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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 Conservation funding is currently limited; cost‐effective conservation solutions are essential. We suggest that the thousands of field stations worldwide can play key roles at the frontline of biodiversity conservation and have high intrinsic value. We assessed field stations’ conservation return on investment and explored the impact of COVID‐19. We surveyed leaders of field stations across tropical regions that host primate research; 157 field stations in 56 countries responded. Respondents reported improved habitat quality and reduced hunting rates at over 80% of field stations and lower operational costs per km2 than protected areas, yet half of those surveyed have less funding now than in 2019. Spatial analyses support field station presence as reducing deforestation. These “earth observatories” provide a high return on investment; we advocate for increased support of field station programs and for governments to support their vital conservation efforts by investing accordingly.

Abstract Adjuvant trastuzumab in HER2+ breast cancer reduces recurrence and mortality, and has been the standard treatment since 2006. The objective was to analyze health outcomes in the real world. Observational, retrospective study of patients with HER2+ breast cancer, stages I–III, treated with adjuvant trastuzumab in the past 15 years in only one center and for the first time in Spain. Survival was analyzed according to the number of cycles and cardiotoxicity. Two hundred and seventy-five HER2positive patients (18.60%) out of 1479 received adjuvant (73%) or neoadjuvant/adjuvant (26%) trastuzumab, concomitantly (90%) or sequentially (10%) with chemotherapy. The probability of overall and disease-free survival (OS and DFS) at 5 years was 0.93 (95% CI 0.89–0.96), and 0.88 (95% CI 0.83–0.92). The number of cases with a significant and asymptomatic decrease in ventricular ejection fraction and heart failure were 54 (19.64%) and 12 (4.36%), respectively. Sixty-eight patients (24.70%) received 16 or fewer cycles, especially those older than 65 (OR 0.371, 95% CI 0.152–0.903; p = 0.029) and with cardiotoxicity (OR 15.02, 95% CI 7.437–30.335; p

Abstract Humans often experience striking performance deficits when their outcomes are determined by their own performance, colloquially referred to as “choking under pressure.” Physiological stress responses that have been linked to both choking and thriving are well-conserved in primates, but it is unknown whether other primates experience similar effects of pressure. Understanding whether this occurs and, if so, its physiological correlates, will help clarify the evolution and proximate causes of choking in humans. To address this, we trained capuchin monkeys on a computer game that had clearly denoted high- and low-pressure trials, then tested them on trials with the same signals of high pressure, but no difference in task difficulty. Monkeys significantly varied in whether they performed worse or better on high-pressure testing trials and performance improved as monkeys gained experience with performing under pressure. Baseline levels of cortisol were significantly negatively related to performance on high-pressure trials as compared to low-pressure trials. Taken together, this indicates that less experience with pressure may interact with long-term stress to produce choking behavior in early sessions of a task. Our results suggest that performance deficits (or improvements) under pressure are not solely due to human specific factors but are rooted in evolutionarily conserved biological factors.

Non-invasive health monitoring is advantageous for wild and captive primate populations because it reduces the need for traditional invasive techniques (i.e., anesthetization) that can be stressful and potentially harmful for individuals. The biomarker neopterin is an emerging tool in primatology to measure immune activation and immunosenescence, however, most neopterin studies have focused on catarrhine species with little comparative work examining neopterin and health in platyrrhines. To address this gap, we validated a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to measure urinary neopterin in two types of capuchin monkeys, a wild population of white-faced capuchins (Cebus imitator) and a socially housed captive colony of tufted capuchins (Sapajus apella). We analytically validated methods for measuring urinary neopterin in two capuchin populations and demonstrated that two commonly-used methods to control for urine concentration—creatinine and specific gravity (SG)—produced highly concordant results. We also biologically validated these methods by examining variation in neopterin levels based on environment (captive and wild) and age, and changes in levels associated with immune-response. We found that neopterin increased after immune perturbation (rabies vaccine booster), varied by environmental condition, and mirrored expected trends in immune system ontogeny. Our results improve understanding of the innate immune system in platyrrhine species and suggest neopterin may be useful for non-invasive health monitoring in both captive and wild primates.

The geochemistry of two metavolcano-sedimentary sequences deposited in the Piedra Alta Terrane is compared, and their geotectonic evolution is discussed. The Ojosmín Unit (OU) comprises MORB-like basic rocks at the base and a fine-grained siliciclastic sequence interpreted as marine turbidites towards the top. The succession was later obducted during the Orosirian. Whole-rock geochemistry of the metasedimentary rocks of the OU indicates the lack of source rock alteration during deposition (Chemical Index of Alteration, CIA ca. 40-53), implying ice-house climatic conditions in correlation with the worldwide Rhyacian glaciations. Recycling of zircon fractionates the Rare Earth Elements (REE) increasing the amount of HREE, Y, and Hf. Variation ranges of Th/Sc (0.4-4.9), Zr/Sc (30-410), Th/U (2.5-4.3), and of the Eu/Eu * negative anomaly (0.4-0.7) approximate Upper Continental Crust (UCC) values. A new clastic metasedimentary, gently folded unit, the Cerro de la Figurita Formation (CFFm), is erected. The CFFm clastic sedimentation (3,000 m in thickness) represents a deepening upward sequence, starting with polymictic conglomerates deposited in an alluvial fan-dominated environment that evolves to marine turbidites. The CFFm is probably related to a foreland geotectonic setting developed during the Orosirian. The geochemistry of the CFFm reveals similarities to unrecycled UCC, and weathering of the source rocks increases up section (CIA 45-92). Low ratios of Th/Sc (0.3-1.5), Zr/Sc (6-20), Th/U (3-6), high Cr/V (1.1-12.2), and a less pronounced Eu/Eu* negative anomaly of certain samples (0.5-0.9) suggest a contribution from mafic source rocks (probably ophiolitic).

We study the broadband emission of Mrk 501 using multiwavelength observations from 2017 to 2020 performed with a multitude of instruments, involving, among others, MAGIC, Fermi's Large Area Telescope (LAT), NuSTAR, Swift, GASP-WEBT, and the Owens Valley Radio Observatory. Mrk 501 showed an extremely low broadband activity, which may help to unravel its baseline emission. Nonetheless, significant flux variations are detected at all wave bands, with the highest occurring at X-rays and very-high-energy (VHE) γ -rays. A significant correlation (>3 σ ) between X-rays and VHE γ -rays is measured, supporting leptonic scenarios to explain the variable parts of the emission, also during low activity. This is further supported when we extend our data from 2008 to 2020, and identify, for the first time, significant correlations between the Swift X-Ray Telescope and Fermi-LAT. We additionally find correlations between high-energy γ -rays and radio, with the radio lagging by more than 100 days, placing the γ -ray emission zone upstream of the radio-bright regions in the jet. Furthermore, Mrk 501 showed a historically low activity in X-rays and VHE γ -rays from mid-2017 to mid-2019 with a stable VHE flux (>0.2 TeV) of 5% the emission of the Crab Nebula. The broadband spectral energy distribution (SED) of this 2 yr long low state, the potential baseline emission of Mrk 501, can be characterized with one-zone leptonic models, and with (lepto)-hadronic models fulfilling neutrino flux constraints from IceCube. We explore the time evolution of the SED toward the low state, revealing that the stable baseline emission may be ascribed to a standing shock, and the variable emission to an additional expanding or traveling shock.

El cuarzo (SiO2) es un mineral ampliamente utilizado en varias industrias. Sus aplicaciones dependen de sus propiedades físicas y químicas y del contenido de impurezas que poseen los cristales. El cuarzo más requerido es aquel de alta pureza (CAP), sin embargo, los yacimientos de este tipo son mundialmente escasos. En el partido de Azul, se determinó la presencia de un cuerpo rocoso de dimensiones considerables compuesto casi totalmente por cuarzo. El estudio petrográfico permitió determinar cristales de cuarzo de variable dimensión (70-600 µm) y de filosilicatos (escasos). Además, se reconocieron microestructuras de deformación dúctil y frágil. Los análisis geoquímicos realizados en dos muestras, sin y con preselección manual, indicaron contenidos de SiO₂ de 95 y 97 % respectivamente, y contenidos menores de Al₂O₃ (< 1,50 %), Fe₂O₃ (< 0,55 %) y K₂O (< 0,50 %). Por otro lado, se observaron escasas inclusiones fluidas. De acuerdo con los resultados obtenidos el cuerpo cuarzoso estudiado cumple con las condiciones establecidas para ser clasificado como CAP. Considerando los requerimientos de las distintas industrias, este mineral podría ser utilizado, sin ningún tipo de tratamiento, en la industria de las ferroaleaciones, y en el caso de aplicar algún método de purificación, en la industria del vidrio.

Abstract In aggressive interactions, game theory predicts that animals should assess an opponent’s condition relative to their own prior to escalation or retreat. Despite the benefits of such mutual assessment, few studies have been able to reject simpler assessment strategies. Here we report evidence for mutual assessment in a wild primate. Gelada (Theropithecus gelada) males have conspicuous loud calls that may function as a signal of male quality. “Leader” males with harems putatively use loud calls to deter challenges from non-reproductive “bachelor” males. By contrast, leader males pose no threat to each other and congregate in large groups for a dilution effect against bachelors. In playback experiments and natural observations, gelada males responded to loud calls according to both their own and their opponent’s attributes. Although primates routinely classify others relative to themselves using individual attributes, this represents some of the first direct evidence for mutual assessment in primate signaling contests.

El pardeamiento enzimático, catalizado principalmente por la Enzima Polifenol Oxidasa (PPO), es uno de los principales problemas que afectan la calidad y limitan la vida útil de frutas y hortalizas mínimamente procesadas. Los compuestos tradicionalmente utilizados para inhibir la PPO, son los sulfitos. Sin embargo, se ha desalentado su utilización en la industria alimentaria debido a que se han registrado casos de reacciones alérgicas, especialmente en individuos asmáticos. Como consecuencia, en la actualidad, se evalúa la utilización de otros compuestos como potenciales inhibidores de la enzima, para garantizar productos frescos y naturales. En el presente trabajo, se analizó la evolución de la actividad de la enzima PPO y las características cromáticas de la pulpa de rodajas de manzanas cv. Granny Smith, tratadas por inmersión en una solución de aditivos. Los tratamientos utilizados fueron: I. 2% ácido ascórbico + 1% ácido cítrico + 0,5% EDTA, II. 1% ácido ascórbico + 0,5 % ácido cítrico + 0,25% EDTA y III. agua, empleada como control. Durante el almacenamiento, se evaluaron las coordenadas de color del espacio CIE L*a*b* de las rodajas y se demostró que los tratamientos I y II fueron efectivos en evitar el pardeamiento de la fruta. La evaluación espectrofotométrica de la actividad enzimática de la PPO, en extractos de manzanas sometidas a los distintos tratamientos, mostró que el más severo (I) fue el que produjo el mayor grado de inhibición de la enzima, en todos los tiempos analizados. Se propone evaluar a futuro, la efectividad de estos inhibidores "in vitro", a efectos de compararlos con los resultados obtenidos en rodajas de manzana.

En este estudio se determinó la posición trófica de la ictiofauna del embalse La Goleta, Estado de México. Se realizó un muestreo en la primavera de 2007, donde se registraron los siguientes parámetros del agua, temperatura, profundidad, transparencia, turbidez, oxígeno disuelto, conductividad, pH, dureza, y alcalinidad, también se realizó la captura de peces utilizando un chinchorro charalero. El análisis del contenido estomacal se determinó con el método numérico y volumétrico. Los peces capturados pertenecen a tres especies: Menidia jordani, la cual se considera una especie zooplanctófaga generalista; Cyprinus carpio, es omnívoro muy generalista y Carassius auratus que es un pez herbívoro generalista.