Do capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella) use exploration to form intuitions about physical properties?

We are grateful to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and the University of St Andrews for core financial support to the RZSS Edinburgh Zoo’s Living Links Research Facility where this project was carried out.Humans’ flexible innovation relies on our capacity to accurately predict objects’ behaviour. These predictions may originate from a “physics-engine” in the brain which simulates our environment. To explore the evolutionary origins of intuitive physics, we investigate whether capuchin monkeys’ object exploration supports learning. Two capuchin groups experienced exploration sessions involving multiple copies of two objects, one object was easily opened (functional), the other was not (non-functional). We used two within-subject conditions (enrichment-then-test, and test-only) with two object sets per group. Monkeys then underwent individual test sessions where the objects contained rewards, and they choose one to attempt to open. The monkeys spontaneously explored, performing actions which yielded functional information. At test, both groups chose functional objects above chance. While high performance of the test-only group precluded us from establishing learning during exploration, this study reveals the promise of harnessing primates’ natural exploratory tendencies to understand how they see the world.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Book Reviews

Reviews of the following books: The Bonds of Womanhood: Woman\u27s Sphere in New England, 1780-1835 by Nancy F. Cott; Wildfire Loose: The Week Maine Burned by Joyce Butler; The Peoples Lewiston-Auburn Maine, 1875-1975 by John A. Rand; Big Dreams and Little Wheels by Ruth Crosby Wiggi

Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of digital technologies in mental health systems: a qualitative systematic review to inform a policy framework

Background: Despite the potential for improved population mental health and wellbeing, the integration of mental health digital interventions has been difficult to achieve. In this qualitative systematic review, we aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to the implementation of digital technologies in mental healthcare systems, and map these to an implementation framework to inform policy development. Methods: We searched Medline, Embase, Scopus, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for primary research articles published between January 2010 and 2022. Studies were considered eligible if they reported barriers and/or facilitators to the integration of any digital mental healthcare technologies. Data were extracted using EPPI-Reviewer Web and analysed thematically via inductive and deductive cycles. Results: Of 12,525 references identified initially, 81 studies were included in the final analysis. Barriers and facilitators were grouped within an implementation (evidence-practice gap) framework across six domains, organised by four levels of mental healthcare systems. Broadly, implementation was hindered by the perception of digital technologies as impersonal tools that add additional burden of care onto both providers and patients, and change relational power asymmetries; an absence of resources; and regulatory complexities that impede access to universal coverage. Facilitators included person-cantered approaches that consider patients’ intersectional features e.g., gender, class, disability, illness severity; evidence-based training for providers; collaboration among colleagues; appropriate investment in human and financial resources; and policy reforms that tackle universal access to digital health. Conclusion: It is important to consider the complex and interrelated nature of barriers across different domains and levels of the mental health system. To facilitate the equitable, sustainable, and long-term digital transition of mental health systems, policymakers should consider a systemic approach to collaboration between public and private sectors to inform evidence-based planning and strengthen mental health systems. Protocol registration: The protocol is registered on PROSPERO, CRD42021276838

E box motifs as mediators of proviral latency of human retroviruses

The palindromic sequence motifs (CANNTG) known as E boxes are considered as binding sites for the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) class of DNA-binding proteins. Their presence has been reported in the long terminal repeats (LTR) of the HIV-1 and HTLV-1 proviruses. Their close proximity with the TATA region of both LTRs indicates that the bHLH proteins may act as important regulators of the function of proviral transcription. Indeed, observations on HIV-1 and recent results on HTLV-1 underline that these E boxes may be critically involved in the regulation of the proviral transcription of these human retroviruses. Indeed, of the two E boxes flanking the TATA sequences of the HIV-1 provirus, the 3' E box has been implicated in the transcriptional inhibition of viral gene expression. Such a role might also be played by the unique 5' E box present in the HTLV-1 LTR. In both cases, the expression of tissue-specfic bHLH proteins, like TAL1 might counteract the inhibitory effect exerted by E box proteins, thereby increasing proviral transcription. Finally, a phylogenetic study encompassing several subtypes of these two human retroviruses underlines that these E box motifs have recently appeared in the proviral LTRs and may be considered as potential mediators in the establishment of proviral latency

A social-ecological approach to conservation planning: embedding social considerations

Many conservation plans remain unimplemented, in part because of insufficient consideration of the social processes that influence conservation decisions. Complementing social considerations with an integrated understanding of the ecology of a region can result in a more complete conservation approach. We suggest that linking conservation planning to a social-ecological systems (SES) framework can lead to a more thorough understanding of human-environment interactions and more effective integration of social considerations. By characterizing SES as a set of subsystems, and their interactions with each other and with external factors, the SES framework can improve our understanding of the linkages between social and ecological influences on the environment. Using this framework can help to identify socially and ecologically focused conservation actions that will benefit ecosystems and human communities, and assist in the development of more consistent evidence for evaluating conservation actions by comparing conservation case studies

Validating a common tick survey method: cloth-dragging and line transects

Cloth-dragging is the most widely-used method for collecting and counting ticks, but there are few studies of its reliability. By using cloth-dragging, we applied a replicated line transects survey method, in two areas in Sweden with different Ixodes ricinus tick-densities (low at Grimsö and high at Bogesund) to evaluate developmental stage specific repeatability, agreement and precision in estimates of tick abundance. 'Repeatability' was expressed as the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), 'agreement' with the Total Deviation Index (TDI) and 'precision' by the coefficient of variation (CV) for a given dragging distance. Repeatability (ICC) and agreement (TDI) were higher for the most abundant instar (nymphs) and in the area of higher abundance. At Bogesund tick counts were higher than at Grimsö and so also repeatability, with fair to substantial ICC estimates between 0.22 and 0.75, and TDI ranged between 1 and 44.5 counts of difference (thus high to moderate agreement). At Grimsö, ICC was poor to moderate and ranged between 0 and 0.59, whereas TDI remained low with estimates lower or equal to 1 count (thus high agreement). Despite a 100-fold lower abundance at Grimsö, the same level of precision for nymphs could be achieved with a 70% increase of dragging effort. We conclude that the cloth-dragging technique is useful for surveying ticks' and primarily to estimate abundance of the nymphal stage, whereas it rarely will be recommended for larvae and adults

Visual Attention Relates to Operator Performance in Spacecraft Docking Training

BACKGROUND: Manually controlled docking of a spacecraft to a space station is an operational task that poses high demands on cognitive and perceptual functioning. Effective processing of visual information is crucial for success. Eye tracking can reveal the operator’s attentional focus unobtrusively and objectively. Therefore, our aim was to test the feasibility of eye tracking during a simulation of manual docking and to identify links between visual information processing and performance. METHODS: We hypothesized that duration and number of gazes to specific regions of interest of the simulation (total dwell time and number of dwells) would be associated with docking accuracy. Eye movements were recorded in 10 subjects (30% women, M = 33.4 yr old) during the 6° head-down tilt bed rest study AGBRESA during 20 training sessions with the 6df learning program for spacecraft docking. RESULTS: Subjects’ gaze was directed most frequently and longest to the vizor (185 dwells and 22,355 ms per task) followed by the two instrument displays (together 75 dwells and 4048 ms per task). We observed a significant positive relationship between number and duration of visual checks of speed and distance to the docking point and the accuracy of the docking maneuver. DISCUSSION: In conclusion, eye tracking provides valuable information related to docking accuracy that might prospectively offer the opportunity to improve docking training effectiveness

Malaria and Dengue mosquito vectors from Lao PDR show a lack of the rdl mutant allele responsible for cyclodiene insecticide resistance

The gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, RDL, plays important roles in neuronal signalling and is the target of highly effective insecticides. A mutation in RDL, commonly A296S, underlies resistance to several insecticides such as cyclodienes. Even though the use of cyclodienes has been banned, the occurrence of mutations substituting A296 is notably high in mosquitoes from several countries. Here we report a survey investigating the prevalence of the Rdl mutant allele in mosquitoes from Laos, a country where mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever are health concerns. Anopheles and Aedes mosquitoes were collected from twelve provinces in Laos. Adult bioassays on Ae. aegypti (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Culicidae) and Ae. albopictus (Skuse) showed that all the populations tested were susceptible to dieldrin (4%) following WHO protocols. Exon 7 from a total of 791 mosquitoes was sequenced to identify the amino acid encoded for at 296 of RDL. Only one of these mosquitoes, Anopheles maculatus rampae (Diptera: Culicidae) from Attapeu, carried the mutant allele being heterozygous for A296S. We therefore found a general lack of the Rdl mutant allele indicating that mosquitoes from Laos are not exposed to insecticides that act on the GABA receptor compared to mosquitoes in several other countries. Identifying the prevalence of the Rdl mutation may help inform the potential use of alternative insecticides that act on the GABA receptor should there be a need to replace pyrethroids in order to prevent/manage resistance