One of today’s most important public health issues is inferior air quality which causes many years of healthy life lost due to disability primarily due to respiratory-, heart- and cardiovascular diseases. A major cause is vehicle emissions such as particles or nitrogen oxides. To protect both environment and people from being harmed there are environmental quality standards that every township must follow. The aim of this report is to investigate residents in Piteå’s attitudes and motivations, significant differences in willingness to change behavior and what Piteå municipality can do to influence their residents to make sustainable choices. This study’s data was collected through a survey distributed towards people with a motor vehicle in Piteå. The results show that the resident’s most important motivations to change their behavior are health benefits and their climate moral. The willingness to change is lower the further from the city the resident’s live and the study showed a significant difference between people living closer than 5 kilometers from the city center compared to people with 10 kilometers or more. The report also showed that Piteå community must work with different types of information sources and methods to make people change their behavior. In conclusion, many residents in Piteå are willing to change their behavior, however accessibility for public transportation needs to be improved. To increase motivation, Piteå municipality must work broadly with many methods.

Protecting water quality, biota, and ecosystem services of streams (cumulatively referred to as stream health) while increasing food production is a major global challenge. One way to balance these often-competing interests is through the installation of agricultural conservation practices, such as excluding livestock from streams via fencing and adjusting grazing patterns. However, conservation practices often do not improve stream health as expected. Failure to achieve stream health outcomes may be due to biophysical (e.g., conservation practices are not appropriate for the landscape) or social reasons (e.g., agricultural producers are not willing to use conservation practices). Therefore, the goal of my dissertation research was to understand factors influencing effectiveness of conservation practices using an interdisciplinary approach that integrates ecological engineering, ecology, and social science. My research focuses on southwest Virginia, a karst region where cattle grazing is common. In the introduction, I developed a social-ecological framework that outlines how the natural and social sciences can be used to guide effective placement and implementation of conservation practices and explain why interdisciplinary approaches are often necessary due to social-ecological connections that influence efficacy (i.e., feedbacks, heterogeneity, time lags, and thresholds). In Chapter 1, I modeled pollutant transport to characterize watershed features that contribute disproportionate amounts of pollutants to streams. I found that water, and associated nitrate, is primarily entering streams through subsurface pathways, whereas sediment is entering the stream through streambank erosion. Therefore, a combination of conservation practices that stop nitrogen at its source (e.g., nutrient management plans) and stabilize streambanks (e.g., fenced riparian buffers) could be useful for protecting stream health. For Chapter 2, I sampled water quality, habitat, and macroinvertebrates from 31 streams within sub-watersheds that span a range of pollutant yields, conservation practice densities, and agricultural land use extent to understand the pathways through which conservation practices influence stream health. Agricultural land use increased total nitrogen and decreased macroinvertebrate diversity, but conservation practices stabilized nitrogen and improved bank stability. Despite such improvements, adverse effects on water quality and habitat still limited the biotic assemblage. Therefore, innovative conservation practices, higher densities of existing practices, or allowing more time for the effects of existing practices to improve water quality and habitat may be required to achieve stream health goals. For Chapter 3, I surveyed producers to understand if they continue to use their conservation practices after their cost-share contracts end (i.e., persistence) and factors that influence persistence. Persistence was most strongly related to producers' attitudes towards the conservation practice, producers' motivations, and practice durability. Therefore, persistence could be encouraged by using producers' motivations to focus messaging on ways conservation practices are achieving producers' goals and allocating more funding to practice maintenance. Overall, my interdisciplinary approach led to a greater understanding of pollutant dynamics, the pathways through which conservation practices influence stream health, and social constraints to persistence. This knowledge can inform what conservation practices may be most effective and strategies to keep appropriate practices on the landscape long enough to achieve stream health goals. / Doctor of Philosophy / As farmers work to feed a growing worldwide population, streams can inadvertently receive pollution, like excess sediment and nitrogen. Too much sediment can clog the gills of aquatic animals and reduce their habitat, and too much nitrogen can cause excessive plant growth and decrease the amount of oxygen in the water. The cumulative effects of pollution from farming can result in streams being unable to support human uses such as clean drinking water and fishing opportunities. To increase food production while protecting streams, government agencies help farmers pay for the costs of using conservation practices that can reduce pollution. Examples of conservation practices include keeping livestock out of streams with fences, ensuring the ground is covered with plants in between planting crops, and developing a plan for the maximum amount of fertilizer that can be used. Unfortunately, conservation practices are sometimes ineffective, and streams still become polluted despite their use. My goal was to understand why some conservation practices are ineffective and how conservation practices might be improved for southwest Virginia. In the introduction, I developed a framework that illustrates how connecting the natural and social sciences can improve conservation practice efficacy by guiding planning and placement of new practices. In Chapter 1, I used a computer program to simulate pollution within streams so that I could understand which locations have the greatest amount of pollution and why. I found that nitrogen typically enters streams through the water in the soil rather than water running over the land surface and that sediment mostly enters the stream through erosion of the streambanks. These results suggest that conservation practices such as limiting the amount of nutrients placed on the landscape could be especially effective for reducing nitrogen pollution, whereas building fences to exclude cattle from streams and planting trees along streams can help reduce sediment pollution. For Chapter 2, I visited 31 streams in southwest Virginia that had varying amounts of pollution and conservation practices and collected water quality, habitat data, and aquatic insects. All these metrics are good indicators of pollution, but aquatic insects are particularly excellent indicators because their populations respond to cumulative changes in habitat and water quality. Streams with more conservation practices did not exhibit more diverse insect communities but did show stabilized water quality and habitat. These results indicate that the types of conservation practices currently used are not completely protecting streams and farmers may need to use more practices, new types of practices, or use their current practices for longer periods of time. For Chapter 3, I surveyed farmers to find out if they continue to use their conservation practices after funding from agencies ends, as well as their motivations for their actions. Farmers indicated that they were more likely to continue using conservation practices if their goals for using the practice were achieved and that they had difficulty keeping fences and trees from being destroyed by floods and wildlife. Government agencies could increase continued use of conservation practices by showing farmers how the practices are achieving their goals and by providing more funding to maintain practices. By combining research from several fields of study, I was able to better understand which conservation practices would be most effective in protecting streams and new ways to support farmers in using conservation practices.

OBJECTIVE: The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and implementation intentions have been used effectively to explain and influence diet in middle-class, but not exclusively low SES populations. Furthermore, dietary research among low SES populations requires intake measures that are feasible and acceptable. Using three lines of research we evaluated 1) the utility of the TPB to explain fruit and vegetable (FV) intake, 2) efficacy, feasibility and acceptability of an implementation intention intervention to improve FV intake, and 3) agreement, feasibility, and acceptability of 2 dietary intake measures of FV intake in low SES women. DESIGN: Participants were adult female residents of Boston Public Housing. Study 1: Using a cross-sectional survey (n=144), we evaluated the utility of the TPB to explain FV intake. Study 2: We conducted a pilot randomized controlled implementation intention intervention to promote FV intake (n=20), and semi-structured interviews to evaluate feasibility and acceptability of the intervention (n=8). Study 3: We administered 2 24-hour recalls, a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and structured interviews (n=36) to determine agreement, feasibility and acceptability dietary intake measures. RESULTS: Study 1: The TPB construct perceived behavioral control significantly predicted intention to consume FV (OR=2.55,95%CI:1.23,5.27) and with BMI, FV intake (βPBC=0.37,t(1)=2.29,p=0.0235; βBMI= -0.02,t(1)= -2.41,p=0.0174; R2=.08,F[2,130]=5.72,p=0.0042). Study 2: Feasibility goals were met for retention and days to follow up, but not recruitment. Participants characterized the intervention as enjoyable. Limited hypothesis testing showed no significant increase in mean FV intake within (control (n=11):+0.50, 95% CI:-0.56,1.58 servings; intervention (n=9):+0.17, 95% CI:-0.85,1.20 servings) or between groups (control group +0.33, 95% CI:-1.06,1.73 servings). Study 3: Feasibility targets were met for contacts and retention, but not for enrollment. There was no significant association between 24-hr recall and FFQ measures for fruit (r=0.32, p=0.09) or vegetable (r=0.16, p=0.40) intake and no marked preference for method (35% FFQ; 31% 24-hour recall). CONCLUSION: The TPB may be useful to explain FV intake. Although acceptable, an implementation intention intervention may not be feasible or effective to influence FV intake. We demonstrated limited feasibility and association but generally equal preference between dietary measures of FV intake in low SES women.

Cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are increasing worldwide due to unhealthy lifestyle habits. Behavior change support systems (BCSS) are a new means of promoting a sustainable lifestyle change. These systems are more effective when behavior change theories are applied. The aim of this thesis to integrate well-known behavior change theories into a conceptual model of behavior change progress to form the basis for the BCSS. The research question of this thesis is: what parameters of behavior change should be included in a conceptual model of behavior change progress? The model was created by integrating concepts and their relationships from existing behavior change theories. Next, the model was the validated by experts in behavior change. The outcome is a conceptual framework that can be function as a tool for understanding causal relationship between behavior change concepts, for presenting feedback, and building automated assessments. Furthermore, the model extends already existing knowledge networks. / På grund av allmänhetens ohälsosamma vanor ökar Diabetes och kardiovaskulära sjukdomar i hela världen. Olika stödsystem för beteendeförändringar (BCSS) är ett nytt sätt att främja en hållbar livsstilsförändring. Dessa system är mer effektiva då beteendeförändringsteorier tillämpas. Syftet med denna avhandling är att integrera välkända teorier om beteendeförändring i en konceptuell modell av beteendeförändringsframsteg som kan ligga till grund för BCSS. Forskningsfrågan i denna avhandling är: Vilka parametrar för beteendeförändring ska ingå i en konceptuell modell för beteendeförändringsframsteg? Modellen skapades genom att integrera koncept och deras relationer från befintliga teorier om beteendeförändring. Resultatet är ett konceptuellt ramverk som kan fungera som ett verktyg för att förstå orsakssambandet mellan beteendeförändringsbegrepp, för att presentera feedback och för att bygga automatiserade bedömningar. Dessutom utökar modellen redan befintliga kunskapsnätverk.

No description available.

Behavioral and cognitive skills training for increasing assertive behavior in college students were compared to an equally credible expectancy-control. One significant multivariate function successfully discriminated between the behavioral and control groups, and between the cognitive and control groups. This function was interpreted as showing enhanced behavioral/cognitive construction competencies in the behavioral and cognitive groups. A second function, though not significant, suggested that the cognitive training resulted in more aggressive behavior.

This study attempted to reduce three response classes in the verbal behavior of a forty-three-year-old female graduate student. Consequences were placed on interruptions, illogical statements, and total time talking. Specifically, a response rate was taken on the three response classes, and contingent money withdrawal for exceeding defined limits was used as punishment. The treatment was generally effective in reducing interruptions, illogical statements, and total time talking to one half the baseline level, but the follow-up phase suggests that some form of maintainance procedure would be needed to maintain the rate at the lower level.

Jméno a příjmení autora: Bc. Kamila Kačmáčková Název bakalářské práce: Software approaches for development hygiene and sanitation in developing countries and influencing factors Katedra: sociální geografie a regionálního rozvoje Vedoucí bakalářské práce: Doc. RNDr. Josef Novotný, Ph.D. Rok obhajoby: 2015 Abstrakt The subject of this master thesis are software approaches for development right sanitation behavior. First part - theoretical describes hygiene and sanitation section and specific type of development projects - software approaches. Practical part of the thesis based on the systematic review describes external factors influencing sanitation behaviors. Result is summary of influencing external factors categorized into five groups: socio-cultural, economic, political, and physical-geographic and factors of current sanitation conditions Keywords Hygiene and sanitation, development countries, software approaches, behavior change, factors, context

Background: The psychology of behavior change and addictive substance users' motivation to get treatment is a topical issue in addictology. The reasons why patients enter treatment vary; they have different goals, and they differ in the degree to which they are able to reflect these goals. To understand addictive behavior, it is necessary to pay attention to all aspects that determine it, i.e. to recognize the abilities, opportunities and motivations of their behavior and their interaction. The topic of patient motivation at the very beginning of the institutional treatment process of addiction, i.e. when entering detox, was not given enough attention in the Czech Republic, despite the fact that detoxification is in many cases the first, indispensable step in starting medium-term and long-term residential treatment of addiction, and work with motivation is a method of direct work with patients. Aims: To map the motivation for treatment of addiction to addictive substances in patients voluntarily hospitalized at the Detox K20department at the Kosmonosy Psychiatric Hospital. To describe the characteristics of these patients, the differences in their motivation and compare their motivation in terms of socio-demographic data, preferential addictive substances, experience with addiction treatment and...

Um dos desafios da Inteligência Artificial aplicada em jogos é o aprendizado de comportamento, em que o objetivo é utilizar estatísticas obtidas da interação entre jogador e jogo de modo a reconhecer características particulares de um jogador ou monitorar a evolução de seu comportamento no decorrer do tempo. A maior parte dos trabalhos na área emprega modelos previamente aprendidos, por meio da utilização de algoritmos de Aprendizado de Máquina. Entretanto, são poucos os trabalhos que consideram que o comportamento de um jogador pode evoluir no tempo e que, portanto, reconhecer quando essas mudanças ocorrem é o primeiro passo para produzir jogos que se adaptam automaticamente às capacidades do jogador. Para detectar variações comportamentais em um jogador, são necessários algoritmos que processem dados de modo incremental. Esse pré-requisito motiva o estudo de algoritmos para detecção de mudanças da área de Mineração em Fluxos Contínuos de Dados. Entretanto, algumas das características dos algoritmos disponíveis na literatura inviabilizam sua aplicação direta ao problema de detecção de mudança em jogos. Visando contornar essas dificuldades, esta tese propõe duas novas abordagens para detecção de mudanças de comportamento. A primeira abordagem é baseada em um algoritmo incremental de agrupamento e detecção de novidades que é independente do número e formato dos grupos presentes nos dados e que utiliza um mecanismo de janela deslizante para detecção de mudanças de comportamento. A segunda abordagem, por outro lado, é baseada na comparação de janelas de tempo consecutivas utilizando espectrogramas gerados a partir dos dados contidos em cada janela. Os resultados experimentais utilizando simulações e dados de jogos comerciais indicam a aplicabilidade dos algoritmos propostos na tarefa de detecção de mudanças de comportamento de um jogador, assim como mostram sua vantagem em relação a outros algoritmos para detecção de mudança disponíveis na literatura / One of the challenges of Artificial Intelligence applied to games is behavior learning, where the objective is to use statistics derived from the interaction between the player and the game environment in order to recognize particular player characteristics or to monitor the evolution of a players behavior along time. The majority of work developed in this area applies models that were previously learned through the use of Machine Learning techniques. However, only a few pieces of work consider that the players behavior can evolve over time and, therefore, recognizing when behavior changes happen is the first step towards the production of games that adapt to the players needs. In order to detect changes in the behavior of a player, incremental algorithms are necessary, what motivates the study of change detection algorithms from the area of Data Stream Mining. However, some of the characteristics of the algorithms available in the literature make their application to the task of change detection in games unfeasible. To overcome these difficulties, this work proposes two new approaches for change detection. The first approach is based on an incremental clustering and novelty detection algorithm which is independent of the number and format of clusters and uses a mechanism for change detection based on sliding windows. The second approach, on the other hand, is based on the comparison of consecutive time windows using spectrograms created from the data inside each window. Experimental results using simulations and data from commercial games indicate the applicability of the proposed algorithms in the task of detecting a players changing behavior, as well as present their advantage when compared to other change detection algorithms available in the literature