Spontaneous Discrimination of Natural Stimuli by Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

Six chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) were presented with pairs of color photographic images of 5 different categories of animals (cat, chimp, gorilla, tiger, fish). The subjects responded to each pair using symbols for same and different. Both within- and between-category discriminations were tested, and all chimpanzees classified the image pairs in accordance with the 5 experimenter-defined categories under conditions of nondifferential reinforcement. Although previous studies have demonstrated identification or discrimination of natural categories by nonhuman animals, subjects were typically differentially reinforced for their responses. The present findings demonstrate that chimpanzees can classify natural objects spontaneously and that such classifications may be similar to those that would be observed in human subjects

Nuclear transcription factors in mammalian mitochondria

Nuclear transcription factors have been detected in mammalian mitochondria and may directly regulate mitochondrial gene expression. Emerging genomics techniques may overcome outstanding challenges in this field

Effects of Rainfall on E. coli Concentrations at Door County, Wisconsin Beaches

Rainfall and its associated storm water runoff have been associated with transport of many pollutants into beach water. Fecal material, from a variety of animals (humans, pets, livestock, and wildlife), can wash into beach water following rainfall and result in microbial contamination of the beach. Many locales around the world issue pre-emptive beach closures associated with rainfall. This study looked at eight beaches located in Door County, Wisconsin, on Lake Michigan to determine the impact of rainfall on E. coli concentrations in beach water. Water samples were collected from beach water and storm water discharge pipes during rainfall events of 5 mm in the previous 24 hours. Six of the eight beaches showed a significant association between rainfall and elevated beach water E. coli concentrations. The duration of the impact of rainfall on beach water E. coli concentrations was variable (immediate to 12 hours). Amount of rainfall in the days previous to the sampling did not have significant impact on the E. coli concentrations measured in beach water. Presence of storm water conveyance pipes adjacent to the beach did not have a uniform impact on beach water E. coli concentrations. This study suggests that each beach needs to be examined on its own with regard to rain impacts on E coli concentrations in beach water

A survey of dog behavior modification practice in the UK: Who is offering it, what methods are they using and how effective do their clients perceive practitioners to be?

Thousands of dogs are relinquished each year in the UK owing to behavioral problems. Hence, there is a clear role for behavior modification therapy in the mitigation of this canine welfare risk. Since statutory regulation and a universal register of canine professionals (CPs) does not yet exist in the UK, it remains unclear who is offering such therapy, which behaviors are being treated, what types of approaches various CPs may be taking and the success (or otherwise) CPs are having. This study aimed to provide some insight into these issues from the perspective of pet dog owners (clients).An online survey of 235 participants showed that the primary reason for seeking behavior help from a CP was related to aggression, although often more than one issue was reported. Regardless of the behavior problem, no significant differences were found for the type of CP consulted (dog trainer versus behaviorist). Furthermore, in the client's opinion, there were no significant differences between CP types in their ability to improve their dog's unwanted behavior. Interestingly, behaviorists were significantly more likely than dog trainers to use ‘reward-based’ methods over ‘balanced training’ (balanced being a mix of reward and punishment; =8.226, df=1, p=0.004).In conclusion, in the current UK vacuum of statutory regulation, clients are just as likely to employ a trainer as a behaviorist, regardless of their dog's unwanted behavior. However, both CP types were equally able to facilitate behavior improvement, as reported by the client, regardless of the type of training methods (reward-based versus balanced) adopted. This study raises further questions to be explored including the client's opinion of the extent to which the ends (behavior outcomes) justify the means (e.g. punitive training methods which are likely to be aversive for the dog). Also, the general public's understanding of the potential welfare implications of the type of behavior modification plan they may or may not choose to follow

Brief mindfulness training enhances cognitive control in socioemotional contexts: Behavioral and neural evidence.

In social contexts, the dynamic nature of others' emotions places unique demands on attention and emotion regulation. Mindfulness, characterized by heightened and receptive moment-to-moment attending, may be well-suited to meet these demands. In particular, mindfulness may support more effective cognitive control in social situations via efficient deployment of top-down attention. To test this, a randomized controlled study examined effects of mindfulness training (MT) on behavioral and neural (event-related potentials [ERPs]) responses during an emotional go/no-go task that tested cognitive control in the context of emotional facial expressions that tend to elicit approach or avoidance behavior. Participants (N = 66) were randomly assigned to four brief (20 min) MT sessions or to structurally equivalent book learning control sessions. Relative to the control group, MT led to improved discrimination of facial expressions, as indexed by d-prime, as well as more efficient cognitive control, as indexed by response time and accuracy, and particularly for those evidencing poorer discrimination and cognitive control at baseline. MT also produced better conflict monitoring of behavioral goal-prepotent response tendencies, as indexed by larger No-Go N200 ERP amplitudes, and particularly so for those with smaller No-Go amplitude at baseline. Overall, findings are consistent with MT's potential to enhance deployment of early top-down attention to better meet the unique cognitive and emotional demands of socioemotional contexts, particularly for those with greater opportunity for change. Findings also suggest that early top-down attention deployment could be a cognitive mechanism correspondent to the present-oriented attention commonly used to explain regulatory benefits of mindfulness more broadly

A survey of dog behavior modification practice in the UK: Who is offering it, what methods are they using and how effective do their clients perceive practitioners to be?

Thousands of dogs are relinquished each year in the UK owing to behavioral problems. Hence, there is a clear role for behavior modification therapy in the mitigation of this canine welfare risk. Since statutory regulation and a universal register of canine professionals (CPs) does not yet exist in the UK, it remains unclear who is offering such therapy, which behaviors are being treated, what types of approaches various CPs may be taking and the success (or otherwise) CPs are having. This study aimed to provide some insight into these issues from the perspective of pet dog owners (clients). An online survey of 235 participants showed that the primary reason for seeking behavior help from a CP was related to aggression, although often more than one issue was reported. Regardless of the behavior problem, no significant differences were found for the type of CP consulted (dog trainer versus behaviorist). Furthermore, in the client's opinion, there were no significant differences between CP types in their ability to improve their dog's unwanted behavior. Interestingly, behaviorists were significantly more likely than dog trainers to use ‘reward-based’ methods over ‘balanced training’ (balanced being a mix of reward and punishment; =8.226, df=1, p=0.004). In conclusion, in the current UK vacuum of statutory regulation, clients are just as likely to employ a trainer as a behaviorist, regardless of their dog's unwanted behavior. However, both CP types were equally able to facilitate behavior improvement, as reported by the client, regardless of the type of training methods (reward-based versus balanced) adopted. This study raises further questions to be explored including the client's opinion of the extent to which the ends (behavior outcomes) justify the means (e.g. punitive training methods which are likely to be aversive for the dog). Also, the general public's understanding of the potential welfare implications of the type of behavior modification plan they may or may not choose to follow

The Formation of the Collisional Family around the Dwarf Planet Haumea

Haumea, a rapidly rotating elongated dwarf planet (~ 1500 km in diameter), has two satellites and is associated with a "family" of several smaller Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) in similar orbits. All members of the Haumea system share a water ice spectral feature that is distinct from all other KBOs. The relative velocities between the Haumea family members are too small to have formed by catastrophic disruption of a large precursor body, which is the process that formed families around much smaller asteroids in the Main Belt. Here we show that all of the unusual characteristics of the Haumea system are explained by a novel type of giant collision: a graze-and-merge impact between two comparably sized bodies. The grazing encounter imparted the high angular momentum that spun off fragments from the icy crust of the elongated merged body. The fragments became satellites and family members. Giant collision outcomes are extremely sensitive to the impact parameters. Compared to the Main Belt, the largest bodies in the Kuiper Belt are more massive and experience slower velocity collisions; hence, outcomes of giant collisions are dramatically different between the inner and outer solar system. The dwarf planets in the Kuiper Belt record an unexpectedly large number of giant collisions, requiring a special dynamical event at the end of solar system formation.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 12 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables