Capturing Micro-Expressions on Zoom: A Promising Sales Opportunity

The subtleties of salesmanship are changing in this virtual world of online communication. This proof-ofconcept study examines the feasibility of capturing customer images at the two, ten, and thirty-second intervals following a Zoom platform's sales query. A captured image underwent a micro-expression analysis employing a computer-driven program that generates an emotional-algorithm analyzing the emotions of happy, neutral, sad, disgust, fear, surprise, and anger. This algorithm enabled researchers to predict a purchase-decision using proprietary artificial intelligence software. Findings suggest that microexpressions captured at the two-second interval exhibited a significant relationship with a customer's purchase decision. A summary table provides a detailed overview of all results using the acronym [MICRO]

Near-infrared spectroscopy as a tool for marine mammal research and care

This project was partially funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment Programme. Supplementary funding supporting JM was provided by the US Office of Naval Research (ONR) grant nos. N00014-18-1-2062 and N00014-20-1-2709. Supplementary funding supporting AF and JM was provided by the US Office of Naval Research (ONR) grant no. N00014-19-1-2560. Supplementary funding supporting BS-C, JK, and AR was provided by the US Office of Naval Research (ONR) grant no. N00014-19-1-1223.Developments in wearable human medical and sports health trackers has offered new solutions to challenges encountered by eco-physiologists attempting to measure physiological attributes in freely moving animals. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is one such solution that has potential as a powerful physio-logging tool to assess physiology in freely moving animals. NIRS is a non-invasive optics-based technology, that uses non-ionizing radiation to illuminate biological tissue and measures changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin concentrations inside tissues such as skin, muscle, and the brain. The overall footprint of the device is small enough to be deployed in wearable physio-logging devices. We show that changes in hemoglobin concentration can be recorded from bottlenose dolphins and gray seals with signal quality comparable to that achieved in human recordings. We further discuss functionality, benefits, and limitations of NIRS as a standard tool for animal care and wildlife tracking for the marine mammal research community.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Shining new light on mammalian diving physiology using wearable near-infrared spectroscopy

Investigation of marine mammal dive-by-dive blood distribution and oxygenation has been limited by a lack of non-invasive technology for use in freely diving animals. Here, we developed a non-invasive near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) device to measure relative changes in blood volume and haemoglobin oxygenation continuously in the blubber and brain of voluntarily diving harbour seals. Our results show that seals routinely exhibit preparatory peripheral vasoconstriction accompanied by increased cerebral blood volume approximately 15 s before submersion. These anticipatory adjustments confirm that blood redistribution in seals is under some degree of cognitive control that precedes the mammalian dive response. Seals also routinely increase cerebral oxygenation at a consistent time during each dive, despite a lack of access to ambient air. We suggest that this frequent and reproducible reoxygenation pattern, without access to ambient air, is underpinned by previously unrecognised changes in cerebral drainage. The ability to track blood volume and oxygenation in different tissues using NIRS will facilitate a more accurate understanding of physiological plasticity in diving animals in an increasingly disturbed and exploited environment

Fur seals do, but sea lions don’t – cross taxa insights into exhalation during ascent from dives

Many agencies provided funding and logistical support for the various research efforts resulting in the data presented here: the South African Department of Science and Technology, administered by the National Research Foundation and the Department of Environmental Affairs for subantarctic fur seal work; the Australian Research Council (DP110102065), Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment and the Office of Naval Research (Marine Mammals and Biological Oceanography Program Award no. N00014-10-1-0385) for Australian fur seal work; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) via grants to the Alaska SeaLife Center and the National Marine Mammal Laboratory, with additional funding and logistical support from North Pacific Wildlife Consulting for Steller sea lion and northern fur seal (Russia) work; the National Marine Mammal Laboratory, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA for northern fur seal (Alaska) work. Research support for R.W. Davis was provided by the National Science Foundation.Management of gases during diving is not well understood across marine mammal species. Prior to diving, phocid (true) seals generally exhale, a behaviour thought to assist with the prevention of decompression sickness. Otariid seals (fur seals and sea lions) have a greater reliance on their lung oxygen stores, and inhale prior to diving. One otariid, the Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella), then exhales during the final 50–85% of the return to the surface, which may prevent another gas management issue: shallow-water blackout. Here, we compare data collected from animal-attached tags (video cameras, hydrophones and conductivity sensors) deployed on a suite of otariid seal species to examine the ubiquity of ascent exhalations for this group. We find evidence for ascent exhalations across four fur seal species, but that such exhalations are absent for three sea lion species. Fur seals and sea lions are no longer genetically separated into distinct subfamilies, but are morphologically distinguished by the thick underfur layer of fur seals. Together with their smaller size and energetic dives, we suggest their air-filled fur might underlie the need to perform these exhalations, although whether to reduce buoyancy and ascent speed, for the avoidance of shallow-water blackout or to prevent other cardiovascular management issues in their diving remains unclear.PostprintPostprintPeer reviewe

Partial pressure of oxygen in adipose tissue and its relationship with fatness in a natural animal model of extreme fat deposition, the grey seal

Excessive adiposity is associated with altered oxygen tension and comorbidities in humans. In contrast, marine mammals have high adiposity with no apparent detrimental effects. However, partial pressure of oxygen (Po2) in their subcutaneous adipose tissue (blubber) and its relationship with fatness have not been reported. We measured Po2 and temperature at different blubber depths in 12 healthy juvenile grey seals. Fatness was estimated from blubber thickness and morphometric parameters. Simultaneously, we monitored breathing pattern; heart rate and arterial blood saturation with a pulse oximeter; and relative changes in total hemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, and oxyhemoglobin in blubber capillaries using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as proxies for local oxygenation changes. Blubber Po2 ranged from 14.5 to 71.4 mmHg (39.2 ± 14.1 mmHg), which is similar to values reported in other species. Blubber Po2 was strongly and negatively associated with fatness (LME: p < 0.0001, R2marginal = 0.53, R2conditional = 0.64, n = 10), but not with blubber depth. No other parameters explained variability in Po2, suggesting arterial blood and local oxygen delivery did not vary within and between measurements. The fall in blubber Po2 with increased fatness in seals is consistent with other animal models of rapid fat deposition. However, the Po2 levels at which blubber becomes hypoxic and consequences of low blubber Po2 for its health and function, particularly in very fat individuals, remain unknown. How seals avoid detrimental effects of low oxygen tension in adipose tissue, despite their high and fluctuating adiposity, is a fruitful avenue to explore

Quantifying and reducing the cost of tagging : combining computational fluid dynamics and diving experiments to reduce impact from animal-borne tags

Funding: The study was conducted as part of a studentship funded by the University of St Andrews 600th Anniversary Scholarship with matched funding from Wageningen Marine Research, The Netherlands (J.C.McK.). The work was supported by the National Environmental Research Council National Capability funding to the Sea Mammal Research Unit (grant no. NE/R015007/1).Animal-borne instruments are essential research tools for ecologists and physiologists. An increasing number of studies have shown impacts of carrying a tag on behaviour and energetics, which can have implications for animal welfare and data validity. Such impacts are a result of the additional mass and/or drag loads, with the latter requiring empirical measurements or computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to estimate. To quantify and effectively minimize tag impacts from drag, a novel combined empirical and CFD approach is required. Here, we demonstrate such an approach using captive phocid seals and the widely used Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) Instrumentation Group GPS/GSM tag. We (i) show a significant change in the behaviour of grey seals when carrying a tag (gen 1; associated with 16.4% additional drag); (ii) redesigned the tag (gen 2) resulting in a lower additional drag of 8.6%; (iii) show significant differences in behaviour when carrying a gen 2 compared to gen 1 tag, demonstrating that the redesign successfully reduced impact; and (iv) observed changes in the swim speed of seals that were consistent with predictions from CFD estimates of drag. The gen 2 instrument is now commercially available. This non-trivial case study should pave the way for similar studies in other taxa and species.Peer reviewe

Advertising paid and unpaid job roles in sport: an updated position statement from the UK Strength and Conditioning Association

Editoria

Wearable near-infrared spectroscopy as a physiological monitoring tool for seals under anaesthesia

Chemical immobilisation of pinnipeds is a routine procedure in research and veterinary practice. Yet, there are inevitable risks associated with chemical immobilisation, and the physiological response to anaesthetic agents in pinnipeds remains poorly understood. The current study used wearable continuous-wave near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) data from 10 trials of prolonged anaesthesia (0.5 to 1.4 h) induced through ketamine and midazolam in five grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) involved in other procedures. The aim of this study was to (1) analyse the effect of each compound on heart rate, arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2), and relative concentration changes in oxygenated [ΔO2Hb] and deoxygenated haemoglobin [ΔHHb] in cerebral tissue and (2) to investigate the use of NIRS as a real-time physiological monitoring tool during chemical immobilisation. Average group responses of ketamine (n = 27) and midazolam (n = 11) administrations were modelled using generalised additive mixed models (GAMM) for each dependent variable. Following ketamine and midazolam administration, [ΔHHb] increased and [ΔO2Hb] remained relatively stable, which was indicative of apnoea. Periods of apnoea were confirmed from respiratory band data, which were simultaneously collected during drugging trials. Given that SpO2 remained at 97% during apnoea, we hypothesized that increasing cerebral [ΔHHb] was a result of venous congestion as opposed to decreased oxygen delivery. Changes in heart rate were limited and appeared to be driven by the individual pharmacological actions of each drug. Future research could include simultaneous measures of metabolic rate, such as the relative change in concentration of cytochrome-c-oxidase, to guide operators in determining when apnoea should be considered prolonged if changes in [ΔHHb] and [ΔO2Hb] occur beyond the limits recorded in this study. Our findings support the use of NIRS as real-time physiological monitoring tool during pinniped chemical immobilisation, which could assist veterinarians and researchers in performing safe anaesthetic procedures

Architectures of the Text: An Inquiry Into the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili

Architectures of the Text: An Inquiry Into the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili A symposium to celebrate the acquisition of the second edition of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (1545) by the University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Website To download podcasts of the lectures, select the additional files below. Files in .mp4 format include images; files in .mp3 format are audio only. To download the symposium program, select download button at right. In April 2011, the University of Pennsylvania Libraries acquired a copy of the uncommon second edition of Francesco Colonna’s Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (Venice 1545). Since the appearance of the first edition in 1499, the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili has been heralded as the most beautiful book to appear in the Italian Renaissance. Printed in Venice by Aldus Manutius, “The Dream of Poliphily” was admired by Aldus’s contemporaries for its scholarship and value as an architectural treatise. Forty-six years after the publication of the first edition, Aldus’s heirs printed a second edition in 1545. This second edition suggests a renewed interest in the work, within Italy and beyond, for within a year a French translation appeared, followed by an English translation in 1592. Celebrated for its typographical design and illustrations, the Hypnerotomachia continues to attract the interest of scholars, typophiles, and collectors; it remains available in modern scholarly editions in both print and electronic format. The University of Pennsylvania Libraries\u27 acquisition came at the suggestion of John Dixon Hunt, Professor Emeritus of Landscape Architecture at the University. Funds for its purchase came from the G. Holmes Perkins Books and Archives Fund, established by G. Holmes Perkins, Professor of Architecture and Urbanism and former dean of the Graduate School of Fine Arts (now the School of Design). The Libraries and the School of Design administer this fund jointly. On February 11, 2012, the Anne and Jerome Fisher Fine Arts Library, the Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and the School of Design collaborated on a one-day symposium to celebrate the acquisition of the Hypnerotomachia. Presentations took place in the Class of \u2755 room, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library. Program: 10:30am-11:30am Movement 1: Books and Histories Welcome: David McKnight William B. Keller, Hypnerotomachia Joins the Perkins Library: Collecting to Support Persuasion in Architectural Design and History Eric Pumroy, Remarks on the 1499 Hypnerotomachia Poliphili at Bryn Mawr Special Collections John Dixon Hunt, Hypnerotomachia Poliphili: A Child\u27s Guide to the Story Line and a Look at its Afterlives Lynne Farrington, \u27Though I could lead a quiet and peaceful life, I have chosen one full of toil and trouble\u27: Aldus Manutius and the Printing History of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili 11:30am-1:00pm Movement 2: Words and Interpretations Victoria Kirkham, Hypno What? A Dreamer\u27s Vision and the Reader\u27s Nightmare Ann Moyer, The Wanderings of Poliphilo through Renaissance Studies Ian White, Multiple Words, Multiple Meanings in the Hypnerotomachia 2:00pm-3:00pm Movement 3: Art and Illustration Chris Nygren, The Hypnerotomachia and Italian Art Circa 1500 Larry Silver, Not Hypnerotomachia: Venice\u27s Other Early Woodcut Illustrations 3:00pm-4:30pm Movement 4: Imagined Architectures Raffaella Fabiani Giannetto, \u27Not before either known or dreamt of\u27: The Hypnerotomachia Poliphili and the Craft of Wonder David Leatherbarrow, What Fragments are to Desire, Elements are to Design Ian White, Mathematical Design in Poliphilo\u27s Imaginary Building, The Temple of Venus 4:30pm-5:00pm Break and Interlude Shushi Yoshinaga, Hypnerotomachia Poliphili: A Modern Heritage : a display of objects and images 5:00pm-6:00pm Movement 5: Contemporary Resonances and Final Observation

Investigating clove oil and its derivatives as anaesthetic agents for decapod crustaceans to improve welfare commercially and at slaughter

Decapods have been recently classified as sentient beings in UK policy and therefore the establishment of humane methods for the live transportation and slaughter of commercially valuable shellfish as well as for decapods used in research is critical. Formerly overlooked, the use of anaesthetics provides a promising avenue for improving welfare standards for husbandry and slaughter for decapod crustaceans destined for human consumption or research. In particular, clove oil and its derivatives (eugenol and isoeugenol) have been trialled and recommended in literature as naturally-derived and effective, reversible anaesthetic compounds for a variety of decapods, including two commercially important British shellfish, brown crab (Cancer pagurus) and Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus). Further investigations should be undertaken to confirm the use of such anaesthetics is suitable for improving welfare standards in the British shellfish sector and in research to ensure that when the legislation changes, humane solutions are present