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Scientists and philosophers have long struggled with the question of whether non-human animals experience emotions or consciousness. Yet, it is unclear where the scientific consensus on these topics lies today. To address this gap, we administered a survey of professional animal behaviour researchers to assess perceptions regarding (i) the taxonomic distribution of emotions and consciousness in non-human animals, (ii) respondents’ confidence in this assessment, and (iii) attitudes towards pitfalls and potential for progress when addressing these questions. Respondents (n = 100) ascribe emotionality and consciousness to a broad swath of the animal taxonomy, including non-human primates, other mammals, birds and cephalopods. Respondents’ attribution of these phenomena was strongly associated with their confidence in their assessments (R2 > 0.9), with respondents assuming an absence of emotions and consciousness when they were unsure. We also identify an emergent consensus of the components involved in a functional definition of emotions. Researchers are optimistic that tools either currently exist or will exist in the future to rigorously address these questions (>85%) and that animal behaviour, as a field, should do more to encourage research works on emotions (>70%). We discuss implications for publication bias and future work in this area as well as ethical considerations regarding animal care and use.

Abstract Viruses in the Luteoviridae family, such as Potato leafroll virus (PLRV), are transmitted by aphids in a circulative and nonpropagative mode. This means the virions enter the aphid body through the gut when they feed from infected plants and then the virions circulate through the hemolymph to enter the salivary glands before being released into the saliva. Although these viruses do not replicate in their insect vectors, previous studies have demonstrated viruliferous aphid behavior is altered and the obligate symbiont of aphids, Buchnera aphidocola, may be involved in transmission. Here we provide the transcriptome of green peach aphids (Myzus persicae) carrying PLRV and virus-free control aphids using Illumina sequencing. Over 150 million paired-end reads were obtained through Illumina sequencing, with an average of 19 million reads per library. The comparative analysis identified 134 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the M. persicae transcriptomes, including 64 and 70 genes that were up- and down-regulated in aphids carrying PLRV, respectively. Using functional classification in the GO databases, 80 of the DEGs were assigned to 391 functional subcategories at category level 2. The most highly up-regulated genes in aphids carrying PLRV were cytochrome p450s, genes related to cuticle production, and genes related to development, while genes related to heat shock proteins, histones, and histone modification were the most down-regulated. PLRV aphids had reduced Buchnera titer and lower abundance of several Buchnera transcripts related to stress responses and metabolism. These results suggest carrying PLRV may reduce both aphid and Buchnera genes in response to stress. This work provides valuable basis for further investigation into the complicated mechanisms of circulative and nonpropagative transmission.

This article is a taxonomy of laws used by 'unfree' and 'partly free' countries to regulate social media platforms and their users. While there are many older laws that can have an effect on social media usage (such as laws on defamation, sedition, and terrorism as well as laws regulating the journalism industry) and some older pieces of legislation will be discussed, the focus of this article will be on regulations that specifically reference social media or the internet. It will explore two categories of regulations, each of which are subdivided into two types of legislation. The first category concerns laws that are targeted at social media users and is divided into laws that regulate the conduct of users and laws designed to dissuade people from using social media. The second category examines laws that are targeted at social media platforms (as opposed to their users) and first considers substantive regulations before moving on to look at procedural regulations. This article attempts to capture the complex interactions between public and private actors. This article also tries to shed light on the morass of local laws that platforms must navigate in order to maintain access to an ever-growing number of jurisdictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) have become increasingly popular since their introduction to the United States in the 1970s. In general, people view ATVs as an innocent source of recreation for adults and children. Most individuals are unaware that ATV riding results in significant morbidity and mortality within the pediatric population. Children younger than age 16 years represent one-third of ATV-related injuries and one-fifth of ATV-related fatalities in the United States. Additionally, injuries children suffer are often more severe than those experienced by adults. Despite ongoing prevention efforts via legislation and education, ATVs remain a significant hazard to children and adolescents. Nurses are wellpositioned to participate in the prevention of pediatric ATV trauma, and hopefully, with a better understanding of the risk factors and outcomes associated with ATV accidents, they will be inspired to join the effort to combat this safety issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viruses in the Luteoviridae family, such as Potato leafroll virus (PLRV), are transmitted by aphids in a circulative and nonpropagative mode. This means the virions enter the aphid body through the gut when they feed from infected plants and then the virions circulate through the hemolymph to enter the salivary glands before being released into the saliva. Although these viruses do not replicate in their insect vectors, previous studies have demonstrated viruliferous aphid behavior is altered and the obligate symbiont of aphids, Buchnera aphidocola, may be involved in transmission. Here we provide the transcriptome of green peach aphids (Myzus persicae) carrying PLRV and virus-free control aphids using Illumina sequencing. Over 150 million paired-end reads were obtained through Illumina sequencing, with an average of 19 million reads per library. The comparative analysis identified 134 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the M. persicae transcriptomes, including 64 and 70 genes that were up- and down-regulated in aphids carrying PLRV, respectively. Using functional classification in the GO databases, 80 of the DEGs were assigned to 391 functional subcategories at category level 2. The most highly up-regulated genes in aphids carrying PLRV were cytochrome p450s, genes related to cuticle production, and genes related to development, while genes related to heat shock proteins, histones, and histone modification were the most down-regulated. PLRV aphids had reduced Buchnera titer and lower abundance of several Buchnera transcripts related to stress responses and metabolism. These results suggest carrying PLRV may reduce both aphid and Buchnera genes in response to stress. This work provides valuable basis for further investigation into the complicated mechanisms of circulative and nonpropagative transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our understanding of animals' affective processing is notably limited compared to the wealth of research on humans, largely due to difficulties in measurement. Moreover, despite a recent increase in the understanding of the interaction between affect and cognition in animals, most research has focused on negative affect, with the result that we continue to know little about the effects of positive affect. In this study, we tested 15 adult capuchin monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] apella) using a novel methodology that took advantage of capuchins' species-typical behavior to engineer both a positive and negative experience, using the same apparatus to minimize extraneous impacts. Following a positive or negative experience (that presumably induced positive and negative affect, respectively), or a control with no manipulation, we assessed subjects' performance on a cognitive task, a computerized delayed match-to-sample. As predicted, behavior following the negative condition suggested a negative affective state, with increased rates of scratching (commonly used as an indicator of stress in nonhuman primates) compared to both the positive and control conditions. Cognitive performance was also impaired in the negative condition compared to the other two. Contrary to predictions, however, the positive condition did not have a facilitative effect on cognitive performance, but behavioral results indicate that we may not have induced a truly positive affective state. Although we add to evidence that a negative experience can influence subsequent behavior and cognitive performance in nonhuman primates, our work highlights our lack of knowledge about the impact of positive affect, if any, on behavior and cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have suggested that problem gambling is associated with various deviant outcomes. Little research, however, has considered the extent to which such relationships vary by subgroups of the population. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 9,644), this study examines the relationship between problem gambling in young adulthood and a range of deviant behaviors (i.e. binge drinking, marijuana use, instrumental crime, violent crime) and whether these relationships vary by family social class background. Results from logistic regressions reveal that problem gamblers have increased odds of engaging in weekly binge drinking, weekly marijuana use, and any instrumental crime. Furthermore, findings show that the relationship between problem gambling and weekly binge drinking is stronger for those from higher family social class backgrounds, but that the relationship between problem gambling and instrumental crime is stronger for those from lower family social class backgrounds. Implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the enforcement stage of the content moderation process on social media platforms. It argues that the current approach adopted by most platforms is underdeveloped, poses serious human rights issues, and would benefit from a number of reforms. This paper will first explain what the role of the moderator entails and how the enforcement process occurs at social media platforms. The investigation will then turn to the enforcement process itself and identify a number of problems in how content rules are generally enforced including bias in decision-making, an over-reliance on efficiency as a solution, and inconsistent enforcement of terms and conditions. Finally, it will provide a number of suggestions for reform including moving away from the efficiency narrative to consider larger issues in enforcement (which are not so easily solved) such as human rights and rule of law issues and the adoption of a body of precedents as a tool for accountability and empowerment of users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans and several other species of animals have demonstrated the ability to use familiarity to recognize that they have seen images before. In prior experiments, orangutans failed to show use of familiarity in memory tasks, even when other solutions were not available. We tested for evidence of habituation, a decreased response to repeated stimuli, as a behavioral indicator that repeated images were familiar to subjects. Monkeys and orangutans selected the smallest target out of four while computerized images were presented as distractors. Latency to complete the target-finding task was compared between conditions in which the distractor image was a familiar, repeating image, a novel, never-before-seen image, or no distractor was present. Rhesus macaques showed significant habituation, and significantly more habituation than orangutans, in each of four experiments. Orangutans showed statistically reliable habituation in only one of the four experiments. These results are consistent with previous research in which orangutans failed to demonstrate familiarity. Because we expect that familiarity and habituation are evolutionarily ancient memory processes, we struggle to explain these surprising, but consistent findings. Future research is needed to determine why orangutans respond to computerized images in this peculiar way. • Monkeys, but not orangutans used familiarity signals in prior tests of recognition. • Monkeys habituated more than did orangutans to images on a computer screen. • Orangutans are surprisingly insensitive to prior occurrence of images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]