Taste-rejection by predators and the evolution of unpalatability in prey

Aposematic species advertise their unpalatability to potential predators using conspicuous warning colouration. The initial evolution of aposematism is thought to occur by warningly coloured mutants emerging in an already unpalatable cryptic species. However, possessing defence chemicals is often costly, and it is difficult to understand what the selective benefits might be for a mutation causing its bearer to be defended in a population of otherwise palatable cryptic prey. One solution to this problem is that chemically defended individuals are tasted and rejected by predators, and are, therefore, more likely to survive predatory attacks than undefended individuals. Using naïve domestic chicks Gallus gallus domesticus as predators and cryptic green chick crumbs as prey, we asked whether the accuracy with which birds discriminated between palatable and unpalatable prey was affected by the palatability of the unpalatable prey (moderately or highly defended), or their frequency in the population (10 or 25%). Birds could discriminate between green prey on the basis of their defences, and showed better discrimination between palatable and unpalatable prey when defended crumbs were highly unpalatable, compared to when they were moderately unpalatable. Although there was no detectable effect of the frequency of unpalatable prey in the population on predator taste-rejection behaviour in our main analysis, frequency did appear to affect the strategies that birds used in their foraging decisions when prey were only moderately unpalatable. How birds used taste to reject prey also suggests that birds may be able to monitor and regulate their chemical intake according to the frequency and defence levels of the unpalatable prey. Taken together, these results show that avian predators can generate selection for unpalatability in cryptic prey by sampling and taste-rejecting prey, but that a relatively large chemical difference between palatable and unpalatable prey may be necessary before unpalatable prey can enjoy a selective advantage. The exact nature of this evolutionary dynamic will depend on other environmental factors, such as defence costs and prey availability, but it provides a mechanism by which defences can evolve in a cryptic population.     

施工现场工人不良职业心理与不安全行为机理研究

为探讨施工现场工人不良职业心理及不安全行为的影响关系,利用问卷调查,采用结构方程构建工作压力、不良职业心理与不安全行为的结构模型。结果表明:工作安排、工作环境、管理政策及人际关系带来的工作压力与不良职业心理及不安全行为均显著相关;个体因素带来的工作压力对不良职业心理无显著影响,但对不安全行为有显著影响;不良职业心理在工作压力与不安全行为之间起到部分中介的作用即工作压力与不安全行为之间不仅存在直接显著关系,且工作压力还可以通过产生不良职业心理从而影响不安全行为。     

Towards a sustainable future: a holistic inquiry of waste management behaviors of Singapore households

ABSTRACT

In 2018, Singapore produced a 7.7 million tonnes of waste, which is a significant amount of waste for a small nation-state. In line with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) targets 11.6 and 12.5 of the 2030 Agenda, which addresses cities’ waste generation and management impacts, we ask the question of why Singapore households are not more proactively engaged in waste minimization, despite the presence of local waste minimization public campaigns. This study is the first known study to comparatively apply and test three major theories – social psychological, social-structural, and sociocultural theories, to explain household waste management behavior in Singapore. A national survey followed by regression analysis of 303 households was conducted. In our findings, we firstly describe current trends in household waste management behaviors. Secondly, we compared each applied theory’s ability to predict households’: (1) reuse and (2) recycling of a variety of household items; and (3) recycling frequency. We obtained partial evidence supporting the role of future-orientedness and environmental identity on householders’ variety reuse and recycling. Social-structural (age cohort x income, education) and situational variables (the convenience thesis), also predicted various waste minimization behaviors. Finally, householders’ knowledge of what is recyclable affected all forms of waste minimization behaviors. In view of the study’s findings, we propose a need for targeted planning and policy interventions for different segments of the Singapore population, and different short- and longer-term measures to initiate and achieve sustained household waste minimization.     

Application of mindfulness-based stress reduction to a stress management intervention in a study of a mining sector company

Purpose. The aim of this article was to check whether mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is an effective intervention in reducing work-related stress in the case of workers in a copper mine. Methods. Sixty six employees were randomized to the experimental group (32 participants) or to the control group (34 participants). Work-related stress was measured using the job content questionnaire (JCQ) and mental health was measured using the general health questionnaire (GHQ-28) Experimental manipulation was 40-h MBSR training. Results. Multivariate repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed a significant increase of JCQ decision latitude (F?=?17.36, p?<?0.001) and social support (supervisor F?=?9.00, p?<?0.004; coworker F?=?5.61, p?<?0.020), and a significant decrease in GHQ-28 anxiety (F?=?5.28, p?<?0.079) and depression (F?=?3.95, p?<?0.048) due to the intervention. Conclusions. The study confirms that MBSR can be effective in reducing stress resulting from the external risk (and/or imagined fear) of losing one’s health or life. The use of MBSR could be recommended in health and safety activities in difficult and dangerous work conditions, such as mining, to promote workers’ well-being.     

基于累积Logistic回归模型对化工园区人群认知风险的研究

随着化工园区重大危险源集中监管的深化,政府和企业在安全生产活动中扮演着比以往更重要的角色.如何降低园区内人群对危险源的敏感性,以便在有谣言时不会伴随更大的混乱;什么样的因素对园区内人群认知风险具有显著相关性,以便政府和企业在安全生产活动中更好地发挥职能.针对上述问题,通过对江西省某化工园区进行问卷调查,所得的数据采用累积logistic模型进行分析,得出对风险认知具有显著性差异的因素.有助于政府及企业管理人员对园区内人群认知风险的了解,建议化工园区以及政府需要进一步宣传安全知识,配套安全设备等,最终降低谣言对生产活动的影响、冲击,稳定社会秩序.     

当前企业职工的违章心态及对策

分析指出了职工违章的心态 ,并提出了解决措施     

The Influence of Proximity to a National Forest on Emotions and Fire-Management Decisions

Because American national forests are managed for all citizens, it is important that researchers explore the differences and similarities between citizens living both near and far from publicly managed land. We surveyed residents living at various distances from nationally managed land to collect resident perceptions of different forest fire-management techniques, to determine public preferences for these techniques, and to examine the motivations behind these preferences. Participants both close to and far away from national forests tended to favor a multipronged approach to fire management by preferring the use of a combination of two or more fire-management techniques. There were no significant differences by proximity in participants’ self-rated emotions, types of fire-management techniques preferred, or the reasons and rationales for their preferred fire-management technique(s), indicating that the proximity variable may not be as significant as previously thought.     

Five lessons to guide more effective biodiversity conservation message framing

Communication and advocacy approaches that influence attitudes and behaviors are key to addressing conservation problems, and the way an issue is framed can affect how people view, judge, and respond to an issue. Responses to conservation interventions can also be influenced by subtle wording changes in statements that may appeal to different values, activate social norms, influence a person's affect or mood, or trigger certain biases, each of which can differently influence the resulting engagement, attitudes, and behavior. We contend that by strategically considering how conservation communications are framed, they can be made more effective with little or no additional cost. Key framing considerations include, emphasizing things that matter to the audience, evoking helpful social norms, reducing psychological distance, leveraging useful biases, and, where practicable, testing messages. These lessons will help communicators think strategically about how to frame messages for greater effect.     

企业员工心理安全感的基础性问题研究

为明晰心理安全感的研究与发展方向,进而完善心理安全感的框架结构及其理论体系。基于心理安全感的基本定义,剖析心理安全感的内涵。在此基础上,从时间、空间、主体与环境维度出发,构建心理安全感的四维结构体系;从行业类型、影响方式、工作维度、物质属性等层面出发,分析心理安全感的范畴。研究结果表明:理清心理安全感的基础性问题有助于推动人的心理状况与行为规律研究,其研究内容主要包括理论基础与应用实践。