The interaction of social and perceivable causal factors in shaping ‘over-imitation’

Over-imitation has become a well-documented phenomenon. However there is evidence that both social and visible, physically causal factors can influence the occurrence of over-imitation in children. Here we explore the interplay between these two factors, manipulating both task opacity and social information. Four- to 7-year-old children were given either a causally opaque or transparent box, before which they experienced either (1) a condition where they witnessed a taught, knowledgeable person demonstrate an inefficient method and an untaught model demonstrate a more efficient method; or (2) a baseline condition where they witnessed efficient and inefficient methods performed by two untaught models. Results showed that the level of imitation increased with greater task opacity and when children received social information about knowledgeability consequent on teaching, but only for 6- to 7-year-olds. The findings show that children are selectively attuned to both causal and social factors when learning new cultural knowledge

A preliminary survey of the estuaries on the south coast of South Africa, Cape St Blaize, Mossel Bay - Robberg Peninsula, Plettenberg Bay, with particular reference to the fish fauna

The coastal river systems on the south coast of South Africa from Cape St Blaize to Robberg Peninsula were surveyed during October and November 1994. The ichthyofaunal and physico-chemical characteristics of each system are presented and their suitability as estuarine nursery areas is discussed. Five systems (Rooi, Meul, Grooteiland, Kranshoek and Crooks) are outlets of small coastal streams and probably provide little or no habitat for either resident estuarine or migrant marine fishes owing to their small size. Four systems (Maalgate, Gwaing, Skaapkop and Kaaimans) are located within deeply incised valleys and have a permanent connection with the sea. The amount of marginal and intertidal habitat available to fishes, however, is limited due to their morphology. Six systems (Hartenbos, Groot Brak, Touw, Swartvlei, Goukamma and Noetsie) are intermittently open to the sea. Although the Touw and Swartvlei are connected to coastal lake systems, flow within these estuaries is not sufficient to prevent the build up of a sand barrier at the mouth. The Hartenbos, Groot Brak, Goukamma, and Noetsie are also periodically closed by a sand bar. The construction of a dam in the lower catchment of the Groot Brak has affected the hydrology of the system. The two remaining estuaries (Klein Brak and Knysna) are permanently open. In addition to strong tidal currents, the fixing of the mouth of the Knysna Estuary between rocky headlands also serves to maintain a permanent connection with the sea. Mugilidae and Sparidae were represented by the greatest number of species, and also dominated catches numerically and by mass. The fish fauna of all the estuaries surveyed were dominated by the juveniles of estuarine-dependent marine species and estuarine-resident species were also well represented in catches. The estuaries surveyed provide a vital habitat for both marine migrant species and resident species, most of which are endemic to the region

Phylogenetics of Begonia section Gireoudia

Begonia is one of the most species-rich angiosperm genera with c. 1500 species currently identified and a pantropical distribution. Although Begonia are predominantly found in ever wet rain forests, they can also be found in other habitats including dry, desert scrub, and at altitudes from sea level to over 3000 meters. Begonia can also exhibit huge morphological variation between closely related species thus making them an ideal system for the study of the ecology, biogeography and developmental evolution of tropical plants. Previous work carried out at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh focused on the phylogenetic framework and biogeographic history of African and Asian Begonias. This work on the Neotropical Begonia Section Gireoudia, aims to complement those studies and to provide a framework for determining how macro- and micro-evolutionary processes have contributed to the high level of diversity in Begonia worldwide. Traditionally used nuclear and chloroplast markers for phylogenetics failed to resolve species level relationships within sect. Gireoudia, therefore an alternative approach using next-generation sequencing technology was developed. A multiplexed, massively parallel sequencing approach was developed to sequence sixteen Begonia chloroplast genomes on the Illumina GAIIx genome analyser in order to identify chloroplast regions with sufficient phylogenetic information to resolve a species-level phylogeny. The lack of a reference chloroplast genome sequence for Begonia led to the development of a new method combining sequence from conserved angiosperm chloroplast genome sequences together with long-range PCR to generate the samples. Eighteen, overlapping long-range PCR amplicons for each Begonia species were used in a multiplexed sequencing reaction on an Illumina GAIIx and the chloroplast sequence reads were assembled using a de novo approach. A selection of potentially, phylogenetically informative regions, determined from the large-scale chloroplast alignment generated during this study, were assessed. Two of these regions were chosen for further phylogenetic analysis and resulted in improved resolution of American Begonia, sect. Gireoudia. This study successfully demonstrates a new innovative approach to that normally taken in traditional molecular systematics. The research presented provides a framework for the development of new molecular markers that are suitable for low-level phylogenetic studies, especially where recent radiations make resolution of species groups difficult, such as Begonia. New sequencing technologies such as those used here will provide powerful new tools for students of molecular evolution, phylogenetics and taxonom

Temporal order judgements of dynamic gaze stimuli reveal a postdictive prioritisation of averted over direct shifts

We studied temporal order judgements (TOJs) of gaze shift behaviours and evaluated the impact of gaze direction (direct and averted gaze) and face context information (both eyes set within a single face or each eye within two adjacent hemifaces) on TOJ performance measures. Avatar faces initially gazed leftwards or rightwards (Starting Gaze Direction). This was followed by sequential and independent left and right eye gaze shifts with various amounts of stimulus onset asynchrony. Gaze shifts could be either Matching (both eyes end up pointing direct or averted) or Mismatching (one eye ends up pointing direct, the other averted). Matching shifts revealed an attentional cueing mechanism, where TOJs were biased in favour of the eye lying in the hemispace cued by the avatar’s Starting Gaze Direction. For example, the left eye was more likely to be judged as shifting first when the avatar initially gazed toward the left side of the screen. Mismatching shifts showed biased TOJs in favour of the eye performing the averted shift, but only in the context of two separate hemifaces that does not violate expectations of directional gaze shift congruency. This suggests a postdictive inferential strategy that prioritises eye movements based on the type of gaze shift, independently of where attention is initially allocated. Averted shifts are prioritised over direct, as these might signal the presence of behaviourally relevant information in the environment

Discussing difference, discovering similarities: A toolkit of learning activities to improve cross-cultural exchange between students of different cultural backgrounds

This document is the output from a project commissioned under the Prime Minister's Initiative on international student mobility and undertaken by ThinkingPeople, the University of the West of England and the University of Bath and published by UKCISA (UK Council on International Student Affairs)

Personality Traits Do Not Predict How We Look at Faces

International audienceWhile personality has typically been considered to influence gaze behaviour, literature relating to the topic is mixed. Previously, we found no evidence of self-reported personality traits on preferred gaze duration between a participant and a person looking at them via a video. In this study, 77 of the original participants answered an in-depth follow-up survey containing a more comprehensive assessment of personality traits (Big Five Inventory) than was initially used, to check whether earlier findings were caused by the personality measure being too coarse. In addition to preferred mutual gaze duration, we also examined two other factors linked to personality traits: number of blinks and total fixation duration in the eye region of observed faces. No significant correlations were found between any of these measures and participant personality traits. We suggest that effects previously reported in the literature may stem from contextual differences or modulation of arousal

Do volcanic emissions affect carbon gas fluxes in peatlands?

Recently, a link has been suggested between volcanic deposition of SO4 and the suppression of CH4 emissions in northern peatlands (Gauci et al., 2008). This link stems from the widely accepted idea that acid rain SO4 additions to peatlands can cause a shift in microbial communities as SO4 reducing bacteria out-compete methanogens for substrates, which results in a suppression of CH4 emission. However, volcanic emissions contain besides S other chemically reactive species that are potentially harmful to the environment. In particular, gaseous and particulate F emissions from volcanoes constitute a steady or intermittent source of F emission and deposition into the environment both close to the source and within fallout range of large eruptions. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of volcanic depositions of SO4, both alone and in combination with F, on CH4 emission in peatlands. Peat mesocosms collected from Pennine uplands in the UK were treated with weekly pulses of Na2SO4 and NaF over 20 weeks in doses of 74 kg SO4/ ha and 13.5 and 135 kg F /ha. CH4 emissions were measured at regular intervals by taking headspace samples, which were analysed by GC-FID. CO2 fluxes were also measured using a portable Infra Red Gas Analyser (IRGA). No significant differences in CH4 and CO2 emissions were observed for any of the treatments when compared to the controls, which had only received deionised water. These findings are in contrast with previous studies where SO4 reduces CH4 emission in peatlands. The reason for this is unclear but may be due to the heterogeneous nature of peat soils. An alternative explanation relates to the previous history of the soils used in the mesocosms which are known to have been previously exposed to large volumes of anthropogenic S pollution. This may have caused microbial communities to evolve and become acclimatised to high levels of S addition. In either case, the assumption that CH4 suppression in peatlands occurs upon exposure to volcanic depositions is questionable. Gauci, V., S. Blake, et al. (2008). Halving of the northern wetland methane source by a large icelandic volcanic eruption. JGR, doi:10.1029/2007JG00049

Research in Languages, Cultures and Societies: Voices of Researchers in the UK

In 2022 a survey of the languages research community in the UK was undertaken, with 536 responses (150 PhD students, 386 post-PhD researchers), complemented by 29 interviews across all career stages, as part of a Future of Languages Research Fellowship funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). This article reports findings from that survey, presenting data on research expertise, funding applications and successes, engagement with government and other stakeholders, and future directions and areas for development. Presenting the perspective of researchers themselves, our study adds to our understanding of the current state of languages research in UK Higher Education, complementing other sources including the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the British Academy & University Council of Modern Languages (UCML) 2022 report on trends in language learning in Higher Education, and providing useful data for international comparisons. The article concludes with recommendations for action

Students’ Perspective of Self-Guided Simulation Training on Process in the Initial Phase of Private Pilot Flight Training: A Preliminary Review

As the demand for flight training increases, self-guided training methods for students can be explored to determine their effect on environment for learning. A series of self-guided simulation training scenarios, aimed at assisting initial private pilot students, were created to be used on Advanced Aviation Training Devices (AATD). A pilot study was conducted where participants, using an AATD, followed a lesson plan with detailed instructions and then were evaluated by an instructor. In addition to evaluation scores, participants were given surveys on their perceptions of the experience overall and how prepared they felt for each evaluation. This preliminary study was conducted to determine student perception of self-guided training, the effectiveness of this type of training, and if there is any impact on the number of flight hours required prior to passing their private pilot pre-solo stage check