The ability of queens and males of most ant species to disperse by flight has fundamentally contributed to the group’s evolutionary and ecological success and is a determining factor to take into account for biogeogr...The ability of queens and males of most ant species to disperse by flight has fundamentally contributed to the group’s evolutionary and ecological success and is a determining factor to take into account for biogeographic studies(Wagner and Liebherr 1992;Peeters and Ito 2001;Helms 2018).展开更多
Two widespread bird species in Sri Lanka’s dry zone,Pycnonotus cafer(Red-vented Bulbul,RVBB)and Pycnonotus luteolus(White-browed Bulbul,WBBB),were studied to understand their foraging dynamics and ecology.The researc...Two widespread bird species in Sri Lanka’s dry zone,Pycnonotus cafer(Red-vented Bulbul,RVBB)and Pycnonotus luteolus(White-browed Bulbul,WBBB),were studied to understand their foraging dynamics and ecology.The research was conducted from October 2022 to February 2023 in Mihintale Sanctuary(80.30′11.24″E,8.21′04.63″N)and the Faculty of Applied Sciences,Rajarata University of Sri Lanka(80.502206″E,8.353090″N).Data were obtained through focal sampling,opportunistic observations,and mist netting.Both species predominantly foraged on twigs,using gleaning as the dominant food-handling technique.RVBB foraged mostly at the canopy level,while WBBB foraged primarily at the sub-canopy level.Fruits constituted the major food type for both species.RVBB and WBBB utilized 10 and 7 plant species,respectively,with Grewia helicterifolia being the primary foraging plant.Minimal foraging was observed on Croton sp.(RVBB)and Hugonia mistax(WBBB).The correlation between nutritional components and the consumption of both species revealed a preference for foods with lower protein,higher fat,and ash content.There was no linear correlation between gape width and fruit size(r=-0.21,P=0.69)for both species.The standardized dietary niche breadth indicated both species are specialists,with a high pairwise dietary niche overlap(0.9854).These findings highlight the niche-specific foraging adaptations of RVBB and WBBB within Mihintale,emphasizing their distinct strategies in utilizing plant species,fruit sizes,and foraging heights.Understanding such ecological dynamics is essential for habitat conservation efforts and ensuring the availability of key foraging resources for these species in the dry zone.展开更多
Objective This study explored the job choice preferences of Center for Disease Prevention and Control(CDC)workers to provide CDC management information and recommendations for optimizing employee retention and motivat...Objective This study explored the job choice preferences of Center for Disease Prevention and Control(CDC)workers to provide CDC management information and recommendations for optimizing employee retention and motivation policies.Methods A discrete choice experiment was conducted in nine provinces across China.Seven key attributes were identified to analyze the job preferences of CDC workers.Mixed logit models,latent class models,and policy simulation tools were used.Results A valid sample of 5,944 cases was included in the analysis.All seven attributes significantly influenced the job choices of CDC workers.Heterogeneity analyses identified two main groups based on different levels of preference for attribute utility.Income-prioritizers were concerned with income and opportunities for career development,whereas bianzhi-prioritizers were concerned with bianzhi and welfare benefits.The policy simulation analysis revealed that income-prioritizers had a relatively higher sensitivity to multiple job preference incentives.Conclusion Income and bianzhi were the two key attributes influencing the job choices and retention preferences of CDC workers.Heterogeneity in job preferences was also identified.Based on the preference characteristics of different subgroups,policy content should be skewed to differentiate the importance of incentives.展开更多
In order to study the preferred skin color for printing images,two CMYK images from ISO 400 and one from iStock,including five skin color images of East Asian females was selected in this study.The images were adjuste...In order to study the preferred skin color for printing images,two CMYK images from ISO 400 and one from iStock,including five skin color images of East Asian females was selected in this study.The images were adjusted with the CMYK printing ink volume variation of the single,double and triple channels in the given 280%total ink limit conditions.A larger number of color vision normal observers were organized to carry out the color preference evaluation experiment,and the selected preferred skin colors were analyzed.The distribution range of the chromaticity values for skin color images were obtained and the results indicated that there are three regions for printing skin color preferences,and the observers have a memory preference for brighter,fairer skin colors in young female and a reddish skin colors in girl,which can provide the guidance for color adjustment of printed skin color images.展开更多
By using the Chinese stock market data from 2018 to 2024,the weak association between structural trends stocks and market index under investors’preference effect in trading cause the market is lack of liquidity and m...By using the Chinese stock market data from 2018 to 2024,the weak association between structural trends stocks and market index under investors’preference effect in trading cause the market is lack of liquidity and more likely to be dominated by structural trends,as in this market,the willingness to engage in passive trading exceeds that for active trading and investors’preference easy to reverse toward market volatility.The lack of incremental capital in the market often leads to sector-specific rallies rather than broad-based increases,which is one of the key reasons why the Chinese stock market has struggled to achieve overall growth over the long-term period.展开更多
Plant roots interact with diverse fungi that are essential for maintaining the productivity and sustainability of pasture ecosystems,but how these root-associated fungi(RAF)differ between forage species and how they r...Plant roots interact with diverse fungi that are essential for maintaining the productivity and sustainability of pasture ecosystems,but how these root-associated fungi(RAF)differ between forage species and how they respond to nutrient enrichment and fungicide application are not well understood.Here,we constructed an 11-year experiment involving fungicide application(with or without)nested within four levels of experimental nitrogen(N)addition treatments in an alpine pasture,and the RAF communities,root traits,tissue nutrients,and shoot biomass of two dominant forage species(Carex capillifolia and Elymus nutans)were analyzed.The RAF community composition showed striking differences between the plant species and was strongly affected by both N addition level and fungicide applications.Fungicide,but not N application,dramatically reduced the RAF richness of all functional guilds in both plant species,and fungicide also simplified the co-occurrence network of the RAF for C.capillifolia.The RAF community correlated strongly with root traits,whereas their relationships became weakened or even vanished at the level of the individual plant species.The importance of RAF to plant nutrients and productivity varied between plant species,with significant contributions in C.capillifolia but not in E.nutans.This is the first report elucidating the long-term effect of fungicides on RAF in alpine pastures,and our findings emphasize the host-specific responses of RAF community structure and function to anthropogenic disturbances.展开更多
Objective Although dietary preferences influence chronic diseases,few studies have linked dietary preferences to mortality risk,particularly in large cohorts.To investigate the relationship between dietary preferences...Objective Although dietary preferences influence chronic diseases,few studies have linked dietary preferences to mortality risk,particularly in large cohorts.To investigate the relationship between dietary preferences and mortality risk(all-cause,cancer,and cardiovascular disease[CVD])in a large adult cohort.Methods A cohort of 1,160,312 adults(mean age 62.48±9.55)from the Shenzhen Healthcare Big Data Cohort(SHBDC)was analyzed.Hazard ratios(HRs)for mortality were estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model.Results The study identified 12,308 all-cause deaths,of which 3,865(31.4%)were cancer-related and 3,576(29.1%)were attributed to CVD.Compared with a mixed diet of meat and vegetables,a mainly meat-based diet(hazard ratio[HR]=1.13;95%confidence interval[CI]:1.02,1.27)associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality,while mainly vegetarian(HR=0.87;95%CI:0.78,0.97)was linked to a reduced risk.Furthermore,there was a stronger correlation between mortality risk and dietary preference in the>65 age range.Conclusion A meat-based diet was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality,whereas a mainly vegetarian diet was linked to a reduced risk.展开更多
A deep learning access controlmodel based on user preferences is proposed to address the issue of personal privacy leakage in social networks.Firstly,socialusers andsocialdata entities are extractedfromthe social netw...A deep learning access controlmodel based on user preferences is proposed to address the issue of personal privacy leakage in social networks.Firstly,socialusers andsocialdata entities are extractedfromthe social networkandused to construct homogeneous and heterogeneous graphs.Secondly,a graph neural networkmodel is designed based on user daily social behavior and daily social data to simulate the dissemination and changes of user social preferences and user personal preferences in the social network.Then,high-order neighbor nodes,hidden neighbor nodes,displayed neighbor nodes,and social data nodes are used to update user nodes to expand the depth and breadth of user preferences.Finally,a multi-layer attention network is used to classify user nodes in the homogeneous graph into two classes:allow access and deny access.The fine-grained access control problem in social networks is transformed into a node classification problem in a graph neural network.The model is validated using a dataset and compared with other methods without losing generality.The model improved accuracy by 2.18%compared to the baseline method GraphSAGE,and improved F1 score by 1.45%compared to the baseline method,verifying the effectiveness of the model.展开更多
BACKGROUND Primary thumb carpometacarpal(CMC)osteoarthritis is one of the most common conditions encountered by hand surgeons.Of the vast number of operations that have been proposed,none have demonstrated results sig...BACKGROUND Primary thumb carpometacarpal(CMC)osteoarthritis is one of the most common conditions encountered by hand surgeons.Of the vast number of operations that have been proposed,none have demonstrated results significantly superior to trapeziectomy alone.AIM The purpose of our study was to determine why surgeons opt for their technique in treating CMC arthritis.METHODS A cross-sectional survey of active members of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand was conducted to evaluate the reasons behind their preferred technique in the treatment of isolated thumb CMC arthritis.Surgeons were contacted by email once and provided with a link to a de-identified survey consisting of 5 treatment questions and 5 demographic questions.RESULTS Of 950 responses were received.40.5%of surgeons preferred trapeziectomy+ligament reconstruction tendon interposition(LRTI),followed by trapeziectomy+suspensionplasty(28.2%),suture button suspension(5.9%),trapeziectomy alone(4.6%),prosthetic arthroplasty(3.2%),arthrodesis(1.1%),and other(6.6%).Proponents of trapeziectomy+LRTI cited familiarity(73.2%),exposure during fellowship(48.8%)and less proximal migration(60%)to be the main reasons affecting their decision.Surgeons who preferred trapeziectomy+suspensionplasty most reported simplicity(74.9%),fewer complications(45.3%),less proximal migration(43.8%),and avoidance of autogenous tissue harvest(42.7%).Advocates of suture button suspension cited avoidance of autogenous tissue harvest(80.4%),shorter immobilization(76.8%),and quicker recovery(73.2%)with their technique.Advocates of trapeziectomy alone cited simplicity(97.7%),fewer complications(86.4%),and avoidance of autogenous tissue harvest(59.1%).In their comments,45%of surgeons choosing trapeziectomy alone cited evidence as an additional rationale.Advocates of prosthetic arthroplasty cited improved pinch strength(83.3%)and improved range of motion(63.3%),while those preferring arthrodesis cited better pinch strength(90%)and frequently in their comments,durability.Of the surgeons who preferred a technique other than LRTI,41.8%reported they had tried LRTI in the past,citing complexity of the procedure,flexor carpi radialis harvest,and longer operative time as reasons for moving on.CONCLUSION Our study provides an update on current treatment trends and offers new insight into the reasons behind surgeons'decision making in the management of thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis.Despite strong Level 1 evidence supporting the use of trapeziectomy alone,our findings demonstrate that most surgeons continue to supplement trapeziectomy with other techniques such as LRTI or suspensionplasty.Several factors including familiarity,personal experience(Level 4 evidence),and comfort may be more influential than Level 1 evidence in determining the techniques in a surgeon's armamentarium.Further prospective studies are needed to determine the optimal technique for surgical management of Eaton stages II-IV CMC arthritis and how these studies will affect surgeons’choice.展开更多
Introduction: Females with sickle cell disease (SCD), despite having a delayed pubertal development, are subject to many worries relating to their abilities to conceive, their capacity to maintain a maternofetal-risk-...Introduction: Females with sickle cell disease (SCD), despite having a delayed pubertal development, are subject to many worries relating to their abilities to conceive, their capacity to maintain a maternofetal-risk-free pregnancy till term and give birth to healthy children without sickle cell disease. Knowing that unplanned pregnancies are more likely to increase maternofetal morbidity and mortality, we sought out to explore the pregnancy preferences in female patients with sickle cell disease to promote healthy conception and childbirth in this vulnerable population. Methodology: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving female patients of child-bearing age with sickle cell disease followed at Laquintinie Hospital Douala or who were members of a local sickle cell association. Pregnancy preferences were determined using the Desire to Avoid Pregnancy (DAP) scale. Factors associated with pregnancy preferences were determined using multivariable linear regression model. Threshold for significance was set at p Results: Seventy-seven patients were included with a mean age of 24.71 ± 5.53 years. Forty patients (51.95%) had one sexual partner and thirteen women (32.5%) used contraceptive methods. Most patients (46.0%) responded “Strongly Agree” or “Agree” to the statement “it would be a good thing for me if I became pregnant in the next 3 months”. The mean DAP score was 1.63 ± 0.91 [1.28 ± 0.82 in those who had a sexual partner and 1.99 ± 0.86 in those who had no sexual partner]. Factors that were positively associated with DAP score were students (b = 0.32, 95% CI [0.21, 0.95], p = 0.003), monthly income ≥ 100,000 FCFA (b = 0.24, 95% CI [0.07, 0.81], p = 0.022), and not having a sexual partner (b = 0.26, 95% CI [0.11, 0.85], p = 0.012). Conclusion: Most female patients with SCD have a low desire to avoid pregnancy. This is especially true for patients who are not students, have a partner and have a low monthly income.展开更多
Enzymes with active sites involving histidine selectively utilize either theδ-orε-nitrogen atom(N_(δ)or N_(ε))of the histidine imidazole for catalysis.However,evaluating the impact of N_(δ)and N_(ε)is difficult,...Enzymes with active sites involving histidine selectively utilize either theδ-orε-nitrogen atom(N_(δ)or N_(ε))of the histidine imidazole for catalysis.However,evaluating the impact of N_(δ)and N_(ε)is difficult,and directly integrating noncanonical Nmethylated histidine within enzymes poses risks due to laborious procedures.In this study,we present the self-assembly of Fmoc-Histidine(Fmoc-His)with hemin to create a peroxidase-mimetic catalyst,in which either the N_(ε)or N_(δ)of histidine is methylated to modify the tautomeric preferences,thereby tuning hemin catalysis.UV-vis spectra,^(1)H-NMR,and fluorescence experiments elucidate that the Nmethylation of histidine alters the self-assembly propensity of Fmoc-His,and affects the binding affinity of histidine to hemin iron,with Fmoc-_(δm)His/hemin exhibiting stronger binding than Fmoc-_(εm)His/hemin.Theoretical simulation results suggest that_(εm)His and_(δm)His ligation produce a saddled structure and planar structure of hemin,respectively,stemming from the disparity of steric hindrance at the N_(ε)and N_(δ)positions.The significant inhibition of hemin's oxidative activity by Fmoc-_(δm)His is observed,likely due to the strong binding of Fmoc-_(δm)His,potentially hindering access of the substrate,H_(2)O_(2),to the hemin iron.Conversely,Fmoc-_(εm)His enhances hemin catalysis,surpassing even Fmoc-His alone.This differential impact of Fmoc-_(εm)His and Fmoc-_(δm)His on hemin activity is further corroborated by apparent activation energy and kinetic parameters(k_(cat),k_(cat)/K_(m)).This study sheds light on the heterogeneous biological effects at the nitrogen positions of histidine imidazole and offers insights into designing supramolecular metalloenzymes.展开更多
AIM:To identify current trends in anaesthesia technique for cataract surgery and make this information available to ophthalmologists.METHODS:An electronic survey was created and distributed to members of online ophtha...AIM:To identify current trends in anaesthesia technique for cataract surgery and make this information available to ophthalmologists.METHODS:An electronic survey was created and distributed to members of online ophthalmology forums;results were subsequently analysed in spreadsheet software.RESULTS:In total there were 71 completed surveys.The most preferred anaesthesia technique in cataract cases was topical anaesthesia with intracameral injection(n=34,47.9%),and the least preferred techniques were retrobulbar(n=1,1.4%) and peribulbar blocks(n=1,1.4%).The most commonly preferred local anaesthetic was lidocaine 2%(n=41,57.7%).CONCLUSION:Topical anaesthesia techniques with lidocaine 2% appear to be the most preferred method of anaesthesia in cataract surgery in our survey.Compared with previous literature our survey shows that topical anaesthesia is being increasingly used in cataract surgery,especially in conjunction with intracameral injection.The predominant reasons for this seem to be patient comfort and ease of technique.展开更多
In this work, we make an investigation on the preferences of orientations between amino acids using the orientation defined based on the local geometry of the amino acids concerned. It is found that there are common p...In this work, we make an investigation on the preferences of orientations between amino acids using the orientation defined based on the local geometry of the amino acids concerned. It is found that there are common preferences of orientations （70°, 30°, 140°） and （110°, 340°, 100°） for various pairs of amino acids. Different side chains may strengthen or weaken the common preferences, which is related to the effect of packing. Some amino acids having specific local flexibility may possess some preferences of orientations besides the common ones, such as （10°, 280°, 210°）. Another analysis on the pairs of the amino acids with different secondary-structure preferences shows that the directional interaction may affect the distribution of orientation more effectively than the packing or local flexibility. All these results provide us some insight of the organization of amino acids in protein, and their relation with some related interactions.展开更多
As a physical model, the cellular automata （CA） model is widely used in many areas, such as stair evacuation. However, existing CA models do not consider evacuees＇ walk preferences nor psychological status, and the...As a physical model, the cellular automata （CA） model is widely used in many areas, such as stair evacuation. However, existing CA models do not consider evacuees＇ walk preferences nor psychological status, and the structure of the basic model is unapplicable for the stair structure. This paper is to improve the stair evacuation simulation by addressing these issues, and a new cellular automata model is established. Several evacuees＇ walk preference and how evacuee＇s psychology influences their behaviors are introduced into this model. Evacuees＇ speeds will be influenced by these features. To validate this simulation, two fire drills held in two high-rise buildings are video-recorded. It is found that the simulation results are similar to the fire drill results. The structure of this model is simple, and it is easy to further develop and utilize in different buildings with various kinds of occupants.展开更多
Considering that the assumption of time consistency does not adequately reveal the mechanisms of exit decisions of venture capital(VC),this study proposes two kinds of time-inconsistent preferences(i.e.,time-flow inco...Considering that the assumption of time consistency does not adequately reveal the mechanisms of exit decisions of venture capital(VC),this study proposes two kinds of time-inconsistent preferences(i.e.,time-flow inconsistency and time-point incon-sistency)to advance research in this field.Time-flow inconsistency is in line with the previous time inconsistency literature,while time-point inconsistency is rooted in the VC fund’s finite lifespan.Based on the assumption about the strategies guiding future behaviors,we consider four types of venture capitalists:time-consistent,time-point-inconsistent,naïve,and sophisticated venture capitalists,of which the latter three are time-inconsistent.We derive and compare the exit thresholds of these four types of venture capitalists.The main results include:(1)time-inconsistent preferences acceler-ate the exits of venture capitalists;(2)the closer the VC funds expiry dates are,t`he more likely time-inconsistent venture capitalists are to accelerate their exits;and(3)future selves caused by time-flow inconsistency weaken the effect of time-point inconsist-ency.Our study provides a behavioral explanation for the empirical fact of young VCs’grandstanding.展开更多
Farmers’contract breach behavior is cited as one of the major stumbling blocks in the sustainable expansion of contract farming in many developing countries.This paper examines farmers’contract breach decisions from...Farmers’contract breach behavior is cited as one of the major stumbling blocks in the sustainable expansion of contract farming in many developing countries.This paper examines farmers’contract breach decisions from the perspective of time preferences.The empirical analysis is based on a household survey and economic field experiments of poultry households participating in contract farming conducted in Jiangsu Province,China.A discounted utility model and a maximum likelihood technique are applied to estimate farmers’time preferences and the effect of time preferences on contract breach in the production and sales phases are explored with a bivariate probit model.The results show that,on average,the poultry farmers in the sample are generally present biased and impatient regarding future utility.The regression results show that farmers with a higher preference for the present and a higher discount rate are more likely to breach contracts,and time preferences play a greater role in the production phase than in the sales phase.When considering heterogeneity,specific investments and transaction costs promote contract stability only for farmers with a low degree of impatience.Moreover,compared with large-scale farmers,small-scale farmers’contract breach decisions are more significantly affected by their time preferences.These results have implications for contract stability policies and other issues that are impacted by the linking of behavioral preferences to agricultural decisions.展开更多
Climate change which is mainly caused by carbon emissions is a global problem affecting the economic development and well-being of human society.Low-carbon agriculture is of particular significance in slowing down glo...Climate change which is mainly caused by carbon emissions is a global problem affecting the economic development and well-being of human society.Low-carbon agriculture is of particular significance in slowing down global warming and reaching the goal of“carbon peak and carbon neutrality”.Therefore,taking straw incorporation as an example,this paper aims to investigate the impact of risk preferences on farmers’low-carbon agricultural technology(LCAT)adoption.Based on a two-phase micro-survey data of 1038 rice farmers in Jiangsu,Jiangxi,and Hunan provinces,this paper uses experimental economics methods to measure farmers’risk aversion and loss aversion to obtain the real risk preferences information of the farmers.We also explore the data to examine the actual LCAT adoption behavior of farmers.The results revealed that both risk aversion and loss aversion significantly inhibit farmers’LCAT adoption:more risk-averse or more loss-averse farmers are less likely to adopt LCAT.It is further found that crop insurance,farm scale and governmental regulations can alleviate the negative impact of risk aversion and loss aversion on farmers’LCAT adoption.Therefore,we propose that local governments need to promote low-carbon agricultural development by propagating the benefits of LCAT,extending crop insurance,promoting appropriate scale operations,and strengthening governmental regulations to promote farmers’LCAT adoption.展开更多
The aim of this study explored the importance of colour application on clothing and investigated whether there is a preference of colour on clothing among children under hospital environment. A modified colour associa...The aim of this study explored the importance of colour application on clothing and investigated whether there is a preference of colour on clothing among children under hospital environment. A modified colour associated test based on the Luster Color Test was used to carry out the survey. Fifty child patients aged four to sixteen were asked to look at two specially designed colour cards and to name their preferences and associations on each of the colour.展开更多
In order to rank searching results according to the user preferences,a new personalized web pages ranking algorithm called PWPR（personalized web page ranking）with the idea of adjusting the ranking scores of web page...In order to rank searching results according to the user preferences,a new personalized web pages ranking algorithm called PWPR（personalized web page ranking）with the idea of adjusting the ranking scores of web pages in accordance with user preferences is proposed.PWPR assigns the initial weights based on user interests and creates the virtual links and hubs according to user interests.By measuring user click streams,PWPR incrementally reflects users’ favors for the personalized ranking.To improve the accuracy of ranking, PWPR also takes collaborative filtering into consideration when the query with similar is submitted by users who have similar user interests. Detailed simulation results and comparison with other algorithms prove that the proposed PWPR can adaptively provide personalized ranking and truly relevant information to user preferences.展开更多
Background: Quality in health care has traditionally been determined based on clinical or health outcomes. However, these factors may not be the only aspects of health care that are important to patients. Within rehab...Background: Quality in health care has traditionally been determined based on clinical or health outcomes. However, these factors may not be the only aspects of health care that are important to patients. Within rehabilitation factors related to the process of care, the way in which rehabilitation services are delivered, may also be important to patients when defining quality of care. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the preferences of older people receiving post-acute outpatient rehabilitation or residential intermediate (transition) care for alternative configurations of rehabilitation programs. Methods: A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was designed to elicit the preferences of older people for the design and delivery of post-acute rehabilitation programs. The participants were older adults (≥65 years) receiving post-acute outpatient rehabilitation or residential intermediate (transition) care in South Australia. Each participant was presented with a series of choice questions involving two hypothetical programs, the characteristics of which varied in every choice. Participants were then asked to select their preferred program. Results: Despite marked differences in case-mix and dependency levels, the preferences of the two groups were very similar, focusing on relationships and communication with health care professionals. Both groups demonstrated very strong preferences for the use of an electronic medical record and for receiving information about their treatment and progress via a meeting with a specialist physician and nurse. The outpatient rehabilitation group also exhibited a strong preference for a shared decision making model in relation to their future care needs. Conclusions: The findings highlight the commonality of preferences of older patients receiving post-acute services for the optimal configuration of rehabilitation services. Issues prioritised were service integration and access to senior medical and nursing staff. The study demonstrates the practicality and validity of DCEs to determine older people’s preferences in defining quality of care.展开更多
基金funded by the“Departments of Excellence”program of the Italian Ministry for University and Research(MIUR,2018-2022 and MUR,2023-2027).
文摘The ability of queens and males of most ant species to disperse by flight has fundamentally contributed to the group’s evolutionary and ecological success and is a determining factor to take into account for biogeographic studies(Wagner and Liebherr 1992;Peeters and Ito 2001;Helms 2018).
文摘Two widespread bird species in Sri Lanka’s dry zone,Pycnonotus cafer(Red-vented Bulbul,RVBB)and Pycnonotus luteolus(White-browed Bulbul,WBBB),were studied to understand their foraging dynamics and ecology.The research was conducted from October 2022 to February 2023 in Mihintale Sanctuary(80.30′11.24″E,8.21′04.63″N)and the Faculty of Applied Sciences,Rajarata University of Sri Lanka(80.502206″E,8.353090″N).Data were obtained through focal sampling,opportunistic observations,and mist netting.Both species predominantly foraged on twigs,using gleaning as the dominant food-handling technique.RVBB foraged mostly at the canopy level,while WBBB foraged primarily at the sub-canopy level.Fruits constituted the major food type for both species.RVBB and WBBB utilized 10 and 7 plant species,respectively,with Grewia helicterifolia being the primary foraging plant.Minimal foraging was observed on Croton sp.(RVBB)and Hugonia mistax(WBBB).The correlation between nutritional components and the consumption of both species revealed a preference for foods with lower protein,higher fat,and ash content.There was no linear correlation between gape width and fruit size(r=-0.21,P=0.69)for both species.The standardized dietary niche breadth indicated both species are specialists,with a high pairwise dietary niche overlap(0.9854).These findings highlight the niche-specific foraging adaptations of RVBB and WBBB within Mihintale,emphasizing their distinct strategies in utilizing plant species,fruit sizes,and foraging heights.Understanding such ecological dynamics is essential for habitat conservation efforts and ensuring the availability of key foraging resources for these species in the dry zone.
基金supported by the Major Program of the National Social Science Foundation of China(no.2022YFC3600801)the Operation of Public Health Emergency Response Mechanisms of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention(no.102393220020010000017)。
文摘Objective This study explored the job choice preferences of Center for Disease Prevention and Control(CDC)workers to provide CDC management information and recommendations for optimizing employee retention and motivation policies.Methods A discrete choice experiment was conducted in nine provinces across China.Seven key attributes were identified to analyze the job preferences of CDC workers.Mixed logit models,latent class models,and policy simulation tools were used.Results A valid sample of 5,944 cases was included in the analysis.All seven attributes significantly influenced the job choices of CDC workers.Heterogeneity analyses identified two main groups based on different levels of preference for attribute utility.Income-prioritizers were concerned with income and opportunities for career development,whereas bianzhi-prioritizers were concerned with bianzhi and welfare benefits.The policy simulation analysis revealed that income-prioritizers had a relatively higher sensitivity to multiple job preference incentives.Conclusion Income and bianzhi were the two key attributes influencing the job choices and retention preferences of CDC workers.Heterogeneity in job preferences was also identified.Based on the preference characteristics of different subgroups,policy content should be skewed to differentiate the importance of incentives.
文摘In order to study the preferred skin color for printing images,two CMYK images from ISO 400 and one from iStock,including five skin color images of East Asian females was selected in this study.The images were adjusted with the CMYK printing ink volume variation of the single,double and triple channels in the given 280%total ink limit conditions.A larger number of color vision normal observers were organized to carry out the color preference evaluation experiment,and the selected preferred skin colors were analyzed.The distribution range of the chromaticity values for skin color images were obtained and the results indicated that there are three regions for printing skin color preferences,and the observers have a memory preference for brighter,fairer skin colors in young female and a reddish skin colors in girl,which can provide the guidance for color adjustment of printed skin color images.
文摘By using the Chinese stock market data from 2018 to 2024,the weak association between structural trends stocks and market index under investors’preference effect in trading cause the market is lack of liquidity and more likely to be dominated by structural trends,as in this market,the willingness to engage in passive trading exceeds that for active trading and investors’preference easy to reverse toward market volatility.The lack of incremental capital in the market often leads to sector-specific rallies rather than broad-based increases,which is one of the key reasons why the Chinese stock market has struggled to achieve overall growth over the long-term period.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2023YFF0805602)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U21A20186,32171579,32371592 and 32471674)the Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province,China(23JRRA1029 and 23JRRA1034)。
文摘Plant roots interact with diverse fungi that are essential for maintaining the productivity and sustainability of pasture ecosystems,but how these root-associated fungi(RAF)differ between forage species and how they respond to nutrient enrichment and fungicide application are not well understood.Here,we constructed an 11-year experiment involving fungicide application(with or without)nested within four levels of experimental nitrogen(N)addition treatments in an alpine pasture,and the RAF communities,root traits,tissue nutrients,and shoot biomass of two dominant forage species(Carex capillifolia and Elymus nutans)were analyzed.The RAF community composition showed striking differences between the plant species and was strongly affected by both N addition level and fungicide applications.Fungicide,but not N application,dramatically reduced the RAF richness of all functional guilds in both plant species,and fungicide also simplified the co-occurrence network of the RAF for C.capillifolia.The RAF community correlated strongly with root traits,whereas their relationships became weakened or even vanished at the level of the individual plant species.The importance of RAF to plant nutrients and productivity varied between plant species,with significant contributions in C.capillifolia but not in E.nutans.This is the first report elucidating the long-term effect of fungicides on RAF in alpine pastures,and our findings emphasize the host-specific responses of RAF community structure and function to anthropogenic disturbances.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.82425052).
文摘Objective Although dietary preferences influence chronic diseases,few studies have linked dietary preferences to mortality risk,particularly in large cohorts.To investigate the relationship between dietary preferences and mortality risk(all-cause,cancer,and cardiovascular disease[CVD])in a large adult cohort.Methods A cohort of 1,160,312 adults(mean age 62.48±9.55)from the Shenzhen Healthcare Big Data Cohort(SHBDC)was analyzed.Hazard ratios(HRs)for mortality were estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model.Results The study identified 12,308 all-cause deaths,of which 3,865(31.4%)were cancer-related and 3,576(29.1%)were attributed to CVD.Compared with a mixed diet of meat and vegetables,a mainly meat-based diet(hazard ratio[HR]=1.13;95%confidence interval[CI]:1.02,1.27)associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality,while mainly vegetarian(HR=0.87;95%CI:0.78,0.97)was linked to a reduced risk.Furthermore,there was a stronger correlation between mortality risk and dietary preference in the>65 age range.Conclusion A meat-based diet was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality,whereas a mainly vegetarian diet was linked to a reduced risk.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Project(No.62302540)The Open Foundation of Henan Key Laboratory of Cyberspace Situation Awareness(No.HNTS2022020)+2 种基金Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province Project(No.232300420422)The Natural Science Foundation of Zhongyuan University of Technology(No.K2023QN018)Key Research and Promotion Project of Henan Province in 2021(No.212102310480).
文摘A deep learning access controlmodel based on user preferences is proposed to address the issue of personal privacy leakage in social networks.Firstly,socialusers andsocialdata entities are extractedfromthe social networkandused to construct homogeneous and heterogeneous graphs.Secondly,a graph neural networkmodel is designed based on user daily social behavior and daily social data to simulate the dissemination and changes of user social preferences and user personal preferences in the social network.Then,high-order neighbor nodes,hidden neighbor nodes,displayed neighbor nodes,and social data nodes are used to update user nodes to expand the depth and breadth of user preferences.Finally,a multi-layer attention network is used to classify user nodes in the homogeneous graph into two classes:allow access and deny access.The fine-grained access control problem in social networks is transformed into a node classification problem in a graph neural network.The model is validated using a dataset and compared with other methods without losing generality.The model improved accuracy by 2.18%compared to the baseline method GraphSAGE,and improved F1 score by 1.45%compared to the baseline method,verifying the effectiveness of the model.
文摘BACKGROUND Primary thumb carpometacarpal(CMC)osteoarthritis is one of the most common conditions encountered by hand surgeons.Of the vast number of operations that have been proposed,none have demonstrated results significantly superior to trapeziectomy alone.AIM The purpose of our study was to determine why surgeons opt for their technique in treating CMC arthritis.METHODS A cross-sectional survey of active members of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand was conducted to evaluate the reasons behind their preferred technique in the treatment of isolated thumb CMC arthritis.Surgeons were contacted by email once and provided with a link to a de-identified survey consisting of 5 treatment questions and 5 demographic questions.RESULTS Of 950 responses were received.40.5%of surgeons preferred trapeziectomy+ligament reconstruction tendon interposition(LRTI),followed by trapeziectomy+suspensionplasty(28.2%),suture button suspension(5.9%),trapeziectomy alone(4.6%),prosthetic arthroplasty(3.2%),arthrodesis(1.1%),and other(6.6%).Proponents of trapeziectomy+LRTI cited familiarity(73.2%),exposure during fellowship(48.8%)and less proximal migration(60%)to be the main reasons affecting their decision.Surgeons who preferred trapeziectomy+suspensionplasty most reported simplicity(74.9%),fewer complications(45.3%),less proximal migration(43.8%),and avoidance of autogenous tissue harvest(42.7%).Advocates of suture button suspension cited avoidance of autogenous tissue harvest(80.4%),shorter immobilization(76.8%),and quicker recovery(73.2%)with their technique.Advocates of trapeziectomy alone cited simplicity(97.7%),fewer complications(86.4%),and avoidance of autogenous tissue harvest(59.1%).In their comments,45%of surgeons choosing trapeziectomy alone cited evidence as an additional rationale.Advocates of prosthetic arthroplasty cited improved pinch strength(83.3%)and improved range of motion(63.3%),while those preferring arthrodesis cited better pinch strength(90%)and frequently in their comments,durability.Of the surgeons who preferred a technique other than LRTI,41.8%reported they had tried LRTI in the past,citing complexity of the procedure,flexor carpi radialis harvest,and longer operative time as reasons for moving on.CONCLUSION Our study provides an update on current treatment trends and offers new insight into the reasons behind surgeons'decision making in the management of thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis.Despite strong Level 1 evidence supporting the use of trapeziectomy alone,our findings demonstrate that most surgeons continue to supplement trapeziectomy with other techniques such as LRTI or suspensionplasty.Several factors including familiarity,personal experience(Level 4 evidence),and comfort may be more influential than Level 1 evidence in determining the techniques in a surgeon's armamentarium.Further prospective studies are needed to determine the optimal technique for surgical management of Eaton stages II-IV CMC arthritis and how these studies will affect surgeons’choice.
文摘Introduction: Females with sickle cell disease (SCD), despite having a delayed pubertal development, are subject to many worries relating to their abilities to conceive, their capacity to maintain a maternofetal-risk-free pregnancy till term and give birth to healthy children without sickle cell disease. Knowing that unplanned pregnancies are more likely to increase maternofetal morbidity and mortality, we sought out to explore the pregnancy preferences in female patients with sickle cell disease to promote healthy conception and childbirth in this vulnerable population. Methodology: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving female patients of child-bearing age with sickle cell disease followed at Laquintinie Hospital Douala or who were members of a local sickle cell association. Pregnancy preferences were determined using the Desire to Avoid Pregnancy (DAP) scale. Factors associated with pregnancy preferences were determined using multivariable linear regression model. Threshold for significance was set at p Results: Seventy-seven patients were included with a mean age of 24.71 ± 5.53 years. Forty patients (51.95%) had one sexual partner and thirteen women (32.5%) used contraceptive methods. Most patients (46.0%) responded “Strongly Agree” or “Agree” to the statement “it would be a good thing for me if I became pregnant in the next 3 months”. The mean DAP score was 1.63 ± 0.91 [1.28 ± 0.82 in those who had a sexual partner and 1.99 ± 0.86 in those who had no sexual partner]. Factors that were positively associated with DAP score were students (b = 0.32, 95% CI [0.21, 0.95], p = 0.003), monthly income ≥ 100,000 FCFA (b = 0.24, 95% CI [0.07, 0.81], p = 0.022), and not having a sexual partner (b = 0.26, 95% CI [0.11, 0.85], p = 0.012). Conclusion: Most female patients with SCD have a low desire to avoid pregnancy. This is especially true for patients who are not students, have a partner and have a low monthly income.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52173194)Beijing Natural Science Foundation(No.2232017)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.buctrc201902).
文摘Enzymes with active sites involving histidine selectively utilize either theδ-orε-nitrogen atom(N_(δ)or N_(ε))of the histidine imidazole for catalysis.However,evaluating the impact of N_(δ)and N_(ε)is difficult,and directly integrating noncanonical Nmethylated histidine within enzymes poses risks due to laborious procedures.In this study,we present the self-assembly of Fmoc-Histidine(Fmoc-His)with hemin to create a peroxidase-mimetic catalyst,in which either the N_(ε)or N_(δ)of histidine is methylated to modify the tautomeric preferences,thereby tuning hemin catalysis.UV-vis spectra,^(1)H-NMR,and fluorescence experiments elucidate that the Nmethylation of histidine alters the self-assembly propensity of Fmoc-His,and affects the binding affinity of histidine to hemin iron,with Fmoc-_(δm)His/hemin exhibiting stronger binding than Fmoc-_(εm)His/hemin.Theoretical simulation results suggest that_(εm)His and_(δm)His ligation produce a saddled structure and planar structure of hemin,respectively,stemming from the disparity of steric hindrance at the N_(ε)and N_(δ)positions.The significant inhibition of hemin's oxidative activity by Fmoc-_(δm)His is observed,likely due to the strong binding of Fmoc-_(δm)His,potentially hindering access of the substrate,H_(2)O_(2),to the hemin iron.Conversely,Fmoc-_(εm)His enhances hemin catalysis,surpassing even Fmoc-His alone.This differential impact of Fmoc-_(εm)His and Fmoc-_(δm)His on hemin activity is further corroborated by apparent activation energy and kinetic parameters(k_(cat),k_(cat)/K_(m)).This study sheds light on the heterogeneous biological effects at the nitrogen positions of histidine imidazole and offers insights into designing supramolecular metalloenzymes.
文摘AIM:To identify current trends in anaesthesia technique for cataract surgery and make this information available to ophthalmologists.METHODS:An electronic survey was created and distributed to members of online ophthalmology forums;results were subsequently analysed in spreadsheet software.RESULTS:In total there were 71 completed surveys.The most preferred anaesthesia technique in cataract cases was topical anaesthesia with intracameral injection(n=34,47.9%),and the least preferred techniques were retrobulbar(n=1,1.4%) and peribulbar blocks(n=1,1.4%).The most commonly preferred local anaesthetic was lidocaine 2%(n=41,57.7%).CONCLUSION:Topical anaesthesia techniques with lidocaine 2% appear to be the most preferred method of anaesthesia in cataract surgery in our survey.Compared with previous literature our survey shows that topical anaesthesia is being increasingly used in cataract surgery,especially in conjunction with intracameral injection.The predominant reasons for this seem to be patient comfort and ease of technique.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Grant Nos 10204013, 90103031, 10074030, 10474041, 90403120 and 10021001）, and the Nonlinear Project （973） of the National Science Ministry, China.
文摘In this work, we make an investigation on the preferences of orientations between amino acids using the orientation defined based on the local geometry of the amino acids concerned. It is found that there are common preferences of orientations （70°, 30°, 140°） and （110°, 340°, 100°） for various pairs of amino acids. Different side chains may strengthen or weaken the common preferences, which is related to the effect of packing. Some amino acids having specific local flexibility may possess some preferences of orientations besides the common ones, such as （10°, 280°, 210°）. Another analysis on the pairs of the amino acids with different secondary-structure preferences shows that the directional interaction may affect the distribution of orientation more effectively than the packing or local flexibility. All these results provide us some insight of the organization of amino acids in protein, and their relation with some related interactions.
基金Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2012CB719705)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.91224008,91024032,and 71373139)
文摘As a physical model, the cellular automata （CA） model is widely used in many areas, such as stair evacuation. However, existing CA models do not consider evacuees＇ walk preferences nor psychological status, and the structure of the basic model is unapplicable for the stair structure. This paper is to improve the stair evacuation simulation by addressing these issues, and a new cellular automata model is established. Several evacuees＇ walk preference and how evacuee＇s psychology influences their behaviors are introduced into this model. Evacuees＇ speeds will be influenced by these features. To validate this simulation, two fire drills held in two high-rise buildings are video-recorded. It is found that the simulation results are similar to the fire drill results. The structure of this model is simple, and it is easy to further develop and utilize in different buildings with various kinds of occupants.
基金supported by the Major Program of the National Social Science Foundation of China under Grant No.17ZDA083the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.71932002the Natural Science Foundation of Beijing Municipality under Grant No.9192001.
文摘Considering that the assumption of time consistency does not adequately reveal the mechanisms of exit decisions of venture capital(VC),this study proposes two kinds of time-inconsistent preferences(i.e.,time-flow inconsistency and time-point incon-sistency)to advance research in this field.Time-flow inconsistency is in line with the previous time inconsistency literature,while time-point inconsistency is rooted in the VC fund’s finite lifespan.Based on the assumption about the strategies guiding future behaviors,we consider four types of venture capitalists:time-consistent,time-point-inconsistent,naïve,and sophisticated venture capitalists,of which the latter three are time-inconsistent.We derive and compare the exit thresholds of these four types of venture capitalists.The main results include:(1)time-inconsistent preferences acceler-ate the exits of venture capitalists;(2)the closer the VC funds expiry dates are,t`he more likely time-inconsistent venture capitalists are to accelerate their exits;and(3)future selves caused by time-flow inconsistency weaken the effect of time-point inconsist-ency.Our study provides a behavioral explanation for the empirical fact of young VCs’grandstanding.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(72003082 and 71573130)the Project of Philosophy and Social Science Research in Colleges and Universities in Jiangsu Province of China(2020SJA1015)+1 种基金the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions,China(PAPD)the China Center for Food Security Studies,Nanjing Agricultural University,China。
文摘Farmers’contract breach behavior is cited as one of the major stumbling blocks in the sustainable expansion of contract farming in many developing countries.This paper examines farmers’contract breach decisions from the perspective of time preferences.The empirical analysis is based on a household survey and economic field experiments of poultry households participating in contract farming conducted in Jiangsu Province,China.A discounted utility model and a maximum likelihood technique are applied to estimate farmers’time preferences and the effect of time preferences on contract breach in the production and sales phases are explored with a bivariate probit model.The results show that,on average,the poultry farmers in the sample are generally present biased and impatient regarding future utility.The regression results show that farmers with a higher preference for the present and a higher discount rate are more likely to breach contracts,and time preferences play a greater role in the production phase than in the sales phase.When considering heterogeneity,specific investments and transaction costs promote contract stability only for farmers with a low degree of impatience.Moreover,compared with large-scale farmers,small-scale farmers’contract breach decisions are more significantly affected by their time preferences.These results have implications for contract stability policies and other issues that are impacted by the linking of behavioral preferences to agricultural decisions.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(72103115)the Humanities and Social Science Research General Project of the Ministry of Education of China(21XJC790008)+1 种基金the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2020T130393)the Social Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province,China(2021D028)。
文摘Climate change which is mainly caused by carbon emissions is a global problem affecting the economic development and well-being of human society.Low-carbon agriculture is of particular significance in slowing down global warming and reaching the goal of“carbon peak and carbon neutrality”.Therefore,taking straw incorporation as an example,this paper aims to investigate the impact of risk preferences on farmers’low-carbon agricultural technology(LCAT)adoption.Based on a two-phase micro-survey data of 1038 rice farmers in Jiangsu,Jiangxi,and Hunan provinces,this paper uses experimental economics methods to measure farmers’risk aversion and loss aversion to obtain the real risk preferences information of the farmers.We also explore the data to examine the actual LCAT adoption behavior of farmers.The results revealed that both risk aversion and loss aversion significantly inhibit farmers’LCAT adoption:more risk-averse or more loss-averse farmers are less likely to adopt LCAT.It is further found that crop insurance,farm scale and governmental regulations can alleviate the negative impact of risk aversion and loss aversion on farmers’LCAT adoption.Therefore,we propose that local governments need to promote low-carbon agricultural development by propagating the benefits of LCAT,extending crop insurance,promoting appropriate scale operations,and strengthening governmental regulations to promote farmers’LCAT adoption.
文摘The aim of this study explored the importance of colour application on clothing and investigated whether there is a preference of colour on clothing among children under hospital environment. A modified colour associated test based on the Luster Color Test was used to carry out the survey. Fifty child patients aged four to sixteen were asked to look at two specially designed colour cards and to name their preferences and associations on each of the colour.
基金The Natural Science Foundation of South-Central University for Nationalities(No.YZZ07006)
文摘In order to rank searching results according to the user preferences,a new personalized web pages ranking algorithm called PWPR（personalized web page ranking）with the idea of adjusting the ranking scores of web pages in accordance with user preferences is proposed.PWPR assigns the initial weights based on user interests and creates the virtual links and hubs according to user interests.By measuring user click streams,PWPR incrementally reflects users’ favors for the personalized ranking.To improve the accuracy of ranking, PWPR also takes collaborative filtering into consideration when the query with similar is submitted by users who have similar user interests. Detailed simulation results and comparison with other algorithms prove that the proposed PWPR can adaptively provide personalized ranking and truly relevant information to user preferences.
文摘Background: Quality in health care has traditionally been determined based on clinical or health outcomes. However, these factors may not be the only aspects of health care that are important to patients. Within rehabilitation factors related to the process of care, the way in which rehabilitation services are delivered, may also be important to patients when defining quality of care. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the preferences of older people receiving post-acute outpatient rehabilitation or residential intermediate (transition) care for alternative configurations of rehabilitation programs. Methods: A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was designed to elicit the preferences of older people for the design and delivery of post-acute rehabilitation programs. The participants were older adults (≥65 years) receiving post-acute outpatient rehabilitation or residential intermediate (transition) care in South Australia. Each participant was presented with a series of choice questions involving two hypothetical programs, the characteristics of which varied in every choice. Participants were then asked to select their preferred program. Results: Despite marked differences in case-mix and dependency levels, the preferences of the two groups were very similar, focusing on relationships and communication with health care professionals. Both groups demonstrated very strong preferences for the use of an electronic medical record and for receiving information about their treatment and progress via a meeting with a specialist physician and nurse. The outpatient rehabilitation group also exhibited a strong preference for a shared decision making model in relation to their future care needs. Conclusions: The findings highlight the commonality of preferences of older patients receiving post-acute services for the optimal configuration of rehabilitation services. Issues prioritised were service integration and access to senior medical and nursing staff. The study demonstrates the practicality and validity of DCEs to determine older people’s preferences in defining quality of care.
