Majority Preference Research Articles

Öğretim Elemanlarının Akademik Sinerjiye İlişkin Görüşlerinin İncelenmesi

The aim of this study is to examine academics' views on academic synergy. Academic synergy can be defined as the process by which two or more academics work together to achieve more than what they can individually. This study focuses on how academics can combine their knowledge and experience to achieve more efficiency/work (publications, articles, papers, projects, etc.) with the same effort they would spend alone. It is designed as a case study, applying a qualitative research method. The interviews were conducted with 21 academic staff members working at a public university. The results indicate that having a higher or lower academic title does not have a significant effect on the willingness to work together. Most of the participants stated that, for joint studies, they prefer to work with colleagues who have "academic background in the field of study". The results also revealed that academics' positive personal characteristics such as being open to cooperation, acting responsibly, and being sincere are considered as some important criteria for joint studies. The results also show that the majority prefer to collaborate with other academics rather than conducting individual studies. The academics prefer to collaborate to increase productivity and to compensate for their shortcomings. Most of them further stated that the academic incentive program introduced by the Council of Higher Education (CoHE) has increased the number of collaborative studies and the motivation to work together, but at the same time, decreased the research quality and led to some unethical behaviors. The paper is concluded with some suggestions on how to achieve academic synergy among academics through conducting joint studies.

Survey of Dental Implant and Restoration Selection by Prosthodontists in Dubai.

Background With various surgical and prosthetic component designs being introduced in dental implants, decisions have to be made when choosing a system and a certain prosthodontic protocol. A survey of implant prosthodontic specialists has not been previously performed in the Middle East. Aim This study aimed to determine selection criteria and choice of dental implants and restorations by prosthodontic specialists in the Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Materials and Methods A validated 16-item questionnaire was used in the survey which included demographic information, implant training and experience, implant treatment planning, implant restoration, and implant system preference. The research protocol was approved by the Research and Ethics Committees of Hamdan Bin Mohammed College of Dental Medicine and Dubai Health Authority. Prosthodontists were identified from regulatory authority websites and contacted by e-mail with the questionnaire attached. Results A total of 84.6% (77) of the registered prosthodontists in Dubai completed the questionnaire with 66.2% reported practicing implant dentistry. Out of which, 54.9% reported surgically placing dental implants and 45.1% restore them only prosthetically. Prefabricated metal abutments were the most commonly selected abutments for single crowns (76.0%) and for fixed dental prostheses (66.7%). Screw retention is preferred mostly for single crowns (68.0%) and fixed dental prostheses (74.0%). Locators were the most commonly selected type of attachment for implant-retained/supported overdentures (49.0%). Conventional loading was the most selected type of loading in all oral conditions. Conclusion Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that most prosthodontists in Dubai practice implant dentistry and more than half surgically place dental implants. Prefabricated metal abutments are the most selected type of abutments. Most prosthodontists use screw-retained implant restorations and prefer locator attachments for implant-retained/supported overdentures. Conventional loading is the most preferred implant loading method in all oral conditions. Implant company/system selections are various and there is no major preference for a certain system. The majority of prosthodontists select implant systems based on implant features, literature review, and simplicity of restorative kit.

The Impact of Covid-19 on the Food Industry

COVID has largely affected organizations and individuals. The current study explores the effect of covid on food industries in the Middle East. We have found that during the pandemic, people tend to choose eating home-cooked meals instead of ordering from restaurants as they think it is “unsafe” to do so. This resulted in an improvement in their cooking skills. Additionally, it is clear that the availability of essential foodstuff hasn’t been majorly affected by the outbreak. Our observations strongly support the fact that people are spending more money on groceries than they used to before the outbreak, and the majority prefers to do so through applications and websites that offer delivery of groceries. This study indicates a development of new digital markets that support the integration of multiple food channels and easy food ordering systems.

Ethnic Enclaves, Economic and Political Threat: An Investigation With the European Social Survey.

This article examines the labor market outcomes and political preferences of majority, minority, or migrant individuals who report that they live in an ethnic enclave—a neighborhood with few majority residents. Politicians often proclaim that ethnic enclaves are problematic, but there is little rigorous examination of these claims. The ethnic composition of a local residential area can affect its inhabitants negatively by increasing conflict and competition (real or perceived) between groups. Majority members may feel their economic and political power questioned and think that the resources to which they are entitled have been usurped by newcomers. Migrants and minorities can be negatively impacted by isolation from the mainstream society, and their integration attempts can be hindered in ethnically concentrated local areas. Using data from the 2002 and 2014 waves of the European Social Survey, enriched with contextual data, we examine the impact of ethnic enclaves accounting for selection and compositional differences. We do not find evidence that minority concentrated areas impact negatively upon the economic outcomes of majority members, not even of those in precarious positions. We do however find that residence in enclaves is associated with greater propensity to vote for the far right and dissatisfaction with democracy for the majority group. Furthermore, there is an economic enclave penalty associated with the labor market insertion of migrants and the job quality of the second generation, and ethnic enclaves also increase the dissatisfaction with democracy among the second generation. We discuss our findings in light of the threat and contact literature.

Levels of farmers’ preferences of papaya trait/varieties/characteristics

Increased awareness on the overall health benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables significantly contributes to Indonesia’s rising consumption. These plants are highly expended, and are particularly cultivated in tropical climate regions. Papaya is described as an important fruit, and is sufficiently nutritional, readily available anytime of the year, and also very affordable. In addition, the country enjoys a wider variety, including Merah Delima, although, lesser information is obtainable about farmers’ preferences, in terms of varietal characteristics, compared to consumers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the preferences for Merah Delima species and the resulting characteristics required to potentially match the farmers’ demands, using 2019 survey data from East Java, Central Java, Riau, and West Sumatra provinces. Subsequently, 35 small scale papaya farmers were interviewed to obtain necessary information related to the performance and attributes of the selected variety. The results showed major preferences for samples with red meat coloration (87.10%), medium-size range between 0.7-1.5 kg (71.43%), sweet to very sweet taste (100%), and hard texture (74.19%), with an oval shape (75%). Varietal characteristics are believed to differ across cultivation zones, depending on the agro-ecosystems and farming processes. Furthermore, the earlier mentioned properties were generally suitable to the farmers’ demands. These findings also serve as important guidance, in order to probe deeper into the development of varieties with relevant traits towards addressing farmers’ specifications.

Preferences to improve rounding efficiency amongst hospitalists: a survey analysis

ABSTRACT Background: There is no ‘gold standard’ method of rounding for hospitalists. This study investigates hospitalist rounding preferences to improve efficiency based on resources categorized under work assignment and communication. Methods: An anonymous survey containing demographics and questions on preferences for rounding efficiently by hospitalists were widely distributed online. Responses were presented using descriptive statistics and SPSS v26. Results: There were 143 respondents, majority male (60%) with (40%) female. Most (80%) expect higher patient volumes when working with an advanced practitioner (AP). Half (50%) preferred rounding independently, (34%) with an AP, and majority (62%) with a resident. Geographic rounding was most efficient at 85%. Text messaging for paging was preferred (70.1%) to pagers (23.4%). Respondents preferred calling a consultant (52%) or text messaging (40%). Majority have not used a WOW yet (74%) believe WOWs could improve efficiency. Majority prefer dictation via Dragon (47%) to the phone application (23%). Only 29% believe their EMR is too complex to navigate. Preference difference due to age was insignificant. Discussion and Conclusion: In this study, 143 hospitalists provided preferences for improving rounding efficiency based on elements from work assignment and communication. This analysis can provide insights on designing best practices for hospitalists rounding efficiently.

N02 PREVIEW study: Factors associated with willingness to switch from intravenous to subcutaneous formulations of CT-P13 and vedolizumab in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract Background Subcutaneous (SC) formulations were recently approved for CT-P13 and vedolizumab (VED). No insights in the willingness of patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) to switch from intravenous (IV) to SC maintenance therapy with CT-P13 and VED are available. The aims of this study were (1) to evaluate the percentage of patients with IBD in favour of switching to SC formulations, (2) to define the factors influencing this decision, and (3) to explore the role of the IBD nurse in the process of switching. Methods This was a monocentric study in patients with IBD on maintenance IV CT-P13 or VED. All patients attending the infusion unit were invited to complete a survey exploring the willingness to switch to SC formulations. Prior to completing the survey, patients were informed on the new SC formulations and the accompanying care pathway. The survey was performed prior to the market introduction of SC CT-P13 and VED. Demographics, patient reported outcomes, willingness to switch and reason for IV vs. SC preferences were captured. Results In total, 183 (91%) patients completed the survey (m/f: 84/99; CD/UC/IBD-U: 120/57/6; median age 45 IQR 34–59; remission CD/UC: 67%/75%). The majority of patients preferred switching to SC (56% yes, 12% no, 32% doubt). The main driver to switch was an anticipated decrease in hospital visits (90%); the main reason to continue IV was fear of change (61%). Patients doubting to switch had a lower stool frequency compared with patients making a definite decision (p=0.012). Factors significantly associated with the willingness to switch in the univariate analysis were younger age (p<0.0001), experience with SC therapy (p=0.03), full time work occupancy (p=0.001), younger age at start IV therapy (p=0.001), shorter disease duration (p=0.012), and compliance level (p<0.0001). Multivariate analysis retained younger age as the only independent factor. For patients doubting to switch, an electronic alert (71%), an information brochure (69%), and a personal teaching moment (60%) were recognised as valuable support. An information package should cover patient-focused efficacy and safety data of SC therapy, therapeutic options in case of disease worsening, and practical concerns including information about administrative issues and travelling. Conclusion This is the first study exploring the willingness to switch from IV to SC maintenance therapy with CT-P13 and VED in patients with IBD. The majority prefers to switch to a SC formulation, with willingness to switch being most likely in younger patients. Further studies are required to investigate the impact of nurse led interventions on the willingness to switch, patient satisfaction, and treatment compliance.

Heterogeneous Major Preferences for Extrinsic Incentives: The Effects of Wage Information on the Gender Gap in STEM Major Choice

Despite the growing evidence of informational interventions on college and major choices, we know little about how such light-touch interventions affect the gender gap in STEM majors. Linking survey data to administrative records of Chinese college applicants, we conducted a large-scale randomized experiment to examine the STEM gender gap in the major preference beliefs, application behaviors, and admissions outcomes. We find that female students are less likely to prefer, apply to, and enroll in STEM majors, particularly Engineering majors. In a school-level cluster randomized controlled trial, we provided treated students with major-specific wage information. Students’ major preferences are easily malleable that 39% of treated students updated their preferences after receiving the wage informational intervention. The wage informational intervention has no statistically significant impacts on female students’ STEM-related major applications and admissions. In contrast, those male students in rural areas who likely lack such information are largely shifted into STEM majors as a result of the intervention. We provide supporting evidence of heterogeneous major preferences for extrinsic incentives: even among those students who are most likely to be affected by the wage information (prefer high paying majors and lack the wage information), female students are less responsive to the informational intervention.

Understanding patients' views and willingness toward the use of telehealth in a cancer genetics service in Asia.

Telehealth is a growing field, its pertinence magnified by COVID-19 causing the accelerated digitalization of the world. Given the significant global demand to provide telehealth services, it is important to explore patient receptiveness toward this alternative service model, particularly from regions where it has yet to be implemented. We conducted a cross-sectional study to understand the views and willingness of patients toward the use of telehealth for cancer genetic counseling. A survey was completed by 160 patients of the National Cancer Centre Singapore, and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The study found that 95.6% (n=153/160) of participants did not have prior telehealth experience. Most participants were willing or neutral toward having genetic counseling by phone (n=114/160, 71.3%) and video (n=106/160, 66.3%). However, majority prefer in-person appointments for first (n=127/160, 79.4%) and follow-up (n=97/160, 60.6%) visits over telehealth. Majority agreed that a phone/video consultation would meet most of their needs but voiced concerns regarding privacy and sharing of information (n=79/160, 49.4% for phone; n=74/160, 46.3% for video) and whether their emotional needs could be met (n=61/160, 38.1%). Participants' age, employment status, income, mode of transportation to the appointment, and whether special arrangements were made to attend the in-person appointment were associated with receptivity to telehealth genetic counseling (p≤.05 for all). This study adds diversity to existing literature and demonstrates that patients from Asia are generally willing and accepting of the use of telehealth in a cancer genetics service. This will help meet increasing global demand of telehealth consultations in the post-pandemic new norm. Furthermore, it will also provide services for underserved populations and patients requiring urgent testing in a timely manner. Further studies are needed to explore the cost-effectiveness and fair billing methods, as well as willingness and acceptability of telehealth genetic counseling in post-COVID times.

Quality of group decisions by board members: a hidden-profile experiment

PurposeReaching decisions in a deliberative manner is of utmost importance for boards, as their decision-making impacts entire organisations. The current study aims to investigate (1) the quality of group decisions made by board members, (2) their confidence in, satisfaction with, and reflection on the decision-making, and (3) the effect of two discussion procedures on objective decision quality and subjective evaluations of the decision-making.Design/methodology/approachBoard members of various Dutch non-profit organisations (N = 141) participated in a group decision-making task and a brief questionnaire. According to the hidden-profile paradigm, information was asymmetrically distributed among group members and should have been pooled to reach the objectively best decision. Half of the groups received one of two discussion procedures (i.e. advocacy decision or decisional balance sheet), while the other half received none.FindingsOnly a fifth of the groups successfully chose the best decision alternative. The initial majority preference strongly influenced the decision, which indicates that discussion was irrelevant to the outcome. Nevertheless, board members were satisfied with their decision-making. Using a discussion procedure enhanced participants' perception that they adequately weighed the pros and cons, but did not improve objective decision quality or other aspects of the subjective evaluation. These findings suggest that board members are unaware of their biased decision-making, which might hinder improvement.Originality/valueRather than using student samples, this study was the first to have board members participating in a hidden-profile task.

Truthful aggregation of budget proposals

We consider a participatory budgeting problem in which each voter submits a proposal for how to divide a single divisible resource (such as money or time) among several possible alternatives (such as public projects or activities) and these proposals must be aggregated into a single aggregate division. Under ℓ1 preferences—for which a voter's disutility is given by the ℓ1 distance between the aggregate division and the division he or she most prefers—the social welfare-maximizing mechanism, which minimizes the average ℓ1 distance between the outcome and each voter's proposal, is incentive compatible (Goel et al., 2019). However, it fails to satisfy a natural fairness notion of proportionality, placing too much weight on majority preferences. Leveraging a connection between market prices and the generalized median rules of Moulin (1980), we introduce the independent markets mechanism, which is both incentive compatible and proportional. We unify the social welfare-maximizing mechanism and the independent markets mechanism by defining a broad class of moving phantom mechanisms that includes both. We show that every moving phantom mechanism is incentive compatible. Finally, we characterize the social welfare-maximizing mechanism as the unique Pareto-optimal mechanism in this class, suggesting an inherent tradeoff between Pareto optimality and proportionality.

Exploring the intergroup consequences of majority members' perceptions that minority members want majority members to adopt the minority culture.

There remains an obvious gap in the acculturation literature, which relates to cultural change associated with the majority/dominant group. This paper explores how majority members react to a perceived expectation from minority members that majority members should undergo cultural change. A study was conducted exploring how majority members' perceptions of a demand by minority members that the majority should adopt the minority culture affects the majority members' preferences for minority acculturation, and whether effects are mediated by perceptions of symbolic threat. Two hundred sixty-six participants who self-reported being white British completed an online survey. A model was hypothesized whereby a perception that minority members demand that the majority takes on the minority culture predicted perceived symbolic threat, which was in turn negatively associated with a desire that minority members should maintain the minority culture, and positively with a desire that minority members should adopt the majority culture. Results supported the hypothesized model, with all individual paths and indirect effects significant in the hypothesized directions. Symbolic threat mediated the effect of perceived demand for minority culture adoption on majority preferences for minority acculturation. Findings are discussed in relation to implications for intergroup relations in culturally plural societies.

Q-interactive: Training Implications for Accuracy and Technology Integration.

With the iPad-mediated cognitive assessment gaining popularity with school districts and the need for alternative modes for training and instruction during this COVID-19 pandemic, school psychology training programs will need to adapt to effectively train their students to be competent in administering, scoring, an interpreting cognitive assessment instruments. This manuscript describes a mixed methods study of graduate students learning both the traditional and digital format (Q-interactive) of the WISC-V, with the goal of improving training methods and reducing administration and scoring errors. Results indicated that more errors are made on the traditional format than on the digital format, but the errors that did occur on the digital format were on subtests that require clinical acumen. Q-interactive did not reduce errors related to more complex judgments and nuanced scoring. The participating graduate students were surveyed regarding their perceptions of each format, and they revealed a majority preference for the digital format. Training implications are discussed, and specific suggestions provided for how training programs may respond to our current situation by integrating Q-interactive into their assessment courses.

Investigating the Match and Mismatch between Students’ Learning Styles and Teacher’s Teaching Styles in a Saudi School: A Case Study

This study examines if there is a match or mismatch between students’ learning styles and the teacher’s teaching styles in a classroom at Khalid Bin Alwlid School, Tabarjal, Saudi Arabia. The main objectives of this study are to determine dominant learning styles of the whole secondary grade students and the teacher’s teaching style. This study was carried out as a case study, and the data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Participants of this study were a class of 15 students and their English language teacher to the first secondary stage. The instruments used for collecting data were Reid’s Perceptual Learning Style Preference Questionnaire (1995), Teachers Teaching Style Preferences Questionnaire (Peacock 2001), and semi-structured interview. The findings of this study indicated that the majority of the students had multiple learning styles with at least auditory and group as their major learning style preferences, followed by kinesthetic, tactile, and visual as their minor learning style preferences. They showed negative preference towards individual style. The major learning style preferences of the English language teacher were visual and individual, followed by tactile and kinesthetic as his minor style preferences, while his negligible teaching style preferences were auditory and group. There was a mismatch between the teacher’s teaching style and the students’ learning style at Khalid Bin Alwlid School, Tabarjal, Saudi Arabia

Locomotor activity and growth response of glass eel Anguilla marmorata exposed to different salinity levels

Temperate eels are well known for partial migration where contingents may remain settled in marine habitats or move between seawater and brackish and freshwater habitats during their sub-adult life. This behaviour is less described in tropical Anguillid eels, particularly as it relates to salinity preference, habitat selection, and growth. In this study, glass eels Anguilla marmorata were collected from an estuary near the Cagayan River, northern Philippines, and observed for their behaviour and growth response in freshwater, brackish water, and seawater. A. marmorata glass eels spent most of their time in freshwater and brackish water and the least amount of time in seawater throughout the 30-min trial. Some individuals showed switching behaviour between salinity choices, but freshwater was the final selection. Growth-in-length was moderately and significantly lower for seawater-reared glass eels than those reared in freshwater and brackish water. Glass eels reared in freshwater had the highest survival, followed by those reared in brackish water and seawater. Habitat choice, growth, and survival trials all indicated that A. marmorata glass eels found in the Cagayan River have a major preference for freshwater and brackish water over seawater. These findings raise concerns with regard to the increased fishing pressure of eels, water pollution, and quarrying which is concentrated in freshwater habitats.

A Study of the Centuries-Long Reliance on Local Ceramics in Jerash Through Full Quantification and Simulation

The Danish-German Jerash Northwest Quarter Project revealed a robust and striking pattern of the extreme dominance (>99%) of locally produced ceramics over six centuries and across different depositional contexts (in total over half a million pottery sherds). The archaeology of Jerash points towards an exceptional degree of self-sufficiency in craft products: why? The project team implemented a full quantification approach during excavation, manually and digitally recording and counting all pottery and other classes of artefacts. This enabled a full analysis of trends in production and use of ceramics throughout the archaeologically documented history of Jerash and revealed the unexpected pattern of the extreme dominance of local pottery. Archaeologists formulated a set of hypotheses to explain this pattern, and we developed an agent-based model of simple customer preference driving product distribution to evaluate several explanatory factors and their potential interactions. Our simulation results reveal that preference for locally produced ceramics at Jerash might be a plausible theory, but only if its intrinsic value was considered rather high in comparison to other goods, or if it was preferred by a majority of the population, and there was a tendency to follow this majority preference (or a combination of these factors). Here, we present a complete research pipeline of a full quantification of ceramics, analysis and modelling applicable at any archaeological site. We argue that transparent methods are necessary at all stages of an archaeological project: not only for data collection, management and analysis but also in theory development and testing. By focusing on a common archaeological material and by leveraging a range of widely available computational tools, we are able to better understand local and intra-regional distribution patterns of craft products in Jerash and in the ancient eastern Mediterranean.

Use of Preprint in the Publication of the Scientific Papers

The publication is an important stage in a study. However, the publication stage in an accredited journal must go through a peer-reviewed process and sometimes requires a fee. The preprint server is a media archive for the distribution and distribution of articles that are available free of charge, enabling rapid distribution and use. Currently, there are many preprint servers available which are also recognized by peer-reviewed journals such as Arvix, Academia, Researchgate, OSF and in Indonesia itself there are INA-Rxiv servers. This article aims to explain the use of the preprint server as a publication media for scientific work among academics. The research method used is survey research on all academics in Indonesia. The results of the study showed that 42% of academics did not recognize the preprint server, 58% did not understand the function of the preprint server as a media publication that was fast, extensive, minimal in cost, accessible to the whole world and had DOI. They think the articles that have been published in the preprint can no longer be proposed to be published to an accredited journal. Ignorance causes its user to be very minimal, with only 24% of all academics filling out the questionnaire. The majority prefer to look directly for accredited journals without considering the time and cost required until the article is published.

Impact of Knowledge and Attitude on Saudis’ Physical Activity Practice and Inactivity Barriers: A Questionnaire-based Study

BACKGROUND: Community participation in physical activity is considered a major public health preference of WHO. Saudi Arabia in the last decades faced many tremendous economic changes leading to adoption of western dietary habits associated with sedentary lifestyle.
 AIM: We aimed to study the relationship between both physical activity knowledge and attitude of community to the practice of individuals.
 METHODS: We used a questionnaire consists of a mixture of closed-ended questions. Participants were recruited through direct meetings in local markets, schools, and workplaces. Seven hundred and sixty six individuals agreed to participate.
 RESULTS: Overall correct answers to questions about importance of physical activity were 76.58%. The predominance of participants’ attitude was to establish public places for physical activity in each neighborhood (92.1%). Participants acknowledged that they exercise to improve their health (47.5%). Participants mainly perform light exercises (47.2%) on basis of 1–3 times weekly (48.9%). About 90.8% of participants admitted that they like to increase duration of their physical activity.
 CONCLUSIONS: Overall physical activity practice of participants’ needs encourage overcoming obstacles that prevent individuals from practicing especially lack of time.

Could Behavioural Nudges Improve the Accuracy of Waste Sorting? An Experimental Survey

The study consisted of a survey and field experiment to observe the impact of behavioural nudges on an individual’s attitudes and accuracy on waste sorting. The survey conducted on 203 students of the University of Peradeniya, and then the field experiment within the university premises. The responses to the survey revealed that the participants having a negative attitude toward the usual waste disposal and sorting practices. Also, the majority of the respondents preferred non-monetary incentives as an effective strategy to motivate individuals to improve the accuracy of waste sorting. Then the participants are given nine strategies as separate behavioural nudges to improve the waste sorting behavior. The responses are highly varied and the majority prefer to use a combination of different colours and detailed labels as a motivational strategy. Thus, the preferred strategy was examined at the faculty premises throughout three stages and tested three hypotheses. Findings revealed that the strategy improves the accuracy, and supports the university community for proper waste sorting practices. Further, it exposed that the detail labels and stickers are impactful than the color sensitivity of respondents.

The impact of digital technology on learning motivation and learning modes

The new era creates new opportunities and poses a number of challenges for education to adapt to the emerging prospects of digital transformation of educational activities. The article provides a brief analysis of domestic and foreign works on the problems of digitalization in education. It is shown that, along with the benefits offered by the digital space, there are many problems of its use in educational activities. The solution of these problems is primarily associated with the training of teachers to use new opportunities for the organization and implementation of distance learning forms, the development of their digital competencies. At the same time, it has been shown that in both foreign and domestic universities, students in their majority prefer contact forms of classes and want a live dialogue with teachers, despite their rather high digital literacy. Therefore, the emerging digital didactics is very important to determine the ratio of traditional and distance learning will be able to provide a comfortable learning environment and a high level of training of future specialists. These and other questions can be answered by digital didactics, which has not yet been developed by scientists and educational practitioners.