Diversification of prey capture techniques among the piscivores in Lake Tana's (Ethiopia) Labeobarbus species flock (Cyprinidae)

Lake Tana harbours the only known intact species flock of large cyprinid fishes (15 Labeobarbus spp.). One of the most curious aspects of this species flock is the large number (8) of piscivorous species. Cyprinids are not well designed for piscivory (i.e. small slit-shaped pharyngeal cavity, lack of teeth in the oral jaws, lack of a stomach), which raises the question how well adapted these labeobarbs actually are to function as piscivores? In this study we analyse the kinematics of prey capture (by varied combinations of suction, swimming and jaw protrusion) among Lake Tana's piscivorous labeobarbs. Suction feeding kinematics were similar to values reported for other piscivorous fish species. A detailed analysis of several Labeobarbus species displayed distinct types of techniques (overswimming, velocity/volume suction with jaw protrusion) suited to capture elusive prey in different macro-habitats, Lake Tana's Labeobarbus species evolved a wide range of piscivorous predation techniques, a unique scenario for cyprinid fishes

Effects of Synaptic and Myelin Plasticity on Learning in a Network of Kuramoto Phase Oscillators

Models of learning typically focus on synaptic plasticity. However, learning is the result of both synaptic and myelin plasticity. Specifically, synaptic changes often co-occur and interact with myelin changes, leading to complex dynamic interactions between these processes. Here, we investigate the implications of these interactions for the coupling behavior of a system of Kuramoto oscillators. To that end, we construct a fully connected, one-dimensional ring network of phase oscillators whose coupling strength (reflecting synaptic strength) as well as conduction velocity (reflecting myelination) are each regulated by a Hebbian learning rule. We evaluate the behavior of the system in terms of structural (pairwise connection strength and conduction velocity) and functional connectivity (local and global synchronization behavior). We find that for conditions in which a system limited to synaptic plasticity develops two distinct clusters both structurally and functionally, additional adaptive myelination allows for functional communication across these structural clusters. Hence, dynamic conduction velocity permits the functional integration of structurally segregated clusters. Our results confirm that network states following learning may be different when myelin plasticity is considered in addition to synaptic plasticity, pointing towards the relevance of integrating both factors in computational models of learning.Comment: 39 pages, 15 figures This work is submitted in Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Scienc

Using a runway paradigm to assess the relative strength of rats' motivations for enrichment objects

Laboratory animals should be provided with enrichment objects in their cages; however, it is first necessary to test whether the proposed enrichment objects provide benefits that increase the animals’ welfare. The two main paradigms currently used to assess proposed enrichment objects are the choice test, which is limited to determining relative frequency of choice, and consumer demand studies, which can indicate the strength of a preference but are complex to design. Here, we propose a third methodology: a runway paradigm, which can be used to assess the strength of an animal’s motivation for enrichment objects, is simpler to use than consumer demand studies, and is faster to complete than typical choice tests. Time spent with objects in a standard choice test was used to rank several enrichment objects in order to compare with the ranking found in our runway paradigm. The rats ran significantly more times, ran faster, and interacted longer with objects with which they had previously spent the most time. It was concluded that this simple methodology is suitable for measuring rats’ motivation to reach enrichment objects. This can be used to assess the preference for different types of enrichment objects or to measure reward system processes

Nitrate concentrations in the Gulp catchment: some spatial and temporal considerations

in a chaik catchrnent in the Belgium-Dutch boundary region the median N03- concentration was 30 mg/l in 1991. Groundwater in wells, which are mostly located close to the villages, is more polluted than spring water of surface water from the Gulp brook. Median N03- concentrations were 39, 22 and 17 mgll, respectively. Since 1980 time- series of N03- from two gauging stations in the Gulp brook have showed a distinct seasonal pattern. in wet penods (winter), when the discharge is higher, the nitrate concentration also is higher (30-35 mg N03-A), whereas in dry penods the opposite occurs; i.e. lower discharge and nitrate concentrations (10-15 mg N03-A). The positive correlation between the discharge and the N03- concentrations cannot be explained by the contribution of overland flow and interflow (quick flow components) probably having higher N03- contents. Saturated groundwater modelling shows that water following different flow paths might be an explanation. In periods with high groundwater recharge, young groundwater in the upper chaik layer can bypass medium- aged and old groundwater in the lower chaik and greensands. Young groundwater is likely to have higher N03- concentrations than old groundwater. So, in penods with high groundwater recharge the stream flow of the Gulp brook might consist of more young groundwater with higher NO3- concentrations, whereas in periods with low recharge mainly old groundwater with lower NO3- concentrations feeds the Gulp

Local primordial non-Gaussianity in the relativistic galaxy bispectrum

Next-generation galaxy and 21cm intensity mapping surveys will rely on a combination of the power spectrum and bispectrum for high-precision measurements of primordial non-Gaussianity. In turn, these measurements will allow us to distinguish between various models of inflation. However, precision observations require theoretical precision at least at the same level. We extend the theoretical understanding of the galaxy bispectrum by incorporating a consistent general relativistic model of galaxy bias at second order, in the presence of local primordial non-Gaussianity. The influence of primordial non-Gaussianity on the bispectrum extends beyond the galaxy bias and the dark matter density, due to redshift-space effects. The standard redshift-space distortions at first and second order produce a well-known primordial non-Gaussian imprint on the bispectrum. Relativistic corrections to redshift-space distortions generate new contributions to this primordial non-Gaussian signal, arising from: (1)~a coupling of first-order scale-dependent bias with first-order relativistic observational effects, and (2)~linearly evolved non-Gaussianity in the second-order velocity and metric potentials which appear in relativistic observational effects. Our analysis allows for a consistent separation of the relativistic `contamination' from the primordial signal, in order to avoid biasing the measurements by using an incorrect theoretical model. We show that the bias from using a Newtonian analysis of the squeezed bispectrum could be \Delta \fnl\sim 5 for a Stage IV H$\alpha$ survey.Comment: Version accepted by JCAP (JCAP_030P_1220) + 18 pages + 4 figures + appendices + reference

Number-related Brain Potentials Are Differentially Affected by Mapping Novel Symbols on Small versus Large Quantities in a Number Learning Task

The nature of the mapping process that imbues number symbols with their numerical meaning-known as the "symbolgrounding process"-remains poorly understood and the topic of much debate. The aim of this study was to enhance insight into how the nonsymbolic-symbolic number mapping process and its neurocognitive correlates might differ between small (1-4; subitizing range) and larger (6-9) numerical ranges. Hereto, 22 young adults performed a learning task in which novel symbols acquired numerical meaning by mapping them onto nonsymbolic magnitudes presented as dot arrays (range 1-9). Learning-dependent changes in accuracy and RT provided evidence for successful novel symbol quantity mapping in the subitizing (1-4) range only. Corroborating these behavioral results, the number processing related P2p component was only modulated by the learning/mapping of symbols representing small numbers 1-4. The symbolic N1 amplitude increased with learning independent of symbolic numerical range but dependent on the set size of the preceding dot array; it only occurred when mapping on one to four item dot arrays that allow for quick retrieval of a numeric value, on the basis of which, with learning, one could predict the upcoming symbol causing perceptual expectancy violation when observing a different symbol. These combined results suggest that exact nonsymbolic-symbolic mapping is only successful for small quantities 1-4 from which one can readily extract cardinality. Furthermore, we suggest that the P2p reflects the processing stage of first access to or retrieval of numeric codes and might in future studies be used as a neural correlate of nonsymbolic-symbolic mapping/symbol learning

Parietal but not temporoparietal alpha-tACS modulates endogenous visuospatial attention

Visuospatial attention can either be voluntarily directed (endogenous/top-down attention) or automatically triggered (exogenous/bottom-up attention). Recent research showed that dorsal parietal transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at alpha frequency modulates the spatial attentional bias in an endogenous but not in an exogenous visuospatial attention task. Yet, the reason for this task-specificity remains unexplored. Here, we tested whether this dissociation relates to the proposed differential role of the dorsal attention network (DAN) and ventral attention network (VAN) in endogenous and exogenous attention processes respectively. To that aim, we targeted the left and right dorsal parietal node of the DAN, as well as the left and right ventral temporoparietal node of the VAN using tACS at the individual alpha frequency. Every participant completed all four stimulation conditions and a sham condition in five separate sessions. During tACS, we assessed the behavioral visuospatial attention bias via an endogenous and exogenous visuospatial attention task. Additionally, we measured offline alpha power immediately before and after tACS using electroencephalography (EEG). The behavioral data revealed an effect of tACS on the endogenous but not exogenous attention bias, with a greater leftward bias during (sham-corrected) left than right hemispheric stimulation. In line with our hypothesis, this effect was brain area-specific, i.e., present for dorsal parietal but not ventral temporoparietal tACS. However, contrary to our expectations, there was no effect of ventral temporoparietal tACS on the exogenous visuospatial attention bias. Hence, no double dissociation between the two targeted attention networks. There was no effect of either tACS condition on offline alpha power. Our behavioral data reveal that dorsal parietal but not ventral temporoparietal alpha oscillations steer endogenous visuospatial attention. This brain-area specific tACS effect matches the previously proposed dissociation between the DAN and VAN and, by showing that the spatial attention bias effect does not generalize to any lateral posterior tACS montage, renders lateral cutaneous and retinal effects for the spatial attention bias in the dorsal parietal condition unlikely. Yet the absence of tACS effects on the exogenous attention task suggests that ventral temporoparietal alpha oscillations are not functionally relevant for exogenous visuospatial attention. We discuss the potential implications of this finding in the context of an emerging theory on the role of the ventral temporoparietal node

Detecting the relativistic bispectrum in 21cm intensity maps

We investigate the detectability of leading-order relativistic effects in the bispectrum of future 21cm intensity mapping surveys. The relativistic signal arises from Doppler and other line-of-sight effects in redshift space. In the power spectrum of a single tracer, these effects are suppressed by a factor \cH^2/k^2. By contrast, in the bispectrum the relativistic signal couples to short-scale modes, leading to an imaginary contribution that scales as \cH/k, thus increasing the possibility of detection. Previous work has shown that this relativistic signal is detectable in a Stage IV H$\alpha$ galaxy survey. {We show that the signal is also detectable by next-generation 21cm intensity maps, but typically with a lower signal-to-noise, due to foreground and telescope beam effects.Comment: 18 pages, 12 figures, Version accepted by JCA

Extraction of soil solution by drainage centrifugation-effects of centrifugal force and time of centrifugation on soil moisture recovery and solute concentration in soil moisture of loess subsoils.

The solute concentration in the subsoil beneath the root zone is an important parameter for leaching assessment. Drainage centrifugation is considered a simple and straightforward method of determining soil solution chemistry. Although several studies have been carried out to determine whether this method is robust, hardly any results are available for loess subsoils. To study the effect of centrifugation conditions on soil moisture recovery and solute concentration, we sampled the subsoil (1.5-3.0 m depth) at commercial farms in the loess region of the Netherlands. The effect of time (20, 35, 60, 120 and 240 min) on recovery was studied at two levels of the relative centrifugal force (733 and 6597g). The effect of force on recovery was studied by centrifugation for 35 min at 117, 264, 733, 2932, 6597 and 14,191g. All soil moisture samples were chemically analysed. This study shows that drainage centrifugation offers a robust, reproducible and standardised way for determining solute concentrations in mobile soil moisture in silt loam subsoils. The centrifugal force, rather than centrifugation time, has a major effect on recovery. The maximum recovery for silt loams at field capacity is about 40%. Concentrations of most solutes are fairly constant with an increasing recovery, as most solutes, including nitrate, did not show a change in concentration with an increasing recovery

Species rank of Isabela Oriole Oriolus isabellae and White-lored Oriole O. albiloris reinforced by song playback responses

Environmental BiologyConservation Biolog