Senegalese sole is a flatfish species with increasing importance for the aquaculture industry due to its good performance (survival and growth) in captivity and high market price.However,one of the principal bottlenecks to the expansion of the species culture is the reproductive behavioural dysfunction in cultured males,which complicates establishing a closed cycle in captivity.The reproductive behavioural dysfunction is exhibited by the cultured males that do not participate in the courtship.Therefore, Senegalese sole production relies on wild males,which is unsustainable in the long term.With the aim to understand and look for solutions to this bottleneck,the present thesis focuses on different aspects of behaviour related to reproduction and the olfactory system. The effect of the presence of spawning wild Senegalese sole breeders on the reproductive behaviour and reproductive success of cohabiting cultured breeders was examined.Three groups were established,1 formed by cultures sole and 2 mixed groups (cultured and wild).Fertilised spawns were not obtained from the control group.However,fertilised spawns were obtained from the mixed-origin groups.Cultured males were observed to participate increasingly in the courtship and one cultured male fertilised 2 spawns.These results suggested a learning process in this species for behaviours associated to reproduction.With the olfactory analysis,the structure of the olfactory rosettes of 2 groups from different origin of Senegalese sole juveniles were compared.No significant differences in tissue structure,cell types and cellular distribution pattern were observed between origin specimens,however,differences were found between rosettes in number of lamellae and amount of goblet cells in the ridge region of the lamella,which were more frequent in the lower rosette.Related to the comparison of transcriptomic profiles (RNA-seq) of the upper rosette in cultured and wild sole mature males,the difference in transcripts of some olfactory receptors and other transcripts associated with the control of reproduction demonstrated clear differences in functionalities between origins.Related to the olfactory sensitivity of cultured sole, juveniles and adults to urine from mature conspecific (wild and cultured) was evaluated using EOG.Urine was confirmed to be a potent olfactory stimulus for juvenile and adult.In addition to this, urine from mature females evoked a small, but significant increase in plasmas levels of LH in mature males,further demonstrating that urine play a role in reproduction in this species.Related to dominance in Senegalese sole juveniles were used to conduct 2 dyadic tests (feeding response and territory) and group tests.This was the first study related to dominance behaviour in this species, which could be very relevant to the low participation in the parental contribution during the spawning season.Three parameters related to feeding response, 2 variables related to territory and 2 index in the group test were extracted to differentiate between dominant and subordinate sole.Moreover,2transcripts related to neurogenesis and neuroplasticity were differentially expressed between dominant and subordinate.In the present study three stress coping styles categories were found (proactive,intermediate and reactive) in Senegalese sole juveniles.Moreover,there were four transcripts related to metabolism and feeding behaviour which linked behavioural stress coping categories with brain gene expression.All together these advances strengthen the importance of these research lines as areas that can give a solution to the reproductive dysfunction that can enable the aquaculture industry to close the species life cycle in captivity to make sole culture sustainable. / El lenguado Senegalés es una especie de pez plano que está en constante crecimiento de producción dentro de la industria de la acuicultura debido a su buena capacidad de supervivencia y crecimiento en cautividad,además de poseer un elevado precio en el mercado.En cambio,uno de los principales problemas de expansión del cultivo del lenguado es la disfunción reproductiva asociada al comportamiento complicando el cierre del ciclo de vida de esta especie en cautividad.La disfunción reproductiva se ve en los machos de cultivo que no participan en el cortejo.Consecuentemente,la producción del lenguado recae en los machos salvajes siendo insostenible a largo plazo.Esta tesis tiene como objetivo principal entender y buscar posibles soluciones a este problema enfocándose en diferentes aspectos relacionados con la reproducción y el sistema olfativo.Primero se realizó un análisis de efecto de la presencia de lenguados salvajes que se reproducen,en el cortejo y el éxito reproductivo de los lenguados de cultivo,que no se reproducen.Se formaron 3 grupos,1 de cultivo (control) y 2 mezcla (cultivo y salvajes).No se obtuvo puestas fecundadas del grupo control,en cabio si se obtuvo de los grupos mezcla,viendose por primera vez un aumento de participación de los machos de cultivo,donde un macho de cultivo fertilizó 2 puestas.Estos resultados sugieren un posible proceso de aprendizaje del cortejo por parte de los machos de cultivo.Con el análisis del olfato,primero se realizó una descripción y comparación histológica de la estructura de ambas rosetas olfativas de dos grupos de lenguados juveniles (cultivo y salvaje).No se hallaron diferencias significativas en la estructura tisular, tipos de células y distribución celular entre lenguados de diferente origen, en cambio, se encontraron diferencias entre las rosetas en número total de lamelas y en cantidad de células goblet concentradas en la parte apical de las lamelas siendo más frecuente en la roseta inferior.Con referencia a la comparación transcriptómica (RNA-seq) de la roseta superior en machos maduros salvajes y de cultivo,hubo diferencias significativas en transcritos asociados a receptores olfativos y de reproducción mostrando claras diferencias en la funcionalidad de la roseta en lenguados de diferente origen.En referencia a la sensibilidad olfativa a la orina del lenguados maduros medida a través del EOG,se demostró que la orina es un potente estimulante olfativo en lenguados juveniles y adultos de cultivo y además el incremento de LH en plasma de los machos adultos utilizados en este estudio demostró que la orina juega un papel importante en la reproducción de dicha especie.En referencia a los estudios de dominancia en lenguados juveniles,se utilizaron 2 pruebas diádicas(alimentación y territorio) y una grupal extrajeron 3 parámetros de dominancia asociados a la alimentación,2 variables asociadas al territorio y 2 índices en el test grupal los cuales diferenciaron entre dominantes y subordinados.Además hubo dos transcritos relacionados con la neurogenesis y la neuroplasticidad que se expresaron diferencialmente entre dominantes y subordinados.Este estudio ha sido el primero en reportar la dominancia como comportamiento en esta especie, la cual podría ser relevante debido a la baja contribución parental durante la época de puesta.Así mismo,se determinaron 3 categorias de estilos de afrontamiento al estrés (proactivos,intermedios y reactivos) en lenguados juveniles.Se encontraron 4 transcritos asociados al metabolismo y comportamiento de alimentación que relacionó los prfiles de comportamiento con la expresión génica cerebral en lenguados juveniles siendo genes importantes a nivel biolígico y funcional. Conjuntamente estos avances fortalecen la importancia de estas líneas de investigación como áreas que pueden dar solución a la disfunción reproductiva pudiendo cerrar el ciclo de vida del lenguado en cautividad para hacer el cultivo sost / El llenguado Senegalès es una espècie de peix pla que està en constant creixement de producció dins de la industria de l'aqüicultura degut a la seua capacitat de supervivència i creixement en captivitat,a més de posseir un elevat preu al mercat.En canvi,un dels principals problemes d'expansió del cultiu d'aquesta espècie és la disfunció reproductiva associada al comportament que complica tancar el cicle de vida del llenguado en captivitat.La disfunció reproductiva s'observa als mascles de cultiu que no participen al seguici.Conseqüentment,la producció del llenguado Senegalès depèn dels mascles salvatges el qual es insostenible a llarg termini.Esta tesi té com objectiu principal entendre i buscar possibles solucions a aquest problema enfocant-se en diferents aspectes relacionats amb la reproducció i el sistema olfactiu.Primer es realitzà un anàlisi d'efecte de la presència de llenguados salvatges que es reprodueixen en el seguici i l'èxit reproductiu dels llenguados de cultiu que no es reprodueixen.Es formà 3 grups,un de cultiu (control) i 2 mescla (cultiu i salvatges).No s'obtingué posts fecundades del grup control,en canvi si s'obtingueren dels grups mescla,veient un augment de participació dels mascles de cultiu per primera volta,on un mascle de cultiu va fertilitzar 2 postes.Aquests resultats suggereixen un procés d'aprenentatge del seguici per part dels mascles de cultiu.Amb l'anàlisi de l'olfacte,primer es realitzà una descripció i comparació estructural histològica de ambdues rosetes olfactives de 2 grups de llenguados juvenils dels dos orígens.No es trobà diferències en l'estructura tissular,tipus de cèl·lules i distribució entre llenguados de diferent origen,en canvi,es trobà diferències entre rosetes en nombre total de lamel·les i quantitat de cèl·lules goblet concentrades a la part apical de la lamel·la més freqüents a la roseta inferior.En referència a la comparació transcriptómica (RNA-seq) de la roseta superior en mascles madurs salvatges i de cultiu,es trobà diferències en transcrits associats a receptors olfactius i de reproducció mostrant clares diferències en la funcionalitat de la roseta en llenguados de diferent origen.En referència a la sensibilitat olfactiva de l'orina de llenguados madurs mesurada amb EOG,es demostrà que l'orina es un potent estimulant olfactiu en llenguados juvenils i adults de cultiu i l'increment de LH en sang dels mascles adults utilitzats en aquest estudi demostrà que l'orina juga un paper important en la reproducció d'aquesta espècie.En referència als estudis de dominància de llenguados juvenils utilitzant 2 probes diàdiques (alimentació i territori) i 1 grupal,van extraure 3 paràmetres de dominància associats a l'alimentació,2 variables associades amb el territori i 2 índex en el test grupal els quals diferencià entre dominants i subordinats.Aquest etudi ha sigut el primer en reportar la dominància com a comportament en aquesta espècie,la qual podria ser important degut a la baixa participació parental durant l'època de posta.Així mateix,es determinà 3 categories d'estil d'afrontament a l'estrès (proactius,entremitjos i reactius) en llenguados juvenils.Es van trobar 4 transcrits associats al metabolisme i comportament d'alimentació sent tots ells gens d'importància biològica i funcional que s'expressaren diferencialment entre perfils de comportament.Conjuntament aquests avanços enforteixen la importància d'aquestes línies d'investigació com àrees que puguin donar solució a la disfunció reproductiva podent tancar el cicle de vida del llenguado en captivitat per a fer la producció d'aquesta espècie sostenible en l'industria de l'aqüicultura. / Fatsini Fernández, E. (2017). Reproduction, olfaction and dominance behaviour in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/81550 / TESIS

MPH / Department of Public Health / See the attached abstract below

This thesis "Antipredatory and exploratory behavior as an expression of personality in Leopard (Eublepharis macularius)" focuses on behavior Leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) in the exploratory and antipredation test. The aim is to determine whether some of the symptoms are characteristic of personality Leopard. The theoretical part will demonstrate the concept of personality. What are the terms for it to be about the phenomenon say that it is an expression of personality. We will deal with the various attempts used. The practical part will focus on the design of individual experiments and the results arising therefrom. Keywords: personality, repeatability, antipredator behavior, exploratory behavior

Examines patronage motives and product purchase patterns within the context of a mall. Specifically, determines: the relative importance consumers attach to a set of 24 patronage motives when choosing a place to shop; these shoppers’ purchase patterns of a set of 21 products; and inter and intra similarities/dissimilarities among motives and product purchase patterns. Managerial implications for mall administrators are discussed. Concludes that to enhance its appeal to variety seeking shoppers, the mall should monitor consumer buying trends and make necessary adjustments to its tenant mix. Amenities and center quality also need to be considered. Recommends further research of this type in other communities.

A mini dissertation submitted to the Faculty Of Arts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master Of Arts in Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University Of Zululand, 2017 / The purpose of this study was to identify whether there is a contributory relationship between the common unwanted behaviour of taxi drivers towards taxi commuters and the taxi drivers’ personality. The study involved 59 minibus taxi drivers sampled from the Empangeni and Richards Bay areas of the Zululand district. The participants were randomly selected in their respective taxi ranks/stations around the above mentioned areas. The Big Five 10-Item Personality Inventory and a tailored questionnaire were administered in an interview format. The findings depicted that the unacceptable behaviour usually portrayed by taxi drivers towards taxi commuters is not caused by the taxi drivers’ personality. They further illustrate that the nature of the profession, which induces pressure on the driver, is one of the main causes of the behaviour. The taxi commuters were reported to be largely the ones who cause most of the conflicts that arise between drivers and passengers. The more experience (in years) the driver had in the taxi driving job the more acceptable and non-provoking his style of interacting with taxi commuters becomes. The reciprocal determinism theory was used to psychologically conceptualise the outcome behaviour of the taxi driver taking into strong consideration his personal cognitive choices, emotions, past experiences and his environment in the work place.

The purpose of this study was to assess whether advertising influences South Africans’ voting behaviour. The research compared two advertising appeals, fear and rational, to assess which is most preferred by voters. A secondary purpose was also to review whether having knowledge of voters’ influencers and using that knowledge, coupled with an advertising appeal, would influence voters’ behaviour. The study also briefly reviewed whether demographics such as race, gender and education level could have an impact on voting behaviour. The study also reviewed the relationship between the influencers and voting behaviour. The research was done using an online and hard-copy questionnaire. Sampling was both random and by referral. Three hundred and nineteen valid questionnaires were returned. Various frequency analyses were conducted to establish the varying relationships amongst the variables. The main findings of the study were the following: firstly, race is a very significant issue influencing South African voting behaviour. The second finding is that trust in the leader of the political party and that political party’s previous government performance are significant issues that voters consider when engaging in voting. The third finding from the study was that the advertising appeal most preferred by voters between rational and fear is rational appeal. The final finding is that voters can be influenced by advertising to change their voting behaviour, however the change is not brought by advertising in isolation other factors need to be considered.

<p dir="ltr">. Consumer behavior in food and fashion is significantly contributing to environmental distress. Psychological distance emerges as a key obstacle preventing consumers from taking action. Environmental issues often appear distant in terms of time, space, social relevance, and uncertainty, making it challenging for consumers to engage with and modify their behaviors accordingly. Conversely, subjective well-being presents itself as a more relatable concept for consumers. Thus, this dissertation, comprising two essays, seeks to explore the significance of subjective well-being within the realm of consumer sustainability in the food and fashion industries. In Study 1, employing structural equation modeling, we initially demonstrate that consumer food waste adversely affects emotional well-being through post-purchase regret (Study 1a). Furthermore, utilizing ordered logit regression, we identify that perceived distance to grocery stores correlates with increased household food waste (Study 1b). In Study 2, through a systematic literature review, we observe a pattern in consumer behavior regarding sustainable and unsustainable clothing consumption and its relationship with emotional subjective well-being (Study 2a). However, due to the limited number of relevant studies and their focus on only one aspect of subjective well-being, further investigation becomes necessary. Consequently, in Study 2b, employing path analysis, we empirically examine the relationship between domains of sustainable clothing consumption behavior and subjective well-being, revealing a positive correlation, particularly in the early stages of the consumption process. To assess whether consumers perceive subjective well-being as closer to them in comparison to environmental concerns when promoting sustainable actions, we conduct an experiment. Our findings, analyzed using t-tests, indicate that the psychological distance of subjective well-being is indeed lower than that of environmental topics (Study 2c). These results underscore the significance of subjective well-being within the context of consumer sustainability and lay the groundwork for alternative communication strategies aimed at promoting sustainable consumer behavior. The implications and limitations of our findings are thoroughly discussed.</p>

Pages ii, iv, vi and viii are blank, therefore omitted. / <p>Faces are often deemed special objects because they are associated with behavioural and physiological characteristics that differ from those of other objects. These characteristics may indicate that faces are processed with separate mechanisms than other objects. On the other hand, these characteristics may be the result of our extensive experience with faces. If so, other objects should exhibit these same characteristics with sufficient exposure. This prediction has begun to be addressed both from studies of real-world experts and from studies that explicitly manipulate experience with non-face objects in the lab.</p><p>Contributing to this larger framework, here we demonstrate that : (1) large inversion effects can be obtained through training alone, therefore large face inversion effects are insufficient evidence of specialized face-processing mechanisms; (2) house-identification training substantially improves behavioural performance but has minimal impact on fMRI activity recorded in areas that preferentially respond to houses or faces, nor in retinotopically-defined early visual areas. (3) house-identification training systematically reduces the amplitude of late ERP components in the range of 200-300 ms, and (4) the relative patterns of ERP responses to faces and houses remain quite stable after houseidentification training, with faces continuing to exhibit larger, earlier Nl responses than houses.</p><p>Together, these results suggest that, although some behavioural characteristics attributed to specialized face processing can be adequately explained through experience alone, training of non-face objects does not readily reduce existing differences in the fMRI and EEG signatures of face and object processing.</p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Social interactions can have profound influences on an individual’s fitness. As part of a long-term research program on the mechanisms and functions of social behaviour in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), we addressed two main questions. First, we asked whether social behaviour is positively correlated between the larval and adult stages. We quantified genetic variation in social behaviour by measuring aggregation among larvae and adults taken from each of 29 inbred, wild-derived lines. We found significant genetic variation in social behaviour in both larvae and adults. While these lines also showed significant genetic variation in baseline locomotor activity, it had no significant influence on social behaviour. We found that neither social behaviour nor activity were correlated between larval and adult flies. This is consistent with the hypothesis that metamorphosis adaptively decouples the expression of genes between distinct life stages in animals with complex life cycles. That is, genetic variation in social behaviour during each life stage may reflect adaptation to the specific ecological settings during that stage. Our second question was whether social behaviour in adult flies was influenced by indirect genetic effects (IGEs), defined as the effect an individual’s genotype has on the phenotype of an interacting partner. IGEs can have profound effects on the rate of phenotypic evolution. We found that groups of 6 focal males maintained shorter inter-individual distances among themselves when interacting with 12 males from a line previously identified as highly social than when paired with 12 males from the least social genotype. Overall, our results indicate that heritable genetic variation influences an individual’s predisposition to engage in social behaviour as well as its effect on social interactions among other individuals it encounters. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Musical behaviours, such as singing, dancing and musical production, encourage high levels of interpersonal synchrony. In adults, interpersonal synchrony (i.e. moving in time with others) has been shown to encourage affiliative behaviours among those involved. People are more cooperative, helpful, and trusting toward people with whom they have moved synchronously compared to asynchronously. Until the present thesis, it was unknown if these affiliative effects of interpersonal synchrony influenced social behaviour from an early age. In Chapter 2, I provided the first evidence that 14-month-old infants are more helpful toward synchronously- compared to asynchronously-moving partners. In Chapter 3, I showed that interpersonal synchrony only boosts infant helping directed toward their synchronously-moving partner, but not a neutral stranger. However, in Chapter 4, I showed that infants are more likely to help the positive affiliate (“friend”) of their synchronously-moving partner over the “friend” of their asynchronously-moving partner. Chapter 5 explores how background music in Chapters 2-4 contributed to the overall experience. Here, I found that even in a non-musical context, infants still helped synchronously-moving partners more than asynchronously-moving partners. However, infants were more distressed and took more time to help than in Chapters 2-4, suggesting that music may provide an emotionally regulating context within which interpersonal synchrony can be experienced. Together, these findings suggest that behaviours encouraging high levels of synchronous movement, such as musical behaviours, have important consequences for early social development. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)