However, it is not established whether a default organization of the mental number line exists (i.e., a left-to-right orientation) or whether its spatial arrangement is only the epiphenomenon of specific task requirements. selleck compound To address this issue we performed two experiments in which subjects were required to

judge laterality of hand stimuli preceded by small, medium or large numerical cues; hand stimuli were compatible with egocentric or allocentric perspectives. We found evidence of a left-to-right number-hand association in processing stimuli compatible with an egocentric perspective, whereas the reverse mapping was found with hands compatible with an allocentric perspective. These findings demonstrate that the basic left-to-right arrangement of the mental number line is defined with respect to the body-centred egocentric reference frame. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“The Colombian amphibian fauna is among the richest known in the world, with about 20 species of salamanders (order Caudata), 35 of the limbless caecilians (order Gymnophiona), and more than 700 species of frogs and toads (order Anura) recorded from localities within the country. The potential effects of exposure to glyphosate on amphibians arising from production of illegal crops (coca) were examined. The analysis was based on (1) behavior and ecology of species and (2)

proximities of actual museum records to localities in which illegal crops are being grown and the subset of those that have been sprayed Selleckchem BI-2536 with glyphosate. Based on data on the location of amphibians collected in Colombia, records were obtained for 193 species

(28% of the national diversity) of frogs and toads found in localities within 10 km of areas where coca is grown. Further analyses with ARC MAP software allowed for measurement of the direct distance separating PCI-32765 solubility dmso collection locations for frogs, known coca fields, and areas where aerial spraying was being conducted. Records in or near coca fields included data for 11 of 13 families of frogs and toads known to be present in Colombia. Only Ceratophryidae and Pipidae were not reported from these locations and appear not to be at risk. For eight species (Dendrobates truncatus, Craugastor raniformis, Pristimantis gaigeae, Smilisca phaeota, Elachistocleis ovale, Hypsiboas crepitans, Trachycephalus venulosus, and Pseudis paradoxa) selected to represent several habitat preferences and life-cycle strategies, large areas of their distributions lie outside coca production regions and their populations as a whole are at low risk. For a limited number of species that barely enter Colombian territory, the consequences of coca production may be more serious and may have placed several species of frogs at risk. These include Ameerega bilingua, Dendropsophus bifurcus, Pristimantis colomai, P. degener, P. diadematus, P. quaquaversus, P. variabilis, and Trachycephalus jordani.