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The Monte‐Carlo ice microphysics model McSnow is extended by an explicit habit prediction scheme, combined with the hydrodynamic theory of Böhm. Böhm's original cylindrical shape assumption for prolates is compared against recent lab results, showing that interpolation between cylinder and prolate yields the best agreement. For constant temperature and supersaturation, the predicted mass, size, and density of the ice crystals agree well with the laboratory results, and a comparison with real clouds using the polarizability ratio shows regimes capable of improvement. An updated form of the inherent growth function to describe the primary habit growth tendencies is proposed and combined with a habit‐dependent ventilation coefficient. The modifications contrast the results from general mass size relations and significantly impact the main ice microphysical processes. Depending on the thermodynamic regime, ice habits significantly alter depositional growth and affect aggregation and riming. The influence of primary ice behavior on precipitation formation needs to be considered in future development of microphysical parameterizations, but the consideration of secondary habits and the geometry of aggregates should be further improved in future work. Plain Language Summary: The McSnow model was extended to predict the shape of ice crystals. A comparison of the falling behavior of modeled and 3D‐printed ice crystals shows a discrepancy that can be improved by interpolation. At constant temperature and supersaturation, simulated crystal properties agree well with laboratory results, and by comparison to real clouds, we have updated the function to describe growth tendencies. Ice shape is shown to have a significant influence on the main microphysical processes. Key Points: McSnow is extended by an explicit habit prediction including the revision of corresponding parameterizationsA new inherent growth ratio overcoming existing deficiencies is proposedThe impact of the modifications on the depositional growth, aggregation, and riming is shown for two distinct case studies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reappraisal is an adaptive emotion regulation strategy associated with favourable mental health outcomes. It is unclear whether the adaptive outcomes of habitual reappraisal are associated with better implementation of reappraisal when faced with negative affective situations. The current study aimed to examine whether habitual reappraisal predicts the implementation of instructed reappraisal and to evaluate the potential moderating effects of situational factors, namely – emotional intensity and reappraisal affordance. To address this question, 100 participants reported their habitual reappraisal tendency and were asked to imagine themselves in different hypothetical interpersonal situations. Participants rated emotional intensity levels and reappraisal affordance for each situation, followed by instructions to implement reappraisal. Implementation success was measured by self-reported affect pre-and-post-implementation. Results indicated that habitual reappraisal was associated with greater reappraisal implementation success. While higher intensity scores predicted greater reappraisal implementation success, intensity did not moderate the association between habitual reappraisal and reappraisal implementation success. Reappraisal affordance did not predict reappraisal implementation success, nor did it moderate the association between habitual reappraisal and reappraisal implementation success. Our findings suggest that individual-centred factors play a significant role in reappraisal implementation success, while the effects of situation-centred factors demand further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim was to determine whether specialist‐led habit training using Habit Training with Biofeedback (HTBF) is more effective than specialist‐led habit training alone (HT) for chronic constipation and whether outcomes of interventions are improved by stratification to HTBF or HT based on diagnosis (functional defaecation disorder vs. no functional defaecation disorder) by radio‐physiological investigations (INVEST). Method: This was a parallel three‐arm randomized single‐blinded controlled trial, permitting two randomized comparisons: HTBF versus HT alone; INVEST‐ versus no‐INVEST‐guided intervention. The inclusion criteria were age 18–70 years; attending specialist hospitals in England; self‐reported constipation for >6 months; refractory to basic treatment. The main exclusions were secondary constipation and previous experience of the trial interventions. The primary outcome was the mean change in Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life score at 6 months on intention to treat. The secondary outcomes were validated disease‐specific and psychological questionnaires and cost‐effectiveness (based on EQ‐5D‐5L). Results: In all, 182 patients were randomized 3:3:2 (target 384): HT n = 68; HTBF n = 68; INVEST‐guided treatment n = 46. All interventions had similar reductions (improvement) in the primary outcome at 6 months (approximately −0.8 points of a 4‐point scale) with no statistically significant difference between HT and HTBF (−0.03 points; 95% CI −0.33 to 0.27; P = 0.85) or INVEST versus no‐INVEST (0.22; −0.11 to 0.55; P = 0.19). Secondary outcomes showed a benefit for all interventions with no evidence of greater cost‐effectiveness of HTBF or INVEST compared with HT. Conclusion: The results of the study at 6 months were inconclusive. However, with the caveat of under‐recruitment and further attrition at 6 months, a simple, cheaper approach to intervention may be as clinically effective and more cost‐effective than more complex and invasive approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: High levels of sugar intake are associated with multiple maladaptive health outcomes in adult and younger populations. Identifying the psychological determinants of sugar intake in adolescents, and the processes involved, may help identify potentially modifiable targets and inform intervention development. We tested the predictions of an extended theoretical model based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), which specified social cognition constructs, habit, and self‐control as correlates of sugar intake in an adolescent sample. Methods: Adolescents aged 12 to 14 years (N = 88) recruited via a survey panel company and consenting to participate in the study completed online self‐report measures of constructs from the TPB alongside measures of habit and self‐control. One month later, participants completed a follow‐up measure of free‐sugar intake. Hypothesized effects of our proposed extended model were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Results: We found statistically significant effects of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control on sugar intake intentions. We also found significant effects of habit and self‐control on sugar intake measured at follow‐up, but no effect for intention. Perceived behavioral control moderated the intention–behavior relationship such that intention effects on behavior were larger when perceived behavioral control was high. However, self‐control did not moderate the intention–behavior relationship. Conclusion: Results indicate that sugar intake in this sample was a function of habits and self‐control, and the effect of sugar intake intentions was conditional on perceived behavioral control. Results contribute to an evidence base of determinants and associated processes that relate to sugar intake in adolescents and may signal potentially modifiable targets for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is the primary source of natural textile fiber in the U.S. and a major crop in the Southeastern U.S. Despite constant efforts to increase the cotton fiber yield, the yield gain has stagnated. Therefore, we undertook a novel approach to improve the cotton fiber yield by altering its growth habit from perennial to annual. In this effort, we identified genotypes with high-expression alleles of five floral induction and meristem identity genes (FT, SOC1, FUL, LFY, and AP1) from an Upland cotton mini-core collection and crossed them in various combinations to develop cotton lines with annual growth habit, optimal flowering time, and enhanced productivity. To facilitate the characterization of genotypes with the desired combinations of stacked alleles, we identified molecular markers associated with the gene expression traits via genome-wide association analysis using a 63 K SNP Array. Over 14,500 SNPs showed polymorphism and were used for association analysis. A total of 396 markers showed associations with expression traits. Of these 396 markers, 159 were mapped to genes, 50 to untranslated regions, and 187 to random genomic regions. Biased genomic distribution of associated markers was observed where more trait-associated markers mapped to the cotton D sub-genome. Many quantitative trait loci coincided at specific genomic regions. This observation has implications as these traits could be bred together. The analysis also allowed the identification of candidate regulators of the expression patterns of these floral induction and meristem identity genes whose functions will be validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will present and discuss two perspectives on habits in organization studies. The first, which we label the conservative view, sees habit as automatic behaviours: rigidified and lifeless. The second perspective, which is far less discussed in organization studies, views habit as a dynamic inclination and emphasizes its relationship to agency and change. Aiming at debunking the conservative view of habit and unfolding the potential of a more dynamic conceptualization, we explore how Ravaisson's notion of habit as a dynamic inclination rather than merely conservative automatism may explain how the daily habits of organizational life impact agency and possibilities of change. Secondly, we discuss four ways that habit as inclination can be mobilized to further a dynamic notion of habit in organization studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Habit formation has been identified as one of the key determinants of behaviour change. To initiate habit formation, self‐regulation interventions can support individuals to form a cue‐behaviour plan and to repeatedly enact the plan in the same context. This randomized controlled trial aimed to model habit formation of an everyday nutrition behaviour and examined whether habit formation and plan enactment differ when individuals plan to enact their behaviour in response to a routine‐based versus time‐based cue. Design: Following a baseline assessment, N = 192 adults (aged 18–77 years) were randomly assigned to a routine‐based cue or a time‐based cue planning intervention, in which they selected an everyday nutrition behaviour and linked it to a daily routine or a time cue. Methods: Participants responded to daily questionnaires over 84 days assessing plan enactment and the behaviour's automaticity (as an indicator of habit formation). Multilevel models with days nested in participants were fitted. Results: As indicated by asymptotic curves, it took a median of 59 days for participants who successfully formed habits to reach peak automaticity. Group‐level analyses revealed that both routine‐based and time‐based cue planning led to increases in automaticity and plan enactment, but no between‐condition differences were found. Repeated plan enactment was a key predictor for automaticity. Conclusions: Linking one's nutrition behaviour to a daily routine or a specific time was similarly effective for habit formation. Interventions should encourage persons to repeatedly carry out their planned behaviour in response to the planned cue to facilitate habit formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the N,N′-dicyclohexylterephthalamide (DCHT) with various morphologies and sizes was prepared by antisolvent precipitation at room temperature, and DCHT single crystals were also grown. Among them, DCHT crystals precipitated from deionized water (H2O), alcohol (C2H5OH) and N′N-dimethylformamide (DMF) are particle-like crystallites (DCHT-H2O), cuboid (DCHT-C2H5OH) and large rectangular crystals (DCHT-DMF), respectively. The powder XRD results show that the (002) plane is the dominant growth plane of the DCHT crystals, and the diffraction peak intensity of (100) plane is negatively correlated with the size of the DCHT crystals. The single-crystal XRD results show that the minimum distance between the two nearest DCHT molecules is the hydrogen bond distance (2.21 Å), and the (100) crystal plane is the plane of hydrogen bonding between DCHT molecules. Thus, it is speculated that the hydrogen bonding interaction is the main driving force for the growth of DCHT crystals. Further, the effect of different morphologies and sizes of DCHT on isotactic polypropylene (iPP) crystallization was investigated. Non-isothermal crystallization studies revealed that the DCHT size plays a decisive role in increasing the crystallization temperature of iPP. Through isothermal crystallization, it was found that the upper critical temperature of β-α growth "transition" of iPP could be related to the morphology of DCHT. Finally, the iPP film was attached to the surface of DCHT single crystal, and its crystallization behavior was studied. It is confirmed that the (001) plane is the epitaxial plane of DCHT to the β-iPP molecular chain, while the epitaxial plane of β-iPP is the (110) plane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores analytically different senses and usages of the concept of wonder, in order to analyze which of them are more fruitful for fostering care for nature, especially when it tends to avoid scientific reductionism or fundamentalist understandings of religions. Wonder that is understood as openess to mystery and uncertainty is particularly positive precisely beacause it moves us away from the aforementioned dangers. In this sense, wonder as awe seems to be the most positive sense of wonder. Inasmuch wonder questions our way of doing things and/or our preconceptions it may be a useful resource to embrace for environmentally friendly habits. The article compares this sense of wonder that Rachel Carson developed in order to question our dominion of nature and tendency to control it, with Pope Francis' claim that paying attention to reality rather than to our deformed visions of nature is necessary to foster care for the environment rather than destroying it. In conclusion the article argues that wonder is a powerful resource, for believers and non-believers alike, to build a better relationship with the environment in order to preserve it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies to promote regular toothbrushing usually rely on self‐reports of toothbrushing frequency (SRF). However, toothbrushing frequency measures may be open to responder bias since twice‐daily toothbrushing is a commonly accepted social norm. The validity of SRF measures is unclear, meaning that their use as outcomes in interventional work may be flawed. The study's aim was to compare two different self‐reported toothbrushing measures: SRF and the Self‐Reported Behavioural Automaticity Index (SRBAI); with measurement of observed toothbrushing frequency tracked over 6 weeks. A secondary aim was to explore the interaction effect of various moderators (age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), sex, self‐efficacy, participant personality and routine preference) upon the correlation between SRBAI and observed toothbrushing frequency. Methods: One hundred and sixty‐four adults were recruited via a number of different community groups and workplaces outside the dental setting. After consent, participants completed a questionnaire which collected demographic and participant characteristics measures (age, ethnicity, SES, sex, self‐efficacy, participant personality and routine preference) and self‐reported toothbrushing habits. Participants then attached a 'Brushlink' device to their toothbrush for 6 weeks to track their observed toothbrushing frequency. Results: Using the Pearson correlation coefficient, a moderately strong positive linear association (r = 0.65) between SRBAI and observed toothbrushing frequency was found. By comparison, the correlation between SRF and observed toothbrushing frequency was weak (r = 0.39). There was a weak positive association between self‐reported behaviour frequency and SRBAI score (r = 0.35). Using multivariable linear regression, no statistically significant interactional effect was demonstrated for any moderator variable upon the correlation coefficient of SRBAI and observed toothbrushing frequency. Conclusions: The SRBAI provided a stronger association with observed toothbrushing frequency than the SRF measure. A moderately strong relationship between SRBAI and observed toothbrushing frequency was found, compared to a weak positive relationship between self‐reported behaviour frequency and SRBAI score. This suggests that the SRBAI score could be a suitable proxy to measure observed toothbrushing behaviour and preferable to SRF in interventional work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The second formation stage of a surface martensite (SM) crystal is associated with a layer-by-layer extension of its faces. A dynamic pattern of every layer formation is similar to a rapid crystal growth in the first stage. The role of dislocation nucleation centers belongs to the dislocations framing the crystal-face surfaces. By the example of the (10-1) face it is shown that the proposed dynamic mechanism is compatible with the observed polar growth of the SM crystal trace on the (100) surface of the sample and the range of its visually observed growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ‘Bad’ is often described as more influential than the ‘Good’. We examined this possibility for relationships between well-being and feedback from others about their diets among vegetarians, and we found that the ‘Good’ was stronger than the ‘Bad’. Participants were 982 vegetarians who completed measures of well-being (depression, anxiety, satisfaction with life, purpose and search for meaning in life, self-esteem, and loneliness). They also answered questions about the approval and disapproval they perceived they received because of their diets from friends, family members, and strangers. Each measure of well-being was regressed onto measures of perceived approval and perceived disapproval, separately for each source. The analyses found that for feedback from all three sources, well-being was related to perceived approval more consistently than it was related to perceived disapproval. Approval may influence well-being more than disapproval does, at least within the context we studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in understanding how habit forms can help people change their behaviour in ways that make them happier and healthier. Making behaviour habitual, such that people automatically act in associated contexts due to learned context-response associations, offers a mechanism for maintaining new, desirable behaviours even when conscious motivation wanes. This has prompted interest in understanding how habit forms in the real world. To reliably inform intervention design, habit formation studies must be conceptually and methodologically sound. This paper proposes methodological criteria for studies tracking real-world habit formation, or potential moderators of the effect of repetition on formation. A narrative review of habit theory was undertaken to extract essential and desirable criteria for modelling how habit forms in naturalistic settings, and factors that influence the relationship between repetition and formation. Next, a methodological review identified exemplary real-world habit formation studies according to these criteria. Fourteen methodological criteria, capturing study design (four criteria), measurement (six criteria), and analysis and interpretation (four criteria), were derived from the narrative review. Five extant studies were found to meet our criteria. Adherence to these criteria should increase the likelihood that studies will offer revealing conclusions about how habits develop in real-world settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In his discussion of "misshapen crystals" of quartz Frondel ([5], p. 63) depicts eight different crystals with the caption "Some observed types of pseudosymmetrical combinations of I r i and I z i ." Quartz crystals with their termination dominated by two large rhombohedral faces (fig. 1) display an unnamed crystal habit that I encountered while researching a Connoisseur's Choice column about the Dauphiné habit (Francis [3]). Discussion Quartz crystals are normally short to long hexagonal prisms terminated by sloping triangular faces: the positive rhombohedron, denoted on crystal drawings by the letter I r i , and the negative rhombohedron, denoted by the letter I z i . [Extracted from the article]

Background: Crop architecture plays a major role in the growth and development of semi determinate crops like peanut. The orientation of branches and leaves in the plant canopy plays a major role in the radiation penetration, which influences the canopy photosynthetic rate and hence the crop productivity. Light penetration and radiation use efficiency effect the drymatter production of many crops. However, links between canopy orientation, growth attributes and yield potentiality of peanut are poorly understood. Hence the aim of the present study was to determine interrelationships among various growth habit peanut genotypes for canopy architecture, canopy photosynthesis, growth parameters and yield attributes. Methods: The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with ten treatments and replicated thrice. Ten spanish bunch peanut genotypes varying in growth habits viz., decumbent-2, decumbent-3 and erect growth habit. Five plants were selected randomly in each plot by avoiding border rows and recorded canopy traits. Canopy photosynthetic parameters viz., light interception (Lux meter) and photosynthetic rate (IRGA) were recorded at the grand growth period (45 and 60 DAS). Result: Plant height had a significant negative correlation with peg to pod ratio. Among the various canopy architecture traits, wider angle between primary branch and main stem and number of secondary branches per plant established significantly positive correlation with rate of photosynthesis, radiation use efficiency, growth attributes, pod yield, shelling percentage and test weight. Spreading architecture exhibit a higher maximum quantum yield of photosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The division of glycolysis into two separate pathways, aerobic and anaerobic, depending on the presence or absence of oxygen, respectively, was formulated over eight decades ago. The former ends with pyruvate, while the latter ends with lactate. Today, this division is confusing and misleading as research over the past 35 years clearly has demonstrated that glycolysis ends with lactate not only in cancerous cells but also in healthy tissues and cells. The present essay offers a review of the history of said division and the more recent knowledge that has been gained about glycolysis and its end-product, lactate. Then, it presents arguments in an attempt to explain why separating glycolysis into aerobic and anaerobic pathways persists among scientists, clinicians and teachers alike, despite convincing evidence that such division is not only wrong scientifically but also hinders progress in the field of energy metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly across sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europe, schools paired training in behaviour with traditional instruction in reading and writing. Not only did the Council of Trent highlight the importance of training children in Christian comportment, but theological and philosophical tracts argued that the senses, rather than reason, governed human behaviour and so that habit guaranteed predictable actions. While connections among the senses, habit and behaviour became central to education by the early 1700s, these connections have remained little considered as historians have focused on teaching techniques and patronage history. This article explores such connections through the Italian Schools of Christian Doctrine, the network by which the Council of Trent instituted its training in Christian behaviour. It is argued that surveillance and strict choreography of student movement through school spaces became key techniques of instruction and thus that the history of early modern education converges with architectural and intellectual history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Substrate preferences are often treated as species traits and are used to distinguish different habits, i.e. an epiphytic, lithophytic or terrestrial habit. Such a categorization, however, ignores substantial intraspecific variation. An approach that takes biological variability within a species into account is needed. Methods We focused on four large genera of ferns and lycophytes and found relevant information in >500 sources, such as online databases, checklists, floras and species descriptions. Translating textual information into a quantitative index, we quantified the propensity to grow on either substrate as a continuous trait for 1475 species. Key Results Only a minority of species exhibited strict substrate fidelity, but a majority of them showed clear habitat preferences. The relative frequencies of intermediates between strict lithophytes, epiphytes and terrestrials does not support the frequent notion of ecological similarity of the lithophytic and epiphytic habitat. Conclusions The compiled data are useful immediately for ecological and evolutionary studies with the focal taxa. More importantly, we propose the replacement of the concept of distinct habits with one of gradual differences. This should have a profound impact on any such study with plants in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertically pointing Ka-band radar measurements are used to derive fall velocity--reflectivity factor (Vt = aZbe) relations for frozen hydrometeor populations of different habits during snowfall events observed at Oliktok Point, Alaska, and at the Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC). Case study events range from snowfall with highly rimed particles observed during periods with large amounts of supercooled liquid water path (LWP > 320 g m-2) to unrimed snowflakes including instances when pristine planar crystals were the dominant frozen hydrometeor habit. The prefactor a and the exponent b in the observed Vt-Ze relations scaled to the sea level vary in the approximate ranges 0.5-1.4 and 0.03-0.13, respectively (reflectivities are in mm6 m-3 and velocities are in m s-1). The coefficient a values are the smallest for planar crystals (a ~ 0.5) and the largest (a > 1.2) for particles under severe riming conditions with high LWP. There is no clear distinction between b values for high and low LWP conditions. The range of the observed Vt-Ze relation coefficients is in general agreement with results of modeling using fall velocity--size (νt = aDβ) relations for individual particles found in literature for hydrometeors of different habits, though there is significant variability in aand bcoefficients from different studies even for a same particle habit. Correspondences among coefficients in the Vt-Ze relations for particle populations and in the individual particle νt = D relations are analyzed. These correspondences and the observed Vt-Ze relations can be used for evaluating different frozen hydrometeor fall velocity parameterizations in models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Hand hygiene is critical for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections, yet it is poorly practiced by healthcare workers. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of various incentives on the correctness of hand disinfection technique and motivation to use the technique correctly. Participants and Methods: The experiment was performed on three different days with 36 healthcare students. The procedure on the first and third day was the same and equal for all four groups (feedback alone). On the second day, the groups received different incentives (1: feedback + demonstration + creative teamwork; 2: feedback + demonstration + lecture; 3: feedback + demonstration; 4: feedback alone). Correctness (gel coverage percentage) and motivation were measured and compared between the three measurements. Results: Initially, only 25% of participants achieved at least 95% coverage, and only 55.56% tried at least “quite a bit” to use the technique correctly. Coverage increased after the incentive in groups 1 (χ(2)² = 6.000; P = 0.050), 2 (χ(2)² = 7.750; p = 0.021), and 3 (χ(2)² = 15.273; P = 0.001). Motivation increased in groups 1 (χ(2)² = 10.571; P = 0.005) and 3 (χ(2)² = 7.515; P = 0.023). Dorsum coverage was significantly smaller than palm coverage in both hands. Conclusion: Demonstration of hand disinfection technique, creative teamwork, and lecture were effective in adopting the habit of hand disinfection and reinforcing motivation to do so, but scanner feedback alone wasn’t effective in this way. Future studies should examine longer follow-up period and testing these results in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: PA habits reflect stable, consistent patterns in behaviours that are performed automatically in response to temporal or contextual cues. Mothers face multiple demands and complex schedules related to parenting. This study examined how subject-level mean, variability, and slopes in device-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) over three different timescales were associated with mothers' PA habits. Methods and Measures: Mothers (n = 125; Mage=41.4 years) completed six measurement periods across three years. Each measurement period consisted of seven days of accelerometry. MVPA minutes were processed across hours, days, and measurement periods. PA habits were assessed in the last measurement period. Results: Subject-level means of MVPA at all timescales were positively associated with stronger PA habits (βs = 0.42-0.48, ps<.01). Subject-level variability in day-level MVPA was positively associated with habits (β = 0.39, p=.01). Furthermore, mothers who engaged in higher mean day-level MVPA had a more positive association between subject-level variability in day-level MVPA and habit strength compared to mothers with lower mean day-level MVPA overall (β = 0.28, p=.04). Mothers who had steeper increases in MVPA across measurement periods (i.e. subject-level slope) reported stronger habits (β = 0.43; p = 0.03). Conclusion: Flexibly adjusting daily PA levels may be a necessary strategy to maintain habits in the face of parenting demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I discuss the formation of habits with the help of self-tracking technologies. Although devices like Fitbit smart bands come with promises of empowerment through the means of increased control over users’ habits, existing literature does not provide conclusive findings about the validity of such claims. I contribute to the ongoing debate by relying on John Dewey’s pragmatist philosophy and its notion of intelligent habit. I demonstrate that from a pragmatist standpoint, habits that are the most likely to accomplish users’ goals contribute to their flourishing need to be reflective (accompanied by adequate deliberation) and flexible (adaptable to the changing circumstances). On this basis I highlight some ethical-epistemic issues surrounding self-tracking technologies that inhibit the formation of habits desirable from a Deweyan standpoint. These include a lack of reflection on the part of the developers, difficulties for users to deliberate and consciously shape the habits developed by their devices, and dependence upon self-tracking tools that makes it difficult to adapt habits to individual needs and circumstances. I conclude the paper by discussing self-tracking’s general impact on flourishing, as well as placing my arguments in the context of the diversity of self-tracking practices and identifying how users attempt to alleviate the shortcomings of the technology and make it more suitable to their goals and needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy is an established risk factor for adverse maternal, fetal, and infant outcomes. In contrast, maternal smokeless tobacco use (i.e. e-cigarettes, snus, betel quid, iqmik) during pregnancy has a more complex risk profile due to its potential use as a smoking cessation aid or to reduce the harm from smoking tobacco. The overall aim of this study was to investigate the association between smoked, smokeless, and poly-tobacco (smoked + smokeless) use during pregnancy and infant mortality, in a national sample of women in Cambodia. METHODS The study used data from the National Adult Tobacco Survey of Cambodia (NATSC) that employed sampling methods and tobacco survey items from the CDC Global Adult Tobacco Survey but also included a supplement on reproductive health and birthing history. We selected 5342 women of the NATSC who reported complete data on at least one pregnancy, and our unit of analysis was the 15998 pregnancies from these women. We conducted a multivariable logistic regression to relate tobacco use to infant mortality. Taylor linearized variance estimators were used to account for clustering by sampling unit and mother. RESULTS We found that smokeless tobacco in the form of a betel quid was the most common form of tobacco used during pregnancy. In multivariable logistic regression, we found increased odds of infant death for all tobacco use categories (smoked, smokeless), but that the strongest effects were seen for habits that included smokeless tobacco (relative to never use of tobacco in any form): exclusive use of smokeless tobacco (adjusted odds ratio, AOR=2.08; 95% CI: 1.15-3.76), and poly-tobacco use (AOR=5.68; 95% CI: 1.03-31.46). In more detailed analyses that considered the composition of the betel quid (tobacco, areca nut/leaf, slaked lime), we found that even chewing of tobacco leaves with no processing or additives was associated with a three-fold increase in odds of infant death relative to a never user (AOR=3.05; 95% CI: 1.45-6.45). CONCLUSIONS We found that even among those pregnant women who limited their nicotine habit to chewing tobacco leaves with no processing or additives, there remained higher odds of fetal or infant death from that pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A newly discovered sixteenth-century manuscript leaf of Vincent of Lérins's Commonitorium manifests a distinctive scribal habit in the formation of cursive h-a previously thought to be unique to William Shakespeare and Hand D in the manuscript play Sir Thomas More. Comparison of the scribal hand in the Vincent manuscript and Hand D suggests that they are not the same, but the pronounced similarity of the h-a ligature challenges the uniqueness of the form and may force a reevaluation of this crucial link between Shakespeare and Sir Thomas More. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article characterizes Peirce's concept of habit as a major contribution to a Peircean concept of preconceptuality, first, in relation to its function in the sign process, and second, in relation to other concepts of preconceptuality in cultural studies. Hans-Georg Gadamer's notion of prejudice, Michel Foucault's notions of the preconceptual and the dispositif, and Hans Blumenberg's conception of metaphor all share certain key characteristics with Peirce's notion of habit. The same comparison also highlights the fact that certain elements are missing from the current discourse on Peirce's notion of habit: although any rendition of the concept of habit itself implicitly relies on a theory of historicity and of rule-association, these aspects only emerge explicitly in comparison with theories that more explicitly focus on such aspects. Another question raised in the context of such a comparison is the relevance of habit for theories of conceptuality. Peirce claims that descriptions of concepts are best realized through the description of the habits involved in them. A major part of a concept's coordinative power lies with the habits associated with the concept. However, no systematic inquiry into the possibility of rendering actual habits more definitive in comprehension has been undertaken. An attempt is therefore made to remedy that situation by elaborating on those aspects of Peirce's theory of habit relevant to a theory of "reading" habit, and to sketch an outline of such a theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper argues that it is a mistake to define habit as behaviour or action; as a regular conjunction of actions; as a stock; as a form of automaticity (although habit is acquired and activated automatically); as a tendency, propensity or disposition (even though habit acts tendentially); as a mechanism; and as a process (even though habit is acquired and activated via several processes). A taxonomic definition is provided wherein habit is a cognitive representation of a cue-action response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of ocean oxygen levels is thought to have boosted the evolution of animals. Modelling of the sedimentary geochemical record provides evidence for a late Ediacaran rise in oxygen, though likely after the origin of animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the intertwinement of ontology and history that happened after the idealist turn of Kantian transcendentalism, particularly in classic German idealism and later in American pragmatism. The paper focuses on the less remarked-upon consequence of this intertwinement, namely the possibility of a new reading of history based on changes in concepts and habitual mentality. The paper proposes a new take on historiography that vindicates Hegel's insight but changes his approach to a pragmatist one, more apt to face historical changes in a technical way and less easily twistable into ideological frameworks. The paper argues that the notion of habit, as phenomenologically and semiotically described by Peirce, is the fundamental cellule of the pragmatist take on the entanglement of history and ontology. The paper elaborates on the notion of habit, singling out a special form of it called "gesture" that can be a useful tool for reading the history of the human spirit without incorporating Hegel's dialectic and Absolute. The paper compares the notion of gesture as it originated in the pragmatist tradition with the parallel use of the term in the early studies of Michel Foucault and argues that the notion of gesture is better equipped to tackle a theoretical reading of history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitual behaviours are triggered automatically, with little conscious forethought. Theory suggests that making healthy behaviours habitual, and breaking the habits that underpin many ingrained unhealthy behaviours, promotes long-term behaviour change. This has prompted interest in incorporating habit formation and disruption strategies into behaviour change interventions. Yet, notable research gaps limit understanding of how to harness habit to change real-world behaviours. Discussions among health psychology researchers and practitioners, at the 2019 European Health Psychology Society 'Synergy Expert Meeting', generated pertinent questions to guide further research into habit and health behaviour. In line with the four topics discussed at the meeting, 21 questions were identified, concerning: how habit manifests in health behaviour (3 questions); how to form healthy habits (5 questions); how to break unhealthy habits (4 questions); and how to develop and evaluate habit-based behaviour change interventions (9 questions). While our questions transcend research contexts, accumulating knowledge across studies of specific health behaviours, settings, and populations will build a broader understanding of habit change principles and how they may be embedded into interventions. We encourage researchers and practitioners to prioritise these questions, to further theory and evidence around how to create long-lasting health behaviour change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior evidence suggests that sensorimotor regions play a crucial role in habit formation. Yet, whether and how their global functional network properties might contribute to a more comprehensive characterization of habit formation still remains unclear. Capitalizing on advances in Elastic Net regression and predictive modeling, we examined whether learning‐related functional connectivity alterations distributed across the whole brain could predict individual habit strength. Using the leave‐one‐subject‐out cross‐validation strategy, we found that the habit strength score of the novel unseen subjects could be successfully predicted. We further characterized the contribution of both, individual large‐scale networks and individual brain regions by calculating their predictive weights. This highlighted the pivotal role of functional connectivity changes involving the sensorimotor network and the cingulo–opercular network in subject‐specific habit strength prediction. These results contribute to the understanding the neural basis of human habit formation by demonstrating the importance of global functional network properties especially also for predicting the observable behavioral expression of habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hand washing has been at the core of recommendations and guidelines that aim to curb infectious diseases in general, and COVID-19 in particular. As hand washing comes down to an individual's behaviour, we aimed to study how individual psychological variables influence hand washing over time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of 20 weeks, participants answered questions about their hand washing behaviour, goal importance, habit strength and self-control. Participants from an experimental and a control condition completed a baseline and final measurement, and the experimental condition was invited to bi-weekly measurements through reminders. Hand washing behaviour over the past 14 days was assessed by self-report at baseline and final measurement, and additionally repeatedly over the course of 20 weeks in the experimental condition. Hand washing behaviour decreased over time, but this decrease was buffered by habit strength and goal importance. The decrease was smaller in the experimental condition that received reminders every 2 weeks. Sending personal reminders on hand washing behaviour contributes to hand washing behaviour. Moreover, taking habit strength and goal importance, and to a lesser extent self-control into account is important when designing interventions to promote hand washing behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habit strength for taking medication is associated with medication adherence. However, habit strength is typically measured via self-reports, which have limitations. Objective sensors may provide advantages to self-reports. To evaluate whether habit-strength metrics derived from objective sensor data (MEMS® Caps; AARDEX Group) are associated with self-reported habit strength and adherence (objective and self-reported) and whether objective and self-reported habit strength are independently associated with adherence. Patients (N = 79) on oral medications for type 2 diabetes completed self-reports of habit strength and medication adherence and used MEMS® Caps to take their prescribed medication for one month. MEMS® Caps data were used to create five objective metrics of habit strength (e.g., individual-level variance in pill timing) and quantify medication adherence (% days correct dosing). Consistency in behavior from week to week (versus across each day) had the greatest association with self-reported habit strength (r(78) = 0.29, p = 0.01), self-reported adherence (r(78) = 0.32, p = 0.005), and objective adherence (r(78) = 0.61, p < 0.001). Objective and self-reported habit strength were independently associated with adherence. Weekly pill-timing consistency may be more useful than daily pill-timing consistency for predicting adherence and understanding patients' medication-taking habits. Self-reports and objective metrics of habit strength may be measuring different constructs, warranting further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between solid-state supramolecular interactions and crystal habits is highlighted based on experimental and computational analysis of the crystal structure of strong halogen-bonded (HaB) associations between iodine-containing dihalogens (ICl, IBr) with 1,4-diazabicyclo[2,2,2]octane (DABCO) as well as with substituted pyridines and phenazine. The pattern of the energy frameworks and the interplay of the attractive and repulsive interactions in the solid-state associations involving these HaB donors and acceptors directly correlated with their crystal habits. This correlation suggests that analysis of the energy framework serves as a useful tool (complementary to the earlier developed methods) to rationalize and predict the crystal habit. The X-ray structural analysis also revealed that the I⋯N distances in the complexes were in the 2.24–2.54 Å range, i.e. they were much closer to the I⋯N covalent bond length than to the van der Waals separation. The computational analysis of the nature of halogen bonding in these complexes showed delocalization of their molecular orbitals' between donor and acceptors resulting in a substantial charge transfer from the nucleophiles to dihalogens and elongation of the I⋯X bond. As a result, both I⋯N and I⋯X bonds in the strongest complexes (e.g., ICl with DABCO or 4-dimethylaminopyridine) are characterized by the comparable Mayer bonds orders of about 0.6, along with the electron and energy densities at their bond critical points of about 0.1 a.u. and −0.02 a.u., respectively. These data as well as the density overlap regions indicator (DORI) point to the covalency of the I⋯N bonding and suggest that the interaction within the IX complexes can be described as (unsymmetrical) hypervalent 3c/4e N⋯I⋯X bonding akin to that in trihalide or halonium ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In studies on probabilistic cuing of visual search, participants search for a target among several distractors and report some feature of the target. In a biased stage the target appears more frequently in one specific area of the search display. Eventually, participants become faster at finding the target in that rich region compared to the sparse region. In some experiments, this stage is followed by an unbiased stage, where the target is evenly located across all regions of the display. Despite this change in the spatial distribution of targets, search speed usually remains faster when the target is located in the previously rich region. The persistence of the bias even when it is no longer advantageous has been taken as evidence that this phenomenon is an attentional habit. The aim of this meta-analysis was to test whether the magnitude of probabilistic cuing decreases from the biased to the unbiased stage. A meta-analysis of 42 studies confirmed that probabilistic cuing during the unbiased stage was roughly half the size of cuing during the biased stage, and this decrease persisted even after correcting for publication bias. Thus, the evidence supporting the claim that probabilistic cuing is an attentional habit might not be as compelling as previously thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An exciting trend in virtue ethics is its engagement with empirical psychology. Virtue theorists have connected virtue to various constructs in empirical psychology. The strategy of grounding virtue in the psychological theory of habit, however, has yet to be fully explored. Recent decades of psychological research have shown that habits are an indispensable feature of human life, and virtues and habits have a number of similarities. In this paper, we consider whether virtues are psychological habits (i.e., habits as understood by the field of psychology). After some background to frame the interaction between the two disciplines, we explain the predominant account of habit in psychology, which we call "standard psychological habit," in the next section. We then consider Servais Pinckaers's objections that virtue cannot be a habit and conclude that standard psychological habits cannot be virtues. Finally, we argue that another psychological account of habits, goal-directed habits, withstand Pinckaers's objections and provide a promising construct for understanding virtue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Heart and Brain Investigation in Taicang (HABIT) study is a large-scale research project conducted in Taicang City, China. The study aims to examine the risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and neurodegenerative diseases in Chinese adults and understand the relationship between the two conditions. The study involves collecting data on various risk factors at baseline and follow-up examinations. The findings of this study could improve the prevention and management of these disorders. The HABIT study is ongoing and welcomes collaborations with researchers interested in cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. [Extracted from the article]

In recent years, there has been significant progress in enhancing the genetic foundation underlying important agricultural traits such as resistance to scab and the development of a columnar growth habit. V. inaequalis is a hemibiotrophic fungus widely distributed in temperate regions where apples are grown on commercial scale. The present investigation was undertaken to identify Vf gene and Co gene, which, respectively, confer resistance against apple scab disease and columnar phenotype in apple cultivar 'Rosalie' and introgression of both the genes in commercially important cultivar 'Fuji'. Polymorphism survey was carried out between the two parents using 22 simple sequence repeat (SSR) and sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers. The observations revealed that almost 50% hybrids fall in resistant category and 50% in susceptible category. The results of marker-assisted screening confirmed 38 F1s carrying resistance gene for scab while the remaining 32 F1 plants were found to be lacking the gene. The 38 genotypically scab-resistant hybrids were selected for further characterization as columnar and non-columnar plants. Based on the selection criteria, 21 individuals were categorized as columnar and the remaining 17 were categorized as non-columnar. The phenotypic screening was followed by screening of F1 s using molecular markers for Co gene. The amplification of Co-specific markers yielded columnar-specific fragments in the population and fitted the expected 1:1 Mendelian ratio. 18 scab-resistant F1 hybrids were found to carry Co gene and the remaining 20 did not possess the gene for columnar growth habit. Gene-specific primers identified in the present study can be directly used for screening large apple germplasm in a short period of time for developing resistant varieties against apple scab as well as varieties with columnar growth habit. Hybrids with verified scab resistance and columnar growth can be swiftly utilized as scab-resistant columnar cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human growth and maturation are continuous processes, and transition from childhood into adulthood is not abrupt, the period of adolescence encompasses rapid changes in physical changes and maturation, and in psychological development. Objective: To study the dietary habit, mean calorie intake and mean protein intake of last 24 hours in the study population. Materials and Methods: The present cross- sectional study was conducted in the field practice areas of Rural Health Training Centre, Jawan and Urban Health Training Centre, Aligarh, of the Department of Community Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University. Results: Majority of students (91.6%) used to take meals three times a day and only 8.4% used to had meal twice a day, out of them most of them were from rural area. mean calorie and mean protein intake being less in whole age group of 10-19 years than the reference values given by ICMR 2010. Total mean calorie of 10-19 years age group was 1995.09 in urban and 2056.07 in rural area. Total mean protein intake of 10-19 years age group was 44.56 gm/day in urban and 41.44 gm/day in rural area. Conclusion: Overall 98.77% rural and 94.92% urban students were found to be deficit in calorie intake in 24 hours recall method and protein intake was deficit in 84.37% urban and 93.44% rural students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-sectional studies show that habitual use of alcohol is associated with severity of alcohol dependence reflected across a range of domains and lower number of detoxifications in multiple settings. In this study, we investigated whether alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients with greater habitual use of alcohol at baseline showed worse outcomes after one year of follow-up. A sample of inpatients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) alcohol use disorder (AUD) was assessed at baseline (n = 50) and after one year (n = 30). The Habit, Reward, and Fear Scale (HRFS) was employed to quantify affective (fear or reward) and non-affective (habitual) drives for alcohol use, the Alcohol Dependence Scale (ADS) was used to assess clinical outcomes, and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to quantify and control for associated affective symptoms. There was a significant reduction in the three HRFS scores at the follow-up. Regression analyses demonstrated that greater habit- and fear-related drives at baseline predicted greater decreases in the ADS scores at the endpoint. However, after controlling for age, sex and affective symptoms, only reward and fear were associated with reductions in ADS scores at the end of one year. Prescriptions of naltrexone and antidepressants/benzodiazepines did not predict decreases in reward and fear-related motivations. Although we were unable to confirm that habitual subscores at baseline predict worse long-term outcomes among inpatients with AUD, we found that a greater fear and reward motives for the use of alcohol predicted a greater magnitude of improvement in the AUD symptoms after one year. We hope that these findings will help develop new approaches toward AUD treatment and inform models of addiction research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stem growth habit dictates plant architecture and influences flowering and podding (seed setting), making it an essential morphological and breeding agronomic trait of soybean (Glycine max). Stem growth habit in soybean is affected by photoperiod and environment and is determined by genetic variation at major genes. Classical genetic analysis identified two critical loci, designated Determinacy 1 (Dt1) and Determinacy 2 (Dt2). Dt1 is an ortholog of Arabidopsis thaliana TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1) and specifies an indeterminate stem growth habit, whereas Dt2 specifies a semi-determinate growth habit. MADS-box proteins, including Dt2, SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CO1 (GmSOC1) and MADS-box genes downregulated by E1 (GmMDE), repress Dt1 expression. Photoreceptors encoded by the E3 and E4 loci regulate the expression of soybean FLOWERING LOCUS T (GmFT) orthologs via circadian clock genes and E1, and GmFTs compete with Dt1 to regulate stem growth habit. Study of the molecular mechanism underlying the regulation of stem growth habit in soybean has focused on the repression of Dt1 expression. Here we provide an overview of progress made in elucidating the genetic and molecular bases of stem growth habit in soybean, with emphasis on the molecular components responsible for integrating photoperiodic flowering and stem growth habit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on study habits being defined as the methods of study used by students and the ability for managing the time for the successful accomplishment of academic tasks. Topics include personality constructs such as conscientiousness, achievement motivation, and locus of control; and right learning conditions encouraging a cohort of students in developing adaptive study habits in the non-directed time.

The COVID-19 pandemic in India is a part of a worldwide pandemic, on 24 March 2020, the Government of India has announced a nationwide lockdown. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the day-to-day activities particularly has created the largest disruption of education systems in India. This study has examined the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the reading habit of Law Students in Tamil Nadu. A descriptive survey method was adopted and an online web-based questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. The total response collected for the study is 464 and 65.52% of respondents are female. It was found that there was a significant development in the reading habit of Law Students in Tamilnadu during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. It was revealed that most Law Students in Tamandu used a mobile phone (96.8%) to read during the lockdown. It was shown the challenges in reading during the lockdown, which include Heavy use of social media, Laziness, Work/home burden, lack of motivation, and non-availability of resources. It was concluded that COVID-19 lockdown has a positive influence on the reading habits of most Law Students in Tamailnadu and the findings of this study will provide understanding into the reading habits of these law students and necessary recommendations will be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This study was carried out to ascertain parents' attitude about reading related activities of children, to discover parents' efforts for instilling the reading habit in their children, to understand the challenges faced by parents in inculcating reading habit in their children, and to suggest possible solutions to the parents' difficulties related to their children's reading habits. Design/Methodology - The research was conducted using the Survey method, with Focus Group Discussion used as the data collection tool. The research sample was 24 parents of pupils who were studying in the primary and secondary Marathi medium schools in Nashik district. An anonymous data was collected Qualitative descriptive analysis was carried out of the collected data. Findings - It was observed that parents knew that pleasure reading was important for the overall behavioral development of their children. However, less than half of them performed any substantial activities to instill the reading habit in their children. Children's excessive usage of the internet, time constraints, children's disinterest in reading, and parents' incognizance about the effective reading material were the main challenges faced. Originality/Value - This study is one of the first one of its kind in the Indian scenario. Uniquely collecting parents' real experiences through focus group interviews, this paper provides concrete solutions to the difficulties of parents in inculcating reading habits among their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews recent findings from the author's laboratory that may provide new insights into how habits are made and broken. Habits are extensively practiced behaviors that are automatically evoked by antecedent cues and performed without their goal (or reinforcer) "in mind." Goal-directed actions, in contrast, are instrumental behaviors that are performed because their goal is remembered and valued. New results suggest that actions may transition to habit after extended practice when conditions encourage reduced attention to the behavior. Consistent with theories of attention and learning, a behavior may command less attention (and become habitual) as its reinforcer becomes well-predicted by cues in the environment; habit learning is prevented if presentation of the reinforcer is uncertain. Other results suggest that habits are not permanent, and that goal-direction can be restored by several environmental manipulations, including exposure to unexpected reinforcers or context change. Habits are more context-dependent than goal-directed actions are. Habit learning causes retroactive interference in a way that is reminiscent of extinction: It inhibits, but does not erase, goal-direction in a context-dependent way. The findings have implications for the understanding of habitual and goal-directed control of behavior as well as disordered behaviors like addictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, well-being, and behavior is likely influenced by individual characteristics that determine one's capacity for resilience. In this exploratory study, we examined whether individual differences in working memory (WM) capacity and habit propensity (HP), measured before the outbreak, could predict variation in subsequent psychological coping efficacy (as operationalized by measures of depression, mental well-being, perceived stress, and loneliness) and behavioral adjustment (by evaluating compliance and self-reported automaticity of four COVID-19 guidelines) among Dutch older adults (n = 36) during the pandemic (measured April 25 to May 6, 2020). While we found elevated levels of depression and emotional loneliness, overall mental well-being, and perceived stress were not affected by the pandemic. Contrary to our expectations, we found no robust evidence for a protective role of WM in predicting these outcomes, although our findings hint at a positive relationship with perceived change in mental well-being. Interestingly, WM and HP were found to affect the self-reported automaticity levels of adherence to behavioral COVID-19 guidelines (i.e., washing hands, physical distancing), where a strong HP appeared beneficial when deliberate resources were less available (e.g., low WM capacity). These novel and preliminary findings offer new potential avenues for investigating individual differences in resilience in times of major life events or challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, calcium sulfate hemihydrate whiskers were prepared by autoclaving using phosphogypsum as raw material. Digital microscope, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) were used to investigate the microscopic morphology, composition and crystal surface development of calcium sulfate hemihydrate whiskers under the effect of Mg2 +. Using molecular dynamics technology to simulate the interaction energy and radial distribution function of Mg2 + in the crystal surface of the calcium sulfate crystal. The effect of Mg2 + on the crystallization habits of calcium sulfate crystals was explored by combining the two techniques. The results show that the interaction energies of Mg2 + and different crystal faces of calcium sulfate hemihydrate crystals from smallest to largest are listed below: ΔE(200) < ΔE(002) < ΔE(400) < ΔE(020) < ΔE(204), which illustrates that Mg2 + is mainly adsorbed on the (200), (400) and (002) crystal faces of calcium sulfate hemihydrate crystals. The interaction distance between Mg2 + and SO2 - 4 is smaller than that between Ca2 + and SO2 - 4. There is an obvious electronic effect between Mg and S, and the electronic effect is enhanced with the increase of magnesium sulfate content. The position of XRD diffraction peak is more obvious to the right with the increase of magnesium sulfate. All indicate that a small amount of Mg2 + is embedded in the crystal lattice of calcium sulfate hemihydrate. At 0. 15% (mass fraction, the same as below) of magnesium sulfate content, the growth of c-axis direction was preferentially promoted, resulting in slender needlelike calcium sulfate hemihydrate whiskers with an average length of 47. 29 μm and an average L / D ratio of 36. 07. At 0. 30% of magnesium sulfate content, the growth of c-axis and radial direction was inhibited, resulting in slender needle-like calcium sulfate hemihydrate whiskers with an average length of 39.72 μm and an average L/D ratio of 28.91. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruiting behaviour and sex form are important goals for Luffa breeders and this study aimed to shed light upon inheritance patterns for both these traits. The hermaphrodite form of Luffa acutangula (known as Satputia) is an underutilized vegetable with a unique clustered fruiting habit. Its desirable traits, such as plant architecture, earliness, as well as contrasting traits like unique clustered fruiting, bisexual flower, and crossability with Luffa acutangula (monoecious ridge gourd with solitary fruits), make it a potential source for trait improvement and mapping of desirable traits in Luffa. In the present study, we have elucidated the inheritance pattern of fruiting behaviour in Luffa using F2 mapping population generated from a cross between Pusa Nutan (Luffa acutangula, monoecious, solitary fruiting) × DSat-116 (Luffa acutangula, hermaphrodite, cluster fruiting). In F2 generation, the observed distribution of plant phenotypes fitted in the expected ratio of 3:1 (solitary vs cluster) for fruit-bearing habit. This is the first report of monogenic recessive control for cluster fruit-bearing habit in Luffa. Herein, we designate for the first time the gene symbol cl for cluster fruit bearing in Luffa. Linkage analysis revealed that SRAP marker ME10 EM4-280 was linked to the fruiting trait at the distance of 4.6 cM from the Cl locus. In addition, the inheritance pattern of hermaphrodite sex form in Luffa was also studied in the F2 population of Pusa Nutan × DSat-116 that segregated into 9:3:3:1 ratio (monoecious:andromonoecious:gynoecious:hermaphrodite), suggesting a digenic recessive control of hermaphrodite sex form in Luffa, which was further confirmed by the test cross. The inheritance and identification of molecular marker for cluster fruiting trait provides a basis for breeding in Luffa species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jane Austen uses "habit" and its variants four times as often in Mansfield Park as she does in her previous novel, Pride and Prejudice. In what seems, then, to be a deliberate exploration of habit, the novel repeatedly recalls Aristotle's views on habit, which could well have been conveyed to Austen through eighteenth‐century divines who saw them as compatible with their Anglican theology. Like Aristotle, Austen emphasizes habit as crucial to an ethic that defines virtue not as self‐denial, but as fulfillment within a well‐governed polis, or, in her case, within an idealized estate. But as Austen explores the promise of habit in Mansfield Park, she also reveals the problems it can create. Most prominently, Austen's novel reminds us that the conditions for cultivating virtue through habituation can also function to cultivate vice or, what is more insidious, virtue understood as resignation and passivity rather than as active principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]