Search Results (259)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) assessment remains challenging because behavioural instruments are partly observer-dependent and neuroimaging data are heterogeneous. This paper presents FAA (Fuse After Aligned), which is a multimodal classification framework that combines transfer learning for structural MRI (sMRI) representation learning with a contrastive objective for the pre-fusion alignment of sMRI and resting-state functional MRI-derived functional connectivity (FC) features. Evaluation was restricted to the single-site ABIDE-I New York University subset comprising 75 participants with ASD and 98 typically developing controls. Under the reported five-fold internal cross-validation protocol, FAA achieved a mean accuracy of 92.6% compared with 87.4% for naive fusion and 90.9% for the sMRI-only baseline. Ablation analyses indicate that adding the contrastive objective is associated with improved classification performance and that ResNet-18 outperforms the evaluated ViT-16 configurations in this small-sample setting. These findings support the methodological value of pre-fusion feature alignment within the evaluated cohort. The framework offers a robust, computationally efficient, and clinically viable approach for objective ASD diagnosis with strong potential for generalisation to multi-site neuroimaging applications. Full article

Diversion is defined as the practice of providing an alternative outcome for children who have engaged in offending behaviour, which keeps them away from the formal criminal justice system. Diversion is a significant element of the Child First approach, and is widely implemented across England and Wales. The increase in use of diversion in recent years has contributed to reductions in First Time Entrant rates; however, evidence regarding whether these measures reduce reoffending is limited. Diversion practices vary significantly both nationally and internationally. Hence, much could be learnt from reviewing the international literature to establish what could be implemented in England and Wales. Therefore, this systematic review aims to explore the effect of different types of diversion measures on reoffending in First Time Entrants. To do this, a comprehensive search of 10 electronic databases was undertaken to systematically identify literature relating to youth justice diversion. A systematic screening procedure was followed to identify studies that met inclusion criteria, data on key information was extracted and studies were assessed using a quality assessment tool. Results were synthesised using the EMMIE framework, to increase applicability to practice. A total of 12 distinct studies were included in the review, with both experimental and quasi-experimental design. One study was conducted in Norway, one in the Netherlands and the rest in the United States of America. Findings were varied but generally suggested diversion leads to lower rates of recorded reoffending than formal processing. When comparing between types of diversion, often there was no difference in reoffending but generally, the least intensive intervention showed the best results. However, findings from one study that considered self-reported offending prompts consideration of whether diversion genuinely affects behaviour or simply influences the detection of offences. This review indicates promising results for diversion interventions but highlights the need for further research to provide conclusive evidence regarding which measures are most effective. Full article

There has been little research on the social behaviour of stallions and geldings kept together in group housing systems. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in behaviour and movement activity between stallions and geldings kept together in group housing. Behavioural observations and GPS measurements were conducted in Germany from July to September 2024 in four mixed groups of horses in Germany. The groups comprised 35 animals, 18 stallions and 17 geldings. The horses were observed for three consecutive days over eight hours per day. No injuries or stereotypic behaviours were observed throughout the observation period. Stallions displayed significantly higher levels of affiliative, agonistic, dominance, ritualised, reproductive and play behaviours than geldings (all p < 0.05). However, attack, threat, comfort, avoidance, and resting behaviours, as well as movement activity did not differ significantly between stallions and geldings. Greater space availability per horse was associated with increased comfort, resting, reproductive and play behaviours, and dominance behaviour decreased and attacks tended to decrease with increasing space availability. The horses moved an average distance of 2.36 km during the observation periods. Full article

Shelter dogs may experience long-term environmental and social stressors that can affect their behaviour and welfare. Some individuals show reduced activity, low responsiveness to environmental stimuli, and limited interaction with their surroundings. This pilot study investigated behavioural patterns and allopregnanolone concentrations in shelter dogs exhibiting these behavioural characteristics. Ten shelter dogs were enrolled and divided into two groups: five dogs showing depression-like patterns and five matched control dogs. Each dog wore a three-axis accelerometer for 30 days to quantify activity levels. Behavioural observations were conducted using video recordings, and hair samples were collected at baseline and after 30 days to assess allopregnanolone concentrations as a potential stress marker. Dogs in the case group showed significantly longer resting time than controls (p ≤ 0.05), indicating reduced activity levels. Trends toward lower levels of exploratory and social behaviours were also observed, although the differences were not statistically significant. Allopregnanolone concentrations ranged from 0.6 to 4.6 pg/mg and showed considerable inter-individual variability, with no significant differences detected between groups. These findings provide preliminary evidence of behavioural and physiological alterations in shelter dogs displaying depression-like patterns. However, further studies with larger populations are needed to validate these findings and improve welfare assessment in shelter environments. Full article

Population ageing is reshaping the use and evaluation of everyday urban green spaces, especially in old urban districts where nearby public spaces support walking, resting, exercise, and social contact. Conventional age-friendly assessments often emphasise whether formal infrastructure is provided, but facility provision alone does not ensure experiential fit with older adults’ functional capacities, daily routines, and social practices. This exploratory multiple-case study examines user-initiated informal adaptations in three neighbourhood-scale green spaces in Gulou District, Nanjing, China. Facility audits, approximately 30 h of non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews with 36 older users, and 220 valid questionnaires were combined through cross-case coding and qualitative triangulation. Three adaptation types were identified: supplementary, modifying, and appropriative adaptations. These practices were interpreted as context-dependent behavioural signals potentially associated with safety and convenience, ergonomic support and material-thermal comfort, social accessibility and spatial accommodation, and social support. Adaptation patterns varied descriptively across sites and age groups in relation to facility conditions, spatial organisation, activity intensity, and user characteristics. The findings suggest that, when interpreted alongside facility audits, interviews, and site context, older adults’ everyday adaptations may help identify possible mismatches between formal provision and actual use, offering a low-cost interpretative perspective for inclusive, incremental, and socially sustainable green-space renewal. Full article

New Zealand working farm dogs can struggle to maintain their body weight and condition during periods of high workload, despite substantial energy intake, highlighting the need to optimise energy balance. One potential strategy for reducing overall energy demands is to reduce energy expenditure for thermoregulation, particularly during colder conditions, which may improve both recovery and energy utilisation. This study investigated whether wearing coats influenced the sleep behaviour, activity, and apparent nutrient digestibility of outdoor-kennelled dogs. Eight adult working-breed dogs (n = 8) were studied using a randomised cross-over design, in which dogs wore a coat or no coat during overnight periods (15:00–09:00 h). Behaviour was monitored using triaxial accelerometers and classified using a validated machine learning model, while apparent nutrient digestibility was determined from pooled faecal samples. Dogs spent more time sleeping when wearing a coat compared to no coat (48.1% vs. 40.0%, p = 0.008), with the effect being most evident during cooler evening hours. Time spent resting and being active was reduced when coats were worn (p < 0.05), while overall activity did not differ (p = 0.856). No differences were observed in apparent digestibility of energy or nutrients (p > 0.05), although protein digestibility tended to be higher when coats were worn (p = 0.079). These findings suggest that coats can improve sleep behaviour, likely through improved thermal comfort. While this study was conducted in research dogs under relatively mild temperature conditions, the results indicate the potential welfare and functional benefits for working farm dogs. Full article

Physical activity during recess can provide an important opportunity for secondary school students to accumulate health-enhancing movement within the school day. However, in high-density urban schools, limited campus land and uneven spatial conditions may constrain students’ physical activity during recess. Although previous studies examined the role of the school environment in shaping students’ physical activity, little is known about how different types of campus public spaces and students’ perception of such spaces are associated with recess physical activity. In this study, such associations are examined in three high-density urban schools in Guangzhou, China among 900 students in grades 10–12. The students’ moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during recess is measured by using Huawei Band 8 wearable devices, and their primary activity spaces and perception of their spatial environment are determined by using a structured questionnaire. The campus public spaces are classified as sports field, courtyard, plaza, undercroft space and corridors, and the students’ perception of their environment is assessed across four dimensions: usability, accessibility, safety and comfort. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression are used for the data analysis. Results show differences in recess MVPA levels across the three schools, with high activity levels observed in the school with superior spatial resources and public space conditions, as well as the use of and MVPA behaviour in the different public spaces. Sports fields were generally associated with high use and higher MVPA levels, whereas corridors mainly supported students’ movement between destinations and brief resting and were associated with relatively low MVPA levels. Courtyards, plazas and undercroft spaces show varied patterns, in which activity is related to specific spatial conditions, such as the scale, openness, paving and shading conditions and facility availability. The perception analysis indicates that usability, comfort, accessibility and safety are significantly and positively associated with recess MVPA, with usability showing the strongest association. The regression model can explain 54.7% of the variance in recess MVPA levels. The findings suggest that in similar high-density urban secondary school contexts, spatial support for recess physical activity depends on not only the amount of available space but also the activity-supportive characteristics and perceived environmental quality of the campus public spaces. Improvement of the usability, comfort and accessibility of campus public spaces may provide favourable spatial conditions for students’ physical activity during recess. Full article

Dementia is a leading and growing cause of disability worldwide. Insomnia is highly prevalent in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia and is associated with impaired cognition, functional decline, and reduced quality of life (QoL). Although sleep disturbance represents a potentially modifiable risk factor within the trajectory of cognitive impairment, there have not been many studies conducted to examine the feasibility or preliminary efficacy of digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (dCBT-I) in this population. The aim of this pilot randomised controlled feasibility study is to evaluate the acceptability, adherence, and potential clinical effects of a multi-component dCBT-I programme (Sleepio) in adults with MCI or mild dementia and comorbid insomnia. Thirty community-dwelling adults aged ≥50 years with established MCI or mild dementia (Mini-Mental State Examination ≥18; Clinical Dementia Rating 0.5–1.0) and insomnia (Sleep Condition Indicator ≤16) will be randomised (1:1) to Sleepio or a wait-list control. Feasibility outcomes include recruitment and retention rates, intervention adherence (completion of ≥4/6 sessions), and acceptability measured using validated usability scales. Secondary outcomes include changes in sleep, mood, QoL, cognition, and function over 10 weeks. Adverse events will be monitored to assess safety. Findings will inform the design of a future definitive trial evaluating digital sleep interventions in cognitively impaired populations. Ethical approval has been granted. The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07363928). Full article

The modal behaviour of the wooden bridge over the Rhine described by Julius Cæsar in the De Bello Gallico is analysed by a simple analytical model, i.e., a Kirchhoff–Love (KL) plate. The overall structure is indeed modelled as a thin plate, representing the walking surface, resting on elastic supports that approximate the compliance of the underlying structure. Firstly, these elastic constraints are represented by linear springs; in a refined step, beam elements with equivalent stiffness and mass are adopted. The system complexity arises from the consequent non-trivial boundary conditions and is tackled by selecting suitable auxiliary functions to operate with discretised equations of motion, in a Galërkin-like approach. MATLAB helped to develop in-house scripts capable of reconstructing the flexural behaviour as the governing parameters vary, without repeated experimental tests. The analytical results are compared with theoretical predictions and between the two assumed elastic supports, allowing verification of model consistency and explanation of differences in the bridge behaviour. The ease of implementation of these codes also enables the evaluation of the structural potential of historical constructions, the investigation of modular characteristics and connections between subcomponents, and the assessment of the effects of external loads. The study of historical structure dynamics is thus relevant not only for reconstruction, but also for modern mechanical design, with potential applications in civil, mechanical, materials, and naval engineering. Full article

On-farm welfare assessment of equines is a challenge given the large diversity of management practices, especially in terms of housing and activities. In our study, we tested time budget measures as a complementary tool to more conventional welfare indicators (e.g., stereotypic behaviours, ear position while foraging, neck shape). We observed 174 horses living in eight facilities (in their home environment) for which data on management practices and welfare were available. Time budget was assessed using the scan sampling method (1 min scan sampling over 30 min; 33 scans), while welfare assessment was based on classical measures. The study was performed in two parts: The first part consisted of validating time budget as a correlate of welfare state, which was performed at the individual level and according to the context of observation. In the second part, the data were analysed at the farm level by averaging data from all horses in the same facility. The results showed that the time spent feeding, in exploratory walking and observation behaviour were correlated with indicators of positive welfare and/or good practices in contrast to the time spent standing immobile resting or in fixed attention and/or in negative social interactions. Time budget varied greatly between facilities, reflecting welfare state and management (feeding, working) practices. This study shows that, provided that observations are made at different time periods when animals are calm, three sessions of 10 min. could give a good account of the local «atmosphere». These findings bring new insights into both methodological approaches and the significance of behaviours and, in particular, the importance of precisely defining and measuring the types of attention as a window into an animal’s internal state. Full article

Although harbour seals have often bred successfully in captivity, there is little information on the behaviour and welfare of captive mothers and their pups. This study used video of a mother with her newborn pup (P1) during the first 16 days post-partum and further video of the same mother with a second pup (P2) during days 19–22. The most frequent behaviours in the water were body nosing and close body contact. The observations with pup P2 allowed for expanded descriptions of contact and following behaviours in the water. With P1, the mother displayed most responsibility for following and approaching, i.e., for maintaining contact. Suckling usually occurred immediately after the mother led the pup from the water to an onshore suckling location. P1 often rested alone while its mother checked on it continuously from the water and signalled it to return to the water by nudging, nosing and splashing at it. This mother engaged in close contact with both her pups, with both the mother and both pups displaying body language suggestive of positive emotion and, therefore, indicative of good welfare. These observations offer an argument in favour of allowing female harbour seals in captivity to give birth and wean their pups naturally. Full article

Background: Sleep hygiene protocols (SHPs) have been shown to improve sleep and stress regulation; however, the role of cortisol in shaping downstream physiological and performance adaptations remains unclear. This study primarily examined the effects of a short-term SHP on sleep duration and salivary cortisol responses across resting, pre-exercise, and post-exercise states in female collegiate soccer players and, secondarily, whether cortisol statistically mediated selected aerobic and anaerobic performance outcomes. Methods: Fourteen players (22.1 ± 3.3 y; 157.8 ± 6.0 cm; 53.5 ± 3.9 kg) completed a randomised, counterbalanced crossover study comparing habitual sleep (no sleep hygiene protocol; nSHP) with a comprehensive SHP incorporating environmental, behavioural, and educational strategies. Salivary cortisol was sampled one hour post-waking and 30 min pre- and 15 min post-exercise during standardised testing sessions. Performance outcomes included vertical jump, sprint performance (40 m and repeated sprints [RAST]), and the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1. Linear mixed-effects models assessed cortisol responses, and mediation analyses explored cortisol–performance relationships. Results: After SHP, perceived (7.87 h vs. 6.5 h; p = 0.002, ESg = 1.0) and calculated sleep duration (8.5 h vs. 6.9 h; p = 0.004, ESg = 0.95) increased significantly. Cortisol was markedly lower following SHP at selected timepoints, including before RAST (−43.05%, p = 0.006, ESg = 0.84), with additional timepoint-specific, condition-dependent differences post-anaerobic and post-aerobic exercise (Δ = 7.37 and 5.98 nmol·L⁻¹, respectively; p < 0.001). Vertical jump height demonstrated significant total (9.92 cm, p = 0.002) and direct effects (7.72 cm, p = 0.034), and peak repeated-sprint performance showed a significant direct effect (p = 0.026). Cortisol did not significantly mediate any performance outcomes (ACME p > 0.05). Conclusions: Short-term sleep hygiene is associated with increased sleep duration, timepoint-specific modulation of cortisol responses, and selected anaerobic performance benefits; however, these effects were not explained by measured cortisol responses and are unlikely to be sustained without ongoing reinforcement or support, particularly in athletic populations. Full article

Background: Functional appliance therapy is widely employed for the management of skeletal Class II malocclusion in growing patients. However, treatment outcomes are influenced by multiple biological and behavioural variables, including genetic background, craniofacial growth pattern, neuromuscular adaptability, orofacial resting postures, and patient adherence. These factors often limit direct comparison of different appliance systems. Monozygotic twin studies provide a unique biological model by minimizing genetic and environmental variability, allowing more accurate evaluation of appliance-specific effects. Methods: This case report presents a comparative evaluation of a clear functional jaw corrector and a conventional twin block appliance in two 11-year-old female monozygotic twins at cervical vertebral maturation index stage 3. Both patients exhibited similar skeletal Class II patterns, vertical growth tendencies, proclined maxillary incisors, and convex soft tissue profiles. Twin A was treated with a removable clear functional jaw corrector fabricated using mandibular advancement blocks incorporated into a 1.5-mm Essix retainer sheet, while Twin B received a conventional twin block appliance. Treatment objectives, wear protocol, and duration were identical. Neither patient received orofacial myofunctional therapy. Results: Post-treatment clinical and cephalometric evaluation demonstrated improvement in sagittal jaw relationships, facial profile, and occlusal relationships in both patients. However, differences were observed in the magnitude of skeletal correction, dentoalveolar effects, vertical control, and the extent of molar and canine relationship correction. Conclusions: Both appliance designs were effective in improving sagittal relationships under similar biological conditions, with minor differences favoring the clear functional jaw corrector. However, the findings also highlight that orthodontic appliance therapy alone does not address underlying orofacial myofunctional factors, emphasizing the importance of incorporating functional assessment and adjunctive myofunctional therapy for optimal and stable outcomes. Full article

Hate speech on social media reproduces norms of inequality and gender stereotypes, disproportionately affecting women. This study proposes a hybrid approach that integrates emotional tone classification with explicit hostility detection to strengthen preventive moderation. We constructed a corpus from three open data sets (1,236,371 records; 1,003,991 after ETL) and represented the text using TF-IDF and contextual RoBERTa embeddings. We trained individual models (RoBERTa fine-tuned, Random Forest, and XGBoost) and a stacking metamodel (Gradient Boosting) that combines their probabilities. On the test set, the ensemble outperformed the base classifiers, achieving accuracy of 0.93 in hate detection and 0.90 in emotion classification, with an AUC of 0.98 for emotion classification. We implemented a RESTful API and a web client to validate the moderation flow before publication, along with an administration panel for auditing. Performance tests in a prototype deployment (Google Colab exposed through an Ngrok tunnel) provided proof-of-concept validation, revealing concurrency limitations from around 300 users due to infrastructure constraints. In general, the results indicate that incorporating emotional tone analysis improves the model’s ability to identify implicit hostility and offers a practical way to promote safer digital environments. The probabilistic outputs produced by the ensemble model were subsequently analyzed using the Bayesian Calibration and Optimal Design under Asymmetric Risk (BACON-AR) framework, which serves as a mathematical post hoc decision layer for evaluating classification behaviour under unequal error costs. Rather than modifying the trained architecture or improving its predictive performance, the framework identifies a cost-sensitive operating threshold that minimizes the total expected risk under the selected asymmetric cost configuration. The experiments were conducted using an English-language data set; therefore, the findings of this study are limited to hate speech detection in English. Full article

Mobile EEG enables investigating brain activity during real-world behaviour, but remains susceptible to motion artefacts, limiting signal interpretability and the use of advanced analytical techniques. Methods developed for removing motion-related artefacts induced by periodic activity like cycling, walking or juggling showed degraded performance with increasing movement variability and speed. To fill this gap, we developed a method based on generalized eigenvalue decomposition (GED) to identify and suppress highly variable, non-periodic—especially transient—artefacts due to very rapid, free full body movements of different types, as they occur during sports practice. By leveraging the contrast between covariance matrices of artefactual and resting-state EEG segments, this approach isolates motion-related components for removal during multichannel EEG signal reconstruction. The method was validated on two ecological datasets featuring stereotyped head and body movements and dynamic table tennis. Comparison with state-of-the-art technique showed superior performance of our method in terms of signal-to-error ratio (SER), artefact-to-residue ratio (ARR), brain spectral power preservation and computation time. Sensitivity analysis was applied to demonstrate the method’s robustness to parameter changes. These findings highlight the potential of the proposed method as a robust, generalizable approach for motion artefact suppression in mobile EEG, particularly when applied in extreme recording conditions like during active sports activity. Full article