Changes In Behavior Research Articles

Physiological characteristics of microbial transformation during chronic exposure to triclosan as a hydrophobic antibacterial agent and post-antibacterial cessation

ABSTRACT The use of triclosan (TCS) in hygiene products and other materials raises concerns about increased antimicrobial resistance. Research has shown that bacteria can develop resistance to TCS, but there is limited understanding of how bacterial behavior changes after TCS is removed. This study focuses on how bacteria adapt to prolonged TCS exposure and recover after its removal. It aims to improve practices for using antimicrobial agents in sanitation products and emphasize the importance of understanding exposure and recovery times to prevent resistance development. The study evaluated the bacterial behavior, determining the minimum inhibition concentration of TCS that 90% of Escherichia coli was inhibited (MIC90), predicting bacterial growth kinetics using the Modified Gompertz model and membrane permeability recovery. Bacteria showed a significant increase in resistance levels during exposure, with the MIC90 steadily increasing over 30 days and peaking at 16 mg/L. Upon removal, there was a notable 2-fold decrease in resistance after 10 days of reculturing in a non-chemical medium, likely due to restructuring changes in cell membranes. Therefore, in addition to reducing the occurrence of antibacterial agents in the environment, advanced treatments for eliminating antibacterial resistance should be performed on wastewater before being discharged into the environment.

Effects of different mobility concepts in new residential areas

Growing cities need new residential areas, which are often either not connected to the existing transport infrastructure or are poorly connected to it. A fast way to connect these areas is the construction of roads. However, this generates a car-depending mobility among the inhabitants, which is in conflict with several sustainability goals. Moreover, the impact of the implementation of new public transport options is only partly known and this fact reduces the willingness to invest in expensive public transport measures. In this work we examine different mobility concepts, including shared mobility, bicycle highways, a high-frequency bus service, suburban trains and car limitations in a new residential area of 2000 households in Berlin, Germany, which is currently under construction. The households and inhabitants are created synthetically using statistical data derived from a survey among the first people moved in. The age and size structure of these households turn out to be different from the neighboring households. Then, we implement all measures in a microscopic travel demand simulation and quantify the potential modal shifts for four different mobility concepts. The results show that weak and short-term mobility concepts show no significant change in mobility behavior. Only highly integrated projects like bicycle highways into the inner city combined with suburban trains can reduce the need for car-dependent mobility. Shared mobility only fills in the gaps for special occasions but not for daily mobility due to the high costs. In a final step we examine the usage of the introduced public transport services and compare the change in the occupation of the buses and trains. Here our work shows that interchanging from bus to subways and suburban trains drastically reduces the attractiveness of public transport. Introducing a new suburban train changes this situation and the whole region shows a drop of 40% of car trips.

Socially induced plasticity of the posterior tuberculum and motor behavior in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Social dominance is prevalent throughout the animal kingdom. It facilitates the stabilization of social relationships and allows animals to divide resources according to social rank. Zebrafish form stable dominance relationships that consist of dominants and subordinates. Although social-status-dependent differences in behavior must arise due to neural plasticity, mechanisms of how neural circuits are reconfigured to cope with social dominance are poorly described. Here, we describe how the posterior tuberculum nucleus (PT), which integrates sensory social information to modulate spinal motor circuits, is morphologically and functionally influenced by social status. We combined non-invasive behavioral monitoring of motor activity (startle escape and swim) and histological approaches to investigate how social dominance affects the morphological structure, axosomatic synaptic connectivity, and functional activity of the PT in relation to changes in motor behavior. We show that dopaminergic cell number significantly increases in dominants compared to subordinates, while PT synaptic interconnectivity, demonstrated with PSD-95 expression, is higher in subordinates compared to dominants. Secondly, these socially induced morphological differences emerge after one week of dominance formation and correlate with differences in cellular activities illustrated with higher phosphor-S6 ribosomal protein expression in dominants compared to subordinates. Thirdly, these morphological differences are reversible as the social environment evolves and correlates with adaptations in startle escape and swim behaviors. Our results provide new insights of the neural bases of social behavior that may be applicable to other social species with similar structural and functional organization.

Ghrelin in Depression: A Promising Therapeutic Target.

Depression is a widespread disease affecting over 300 million individuals of various ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds globally. It frequently strikes early in life and becomes a chronic or recurring lifelong illness. Out of the various hypotheses for the pathophysiology of depression, the gut-brain axis and stress hypothesis are the ones that need to be researched, as psychological stress impairs one or more pathways of the brain-gut axis and is likely to cause brain-gut axis dysfunction and depression. A dysfunctional reciprocal gut-brain relationship may contribute to many diseases, including inflammatory disorders, abnormal stress responses, impaired behavior, and metabolic changes. The hormone ghrelin is a topic of interest concerning the gut-brain axis as it interacts with the gut-brain axis indirectly via the central nervous system or via crossing the blood-brain barrier. Ghrelin release is also affected by the gut microbes, which has also been discussed in the review. This review elaborates on Ghrelin's role in depression and its effect on various aspects like neurogenesis, HPA axis, and neuroinflammation. Furthermore, this review focuses on ghrelin as a potential target for alleviation of depressive symptoms.

Investigating the effects of political correctness in social marketing messaging

Purpose Obesity imposes myriad negative consequences upon society, the economy and personal well-being. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of using political correctness (PC) in social marketing messages to persuade consumers to change their unhealthy behavior. It also explores various underlying mechanisms that drive this effect. Specifically, this research studies that messaging approach – politically correct vs politically incorrect and gain vs loss message framing – generates higher consumer intentions to change their behavior. Design/methodology/approach Four experiments were conducted with nationally representative samples to examine the effect of PC and gain vs loss message framing on consumers’ behavior changing intentions. Findings Politically correct prosocial marketing messages displayed higher persuasiveness than politically incorrect messages. Each relationship was mediated by the perceived manipulative capacity of the message and consumers’ attitudes toward the message. Message framing performed as a boundary condition for these effects. Research limitations/implications This paper sought to contribute to the literature that investigates the effectiveness of social marketing efforts. Three specific contributions related to the effects of message frames on politically correct and incorrect social marketing messages were developed. Practical implications The strategies presented in this paper benefit firms wishing to create a more prosocial approach to their business. A firm can present a prosocial message to their target market in a frame focusing on what will be gained instead of lost. Likewise, firms should welcome this type of messaging that embraces politically correct terminology instead of shying away from it. Originality/value This paper generates actionable insights for marketers and policymakers regarding how best to communicate with targeted segments about culturally- and personally sensitive topics related to obesity and weight loss. This paper also contributes to the literature that explores the effectiveness of social marketing initiatives. The findings suggest policymakers and social marketers should be cautious and, regardless of today’s sociopolitical environment, avoid falling into the temptation of developing politically incorrect and loss-framed messages.

External Factors Influencing the Implementation of Policy, System, and Environmental Change Strategies Within Cooperative Extension.

Introduction. Multilevel approaches are important to promote the adoption of healthier practices at the individual and community levels. Cooperative Extension pairs policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change approaches with direct education programs focused on individual and community health. This study sought to understand Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension agents' perceptions of PSE change supports, benefits for their communities, and resources and partnerships important for implementation. Method. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was used to develop a survey to assess outer setting domains related to PSE work. In addition to close-ended questions, the survey included several open-ended, qualitative questions exploring the benefits, resources, and relationships required to implement PSE changes. The surveys were collected online from FCS agents in two states. Descriptive statistics were calculated, open responses were coded, and key themes were established. Results. FCS agents (n=116) indicated high levels of agreement about having necessary support from state-level specialists (71%) and the overall Extension organization (64%). The largest gaps in support were reported as grant or external funding sources, time, and county programming funds. Half of the sample agreed that PSE training was adequate, but only 38.5% reported previously participating in PSE-specific training. Open-ended question responses revealed diverse relationships and numerous benefits of PSE work, including more sustainable health behavior changes and greater local Extension visibility. Discussion. Our findings corroborate previous work and identify potential gaps that future interventions can address to better support Extension and public health professionals when implementing PSE work at the community level.

Characterization and changes in the thermal behavior of the phosphorite sample from Toolse deposit (Estonia) along the drill-core

Characterization and changes in the thermal behavior of the phosphorite sample from Toolse deposit (Estonia) along the drill-core

Physical Activity Behaviour and Motivation During and Following Pulmonary and Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Repeated Measures Study.

Exercise rehabilitation programmes are important for long-term health and wellbeing among people with cardiac and pulmonary diseases. Despite this, many people struggle to maintain their physical activity once rehabilitation ends. This repeated measures study tracked changes in physical activity behaviour and motivation during and after completing a community-based exercise rehabilitation programme. Cardiac and pulmonary exercise rehabilitation patients (N = 31) completed six once-monthly measures of physical activity (MET·min), self-determined motivation, intention, and habit strength for rehabilitation exercise (within rehabilitation sessions) and lifestyle physical activity (outside of rehabilitation sessions). Linear regression and random effects models with estimated marginal means were used to test for associations between physical activity motivation and behaviour and change during and post-rehabilitation. Overall physical activity decreased after rehabilitation (823 MET·min) despite patients becoming more self-determined for lifestyle physical activity during rehabilitation. More self-determined motivation, stronger intentions, and stronger habits were associated with more lifestyle physical activity behaviour. However, none of these motivation variables were significantly associated with rehabilitation exercise behaviour. Among community-based cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation patients, physical activity levels decreased following exercise rehabilitation programmes. The findings revealed clear distinctions in the motivation of rehabilitation exercise compared to lifestyle physical activity. Exercise rehabilitation programmes might improve the longevity of outcomes by integrating approaches to enhance lifestyle physical activity beyond the clinic.

Pay Attention to Hypertension (PAtH): Findings from a cardiovascular health promotion intervention for adults with intellectual disabilities participating in Special Olympics programming.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects adults globally. People with intellectual disabilities (PWID) may be at higher risk of CVD and associated risk factors (e.g. obesity, hypertension, and diabetes). We developed Pay Attention to Hypertension (PAtH), a cardiovascular health promotion intervention, and tested its impact on changes in blood pressure (BP), lifestyle behaviours and health-related empowerment among PWID. PAtH was developed with a Special Olympics community organisation that supports PWID in developing self-confidence and social skills through participation in sports. The 6-month intervention consisted of 1-h individualised virtual sessions delivered monthly by nursing students/novice nurses. Sessions covered specific themes, including monitoring BP, adopting healthy lifestyles and managing stress, and were individually tailored to the capacities and needs of participants. A single group pre-post-intervention design was used to assess the intervention's effects among participants who completed the intervention and data collection. Data included baseline and follow-up BP measurements from 7-day logbooks and questionnaires assessing lifestyle behaviours [physical activity (PA), screen time and diet], and health-related empowerment. Seventy-four participants were included in the analyses. Between baseline and follow-up, there were no changes in systolic and diastolic BP, PA or leisure screen time. The proportion of participants who reported adding salt when cooking decreased from baseline to follow-up (19.7% vs. 12.7%, P=0.034), and we found improvements for several items measuring health-related empowerment (P≤0.003). Improvements in health-related empowerment were found following PAtH. More intensive interventions may be needed to result in changes in lifestyle behaviours and BP. The integration of adapted cardiovascular health promotion initiatives within well-established community organisations such as Special Olympics is a promising avenue to contribute to cardiovascular health promotion among PWID.

Peningkatan Semangat Berwirausaha Pada Paguyuban Umkm “Aku Bisa” Di Kota Semarang

Abstract: In Krobokan Village, West Semarang, there is a Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Association (MSMEs)”AKU BISA”. This asssociation accommodates approximately 50 MSMEs with various types of productss produced, including culinary to handycraft. The problem faced by this association is that their business has not developed since at was pioneered until now. This is due to the lack of understanding of entrepreurship and the lack of entrepreneurial spirit. The purpose of Community Service is to provide knowledge about entrepreneurship and motivate MSMEs to be more enthusiastic in running their businesses. The method of implementing community service activities is the lecture and discussion method. Meamwhile, the implementation of community service activities in March – May 2024. After the counseling was carried out, there was an increase in knowledge and understanding of entrepreneurship among the participants, understanding and understanding the success factors of a business and there was a positive change in behavior, namely being more enthusiastic in entrepreneurship. Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Motivation, Counselling, Skills technology

An Evolutionary Perspective on Dog Behavioral Genetics.

Dogs have played an outsized role in the field of behavioral genetics since its earliest days. Their unique evolutionary history and ubiquity in the modern world make them a potentially powerful model system for discovering how genetic changes lead to changes in behavior. Genomic technology has supercharged this potential by enabling scientists to sequence the DNA of thousands of dogs and test for correlations with behavioral traits. However, fractures in the early history of animal behavior between biological and psychological subfields may be impeding progress. In addition, canine behavioral genetics has included almost exclusively dogs from modern breeds, who represent just a small fraction of all dog diversity. By expanding the scope of dog behavior studies, and incorporating an evolutionary perspective on canine behavioral genetics, we can move beyond associations to understanding the complex interactions between genes and environment that lead to dog behavior.

Outdoor recreation contributes to ecological changes along coastlines: Temperate United States cases highlight key impacts and ways forward

Coastal natural areas including sandy and rocky beaches comprise some of the United States’ most critical recreational and ecological resources. Through collaboration, governmental conservation agencies and non-profits forecast that over 2 billion coastline visits occur each year. Under contemporary conditions, coastal resource overuse endangers the integrity of both social and ecological systems. Existing and mounting concerns call for different coastal zone management strategies, including research into poorly understood and emerging disturbances. This work explains how recreational disturbances influence coastal environments through wildlife behavior changes, plant dynamics, and the quality of abiotic ecosystem elements. Atlantic and Pacific cases indicate that some outdoor recreation systems strongly affect habitat quality, sensitive species, and interacting communities. New insight into outdoor recreation’s contributions to ecosystem change will inform how coastal zone management agencies can implement stronger co-existence strategies for people and nature.

DEVELOPMENT OF ORAL HEALTH CARE FOR COMPLETE DENTURES TREATMENT

Based on data from the Basic Health Research 2018, indicate a correlation between age and tooth loss, yet denture utilization remains comparatively low. Dental therapists are primarily responsible for enhancing oral health by preventing, treating, and managing dental problems. While authorized to collaborate with dental specialists in providing medical dental procedures. However, in many clinical settings, dental therapists are often relegated to the role of dental assistants. This limitation can be attributed to the lack of integrated dental care models for complete denture cases within specialized prosthodontic services. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of developed dental and oral health care model on patients with complete denture care on changes in the behavior of dental therapists in implementing the model. This study employs a quasi-experimental research design with a pretest-posttest design (non-equivalent control group). The research was conducted the entire population of 12 dental therapists at the prosthodontic clinic of the dental and oral hospital were randomly assigned to two groups. The intervention group received socialization on an oral health care model. Knowledge, attitude, and skills were assessed through questionnaires and observational methods both before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed statistically using paired t-test, and independent t-test. Its model is effective in behavior changes: improving knowledge (p-value 0.025; ? 7.50), attitudes (p-value 0.012; ? 7.33), skills (p-value 0.002; ? 26.67). Development of a dental and oral health care model in patients with complete denture care is effective in changing the behavior of dental therapists.

The Evaluation of Rainfall Warning Thresholds for Shallow Slope Stability Based on the Local Safety Factor Theory

Rainfall-induced shallow slope instability is a significant global hazard, often triggered by water infiltration that affects soil stability and involves dynamic changes in the hydraulic behavior of unsaturated soils. This study employs a hydro-mechanical coupled analysis model to assess the impact of rainfall on slope stability, focusing on the dynamic hydraulic behavior of unsaturated soils. By simulating the soil water content and slope stability under four different rainfall scenarios based on observational data and historical thresholds, this study reveals that higher rainfall intensity significantly increases the soil water content, leading to reduced slope stability. The results show a strong correlation between the soil water content and slope stability, with a 20 mm/h rainfall intensity threshold emerging as a reliable predictor of potential slope instability. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of slope stability dynamics and emphasizes the importance of proactive risk management in response to changing rainfall patterns while also validating current management practices and providing essential insight for improving early warning systems to effectively mitigate landslide risk.

Modelling household online shopping and home delivery demand using latent class & ordinal generalized extreme value (GEV) models

The surge in e-commerce during the past decade has led to dramatic changes in consumer shopping behaviour. The study applies two Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) family models to investigate households' e-shopping demands. The study proposes a model structure to jointly model ordinal-based choice behaviour with choice-makers' latent class membership. Introducing latent class structure with the OGEV formulation accounts for the relationship between choice-makers heterogeneous preferential groups and their ordinal choice outcomes. Furthermore, the study also applies the Ordered General Extreme Value (OGEV)-Negative Binomial (NB) model, capturing the interplay between consumers' in-store shopping demands and online shopping behaviour. The RUM principle inherited within the OGEV-NB model allows econometric valuation of in-store shopping activity explicitly considering households' e-shopping demands. Both models are empirically estimated using a dataset collected in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Canada. The empirical findings and behavioural implications are also discussed.

Single and combined effects of metal-based fungicides on Eisenia andrei in different scenarios of climatic change.

This study evaluated the ecotoxicity of metal-based fungicides under the current scenarios of global climatic change (20°C and 25°C) and moisture content (30% and 50%) in single and binary mixtures of copper oxychloride (CuOx) [200, 500 and 1000mg/kg] and mancozeb (MnZn) [44, 850 and 1250mg/kg]. Endpoints assessed included mortality, changes in biomass, avoidance behaviour, and reproduction utilising standardised protocols (ISO and OECD). The changes in biomass and mortality tests lasted 28days, followed by a 28-day reproduction test and a two-day avoidance test. In all temperature-moisture combinations, the mortality rate in the exposure groups exceeded 10% only in the CuOx1000 and CuOx1000 + MnZn1250 mg/kg groups. However, at 20°C and 30% moisture, the mortality rate exceeded 10% only in the CuOx500 + MnZn850 mg/kg treatment. Relative growth rates in the CuOx and MnZn treatment groups decreased with increasing concentrations. In CuOx MnZn and the binary mixture treatments at 20°C 30% and 25°C 50% conditions, avoidance response behaviour was greater than 80% throughout the exposure, except in CuOx200 mg/kg, MnZn44 mg/kg and CuOx200 + MnZn44 mg/kg. The reproduction of exposed earthworms in all treatment groups was concentration-dependent and influenced by varying temperatures and soil moisture conditions. No juveniles or cocoons were produced in the CuOx1000 mg/kg treatment at 25°C 30%, indicating that copper oxychloride may be more toxic than mancozeb, especially in drought conditions. This study found that different temperatures and soil moisture levels altered the ecotoxicity of CuOx and MnZn. It can be concluded that climate change is likely to significantly impact the outcomes of metals to earthworms and their ecological activities.

Environmental shocks and agriculture: implications of floods on labor market outcomes

Abstract Floods often displace people and exacerbate their access to finance, affecting the livelihood of daily wage workers in least-developed countries. In August 2017, Nepal experienced the heaviest rainfall in more than 60 years, severely flooding about 80 per cent of the land in the southern part of the country. Using the two-way fixed effects approach and an event study design, we evaluate the impact of severe flooding on the wages of agricultural workers. We show that the 2017 floods resulted in a 9–10 per cent decrease in cash wages among agricultural households while in-kind wages of agricultural laborers increased significantly after the floods, implying that in-kind wages helped mitigate the adverse effects of floods on cash wages. We also investigate changes in assistance, loan-seeking behavior, loan repayment, and collection behavior as mechanisms leading to the risk-mitigating behavior by farmers.

The Relationship between Covid-19 and Consumption Patterns of Poor Households

Objective: This research aims to analyze the relationship between Covid-19 and Consumption Patterns of Poor Households. The phenomenon of the Covid-19 pandemic has caused various social and economic changes. Changes in behaviour and preferences are an important part of the research by emphasizing the analysis of changes in expenditure during the Covid-19 pandemic and post-Covid-19. Method:This research is in the form of quantitative descriptive, the type of data used by researchers is primary data using a questionnaire that refers to the IFLS (Indonesian Family Life Survey) questionnaire. Primary data includes questionnaires and poor people during and postpandemic in 2019 and 2022 in rural and urban areas. The research area includes several village comparisons of Bandar Lampung City, South Lampung Regency, and Pringsewu Regency. The multiple linear methods are performed with the t-test in pairs using the statistical tool Stata. Results: The results of the study concluded that in the different tests there was no difference in food expenditure during the Covid-19 and post-Covid-19 period, between urban and rural areas, because of the tendency to have both low food expenditures during the pandemic and increase in post- pandemic. The food consumption patterns of the two regions still tend to buy the same staples. There is a difference in non- food expenditures during the rural Covid-19 period is higher because health and urban costs are lower, in the post-Covid-19 rural areas are lower and urban areas are higher. Conclusion and suggestions: The advice to the government, as cases of the Covid-19 pandemic, rise again, is to focus on providing free health services to the poor, because the expenditure on health services is quite large during the covid-19 pandemic. The government is also expected to be able to provide prolonged food staples to poor households plus complementary ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, and foods with high nutrition and protein.

Empowering Communities through Citizen Science: Dengue Prevention in Córdoba.

Traditional mosquito vector control methods have proved ineffective in controlling the spread of dengue fever. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of community engagement through student-led science in promoting dengue prevention and socioecological factors in the temperate urban city of Córdoba, Argentina. It assesses community perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices regarding dengue fever and its vector. Results showed a significant increase in knowledge about the vector and the disease and respondents' adoption of good preventive practices. Student-led science was identified as a valuable tool for reaching households and leading to behavior changes at home. Furthermore, the findings highlighted the need for school programs to address vector biology and vector-borne disease prevention all year round. This study provides invaluable insights into the effectiveness of community engagement through student-led science to promote dengue prevention and socioecological factors. The findings suggest that this approach could be used to control the spread in other regions affected by the disease.

Char, gas, and action: Transfer of the flame-retardant modes of action in epoxy resins and their fiber-reinforced composites

Flame retardants are often developed for epoxy resins and then transferred into their fiber-reinforced composites with uncertain results. Understanding this transfer in detail represents a critical scientific challenge. This study systematically compares epoxy resins with their glass-fiber reinforced composites, focusing on bisphenol A diglycidyl ether with the hardener dicyandiamide, the flame retardants melamine polyphosphate, ammonium polyphosphate, and silane ammonium polyphosphate, along with inorganic silicate. The research investigates changes in pyrolysis (thermogravimetry), flammability (UL 94, limiting oxygen index), and fire behavior (cone calorimeter) while also examining the flame-retardant modes of action and overall fire performance. The findings reveal that alterations in the amount of fuel, thermal properties, melt flow, and protective layer significantly impact ignition, flammability, and fire load, with a critical reduction in carbonaceous char within the composites preventing intumescence. This study quantifies the effects and provides a fundamental scientific understanding of the complex transfer process of flame retardants from resins to composites, offering essential insights that are of major importance for developing more effective flame-retardant materials.