Salience Index Research Articles

Is the Term "Food Consistency" Used Consistently in Consumer Science? An Exploratory Study of Consumer Association and Conceptualization.

The post-pandemic context has changed the modes for collecting data in sensory and consumer science. The objectives of this research were to analyze consumers' associations of food consistency and to study two virtual modes of the Free Word Association test (FWA). This test was administered to 209 consumers (180 women, 29 men, 18-45 years old) asynchronously (i.e. self-administered) and synchronously (i.e. face to face interviews). The Cognitive Salience Index (CSI) was calculated, and the structure of the social representation was analyzed. Correspondence analysis showed that food consistency was a mixture of concepts related to structure, hardness and several aspects of auditory (e.g., Crunchy, Crispy), tactile (e.g. Smooth, Spreadable) and oral texture (e.g., Creamy, Gummy). Slightly consistent food was associated with something soft, liquid or semisolid, and very consistent food to something hard and resistant. Consistent food was more related to "very" than to "slightly consistent." The CSI depended on the stimulus presented (p < 0.05). Regarding the social representation structure, the central core had the highest CSI for all stimuli (CSI ≥ 0.13, p < 0.05). Consumers defined "very consistent, consistent and slightly consistent food" by naming more foods in the synchronous mode than in the asynchronous one. In the asynchronous mode, consumers took more time to complete the test. The virtual FWA test (asynchronous or synchronous) showed some differences in the associations of term consistency, due to the lack of spontaneity in the first minute. It is important to adjust the methodologies to standardize the times in both modes.

Comparative evaluation of interpretation methods in surface-based age prediction for neonates

Significant changes in brain morphology occur during the third trimester of gestation. The capability of deep learning in leveraging these morphological features has enhanced the accuracy of brain age predictions for this critical period. Yet, the opaque nature of deep learning techniques, often described as "black box" approaches, limits their interpretability, posing challenges in clinical applications. Traditional interpretable methods developed for computer vision and natural language processing may not directly translate to the distinct demands of neuroimaging. In response, our research evaluates the effectiveness and adaptability of two interpretative methods—regional age prediction and the perturbation-based saliency map approach—for predicting the brain age of neonates. Analyzing 664 T1 MRI scans with the NEOCIVET pipeline to extract brain surface and cortical features, we assess how these methods illuminate key brain regions for age prediction, focusing on technical analysis with clinical insight. Through a comparative analysis of the saliency index (SI) with relative brain age (RBA) and the examination of structural covariance networks, we uncover the saliency index's enhanced ability to pinpoint regions vital for accurate indication of clinical factors. Our results highlight the advantages of perturbation techniques in addressing the complexities of medical data, steering clinical interventions for premature neonates towards more personalized and interpretable approaches. This study not only reveals the promise of these methods in complex medical scenarios but also offers a blueprint for implementing more interpretable and clinically relevant deep learning models in healthcare settings.

Free Drawing to assess food consumption information in comparison with the Free Listing: An intracultural study in Brazil with adolescents and dairy products

This study aimed to evaluate the Free Drawing method to assess food consumption information compared to the Free Listing method. Furthermore, the citation frequencies of dairy products consumed by adolescents were compared in Brazilian regions. Adolescents (14–17 years old, n = 265, n = 53 for each region, North, South, Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast regions) listed or drew the dairy products they consumed using Free Listing or Free Drawing. The contingency tables were constructed, and the cognitive saliency indexes (CSI) were calculated. Multiple Factor Analysis (MFA) was performed, and the RV indices were determined. The adolescents listed/drew 55 dairy products, grouped into 10 categories. The Free Listing method resulted in greater citation frequencies of dairy products. The Free Drawing method resulted in richer and more detailed information, with specifications of the type of product consumed within the category, flavor, type of packaging, and brand. The dairy products with the highest citation frequencies/CSI by adolescents were milk, cheese, and fermented milk. The South and Southeast regions observed greater citation frequencies and diversity of dairy products (prevalence in 6 categories). The CSI did not depend on the method, but it was affected by the region (p < 0.05). The sensory methods showed high similarity considering the categories of dairy products (RV = 0.80) and regions (RV = 0.79). It is concluded that the Free Drawing method proved to be an alternative to Free Listing for evaluating adolescents’ consumption information of dairy products in an intracultural study in Brazil.

Disentangling effort from probability of success: Temporal dynamics of frontal midline theta in effort-based reward processing

The ability to weigh a reward against the effort required to acquire it is critical for decision-making. However, extant experimental paradigms oftentimes confound increased effort demand with decreased reward probability, thereby obscuring neural correlates underlying these cognitive processes. To resolve this issue, we designed novel tasks that disentangled probability of success – and therefore reward probability – from effort demand. In Experiment 1, reward magnitude and effort demand were varied while reward probability was kept constant. In Experiment 2, effort demand and reward probability were varied while reward magnitude remained fixed. Electroencephalogram (EEG) data was recorded to explore how frontal midline theta (FMT; an electrophysiological index of mPFC function) and component P3 (an index of incentive salience) respond to effort demand, and reward magnitude and probability. We found no evidence that FMT tracked effort demands or net value during cue evaluation. At feedback, however, FMT power was enhanced for high compared to low effort trials, but not modulated by reward magnitude or probability. Conversely, P3 was sensitive to reward magnitude and probability at both cue and feedback phases and only integrated expended effort costs at feedback, such that P3 amplitudes continued to scale with reward magnitude and probability but were also increased for high compared to low effort reward feedback. These findings suggest that, when likelihood of success is equal, FMT power does not track net value of prospective effort-based rewards. Instead, expended cognitive effort potentiates FMT power and enhances the saliency of rewards at feedback. Significance statementThe way the brain weighs rewards against the effort required to achieve them is critical for understanding motivational disorders. Current paradigms confound increased effort demand with decreased reward probability, making it difficult to disentangle neural activity associated with effort costs from those associated with reward likelihood. Here, we explored the temporal dynamics of effort-based reward (via frontal midline theta (FMT) and component P3) while participants underwent a novel paradigm that kept probability of reward constant between mental effort demand conditions. Our findings suggest that the FMT does not track net value and that expended effort enhances, instead of attenuates, the saliency of rewards.

IJCM_163A: A qualitative analysis of awareness regarding type-2 diabetes mellitus among diabetic patients in selected field practice areas of a tertiary care hospital in Mangaluru

Background: The prevalence of diabetes is high and growing worldwide, especially in developing countries like India. Over 25 million Indians are prediabetics while an estimated 77 million Indians over the age of 18 have the illness. More than half of the population will have health issues if diabetes is not detected and treated right away. Diabetes awareness, assessment, and practice on an individual basis are essential for early identification and efficient care. Objective: To assess the knowledge regarding diabetes among type 2 Diabetes mellitus patients in the field practice areas of a tertiary care hospital in Mangaluru and to explore their socio-demographic characteristics. Methodology: This is a facility-based, cross-sectional study among a minimum of 40 Type-2 Diabetes mellitus patients from the field practice areas of a tertiary care hospital in Mangaluru. Systematic qualitative method of free listing and pile sorting using interview guide is employed to assess the knowledge while a questionnaire is used to assess socio-demographic profile. Free listing analysis of transcribed data is done using Smith’s S or Salience Index while descriptive statistics is used to calculate the mean, standard deviation and the frequencies. Results: In this study, we found out that the majority of participants think the general reasons leading on to diagnosis of Diabetes mellitus are either tiredness/body ache or by blood/ doctor check-up and the reason for being diagnosed were mostly perceived to be unknown or due to tension or consumption of sugar/cool drinks. Significant proportion of participants were observed to show adherence to frequent follow-up of monthly once. Conclusion: In conclusion, though the considerable portion of Type-2 Diabetes mellitus patients adhere to regular follow-up, the knowledge regarding the reasons leading on to the diagnosis or perceived reason for being diagnosed is still lacking. Prompt initiatives are therefore needed to promote awareness towards diabetes among patients.

Health Equity in the Veterans Health Administration From Veterans’ Perspectives by Race and Sex

Advancing equitable patient-centered care in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) requires understanding the differential experiences of unique patient groups. To inform a comprehensive strategy for improving VHA health equity through the comparative qualitative analysis of care experiences at the VHA among veterans of Black and White race and male and female sex. This qualitative study used a technique termed freelisting, an anthropologic technique eliciting responses in list form, at an urban academic VHA medical center from August 2, 2021, to February 9, 2022. Participants included veterans with chronic hypertension. The length of individual lists, item order in those lists, and item frequency across lists were used to calculate a salience score for each item, allowing comparison of salient words and topics within and across different groups. Participants were asked about current perceptions of VHA care, challenges in the past year, virtual care, suggestions for change, and experiences of racism. Data were analyzed from February 10 through September 30, 2022. The Smith salience index, which measures the frequency and rank of each word or phrase, was calculated for each group. Responses from 49 veterans (12 Black men, 12 Black women, 12 White men, and 13 White women) were compared by race (24 Black and 25 White) and sex (24 men and 25 women). The mean (SD) age was 64.5 (9.2) years. Some positive items were salient across race and sex, including "good medical care" and telehealth as a "comfortable/great option," as were some negative items, including "long waits/delays in getting care," "transportation/traffic challenges," and "anxiety/stress/fear." Reporting "no impact" of racism on experiences of VHA health care was salient across race and sex; however, reports of race-related unprofessional treatment and active avoidance of race-related conflict differed by race (present among Black and not White participants). Experiences of interpersonal interactions also diverged. "Impersonal/cursory" telehealth experiences and the need for "more personal/attentive" care were salient among women and Black participants, but not men or White participants, who associated VHA care with courtesy and respect. In this qualitative freelist study of veteran experiences, divergent experiences of interpersonal care by race and sex provided insights for improving equitable, patient-centered VHA care. Future research and interventions could focus on identifying differences across broader categories both within and beyond race and sex and bolstering efforts to improve respect and personalized care to diverse veteran populations.

INVESTIGATION OF USE OF SALIENCE FOR EFFECTIVE NARRATIVE PLANNING

This paper explores the integration of salience modeling into narrative planning to enhance the generation of coherent and engaging stories for interactive experiences. Salience indices and a salience-based cost function were incorporated to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of narrative planning algorithms. The research demonstrated that solutions with lower salience costs were more prevalent, thereby highlighting the potential for optimizing narrative planning by prioritizing such solutions. Moreover, the study emphasized the importance of accurately defining the relationship between actions for salience representation. In conclusion, the integration of salience modeling in narrative planning streamlined the process, resulting in improved storytelling experiences and better utilization of computational resources.

Physiological stress modulation of neural drug cue reactivity in cannabis use disorder.

Rates of daily cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) are increasing in the United States. Prominent addiction theories suggest that stress potentiation of drug cue incentive salience is a central feature of disordered versus recreational drug use, which has been corroborated using a neurophysiological index of drug cue incentive salience (i.e., the late positive potential [LPP]) in adults who regularly use cannabis. However, the mechanism through which acute stress potentiates the cannabis LPP in CUD is unclear. To address this gap, cannabis LPPs were measured before and after a stress induction in 95 adults who regularly use cannabis. Physiological (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal [HPA] axis, heart rate, skin conductance) and subjective stress reactivity were also measured. Based on prior work, we hypothesized that cortisol stress reactivity would predict poststress cannabis LPP enhancement in more severe CUD. The hypothesis was supported and specific to HPA-axis versus autonomic or subjective stress reactivity. Acute stress potentiation of the cannabis LPP, likely via HPA-axis activation, may be a biomarker of heavy/disordered cannabis use in adults who regularly use cannabis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The Italian colour lexicon in Tuscany: elicited lists, cognitive salience, and semantic maps of colour terms

We investigated the Tuscan Italian colour inventory, with the aim of establishing the cognitive salience of the basic colour terms (BCTs) and most frequent non-BCTs. Native speakers from Tuscany (N = 89) completed a colour-term elicitation task lasting for 5 min. In total, 337 unique terms were elicited, with an average list length of 30.06. The frequency of each term, its mean list position and cognitive salience index (S) were calculated. The CTs with the highest S (ranked 1–13) included 10 counterparts of the Berlin and Kay BCTs listed in their 1969 seminal work and three basic ‘blue’ terms, blu, azzurro, celeste, estimated for Tuscan respondents by Del Viva et al. in 2022. S-index and Zipf-function (the terms’ “popularity”) indicated that fucsia (rank 14) is conceivably an emerging BCT in (Tuscan) Italian. Other cognitively salient non-BCTs are lilla, magenta, ocra and beige. The terms’ 3D semantic map (conceptual closeness), assessed using multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis, revealed that in the lists, closely associated CTs were arranged along three competing criteria: the term’s salience gradient; word length; and clustering of fully chromatic concepts with those defined primarily by lightness or desaturation. We also consider salient Italian non-BCTs as indicators of the ongoing process of lexical refinement in certain areas of the colour space. In conclusion, measures of elicitation productivity, as well as the augmented BCT inventory, including the Tuscan ‘triple blues’, and abundant hyponyms and derived forms all indicate (Tuscan) Italian speakers’ “cultural competence” in the colour domain and the need to communicate nuanced information about colour shades.

Engaging school children in sustainable lifestyle: Opportunities and challenges

IntroductionSustainable Development Goal 12.8 aims to capacitate people with relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature. This study documents unique opportunities and challenges associated with engaging school children in Sustainable lifestyle for health. ObjectiveTo identify opportunities and challenges in engaging school children in Sustainable Lifestyle. MethodsParticipatory action research was designed through “Sustainable lifestyle Campaign” for 134 students (11–14 years) of 8 schools in Kolar city, Karnataka, India. The project was divided into Induction, Interaction and Reinforcement phases. Induction phase included Inter-school competitions (on themes of climate change and health). In Interaction phase, participants individually named various impacts of climate change and the climate change risk they perceived. In groups of 6–8, they then Free Listed and Pile sorted Climate change actions. In Reinforcement phase, interactive games and symposium on Climate Change and Sustainable Lifestyle were organized for the participants. At the end of Reinforcement phase, participants repeated the free listing and pile sorting exercise. Free lists were analyzed for frequencies and Smith's Salience Index, and the pile sorts using non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (non-metric MDS) using Anthropac ver 4.98. ResultsThe participants named “Cancer” (65%) and “Asthma” (50%) as health impacts of climate change while other impacts were largely unknown. Major themes, such as “Perceived risk”, “Eagerness to engage in climate action”, “Incompleteness of information” and “Lack of autonomy” were identified. Reinforcement phase improved frequency and Smith's salience (>0.8) of individual level climate change actions across groups. Non-metric MDS showed that rationale of pile sorting shifted from “Source-based” sorting to “Level of Action” based sorting after the Reinforcement. ConclusionsExisting knowledge of participants regarding sustainable lifestyle is theoretical with insufficient emphasis on health. Sustainable lifestyle awareness campaigns focusing children must have provisions for family and peer involvement to sustain the individual or family level actions.

THE MEASURE OF TARGET SALIENCY FOR TARGET-ORIENTED IMAGE FUSION

Our analysis of the available literature on quantitative quality indices characterizing the visibility, conspicuity, and saliency of the objects in an image reveals that the used approaches do not fit the military needs, in particular those required by the target sightseeing systems of armored vehicles. Their main drawback is that these indices are not target-oriented. The long elapsed time needed for their evaluation is another inconvenience, making them inapplicable for military purposes, which in most cases require a real-time response. Special target-oriented image quality indices are needed for military applications. In this paper, we propose the very such target-oriented normalized visibility, conspicuity, and saliency indices and corresponding methods for their measurements. Comparison of the times elapsed for the generation of saliency maps by the analyzed literature methods and the adequacy of the saliency scores produced by them with those for the saliency index, proposed in this paper, reveals that the computation with our approach is several orders of magnitude faster than for the prototype methods available in the literature while providing comparable adequacy of the measured target-oriented image quality indices.

Perceived efficiency and local consensus as factors shaping medicinal plant knowledge

Environmental perception goes through physiological, psychological, and cultural filters and can influ- ence the selection and usage of species. Additionally, sharing cultural information is a crucial social strategy for our species’ survival. From this standpoint, knowledge that aligns with the local context is typically the most widely "expressed" and/or "replicated" by individuals. Building upon this premise, our objective was to investigate whether knowledge about local medicinal plants is influenced by certain adaptive factors, such as perceived efficacy, perceived availability, and perceived frequency of diseases. The study was conducted with 73 individuals from five rural communities in Vale do Catimbau Na- tional Park, Buíque, Pernambuco, Brazil. A free list of medicinal plants and their therapeutic uses was employed. Using these free lists, we employed a salience index to determine consensus within the local diversity. We employed a generalized linear model with a binomial distribution to ascertain whether perceived efficacy, perceived availability, and perceived disease frequency account for the local consen- sus. Of the three variables analyzed, only perceived efficiency explained the local consensus on the use of medicinal plants (p &lt; 0.002). This result indicates that perceived efficiency is the key factor deter- mining the most popular medicinal plant when requested for memory recall, regardless of the perceived availability of the plant or the perceived frequency of diseases it treats. However, looking through the evolutionary perspective, the main question is to understand whether this factor is the only determi- nant in explaining the nature of the generation of medicinal plants’ salience, or if other ’cofactors’ of the social-ecological systems act together in an important way to guide this process as well.

“They Protect us as if they were our Mom” Masking Attitudes from Freelist Survey Data and Qualitative Interviews in San Diego School Communities

Background: Despite being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 due to a lack of structural support, marginalized communities have been largely ignored in the politically polarized debate over school masking. In response to this, we sought to explore masking attitudes by centering the voices of parents and children at historically marginalized, predominantly Hispanic schools in southern California. Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods study with parents and children attending 26 low-income predominantly Hispanic-serving elementary schools. A random sample of parents was asked to provide a freelist of words they associate with masking. A subset of parents with children aged 4–6 was recruited from these surveys to participate in parent-child interviews (PCI). We calculated Smith’s salience index for all unique items, stratifying by language (English/Spanish). Item salience guided PCI thematic analysis for additional context and meaning. Results: 648 participants provided 1118 unique freelist items in English and Spanish. 19 parent-child pairs were interviewed, 11 in Spanish and 8 in English. The most salient words were “safety”(0.37), “protection”(0.12), “prevention”(0.05), “health”(0.04), “good”(0.03), “can’t breathe”(0.03), “necessary”(0.02), “care”(0.02), “precaution”(0.02), and “unnecessary”(0.02). Spanish speakers had a more favorable view of masking than English speakers, particularly regarding “protection” (0.20 vs 0.08) and “prevention” (0.10 vs 0.02). Discussion: Masking is an affordable individual-level risk mitigation that protects the communities that have inequitably shouldered the burdens of the COVID-19 pandemic. We recommend that policymakers prioritize the views of those most impacted when deciding on risk mitigation policies like school masking.

Non-Conventional Sucrose-Based Substrates: Development of Non-Dairy Kefir Beverages with Probiotic Potential

There is a scarcity of studies evaluating the influence of different commonly marketed sugars in water kefir beverage production. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the fermentation of water kefir grains in different sugary solutions: brown, demerara, refined, coconut, and cane molasses. A total of 10% of each type of sugar was dissolved in sterile water to which 10% of kefir grains were then added and fermented for 48 h at room temperature. Analyses of pH/acidity, soluble solids, lactic/acetic acids, and lactic acid bacteria and yeast counts were performed, in addition to grain weighing at 0 h, 24 h, and 48 h. The microbial biodiversity was measured using PCR-DGGE and DNA sequencing at the species level. A sensory acceptance test was performed on all beverages. Lactobacillus, Lacticaseibacillus, Lentilactobacillus Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter, Saccharomyces, Kluyveromyces, Lachancea, and Kazachstania were present in the kefir grains and the beverages. Molasses showed a more intense fermentation, with greater production of organic acids and higher lactic/acetic acid bacteria and yeast counts (7.46 and 7.49 log CFU/mL, respectively). Refined sugar fermentation had a lower microbial yield of lactic/acetic acid bacteria (6.87 log CFU/mL). Smith’s salience index indicates that the brown-sugar kefir beverage was better accepted among the tasters. The results indicate that the use of alternative sources of sugar to produce water kefir beverages is satisfactory. This opens up new perspectives for the application of kefir microorganisms in the development of beverages with probiotic and functional properties.

Neuroaffective reactivity profiles are associated with vulnerability to e-cigarette use

BackgroundWe tested whether neuroaffective responses to motivationally salient stimuli are associated with vulnerability to cue-induced e-cigarette use in e-cigarette naïve adults who smoke daily. We hypothesized that individuals with stronger neuroaffective responses to nicotine-related cues than to pleasant stimuli (the C>P reactivity profile) would be more vulnerable to cue-induced nicotine self-administration than individuals with stronger neuroaffective responses to pleasant stimuli than to nicotine-related cues (the P>C reactivity profile). MethodsWe used event-related potentials (ERPs, a direct measure of cortical activity) to measure neuroaffective reactivity to pleasant, unpleasant, neutral, and nicotine-related cues indicating the opportunity to use an e-cigarette in 36 participants. For each picture category, we computed the amplitude of the late positive potential (LPP), a robust index of motivational salience. To identify each individual’s neuroaffective reactivity profile we applied k-means cluster analysis on the LPP responses. We compared the e-cigarette use frequency across profiles using quantile regression for counts. ResultsK-means cluster analysis assigned 18 participants to the C>P profile and 18 participants to the P>C profile. Individuals with the C>P neuroaffective profile used the e-cigarette significantly more often than those with the P>C profile. Significant differences in the number of puffs persisted across different quantiles. ConclusionsThese results support the hypothesis that individual differences in the tendency to attribute motivational salience to drug-related cues underlie vulnerability to cue-induced drug self-administration. Targeting the neuroaffective profiles that we identified with tailored treatments could improve clinical outcomes.

Forest species for biocultural restoration in eastern Amazon, Brazil

Amazon deforestation damages nature, people, and their closer biocultural relationship, eroding fundamental elements for its reproduction. The recognition and use of traditional knowledge to plan and implement restoration efforts are essential to its success. This study identified forest tree species of biocultural value for indigenous communities, quilombolas, and settled farmers in Maranhão state, eastern Brazilian Amazon. Semi-structured interviews, informal conversations, Free Lists, and guided walks were carried out in three different landscapes to identify species with ecological importance and/or use-value according to local communities’ perceptions. Eight categories of species use were defined (food, woody, medicinal, income, cultural, hunting, honey, and energy); and the Smith Salience Index (S) was utilized to identify species with higher importance. A total of 58 native trees (S &gt; 0.1) were listed as biocultural species, five of which were cited for ecological importance only, without a use-value associated. The highest number of species with cultural salience (S &gt; 0.1) was reported in the indigenous group (47), followed by settlers (11) and quilombolas (9). Among the indigenous, we identified a higher number of uses for the same species, and a remarkable spiritual relationship with plants from their cosmological vision. The reproduction of biocultural values in societies needs to receive more attention in the restoration science and praxis. The identification of species of biocultural value can serve as an important ally for the assertive design of conservation and restoration initiatives.

Activation of the rostral nucleus accumbens shell by optogenetics induces cataplexy-like behavior in orexin neuron-ablated mice

Cataplexy is one of the symptoms of type 1 narcolepsy, characterized by a sudden loss of muscle tone. It can be seen as a behavioral index of salience, predominantly positive emotion, since it is triggered by laughter in humans and palatable foods in mice. In our previous study using chemogenetic techniques in narcoleptic mice (orexin neuron-ablated mice), we found that the rostral nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell is needed for chocolate-induced cataplexy. In this study, we investigated whether a short-lasting stimulation/inhibition of the NAc by optogenetics led to a similar result. Photo-illumination to the NAc in the channel rhodopsin-expressing mice showed a higher incidence (34.9 ± 5.1%) of cataplexy-like behavior than the control mice (17.8 ± 3.1%, P = 0.0056). Meanwhile, inactivation with archaerhodopsin did not affect incidence. The episode duration of cataplexy-like behavior was not affected by activation or inactivation. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that photo-illumination activated channel rhodopsin-expressing NAc shell neurons. Thus, activation of the NAc, whether transient (light stimulation) or longer-lasting (chemical stimulation in our previous study), facilitates cataplexy-like behaviors and contributes to the induction but not maintenance in them. On the other hand, our study's result from optogenetic inhibition of the NAc (no effect) was different from chemogenetic inhibition (reduction of cataplexy-like behavior) in our previous study. We propose that the initiation of cataplexy-like behavior is facilitated by activation of the NAc, while NAc-independent mechanisms determine the termination of the behavior.

Amazon Forest morphometry on the tree management of the second harvest cycle.

Knowledge of the morphometric relationships of Amazonian species can contribute to forest-sustainable tree management. The objective of this study is to describe and evaluate the morphometric relationships of 10 tree species from a tropical forest managed in a second cutting cycle. Morphometric data were collected in a forest located in the municipality of Itaúba (“Mato Grosso” state – MT, Brazil). In general, the DBH, Total Tree Height, and commercial morphometric parameters were similar for the species, except for copaiba, which presented a small value for minimum DBH, and low regeneration of the species in the area. The evaluated species showed a high value of Canopy Shape (average CS = 1.28) and the value of Canopy Proportion was 44.87%, slightly lower than those found in the literature. In the Salience Index, the data found ranged from 14 to 36, a result close to that expected for tropical forests. The average Slenderness Ratio (SR) observed in the area indicated that the trees are relatively robust and less prone to crown and trunk breaks. For the Salience Index, it was observed that the species showed a reduction of the index with the increase of DBH. There was a positive response for the relationships between variables evaluated, with 23.4% for the Canopy Diameter x DBH ratio (i.e., CD × DBH), 5.6% for the Canopy Ratio × DBH (CR × DBH), and 18.8% for the Total Height (HT × DBH). The morphometric correlations obtained low results (R²: 0.234; 0.056 and 0.188 respectively). However, the average correlation between Total Tree Height and DBH was expected to be higher due to changes in tree growth due to the intervention carried out in the forest.

Freelisting: A Technique for Enhancing the Community Health Needs Assessment.

US health systems are required to conduct community health needs assessments (CHNAs). These assessments often rely solely on publicly reported disease prevalence data. The objective of this study was to identify a feasible qualitative method that can be implemented into CHNAs to confirm existing information and enhance them with new data and community narrative. Freelisting interviews were conducted in 2017 throughout a county in Pennsylvania. Individuals listed (1) things that improve health, (2) health problems, and (3) health barriers. Responses were grouped into like terms, Smith's salience index was calculated for each, subgroup variation was assessed. Community-reported health priorities were identified by salient terms juxtaposed with publicly reported disease prevalence data. 98 respondents throughout the county participated in freelisting interviews. Demographics resembled the population: median age 55, 46% female, 88% Caucasian, 9% uninsured. Salient terms that improve health included: "physical activity", "healthy eating", and "health services". Salient terms describing health problems included: "cardiovascular disease" and "spine and joint disease". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-reported chronic disease prevalence in the county included heart disease mortality (22% of deaths) and arthritis (26% of adults). Salient barriers to health included: "weight, physical activity, and dietary concerns", as well as "occupational concerns". This is in line with 2017 County Health Rankings related to obesity (reported 29%), however, while 10% were uninsured in the community, this was not a salient term. Freelisting can augment and inform CHNAs. In this single-county study, freelisting responses supported publicly available disease/mortality prevalence data and provided insight into community perceptions of health issues.

A Preliminary Study on the Validity and Stability of Projective Methods: An Application of the Structural Approach of Social Representations with Traditional Mexican Cheeses.

Projective methods are qualitative tools used to study food consumer behavior. In recent years, there has been an increase in studies that use these tools to analyze consumer behavior, particularly with the word association (WA) technique. However, one of the challenges in using these methods is the stability and validity of the data. This research aimed to obtain preliminary information on the stability and validity of the associations generated by consumers with the WA technique, using the structural approach of social representations. For this, two studies were carried out; for the first study, a face-to-face survey was carried out in which 89 consumers participated, who wrote the first words that came to mind with the stimulus "Aculco" on a ballot paper. For the second study, 122 consumers completed the same task as in the first study; however, the participants were recruited from an online survey. A random sample (n = 50) of both studies was selected to explore the stability and validity of the results. In the three study samples, the words were grouped into categories and analyzed through the structural approach of social representations. The frequency of mention of the identified categories was compared with the chi-square test and the average position (AP) and the Cognitive Salience Index (CSI) were calculated. Prototype maps were built to study the structure of the categories according to the central core and peripheral areas. Cluster analysis was performed to corroborate the structure of the representations. Finally, multiple factor analysis (MFA) was performed to determine the similarity of the results obtained from the three samples using the RV coefficient. No statistical differences (p &gt; 0.05) were identified in most of the representations (n = 11) generated from the WA task. Furthermore, the representation "Cheese and dairy products" was positioned in the central core of the three maps. The APs and the CSIs of each representation were similar in the three study samples. The RV coefficient (≥0.80) indicated similarity in the representations obtained. Results of this research can be useful for future studies that attempt to compare the stability and validity of the information based on qualitative and more flexible methodologies. Some methodological implications related to the validity and stability of projective methods are discussed.