Stimulus repetition and the perception of time: the effects of prior exposure on temporal discrimination, judgment, and production

It has been suggested that repeated stimuli have shorter subjective duration than novel items, perhaps because of a reduction in the neural response to repeated presentations of the same object. Five experiments investigated the effects of repetition on time perception and found further evidence that immediate repetition reduces apparent duration, consistent with the idea that subjective duration is partly based on neural coding efficiency. In addition, the experiments found (a) no effect of repetition on the precision of temporal discrimination, (b) that the effects of repetition disappeared when there was a modest lag between presentations, (c) that, across participants, the size of the repetition effect correlated with temporal discrimination, and (d) that the effects of repetition suggested by a temporal production task were the opposite of those suggested by temporal judgments. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.     

Pollution going multimodal: the complex impact of the human-altered sensory environment on animal perception and performance

Anthropogenic sensory pollution is affecting ecosystems worldwide. Human actions generate acoustic noise, emanate artificial light and emit chemical substances. All of these pollutants are known to affect animals. Most studies on anthropogenic pollution address the impact of pollutants in unimodal sensory domains. High levels of anthropogenic noise, for example, have been shown to interfere with acoustic signals and cues. However, animals rely on multiple senses, and pollutants often co-occur. Thus, a full ecological assessment of the impact of anthropogenic activities requires a multimodal approach. We describe how sensory pollutants can co-occur and how covariance among pollutants may differ from natural situations. We review how animals combine information that arrives at their sensory systems through different modalities and outline how sensory conditions can interfere with multimodal perception. Finally, we describe how sensory pollutants can affect the perception, behaviour and endocrinology of animals within and across sensory modalities. We conclude that sensory pollution can affect animals in complex ways due to interactions among sensory stimuli, neural processing and behavioural and endocrinal feedback. We call for more empirical data on covariance among sensory conditions, for instance, data on correlated levels in noise and light pollution. Furthermore, we encourage researchers to test animal responses to a full-factorial set of sensory pollutants in the presence or the absence of ecologically important signals and cues. We realize that such approach is often time and energy consuming, but we think this is the only way to fully understand the multimodal impact of sensory pollution on animal performance and perception.     

Carnivores,Colonization, and Conflict: A Qualitative Case Study on the Intersectional Persecution of Predators and People in Namibia

Nonhuman carnivores have historically been demonized, lethally controlled, and extirpated throughout many parts of the world—indeed, they bear the brunt of this in some places still today. To understand why this is still occurring, it is important to appreciate the historical events that have shaped and led to this situation. We use a qualitative case study in Namibia that draws on an archival review and eight months of ethnography to describe the widespread control of nonhuman carnivores in the country, from the 1800s to the present day. Calling upon Val Plumwood’s eco-feminist typology of domination of the “Other,” and integrating it with current advances in inter- sectional theory, we explain the apparent parallels in this process of domi- nation of Namibian nonhuman predators alongside its Indigenous peoples by European settlers. We discuss the process of colonization of predators and people, highlighting how perceived power differentials provided an ideal situation to dominate these presumed “Others.” We conclude with a number of recommendations that could begin to reconcile conflicts between people and predators, and between different groups of people.     

Aggressive mimicry in neonates of the sidewinder rattlesnake,Crotalus cerastes (Serpentes: Viperidae): stimulus control and visual perception of prey luring

Aggressive mimicry in vertebrates remains understudied relative to other categories of mimetic systems, such as Batesian mimicry. Prey attraction through caudal luring (CL) is a type of aggressive mimicry that constitutes a tripartite relationship in which a predator (mimic, S2), typically a snake, produces a highly specific tail display in the presence of a prey species (receiver or operator, R) to produce a resemblance to a prey animal (model, S1), such as a worm or insect, that the receiver mistakes for food and attempts to capture. Most reports of CL in snakes, however, are not hypothesis‐based and provide limited information on the cognitive interplay between predator and prey. In two experiments, CL was studied using a large sample (N = 40) of neonatal sidewinder rattlesnakes (Crotalus cerastes) and lizards (N = 12 species) to investigate stimulus control and visual perception. In experiment 1, CL was elicited in 110 trials using lizards that were either syntopic (N = 6 species) or nonsympatric (N = 6 species) to C. cerastes, and CL occurred at a significantly greater frequency when using syntopic taxa. Similarly, syntopic lizards were attracted to luring snakes significantly more than their nonsympatric counterparts. The presence of CL in C. cerastes was not ubiquitous and we provide preliminary evidence that this behaviour varies geographically and thus has a genetic basis. In experiment 2, a potential predator (live toad) was introduced to subjects that had been stimulated to lure by means of a prey‐dummy and, in all (N = 8) trials, there was an immediate shift in the behaviour of the snakes. The most notable changes were termination of CL and a transition to species‐typical defensive displays, which included rapid tail vibration and audible rattling in individuals with two (or more) rattle segments. We discuss future directions of CL research in snakes, especially with regard to expanding the types of cognitive tests. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 95 , 81–91.     

A view from the bridge: Subjectivity,embodiment and animal minds

Abstract

In contemporary discussions of animal mind the difficulty of studying the nature of private, subjective awareness in animals is often seen as a barrier to a fuller understanding of animal experience. Relatively little work has focused on more recent psychological accounts of mind that emphasize its extended, embodied and social aspects. We examine some of the main conceptual difficulties in this area, and then consider a number of more embodied approaches. We suggest that a consideration of the nature of the animal-human relationship is crucial to a consideration of animal awareness.     

Integration of palaeontological, historical, and geographical data on the extinction of koa-finches

Identifying the root causes of extinction or endangerment requires long chronological records that begin before a population started to decline and extend until its extinction or functional extinction. We present a case study of the koa‐finches, genus Rhodacanthis, an extinct group of Hawaiian honeycreepers that was specialized to feed on green pods and seeds of the koa tree or other leguminous plants. Six island populations of koa‐finches are known; four in the Holocene fossil record and two that survived until the 1890s. We document the palaeoecological context of the fossils and identify constraints on the age span of the specimen record for each population using stratigraphic contexts, associated radiometric determinations, and museum specimen data. We estimate the potential geographical range of koa‐finches at the time of human arrival using two methods: assessment of their historical and palaeo‐habitats, and geographical information system mapping of the pre‐human distribution of the koa plant (Acacia koa) and its sister species, the koai‘a plant (Acacia koaia). After integrating the foregoing data with chronological records and distributional maps of the potential forcing agents of extinction, we conclude that at least two extinctions of island populations were due to ecological change in the lowlands in the prehistorical and perhaps the early historical periods. In the same time frame, the koa‐finch populations on Hawai‘i Island became rare and restricted to upland refugia, making them vulnerable to the upland forest harvesting and degradation that was accelerating in the 1890s. Neither climatic variation nor mosquito‐vectored diseases are likely to have caused the observed extinctions. This study illustrates an approach that can be applied to many other extinct and endangered island species to better understand the causes of high extinction rates in the human era.     

Rat Tickling in Pet Stores: Effects on Employees,Customers, and New Owners

Rat tickling is a technique used by humans with rats to mimic rough-and-tumble play, improve welfare, and reduce fear. Anecdotal information suggests that rat tickling is also beneficial for humans, yet this assertion has not been empirically validated. We hypothesized that rat tickling would be beneficial to multiple populations interacting with or viewing rats at pet stores, including employees, customers, and new rat owners. We sampled nine employees, 806 customers, and 35 rat owners in two pet stores across three replicates. Employees were assessed after caring for rats (using tickling or minimal handling methods) and after the sale of each rat with the Animal Empathy Scale and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. Customers were asked via a survey to determine which cage of rats they would purchase and which cage of rats looked the happiest. New rat owners’ reasons for purchase, satisfaction, and attachment were assessed with surveys, including the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale. Data were analyzed using general linear models (employees and owners) and generalized linear mixed models (customers). Employee affect was unaltered by handling treatment in the first four days. At the point of sale, employee positive affect was higher when selling controls versus tickled rats, pets versus feeders, and rats that had been in the store for a shorter time. Customers were more likely to identify tickled high-calling and control rats as being happier. Customers were more likely to choose rats from cages with a higher proportion of colored rats for purchasing. Owners and customers frequently cited behavioral reasons as important for selection of rats. In conclusion, based on the measures used in our study, short-term tickling of pet store rats may have minimal effects on humans. However, future research is warranted to investigate effects of more frequent or longer-term tickling.     

Carbamate kinase: New structural machinery for making carbamoyl phosphate, the common precursor of pyrimidines and arginine

The enzymes carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (CPS) and carbamate kinase (CK) make carbamoyl phosphate in the same way: by ATP-phosphorylation of carbamate. The carbamate used by CK is made chemically, whereas CPS itself synthesizes its own carbamate in a process involving the phosphorylation of bicarbonate. Bicarbonate and carbamate are analogs and the phosphorylations are carried out by homologous 40 kDa regions of the 120 kDa CPS polypeptide. CK can also phosphorylate bicarbonate and is a homodimer of a 33 kDa subunit that was believed to resemble the 40 kDa regions of CPS. Such belief is disproven now by the CK structure reported here. The structure does not conform to the biotin carboxylase fold found in the 40 kDa regions of CPS, and presents a new type of fold possibly shared by homologous acylphosphate-making enzymes. A molecular 16-stranded open beta-sheet surrounded by alpha-helices is the hallmark of the CK dimer. Each subunit also contains two smaller sheets and a large crevice found at the location expected for the active center. Intersubunit interactions are very large and involve a central hydrophobic patch and more hydrophilic peripheral contacts. The crevice holds a sulfate that may occupy the site of an ATP phosphate, and is lined by conserved residues. Site-directed mutations tested at two of these residues inactivate the enzyme. These findings support active site location in the crevice. The orientation of the crevices in the dimer precludes their physical cooperation in the catalytic process. Such cooperation is not needed in the CK reaction but is a requirement of the mechanism of CPSs.     

Examining the Impact of Naturalistic and Unnaturalistic Environmental Enrichment on Visitor Perception of Naturalness,Animal Welfare,and Conservation

Recent research shows that using different types of enrichment has little to no impact on how zoo visitors perceive the animals or the enclosure in general. The primary objective of the current research was to examine if viewing naturalistic-looking environmental enrichment (NEE) and unnaturalistic-looking environmental enrichment (UEE) has an effect on visitor perceptions of exhibit naturalness, animal welfare, and conservation, while controlling for two factors that can influence visitor perspective: animal visibility and behavior. Study 1 examined the color of enrichment: the NEE was colored to resemble a rock and the UEE was fluorescent pink. Four conditions were recorded: Naturalistic/No Animal, Naturalistic/Animal, Unnaturalistic/No Animal, and Unnaturalistic/Animal. One video was shown to 306 randomly selected visitors who then took a survey including questions on animal welfare, exhibit naturalness, and supporting conservation organizations. Naturalistic/No Animal was perceived by visitors to be the most natural environment and the best of the exhibits for an animal to live in. Study 2 examined different types of NEE and UEE. Eight photos (four with an animal and four without) showing one out of four enrichment items (naturalistic rock, wood wool bedding, traffic cone, cardboard box) were shown to 618 randomly selected visitors who then took a survey similar to study 1. Visitors rated the photos with the NEE consistently higher for questions regarding the naturalness of the exhibit, good animal welfare, and the livability of the environment. Visitors were also asked to rank the four enrichment items from best to worst, and the NEEs were ranked significantly higher than the UEEs. While there are still many unanswered questions regarding visitor perceptions of environmental enrichment in zoos, we hope that focusing on one variant such as color and examining different types of NEE and UEE can help guide future studies on this subject.     

Assistance dog placement in the pediatric population: Benefits,risks, and recommendations for future application

Abstract

Assistance animals have long been recognized for their value in enhancing the lives of adults with disabilities by increasing the physical independence, confidence, and social lives of their handlers. Recently, this concept has been applied to the growing population of children with physical disabilities and developmental impairments, though the benefits and risks of these placements have not been thoroughly assessed. Our study used interviews to evaluate the outcome of placing assistance dogs in the pediatric population, looking specifically at the unique advantages and disadvantages of this application of the human–animal bond. We administered a structured interview assessing risks and benefits of assistance dog relationships to 17 families with a child under 18 years who graduated from a single provider (NEADS) over a five-year time period. Benefits were found in 88% of families, and were overwhelmingly social and cognitive, with additional physical and medical benefits for the pediatric client. However, risks, including behavioral, financial, and time/cost issues were significant, becoming a burden in 53% of families. Perhaps more than with adult placements, we found that it was of prime importance to understand the assistance animal in the context of the family, rather than just in relation to the individual with a disability. It is hoped that results of this and future studies will enhance the welfare of both client and assistance animal, as well as the overall success of this unique human–animal relationship.     

Impact of night-float rotation on sleep,mood, and alertness: the resident's perception

Night-float rotations were designed to alleviate the workload of residents on night call and thereby improve patient safety. However, the impact of the night float on residents is yet to be surveyed. We assessed the impact of the night-float rotation on pediatric residents using an anonymous questionnaire that covered topics, based on recall, about sleep, mood, alertness, adjustment, and others. The study was conducted in a major tertiary pediatric teaching hospital in the United States. Participants were pediatric residents who had completed one or two night-float rotations and were in active training at our teaching hospital at the time of the study. Fifty-two of 60 eligible residents (87%) responded. Sleep duration during the night-float rotation was shorter than during day-shift work in 24 residents (46%), longer in 20 (38%), and unchanged in eight (15%). A higher proportion of residents took longer to fall asleep, had more difficulty falling asleep, had more sleep interruptions, and felt less rested upon awakening. Twenty-four residents (46%) felt that their bodies never adjusted to the night shift. Also, 22 residents (43%) felt moody or depressed in contrast to seven (14%) who felt depressed during the daytime rotation (p=0.0001). Twenty-one residents (41%) felt they were slower in their thinking during the night float than daytime rotations. The results suggest that disturbances of sleep and mood and decreased alertness, typical of night shift, are present in the night-float rotation. Residency programs should monitor closely the impact of the night-float rotation on resident well being and patient safety. The impact of night-shift work should be considered in the design of night-float schedules, and teaching should be provided for residents to learn coping strategies for night-shift work.     

Spousal bereavement and the cognitive health of older adults in the US: New insights on channels,single items,and subjective evidence

This study provides novel insights into older adults’ cognitive functioning before and after widowhood onset and possible effect channels. It further examines gender heterogeneity in the adaptation to (anticipated or actual) spousal bereavement, comparing objective evidence with subjective evidence of cognitive abilities. We used longitudinal data of up to 26,584 participants of the Health and Retirement Study, aged over 50 at recruitment, assessed biennially between 1998 and 2016. Two-way fixed effects with dynamic treatment effects were estimated for various cognitive measures, including six aggregated indices and six single item scales. After adjusting for effect channels including depression, social vulnerability, and stress, there remained significant widowhood effects on older adults’ cognitive health. Using single item scales, we established the adverse contemporaneous and adaptation effects on bereaved older females’ short-term memory, semantic memory, and numeracy. For bereaved older males, working memory and focus-of-attention deteriorated after widowhood onset. Meanwhile, subjective memory rating remained intact, contrary to objective evidence. We conclude that cognitive transitions to and from widowhood can exhibit distinctive patterns across objective and subjective cognitive domains. With the effect channels in mind, cognitive intervention for widowed older adults should be tailored to the temporal distance to spousal loss, gender, and task.     

Additive effects on the improvement of insecticidal activity: Design,synthesis, and insecticidal activity of novel pymetrozine derivatives

A series of new pymetrozine analogues containing both methyl on the imine carbon and phenoxy group at the pyridine ring were designed and synthesized. Their insecticidal activities against bean aphid (Aphis craccivora), mosquito larvae (Culex pipiens pallens), cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) and oriental armyworm (Mythimna separata) were evaluated. The results of bioassays indicated that most of the target compounds showed good insecticidal activity against bean aphid; especially, IIIf (80%) and IIIl (80%) exhibited higher aphicidal activity than pymetrozine (30%) at 5 mg/kg, and the two compounds still showed 20% and 30% mortality at 2.5 mg/kg, respectively, whereas pymetrozine displayed no activity at the same concentration. These compounds exhibited a completely different structure–activity relationship to that of known pymetrozine derivatives, in which it is thought introducing alkyl group on the imine carbon could be detrimental to the activities. Our new result suggested that the methyl on the imine carbon and phenoxy group at the pyridine ring of phenoxy group may play additive effects on the improvement of aphicidal activity. Besides this, compound IIIs, containing an allyl at the para position of phenoxy group, exhibited excellent insecticidal activity against mosquito larvae, lepidoptera pests cotton bollworm, corn borer and oriental armyworm.     

Influence of the protonation,deprotonation and transition metal ions on the fluorescence of 8-hydroxyquinoline: a computational study

8-Hydroxyquinoline (8HyQ) and its derivatives are the important constituents in a variety of pharmaceutical compounds. The effect of protonation and deprotonation of 8HyQ on its electronic structure and fluorescence was investigated using B3LYP/6-311G** level of theory. We also investigated the interaction of chemosensor, 8HyQ, with different transition metals (Zn²⁺, Fe²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Co²⁺) at the same level. Our results revealed that 8HyQ displays an unusual fluorescence intensity–proton transfer relationship with diminished emission in a protonated form but enhanced emission in a deprotonated form. The Zn²⁺, Fe²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Co²⁺ complexes of 8HyQ, which were investigated at the same level of theory, showed that the order of binding energies was 8HyQ-Ni²⁺>8HyQ-Zn²⁺>8HyQ-Co²⁺>8HyQ-Fe²⁺. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations indicated that Zn ion enhances the fluorescence of 8HyQ as a consequence of the inhibition of the proton transfer. The results are in good agreement between the predicted properties of transition metal complexes of 8HyQ and previously published experimental and theoretical results. A natural bond orbital analysis was performed to understand the nature of hydrogen-bonding interaction in 8HyQ and also to reveal the inter-relations between electronic structure and other properties.     

Life history of the endangered Japanese striped loach,Cobitis kaibarai (Cypriniformes: Cobitidae), with special reference to its reproductive ecology and the influence of creek reshapings on its population density

In recent years, the biodiversity of freshwater fishes has been markedly decreasing worldwide because of anthropogenic activities. The Japanese striped loach, Cobitis kaibarai (Cypriniformes: Cobitidae), is a primary freshwater fish endemic to northern Kyushu, Japan. This species is designated as endangered IB class in the Red List by the Japan Ministry of the Environment. Its population is decreasing, possibly because of habitat loss and degradation. To conserve C. kaibarai populations, information on its basic ecology is necessary; nonetheless, its detailed life history and reproductive ecology have yet to be clarified. In this study, the authors conducted monthly capture–mark–recapture surveys and periodical observations to investigate the life history, spawning sites and season of C. kaibarai. They also evaluated the influence of creek reshaping (concrete revetment) on the C. kaibarai population in Saga Plain, northern Kyushu. Between 2015 and 2018, more individuals were captured during winter than summer. The average body width of females peaked in early June and small immatures were confirmed from July. Some individuals were captured across 15 or more months after their initial marking. In the survey of reproductive sites, eggs and larvae of C. kaibarai were found in shallow areas in mid-June; these were temporarily submerged following the increase in water level from early June. Therefore, C. kaibarai spawns in shallow areas during this season. Based on the capture–mark–recapture surveys, the estimated population density of C. kaibarai significantly decreased in a census site that had undergone creek reshaping, which contrasted with the results in a control site, where no significant difference was detected. The standard length of C. kaibarai increased following creek reshaping, suggesting that the proportion of C. kaibarai postponing spawning had increased, possibly because of degradation of spawning environments. The results of this study provide important ecological knowledge for the conservation of C. kaibarai and emphasize the importance of shallow waters for floodplain spawners.     

Community of bat flies (Streblidae and Nycteribiidae) on bats in the Cerrado of Central-West Brazil: hosts,aggregation, prevalence,infestation intensity,and infracommunities

Streblidae and Nycteribiidae are families of bloodsucking flies that parasitize bats exclusively. We studied the community of these flies in a Cerrado area in the Central-West Brazil. We captured 708 bats over 17 nights from October 2012 to March 2013. Forty-five per cent of the hosts were parasitized by 836 specimens of bat flies of 22 species. The most abundant flies were Trichobius joblingi on Carollia perspicillata, followed by Megistopoda aranea on Artibeus planirostris, and Strebla guajiro on C. perspicillata. All bat flies showed a high level of specificity for their hosts. Trichobius joblingi was the bat fly with the highest prevalence (80%) and mean intensity of infestation (3.5) on hosts with a representative sample size (n > 20). This result is likely related to the type of roosting (cavity) used by C. perspicillata, primary host of this fly species. Anoura caudifer hosted the largest infracommunities (n = 7). However, most bats were parasitized by a single fly species, suggesting a pattern in infestations. The aggregation index was high, indicating an unequal occurrence in parasite infestations. The majority of hosts were infested by few or no flies and few hosts were highly infested, showing a negative binomial distribution.     

Vasoactive intestinal peptide effects on GH3 pituitary tumor cells: high affinity binding, affinity labeling, and adenylate cyclase stimulation. Comparison with peptide histidine isoleucine and growth hormone-releasing factor

The vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) receptor was characterized on the GH3 rat pituitary tumor cell line using competitive binding studies with peptides having sequence homology with VIP. Further studies investigated receptor coupling to the adenylate cyclase complex by measurement of cAMP levels. Finally, the molecular weight of the receptor was estimated by affinity labeling techniques. Studies using 125I-VIP and unlabeled competing peptides revealed a single class of high affinity binding sites with a dissociation constant (KD) of 17 +/- 2 nM (mean +/- S.E.M.) for VIP, 275 +/- 46 nM for peptide histidine isoleucine (PHI), and 1380 +/- 800 nM for human pancreatic growth hormone releasing factor (GHRF). VIP and PHI each stimulated intracellular cAMP accumulation in a dose-dependent manner; both peptides demonstrated synergism with forskolin. In contrast, GHRF neither stimulated accumulation of cAMP nor demonstrated synergism with forskolin. VIP plus PHI (1 microM each) caused no significant increase in cAMP over either VIP or PHI alone, implying that the two peptides act through the same receptor. Covalent crosslinking of 125I-VIP to its binding site using either disuccinimidyl suberate (DSS) or ethylene glycol bis(succinimidyl succinate) (EGS) was followed by SDS-PAGE and autoradiography. The result is consistent with an Mr 47 000 VIP-binding subunit comprising or being associated with the VIP receptor of GH3 pituitary tumor cells.