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Summary: Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) characteristically fluctuate over time. We aimed to review the natural history of IBS and IBS subgroups including bowel habit disturbances, and the overlap of IBS with other gastrointestinal disorders. The community incidence of IBS is approximately 67 per 1000 person years. The prevalence of IBS is stable over time because symptoms fluctuate and there is a portion who experience resolution of their GI symptoms similar in number to those developing new‐onset IBS. The proportion who report resolution of symptoms varies amongst population‐based studies from 17% to 55%. There is evidence of substantial movement between subtypes of IBS. For example in a clinical trial cohort, only one in four patients retained their baseline classification throughout the study periods, two in three moved between IBS‐C (constipation) and IBS‐M (mixed), while over half switched between IBS‐D (diarrhoea) and IBS‐M. The least stable group was IBS‐M. There are very limited data on drivers of bowel habit change in IBS. There are emerging evidence fluctuations in intestinal immune activity might account for symptom variability over time. It is of clinical importance to recognise the substantial overlap of IBS symptoms with other gastrointestinal syndromes including gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease. This is important to ensure the correct clinical diagnosis of IBS is made and patients are not over investigated. Knowledge of the natural history, stability of subgroups and overlap of IBS with other gastrointestinal conditions should be considered in therapeutic decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In plant breeding, genotype behavior analysis under different development conditions and years of evaluation allows for the identification of desirable individuals. In this study, forage biomass production of 20 elite lines of spring habit triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) determined over a two-year evaluation period. The research was conducted in autumn-winter seasons of 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico. It was carried out using a randomized complete block experimental design with three replications per year and combined analysis. The experimental unit included two furrows in an area of 8.0 m². The variables measured were those related to green and dry forage yield, number of stems, number of leaves, and plant height in the milky-mass stage. Lines L-3, L-9, and L-4 showed higher averages of green and dry forage, more stems and leaves, increased plant height, and presented a late cycle; L-18, L-20, and L-19 yielded less, with a tendency to earlier and smaller plant size. The combined analysis revealed significant differences (p = 0.05); the biplot showed that lines L-17, L-5, L-9, L-20, L-4, and L-19 had higher production in the first year of evaluation for green and dry forage, number of stems, as well as a higher number of leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grammatical competence is the knowledge of and ability to use a language's grammatical resources. Understanding and communicating meaning across generations, as well as being able to recognize properly constructed sentences that adhere to these rules (Kusumawardani & Mardiyani, 2018). On the other hand, students who have high self-esteem are more likely to achieve their goals and cope better with life's challenges, whereas those who have low self-esteem are more likely to become isolated. One of the psychological issues that all students face is issues with self-esteem. Self -esteem influences one's self-efficacy. Furthermore, watching English movies, particularly those with English subtitles, will improve one's vocabulary and speaking ability (Pratiwi & Ayu, 2020). However, despite the numerous studies that investigated language learning and mastery of grammar, no study was conducted yet regarding the relationship between Netflix viewing habits, grammatical competence, and academic self-efficacy of senior high school students specifically in the local setting. Hence, the researcher was motivated to conduct a study to determine the Netflix viewing habits, grammatical competence, and academic self-efficacy of the selected senior high school students from public schools in Tagaytay City. The findings of this study could serve as a guide to English teachers and administrators in designing innovative strategies that will enhance the students' grammatical skills and academic self-efficacy taking into consideration the integration of watching English movies in the teaching-learning process specifically in language class. The researcher utilized descriptive-correlational method of research with the help of survey questionnaire as the main source of data. Statistical method utilized to give credence and reliability to the work. Based on the findings of the study, the study conclusions were drawn: Majority of the respondents watch Netflix 1-2 times week; 45.70 percent of them watch for 3-4 hours a day; and 21.20 percent of them prefer to watch drama; The respondents has satisfactory level of grammatical competence and high level of academic self-efficacy. In addition, the more frequently the students watch Netflix, the higher their level of grammatical competence. Moreover, the more frequently the respondents watch Netflix, the higher their level of academic self-efficacy. In addition, the higher the respondents' level of grammatical competence, the higher their level of academic self-efficacy Finally, the independent variable Netflix viewing habits in terms of, duration and grammatical competence are drivers of students' level of academic self-efficacy, which further means that the students' Netflix viewing habits and grammatical competence determine their academic self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tests for the presence of habit formation using household monthly data converted from annual observations 1992-2014 of Chinese rural residents from China Statistical Yearbooks with discount recursive least squares method which can clearly examine the procedure of habit formation. The results yield evidence of habit for rural residents and show that the uncertainties probably trigger the changing of habit. And stabling policies and reducing incomes gap will be helpful to decrease the strength of habit formation and promote the growth of consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows how reflection on habit leads in nineteenth-century French philosophy to Henri Bergson's idea of duration in 1888 as a non-quantifiable dimension irreducible to time as measured by clocks. Historically, I show how Albert Lemoine's 1875 L'habitude et ¡'instinct was crucial, since he holds - in a way that is both Ravaissonian and Bergsonian avant ¡a ¡ettre - that for the being capable of habit, the three elements of time are fused together. For that habituated being, Lemoine claims, it is not true to say that the past is no longer, nor even that the future is not yet. This historical link between Ravaisson and Bergson, however, only sharpens the philosophical question of how a dynamic conception of habit involves and requires a conception of real duration, of a temporality more original than clock-time, and, conversely, of how reflection on duration prior to clock-time involves a notion of habit. With reference to the work of Gilles Deleuze, the paper concludes by showing that there is an internal connection between these two grand philosophical themes of nineteenth- and then twentieth-century French thought: habit and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Habits drive many of our health behaviors in our daily lives. However, little is known about the relative contribution of different key factors for habit formation in real-world contexts. We examined the effects of behavioral performance, intrinsic reward value (operationalized as tastiness), and context stability on the formation of a higher-order nutrition habit. Methods: Participants were recruited via mailing lists and posts on social media platforms. N = 199 participants (Mage = 37.10 years, SD = 13.00, 86.93% female) received an online intervention for building the higher-order habit of filling half of their plates with vegetables at dinner and completed one daily online survey for up to 56 days, including the assessment of habit strength, behavioral performance, intrinsic reward value, and context stability, providing a total of N = 6352 daily measurements. N = 189 participants (N = 4175 measurements) could be included in the primary analysis. Utilizing multilevel modeling, we analyzed the impact of behavioral performance, intrinsic reward value, and context stability, as well as their interaction effects, on habit strength on the next day. Results: Habit strength significantly increased over time. This effect was strengthened in persons with high mean levels of behavioral performance. Furthermore, mean levels of behavioral performance, intrinsic reward value, and context stability were all positively related to mean levels of habit strength. There were no positive effects of daily intraindividual variations in the three examined factors on habit strength at the next day. There was an unexpected negative effect of daily behavioral performance on habit strength at the next day. We found little to no evidence for our expected and pre-registered interaction effects. In an additional exploratory analysis, there were positive effects of daily intraindividual variations in the three factors on habit strength at the same day. Conclusions: We found that behavioral performance, intrinsic reward value, and context stability were all independent predictors of habit strength of a higher-order habit at the between-person level. However, we did not find the expected associations at the within-person level. Habit interventions should promote the consistent performance of the target behaviors in stable contexts. Trial registration: https://aspredicted.org/blind.php?x=vu2cg4. Registered 28.04.2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop and test a theoretical model that accounts for an individual's we-intention to continue playing a mobile multiplayer game. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on habit-intention and habit formation theories, this study conceptualizes social play habit as a determinant of the we-intention to continue playing and identifies its antecedents. The proposed model was tested through a survey of 277 players of Honor of Kings, a popular mobile multiplayer game. Findings: The results indicate that developing social play habit is critical to the formation of a we-intention to continue playing in the context of mobile multiplayer games. The results also suggest that technological (social features embedded in the game) and individual (desire for co-play and privacy concerns) factors jointly influence social play habit. Research limitations/implications: This study contributes to the literature on we-intention by conceptualizing social play habit and verifying its role in facilitating a shared intention to continue playing mobile multiplayer games. Our work responds to the call for understanding the mechanism by which multiple people form a shared intention to continue using an information technology at a collective level. Our findings provide significant insights into the design of information technologies for collaboration. Originality/value: This study is among the first to extend the literature on gaming habits by considering other players' involvement. Specifically, our study shifts researchers' attention from gaming habits characterized by individual properties to social gaming habits characterized by communal properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heading date and growth habit are key factors that regulate the transition from the vegetative to the reproductive stage in barley. In this study, we used PCR based markers to identify the allelic variations in the Vrn-H1 (HvMB5) and Vrn-H2 (HvSNF2) genes and to predict the heading date and growth habit of a collection of Tunisian barley assessed under a semi-arid climate. The allelic variation at HvBM5 revealed two PCR fragments at 830 and 344 bp. Primer sets used to amplify the HvSNF2 gene have resulted in different alleles size of 543, 623, and 700 bp. Different allelic combinations of HVBM5 and HvSNF2 were associated with the heading date and growth habit. The spring and early heading accessions were only characterised by the amplification of the HvSNF2 fragment at 700 bp. All the winter accessions yielded the PCR product HvBM5 at 830 bp, but the variation in the heading date was determined by the HvSNF2 alleles. These DNA markers will be a powerful tool to predict the heading date and growth habit and can be used as markers for the assisted selection to speed up the national breeding programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is little research on the role of motivations in predicting intentions to engage in pro-social or pro-environmental behaviours. In this article we rely on the Self-determination theory (SDT) to assess the relationship between individual motivations (autonomous and controlled) and intentions to modal shift. We additionally evaluate the mediating role of active mobility habits in this relationship. To do this we build and test theoretical models using structural equation modelling. The results show that if habits concerning the use of alternative modes to the car are not taken into account, the autonomous motivation has a significant impact on intention, but not controlled motivation. However, the introduction of habits in the model shows that they fully mediate the relationship between both motivations and intention. These results are useful for a better understanding of the psychological mechanisms of modal choice changes and the targeting of measures aimed at encouraging the use of active modes. • The individual motivation-intention relationship is tested for modal shift behaviour. • The mediating role of active mobility habits is assessed in this relationship. • Developing autonomous motivation encourages habits and intentions to modal shift. • Strengthening controlled motivation can be counterproductive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current global change is inducing heterogeneous warming trends worldwide, with faster rates at higher latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. Consequently, tundra vegetation is experiencing an increase in growth rate and uneven but expanding distribution. Yet, the drivers of this heterogeneity in woody species responses are still unclear. Here, applying a retrospective approach and focusing on long‐term responses, we aim to get insight into growth trends and climate sensitivity of long‐lived woody species belonging to different functional types with contrasting growth forms and leaf habits (shrub vs. tree and deciduous vs. evergreen). A total of 530 samples from 7 species (common juniper, dwarf birch, woolly willow, Norway spruce, lodgepole pine, rowan, and downy birch) were collected in 10 sites across Iceland. We modelled growth trends and contrasted yearly ring‐width measurements, filtering in high‐ and low‐frequency components, with precipitation, land‐ and sea‐surface temperature records (1967–2018). Shrubs and trees showed divergent growth trends, with shrubs closely tracking the recent warming, whereas trees, especially broadleaved, showed strong fluctuations but no long‐term growth trends. Secondary growth, particularly the high‐frequency component, was positively correlated with summer temperatures for most of the species. On the contrary, growth responses to sea surface temperature, especially in the low frequency, were highly diverging between growth forms, with a strong positive association for shrubs and a negative for trees. Within comparable vegetation assemblage, long‐lived woody species could show contrasting responses to similar climatic conditions. Given the predominant role of oceanic masses in shaping climate patterns in the Arctic and Low Arctic, further investigations are needed to deepen the knowledge on the complex interplay between coastal tundra ecosystems and land‐sea surface temperature dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interventions to change antimicrobial use (AMU) practices can help mitigate the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) development. However, changing AMU practices can be challenging due to the complex nature of the factors influencing AMU-related behaviours. This study used a qualitative approach to explore the factors that influenced decision-making on AMU by farmers and other actors in the Indonesian poultry sector. Thirty-five semi-structured interviews were conducted with farmers, technical services staff from the private sector, and representatives of associations, universities, and international organisations in Central Java, West Java, and East Java. Thematic analysis identified three patterns of influence on AMU: how farmers used information to make AMU-related decisions, the importance of farmers' social and advisory networks, and the motivations driving changes in AMU behaviours. Key barriers identified included a lack of shared understanding around when to use antibiotics, financial pressures in the poultry sector, and a lack of engagement with government veterinary services. Potential opportunities identified included high farmer awareness of AMU, identification of private sector actors and peer networks as the stakeholders with established relationships of trust with farmers, and the importance of farmers' conceptions of good farming practices, which could be engaged with to improve AMU practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insomnia is prevalent and distressing but access to the first-line treatment, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), is extremely limited. We aimed to assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of sleep restriction therapy, a key component of CBT, which has the potential to be widely implemented. We did a pragmatic, superiority, open-label, randomised controlled trial of sleep restriction therapy versus sleep hygiene. Adults with insomnia disorder were recruited from 35 general practices across England and randomly assigned (1:1) using a web-based randomisation programme to either four sessions of nurse-delivered sleep restriction therapy plus a sleep hygiene booklet or a sleep hygiene booklet only. There was no restriction on usual care for either group. Outcomes were assessed at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. The primary endpoint was self-reported insomnia severity at 6 months measured with the insomnia severity index (ISI). The primary analysis included participants according to their allocated group and who contributed at least one outcome measurement. Cost-effectiveness was evaluated from the UK National Health Service and personal social services perspective and expressed in terms of incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. The trial was prospectively registered (ISRCTN42499563). Between Aug 29, 2018, and March 23, 2020 we randomly assigned 642 participants to sleep restriction therapy (n=321) or sleep hygiene (n=321). Mean age was 55·4 years (range 19–88), with 489 (76·2%) participants being female and 153 (23·8%) being male. 580 (90·3%) participants provided data for at least one outcome measurement. At 6 months, mean ISI score was 10·9 (SD 5·5) for sleep restriction therapy and 13·9 (5·2) for sleep hygiene (adjusted mean difference –3·05, 95% CI –3·83 to –2·28; p<0·0001; Cohen's d –0·74), indicating that participants in the sleep restriction therapy group reported lower insomnia severity than the sleep hygiene group. The incremental cost per QALY gained was £2076, giving a 95·3% probability that treatment was cost-effective at a cost-effectiveness threshold of £20 000. Eight participants in each group had serious adverse events, none of which were judged to be related to intervention. Brief nurse-delivered sleep restriction therapy in primary care reduces insomnia symptoms, is likely to be cost-effective, and has the potential to be widely implemented as a first-line treatment for insomnia disorder. The National Institute for Health and Care Research Health Technology Assessment Programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although an indeterminate growth habit is ahractive to develop high-yield soybean varieties with higher number of pods (Glycine max (L). Merr.), lodging in indeterminate varieties remains a problem in Japan. As the semi-determinate varieties have shorter main stem length than the indeterminate varieties, this trait can be useful to improve varieties with high yield and low lodging risk. We introduced the genes Dtl and Dt2, which regulate stem growth habit, into three detenninate varieties by backcrossing and evaluated the resulting effects on yield and lodging tendency under four different growing environments. The yield and lodging degree of the semi-determinate and indeterminate lines were higher and more severe than those of the detenninate lines. Despite the lower overall lodging score, the semi-determinate lines had marginally lower overall yield than that of the indeterminate lines. However, the effect of introduction of semi-determinate traits on yield and lodging degree was different in the three backgrounds, with the yield of semi-detenninate lines being the highest and the difference in lodging degree between the semi-detenninate and determinate lines being under 1.0 in one background. Therefore, semi-determinate growth habit has potential to develop high yielding varieties with low lodging risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to apply the Multi-Process Action Control model to examine how the additions of regulatory and reflexive processes predict physical activity (PA) behaviors among adolescents. Our sample included 1,176 Grade 11 students (Mage = 15.85 ± 0.38) recruited from a large school board in Southern Ontario. Participants completed a questionnaire including measures of self-reported PA and PA cognitions derived from the Multi-Process Action Control model. Results found the reflective process explaining 16.5% of the variance in PA, with the additions of regulatory and reflexive processes significantly improving the explained variance by 5.1% and 8.2%, respectively. Final models revealed coping planning (estimate = 45.10, p = .047), identity (estimate = 55.82, p < .001), and habit (estimate = 64.07, p < .001) as significant predictors of PA. Findings reinforce the need for integrative models to better understand PA, with coping planning, habit formation, and development of an active identity to be salient targets for intervention during adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has long been suggested that alcohol or substance use disorders could emerge from the progressive development and dominance of drug habits. Like habits, drug-related behaviors are often triggered by drug-associated cues. Like habits, addictive behaviors are strong, rigid and “hard to break”. Like habits, these behaviors are insensitive to their outcome and persist despite negative consequences. “Pathological habit” thus appears as a good candidate to explain the transition to compulsive drug use. However, drug use could also be considered as a goal-directed choice, driven by the expectation of drug outcomes. For example, drug addicts may engage in drug-seeking behaviors because they view the drug as more valuable than available alternatives. Substance use disorders therefore may not be all about habit, nor fully intentional, and could be considered as resulting from an imbalance between goal-directed and habitual control. The main objective of this review is to disentangle the relative contribution of habit formation and impairment of goal-directed behavior in this unbalanced control of addictive behaviors. Although deficits in goal-directed behavior have been demonstrated in alcohol and substance use disorders, reliable demonstration of abnormal habit formation has been curtailed by the paucity of paradigms designed to assess habit as a positive result. Refining our animal and human model of habit is therefore required to precisely define the place of habit in substance use disorders and develop appropriate and adapted neurobehavioral treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study details the development and validation of a new algorithm that determines the dominant habit plane of a transformed child phase from orientation maps of a single planar cross-section. The method describes the habit plane in terms of its five-parameter grain boundary character and couples it to the specific orientation relationship of the identified orientation variant. The symmetry operations associated with the specific orientation relationship of the variants are applied to transform habit plane traces as determined in the specimen-fixed reference frame into the parent or child reference frame, allowing for the fitting of the habit plane. Our algorithm stands out by its robustness, computational efficiency, automation and ability to operate on fully transformed microstructures. Four automated methods for habit plane trace determination are proposed and compared. Detailed sensitivity analysis reveals that the proposed algorithm is exceptionally robust against poor accuracy in the measured traces and distortions in the orientation map, but more sensitive to inaccuracies propagated from parent grain reconstruction. Validation on a synthetic microstructure with a known habit plane returned consistent results when applied to high and low carbon steels with different prior austenite grain sizes and orientation map resolutions. The habit planes were not significantly affected by the austenite grain sizes. The habit plane of the steel with 0.35 wt% C was close to (111) γ whereas the habit plane of steel with 0.71 wt% C was closer to (575) γ , in close agreement with previous work using two-surface stereological analysis and transmission electron microscopy-based trace analysis. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many of our daily behaviors are habitual, occurring automatically in response to learned contextual cues, and with minimal need for cognitive and self-regulatory resources. Behavioral habit strength predicts adherence to actions, including to medications. The time of day (morning vs. evening) may influence adherence and habit strength to the degree that stability of contexts/routines varies throughout the day.Purpose: The current study evaluates whether patients are more adherent to morning versus evening doses of medication and if morning doses show evidence of greater habit strength than evening doses.Methods: Objective adherence data (exact timing of pill dosing) were collected in an observational study by electronic monitoring pill bottles in a sample of patients on twice-daily pills for Type 2 diabetes (N = 51) over the course of 1 month.Results: Data supported the hypothesis that patients would miss fewer morning than evening pills. However, counter to the hypothesis, variability in dose timing (an indicator of habit strength) was not significantly different for morning versus evening pills.Conclusions: Findings suggest that medication adherence may be greater in the morning than in the evening. However, more research is needed to evaluate the role of habitual action in this greater adherence. Furthermore, future research should evaluate the validity of behavioral timing consistency as an indicator of habit strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth habit (indeterminate/determinate) is one of the evolutionarily shaped, economically important plant architectural traits in grain legumes, including horse gram. Arabidopsis AtTFL1 and AtLFY genes and their homologs in other grain legume species are known to control growth habit. Taking cues from highly conserved domains in protein encoded by TFL1 and LFY genes, we isolated horse gram homologs (MuTFL1 and MuLFY) genes using reported degenerate primers designed to conserved domains. MuTFL1 and MuLFY homologs were isolated and sequenced using Sanger's sequencing protocol. The nucleotide sequences of MuTFL1 and MuLFY homologs were translated to their corresponding amino acid sequences using "ExPASy" tool. BLASTx analysis of the translated amino acid sequences of MuTFL1 and MuLFY homologs showed high similarity with those of soybean and pigeon pea TFL1 and LFY homologs. Multiple sequence alignment of nucleotide sequences of MuTFL1 and MuLFY with those of related legumes and model species (Medicago sp. and Lotus japonicas) using "ClustalW" revealed the presence of four synonymous single nucleotide polymorphic (SNPs) sites in MuTFL1 and three non-synonymous SNP sites in MuLFY. These results suggest that not MuTFL1, but MuLFY could be the main regulator of growth habit in horse gram unlike in other non-model legumes where TFL1 was reported as the key gene controlling the growth habit. The substitution of glutamine in (determinate genotypes) with histidine (indeterminate genotypes) in LFY-coded protein appeared to be the cause for switch over from indeterminate to determinate growth habit in horse gram. These results are discussed in relation to strategies for breeding horse gram cultivars with desired growth habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to investigate the motivation of Accounting Science students in relation to the habit of reading curricular and extracurricular texts, in the light of the Self-Determination Theory, which indicates six types of motivation. This research is descriptive, quantitative and in terms of survey procedures, carried out through the application of an electronic questionnaire, with the Reading Motivation Scale (EML). The research sample consisted of 163 students enrolled in Accounting Sciences courses at Brazilian educational institutions. The research results indicate that the analyzed students have extrinsic motivation by integrated regulation to carry out readings. It was also possible to verify that women, the youngest and those who have spent more time in graduation in relation to the beginners showed identified motivation. These results show the need to encourage students' reading habit, as this deficit will reflect in the future in the students' professional lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The mechanism by which incompletely absorbed fructose causes gastrointestinal symptoms is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the immunological mechanisms of bowel habit changes associated with fructose malabsorption by examining Chrebp-knockout mice exhibiting defective fructose absorption. Methods: Mice were fed a high-fructose diet (HFrD), and stool parameters were monitored. The gene expression in the small intestine was analyzed by RNA sequencing. Intestinal immune responses were assessed. The microbiota composition was determined by 16S rRNA profiling. Antibiotics were used to assess the relevance of microbes for HFrD-induced bowel habit changes. Results: Chrebp-knockout (KO) mice fed HFrD showed diarrhea. Small-intestine samples from HFrD-fed Chrebp-KO mice revealed differentially expressed genes involved in the immune pathways, including IgA production. The number of IgA-producing cells in the small intestine decreased in HFrD-fed Chrebp-KO mice. These mice showed signs of increased intestinal permeability. Chrebp-KO mice fed a control diet showed intestinal bacterial imbalance, which the HFrD exaggerated. Bacterial reduction improved diarrhea-associated stool parameters and restored the decreased IgA synthesis induced in HFrD-fed Chrebp-KO mice. Conclusions: The collective data indicate that gut microbiome imbalance and disrupting homeostatic intestinal immune responses account for the development of gastrointestinal symptoms induced by fructose malabsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to investigate the effects of exercise habit changes on the risk of incident dementia after ischemic stroke using the Korean National Health Insurance Services Database. This study included 223,426 patients with a new diagnosis of ischemic stroke between 2010 and 2016 who underwent two serial ambulatory health checkups. The participants were divided into four categories according to their habit change or regular exercise: persistent non-exercisers, new exercisers, exercise dropouts, and exercise maintainers. The primary outcome was new diagnosis of dementia. Multivariate Cox proportional models were used to assess the effects of changes in exercise habits on the risk of incident dementia. After a median of 4.02 years of follow-up, 22,554 (10.09%) dementia cases were observed. After adjusting for covariates, exercise dropouts, new exercisers, and exercise maintainers were significantly associated with a lower risk of incident dementia than persistent non-exercisers (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.937; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.905–0.970, aHR 0.876; 95% CI 0.843–0.909, aHR 0.705; 95% CI 0.677–0.734, respectively). The impact of changes in exercise habit was more prominent in the 40–65 years age group. An energy expenditure ≥ 1000 metabolic equivalents of task-min/wk post-stroke, regardless of pre-stroke physical activity status, was mostly associated with a lower risk of each outcome. In this retrospective cohort study, initiating or continuing moderate-to-vigorous exercise after ischemic stroke was associated with a lower risk of dementia development. Further, pre-stroke regular physical activity also reduced the risk of incident dementia. The promotion of exercise in ambulatory stroke patients may reduce their future risk of incident dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand of the drivers of the ratio of deciduous broad-leaved plants(DBL)to evergreen broad-leaved plants(EBL)and the diversities of each leaf habit group in the karst forests, with 43 secondary karst forest sample plots in Puding County of Guizhou Province as study objects, we adopted statistical methods such as the generalized linear regression model, model selection and the multiple regression extension of the Mantel test, and we examined the effects of geographical distance, environment(including topography and bedrock type), and human activities on the proportion of DBL and EBL as well as their phylogenetic alpha and beta diversities. The results were as follows:(1)The DBL and EBL in puding were about equal in overall richness and abundance, but large differences existed among sample plots; the phylogenetic alpha diversity(i.e., SES.MPD)of DBL and EBL was not different, whereas the phylogenetic beta diversity(i.e., SES.betaMPD)of DBL between sample plots was smaller than EBL plants.(2)The richness ratio and relative abundance of DBL shifted with bedrock type, and displayed as the marlstone forests comprised higher richness ratio and relative abundance of DBL compared with limestone forests. In addition, the richness ratio of DBL also increased as human activities intensified.(3)The phylogenetic alpha diversity of DBL increased with the intensified human activities, whereas the phylogenetic alpha diversity of EBL was not influenced by the environmental factors and human activities, which might partly be due to the conserved resource utilization strategies of EBL that blunt their claim for the resources released by human disturbance. The phylogenetic beta diversities of DBL and EBL, however, were shaped by different sets of factors, the former increased with the change of bedrock type and the intensity of human activities, the latter increased with geographical distance. The findings imply that the ratio of DBL to EBL in the secondary karst forests of Puding are mainly driven by environment conditions and human activities, based on which the phylogenetic diversities of DBL are regulated by niche processes such as habitat filtering mediated by topography and bedrock type, whereas EBL are shaped by spatial processes such as dispersal limitation mediated by geographical distance. This study sheds light on the biodiversity maintenance mechanisms of karst forests, and provides theoretical support for the management of karst forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tristram's narrative meanderings in Laurence Sterne's The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman tend to be read either as an expression of the randomness of associational thinking or as a version of the convoluted, "digressive and progressive" machine that Tristram offers by way of metaphor. In this essay, I argue that these meanderings are neither random nor machinic but instead musical: prose that does not simply advance forward but also loops back to ever more familiar motifs and themes. By incorporating a musical sense of repetition and development as a means of expressing characters' mental circuits, Sterne makes of his novel a special kind of clockwork, attuned not to the fixity of clock time but rather to the recalcitrant rhythms of human life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trait self-control (TSC) is typically conceptualized as the ability to resist immediately gratifying (but problematic) impulses, and it predicts many positive life outcomes. Recent research, however, suggests that the benefits of TSC may operate not through effortful resistance of temptations, but rather, via good desires and habits. This "desires and habits" hypothesis has been supported in several goal-related domains, such as healthy eating, exercise, and homework. In the present study, we assessed if the hypothesis would be supported in the domain of religious goals. Participants included 166 committed Christians, who identified one religious practice (e.g., prayer) in which they wished to engage on a daily basis. On five days over a two-week period, participants reported experiences regarding desire, temptation resistance, and completion of their religious practice. As hypothesized, TSC predicted the successful completion of religious practices, and this relation was accounted for by good desires and habitual performance of the practice, but not by temptation resistance. Results were consistent with the hypothesis that "self-controlled" individuals may attain their goals not because they stop themselves from giving into temptations, but because their desires and habits are such that they experience fewer temptations to stray from their goals in the first place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In the limited existing research on smartphone addiction, reinforcement reward and automatic habit have been identified as two distinct underlying mechanisms. The purpose of this paper is to better understand the interaction between these two mechanisms, as well as role of smartphone features in activating different formation mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach: An online survey with 379 samples was conducted to empirically validate the model. The data were analyzed by structural equation modeling approach. Findings: The automatic habit strengthens the driving effects of reinforcement rewards (i.e. perceived enjoyment and mood regulation) on smartphone addiction. Smartphone features activate distinct underlying mechanisms. Value-added function facilitates the perception of reinforcement rewards, while convenience promotes the habit formation. Originality/value: This study is one of the first ones that assess the interplay between the two formation mechanisms in the extant literature on smartphone addiction. This study also reveals the dangers of smartphone features which have always been regarded as advantages. The findings contribute to the current understandings of smartphone addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of lip sucking on dentofacial development in a pair of 6.5-year-old monozygotic twins. BACKGROUND: Lip sucking, which causes an imbalance in splanchnocraniums soft tissues pressures, can influence the hard tissues development, and contribute to orthodontic anomalies. METHODS: Analysis of lateral cephalometric X-rays was performed by 9 orthodontists. Data were compared using the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Statistical significance was defined as p<0.05. RESULTS: SNA, A-NPog, and Cond-A values suggested an anterior shift of the maxilla. The 1u to SN, 1u to A-Pog, 1u to A-Pog angle, and 1u-Avert values indicated an upper incisor protrusion. While the 1l to A-Pog, 1l to A-Pog angle and 1l to Go-Me values showed a retrusion of the lower incisors, the NL-NSL implied a hard palate rotation counterclockwise. The SNA-Me indicated that the mandible of the lip-sucking patient was in a more inferior position. CONCLUSION: Lip sucking can influence the skeletal development of maxilla, the position of upper and lower incisors and the position of mandible. Skeletal development of mandible seems to be unaffected (Tab. 3, Fig. 1, Ref. 26). Text in PDF www.elis.sk [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make up a large percentage of businesses; they employ over 50% of all employees, and account for most partnerships in supply chain networks. This makes SME employees a target for cybercriminals. This study examines the factors that influence the security behaviour intention of SME employees to better understand how SMEs can manage cybersecurity risk caused by employee security behaviour. In a survey of 294 employees, the research model developed from the theory of planned behaviour and protection motivation theory, including the habit and hardiness personality trait, is empirically validated to understand employee security behaviour intention. The results of the study show that hardiness and habit have a significant effect on employee security behaviour intention. The findings contribute to the literature on personality traits and habit in the context of information security behaviour. The study's implications for research and practice are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystallization of calcium carbonate is shown to be dictated by the Ostwald rule of stages (ORS), for high relative initial supersaturations (SCaCO3 =[Ca2+][CO2-3 ]/KSP, Calcite >2500), under sweet (carbon dioxide saturated) and anoxic (oxygen depleted) solution conditions. Rhombohedral calcite crystals emerge after the sequential crystallization and dissolution of the metastable polymorphs: vaterite (snowflake-shaped) and aragonite (needle-shaped). However, the presence of certain cations, which can form trigonal carbonates (e.g. Fe2+ and Ni2+), in concentrations as low as 1.5mM, triggers the emergence of calcite crystals, with a star-shaped crystal habit, first. These star-shaped crystals dissolve to yield needle-shaped aragonite crystals, which in turn dissolve to give the rhombohedral calcite crystals. The star-shaped crystals, formed at high SCaCO3, possess higher surface free energy (therefore higher apparent solubility) than their rhombohedral counterparts. This sequence of dissolution and recrystallization demonstrates that the ORS does not only drive the crystal towards its thermodynamically most stable polymorph but also towards its most stable crystal habit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted to evaluate the systemic adverse effects of smokeless tobacco (SLT) on hematological as well as other biochemical parameters and find out if any correlation between them which may be worthy of creating awareness among the masses against its usage. The current observational study was carried out among 250 tobacco chewers, and complete hemogram, LFT profile, and electrolyte profile were studied. The mean values of hemoglobin (Hb) gram % was 12.74 ± 1.6, total leucocyte count (TLC/cu mm) is 6608.33 ± 1752.083, and platelet count lakh cell/cu mm is 2.55 ±0.806. The mean values of Na+ mmol/1 of the S. electrolyte profile was 132 ± 18.05 and K+ mmol/1 was 3.89 ± 0.538. The study deliberates imperative perception into smokeless tobacco-mediated effects on body systemic functions and reports a crucial part into SLT-mediated effects on biochemical profile and metabolism which can be revealed in promoting tobacco cessation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A recent study has demonstrated that social factors have an impact on the condition of dental implants. The present investigation investigated how varied alcohol intake quantities might alter the condition of dental implants and related peri-implant inflammation. Materials and Methods: This retrospective research was piloted in a tertiary care center, and implants inserted between 2010 and 2022 were evaluated through a retrospective cohort analysis. Within 3 months following implant implantation, information on alcohol intake was gathered from the health maintenance records and employed as the predictor variable. The implant results as well as peri-implantitis were examined at follow-up visits. Using the logistic regression model, the Wald test analysis analyzed the statistical consequences of each parameter. The findings were translated using an odds ratio that was determined with a 95% confidence level. The data were generated and analyzed using descriptive statistics, with statistical significance defined as P < 0.05. Results: At the time of implant placement, the enrolled patients were 59 ± 11.3 years old on average. The median time before peri-implantitis occurred was 31.3 ± 22.2 months. Within the first 2 years following implant implantation, the majority of people experienced peri-implantitis. The incidence of peri-implantitis was the lowest among light and moderate alcoholics (11.5%) and the highest among heavy alcoholics (46.2%). Moderate alcohol use was associated with a 79.1% decrease in peri-implantitis when compared to not drinking (P = 0.0365), whereas light alcohol consumption was connected to a 51.3% decrease (P = 0.026). The incidence of peri-implantitis among heavy drinkers was significantly significant (P = 0.0001). Conclusion: According to the findings of the current retrospective cohort analysis, drinking alcohol at mild-to-moderate levels is connected to a reduction in the incidence rate of peri-implantitis compared to heavy drinkers. In contrast, high alcohol consumption was found to be associated with an increase in the prevalence of peri-implantitis among the participants who had dental implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A popular distinction in the human and animal learning literature is between deliberate (or willed) and habitual (or automatic) modes of control. Extensive evidence indicates that, after sufficient learning, living organisms develop behavioural habits that permit them saving computational resources. Furthermore, humans and other animals are able to transfer control from deliberate to habitual modes (and vice versa), trading off efficiently flexibility and parsimony – an ability that is currently unparalleled by artificial control systems. Here, we discuss a computational implementation of habit formation, and the transfer of control from deliberate to habitual modes (and vice versa) within Active Inference: a computational framework that merges aspects of cybernetic theory and of Bayesian inference. To model habit formation, we endow an Active Inference agent with a mechanism to "cache" (or memorize) policy probabilities from previous trials, and reuse them to skip – in part or in full – the inferential steps of deliberative processing. We exploit the fact that the relative quality of policies, conditioned upon hidden states, is constant over trials; provided that contingencies and prior preferences do not change. This means the only quantity that can change policy selection is the prior distribution over the initial state – where this prior is based upon the posterior beliefs from previous trials. Thus, an agent that caches the quality (or the probability) of policies can safely reuse cached values to save on cognitive and computational resources – unless contingencies change. Our simulations illustrate the computational benefits, but also the limits, of three caching schemes under Active Inference. They suggest that key aspects of habitual behaviour – such as perseveration – can be explained in terms of caching policy probabilities. Furthermore, they suggest that there may be many kinds (or stages) of habitual behaviour, each associated with a different caching scheme; for example, caching associated or not associated with contextual estimation. These schemes are more or less impervious to contextual and contingency changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) production under high tunnels requires appropriate plant density and growth habit to ensure efficient use of space. This study assessed the effects of in-row spacing and bell pepper growth habit on growth and yield under high tunnels. Determinate, cv. Crusader, and indeterminate, cv. Maria, seedlings were transplanted in single rows spaced at 20, 25, and 30 cm between plants (equivalent to 31,245; 24,996; and 20,830 plants∙ha−1, respectively) with growth habit as the main plot and in-row distance as sub-plot. Leaf greenness, plant nutrient status, plant height and marketable fruit weight and number were measured. Yield per plant and per unit area were affected by growth habit and in-row distance. The indeterminate cultivar produced 33% more fruit and 13% more yield per plant than the determinate cultivar, while the determinate cultivar produced 24% heavier fruit than the indeterminate cultivar. In-row distances of 20 and 25 cm resulted in similar fruit number per hectare, while 30 cm plant spacing reduced fruit per hectare by 20%. Overall yield was not affected by in-row distance. An economic analysis is necessary to evaluate the potential profitability of a bell pepper system based on indeterminate cultivars and an in-row distance of 30 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habits are inflexible behaviors that develop after extensive repetition, and overreliance on habits is a hallmark of many pathological states. The striatum is involved in the transition from flexible to inflexible responding, and interspersed throughout the striatum are patches, or striosomes, which make up ~15% of the volume of the striatum relative to the surrounding matrix compartment. Previous studies have suggested that patches are necessary for normal habit formation, but it remains unknown exactly how patches contribute to habit formation and expression. Here, using optogenetics, we stimulated striatal patches in Sepw1-NP67 mice during variable interval training (VI60), which is used to establish habitual responding. We found that activation of patches at reward retrieval resulted in elevated responding during VI60 training by modifying the pattern of head entry and pressing. Further, this optogenetic manipulation reduced subsequent responding following reinforcer devaluation, suggesting modified habit formation. However, patch stimulation did not generally increase extinction rates during a subsequent extinction probe, but did result in a small 'extinction burst', further suggesting goal-directed behavior. On the other hand, this manipulation had no effect in omission trials, where mice had to withhold responses to obtain rewards. Finally, we utilized fast-scan cyclic voltammetry to investigate how patch activation modifies evoked striatal dopamine release and found that optogenetic activation of patch projections to the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) is sufficient to suppress dopamine release in the dorsal striatum. Overall, this work provides novel insight into the role of the patch compartment in habit formation, and provides a potential mechanism for how patches modify habitual behavior by exerting control over dopamine signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the influence of the growth habit on the physiological quality and the production yield of soybean seeds, experiments were conducted during two harvests, using three batches of seeds with determined habit and three with undetermined habit. The physiological quality of the seeds was analyzed by germination, accelerated aging, tetrazolium, and seedling emergence tests in the field, using seeds collected from the entire plant and its three canopy strata of soybean crop (lower, middle and upper). For the entire plant, 12 components of yield and productivity were determined (number of seeds per pod; number of seeds per plant; number of pods on the main stem; number of reproductive nodes on the main stem; number of pods per node on the main stem; total number of pods; number of branches; length of internode; number of nodes on the main stem; mass of 1000 seeds; plant height and insertion height of the first pod). It was concluded that seeds from cultivars with determined and undetermined growth habits present similar physiological qualities (germination and vigor). Seeds in the lower stratum of the plant have lower quality, regardless of the growth habit. Soy plants of undetermined growth provide higher seed yields (kilograms per hectare). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the notion of habit which figures prominently in the theories of health-related behavior, in efforts to encourage people to develop consistency and regularity in the healthful behavior of daily life. Definition of habit; Logical and philosophical problems presented by the consensus definition of habit as automatic and mindless behavior.

Sardinella lemuru is known as a highly opportunistic and flexible forager. Their high abundance in the coastal upwelling of Bali Strait was initially attributed to their feeding habit on phytoplankton and hence attaining higher catch. It was challenged by subsequent reports which suggested zooplankton as their main diet. This difference is due to the lack of information on the one-year cycle of its seasonal feeding. Here we used a combination of the plankton in seawater and the stomach contents of S. lemuru and monsoonal oceanographic changes at Bali Strait to determine the diet composition and food selectivity in four fishing seasons of 2012–2013. The result shows that S. lemuru is an omnivorous fish, and its diet composition depends on plankton availability in the environment, size classes, and the monsoonal oceanographic change influenced by upwelling. This condition strongly supported high nutrients for phytoplankton availability in the seawater with medium diversity and moderate community stability, except in inter-monsoon-2 (Trans-2). Phytoplankton was found as the main diet item of S. lemuru during the higher abundance of phytoplankton (82.26% Rhizosolenia stolterfothii) in Trans-2. In contrast, its main diet was substituted by zooplankton (51.96% Nauplius of Paraeuchaeta norvegica) during lower phytoplankton abundance in the northwest monsoon (NW). In addition, S. lemuru has adaptive strategies in feeding habits: It not only has flexibility but also selectivity in the feeding habit, supported by the ability to perform vertical migration for plankton grazing in different depths, move to another feeding ground, or plankton might be carried by the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) into the Bali Strait. This study provides valuable information on the feeding ecology of S. lemuru , possibly providing a scientific basis for the proper management of the S. lemuru fishery in Bali Strait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to: (1) compare the relative efficacy of different combinations of three behavioral intervention strategies (i.e., personalized reminders, financial incentives, and anchoring) for establishing physical activity habits using an mHealth app and (2) to examine the effects of these different combined interventions on intrinsic motivation for physical activity and daily walking habit strength. A four-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted in a sample of college students (N = 161) who had a self-reported personal wellness goal of increasing their physical activity. Receiving cue-contingent financial incentives (i.e., incentives conditional on performing physical activity within ± one hour of a prespecified physical activity cue) combined with anchoring resulted in the highest daily step counts and greatest odds of temporally consistent walking during both the four-week intervention and the full eight-week study period. Cue-contingent financial incentives were also more successful at increasing physical activity and maintaining these effects post-intervention than traditional non-cue-contingent incentives. There were no differences in intrinsic motivation or habit strength between study groups at any time point. Financial incentives, particularly cue-contingent incentives, can be effectively used to support the anchoring intervention strategy for establishing physical activity habits. Moreover, mHealth apps are a feasible method for delivering the combined intervention technique of financial incentives with anchoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Habits drive many of our health behaviors in our daily lives. However, little is known about the relative contribution of different key factors for habit formation in real-world contexts. We examined the effects of behavioral performance, intrinsic reward value (operationalized as tastiness), and context stability on the formation of a higher-order nutrition habit. Methods: Participants were recruited via mailing lists and posts on social media platforms. N = 199 participants (Mage = 37.10 years, SD = 13.00, 86.93% female) received an online intervention for building the higher-order habit of filling half of their plates with vegetables at dinner and completed one daily online survey for up to 56 days, including the assessment of habit strength, behavioral performance, intrinsic reward value, and context stability, providing a total of N = 6352 daily measurements. N = 189 participants (N = 4175 measurements) could be included in the primary analysis. Utilizing multilevel modeling, we analyzed the impact of behavioral performance, intrinsic reward value, and context stability, as well as their interaction effects, on habit strength on the next day. Results: Habit strength significantly increased over time. This effect was strengthened in persons with high mean levels of behavioral performance. Furthermore, mean levels of behavioral performance, intrinsic reward value, and context stability were all positively related to mean levels of habit strength. There were no positive effects of daily intraindividual variations in the three examined factors on habit strength at the next day. There was an unexpected negative effect of daily behavioral performance on habit strength at the next day. We found little to no evidence for our expected and pre-registered interaction effects. In an additional exploratory analysis, there were positive effects of daily intraindividual variations in the three factors on habit strength at the same day. Conclusions: We found that behavioral performance, intrinsic reward value, and context stability were all independent predictors of habit strength of a higher-order habit at the between-person level. However, we did not find the expected associations at the within-person level. Habit interventions should promote the consistent performance of the target behaviors in stable contexts. Trial registration: https://aspredicted.org/blind.php?x=vu2cg4. Registered 28.04.2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin cancer is highly burdensome, but preventable with regular engagement in sun protective behaviors. Despite modest effectiveness of sun-protective behavior promotional efforts thus far, rates of engagement in sun-protective behaviors remain low. More is needed to understand motivation for using sunscreen, wearing sun-protective clothing, and seeking shade. This study tested whether the links of intention and habit strength with behavior differed between sun-protective behaviors. It was hypothesized that sun protective behaviors would be predicted by both habit and intention and that intention-behavior associations would be weaker for people with stronger habits. Participants residing in Queensland, Australia (N = 203; 75.96% female; M age = 37.16 years, SD = 14.67) self-reported their intentions and habit strength about sun-protective behavior for the next 7 days. Participants were followed-up 7 days later to self-report their sun-protective behavior. Multilevel modeling, accounting for nesting of multiple behaviors within-person, revealed that habit moderated the intention strength – behavior association and this moderation effect did not differ as a function of which behavior was being predicted. People with strong or moderate habit strength tended to act in line with their intentions; however, for people with very weak habits (2 SD < M), there was less alignment between their intention and behavior. These findings suggest that habit plays a facilitative role in the implementation of strong sun protective behavior intentions. Interventions should consider how to encourage intention and habit to enhance sun-protective behaviors and reduce the burden of skin cancer from sun exposure. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/08964289.2021.1903380. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines Donald Schön's positioning of reflective practice in relation to design. In particular, the focus is directed toward his presentation of the acting–thinking relationship. Questioning this presentation we turn to the work of philosopher John Dewey, who acted as one of Schön's key inspirational sources. Here, we consider Dewey's presentation of thought-in-action, artistry, and importantly, habit. We argue that a wider referencing of this material—most especially the art–habits relationship—holds the potential to expand the Schönian presentation of design, providing the field with a more nuanced modeling of what it means both to design and to become a designer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health concern that has spread around the globe. Machine Learning is promising in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Machine learning and artificial intelligence have been employed by various healthcare providers, scientists, and clinicians in medical industries in the fight against COVID-19 disease. In this paper, we discuss the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on alcohol consumption habit changes among healthcare workers in the United States during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. We utilize multiple supervised and unsupervised machine learning methods and models such as decision trees, logistic regression, support vector machines, multilayer perceptron, XGBoost, CatBoost, LightGBM, AdaBoost, Chi-Squared Test, mutual information, KModes clustering and the synthetic minority oversampling technique on a mental health survey data obtained from the University of Michigan Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research to investigate the links between COVID-19-related deleterious effects and changes in alcohol consumption habits among healthcare workers. Through the interpretation of the supervised and unsupervised methods, we have concluded that healthcare workers whose children stayed home during the first wave in the US consumed more alcohol. We also found that the work schedule changes due to the Covid-19 pandemic led to a change in alcohol use habits. Changes in food consumption, age, gender, geographical characteristics, changes in sleep habits, the amount of news consumption, and screen time are also important predictors of an increase in alcohol use among healthcare workers in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health concern that has spread around the globe. Machine Learning is promising in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Machine learning and artificial intelligence have been employed by various healthcare providers, scientists, and clinicians in medical industries in the fight against COVID-19 disease. In this paper, we discuss the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on alcohol consumption habit changes among healthcare workers in the United States during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. We utilize multiple supervised and unsupervised machine learning methods and models such as decision trees, logistic regression, support vector machines, multilayer perceptron, XGBoost, CatBoost, LightGBM, AdaBoost, Chi-Squared Test, mutual information, KModes clustering and the synthetic minority oversampling technique on a mental health survey data obtained from the University of Michigan Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research to investigate the links between COVID-19-related deleterious effects and changes in alcohol consumption habits among healthcare workers. Through the interpretation of the supervised and unsupervised methods, we have concluded that healthcare workers whose children stayed home during the first wave in the US consumed more alcohol. We also found that the work schedule changes due to the Covid-19 pandemic led to a change in alcohol use habits. Changes in food consumption, age, gender, geographical characteristics, changes in sleep habits, the amount of news consumption, and screen time are also important predictors of an increase in alcohol use among healthcare workers in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption are two key health behaviours associated with the health and well‐being of middle‐aged and older adults. The present research investigated how habit and self‐determined motivation interact with intention to prospectively predict physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption in middle‐aged and older adults. Design: A prospective correlational design (two data collection points) was used. Methods: A convenience sample of 195 adults completed online questionnaires measuring intention, habit, and self‐determined motivation. One week later, 177 participants (67.2% female), aged 52–87 years (M = 61.50, SD = 5.90), completed self‐report measures of physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption over the previous week. Results: Separate hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted. For physical activity, the model explained 46% of the variance in behaviour, F(8, 168) = 17.88, p <.001 and a large effect size (ƒ2 =.85). Two‐way interactions contributed an additional 3.70% of unique variance in physical activity, F(3, 165) = 4.07, p =.008, ƒ2 =.04. For fruit and vegetable consumption, the model explained 19.20% of the variance in behaviour, F(5, 171) = 8.13, p <.001 and a medium effect size (ƒ2 =.24). Two‐way interactions did not significantly improve the model, F(3, 168) = 1.68, p =.174. Conclusions: Habit and self‐determined motivation were both important in narrowing the intention–behaviour gap for two key health behaviours, and combining these processes may better inform strategies to support people's intentions to improve these health behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employee behaviors remain at the center of the cybersecurity of workplaces, despite the challenges they face in doing so. Time pressures and competing demands mean that users tend to rely on habitual behaviors that often run counter to good cybersecurity practice. One possible solution may be to encourage positive habit formation. Designing such interventions, however, relies on knowledge of the perception and experience of habit formation in the context of cybersecurity. To this end, a qualitative survey containing open-ended questions was completed by 195 participants (mean age = 35.51, 53 percent female) recruited via an online participant panel. Participants were asked what cybersecurity behaviors they perform at work and how they believe any habits were prompted, formed, and maintained. Thematic analysis identified three over-arching themes: (a) forming habits unavoidably or unconsciously (some were mandated, or formed without conscious awareness), (b) consciously cultivating habits (including the roles of intrinsic motivation and external prompts), and (c) social and organizational influences (including the influence of occupational culture, social modeling, previous experiences, and information gathering practices). Based on these findings, we present guidelines for supporting workplace cybersecurity habit formation reflecting these subjective experiences, namely introducing automatic solutions, facilitating external cues, fostering interest in cybersecurity issues among employees, creating a positive cybersecurity occupational culture and highlighting positive behavior, and providing access to accessible cybersecurity information to employees. These results constitute a first step in identifying how habits can be exploited for positive cybersecurity behavior change in a way that accounts for the reliance on habitual behaviors in busy, time-pressured workplaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigated how Japanese young people's attitudes toward politics and the social environments they are in affect their interaction with political information in their daily life. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty people to gather data about their experiences with political information and their attitudes toward politics. The results show that they have mixed feelings about political information, which arise from personal factors but are interrelated with broader social factors. Their attitude, which comprises their sense of remoteness to politics, low political efficacy, and difficulty understanding politics, reduces their interest in knowing political information. Social factors that limit opportunities for political participation and conversation diminish the utility of information and the motivation for seeking information. The habit of monitoring political information, often facilitated by experience watching television news with family, emerges as a factor that can maintain young people's exposure to political information, regardless of their level of political interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habits have garnered significant interest in studies of associative learning and maladaptive behavior. However, habit research has faced scrutiny and challenges related to the definitions and methods. Differences in the conceptualizations of habits between animal and human studies create difficulties for translational research. Here, we review the definitions and commonly used methods for studying habits in animals and humans and discuss potential alternative ways to assess habits, such as automaticity. To better understand habits, we then focus on the behavioral factors that have been shown to make or break habits in animals, as well as potential mechanisms underlying the influence of these factors. We discuss the evidence that habitual and goal‐directed systems learn in parallel and that they seem to interact in competitive and cooperative manners. Finally, we draw parallels between habitual responding and compulsive drug seeking in animals to delineate the similarities and differences in these behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]