Biology and Life Sciences

Abstract: Animals hold many executable behavioral programs at once yet express one at a time. This review builds an account of that arbitration in three stages. First, we revisit six classical findings—stickleback territorial contests, white-crowned sparrow song learning, behavioral choice in Drosophila, rodent lordosis genetics, clownfish sex change and cichlid social ascent—and show that each poses a problem its original framing cannot resolve. Reanalysis of the published data from four of these systems supplies quantitative tests: winner-loser effects fit a metaplastic drift of the baseline threshold rather than a change in drive; the song-learning window behaves as a graded threshold rather than a categorical veto, with fifty percent adoption near sixty-five days; behavioral alternation in Drosophila follows from each program consuming the very terms that opened it, with no fatigue or noise term required; and lordosis knockouts separate into categorical and graded failure modes by whether the deleted element is an obligatory transducer. Second, we assemble these results into an explicit model of Dynamic Archetypal Coordination: conjunctive gating with a structural veto, a winner-take-all arbitration layer, margin consumption, and a slow metaplastic baseline. This model requires no gating field and stands on data generated by other laboratories. Third, we identify what it cannot explain—that a single physiological manipulation can scale several unrelated behaviors together—and propose a shared sterol-derived permissive field as the resolution, deriving a dissociation signature that distinguishes it from gain-control and additive accounts. This is a theoretical synthesis: no new experiments are reported and all data are previously published.

Abstract: Importance The increase in prevalence of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in children in most countries of the world has been attributed to assortative mating meaning that spouses have found each other guided by features of ASD leading to increased genetic predisposition in the offspring. This does not explain the differences in prevalence of ASD in subgroups of the population with similar mating patterns. Objective: To test the hypothesis that parental genetic heterogeneity is associated with ASD in the offspring.Design: In this comparative observational study data were included from population based studies reporting number of patients with ASD in populations with known high, moderate or low genetic heterogeneity. The prevalence (per 10000 of population) was compared between groups. Compared were the percentages of children with learning difficulties in the three groups.Setting: All countries with data from investigations reporting prevalence of ASD in ethnic subgroups of the population.Participants: Children with and without ASD of parents with a known degree of genetic heterogeneity from population based studies allowing analysis of individual participant data.Exposures: Based on pre-existing data of genetic and anthropological studies subgroups of childhood populations with low, moderate and high parental genetic heterogeneity were investigated.Main outcome and measures: Prevalence of ASD and percentage of children with ASD and learning difficulties in offspring of parents with different degrees of genetic heterogeneity were compared. The hypothesis that parental genetic heterogeneity is associated with ASD in offspring was formulated prior to the study as a result of data of a previous study and stated there.Results: The prevalence of ASD across spouse pairs of high, moderate or low genetic heterogeneity for 182016 children with ASD in childhood populations totalling 62290632 children in the USA, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Israel and Australia were compared. In all studies reporting data prevalence of ASD was significantly higher in offspring of parents with high genetic heterogeneity ranging from 12.9 to 280.5 compared to offspring of parents with moderate genetic heterogeneity with a range of 9.0 to 243.1 and low genetic heterogeneity with a range of 4.6 to 71.7. The percentage of children with learning difficulties showed no consistent difference between groups.Conclusion and relevance: Autism spectrum disorder in offspring is associated with parental genetic heterogeneity. This will direct future research towards gene constellations protective against expression of ASD predisposing genes.

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Walking-induced fatigue disrupts postural balance, but the differentiated effects of walking uphill and downhill remain unclear. The aim was to compare the impact of two walking sequences, either uphill (+10%) or downhill (-20%), with an identical number of steps (7000 steps) on a treadmill at 5.5 km.h-1 on postural balance. Methods: Nineteen healthy young participants performed the two walking sequences sessions (56 and 57 min) eight days apart. Maximal voluntary contraction, central activation ratio, and eyes closed bipedal postural balance (in 3 randomized conditions: an unmanipulated condition, a tendon vibration manipulation condition - TV - and a galvanic vestibular stimulation manipulation condition - GVS), were assessed before (PRE), immediately after (POST), and 20 minutes after (POST20) each walking sequence. Results: Walking uphill and walking downhill sequences generated similar muscular and central fatigue in the POST and POST 20 conditions. In the unmanipulated postural condition, postural balance was disrupted after both walking sequences in the POST condition, with no difference between walking downhill and walking uphill. In the manipulated postural conditions, postural balance was modified by the walking sequences. It was disrupted in the presence of GVS in the POST condition with no difference between walking downhill and uphill, whereas it was not disrupted in the presence of TV and was even improved after walking uphill. Conclusions: Although the postural alteration was broadly similar between the two walking sequences, the disruptive factors would differ between them at the muscular, metabolic and sensory levels.

Abstract: The regular practice of physical exercise is often associated with promoting benefits for practitioners. In recent decades, street running has become popular worldwide, with most participants being amateur runners who engage in the activity as a means of promoting quality of life. Among the psychological aspects related to exercise, studies have shown that some individuals may become susceptible to “exercise dependence,” a condition in which exercise takes a central role in a person’s life. As a result, individuals may exhibit characteristics such as: excessive training; injuries; weight control issues; withdrawal symptoms when unable to exercise; and even problems in social relationships, when exercise is exclusively prioritized. Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate and analyze levels of susceptibility to running dependence and its relationship with exercise volume and mood states (tension, depression, anger, vigor, fatigue, and mental confusion). Methods: This was a quantitative cross-sectional study involving 761 regular Brazilian runners (59.8% male and 40.2% female) who consented to participate and answered the Sociodemographic Questionnaire, the Escala de Dependência de Corrida (EDC), a Brazilian Portuguese adaptation of the Negative Addiction Scale (NAS), and the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS). The analysis plan was conducted through descriptive statistics (mean; standard deviation; median; 1st and 3rd quartiles; interquartile range and 95% confidence intervals) and inferential statistics (Spearman’s Correlation and Kruskal-Wallis Test). In all tests, the significance level adopted was p<0.05. Results: The sample was divided into three groups of susceptibility to exercise dependence: low (37.6%), moderate (36.4%), and high (26%). Scores indicative of exercise dependence showed positive correlations with practice volume variables (years of experience and weekly days, time, and mileage) and the mood factors of vigor and tension. Comparisons made using the Kruskal-Wallis Test revealed significant differences between the groups, as higher levels of susceptibility to dependence were positively associated with higher running volumes and vigor scores. Conclusions: Indicators of exercise dependence were positively related to positive mood, indicating mental health among the assessed sample.

Abstract: Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is often described through functional labels such as emotion regulation, self-punishment, interpersonal influence, or escape from aversive internal states. These labels are clinically useful, but they do not fully explain how self-injury becomes selected under stress. This paper proposes the Inward-Routed Mobilization Model (IRM) of NSSI, a mechanism-level account of selection under high activation, reduced deployable capacity, and constrained outward representation. IRM suggests that NSSI becomes more likely when mobilization rises, negative affect cannot be safely represented toward an over-idealized figure, outward expression is appraised as relationally or psychologically dangerous, and the body becomes the most immediate site for state change. The pathway does not require consciously labeled anger; it requires that protest, hurt, disappointment, shame, humiliation, or boundary-relevant mobilization cannot be safely directed toward the protected figure. The model is organized around a common origin pathway: over-idealized figure constraint, truncated negative affective mobilization, inward routing, and bodily state transition. IRM adds a selection-level account to existing functional, reinforcement, self-punishment, and emotion-regulation models and yields testable predictions for ecological momentary assessment, developmental research, clinical formulation, and treatment studies focused on constraint repair, capacity restoration, and safe outward throughput.

Abstract: In recent years, cannabidiol (CBD) has been used as an adjunct therapy to anti-seizure medications for the control of seizures in patients with drug-resistant epilepsies. In addition to its anticonvulsant effect, CBD also well-defined anti-inflammatory properties. Since neuroinflammation can trigger various pro-epileptogenic mechanisms For this reason, CBD could play an inhibitory role in this process. Epileptogenesis is the process by which epilepsy becomes a chronic disease following a brain injury and one of its main characteristics is an increased susceptibility to seizures due to reduced seizure threshold. However, the role of CBD in modulating this susceptibility remains poorly understood. We developed an experimental protocol to discretely measure seizure threshold (DMST) 7 or 14 days after lithium-pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE) through the administration of small intraperitoneal (i.p.) doses of pentylenetetrazol (15 mg/kg/ every 10 minutes). Using the DMST, we observed a significant decrease in seizure threshold after SE associated with a hypersensitivity state characterized by irritability and marked weight loss. A separate cohort of rats was treated with CBD (20mg/kg) for 14 days following SE. Treatment with CBD did not improve seizure threshold, moreover, it worsened the hypersensitivity state, and delayed the recovery following SE. Our results suggest that orally administered CBD, at a human therapeutically recommended and safe dose, does not improve susceptibility to seizure development after SE.

Abstract: This study investigated breed-related genetic predisposition on hunting behaviour by comparing Magyar Vizslas and Border Collies using behavioural tests and an online questionnaire. Differences in specific sequences of the hunting behaviour chain were examined with respect to frequency, duration, and latency. Three standardized test situations were conducted with 15 dogs (8 Magyar Vizslas, 7 Border Collies), including reactions to a thrown toy, a play rod, and a running human. Behavioural data were analysed using the Mann–Whitney-U-test for frequencies and randomization tests for duration and latency. Significant breed differences were found for the duration of chasing behaviour: Border Collies exhibited longer chasing durations than Magyar Vizslas in response to a play rod (p = 0.004) and a running human (p = 0.025). To increase sample size, an online questionnaire was issued, completed by 359 dog handlers and then analysed using the Kruskal-Wallis-test. Particularly striking were the findings regarding the behaviour of pointing: Magyar Vizslas showed significantly higher frequencies of pointing behaviour both in response to thrown toys and during wildlife encounters (p < 0,001). Overall, results from both behavioural tests and questionnaire data indicate breed-typical predispositions affecting specific components of hunting behaviour in these two breeds.

Abstract: Anthropogenic prehistory may be divided into two subsequent phases, the first one from the Last Common Ancestor (LCA) between humans and great apes till the emergence of the genus Homo, and the second phase onwards from then. Until hominins appeared, LCA had lived predominantly on trees, while Homo finally lived only on the ground. After LCA and before Homo, the intermediate bimodal transition period from 7 to 2 Myr BP was coined by the emergence of systematic bipedal gait, breaking the previously uniform quadrupedal locomotion symmetry. By contrast to versions of the common savannah hypothesis, this paper suggests an alternative fictitious scenario of periodic migration between alternatingly inhabitable arboreal refuges. Possibly caused by regional climate change, yet tree-climbing hominins were additionally forced to genetically develop speedy and efficient bipedal locomotion for survival during their temporary but extended regular excursions across open territory. Increasingly upright locomotion resulted in offspring’s early weaning, and in turn in the emergence of childhood with enhanced lethal risks for toddlers. Related selective pressure caused transformations of reproductive traits from gradual sexual selection in apes to undulating sexual conflicts in hominins. Between LCA and Homo, consistent with fossil evidence, the evolutionary bimodal transition phase, with forelimbs for climbing and hind limbs for running, did not necessarily require enlarged brains for advanced mental capabilities, nor specific communication or new forms of social cooperation such as those successively found in Homo. Assumingly, broken spatial and temporal environmental symmetry had induced related symmetry breaking of hominin behaviour, their anatomic structures and reproduction habits.

Abstract: A targeted cross-species retro-analysis was conducted using three independent published datasets to test whether the DNA demethylase recruiter gadd45b occupies a functionally distinct category from canonical immediate early genes (IEGs). Whereas canonical IEGs generally respond to sufficiently intense neural or behavioral stimulation, gadd45b appears to be preferentially induced by genuine social engagement and social outcome resolution. In Betta splendens, gadd45bb (BSP_05575) was not differentially expressed after 20 minutes of fighting (logFC=+0.34, FDR=0.87) but increased after 60 minutes of sustained mutual assessment (logFC=+1.74, FDR=8.9×10⁻⁵) and reached its highest expression at or immediately following social outcome determination (logFC=+2.02, FDR=1.4×10⁻⁵). In zebra finch, singing-prevented adults—chronologically mature birds prevented from executing vocal learning—retained juvenile-like dendritic spine density in RA-projection neurons (p=0.774 versus juveniles; p=1.14×10⁻⁶ versus adults), while gadd45b expression distinguished singing adults from singing-prevented adults in HVC (p=0.014). Together with a zebrafish mirror-versus-real-opponent dissociation, these findings are consistent with gadd45b functioning not as a generic activity sensor but as a molecular mechanism engaged when socially assessed behavioral interactions are completed and their outcomes resolved. This property may bear on longstanding questions in neuroendocrinology, where the biological consequences of social conflict depend more strongly on social meaning than on physical intensity alone. The molecular machinery that translates social outcome into durable cellular change remains poorly characterized. Outcome-gated gadd45b-mediated DNA demethylation may represent a genomic form of metaplastic regulation that not only records experience but also modifies the chromatin landscape governing future responses to experience. This framework generates experimentally testable predictions regarding the molecular encoding of social outcome.

Abstract: Dogs follow human pointing gestures to one of two options at above chance level, but only slightly. The finding in focus is the remarkable smallness of this effect. If dogs understand the referential aspect of human pointing gestures, why do they make so many mistakes? One potential explanation relates to the motivational context created by the presence of food rewards in such tasks. When foraging, dogs meander, a focal search strategy characterized by a high turning rate. Even if a dog understands the gesture and heads in the correct direction, moved by this behavioural mode, they may turn away before reaching the correct option. Poor success rates may be an effect of performance factors, not necessarily competence. To address this possibility, the present study manipulated the affordances of the circumstance. In experiment 1, we assessed the effect of erecting physical barriers between options (i.e., a radial arm maze) to restrict meandering. In experiment 2, we added corridors of scent leading to each option (“scent maze”). We observed no difference in success rates. The manipulations of affordances did not appear to affect dogs’ success rates, which suggests the dogs’ low success rate is not due to unexpected effects of local foraging strategies. With this alternative explanation refuted, pressure is back on questions about dogs’ competencies related to intentionality and the referential nature of pointing gestures.

Abstract: Background: The escalating global burden of complex chronic diseases and severe mental health challenges represents a significant limitation of reductionist healthcare paradigms. We propose that health is not merely the absence of disease, but rather a dynamic state of coherence across three integrated domains: biological, psychological, and noetic (consciousness-related). This review evaluates emerging technologies and interventions designed to restore this tripartite coherence.Objective: To systematically synthesize and critically evaluate the scientific evidence for technologies and interventions aligned with the ReGEN framework's seven pillars: Light, Water, Frequency, Energy, Breath, Intention, and Food.Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we conducted a systematic narrative literature search across PubMed, IEEE Xplore, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library (2010–2024), following PRISMA 2020 reporting guidelines. Included studies were evaluated against five criteria: biophysical plausibility, evidence quality, biomarker correlates, safety profile, and transdisciplinary alignment. Technologies were graded (A-D) based on evidence strength.Results: From 2,148 identified records, 215 studies met inclusion criteria after systematic screening. Our analysis identified a "Foundational Triad" of interventions with the strongest mechanistic plausibility and evidence base: Photobiomodulation (Light Pillar, Grade A), Coherent Breathing (Breath Pillar, Grade A), and Focused Intention (Intention Pillar, Grade B). These pillars demonstrate significant combined potential for initiating systemic healing cascades. Technologies targeting the Frequency and Energy pillars showed more preliminary evidence (Grade B-C), requiring further rigorous validation.Conclusion: The ReGEN framework provides a comprehensive transdisciplinary taxonomy for classifying and evaluating coherence-enhancing technologies. Convergent evidence across multiple scientific disciplines supports the complementary application of photobiomodulation, coherent breathing, and focused intention as a potent, non-invasive approach for restoring systemic coherence. This synthesis outlines a verification protocol via a Tripartite Coherence Index and identifies critical research priorities for advancing this emerging paradigm.

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Conventional psychometric instruments generally show limited ability to correlate with circulating biological markers. ADNe® is a 29-item psychogenic instrument based on a neurotransmitter-weighted response framework, designed to model functional patterns of neurobiological activation rather than classify personality traits. This study aimed to explore whether ADNe® neurofactor scores are associated with plasma concentrations of cortisol, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and testosterone in healthy adults. Methods: Twenty healthy volunteers (15 women, 5 men; mean age 30.3 ± 9.6 years, range 22–61) completed the ADNe® questionnaire and provided a peripheral blood sample on the same day. Plasma was isolated by centrifugation (400 × g, 5 min), and biomarker levels were quantified using ELISA. Statistical analyses included Spearman rank correlations and exploratory multiple linear regression models using the seven neurofactors as simultaneous predictors. Results: Significant associations were identified between selected neurofactors and biomarkers. Sm (attentional amplitude) showed an inverse correlation with testosterone (ρ = −0.567; p = 0.022), while Mn (strategic acuity) was inversely associated with IL-6 (ρ = −0.489; p = 0.046). Exploratory multivariate models showed high apparent explanatory capacity within this dataset (R² = 0.848 for IL-6, 0.735 for testosterone, and 0.569 for cortisol). However, given the small sample size and the number of predictors included, these estimates should be interpreted with caution. Conclusions: In this pilot study, ADNe® neurofactor profiles showed associations with circulating biomarkers, suggesting that this approach may capture dimensions related to physiological regulation. Nevertheless, the findings are exploratory and may be influenced by overfitting and unmeasured confounding variables. Independent replication in larger, pre-registered studies with appropriate validation strategies will be necessary to confirm the robustness and generalizability of these results.

Abstract: Memory encoding depends on the joint convergence of substrate readiness, internal drive, environmental input, and a permissive temporal–physiological state. The same logic recurs across vertebrate learning systems: hippocampal-dependent spatial and schema-modulated memory (the Navigia substrate in the Systema Behavorum taxonomy), filial imprinting in the chick intermediate medial mesopallium (Lorenz's prägung), vocal learning in the songbird auditory pallium, and Pavlovian conditioning in the basolateral amygdala and ventral striatum. Despite differences in substrate, timescale, and output, writing events are gated by the multiplicative convergence of substrate (A), drive (D), content/context (C), and a permissive state (Φ); retrieval is gated by a parallel conjunction on the same substrate; and behavioral output depends on the match between current input and the stored trace. The framework specifies f in Lewin's B = f(P, E) as the multiplicative threshold A × D × C × Φ ≥ T, decomposing person and environment into computationally separable terms with empirical signatures.Three contributions advance beyond descriptive integration. First, retrieval is formalized as ARCH × Φ-gated in the same form as encoding, generating dissociation predictions between trace-degradation and Φ-mediated retrieval failures that current accounts do not formalize. Second, inherited priors (ethology) and acquired schemas (Tse, Morris, and colleagues) are unified under the same conjunctive logic, both biasing C through Bayesian-like prior weighting. Third, the multiplicative form generates a quantitatively precise prediction — supra-additive failure under combined partial perturbations — that distinguishes the framework from interactionist accounts; a tractable 2 × 2 factorial in chick imprinting is developed in §4.7, with detection power calculated in Appendix A.The framework yields four testable predictions. Single-domain perturbation should cause categorical encoding failure regardless of other domains. Combined partial perturbations should produce supra-additive failure distinguishable from additive null models in factorial designs not yet performed in any of the four systems. Reading-event Φ-suppression should produce retrieval failures dissociable from trace-degradation failures. Pharmacological Φ-modulators (ketamine, psilocybin, MDMA) are reframed as substrate-state modulators that widen the retrieval envelope, converting reading events into writing events, and supply a clinical-translational test. The framework is offered as a falsifiable account of common computational structure across vertebrate memory systems.

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Acute exercise can influence executive function, but the neurophysiological responses linking exercise to cognitive change remain unclear. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) provides a feasible method for assessing prefrontal oxygenation during movement-based exercise. This study examined whether prefrontal oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) during exercise was associated with subsequent changes in inhibitory control after aerobic and game-based exercise in young adults.Methods: Twenty-four healthy young adults completed aerobic and game-based exercise conditions in a randomized, counterbalanced, within-subject design. The aerobic condition consisted of jogging, whereas the game-based condition consisted of a pickleball-based activity. Exercise intensity was monitored during both conditions. Prefrontal oxy-Hb was recorded during exercise using fNIRS, and inhibitory control was assessed before and after each condition using an Eriksen Flanker task. The primary behavioral outcome was Flanker cost improvement, and the primary fNIRS outcome was mean baseline-corrected prefrontal oxy-Hb during exercise. Results: Exercise intensity was comparable between conditions. Greater mean prefrontal oxy-Hb during exercise was significantly associated with greater improvement in Flanker cost (β = 3.71 ms per 0.01 μM, 95% CI [2.13, 5.30], p < 0.001). Game-based exercise elicited higher mean prefrontal oxy-Hb during exercise than aerobic exercise. No significant condition difference was observed for Flanker cost improvement. Conclusions: Prefrontal oxygenation during exercise was associated with subsequent improvement in inhibitory control. These findings suggest that neurophysiological responses during exercise may account for some between-person variability in acute exercise-related cognitive benefits.

Abstract: Background: Gender differences in adolescent mental health are well documented; however, the extent to which modifiable behavioral and psychosocial factors account for the excess of mental health problems in females remains insufficiently quantified. Methods: Data from the 2025 Corona and Psyche South Tyrol (COP-S) survey comprised a base sample of 2,428 adolescents aged 11–19 years (51.4% males) with valid self-reported data. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted on 1,448–1,603 adolescents (depending on the outcome) who provided complete responses to the relevant predictor and outcome measures. Gender differences in depression scores (PHQ-2), anxiety scores (SCARED-GAD), and emotional/behavioral difficulties (SDQ) were examined using Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests. Multivariable linear regression models were used to assess the associations between mental health outcomes and the ten predictors. Gender effects were quantified by comparing standardized regression coefficients from unadjusted and adjusted models. Results: Female adolescents reported higher anxiety (median 6 vs. 4; rank-biserial r = 0.24), depression (r = 0.13), and emotional/behavioral (r = 0.08) scores than male adolescents. School stress, problematic Internet use, and poor sleep quality were the strongest predictors of all three outcomes (all p &lt; 0.001). After multivariable adjustment, gender remained a significant predictor of anxiety (β = 0.18) and depressive scores (β = 0.09) but no longer reached significance for emotional/behavioral scores (β = 0.04, p = 0.078). The attenuation of the gender effect ranged from 25.3% for anxiety to 37.1% for depression and 58.5% for emotional/behavioral difficulties. Conclusions: Gender differences in adolescent mental health are partially explained by modifiable behavioral and psychosocial factors, with the excess of females in emotional/behavioral scores fully accounted for by these covariates. Persistent gender disparities in anxiety indicate the need for anxiety-specific preventive strategies that target mechanisms beyond the measured behavioral correlates.

Abstract: This paper starts with surveying the evolution of quantum-like models of cognition and decision making, transitioning from static kinematic representations to a robust dynamical framework based on open quantum systems. We provide a comprehensive analysis of the Gorini-Kossakowski-Sudarshan-Lindblad (GKSL) master equation's application in cognitive psychology and decision making, illustrating how it models mental state evolution as a dissipative process influenced by an informational environment. We categorize dynamical regimes into Passive and Active Hamiltonians, demonstrating how non-commutation with projections on decision basis serves as a mathematical signature of cognitive agency and Quantum Escape from classical equilibria. The utility of this framework is further explored through its ability to stabilize non-Nash outcomes in strategic games, such as the Prisoner's Dilemma. Building upon this dynamical foundation, we identify ``cognitive beats'' as a signature of the internal struggle between competing ``flows of mind'' deliberated at approximately equal frequencies. Distinct from the damped oscillations of simple interference, these beats emerge from a structural tension between Liouvillian channels that generates a secondary, slow-scale modulation of conviction. This beat envelope dictates the timing of peak readiness and hesitation, providing a mathematical map of the transition between conflicting cognitive states. By resolving these nested time scales, we provide a new spectral diagnostic for the depth of cognitive agency and the complexity of the underlying deliberation process. This paper develops a theoretical framework linking GKSL dynamics with quantum-like cognition and decision-making (QCDM), highlighting how dissipative quantum models can capture features of human thought and decision processes.

Abstract: One hundred and sixteen million equines are in contact with humans today and contribute to the flourishing or demise of our planet. The implications of the mental attributes attached to sentience are reviewed in the light of equine welfare and their environmental effects. A detailed assessment of sentient equines mental aptitudes points out that several mental aptitudes that have previously been considered unique to humans must also be present in equines. Several of these are then discussed including social contracts, moral agency, collective intentionality, and desire independent reason with examples from human equine interactions. Out mutual moral obligations as a consequence are discussed. As a result of this increased understanding of equine ontology (their world view), we can delineate positive welfare for equines in their husbandry, work and interactions with humans, summarised in out mutual moral obligations to each other and the environment but will need humans to emerge from many traditional practises.

Abstract: Traditional ideas about cognitive evolution often treat learning and instinct as zero-sum substitutes, where increased plasticity necessarily displaces hard-wired routines. We challenge this "substitution-only" view using economic concepts and by considering evolutionary implications of “behavioural hypercycles”: i.e., teams of modular component behaviours coordinated toward a functional task. This shows that, while intermediate brain sizes can indeed favour the substitution of instinct for flexible learning, larger nervous systems trigger a sort of "Income Effect" which changes the optimal allocation between how growing neural resources are dedicated between learning and instinct. Rather than displacing one another, sophisticated learning and extensive instinctive repertoires can evolve as adaptive complements under identifiable conditions. We further show that this trade-off is likely level-specific: evolution preferentially canalizes reusable, high-burden primitives (i.e., genetically assimilating behavioural components that are especially costly or difficult to learn) while leaving task-specific links plastic (e.g., subject to goal-directed control). Our analysis suggests that hypercyclic organization is a fundamental principle of complex agency, where instinct provides the reliable scaffold that makes sophisticated learning affordable. Our model is consistent with several lines of evidence (behavioural, genetical, neurological), likely applies broadly to any animals capable of complex behaviour, and points to a range of empirically testable predictions.

Abstract: Background: Transitional age youth aged 18-25 years are more likely to engage in risky behaviors, displaying significantly higher alcohol and illicit drug use levels than adolescents and older adults. College students are particularly vulnerable at this critical life juncture as transitioning to adulthood may impact emotional health and well-being, contributing to anxiety, depression, and feelings of hopelessness, all of which are linked to increased risk of substance use and disorders. In 2018, we launched the MAPme Project to pilot a multi-site, longitudinal, college-based study intending to increase the foundational understanding of substance use and behavior development in diverse groups of young adults. Objective: To characterize the design and status of the MAPme Project, a prospective longitudinal study centered on substance use and emotional wellness during and beyond college. Participants: The pilot cohort comprised 301 college freshmen who completed online assessments at baseline (Wave 1). Methods: We provide descriptive information on the pilot cohort, along with preliminary associations of pre- and early collegiate substance use outcomes, psychopathology, sleep patterns, and personality traits. Results: Approximately 64% of participants reported use of a substance in the 90 days leading up to college. Alcohol and cannabis were the most prevalent substances used with males consuming more alcohol than females (t-value=-2.66, p=0.01). Females reported greater levels of daily stressors and mood symptoms. Other health and personality characteristics and observed associations between psychosocial risk and protective factors are described. Prior studies demonstrate the ability to test research hypotheses in the social, health, and clinical areas of psychology with robust statistical power. Conclusions: Substance use and emotional well-being vary considerably upon entry into college/university. The MAPme Project encourages the engagement of students to address challenges associated with lack of awareness, inclusivity, and acceptance of scientific research. Overcoming barriers of inclusivity and empowering the community is key to the successful adoption and implementation of campus health and community-oriented research programs and systematically enhancing research training. Students and faculty interested in bringing MAPme to their campus community should or outreach page at https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/mapme/participant-requirements/ and sign-up page at https://forms.gle/puC7T2zS91td3rA98.

Abstract: Large language models (LLMs) show considerable promise for mental health dialogue systems, yet their deployment raises pressing concerns around safety, hallucination, reproducibility, and clinical reliability (Ji et al., 2023; Bommasani et al., 2021). We present a deterministic architecture for AI-assisted counseling that combines retrieval-augmented response generation, structured dialogue management, rule-based risk routing, and a cryptographically verifiable evaluation pipeline. The system was evaluated on two independent datasets spanning 1,895 counseling scenarios in English and Chinese. On 783 English counseling cases, the system achieved mean scores of 4.33/5 for empathy, 3.55/5 for clinical fidelity, and 4.45/5 for safety. On 1,112 Chinese cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) scenarios, the corresponding scores were 4.85/5, 4.73/5, and 4.77/5. No system failures or unintended diagnostic outputs were observed across either evaluation. Ablation experiments demonstrate that retrieval grounding and deterministic safety routing each contribute significantly to overall performance, with the former driving clinical fidelity and the latter driving safety. These results suggest that deterministic, retrieval-grounded LLM architectures can serve as a viable foundation for scalable and safe psychological support systems.