Sorting Behavior Research Articles

Design affordance of plastic food packaging for consumer sorting behavior

This research aims to understand why consumers miss-sort plastic food packaging and to what extent the design affordance of packaging can influence consumer sorting behavior. A photo-based observation study and semi-structured interviews were used to gain a deeper understanding of the miss-sorting behavior and how it could be affected by design affordance. This explorative study suggested that the packaging form, size, durability, haptic aspects, and visual communicative properties influence how consumers perceive the value of packaging. This is important, because packaging with low attributed values are not considered worth recycling or correctly sorted and are more likely to be miss-sorted. Hence, a well-afforded food packaging design is expected to improve how consumers perceive the value of packaging and to consequently improve sorting behavior.

Effects of sodium bicarbonate and chromium propionate supplementation on growth performance, blood indices of Beetal bucks under heat stress.

The objective of the current experiment was to determine the effects of sodium bicarbonate (SBC) and chromium propionate (Cr) supplementation on dry matter intake (DMI), growth performance, blood indices, feed sorting behavior, and digestibility of nutrients during the hot and humid condition in Beetal bucks. Twenty-eight Beetal bucks were randomly assigned to four concentrates treatments (n = 7 bucks/treatment) under 2 × 2 factorial arrangements. The factors were (1) chromium supplementation, basal diet without any supplementation (C) and basal diet with Cr @ 1.5mg Cr/head/day (Cr), and (2) sodium bircbonate supplementation, basal diet supplemented with SBC @15g/kg of DM (SBC) and diet containing SBC @ 15g/kg of DM) and Cr @ 1.5mg/day/animal (SBC + Cr). Chromium was drenched to each animal during the morning feeding. The average daily noon temperature-humidity index (THI) was 86.37 ± 4.01. The daily DMI and ADG was higher (P < .0001) in the SBC, and trend for daily DMI was observed (P < 0.01) for the Cr. The feed to gain ratio was tended to improve (P = 0.056) by the supplementation of Cr. Plasma glucose, cholesterol, and catalase concentration were lower (P < 0.05) in the Cr supplemented, whereas plasma BUN and TPP were not influenced (P > 0.05) by the Cr or the SBC supplementation. The feed selection index indicated that supplementation of Cr and SBC had no effects on selection or rejection of feed particles. In Cr-supplemented bucks, there was a trend for higher ADF digestibility. Digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, NDF, and ADF were not affected by Cr or SBC supplementation. In conclusion, co supplementation of Cr @ 1.5mg/d and SBC @ 15g/kg resulted in highest DMI, ADG and improved the feed efficiency in heat-stressed fattening bucks by alleviating negative impacts of HS.

Embodied Motivation: Spatial and Temporal Aspects of Approach and Avoidance in Virtual Reality

ABSTRACT This study investigates how object affordances modulate approach and avoidance behaviors in virtual reality (VR). The primary hypotheses are that 1) motivational relevance shapes facilitation or inhibition of behaviors while interacting with virtual objects, and that 2) approach-avoidance can be quantified using spatial and temporal aspects of behavior in VR. An experiment was conducted to track and examine user behaviors during a virtual photo-sorting task that used images with varying valence and arousal levels. Spatial indicators of approach and avoidance were operationalized as the distance between the individual and the photo during the task. Temporal indicators were operationalized as the speed and latency of gazing at the objects, selection order, and sorting behavior. Results show that stimulus valence and arousal significantly affect speed and latency during object selection, demonstrating motivational reactions to virtual objects. Exploratory analyses also revealed varying patterns of object selection across individuals. Overall, this study has implications for the design of virtual environments and supports the use of VR technology in studying motivational processes and behaviors relevant for media psychologists.

In-mouth attributes driving perceived quality of Pinot noir wines: Sensory and chemical characterisation

We investigated perception of mouthfeel in Pinot noir wines and its physicochemical determinants. Seventeen wine professionals judged 18 Pinot noir wines via two tasting tasks, Descriptive Rating and Directed Sorting, the latter based on perception of in-mouth attributes. Selected chemical measures of the same 18 wines were determined. Sensory results demonstrated that mouthfeel attributes driving high quality were smoothness/silky/velvety, volume/fullness/roundness, overall body, and viscosity/mouth-coating, while the taste of bitterness and perceived tannin harshness drove low quality judgments. Perceived astringency and expressions of tannin (e.g., soft; harsh; fine) drove sorting behaviour of participants. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to associate perceived in-mouth phenomena and chemical composition. The phenolic profile, in particular tannin concentration and structure, was the most important predictor of astringency and its sub-components. These results have important implications for wine producers aiming to enhance perceived quality in their Pinot noir wines.

Staphylococcus aureus Infection Influences the Function of Intestinal Cells by Altering the Lipid Raft-Dependent Sorting of Sucrase-Isomaltase.

Staphylococcus aureus is an important nosocomial and community-acquired facultative intracellular pathogen. Many studies have reported that S. aureus infections are associated with intestinal symptoms, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms implicated in S. aureus-induced alterations of intestinal functions. In this study, we investigated the implication of lipid rafts in the interaction of S. aureus with Caco-2 cells. To assess potential alterations in the lipid raft structure and effects on the hydrolytic function, we utilized sucrase–isomaltase (SI) as the major intestinal α-glucosidase that is associated with and sorted to the apical membrane via lipid rafts. Seven days post-confluent, Caco-2 cells were infected with S. aureus Newman and further incubated for an additional 2 days. After 48 h, the levels of SI expression as well as the enzymatic function of this protein were assessed in the infected versus non-infected cells. Analysis of the sorting behavior of SI to the apical membrane constituted another crucial aspect in studying the effects of S. aureus on Caco-2 cells. For this purpose, the apical membranes or brush border membranes (BBMs; referred to as P2 fraction) were separated in both infected and non-infected cells from the basolateral and intracellular membranes (referred to as P1 fraction) by employing a cationic-based procedure using CaCl2. The data show that there is no significant change in the overall expression levels of SI in the infected versus non-infected cells as assessed by Western blotting analysis using monoclonal anti-SI antibodies. By contrast, a significant decrease in the localization as well as the specific hydrolytic activities of SI toward sucrose and isomaltose (Palatinose) was observed in the BBM (P2 fraction) in Caco-2 cells 48 h post-infection. Concomitantly, the specific SI activities increased in the basolateral membrane/intracellular fraction (P1). Noteworthy, the specific activity of SI in the BBM of infected cells was markedly reduced as compared with that of the non-infected counterparts. The data accumulated from this study strongly suggest that infections with S. aureus influence the final step in the lipid raft-associated trafficking of human SI and thereby may trigger secondary functional gastrointestinal disorders.

Tracking fluorescent and ferrimagnetic sediment tracers on an energetic ebb-tidal delta to monitor grain size-selective dispersal

Sediment tracer studies use uniquely identifiable particles to track the pathways and fate of individual sand or silt grains in marine environments. These techniques are best applied to assess connectivity between potential sediment sources and sinks, such as between a sand nourishment and an ecologically sensitive area. Significant challenges exist when applying sediment tracing techniques to further understanding of systems with complicated hydrodynamic, sediment, and morphological regimes. Ebb-tidal deltas are highly dynamic coastal environments shaped by the complex interplay of waves and tides, but have been under-explored. In this study, we use dual signature (fluorescent and ferrimagnetic) sediment tracers to simulate the dispersal of dredged sediment placed as a sand nourishment on an energetic ebb-tidal delta (at Ameland Inlet, the Netherlands). After deployment, sediment dispersal and grain size sorting behaviour were monitored via the collection of seabed grab samples and magnetic sampling of sediment transported in suspension. The tracer content within collected samples were put in context with hydrodynamic conditions observed during the study period. Here we show that the use of such dual signature tracers, in addition to novel tracer recovery and analysis techniques, enables the dispersal of sediment to be monitored even in such complex settings and energetic conditions as an ebb-tidal delta. Our observations show that tracers transported in suspension are significantly finer than tracers that accumulated in the seabed. These suggest that preferential transport as a function of grain size is a key process in shaping the morphology of ebb-tidal deltas and thus governing the dispersal of sand nourishments there. The findings of this study and the approach used here provide valuable tools for assessing the baseline conditions of complex coastal environments today, and for planning the interventions which may be necessary in future responses to climate change. Lessons learned from the application of sediment tracers in this study are provided to assist future researchers and practitioners in applying this technique in dynamic coastal environments.

Evaluation of production parameters, feed sorting behaviour and social interactions in dairy cows: Comparison of two total mixed rations with different particle size and water content

Dairy cow performance is affected by both the nutritional composition and the physical structure of the diet. The structure of total mixed rations (TMR) largely depends on the ingredient composition and structure of forage, dry matter (DM) content, mixing time and type of mixer used. This study investigated feed intake, eating time, milk production, DM digestibility, ruminal pH, time budget, and sorting and antagonistic behaviours in lactating dairy cows fed grass/clover silage and concentrate, either in a TMR or in a compact total mixed ration (CTMR) with decreased particle size and DM content due to addition of water. Two cross-over experiments (3-week periods), each involving 40 lactating dairy cows of the Swedish Red and Holstein breeds, were run simultaneously. Experiment 1 was designed to measure production parameters, feed digestibility and ruminal pH, while Experiment 2 was designed to measure time budget, feed sorting behaviours and antagonistic behaviours at the feed bunk. Diets were fed ad libitum, with the same ingredient composition and a forage:concentrate ratio of 60:40 (DM basis). Decreased particle size in the CTMR diet was achieved by mixing the grass-clover silage in a feed mixer with a vertical auger with knives, before mixing with concentrate in a feed mixer without knives. Decreased DM content in CTMR was achieved by adding water to the mix. Mean DM content of the diet was 51% DM for TMR and 37% DM for CTMR. The results showed lower daily DM intake (26.7 kg DM) and shorter eating time (242 min) in cows fed CTMR than in cows fed TMR (28.5 kg DM and 278 min). Feed digestibility, ruminal pH, daily milk yield (35.1 kg and 35.8 kg for CTMR and TMR, respectively) and milk composition did not differ between the diets. Cows fed CTMR showed less sorting and fewer antagonistic behaviours at feeding than cows fed TMR. The daily time budget of the cows also differed, with cows fed CTMR spending more time resting (+45 min) than cows fed TMR.

The influence of internal motivation and external publicity on consumers' waste sorting behaviour.

Waste sorting is an important aspect of environmental protection, which is now being enforced on a large scale in China. More broadly, it is beneficial to improve the implementation strategies for waste sorting policy and programmes. This study analyses the psychology of consumers that influences the mechanisms of consumer waste sorting and the governmental policies influencing consumers' attitudes and behaviours. About 295 validated participants were collected from four regions of China. Regression analysis was used to examine the relationship among consumers' internal motivation, government's external publicity and consumer behaviour, and the Hayes' PROCESS macro was used to test mediating effect and moderating effect. The results show that consumers' internal motivation and government's external publicity have a positive effect on consumer behaviour. Consumer attitude played a complete mediating role between consumers' internal motivation and consumer behaviour. Between the government's external publicity and consumer behaviour, consumer attitude played a complementary mediating role. Consumers with self-transcendence values, positive motivation of waste sorting and the government's external publicity had a greater positive impact on their attitudes than consumers with self-enhancement values. The greater the material benefits and psychic income consumers received from waste sorting, the more it promoted a positive attitude to consumer behaviour. The article puts forward some management suggestions to improve the government's implementation of its waste sorting policy.

A Predictive Processing Account of Card Sorting: Fast Proactive and Reactive Frontoparietal Cortical Dynamics during Inference and Learning of Perceptual Categories.

For decades, a common assumption in cognitive neuroscience has been that prefrontal executive control is mainly engaged during target detection [Posner, M. I., & Petersen, S. E. The attention system of the human brain. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 13, 25-42, 1990]. More recently, predictive processing theories of frontal function under the Bayesian brain hypothesis emphasize a key role of proactive control for anticipatory action selection (i.e., planning as active inference). Here, we review evidence of fast and widespread EEG and magnetoencephalographic fronto-temporo-parietal cortical activations elicited by feedback cues and target cards in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. This evidence is best interpreted when considering negative and positive feedback as predictive cues (i.e., sensory outcomes) for proactively updating beliefs about unknown perceptual categories. Such predictive cues inform posterior beliefs about high-level hidden categories governing subsequent response selection at target onset. Quite remarkably, these new views concur with Don Stuss' early findings concerning two broad classes of P300 cortical responses evoked by feedback cues and target cards in a computerized Wisconsin Card Sorting Test analogue. Stuss' discussion of those P300 responses-in terms of the resolution of uncertainty about response (policy) selection as well as the participants' expectancies for future perceptual or motor activities and their timing-was prescient of current predictive processing and active (Bayesian) inference theories. From these new premises, a domain-general frontoparietal cortical network is rapidly engaged during two temporarily distinct stages of inference and learning of perceptual categories that underwrite goal-directed card sorting behavior, and they each engage prefrontal executive functions in fundamentally distinct ways.

The impact of informational, social, convenience and financial tools on waste sorting behavior: Assumptions and reflections of the real situation

Waste sorting behavior is an important factor in reducing raw material usage through recycling programs and seeking circular economy implementation. Despite huge efforts to promote sorting behavior, in Lithuania 6 percent do not sort waste at all. The main tools which can promote this behavior are informational, social, convenience and financial. However, to the best of our knowledge, no research has analyzed the impact of all these tools on sorting behavior: this analysis revealed which tools were the most effective and to which policymakers should pay the most attention. Furthermore, we analyzed whether the identified tools really contribute to waste sorting behavior, including statements about the current situation in the model. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to investigate the impact of informational, social, convenience and financial tools – and the real situation – on waste sorting behavior. Referring to a representative survey conducted in Lithuania, the results showed that, according to respondents, only informational and financial tools had significant impact on waste sorting behavior, which was insignificantly affected by social and convenience tools. Considering the real situation, the current situation of convenience and social tools significantly influenced waste sorting behavior. Meanwhile, the current level of the informational aspect negatively and insignificantly determined waste sorting behavior. Therefore, this study provided practical insights for policymakers into which tools contribute to waste sorting behavior, and how to promote it effectively.

Simulation and Experiment of Gas-Solid Flow in a Safflower Sorting Device Based on the CFD-DEM Coupling Method

To study the movement characteristics and separation mechanism of safflower petals and their impurities under the action of airflow and lower the impurity rate in the cleaning operation process, integration of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM) codes was performed to study the motion and sorting behavior of impurity particles and safflower petals under different airflow inclination angles, dust removal angles and inlet airflow velocities by establishing a true particle model. In this model, the discrete particle phase was applied by the DEM software, and the continuum gas phase was described by the ANSYS Fluent software. The Box-Behnken experimental design with three factors and three levels was performed, and parameters such as inlet airflow velocity, airflow inclined angle, and dust remover angle were selected as independent variables that would influence the cleaning impurity rate and the cleaning loss rate. A mathematical model was established, and then the effects of various parameters and their interactions were analyzed. The test results show that the cleaning effect is best when the inlet airflow velocity is 7 m/s, the airflow inclined angle is 0°, and the dust remover angle is 25°. Confirmatory tests showed that the average cleaning impurity rate and cleaning loss rate were 0.69% and 2.75%, respectively, which dropped significantly compared with those from previous optimization. An experimental device was designed and set up; the experimental results were consistent with the simulation results, indicating that studying the physical behavior of safflower petals-impurity separation in the airflow field by using the DEM-CFD coupling method is reliable. This result provides a basis for follow-up studies of separation and cleaning devices for lightweight materials such as safflower petals.

Understanding waste sorting behavior and key influencing factors through internet of things: Evidence from college student community

Understanding the intention and behavior of individual is crucial to the effective implementation of waste sorting. Previous scholars mainly studied it through questionnaire research. This approach has a limited sample size, and the real behavior is difficult to quantify. In this paper, 180,417 drop-off data from 13,047 college students in the backend of Internet of Things (IoT) bins are analyzed in conjunction with 320 questionnaires. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Norm Activation Model (NAM) are used together to analyze college students' waste sorting behavior. The results are as follows: (1) College students sort 0.426 kg recyclable waste per (person·week) in the investigated community, and the drop-off frequency of pre-class and mealtime is 46% higher than usual. (2) Due to the pressure of subjective norms, 75% of respondents reported a 220% higher frequency of 3–8 occasions per week than the actual situation. (3) The current incentive level (1 kg recyclables can exchange for a reward equivalent to 9 cents) cannot significantly regulate the relationship between waste sorting intention and behavior. (4) IoT and questionnaire data show that perceived ease of use could directly promote waste sorting intention and behavior. The findings provide a scientific basis for effectively improving the waste sorting behavior of the public.

Gender and Educational Differentials in Marital Sorting of Hispanic Young Adults

Over the past few decades, Hispanic young adults have made impressive gains in educational attainment, but improvements have not been even by gender, with Latinas now averaging more schooling than Latinos. These developments in education have implications for Latinx marital sorting behavior and the marriage conditions that they face. Using data from the American Community Survey, we examine intermarriage patterns of Hispanics ages 25 to 34, focusing on gender differences in assortative mating along ethnic and educational lines. We show that college-educated Latinos are less likely than both their lesser-educated peers and college-educated Latinas to marry partners who are less educated than themselves. We also reveal that highly educated Latinas are more likely than Latinos with comparable levels of education to intermarry. We discuss implications for the intergenerational maintenance of Hispanicity as an ethno-race, and for their ability to transmit the socioeconomic gains obtained via educational improvements to future generations of Hispanics.

Short- and long-term effects of early life exposure to concentrate or hay on feed sorting and rumen fermentation

Feed sorting is a common issue on dairy farms. Cows prefer smaller grain particles over long forage particles, leading to increased volatile fatty acids (VFA) and consequently subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA). The purpose of this study was to investigate the short and long-term effects of early life exposure to different feed sources on feed sorting and rumen fermentation of calves. Forty newborn female Holstein calves were randomly assigned at birth (38.5 ± 2.4 kg of BW) to 1 of 2 treatments: (1) the provision of concentrate (CON) only or (2) provision of hay (HAY) only as the source of solid feed during the milk-feeding stage (d 1–56). Afterward, all calves were offered a total mixed ration until the end of the experiment (d 57–196). Calves were raised in individual hutches from d 1–70. The calves were then transferred into a heifer barn with pens and housed in pairs (2 calves/pen) as per the previous treatments. Rectal temperature, feed intake, body weight and body structural measurements were recorded throughout the study. Fresh feed and orts were sampled daily in the first two weeks (d 57–70) of feeding TMR and in the last week of the experiment (d 190–196) to analyze feed sorting behaviour. Rumen fluid samples were collected from d 14–190 for detecting VFA concentrations. Our findings showed that early feed exposure did not influence calf health and growth performance but affected feed sorting over a short period. Upon transition to the same mixed diet, differences were found in the sorting of different particle fractions between treatments. In the first two weeks (wk 9 and 10) after transition to TMR, calves exposed to concentrates early began to sort for fine particle and against the long particle fractions. In contrast, calves fed hay early sorted for the long particle and against the fine particle fractions, resulting in a higher preference for fine particle fractions (P < 0.01) and a lower preference for long particle fractions (P < 0.01) in calves fed concentrate early than those fed hay early. However, no carryover effects were observed, such that differences between treatments in sorting for long (P = 0.43) and fine (P = 0.45) particle fractions faded away by the last week (wk 28) of the experiment. All calves sorted for short and fine particle fractions and against long and medium particle fractions. Although the pattern of feed sorting initially differed between treatments, rumen fermentation parameters, such as total VFA (P = 0.54), acetate (P = 0.83), propionate (P = 0.21), butyrate (P = 0.20), were not altered once all calves transitioned to a total mixed ration. These results suggested that the feed familiarity established early in life would not affect diet selection and rumen fermentation in heifer later in life. Moreover, the effect of feeding a total mixed ration after transition could eventually override the effect of feeding concentrate or hay early in life.

Feeding fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed as potential appetite stimulant to newborn Holstein dairy calves: Effects on meal pattern, ingestive behavior, oro-sensorial preference, and feed sorting

This trial was performed to investigate the effects of feeding graded levels of fennel seed powder (FSP) on nutrient intake, meal and rumination patterns, chewing and sorting behaviors in newborn Holstein dairy calves. Forty-eight calves (27 males and 21 females; n = 16 per treatment group; 3 d of age; 36.3 ± 1.06 kg of BW; mean ± SE) were assigned randomly to receive incremental levels of FSP at 0.0 (FSP0), 1.5 (FSP1.5) or 3.0 g/d (FSP3) in milk (morning feeding; during the first month of study period) and then in the starter feed (as top-dressed; from d 31 until weaning). Calves were weaned on d 71 and remained in the study until d 81. Starter feed dry matter (DM) intake increased linearly with increasing amount of FSP and increased and tended to increase in FSP3 and FSP1.5 as compared with FSP0, respectively. Growth rate increased linearly with increasing amount of FSP and was greater in FSP supplemented calves than in control calves. Overall body weight but not feed conversion ratio was greater in FSP supplemented calves compared with FSP0. Oro-sensorial preferences were greater in FSP supplemented calves and it was also greater in FSP3 compared with FSP1.5. Sorting index decreased linearly with increasing amount of FSP and decreased in FSP3 compared with FSP0 for particles retained on the 2.36, 1.18, and 0.6 mm sieves and tended to decrease in FSP1.5 compared to FSP0 for particles retained on the 2.36 and 1.18 mm sieves with significant difference for particles retained on the 0.6 mm sieve. Sorting index increased linearly with increasing amount of FSP and increased and tended to increase in FSP3 and FSP1.5 compared with FSP0 for feed materials retained on the bottom pan, respectively. Irrespective of the amount of FSP fed, all calves sorted for particles retained on all studied sieves and against feed materials on the bottom pan. Starter feed DM intake from particles retained on all studied sieves (except for 4.75 mm sieve) and feed materials retained on the bottom pan increased linearly with increasing amount of FSP and increased in FSP supplemented calves compared with control calves. Calves fed FSP initiated to eat their first solid feed in a shorter timeframe after starter feed provision with no changes in first meal duration among treatment groups. Despite of linear increase in eating rate and meal size in FSP supplemented calves, meal and rumination patterns and time devoted to eating, ruminating, resting, drinking, standing, and lying were not affected by treatment; however, non-nutritive oral behaviors were linearly decreased with increasing amount of FSP and decreased and tended to decrease in FSP3 and FSP1.5 compared with FSP0, respectively. In general, feeding FSP shortened time-delay to initiate first solid feed consumption by increasing oro-sensorial preference of the feed, increased feed intake through increases in the rate of eating and thereby the meal size, decreased non-nutritive oral behaviors without affecting chewing behavior, and improved growth performance.

The role of norms in predicting waste sorting behavior

PurposeThis study aims to examine the role of personal and subjective norms in predicting waste sorting, an increasingly relevant pro-environmental behavior.Design/methodology/approachThis study obtained data from a sample of 300 respondents from three Indonesian cities. Purposive sampling was employed to obtain information from specific segments of Indonesian population. The analysis consisted of a two-stage procedure including confirmatory factor analysis and covariance-based structural equation modeling.FindingsResults demonstrated that both subjective and personal norms significantly and directly predict waste sorting behavior (WSB) bypassing intention to behave.Research limitations/implicationsThe fact that norms held by individuals are able to single-handedly drive pro-environmental behaviors implies that previous studies and social marketing campaigns may have overstated the role of intention.Practical implicationsIn designing marketing communication programs promoting WSB, this paper argues that targeting normative tendencies of the audience may provide a more effective strategy than focusing on explicit pro-environmental intentions and attitudes of the public.Originality/valueThis study provided a new experimental test and confirmation of the role of subjective norms, the normative component of the theory of planned behavior and of personal norms, the normative component of the norm activation theory, in predicting WSB.

Individual and situational determinants of plastic waste sorting: an experience sampling method study protocol

BackgroundPlastic waste management is one of the most challenging problems of our time. Until now, only 9% of the produced plastics has been recycled. In order to increase recycling, a behavior change towards sorting of plastic waste is needed. Therefore, the main aim of the study is to gain insight in the individual and situational determinants associated with plastic waste sorting behavior. The Integrated Framework for Encouraging Pro-environmental Behaviour will be used as the theoretical framework. This framework assumes that individual egoistic and hedonic values are negatively related to pro-environmental behaviour, whereas individual biospheric and altruistic values are positively related to pro-environmental behaviour. Situational cues can activate these values, resulting in (non) pro-environmental behaviour. Taking the Integrated Framework for Encouraging Pro-environmental Behaviour into account, this study will test the hypothesized associations between individual and situational determinants and plastic waste sorting behavior, using an ecological momentary assessment approach (Experience Sampling Method, ESM).MethodsA signal-contingent scheme with semi-random intervals will be used for the ESM questionnaire. Over a period of seven consecutive days, an ESM-based smartphone app will prompt participants ten times a day to fill in a short questionnaire containing questions about situational determinants and plastic waste sorting behaviour. Participants will also complete an online questionnaire before and after the study measuring the individual determinants and plastic waste sorting behaviour.DiscussionESM has many benefits over traditional surveys, such as improved ecological validity and the possibility to explore temporal relationships. The disadvantages of ESM are mainly related to the burden for the participants and the possibility of reactivity effects. The results will provide insight into the relationship between situational cues, individual values and plastic waste behaviour. The practical implications of the findings of this study can be of interest for policy makers in order to reach plastic waste reduction targets. Furthermore, the situational cues that activate values, which increase or decrease plastic waste sorting, can be targeted in interventions. The results of this study can also be relevant for further research studying and stimulating pro-environmental behaviour in general.

Effects of forage presentation and addition of molasses-based liquid feed on dairy calf dietary selection and feed sorting of mixed diets

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of including a molasses-based liquid feed on sorting of a mixed diet of starter and hay, and to compare the nutrient composition of the ration consumed by calves offered hay and starter according to different feed presentations. Holstein bull and heifer calves were exposed for the first 8 wk of life to 1 of 3 feed presentation treatments: (1) starter and hay provided in separate buckets (n = 15), (2) a mixed diet of 80% starter and 20% hay (n = 16), or (3) a mixed diet containing the same ratio of starter and hay, with inclusion of 10% (as-is basis) liquid molasses (n = 14). Calves received 8 L/d of pasteurized waste milk and were weaned over a 10-d period beginning at 42 d of age. Intake was recorded daily and calves were weighed weekly. Fresh and refused feed were sampled on 3 consecutive days during wk 4 and 6 of the preweaning period and wk 8 immediately postweaning. Sorting was assessed through nutrient analysis of the feed samples, with additional sorting indices reflective of sorting for starter and hay components calculated based on weighted averages of individual nutrient intakes as a percent of predicated intakes. Dry matter intake and average daily gain did not differ among treatments. During the preweaning period, addition of molasses to the mixed diet did not affect the extent of feed sorting, with calves provided both mixed diets sorting, on average, in favor of starter and against hay. Postweaning, addition of molasses tended to reduce the extent of feed sorting, although calves on both treatments persisted in sorting for starter and against hay. Across treatments, there was an association between the pre- and postweaning extent of feed sorting, suggesting a degree of individual consistency in sorting behavior. Calves provided starter and hay separately consumed a diet consisting of approximately 18 to 19% hay preweaning and 14% hay postweaning, and generally had greater fiber intake and lower intake of nonfiber carbohydrates compared with calves provided a mixed diet. These results indicate that addition of molasses slightly reduced sorting during the postweaning period only. On average, calves provided both mixed diets sorted their feed in favor of starter and against hay, which mirrored dietary selection exhibited by calves offered hay and starter separately.

Collective migrations in an epithelial–cancerous cell monolayer

Collective cell migration is extensively observed in embryo development and cancer invasion. During these processes, the interactions between cells with distinct identities and fates are of importance for boundary formation and host defense against cancer. In this paper, we explore the collective dynamics of a two-dimensional cell mixing monolayer consisting of non-tumorigenic mammary epithelial cells and breast cancer cells. We show that the epithelial–cancerous cell mixing system displays unique sorting behaviors. The epithelial cells aggregate to form scattered clusters, which perform random motion with simultaneous translation and rotation, strikingly distinct from the classical persistent random walk of individual migratory cells. The motility of cancer cells is markedly promoted by the epithelial clusters, exhibiting remarkable contact enhancement of locomotion. A discrete model based on the Johnson–Kendall–Roberts contact mechanics is proposed to identify the influence of intercellular interactions, active migration forces and cell–substrate friction forces on the collective cell dynamics. These findings could advance our understanding of many biological processes, such as cancer metastasis and tissue morphogenesis. The epithelial–cancerous cell mixing system displays unique collective dynamics. The epithelial cells aggregate to form scattered clusters, which perform random motion with simultaneous translation and rotation, strikingly distinct from the classical persistent random walk of individual migratory cells. The interactions between the two cell types drive the evolution of collective migration dynamics and give rise to a behavior akin to the contact enhancement of locomotion. This study revealed the distinctive dynamic features and the underlying regulatory mechanisms arising from epithelial–cancerous interactions.

Anomalous cell sorting behavior in mixed monolayers discloses hidden system complexities

In tissue development, wound healing and aberrant cancer progression cell–cell interactions drive mixing and segregation of cellular composites. However, the exact nature of these interactions is unsettled. Here we study the dynamics of packed, heterogeneous cellular systems using wound closure experiments. In contrast to previous cell sorting experiments, we find non-universal sorting behavior. For example, monolayer tissue composites with two distinct cell types that show low and high neighbor exchange rates (i.e., MCF-10A & MDA-MB-231) produce segregated domains of each cell type, contrary to conventional expectation that the construct should stay jammed in its initial configuration. On the other hand, tissue compounds where both cell types exhibit high neighbor exchange rates (i.e., MDA-MB-231 & MDA-MB-436) produce highly mixed arrangements despite their differences in intercellular adhesion strength. The anomalies allude to a complex multi-parameter space underlying these sorting dynamics, which remains elusive in simpler systems and theories merely focusing on bulk properties. Using cell tracking data, velocity profiles, neighborhood volatility, and computational modeling, we classify asymmetric interfacial dynamics. We indicate certain understudied facets, such as the effects of cell death & division, mechanical hindrance, active nematic behavior, and laminar & turbulent flow as their potential drivers. Our findings suggest that further analysis and an update of theoretical models, to capture the diverse range of active boundary dynamics which potentially influence self-organization, is warranted.