Companion dogs flexibly and spontaneously comprehend human gestures in multiple contexts.

Dogs' comprehension of human gestures has been characterized as more human-like than that of our closest primate relatives, due to a level of flexibility and spontaneous performance on par with that of human infants. However, many of the critical experiments that have been the core evidence for an understanding of human communicative intentions in dogs have yet to be replicated. Here we test the ability of dogs to comprehend a pointing gesture while varying the salience of the gesture and the context in which it is made.

Longitudinal evidence for the emergence of multiple intelligences in assistance dog puppies.

Cognitive test batteries suggest that adult dogs have different types of cognitive abilities that vary independently. In the current study, we tested puppies repeatedly over a crucial period of development to explore the timing and rate at which these different cognitive skills develop. Service dog puppies (n = 113), raised using two different socialization strategies, were either tested longitudinally (n =91) or at a single time point (n = 22).

Poisoning of Pt/γ-AlO Aqueous Phase Reforming Catalysts by Ketone and Diketone-Derived Surface Species.

Strong adsorption of ketone and diketone byproducts and their fragmentation products during the aqueous phase reforming of biomass derived oxygenates is believed to be responsible for the deactivation of supported Pt catalysts. This study involves a combined experimental and theoretical approach to demonstrate the interactions of several model di/ketone poisons with Pt/γ-AlO catalysts. Particular di/ketones were selected to reveal the effects of hydroxyl groups (acetone, hydroxyacetone), conjugation with C=C bonds (mesityl oxide), intramolecular distance between carbonyls in diketones (2,3-butanedione, 2,4-pentanedione), and length of terminal alkyl chains (3,4-hexanedione).

Searching for intra-cloud positive leaders in VHF.

We have used the LOw-Frequency ARray (LOFAR) to search for the growing tip of an intra-cloud (IC) positive leader. Even with our most sensitive beamforming method, where we coherently add the signals of about 170 antenna pairs, we were not able to detect any emission from the tip. Instead, we put constraints on the emissivity of very-high frequency (VHF) radiation from the tip at 0.

Selective Inhibition of Na1.8 with VX-548 for Acute Pain.

Background: The Na1.8 voltage-gated sodium channel, expressed in peripheral nociceptive neurons, plays a role in transmitting nociceptive signals. The effect of VX-548, an oral, highly selective inhibitor of Na1.