Search results for "Behavior"

Data from: Gene expression is more strongly associated with behavioural specialisation than with age or fertility in ant workers

2018

The ecological success of social insects is based on division of labour, not only between queens and workers, but also among workers. Whether a worker tends the brood or forages is influenced by age, fertility and nutritional status, with brood carers being younger, more fecund and more corpulent. Here, we experimentally disentangle behavioural specialisation from age and fertility in Temnothorax longispinosus ant workers and analyse how these parameters are linked to whole-body gene expression. A total of 3644 genes were associated with behavioural specialisation which is ten times more than associated with age and 50 times more than associated with fertility. Brood carers were characteriz…

Data from: Multiple aspects of plasticity in clutch size vary among populations of a globally distributed songbird

2014

1. Plasticity in life-history characteristics can influence many ecological and evolutionary phenomena, including how invading organisms cope with novel conditions in new locations or how environmental change affects organisms in native locations. Variation in reaction norm attributes is a critical element to understanding plasticity in life history, yet we know relatively little about the ways in which reaction norms vary within and among populations. 2. We amassed data on clutch size from marked females in eight populations of house sparrows (Passer domesticus) from North America and Europe. We exploited repeated measures of clutch size to assess both the extent of within-individual pheno…

2020

Regular physical activity (PA) offers positive effects on the human body. However, the effects of PA on cognition and in the brain are less clear. In this paper, we narratively review the relationship of PA with cognition and dementia, first from general perspective and then through genetically informed studies on the topic. Then we move on to imaging studies on exercise and brain anatomy first by presenting an overall picture of the topic and then discussing brain imaging studies addressing PA and brain structure in twins in more detailed way. Regarding PA and cognition or dementia, genetically informed studies are uncommon, even though the relationship between PA and cognitive ageing has …

Alpha-Synchronized Stimulation of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) in Major Depression: A Proof-of-Principle EEG-TMS Study

2018

High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) shows therapeutic potential in pharmaco-resistant patients with major depression. However, clinical efficacy is limited by high inter-individual variability and low response rates. One possible strategy to improve the effect size and consistency may be brain state dependent brain stimulation, i.e. coupling of TMS pulses to the endogenous brain states as reflected by the instantaneous oscillatory brain activity. Here we present findings from a proof-of-principle study of alpha-oscillation synchronized brain stimulation of the frontal cortex in patients with major depression (…

Validation and Polish Adaptation of the Authorized Bratman Orthorexia Self-Test (ABOST): Comparison of Dichotomous and Continuous Likert-Type Respons…

2021

Aleksandra M Rogowska,1 Aleksandra Kwaśnicka,1 Dominika Ochnik2 1Institute of Psychology, University of Opole, Opole, Poland; 2Faculty of Medicine, University of Technology, Katowice, PolandCorrespondence: Aleksandra M RogowskaInstitute of Psychology, University of Opole, Plac Staszica 1, Opole, 45– 052, PolandTel +48 77 4527370Email arogowska@uni.opole.plPurpose: Although research on orthorexia nervosa (ON) has developed in recent years, there exists a continuous need to develop valid tools to assess ON risk, according to strict diagnostic criteria. The present study aims to conduct Polish adaptation and validation of the Authorized Bratman Orthorexia Self-Test (ABOST), throug…

Patterns and rates of nucleotide substitution, insertion and deletion in the endosymbiont of antsBlochmannia floridanus

2009

Genome reduction is a general process that has been studied in numerous symbiotic bacteria associated with insects. We investigated the last stages of genome degradation in Blochmannia floridanus, a mutualistic bacterial endosymbiont of the ant Camponotus floridanus. We determined the tempo (rates of insertion and deletion) and mode (size and number of insertion-deletion events) of the process in the last 200,000 years by analysing a total of 16 intergenic regions in several strains of this endosymbiont from different ant populations. We provide the first calculation of the reduction rate for noncoding DNA in this endosymbiont (2.2 x 10(-8) lost nucleotides/site/year) and compare it with th…

Internet- and mobile-based aftercare and relapse prevention in mental disorders: A systematic review and recommendations for future research

2018

Background Mental disorders are characterized by a high likelihood of recurrence. Thus, aftercare and follow-up interventions aim to maintain treatment gains and to prevent relapse. Internet- and mobile-based interventions (IMIs) may represent promising instruments in tertiary prevention. This systematic review summarizes and evaluates the research on the efficacy of IMIs as aftercare or follow-up interventions for adults with mental health issues. Methods A systematic database search (PsycInfo, MEDLINE, CENTRAL) was conducted and studies selected according to predefined eligibility criteria (RCTs, adult population, clinical symptoms/disorder, assessed with validated instruments, clinical-p…

Replication and extension of framing effects to compliance with health behaviors during pandemics

2021

Outbreaks of infectious diseases represent a significant challenge for health authorities around the world Public cooperation and compliance with health recommendations constitute critical steps to stop the spread of such diseases But how should these recommendations be framed to achieve the most desirable outcomes? Across two experiments, we show that the classic Asian Disease Problem (Tversy and Kahneman, 1981) is replicable, regardless of disease type (real vs hypothetical) Thus, people are less (vs more) willing to take risks when information is positively (negatively) framed, irrespective of disease type, although they are generally more risk-averse in real pandemics Furthermore, peopl…

Food consumption and nutrient intakes with a special focus on milk product consumption in early pubertal girls in Central Finland

2005

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the current status of dietary intakes in early pubertal girls with a special focus on milk products.DesignCross-sectional data using 3-day food records.SubjectsEight hundred and sixty girls, aged 10–12 years, at Tanner maturation stage I-III.ResultsThe mean consumption of milk products (620 g day−1) was similar to that of a Finnish study in the 1980s, while the consumption of non-milk drinks (403 gday−1) had increased. Twelve per cent of the girls had a dairy-restricted diet and consumed significantly less milk products than girls with a non-restricted diet (465 vs. 644 g day−1, P<0.001). Girls with low milk product consumption had the highest non-milk drinks…

Defining the Field of Behavioral Medicine: A Collaborative Endeavor.

2017

Purpose: To respond to comments on our proposal for an update of the definition and scope of behavioral medicine. Methods: We identify common themes in the comments and provide a response. Results: We discuss the relationship of behavioral medicine to other disciplines and fields, the scope of behavioral medicine, and issues related to the application of behavioral medicine. Conclusion: Based on the comments of our esteemed colleagues and our reflection on those comments, we now offer the following refined definition and scope of behavioral medicine. ‘Behavioral medicine can be defined as the field characterized by the collaboration among multiple disciplines concerned with the development …