• Title/Summary/Keyword: Behavioral sciences

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Determinants of restaurant consumers' intention to practice COVID-19 preventive behavior: an application of the theory of planned behavior

  • Jeong, Jin-Yi;Lee, Hojin
    • Nutrition Research and Practice
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    • v.15 no.sup1
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    • pp.79-93
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    • 2021
  • BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of knowledge about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control on behavioral intentions to practice COVID-19 preventive behaviors using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 519 restaurant customers' responses was collected in this study through an online self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed on socio-demographic factors. One-way analysis of variance and t-test were conducted to determine differences in the constructs from the TPB according to age and sex. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). RESULTS: SEM revealed the positive effect of knowledge about COVID-19 on attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in restaurants. Attitude, subjective norm, behavior intention, and knowledge positively affected COVID-19 preventive behavior intentions in restaurants. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study confirmed that the TPB is helpful in elucidating the determinants of consumers' intention to practice COVID-19 preventive behavior in restaurants. These findings can help policy makers and professionals provide material for further public health interventions and inform them about awareness-raising, guidelines, and health education programs.

Effects of Environment Enrichment on Behavioral Problems in Dogs with Separation Anxiety

  • Kang, Ok-Deuk
    • Journal of Environmental Science International
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    • v.31 no.2
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    • pp.131-139
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    • 2022
  • This study aimed to evaluate the effects of four types of environmental enrichment on the improvement of companion dogs' behavioral problems due to separation anxiety. A total of 21 dogs of various breeds were included in the study. Data were collected to investigate the behaviors associated with anxiety in dogs, including vocalization, elimination, escape attempts, and destructiveness. A first stage, in which the dog and owner were together (P0), lasted 15 min, and a second stage, in which the dog and owner were separated (P1), lasted 15 min. After the dog and owner were separated (P1), the third stage (P2), during which the environment was enriched, lasted 20 min, and the fourth stage, following environment enrichment (P3), lasted 15 min. The results of the study indicated that compared to P0, the frequency of problematic behavior was highest during the 15 min following separation from the owner (P1). Following environmental enrichment, the average frequency of problematic behaviors in P2 decreased (P < 0.001) compared to P1. Environmental enrichment can also be used appropriately in the case of companion dogs, including shelter dogs or experimental dogs that use a limited kennel, and is a particularly effective means of improving the quality of life of dogs.

Toluene Inhalation Causes Early Anxiety and Delayed Depression with Regulation of Dopamine Turnover, 5-HT1A Receptor, and Adult Neurogenesis in Mice

  • Kim, Jinhee;Lim, Juhee;Moon, Seong-Hee;Liu, Kwang-Hyeon;Choi, Hyun Jin
    • Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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    • v.28 no.3
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    • pp.282-291
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    • 2020
  • Inhaled solvents such as toluene are of particular concern due to their abuse potential that is easily exposed to the environment. The inhalation of toluene causes various behavioral problems, but, the effect of short-term exposure of toluene on changes in emotional behaviors over time after exposure and the accompanying pathological characteristics have not been fully identified. Here, we evaluated the behavioral and neurochemical changes observed over time in mice that inhaled toluene. The mice were exposed to toluene for 30 min at a concentration of either 500 or 2,000 ppm. Toluene did not cause social or motor dysfunction in mice. However, increased anxiety-like behavior was detected in the short-term after exposure, and depression-like behavior appeared as delayed effects. The amount of striatal dopamine metabolites was significantly decreased by toluene, which continued to be seen for up to almost two weeks after inhalation. Additionally, an upregulation of serotonin 1A (5-HT1A) receptor in the hippocampus and the substantia nigra, as well as reduced immunoreactivity of neurogenesis markers in the dentate gyrus, was observed in the mice after two weeks. These results suggest that toluene inhalation, even single exposure, mimics early anxiety-and delayed depression-like emotional disturbances, underpinned by pathological changes in the brain.

The Dopamine D4 Receptor Polymorphism Affects the Canine Fearfulness

  • Lee, Chae-Young;Kim, Chang-Hoon;Shin, Soo-An;Shin, Dae-Sung;Kang, Joo-Hyun;Park, Chan-Kyu
    • Animal cells and systems
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.77-83
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    • 2008
  • The canine fearfulness is a behavioral trait known to have a genetic basis. This research analyzed genetic effects of the dopamine D4 receptor polymorphism on this behavior by postulating a mixed model of inheritance. Genotyping for the three different repeat polymorphism found in the third exon of the receptor gene was carried out for the population of the Korean native dogs. Four hundred fifty eight dogs with known pedigree were genotyped, and 264 individuals were tested for their fear responses to an experimenter, in which four different behavioral paradigms were adopted. Since the results assessed by principal factor analysis revealed a major factor explaining 69% of the total phenotypic variance, the subsequent analyses were conducted for this quantity. Analyses of the factor scores by estimating their posterior means indicated that there is a fixed effect exerted by the three different repeat polymorphism found in the D4 receptor as well as sex, in addition to unidentified polygenic effects. The phenotypic contribution of the D4 genotype was roughly estimated to be about 2%, which is a fraction of the total genetic effects responsible for more than 20% of the total phenotypic variance.

Hippocampus-dependent cognitive enhancement induced by systemic gintonin administration

  • Kim, Sungmin;Kim, Min-Soo;Park, Kwanghoon;Kim, Hyeon-Joong;Jung, Seok-Won;Nah, Seung-Yeol;Han, Jung-Soo;Chung, ChiHye
    • Journal of Ginseng Research
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    • v.40 no.1
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    • pp.55-61
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    • 2016
  • Background: A number of neurological and neurodegenerative diseases share impaired cognition as a common symptom. Therefore, the development of clinically applicable therapies to enhance cognition has yielded significant interest. Previously, we have shown that activation of lysophosphatidic acid receptors (LPARs) via gintonin application potentiates synaptic transmission by the blockade of $K^+$ channels in the mature hippocampus. However, whether gintonin may exert any beneficial impact directly on cognition at the neural circuitry level and the behavioral level has not been investigated. Methods: In the current study, we took advantage of gintonin, a novel LPAR agonist, to investigate the effect of gintonin-mediated LPAR activation on cognitive performances. Hippocampus-dependent fear memory test, synaptic plasticity in the hippocampal brain slices, and quantitative analysis on synaptic plasticity-related proteins were used. Results: Daily oral administration of gintonin for 1 wk significantly improved fear memory retention in the contextual fear-conditioning test in mice.We also found that oral administration of gintonin for 1 wk increased the expression of learning and memory-related proteins such as phosphorylated cyclic adenosine monophosphate-response element binding (CREB) protein and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In addition, prolonged gintonin administration enhanced long-term potentiation in the hippocampus. Conclusion: Our observations suggest that the systemic gintonin administration could successfully improve contextual memory formation at the molecular and synaptic levels as well as the behavioral level. Therefore, oral administration of gintonin may serve as an effective noninvasive, nonsurgical method of enhancing cognitive functions.

Determining attitudinal and behavioral factors concerning milk and dairy intake and their association with calcium intake in college students

  • Rose, Angela M.;Williams, Rachel A.;Rengers, Brooke;Kennel, Julie A.;Gunther, Carolyn
    • Nutrition Research and Practice
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.143-148
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    • 2018
  • BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Average intake of calcium among college students is below the recommended intake, and knowledge surrounding the attitudinal and behavioral factors that influence milk and dairy intake, a primary food source of calcium, is limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate college students' attitudes and behaviors concerning milk and dairy consumption and their association with calcium intake. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Participants were 1,730 undergraduate students who completed an online survey (SurveyMonkey) as part of baseline data collection for a social marketing dairy campaign. The online survey assessed attitudes and behaviors concerning milk and dairy intake, and calcium intake. Questions about milk- and dairy-related attitudes and behaviors were grouped into 14 factors using factor analysis. Predictors of calcium intake were then evaluated. RESULTS: Median calcium intake across all participants was 928.6 mg/day, with males consuming higher calcium intakes than females (P < 0.001). Adjusted for gender, calcium intakes were most strongly (and positively) correlated with associating milk with specific eating occasions and availability (i.e., storing calcium-rich foods in one's dorm or apartment) (both P < 0.001). Other correlates of calcium intake included: positive-viewing milk as healthy (P = 0.039), having family members who drink milk) (P = 0.039), and taking calcium supplements (P = 0.056); and negative-parent rules concerning milk (P = 0.031) and viewing milk in dining halls negatively (P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Calcium intakes among college students enrolled in the current study was below the recommended dietary allowance of 1,000 mg/day, reinforcing the need for dietary interventions in this target population, especially females. Practitioners and researchers should consider the factors found here to impact calcium intake, particularly associating milk with specific eating occasions (e.g., milk with breakfast) and having calcium-rich foods available in the dorm room or apartment, as intervention strategies in future efforts aimed at promoting milk and dairy foods and beverages for improved calcium intake in college students.

A New Method for the Analysis of Measured Displacements during Tunnelling using Control Charts (관리도를 이용한 터널 시공현장 계측변위 분석 기법 개발)

  • Yim, Sung-Bin;Seo, Yong-Seok
    • The Journal of Engineering Geology
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    • v.19 no.3
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    • pp.261-268
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    • 2009
  • Tunnel measurements provide crucial information on the ground stability during the excavation, visualizing the ground behavioral characteristics with quantitative dada. Generally, the frequency of the measurements is greater during the early stage of the tunnelling process and reduced with time. However, there are no quantitative criteria established for either the activities, such as the time, location and frequency of the measurement or the management guidance, especially for the site of subtle and unexpected displacement during the excavation. It is, however, still challenging to assess behavioral characteristics of subtle and unexpected displacement after stabilization. In this study, we propose a new method to assess stability and to analysis the behavioral characteristics of subtle and unexpected displacement after stabilization using statistic control charts of displacements. We also present a test result on the applicability of control chart and CUSUM control chart to measured displacements.

Impaired Voluntary Wheel Running Behavior in the Unilateral 6-Hydroxydopamine Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease

  • Pan, Qi;Zhang, Wangming;Wang, Jinyan;Luo, Fei;Chang, Jingyu;Xu, Ruxiang
    • Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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    • v.57 no.2
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    • pp.82-87
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    • 2015
  • Objective : The aim of this study was to investigate voluntary wheel running behavior in the unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rat model. Methods : Male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to 2 groups : 6-OHDA group (n=17) and control group (n=8). The unilateral 6-OHDA rat model was induced by injection of 6-OHDA into unilateral medial forebrain bundle using a stereotaxic instrument. Voluntary wheel running activity was assessed per day in successfully lesioned rats (n=10) and control rats. Each behavioral test lasted an hour. The following parameters were investigated during behavioral tests : the number of running bouts, the distance moved in the wheel, average peak speed in running bouts and average duration from the running start to the peak speed. Results : The number of running bouts and the distance moved in the wheel were significantly decreased in successfully lesioned rats compared with control rats. In addition, average peak speed in running bouts was decreased, and average duration from the running start to the peak speed was increased in lesioned animals, which might indicate motor deficits in these rats. These behavioral changes were still observed 42 days after lesion. Conclusion : Voluntary wheel running behavior is impaired in the unilateral 6-OHDA rat model and may represent a useful tool to quantify motor deficits in this model.

Design of MMIC Variable Gain LNA Using Behavioral Model for Wireless LAM Applications (거동모델을 이용한 무선랜용 MMIC 가변이득 저잡음 증폭기 설계)

  • Park, Hun;Yoon, Kyung-Sik;Hwang, In-Gab
    • The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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    • v.29 no.6A
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    • pp.697-704
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    • 2004
  • This paper describes the design and fabrication of an MMIC variable gain LNA for 5GHz wireless LAN applications, using 0.5${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ gate length GaAs MESFET transistors. The advantages of high gain and low noise performance of E-MESFETS and excellent linear performance of D-MESFETS are combined as a cascode topology in this design. Behavioral model equations are derived from the MESFET nonlinear current voltage characteristics by using Turlington's asymptote method in a cascode configuration. Using the behavioral model equations, a 4${\times}$50${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ E-MESFET as a common source amplifier and a 2${\times}$50${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ D-MESFET as a common gate amplifier are determined for the cascode amplifier. The fabricated variable gain LNA shows a noise figure of 2.4dB, variable gain range of more than 17dB, IIP3 of -4.8dBm at 4.9GHz, and power consumption of 12.8mW.

Area Search of Multiple UAV's based on Evolutionary Robotics (진화로봇공학 기반의 복수 무인기를 이용한 영역 탐색)

  • Oh, Soo-Hun;Suk, Jin-Young
    • Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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    • v.38 no.4
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    • pp.352-362
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    • 2010
  • The simultaneous operation of multiple UAV's makes it possible to enhance the mission accomplishment efficiency. In order to achieve this, easily scalable control algorithms are required, and swarm intelligence having such characteristics as flexibility, robustness, decentralized control, and self-organization based on behavioral model comes into the spotlight as a practical substitute. Recently, evolutionary robotics is applied to the control of UAV's to overcome the weakness of difficulties in the logical design of behavioral rules. In this paper, a neural network controller evolved by evolutionary robotics is applied to the control of multiple UAV's which have the mission of searching limited area. Several numerical demonstrations show the proposed algorithm has superior results to those of behavior based neural network controller which is designed by intuition.