Impact Of Environmental Cues Research Articles

Alcohol Approach Bias Is Associated With Both Behavioral and Neural Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer Effects in Alcohol-Dependent Patients

BackgroundEven after qualified detoxification, alcohol-dependent (AD) patients may relapse to drinking alcohol despite their decision to abstain. Two mechanisms may play important roles. First, the impact of environmental cues on instrumental behavior (i.e., Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer [PIT] effect), which was found to be stronger in prospectively relapsing AD patients than in abstaining patients. Second, an automatic approach bias toward alcohol stimuli was observed in AD patients, and interventions targeting this bias reduced the relapse risk in some studies. Previous findings suggest a potential behavioral and neurobiological overlap between these two mechanisms. MethodsIn this study, we examined the association between alcohol approach bias and both behavioral and neural non–drug-related PIT effects in AD patients after detoxification. A total of 100 AD patients (17 females) performed a PIT task and an alcohol approach/avoidance task. Patients were followed for 6 months. ResultsA stronger alcohol approach bias was associated with both a more pronounced behavioral PIT effect and stronger PIT-related neural activity in the right nucleus accumbens. Moreover, the association between alcohol approach bias and behavioral PIT increased with the severity of alcohol dependence and trait impulsivity and was stronger in patients who relapsed during follow-up in the exploratory analysis. ConclusionsThese findings indicate partial behavioral and neurobiological overlap between alcohol approach bias and the PIT effect assessed with our tasks. The association was stronger in patients with more severe alcohol dependence.

The co-occurrence of Ural Owls Strix uralensis and Northern Goshawks Accipiter gentilis differs between extensive and fragmented forests

ABSTRACT Capsule Territories of the nocturnal Ural Owl Strix uralensis and diurnal Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis were spatially associated in fragmented forest but not in extensive forest. Aims To test the hypotheses that (i) the patterns of distribution of Ural Owl and Northern Goshawk territories are different in extensive and fragmented forests and (ii) the distribution of their territories do not depend on local forest structure and habitat variables. Methods The territories of Northern Goshawks and Ural Owls were identified in forests in southern Poland. Spatial analysis was used to examine the co-occurrence patterns of the two species, and multivariate analysis to examine the impact of environmental cues on territory selection. Results Most habitat parameters were not significantly related to the presence of territories of either species. For Northern Goshawk there was a positive association with the occurrence of old-growth patches and a negative association with clear-cut areas and proximity to forest edge in fragmented forests; for Ural Owl there was a significant effect of wood type in extensive forest. None of the habitat parameters distinguished the territories of the two species, suggesting similarity in the habitats used. The territories of the two species were spatially associated in fragmented forests, suggesting some positive interspecific relationship. In contrast, the distributions of the two species were not significantly associated in extensive forest. Conclusions To explain the spatial co-occurrence between Northern Goshawks and Ural Owls we suggest: (i) Ural Owls can occupy unused Northern Goshawk nests in managed extensive forest where there is a deficiency of large tree cavities; (ii) restricted availability of habitat in fragmented forests forces both species to nest in close proximity, and/or (iii) Ural Owls use social information from Northern Goshawks about habitat quality when selecting territories in some landscapes.

Impact of mhealth messages and environmental cues on hand hygiene practice among healthcare workers in the greater Kampala metropolitan area, Uganda: study protocol for a cluster randomized trial

BackgroundHand hygiene (HH) among healthcare workers (HCWs) is critical for infection prevention and control (IPC) in healthcare facilities (HCFs). Nonetheless, it remains a challenge in HCFs, largely due to lack of high-impact and efficacious interventions. Environmental cues and mobile phone health messaging (mhealth) have the potential to improve HH compliance among HCWs, however, these remain under-studied. Our study will determine the impact of mhealth hygiene messages and environmental cues on HH practice among HCWs in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA).MethodsThe study is a cluster-randomized trial, which will be guided by the behaviour centred design model and theory for behaviour change. During the formative phase, we shall conduct 30 key informants’ interviews and 30 semi-structured interviews to explore the barriers and facilitators to HCWs’ HH practice. Besides, observations of HH facilities in 100 HCFs will be conducted. Findings from the formative phase will guide the intervention design during a stakeholders’ insight workshop.The intervention will be implemented for a period of 4 months in 30 HCFs, with a sample of 450 HCWs who work in maternity and children’s wards. HCFs in the control arm will receive innovatively designed HH facilities and supplies. HCWs in the intervention arm, in addition to the HH facilities and supplies, will receive environmental cues and mhealth messages. The main outcome will be the proportion of utilized HH opportunities out of the 9000 HH opportunities to be observed. The secondary outcome will be E. coli concentration levels in 100mls of hand rinsates from HCWs, an indicator of recent fecal contamination and HH failure. We shall run multivariable logistic regression under the generalized estimating equations (GEE) framework to account for the dependence of HH on the intervention.DiscussionThe study will provide critical findings on barriers and facilitators to HH practice among HCWs, and the impact of environmental cues and mhealth messages on HCWs’ HH practice.Trial registrationISRCTN Registry with number ISRCTN98148144. The trial was registered on 23/11/2020.

Impact of Environmental Cues on Staphylococcal Quorum Sensing and Biofilm Development

Staphylococci are commensal bacteria that colonize the epithelial surfaces of humans and many other mammals. These bacteria can also attach to implanted medical devices and develop surface-associated biofilm communities that resist clearance by host defenses and available chemotherapies. These communities are often associated with persistent staphylococcal infections that place a tremendous burden on the healthcare system. Understanding the regulatory program that controls staphylococcal biofilm development, as well as the environmental conditions that modulate this program, has been a focal point of research in recent years. A central regulator controlling biofilm development is a peptide quorum-sensing system, also called the accessory gene regulator or agr system. In the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, the agr system controls production of exo-toxins and exo-enzymes essential for causing infections, and simultaneously, it modulates the ability of this pathogen to attach to surfaces and develop a biofilm, or to disperse from the biofilm state. In this review, we explore advances on the interconnections between the agr quorum-sensing system and biofilm mechanisms, and topics covered include recent findings on how different environmental conditions influence quorum sensing, the impact on biofilm development, and ongoing questions and challenges in the field. As our understanding of the quorum sensing and biofilm interconnection advances, there are growing opportunities to take advantage of this knowledge and develop therapeutic approaches to control staphylococcal infections.

Association of Enhanced Epididymal β-Galactosidase Activity with Breeding Season in Male Goats

The impact of environmental cues on breeding in male goats has been investigated. Rainfall, temperature, humidity and day length characteristic of the monsoon season were found to be important factors that influenced breeding. An abattoir survey revealed a good linear correlation between the weight of testis and epididymis sampled from goats during the rainy months of July, August and September. The activity of β-galactosidase, en enzyme that participates in post translation modification of glycoproteins leading to sperm maturation in the epididymis, was also elevated during the monsoon months. This phenomenon is visualized as one among several physiological adjustments that goats make in response to environmental signals for successful mating.

Treatment of obesity: theory into practice.

The purpose of the present paper is to outline the current situation in the management of obesity in adults, and to make some suggestions as to how health professionals involved in obesity treatment can best address this growing problem. Dietitians and nutritionists have long been involved in the treatment of obesity, and have a vital role to play in the battle to reverse the increasing prevalence of this major public health problem. However, the current management of obesity is far from ideal. There is evidence to suggest that in general health care, even when there are clearly effective clinical interventions, health professionals may not practise in the best way. Furthermore, some professionals may also hold negative attitudes towards the obese. These are the subject of a systematic review on improving health professionals' practice and organization of care in obesity treatment, the preliminary findings of which will be discussed in the present paper (Harvey et al. 1998a,b). A new approach to obesity is required, encompassing effective treatment and prevention strategies. A greater understanding of the problems faced by the obese individual in attempting to lose weight is also needed, with a range of treatment approaches on offer to acknowledge the heterogeneity of obesity. Those health professionals involved in obesity treatment must consider the impact of dietary advice given in a consultation against the impact of environmental cues that assail the patient as soon as they leave the room. Tackling the obesity epidemic requires action at the individual and population level if we are to see any reduction in prevalence.

The impact of selected environmental cues on audit disclosure judgments

This paper presents the results of an experiment on the impact of environmental cues on audit decisions. Environmental cues are characteristics of the client (the setting of the audit) that may affect the objectivity and judgments of auditors. Practicing auditors were asked to determine the appropriate disclosure for a proposed audit adjustment in two actual, disguised cases. The environmental cues manipulated were: client size, prior association and client growth pattern. The results indicated that environmental cues did not significantly alter audit disclosure judgments but may affect reliance on other potentially vital cues. Enhanced auditor training or decision aids may be needed to increase auditor sensitivity to potentially important cues.

Learned helplessness, reactance, and cue utilization

The current study assesses the relationship between the exposure to unsolvable problems and the impact of environmental cues on performance. Subjects were exposed to no feedback, one failure, or four failures in a cognitive discrimination task. Then, subjects in each condition received a memory and visual search task wherein they were further divided according to the presence of task cues. One group of subjects received the test task without any additional cues, a second group received the same task with task-relevant cues, and a third group received the test task with task-irrelevant cues. Findings reveal and improvement in performance following a single failure (reactance) and a deterioration in performance following four failures (helplessness). The findings also show that under the no-feedback condition, task-relevant cues improved performance and task-irrelevant cues impaired it. Under the one failure condition, task-relevant cues facilitated performance, whereas task-irrelevant cues caused no performance change. Under the four failures condition, neither task-relevant cues nor task-irrelevant cues affected subjects' performance. Results were discussed in terms of a cognitive interference conceptualization of Learned Helplessness.