The creation of virtual reality simulations for training or analysis is an arduous process requiring specialized knowledge. Graphical models and even animated, articulated figures can now be obtained from websites or hired artists. Even after these assets are obtained, putting scenes together and authoring character behaviors can be a lengthy process. Furthermore, ensuring that character behavi...

BACKGROUND Schizophrenia patients show disturbances on a range of tasks that assess mentalizing or 'Theory of Mind' (ToM). However, these tasks are often developmentally inappropriate, make large demands on verbal abilities and explicit problem-solving skills, and involve after-the-fact reflection as opposed to spontaneous mentalizing. METHOD To address these limitations, 55 clinically stable...

The rainforests are the great green heart of Africa, and present a unique combination of ecological, climatic and human interactions. In this synthesis paper, we review the past and present state processes of change in African rainforests, and explore the challenges and opportunities for maintaining a viable future for these biomes. We draw in particular on the insights and new analyses emergin...

This paper examines the construction and use of visual representations for reasoning. Visual representations have often been categorized by a resemblance criterion: representations of objects are considered iconic, because they resemble a perceived object, while representations of abstractions, which cannot resemble an object, are considered unconstrained and therefore arbitrary. In contrast, I...

The impact of hunting (selective harvest, trophy hunting) on the demography of mammals is well documented. However, despite continual year-round hunting of bison in some populations, little is known about how the behavior of survivors may be altered. Therefore, in this initial study, we used focal-animal observations in adjacent populations of continually hunted and protected Plains bison (Biso...

Hunting is one of the human activities that directly affect wildlife and has received increasing attention given its socioeconomic dimensions. Most studies have been conducted on coastal and wetland areas and showed that hunting activity can greatly affect bird behaviour and distribution. Hunting-free reserves for game species are zones where birds find an area of reduced disturbance. We evalua...