Arthropod predators often use prey and conspecific cues to make foraging decisions. Calosoma wilcoxi (Leconte) is a voracious predatory beetle that specializes on lepidopteran larvae often found in the forest canopy, including the fall cankerworm. This study tested the hypothesis that C. wilcoxi uses olfactory cues to detect prey and conspecifics. A Y-tube olfactometer was used to test attractiveness to larvae, larval frass, conspecific cues, and volatiles from herbivore-damaged white oak leaves. C. wilcoxi did not preferentially choose the treatment in any of the experiments. There was no difference in mean time spent in the treatment or control arm for any of the cues assayed. The time to choose the treatment was significantly shorter in the female conspecific experiment only. I found no evidence that C. wilcoxi uses olfaction to locate prey; however, C. wilcoxi is attracted to conspecifics. C. wilcoxi may use conspecific cues to make informed foraging decisions.

This study used variables from the Protective Action Decision Model to guide data collection about 262 residents' responses to the 2009 Samoa M8.1 earthquake and tsunami. The results show that earthquake shaking, combined with knowledge that this can cause a tsunami, was the most common source of first awareness about a possible tsunami and that broadcast media were the most common first social sources of warnings. Radio was an important source of additional information, as were face-to-face contacts and phone calls. Contrary to previous research, few of the recommended elements of a warning message were communicated to those at risk and none of these message elements was significantly correlated with evacuation. Nonetheless, two thirds of coastal residents and half of inland residents began evacuations within 15. min after the earthquake. Those who had participated in earthquake hazard awareness meetings had higher risk perceptions but were no more likely to evacuate to higher ground or evacuate promptly. This study's results are broadly consistent with previous findings on disaster response but raise a number of unresolved questions about behavioral response to rapid onset disasters.

In an earlier project completed in our laboratory a seasonal fluctuation in Phosphoglucomutase (PGM) phenotype frequencies was found, so that the winter bees were almost all heterozygotes and long lived than the summer bees among which homozygotes were significantly at high frequencies at Pgm locus. Same results were obtained in populations of three subspecies, A. m. meda, A. m. caucasica, and A. m. carnica from different climatic regions. In the current study environmental cues related with seasonal change in PGM phenotype frequency was examined along with the correlation between PGM heterozygosity and overwintering success. Cessation of food influx was found to be effective by itself as an environmental cue that causes a sudden and sharp increase in PGM heterozygosity. In addition to that, PGM heterozygosity of the colonies with greater overwintering success was found to be significantly higher than the ones with intermediate or low overwintering success. Benefiting from the previous studies and the results of current study, ethyl oleate was suggested as a chemical signal that functions in the regulation of PGM heterozygosity.

Many environmental cues are thought to influence nest site selection by loggerhead sea turtles, Caretta caretta, and much debate exists over the possible influence of sand temperature. This study had two primary objectives: (1) to measure thermal differences across transects of a major nesting beach of Casey Key (28.7 N, 82.3 W), Florida and (2) to evaluate thermal pattern variation that influenced nesting patterns of adult female loggerhead sea turtles. A secondary objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of infrared thermometers to collect sand surface temperatures in the field. Temperature data were collected from 145 nest events and 8 false crawls in the 2008 and 2009 nesting seasons. Infrared thermometers and thermocouple probes were used to obtain surface temperatures from the water, waterline, beach sand, body pit attempts, nest chamber attempts, eggs, and the surface of the gular skin of the nesting female, within the crawl track created by the female and at one meter adjacent to the crawl track (from undisturbed sand). Weather influences at the time of nesting were recorded, including the presence or absence of rain, wind, or clouds. Beach slope was measured using an angle locator. Temperature data from the infrared thermometer and the thermocouple probe were highly correlated, indicating that an infrared thermometer is an effective measurement tool on a nesting beach. In 2008, there was a significant difference between temperatures collected within the crawl tracks of false crawl events and nest events, indicating a potential for females to use thermal cues in choosing whether to false crawl or nest. In both nesting seasons, the sand temperature in the body pit and the surface of the gular skin of the nesting female were nearly identical, suggesting females may locate a suitable nest site using their skin temperature. Data collected at other loggerhead rookeries in the United States and Australia yielded similar results, however, variability in the use of temperature may arise seasonally, and according to different nesting environments. Rain, wind and cloud cover significantly thermally altered several locations on Casey Key, but it remains unclear if these weather events significant affect turtle nesting behavior. Additionally, crawl distance and beach slope were significantly, positively correlated. Gravid females most likely use multiple environmental cues to select a nest site. Assimilating information from multiple sources allows for the highest degree of adaptability, and future studies should consider implications for climate change and beach renourishment projects.

University students have low levels of fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC). There is a paucity of research about changing FVC in this population, including the specific use of environmental cues to influence behaviour change. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of a cue (a modified plate design and/or plate size) on FVC while exploring explicit cognitions and attitudes in first year undergraduates. Methods: This study utilized an experimental pre-post randomized control group design across six weeks, with two recruitment waves. First year full-time University students living off campus and consuming less than six servings of fruits and vegetables were eligible. Participants (n=39) were randomly assigned to intervention with an 8-inch dinner plate displaying recommended portion sizes, with an 8-inch dinner plate with no design, or a control group. All participants completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), 24-hour food recall (24Hr), demographics, anthropometry and intentions toward FVC, with intervention groups receiving a lesson on Canada’s Food Guide in addition to their plate. Results: Eight out of twelve outcome measures had meaningful time by group effect sizes (ɳ2>0.06). For fruit frequency (per day), the effect was statistically significant (p=0.03). Adherence to plate use varied (design plate: 0.69±2.38 to 4.23±5.55 times per week; plain plate 3.39±7.31 to 12.80±7.89 times per week) but was low in the designed plate condition (average 4 use: 2.46±3.88 times per week). Baseline intention, affective and instrumental attitudes, perceived behavioural control, subjective norms and automaticity did not predict FVC. Conclusion: An environmental cue in the form of a modified dinner plate may significantly influence fruit and vegetable consumption in young adults. Change occurred despite low plate use, which appears to indicate that the role of the plate was more explicit; participants may have become more consciously aware of portion size because of the plate cue. It also appeared, based on effect sizes, that affective attitudes, subjective norms and automaticity may have been influenced. This pilot study established the effect sizes needed to power a larger randomized controlled trial and fully test the impact of the environmental cue. / Graduate / 0573 / 0570 / 0680 / hmrose@uvic.ca

The purpose of the study was to investigate the assumptions that underpin contemporary hospital infection control programs from the perspective of the influence of clinical culture on the integration and ownership of the infection control program. The results of numerous studies have linked low levels of adherence with infection control principles amongst health care providers as the most significant factor contributing to nosocomial infection. Despite early successes in reducing nosocomial infection rates, results derived from current research demonstrate that nosocomial infection has remained a challenge to healthcare providers and patients alike and outbreaks are regularly reported in the infection control literature. Serious economic and social impact has resulted from the increasing levels of antibiotic resistance that have been reported amongst pathogens associated with nosocomial infection. This interpretive study takes an ethnographic approach, using multiple data sources to provide insight into the culture and context of infection control practice drawing upon clinicians' work and the clinician's perspective. There were three approaches to data collection. A postal survey of surgeons was conducted, a group of nurses participated in a quality activity, and a clinical ethnography was conducted in an intensive care unit and an operating theatre complex. Data were analysed in accordance with the qualitative and quantitative approaches to data management. Findings indicate that the clinical culture exerts significant influence over the degree to which the infection control program activities change practice and that rather than imposing the infection control program on the clinical practice setting from outside, sustained practice change is more likely to be achieved if the motivation and impetus for change is culturally based. Moreover surveillance, if it is to influence clinicians and their practice, must provide confidence in its accuracy. It must be meaningful to them and linked to patient care outcomes. Contemporary hospital infection control programs, based on assumptions about a combination of surveillance and control activities have resulted in decreased nosocomial infection rates. However, sustained infection control practice change has not been achieved despite the application of a range of surveillance and control strategies. This research project has utilized an ethnographic approach to provide an emic perspective of infection control practice within a range of practice contexts. The findings from this study are significant within the context of spiraling health costs and increasing antibiotic resistance associated with nosocomial infection.

Submitted by Silvia Marcomini (silvia.marcomini92@gmail.com) on 2017-01-02T17:04:57Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Silvia Marcomini - Master's thesis.pdf: 1575837 bytes, checksum: 65fcc8bc9b5ee94136369fc95e8d707b (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Janete de Oliveira Feitosa (janete.feitosa@fgv.br) on 2017-01-04T13:07:05Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Silvia Marcomini - Master's thesis.pdf: 1575837 bytes, checksum: 65fcc8bc9b5ee94136369fc95e8d707b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-01-17T13:31:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Silvia Marcomini - Master's thesis.pdf: 1575837 bytes, checksum: 65fcc8bc9b5ee94136369fc95e8d707b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-12-16 / The literature shows that shopping environment has an impact on various consumer behaviors, and that favourable environmental cues are associated with higher customer’ quality perception and willingness to pay. I investigated and found that this is true only when consumers are in a positive mood. When they are in a negative mood, consumers infer higher quality from a discount-looking shop. A between-design experimental survey has been conducted to analyze the impact of shopping environment, mood and shopping motivation on customers’ perception of quality and willingness to pay. Two mood conditions (positive/negative) have been created and induced to respondents at the beginning of the survey, along with two shopping environment conditions (upscale-looking/discount-looking) based on design, scent and sales personnel factors. Results show that shopping environment does not impact significantly the dependent variables but it interacts significantly with mood to determine quality perception; shopping motivation impacts significantly both quality perception and willingness to pay. / A literatura existente mostra que o ambiente do local onde se realizam compras impactua o comportamento do consumidor e que certos elementos favoráveis presentes neste local, estão associados a uma maior perceção de qualidade e uma maior disposição para comprar por parte dos consumidores. A autora investigou e descobriu que esta afirmação apenas se confirma quando os consumidores estão com bom-humor. Se em contrapartida, os consumidores estiverem com mau-humor, são os próprios que inferem uma maior qualidade aos produtos que sejam comprados numa loja de descontos. Realizou-se um questionário experimental para analisar o impacto do ambiente do local de compras, humor e motivação na perceção de qualidade e na disposição para comprar dos consumidores. Duas condições de humor (positivas / negativas) foram criadas e induzidas aos inquiridos no início do questionário, juntamente com duas condições de ambiente de compras (de alto nível / com desconto) baseadas em fatores como o design do espaço, o aroma e os empregados do local. Os resultados mostram que o ambiente do local de compras não afeta significativamente as variáveis dependentes, mas interage significativamente com o humor para determinar a perceção de qualidade dos produtos por parte dos consumidores. Por outro lado, a motivação para comprar afeta claramente tanto a perceção quanto a disposição para comprar.

Os humanos têm enfrentado a escolha entre preferências por traços femininos e masculinos, isto é, entre investimentos diretos (cuidado parental) e indiretos (qualidade genética) na reprodução, respectivamente, o que afeta a percepção de atratividade e indica qualidades biossociais. A FM é influenciada principalmente por hormônios reprodutivos, mas sua percepção é mediada por: 1) contextos biopsicossociais (autopercepção e percepção por terceiros), 2) múltiplos canais de informação (visual e vocal) e/ou 3) ameaças ambientais (patógenos e escassez de recursos). Estudos anteriores possuem limitações, como ausência de clareza quanto à associação entre autopercepção e percepção por terceiros da FM; incongruência nas informações das faces e vozes dos homens; e estudos focando principalmente nas preferências das mulheres por faces e vozes manipuladas digitalmente e usando um modelo de escolha forçada. Assim, examinamos: (a) possíveis associações entre percepções subjetivas (autopercepção e percepção por terceiros da FM e atratividade) e FM medida; (b) concordância na FM de mulheres e homens percebida por terceiros; e (c) influência de patógenos (PT) e escassez de recursos (ER) nas preferências pela FM no sexo oposto. Tiramos fotos faciais e gravamos vozes e danças de público-alvo de 41 mulheres e 38 homens e medimos o dimorfismo sexual da forma facial, a frequência fundamental vocal e o etograma das danças. Estes participantes também autoavaliaram sua FM e atratividade faciais, vocais e comportamentais. Posteriormente, 64 (43 mulheres) e 51 (28 mulheres) estudantes avaliaram respectivamente a FM e atratividade dos estímulos do público-alvo. Com as avaliações da FM escolhemos os cinco mais masculinos e os cinco mais femininos para cada estímulo, dentro de cada sexo. Finalmente, 370 estudantes (206 mulheres) leram um artigo de jornal da condição controle e um dos artigos da condição ambiental (PT ou ER); o artigo PT era sobre o Aedes aegypti, enquanto o artigo ER era sobre a crise econômica brasileira. Os participantes foram aleatoriamente designados para o contexto de relacionamento de curto ou longo prazo. Após cada artigo, os voluntários avaliaram a atratividade dos estímulos do público-alvo individualmente. Cada amostra conteve diferentes estudantes do estado de São Paulo com 18 a 35 anos. As percepções subjetivas das mulheres não refletiram as percepções dos terceiros nem as medidas objetivas. Todavia, a FM facial e 8 vocal delas se correlacionou, sugerindo concordância informacional. Diferentemente, as autoavaliações dos homens e as avaliações de terceiros quanto à FM e atratividade se correlacionaram. Ademais, o tom de voz mais masculino se associou com a FM autodeclarada e declarada por terceiros. Entretanto, as avaliações de terceiros quanto à FM facial e vocal não se relacionaram, indicando mensagens distintas. Além disso, no contexto de longo prazo, as mulheres preferiram um mosaico entre faces masculinas e vozes femininas após a ER. Os homens, por sua vez, preferiram vozes masculinas, sugerindo preferência por parceiros com maior acesso a recursos. Não houve efeito da condição PT no contexto de curto prazo, indicando a influência do modelo experimental. Finalmente, as danças não produziram qualquer efeito, sugerindo um desenvolvimento diferente das faces e vozes / During evolution, humans faced the trade-off between preferences for feminine and masculine traits which are connected to direct (parental care) and indirect (genetic quality) investments into reproduction, respectively. Therefore, femininity-masculinity (FM) affects perceived attractiveness and indicates biosocial qualities. Physiological and morphological FM are primarily influenced by reproductive hormones; however, its perception can be mediated by: 1) biopsychosocial contexts (e.g. self- and other-perception), 2) multiple channels of information (e.g. visual and vocal information), and 3) environmental threats (e.g. pathogens and resource scarcity). However, previous studies show limitations. Firstly, it is unclear if self- and other-rated FM are associated. Secondly, results suggest that womens faces and voices present concordant information about their FM; however, mixed results are found for men. Finally, studies mainly focus on womens preferences for digitally manipulated male faces and voices in a forced-choice design. Thus, we examined: (a) possible associations between subjective perceptions (i.e. self- and other-rated FM and attractiveness), and measured FM; (b) whether womens and mens FM is concordantly perceived by third-party raters; and (c) the influence of pathogen threat (PT) and resource threat (RT) on womens and mens preference for FM in the opposite sex. We took facial photos, and recorded voices and dances of a target sample of 41 women and 38 men and we measured sexual dimorphism of facial shape, vocal fundamental frequency, and ethogram of videos. These participants also self-rated their facial, vocal, and behavioral FM and attractiveness. Later, 64 (43 women) and 51 (28 women) students independently rated facial, vocal and behavioral FM and attractiveness of the target sample, respectively. Finally, 370 (206 women) students were primed with newspaper-like articles on either PT (Aedes aegypti, and its mosquito-borne diseases) or RT (Brazilian economic crisis), and compared to a control condition (lions poisoned in a Kenyan Reserve). Participants were randomly assigned either for a short- or long-term relationship. After each priming article, participants rated attractiveness of the five most masculine and the five most feminine stimuli of the opposite sex of the target sample in a standalone-rating design. Each sample was independent and comprised students, aged 18-35 years, from universities across the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. In women, results showed that 10 subjective perceptions did not reflect perceptions of others or objective measures. However, womens facial and vocal FM correlated positively, suggesting concordant information about mate quality. In contrast, mens self-rated FM and attractiveness correlated with third-party ratings, and male voice pitch correlated with self- and other-rated FM. Nevertheless, other-ratings on mens FM did not correlated, indicating multiple messages. Finally, for long-term context, women preferred a mosaic of mens masculine faces and feminine voices after primed with RT condition. Men, however, preferred masculine female voices, suggesting a preference for partners with easier access to resources. There was no effect of PT condition in short-term context, indicating the influence of the study design. Finally, no effect was found for dances, suggesting a different development than faces and voices