Adaptive Calibration of Dyadic Sexual Desire Is Sex Differentiated and Disrupted by Hormonal Contraceptives.

Adaptive calibration models suggest that features of people's childhood ecologies can shape their reproductive outcomes in adulthood. Given the importance of dyadic sexual desire (i.e., desire for sex with a partner) for relationships and reproduction, we examined the extent to which people's childhood ecologies-especially the unpredictability of those ecologies-adaptively calibrate such desire. Nevertheless, because female (versus male) sexual desire is presumed to be more sensitive to situational factors, and because hormonal contraceptives alter myriad aspects of female physiology that influence female sexual desire, we predicted that adaptive calibration of dyadic sexual desire would emerge more strongly for naturally cycling females (versus females who use hormonal contraceptives and versus males). In Study 1, a total of 630 participants (159 males, 203 naturally cycling females, and 268 females using hormonal contraceptives) completed questionnaires assessing the harshness and unpredictability of their childhood ecologies as well as their sexual desire. Consistent with predictions, childhood unpredictability (but not harshness) was positively associated with dyadic (but not solitary) sexual desire among naturally cycling females (but not among females using hormonal contraceptives nor among males). Study 2, which consisted of 736 females (307 naturally cycling females, 429 females using hormonal contraceptives), replicated this pattern of results for females. These findings add to a growing literature suggesting that the instability of people's early childhood ecologies can adaptively calibrate their adult reproductive motivations and behaviors, including their dyadic sexual desire. Not only is the current finding among the first to show that some adaptive calibration processes may be sex differentiated, it further highlights that hormonal contraceptives, which alter the evolved reproductive physiology of females, may disrupt adaptive calibration processes (though such disruption may not be inherently negative).

Adrenocortical Responses to Daily Stressors Are Calibrated by Early Life Adversity: An Investigation of the Adaptive Calibration Model.

Studies examining the impact of early adversity on physiological responsivity to environmental challenges in later life yield a complex pattern of findings and ambiguity regarding the direction of effect, with some studies reporting heightened responses and others reporting dampened responses. One potential reason for these mixed findings is an oversimplified theoretical model surrounding the connection between early life stressor exposure and subsequent stress responsivity. The adaptive calibration model offersa contemporary set of assumptions aimed at providing a better understanding of the ways that early life experiences shape the stress response system to better align with current and future environments. The current study utilized a large subsample from the National Study of Daily Experiences (N = 1,605) to examine the extent to which the association between daily stressor exposure and cortisol levels varies across levels of early life adversity. Results revealed that those individuals who experienced extremely low levels of early life adversity displayed the greatest increase in cortisol levels across the day as daily stressor exposure increased. Alternatively, those individuals who experienced extremely high levels of early life adversity displayed almost no change in diurnal production of cortisol as daily stressor exposure increased. The results are discussed within the evolutionary-developmental context of the adaptive calibration model along with suggestions for future research.

Relationships Between Telomere Length, Plasma Glucagon-like Peptide 1, and Insulin in Early-Life Stress-Exposed Nonhuman Primates.

Background: Early-life stress is associated with alterations in telomere length, a marker of accumulated stress and aging, and a risk factor for psychiatric disorders. Nonhuman primate maternal variable foraging demand (VFD) is a validated early-life stress model, resulting in anxiety- and depressive-like symptoms in offspring. Previous studies reported increased plasma glucagon-like peptide 1 (pGLP-1) along with insulin resistance in this model. We investigated whether VFD rearing related to adult telomere length and to these neuroendocrine markers. Methods: Adult leukocyte telomere length was measured in VFD-reared (12 males, 13 females) and non-VFD-reared (9 males, 26 females) bonnet macaques. Associations between adult telomere length and adolescent fasting pGLP-1 or insulin resistance in VFD-reared versus non-VFD-reared groups were examined using regression modeling, controlling for sex, weight, and age. Results: VFD subjects had relatively longer telomeres than non-VFD subjects (p = .017), and females relatively longer than males (p = .0004). Telomere length was positively associated with pGLP-1 (p = .0009) and with reduced insulin sensitivity (p < .0001) in both sexes, but not as a function of rearing group. Conclusions: Unexpectedly, VFD was associated with longer adult telomere length. Insulin resistance may lead to higher pGLP-1 levels in adolescence, which could protect telomere length in VFD offspring as adults. Associations between adult telomere length and adolescent insulin resistance and high pGLP-1 may reflect an adaptive, compensatory response after early-life stress exposure.

An Adaptive Calibration Algorithm Based on RSSI and LDPLM for Indoor Ranging and Positioning.

The positioning algorithm based on received signal strength indication (RSSI) and the logarithmic distance path loss model (LDPLM) is widely used in indoor positioning scenarios due to its convenient detection and low costs. However, the classic LDPLM with fixed coefficients and fixed error estimation usually reduces the ranging accuracy, but it is rarely studied in previous literature. This study proposes an adaptive calibration ranging algorithm based on LDPLM, which consists of two parts: coefficient adaptive algorithm and error correction algorithm. The coefficient adaptive algorithm is derived by utilizing the error theory and the least squares method. The error correction algorithm is defined as the linear regression equation, in which coefficients are determined by the least squares method. In addition, to reduce the influence of RSSI's fluctuation on ranging accuracy, we propose a simple but effective filtering algorithm based on Gaussian. The experimental results show that compared with the classic LDPLM and polynomial fitting model, the ranging accuracy of the proposed algorithm is improved by 58% and 51%, respectively, and the positioning cumulative prediction error of the proposed model is reduced by 69% and 80%, respectively.

Is it good to be bad? An evolutionary analysis of the adaptive potential of psychopathic traits.

Although psychopathy is widely conceptualised as a mental disorder, some researchers question the maladaptive nature of psychopathy, and argue that it might be advantageous from an evolutionary point of view. According to this view, psychopathy can be seen as an evolutionary adaptative strategy that relies on deception and manipulation to gain short-term reproductive benefits. Psychopathy is also identified as a fast life strategy in response to early life stress and an adaptation to harsh environments. This paper investigates the evidence that psychopathic traits are adaptive, while also addressing the limitations of current evolutionary models of psychopathy based on frequency-dependent selection and life history theory. We review recent studies on the fitness correlates of psychopathy and find that psychopathic traits present potential adaptive trade-offs between fertility and mortality, and offspring quantity and quality. On a proximate level, individual differences in stress reactivity and environmental risk factors in early development predispose to psychopathy through gene-environment interactions. We propose that environmental, developmental, social and cultural factors can mediate the relationship between psychopathic traits and fitness and therefore should be considered to make accurate predictions on the adaptive potential of psychopathy. We end by outlining gaps in the literature and making recommendations for future evolutionary research on psychopathy.

Future-Proofing Startups: Stress Management Principles Based on Adaptive Calibration Model and Active Inference Theory.

In this paper, the Adaptive Calibration Model (ACM) and Active Inference Theory (AIT) are related to future-proofing startups. ACM encompasses the allocation of energy by the stress response system to alternative options for action, depending upon individuals' life histories and changing external contexts. More broadly, within AIT, it is posited that humans survive by taking action to align their internal generative models with sensory inputs from external states. The first contribution of the paper is to address the need for future-proofing methods for startups by providing eight stress management principles based on ACM and AIT. Future-proofing methods are needed because, typically, nine out of ten startups do not survive. A second contribution is to relate ACM and AIT to startup life cycle stages. The third contribution is to provide practical examples that show the broader relevance ACM and AIT to organizational practice. These contributions go beyond previous literature concerned with entrepreneurial stress and organizational stress. In particular, rather than focusing on particular stressors, this paper is focused on the recalibrating/updating of startups' stress responsivity patterns in relation to changes in the internal state of the startup and/or changes in the external state. Overall, the paper makes a contribution to relating physics of life constructs concerned with energy, action and ecological fitness to human organizations.

Developmental programming of oxytocin through variation in early-life stress: Four meta-analyses and a theoretical reinterpretation.

Despite evidence supporting a role for oxytocin (OT) in regulating social behavior, surprisingly little is known about how this neuropeptide is calibrated during development. We systematically reviewed empirical studies in humans (k = 86 publications reporting on 66 independent samples; N = 7319) that examined associations between early-life stress and three OT system components: endogenous OT, methylation of the OT receptor gene (OXTRm), and biological and behavioral responses to intranasally administered OT. In a series of meta-analyses, we found some evidence that people who grew up under more adverse conditions tend to have lower endogenous OT (children: r = .12; adults: r = .09), that early adversity is associated with higher levels of OXTRm (r = .02), and that adults who report lower levels of childhood adversity tend to show more positive responses to intranasally administered OT (r = .12). These results were found in typical populations, and were in most cases absent in clinical samples. We discuss these findings in terms of both the prevailing medical model (focusing on the harmful effects of early-life stress) and the adaptive calibration model (focusing on developmental adaptation of biobehavioral systems to early conditions) and suggest that an adaptation-based approach could meaningfully advance research and intervention on the sequelae of early adversity.

Profiles of autonomic stress responsivity in a sample of justice-involved youth: Associations with childhood trauma exposure and emotional and behavioral functioning.

A limited number of studies have begun to investigate how the coordinated actions of distinct physiological systems may be related to the development of psychopathology. However, the form taken by these patterns of coordination as well as their antecedents and developmental implications remain to be clarified. The Adaptive Calibration Model (ACM) proposes four prototypical patterns of physiological stress responsivity and corresponding behavioral patterns, which are further tied to varying levels of childhood adversity. The current study is among the first to investigate whether patterns of sympathetic and parasympathetic stress responsivity predicted by the ACM generalize to a sample of justice-involved youth with disproportionately high rates of childhood trauma exposure. Psychophysiological and self-report data were collected from 822 justice-involved youth (182 girls) ages 12-19 years. Latent profile analyses yielded five profiles of physiological responsivity that largely corresponded to the patterns proposed by the ACM. Further, these profiles demonstrated predicted associations with self-reported emotionality and adjustment. Trauma exposure was associated with a lower likelihood of membership in one of the profiles showing blunted physiological responsivity. Our discussion highlights ways in which insights from the ACM may inform understanding about linkages between physiology and adjustment.

Women's Cortisol Stress Responsivity, Sexual Arousability, and Sexual History.

Life history theory and the adaptive calibration model state that characteristics of one's early environment influence individual differences in both neuroendocrine reactivity to stress and sexual risk-taking behavior. However, few studies have directly examined the relationship between neuroendocrine reactivity to stress and risky sexual behavior. This study used multilevel modeling to test whether cortisol reactivity and recovery in response to laboratory stress were associated with women's history of sexual behavior and their sexual arousability in response to laboratory sexual stimuli. Participants were 65 women (35% heterosexual, 44% bisexual, and 21% lesbian) who completed two laboratory sessions, two weeks apart. Women's self-reported sexual arousability to sexual stimuli interacted with their sexual abuse history to predict their trajectories of cortisol stress reactivity and recovery. Cortisol reactivity and recovery were not associated with women's sexual risk taking, such as the age of sexual debut, sociosexuality, or lifetime number of sexual partners.

Hair cortisol concentrations in war-affected adolescents: A prospective intervention trial.

Temporal examinations of the biological signature of stress or trauma in war-affected populations are seldom undertaken. Moreover, few studies have examined whether stress biomarkers track biological sensitivity to brief interventions targeting the improvement of psychosocial wellbeing. Our study is the first to prospectively examine, in war-affected adolescents, the associations between hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) and self-reports of stress, insecurity, posttraumatic reactions, and lifetime trauma. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to test the impact of an 8-week intervention based on profound stress attunement. We collected data for a gender-balanced sample of 733 Syrian refugee (n = 411) and Jordanian non-refugee (n = 322) adolescents (12-18 years), at three time-points. We used growth mixture models to classify cortisol trajectories, and growth models to evaluate intervention impact on stress physiology. We observed three trajectories of HCC: hypersecretion, medium secretion, and hyposecretion (9.6%, 87.5% and 2.9% of the cohort, respectively). For every one percent increase in levels of insecurity, adolescents were 0.02 times more likely to have a trajectory of hypersecretion (95% CI: 1.00, 1.03, p = 0.01). For each additional symptom of posttraumatic stress reported, they were 0.07 times less likely to show hyposecretion (95% CI: 0.89, 0.98, p = 0.01). Indeed, stronger posttraumatic stress reactions were associated with a pattern of within-individual cortisol dysregulation and medium secretion. Overall, HCC decreased by a third in response to the intervention (95% CI: -0.19, -0.03, p = 0.01). While the intervention decreased HCC for youth with hypersecretion and medium secretion, it increased HCC for youth with hyposecretion (95% CI: 0.22, 1.16, p = 0.004), relative to controls. This suggests a beneficial regularization of cortisol levels, corroborating self-reports of improved psychosocial wellbeing. We did not find evidence to suggest that gender, resilience, or posttraumatic stress disorder influenced the strength or direction of responses to the intervention. This robust impact evaluation exemplifies the utility of biomarkers for tracking physiological changes in response to interventions over time. It enhances the understanding of trajectories of endocrine response in adverse environments and patterns of stress responsivity to ecological improvement.

Patterns of joint parasympathetic, sympathetic, and adrenocortical activity and their associations with temperament in early childhood.

Evidence has accrued to show that autonomic and adrenocortical systems act in coordination to facilitate responses to environmental opportunities and threats. In the current study, we used cluster analysis to examine whether individual differences in patterns of joint baseline activity among the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis are associated with parent-reported temperamental positive and negative affectivity in 36-month old children. The resulting clusters corresponded to the sensitive, buffered, and vigilant patterns as predicted by the adaptive calibration model of stress responsivity (Del Giudice et al., 2011) and included a novel pattern. Cluster memberships predicted differences in overall negative affectivity and its subscales, but no associations were found with positive affectivity. These results provide evidence that the joint activity of physiological systems at rest may underlie temperamental differences in negative affect.

A correction method using a support vector machine to minimize hematocrit interference in blood glucose measurements.

Point-of-care testing glucose meters are widely used, important tools for determining the blood glucose levels of people with diabetes, patients in intensive care units, pregnant women, and newborn infants. However, a number of studies have concluded that a change in hematocrit (Hct) levels can seriously affect the accuracy of glucose measurements. The aim of this study was to develop an algorithm for glucose calculation with improved accuracy using the Hct compensation method that minimizes the effects of Hct on glucose measurements. The glucose concentrations in this study were calculated with an adaptive calibration curve using linear fitting prediction and a support vector machine, which minimized the bias in the glucose concentrations caused by the Hct interference. This was followed by an evaluation of performance according to the international organization for standardization (ISO) 15197:2013 based on bias with respect to the reference method, the coefficient of variation, and the valid blood samples/total blood samples within the ±20% and 15% error grids. Chronoamperometry was performed to verify the effect of Hct variation and to compare the proposed method. As a result, the average coefficients of variation for chronoamperometry and the Hct compensation method were 2.43% and 3.71%, respectively, while the average biases (%) for these methods were 12.08% and 5.69%, respectively. The results of chronoamperometry demonstrated that a decrease in Hct levels increases glucose concentrations, whereas an increase in Hct levels reduces glucose concentrations. Finally, the proposed method has improved the accuracy of glucose measurements compared to existing chronoamperometry methods.