Antarctic cushion star Odontaster validus larval performance is negatively impacted by long-term parental acclimation to elevated temperature.

Cross-generational responses, when the parents' environment influences offspring performance, may contribute to species resilience to climate change in rapidly warming regions such as coastal Antarctica. Adult Antarctic sea stars Odontaster validus were conditioned in the laboratory to two temperature treatments (ambient, 0 °C and warming, +3 °C) for two years, and their gametes were used to generate larval offspring. The response of their larvae to five temperatures (0 °C, 1 °C, 2 °C, 3 °C, and 4 °C) was examined over 145 days.

Effects of wearing a surgical face mask on cognitive functioning and mood states: a randomised controlled trial in young adults.

Despite significant public concerns voiced about wearing face masks and reports from healthcare workers of adverse effects on cognition, research into potential adverse effects remains limited. The present trial investigated the effects of wearing a surgical face mask for prolonged periods on cognitive functioning and mood. We tested 42 university students (18-36 years old) using a controlled counterbalanced crossover design that involved a mask session and a control session, separated by 1 week.

Comparison of Taboo Search Methods for Atomic Cluster Global Optimization with a Basin-Hopping Algorithm.

The basin-hopping algorithm (BHA) allows for the efficient exploration of atomic cluster potential energy surfaces by random perturbations in configuration space, followed by energy minimizations. Here, the taboo search method is incorporated to prevent the search from revisiting recently visited regions of the search space. Two taboo search modes are implemented, one mode resets the search to random coordinates upon encountering the taboo region, while the other simply rejects any proposed move into the taboo region.

Activin B and Activin C Have Opposing Effects on Prostate Cancer Progression and Cell Growth.

Current prognostic and diagnostic tests for prostate cancer are not able to accurately distinguish between aggressive and latent cancer. Members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGFB) family are known to be important in regulating prostate cell growth and some have been shown to be dysregulated in prostate cancer. Therefore, the aims of this study were to examine expression of TGFB family members in primary prostate tumour tissue and the phenotypic effect of activins on prostate cell growth.

Emotional information processing in young and older adults: meta-analysis reveals faces elicit distinct biases.

Unlabelled: Although a number of empirical studies have found support for distinct emotional information processing biases in young versus older adults, it remains unclear whether these biases are driven by differential processing of positive or negative emotional information (or both) and whether they are moderated by stimulus type, in particular face versus non-face, the former of which is known to be subject to distinct processing. To address these gaps in the literature, our analyses included 2237 younger (mean age = 21.61 years) and 2136 older (mean age = 70.

Interpreting past trophic ecology of a threatened alpine parrot, kea Nestor notabilis, from museum specimens.

When ecosystems are under severe pressure or environments change, trophic position and intraspecific niche width may decrease or narrow, signalling that conservation action is required. In New Zealand, alpine and subalpine ecosystems have been extensively modified through farming since 19th-century European settlement, with consequences for indigenous species such as the kea Nestor notabilis. We investigated feather stable isotope values in the kea and predicted a lower trophic position in modern kea populations, to reflect reduced lowland habitat and a mixed diet with more plant material.

Zoos and amphibian conservation: Evaluating the impact of "The Year of The Frog" Campaign.

The global reach of zoos has enormous potential to raise awareness of conservation issues such as the amphibian extinction crisis. One mechanism of achieving this is through targeted, time-limited campaigns. However, the longer-term impact of such campaigns on conservation outcomes is rarely evaluated.

Anticipatory postural control differs between low back pain and pelvic girdle pain patients in the absence of visual feedback.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of vision on anticipatory postural control (APA) responses in two groups of clinically diagnosed chronic low back pain patients, those with Posterior Pelvic Girdle pain and those with Non-Specific Low Back Pain compared to a matched group of healthy controls during the modified Trendelenburg task.

Methods: Seventy-eight volunteer participants (60 females and 18 males) gave informed consent to take part in this study. 39 with confirmed LBP or PGP lasting longer than 12 weeks and 39 healthy matched controls performed 40 single leg lift tasks (hip flexion to 90° as quickly as possible) with their non-dominant lower limb.

A comparison of understanding of the amphibian crisis by zoo visitors across three countries.

Despite the global declines in the rate of amphibians, evaluation of public understanding of the crisis has not yet been carried out. We surveyed visitors (n = 1,293) at 15 zoos in Brazil, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, using a certainty-based assessment method to compare visitor knowledge of the global amphibian crisis. We further analyzed zoo educational material about amphibians to explore its potential to raise awareness through amphibian-focused environmental education.

Walking with avatars: Gait-related visual information for following a virtual leader.

Dynamic situations, such as interactive sports or walking on a busy street, impose high demands on a person's ability to interact with (others in) its environment (i.e., 'interact-ability').

Computerized testing in Parkinson's disease: Performance deficits in relation to standard clinical measures.

Objective: This study assessed deficits associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) at two time points separated by 1 year using a computerized neuropsychological battery, and determined interrelationships with conventional clinical measures of cognitive functioning (Montreal Cognitive Assessment; MoCA) and motor impairment (Part III of the Unified PD Rating Scale; UPDRS), as well as other factors known to influence cognitive dysfunction in PD.

Method: Participants included 37 with PD and 47 controls. Linear mixed-effects models were developed for each computerized task.

Effects of Warm Temperatures on Metabolic Rate and Evaporative Water Loss in Tuatara, a Cool-Climate Rhynchocephalian Survivor.

The thermal sensitivity of physiological rates is a key characteristic of organisms. For tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), the last surviving member of the reptilian order Rhynchocephalia and an unusually cold-tolerant reptile, we aimed to clarify responses in indices of metabolic rate (oxygen consumption [[Formula: see text]] and carbon dioxide production [[Formula: see text]]) as well as rates of total evaporative water loss (TEWL) to temperatures at the warmer end of the known tolerated range; currently, patterns for metabolic rate are unclear above 25°C, and TEWL has not been measured above 25°C. We first established that metabolic rate was lowest during the photophase and then measured [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and TEWL at six temperatures (12°, 20°, 24°, 27°, 29°, and 30°C) during this phase.

Gauging attitudes and behaviours: Meat consumption and potential reduction.

The present study focused on adding to the understanding of meat consumption and potential drivers for its reduction in New Zealand. Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the recently developed Meat-Attachment Questionnaire (MAQ), this study investigated New Zealand consumers' attitudes, motivations and behaviours in regards to meat consumption. Results derive from a questionnaire sent across New Zealand in March 2017, in which 841 responses were obtained from representative consumer panels.

Influence of gait mode and body orientation on following a walking avatar.

Regulating distance with a moving object or person is a key component of human movement and of skillful interpersonal coordination. The current set of experiments aimed to assess the role of gait mode and body orientation on distance regulation using a cyclical locomotor tracking task in which participants followed a virtual leader. In the first experiment, participants moved in the backward-forward direction while the body orientation of the virtual leader was manipulated (i.

Critical analysis of the maximum non inhibitory concentration (MNIC) method in quantifying sub-lethal injury in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells exposed to either thermal or pulsed electric field treatments.

Sub-lethal injury within a microbial population, due to processing treatments or environmental stress, is often assessed as the difference in the number of cells recovered on non-selective media compared to numbers recovered on a "selective media" containing a predetermined maximum non-inhibitory concentration (MNIC) of a selective agent. However, as knowledge of cell metabolic response to injury, population diversity and dynamics increased, the rationale behind the conventional approach of quantifying sub-lethal injury must be scrutinized further. This study reassessed the methodology used to quantify sub-lethal injury for Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells (≈ 4.

Effects of low dose ibogaine on subjective mood state and psychological performance.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Root bark from Tabernanthe iboga has been used traditionally in West Africa as a psychoactive substance in religious rituals. In smaller doses it is reported anecdotally to have stimulant properties.

Aim Of The Study: To evaluate the influence of a single 20mg ibogaine dose on psychological variables reflecting subjective mood state and a range of cognitive functions.