statistics. RESULTS: The overall score of physicians' attitudes toward family presence during resuscitation was higher than nurses' (P = .001). Female nurses had a higher attitude score than male nurses (P = .001). Other demographic variables were not significant with nurses' attitudes toward family presence during resuscitation. The most significant barriers to family presence during resuscitation included increased stress on staff and unwanted events during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The attitude of Iranian physicians and nurses toward family presence during resuscitation is becoming more positive, with more than half of them agreeing with both the concept and the practice. DISCUSSION: The findings suggest that hospitals should develop and adopt policies to ensure consistent performance when implementing family presence during resuscitation and that the procedure is safe and effective.

Enhancing nursing students' cultural awareness through Community of Inquiry-guided online 'Internationalization at Home' strategies-An intervention study.

AIM: Internationalization at Home (IaH) strategies play an important role in nursing curricula to enhance nursing students' cultural awareness in the globalized world. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) is a theoretical framework for the optimal design of online learning environments to support critical inquiry and discourse among students and teachers. To optimise nursing students' online cultural awareness learning experiences, it was timely to develop online IaH strategies based on a sound theoretical model. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of CoI-guided online IaH strategies on enhancing the cultural awareness of nursing undergraduates who enrolled in a community nursing course. DESIGN: This was an interventional pre-test post-test study. METHOD: One hundred and six nursing undergraduates who enrolled in the course participated in the study. The online IaH strategies were developed focusing on the interactions of teaching presence, cognitive presence and social presence of CoI framework and they were integrated into the course. A previously validated Cultural Awareness Scale was adopted for pre-post evaluation. Higher scores indicate greater cultural awareness. RESULTS: The results showed that there was a significantly higher total score of cultural awareness of participating students at post-online IaH strategies. To be effective, aligning CoI-guided online IaH strategies with course content, pedagogy and assessment was shown to be significant. The inclusion of technological elements in related strategies was also critical to engage student learning. The positive change on the total score of cultural awareness suggested the effectiveness of the deployed strategies. In this ever-changing educational landscape, it may provide insights to educators regarding considering online IaH strategies with theoretical underpinning for curriculum planning and design.

Watching Televised Counter-Stereotypes Alone or with Mom: Studying the Effects on Preadolescents' Gender Attitudes and Beliefs.

Despite the dominant presence of traditional gender portrayals on television, there is a growing effort to incorporate more diverse gender representations, including in youth television series. The impact of such counter-stereotypical portrayals on preadolescents' gender attitudes and beliefs remains largely unexplored. This mixed-design experimental study among 75 mother-child dyads (Mage child = 10.69, SD = 1.37) examined the effects of watching an episode of an entertainment television program that positively portrays a transgender character, either alone or with the mother. The findings indicated that watching the episode lowered preadolescents' gender essentialism, but did not increase acceptability of and willingness to befriend gender-nonconforming peers. Maternal presence did not further impact the findings. Perceived similarity to and liking of the transgender character did not act as moderators, but had a direct impact on preadolescents' gender attitudes and beliefs. In conclusion, the results suggest that exposure to counter-stereotypes in entertainment television can influence components of preadolescents' gender attitudes and beliefs. Gender-diverse television characters who are perceived as highly similar and likeable appear to be particularly influential.

Trajectories of pain and their associations with long-term cognitive decline in older adults: evidence from two longitudinal cohorts.

BACKGROUND: Pain is a dynamic experience that varies over time, but it remains unknown whether trajectories of pain are associated with subsequent cognitive decline. The purpose of this study was to identify distinct trajectories of pain presence and activity-limiting pain and investigate their longitudinal associations with the rate of subsequent cognitive decline in older adults. METHODS: A total of 5685 participants from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and 7619 participants from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were included. Pain presence trajectories were identified over eight years in the ELSA and 10 years in the HRS, while trajectories of activity-limiting pain were identified over 10 years in the HRS. We utilised linear mixed-effects models to investigate the long-term relationship between pain trajectories and the rate of cognitive decline across various domains, including memory, orientation, executive function and global cognition. RESULTS: Three pain presence trajectories were identified. Moderate-increasing and high-stable groups exhibited steeper declines in global cognition than the low-stable group. Furthermore, individuals in the moderate-increasing group experienced a more rapid decline in executive function, while the high-stable group showed a faster decline in orientation function. Two trajectories of activity-limiting pain were identified, with the moderate-increasing group experiencing a faster decline in orientation function and global cognition. CONCLUSIONS: The trajectories of both pain presence and activity-limiting pain are linked to the rate of subsequent cognitive decline among older people. Interventions for specific pain trajectories might help to delay the decline rate of cognition in specific domains.

Embracing Endings: Unveiling the Connection Between Final Conversations, the Opportunity Model for Presence, and Coping With the Death of Our Parents.

This study examines adult children's loss of a parent through final conversations and communal coping. By looking at survivors' experiences through the lens of the opportunity model for presence (OMP) during the end-of-life (EOL) process, a model that provides a path of engagement leading to a good or bad death and consequent bereavement processes, we quantitatively test the relationships between two communication constructs before and after death of a parent. While final conversations as one construct did not lead to appraisal or action coping, results illustrate that final conversation topics of identity, instrumental, love, and everyday talk, were significantly related to shared appraisal. Instrumental talk and love were significantly related to joint action. Joint action and shared appraisal together led to participants engaging in all three types of coping. Final conversations as a whole, was important for bereavement outcomes, whereas communal coping's role in these relationships was convoluted.