Preference Structure Research Articles

Task Shifting, eHealth and Shared Decision-Making-Preference Heterogeneity in the Adult Population for Developments in Outpatient Primary Healthcare.

Considerable changes in primary outpatient healthcare can be expected in the coming years due to various trends observed in Western countries, such as an ageing population, an increasing number of patients with chronic illnesses, GP shortages, a trend towards patient-centred care and the digitalization of healthcare. Knowing the population's preferences and subgroup preferences in these developments helps policymakers make healthcare delivery more responsive to patients' needs. Primary data were collected using a representative sample of the adult Swiss population in the fall of 2020. Discrete Choice Experiments (DCEs) were conducted, where one of the DCEs included an acute health problem and another a routine examination. In the survey, respondents were shown five different choice tasks, each containing two hypothetical alternatives for primary outpatient healthcare models. They were asked to choose their preferred alternative for each choice task. The DCEs enabled the measurement of the population's preferences for nine attributes of primary outpatient healthcare that are currently under discussion (e.g., task shifting, new technology in healthcare and shared decision-making). The data were analysed using panel latent class logit models (LCA) to determine preference heterogeneity and relative importance scores for the attributes. Data from 4745 respondents were included in the analysis. The LCA indicated two classes for acute health problem and three classes for routine examination, with varying latent preference structures. Both DCEs showed similar preference patterns: for one class with younger and more educated respondents, health insurance premium development was most important, followed by participation in decision-making, whereas having a doctor as the health professional was less important. Another class with older and less educated people attached more importance to personal continuity of care and the health professionals being a medical doctor. Younger and more highly educated people are more open to current developments in outpatient primary healthcare, such as task shifting, than older and less educated people, especially if this reduces their health insurance premiums in return. The public was involved in the design of the DCE and as the respondents of the survey used in this article.

Relationships between T-transitivity indicators in (T,S,n)-fuzzy preference structures with rotation invariant t-norms

Relationships between T-transitivity indicators in (T,S,n)-fuzzy preference structures with rotation invariant t-norms

Structure and stability of copper nanoclusters on monolayer tungsten dichalcogenides.

Layered materials, such as tungsten dichalcogenides (TMDs), are being studied for a wide range of applications, due to their unique and varied properties. Specifically, their use as either a support for low dimensional catalysts or as an ultrathin diffusion barrier in semiconductor devices interconnect structures are particularly relevant. In order to fully realise these possible applications for TMDs, understanding the interaction between metals and the monolayer they are deposited on is of utmost importance. The morphology that arises due to given metal-substrate combinations determines their possible applications and thus is a central characteristic. Previous theoretical studies typically focus on the effects which single metal adatoms, or dopants, have on a TMDs' electronic and optical properties, thereby leaving a knowledge gap in terms of thin film nucleation on TMD monolayers. To address this, we present a density functional theory (DFT) study of the adsorption of small Cu clusters on a range of TMD monolayers, namely WS2, WSe2, and WTe2. We explore how metal-substrate and metal-metal interactions contribute to both the stability of these Cu clusters and their morphology, and investigate the role of the chalcogen in these interactions. We find that single Cu atoms adsorb most strongly to the adsorption site above the W atom, however as nanocluster size increases, Cu tends to be adsorbed atop the chalcogen atoms in the monolayer to facilitate Cu-Cu bond formation. We show that Cu-Cu interactions drive the stability of the adsorbed Cu nanoclusters, with a clear preference for 3D structures on all 3 monolayers studied. Furthermore, significant Cu migration occurs during 0 K relaxation. This, combined with the small activation barriers found for Cu migration suggest facile and dynamic cluster behaviour at finite temperature on all three monolayers. Finally, we find that Cu clusters are generally most stable on WTe2 and least stable on WSe2. This difference however is typically only in the range of 0.1 eV.

The Probability of Casting a Pivotal Vote in an Instant Runoff Voting Election

Abstract If instant runoff voting (IRV) mitigates strategic voting, is that because the rules of the system mechanically reduce strategic opportunities, or because of other more indirect effects? In single-vote plurality elections, a voter can be pivotal if adding one vote to a candidate would cause that candidate to win. In IRV, it is more complicated to identify when one voter can be pivotal. This letter derives all the ways that a single ballot can change the result of an IRV election, for any number of candidates and voters. I obtain an expression for the probability of casting a pivotal vote in IRV by phrasing the probability that any pivotal event occurs as a function of all the rankings cast by other voters. This expression facilitates modeling vote choice in IRV, and enables the estimation of voters’ strategic opportunities in IRV contests between any number of candidates. I present some illustrative simulations estimating pivotal probabilities in both IRV and Single-Member District Plurality for stylized electorates with identical preference structures. These simulations produce similar estimated pivotal probabilities in the two systems, suggesting that these systems may provide similar opportunities to strategically cast a decisive vote.

Methylaluminoxane Reactivities and Anionic Structures: From Small Oligomers to Large Sheets.

The structure and reactivity of small methylaluminoxane (MAO) species (MeAlO)n(Me3Al)m (n = 1-8) have been investigated using DFT (M06-2X), MP2, and CCSD(T) calculations. This hierarchy of methods reveals that DFT artificially stabilizes structures containing 4-coordinate oxygen atoms while higher-level calculations demonstrate a clear preference for structures with 3-coordinate oxygen and 4-coordinate aluminum centers. Analysis of ionization pathways shows these neutral MAO molecules form anions through either methide or Me2Al+ abstraction, with the latter mechanism dominant for sheet structures (n = 5-8). Smaller species (n = 1-4, m ≥ n) show minimal reactivity toward either ionization pathway. The resulting anions consistently adopt sheet structures with 3-coordinate oxygen and 4-coordinate aluminum at all levels of theory. We introduce a comprehensive stability metric incorporating both ionization energies and neutral precursor stability, which successfully explains the distribution of anions observed in ESI-MS spectra during Me3Al hydrolysis. Extension of this analysis to larger species, including the recently isolated and characterized sheet (MeAlO)26(Me3Al)9 (Luo et al., Science, 2024, 384, 1424-1428), reveals unexpected trends in reactivity.

Exploring the correlation between chemical bonding and structural distortions in TbCu0.33Te2

The design of solid-state materials requests a thorough understanding of the structural preferences among plausible structure models. Since the bond energy contributes to the formation energy of a given structure model, it also is decisive to determine the nature of chemical bonding for a given material. In this context, we were motivated to explore the correlation between chemical bonding and structural distortions within the low-dimensional tellurium fragments in TbCu0.33Te2. The ternary telluride was obtained from high-temperature solid-state reactions, while structure determinations based on x-ray diffraction experiments did not point to the presence of any structural distortion above 100 K. However, the results of first-principles-based computations indicate that a potential structural distortion within the low-dimensional tellurium fragments also correlates to an optimization of overall bonding.

A review and redefinition of the subgenus Aphyobranchius Wildekamp, 1977, in the seasonal killifish genus Nothobranchius Peters, 1868 (Teleostei: Nothobranchiidae), from ephemeral wetlands of eastern Tanzania

Species belonging to the subgenus Aphyobranchius, of the seasonal killifish genus Nothobranchius, are reviewed and the definition of the subgenus is updated. Five species are recognized within this subgenus which, based primarily on morphological and molecular data, form two distinct groups: N. geminus, N. janpapi and N. luekei make up the N. janpapi species group, whereas N. fuscotaeniatus and N. lourensi comprise the N. lourensi species group. All known Aphyobranchius species occur in the central eastern and southern coastal plains region of Tanzania, associated mainly with the Ruvu, Rufiji, Kilombero, Mbezi and Luhule/Luhute river systems, with isolated occurrences in the lowermost reaches of the Wami and Matandu rivers. Features that allow distinction between the five Aphyobranchius species, as well as those that in a broader sense distinguish them from other Nothobranchius species, are documented in detail. Such features primarily comprise differences in elements of colour pattern, morphometric character, phylogenetic relationships, karyotype structure, habitat characteristics and niche preference, breeding behaviour and, to some extent, distribution. We further discuss the taxonomic, biogeographic, ecological and evolutionary aspects of the subgenus. Conservation status of the species range from Least Concern to Critically Endangered, according to IUCN Red List criteria. The main threats to their survival are habitat loss due to expansion of agriculture and urbanisation involving overexploitation of wetlands, and invasive species. Nothobranchius willerti, previously regarded as a member of Aphyobranchius, is here excluded from that subgenus, based on a reassessment of key morphological characters, habitat preference, breeding behaviour and, most importantly, molecular data that indicates a clear affiliation with other species of the subgenus Adiniops.

Diverse Behaviors of N2 on Mo Centers Bearing POCOP-Pincer Ligands and the Role of π-Electron Configuration in Regulating the Pathway of N2 Activation.

Activation of N2 through transition-metal complexes has emerged as a powerful strategy for N2 fixation under mild conditions. Dissociative route and associative route are considered as two major routes for N2 transformation on transition-metal complexes. Homolysis of N2 between two metal fragments is the crucial step of the dissociative route and has been proven to be an efficient approach to the terminal metal nitride, which is the key intermediate for both routes. Hence, the conditions for N2 cleavage have attracted much interest and discussion. Herein, we investigated the reactivity of N2 when coordinated on Mo centers bearing POCOP-pincer ligands and isolated and characterized many novel N2-related intermediates such as [(POCOPCy)MoI]2(μ-N2) (2Cy), (POCOPCy)Mo(N)(μ-N)MoI (5Cy), {[(POCOPCy)Mo(N2)2]2(μ-N2)}[Na(crypt-222)] (6Cy-crypt), and [(POCOPCy)Mo(N2)2(μ-N2)Mo(N)]Na (8Cy). The influences of the oxidation state of the metal centers, π electrons, reaction conditions, etc., on the N2-reactivity were also studied both experimentally and theoretically. Accordingly, some fundamental understanding of the regulation of N2 activation pathways was proposed: an N2-bridged Mo dimer without ligand trans to the bridging N2 is a preferred structure for N2 cleavage; having adequate electrons to be transferred into the σ-σ*-σ related orbital in the {MoNNMo} manifold is the key; and heating or electron excitation is advantageous to the dissociative route.

Development and Evaluation of the Immunogenic Potential of an Unmodified Nucleoside mRNA Vaccine for Herpes Zoster.

Approved mRNA vaccines commonly use sequences modified with pseudouridine to enhance translation efficiency and mRNA stability. However, this modification can result in ribosomal frameshifts, reduced immunogenicity, and higher production costs. This study aimed to explore the potential of unmodified mRNA sequences for varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and evaluate whether codon optimization could overcome the limitations of pseudouridine modification. We utilized artificial intelligence (AI) to design several unmodified gE mRNA sequences for VZV, considering factors such as codon preference and secondary structure. The optimized mRNA sequences were assessed for protein expression levels in vitro and were subsequently used to develop a vaccine, named Vac07, encapsulated in a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery system. The immunogenicity of Vac07 was evaluated in mice. Codon-optimized mRNA sequences showed significantly higher protein expression levels in vitro compared to wild-type (WT) sequences. Vaccination with Vac07 demonstrated immunogenicity in mice that was comparable to, or even superior to, the licensed Shingrix vaccine, characterized by a stronger Th1-biased antibody response and a slightly more robust Th1-type cellular response. Codon-optimized unmodified mRNA sequences may also represent a viable approach for mRNA vaccine development. These optimized sequences have the potential to lower production costs while possibly enhancing the immunogenicity of mRNA vaccines. Vac07, developed using this method, shows promise as a potentially more efficient and cost-effective mRNA vaccine candidate for VZV.

Correlating disordered activation domain ensembles with gene expression levels.

Transcription factor proteins bind to specific DNA promoter sequences and initiate gene transcription. These proteins often contain intrinsically disordered activation domains (ADs) that regulate their transcriptional activity. Like other disordered protein regions, ADs do not have a fixed three-dimensional structure and instead exist in an ensemble of conformations. Disordered ensembles contain sequence-encoded structural preferences that are often linked to their function. We hypothesize that this link exists between the structural preferences of AD ensembles and their ability to induce gene expression. To test this, we measured the ensemble dimensions of two ADs, HIF-1α and CITED2, in live cells using fluorescence resonance energy transfer microscopy and correlated this structural information with their transcriptional activity. We find that mutations that expanded the ensemble of HIF-1α increased transcriptional activity, while compacting mutations reduced it, highlighting the critical role of structural plasticity in regulating HIF-1α function. Conversely, CITED2 showed no correlation between ensemble dimensions and activity. Our results highlight a possible link between AD ensemble dimensions and their transcriptional activity, with implications for transcriptional regulation and dysfunction.

Leveraging Saccharomyces cerevisiae for ADAR research: From high-yield purification to high-throughput screening and therapeutic applications.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a model eukaryotic organism with a rich history in research and industry, has become a pivotal tool for studying Adenosine Deaminase Acting on RNA (ADAR) enzymes despite lacking these enzymes endogenously. This chapter reviews the diverse methodologies harnessed using yeast to elucidate ADAR structure and function, emphasizing its role in advancing our understanding of RNA editing. Initially, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was instrumental in the high-yield purification of ADARs, addressing challenges associated with enzyme stability and activity in other systems. The chapter highlights the successful application of yeast in high-throughput screening platforms that identify key structural motifs and substrate preferences of ADARs, showcasing its utility in revealing complex enzyme mechanics. Furthermore, we discuss the development of yeast-based systems to optimize guide RNA sequences for site-directed RNA editing (SDRE), demonstrating how these systems can be employed to refine therapeutic strategies targeting genetic mutations. Additionally, exogenous expression of ADARs from various species in yeast has shed light on enzyme potency and substrate recognition across different temperatures, offering insights into evolutionary adaptations. Overall, Saccharomyces cerevisiae has proven to be an invaluable asset in ADAR research, facilitating significant advances in our understanding of RNA editing mechanisms and therapeutic applications.

Atomic-level structure of the amorphous drug atuliflapon via NMR crystallography.

We determine the complete atomic-level structure of the amorphous form of the drug atuliflapon, a 5-lipooxygenase activating protein (FLAP) inhibitor, via chemical-shift-driven NMR crystallography. The ensemble of preferred structures allows us to identify a number of specific conformations and interactions that stabilize the amorphous structure. These include preferred hydrogen-bonding motifs with water and with other drug molecules, as well as conformations of the cyclohexane and pyrazole rings that stabilize structure by indirectly allowing for optimization of hydrogen bonding.

New Polymeric Acceptors Based on Benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b'] Difuran Moiety for Efficient All-Polymer Solar Cells.

In order to realize high-performance bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) all-polymer solar cells, achieving appropriate aggregation and moderate miscibility of the polymer blends is one critical factor. Herein, this study designs and synthesizes two new polymer acceptors (PAs), namely PYF and PYF-Cl, containing benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b'] difuran (BDF) moiety with/without chlorine atoms on the thiophene side groups. Thanks to the preferred planar structure and high electronegativity of the BDF units, the resultant PAs generate strong intermolecular interactions and π-π stacking in both the neat and blend films. At the same time, the BDF moieties flanked with bulky 2D side groups increase intermolecular space and restrain the excessive entanglement of polymer chains for developed heterojunction miscibility attributes. Consequently, appropriate polymer crystallinity and moderate miscibility between PAs and polymer donor (PD) contribute to harmonious blending morphologies. Eventually, the PM6:PYF-based solar cells achieve an optimal efficiency of 11.82%. More encouragingly, the PYF serves as an efficient guest acceptor and realizes an improved efficiency of 17.05% in the PM6:PYIT:PYF ternary systems, which is much higher than that of the host system (15.87%). This study highlights the importance of BDF moiety in designing new PAs for high-performance all-polymer solar cells.

Favorable Symmetric Structures of Radiopharmaceutically Important Neutral Cyclen-Based Ligands

Cyclen-based ligands are prominent tools for transferring radioisotopes through the human body. A crucial criterion is the stability of their complexes, which is partly determined by the stabilization of the free ligand in solution. For the assessment of the later property, the favored conformation(s) in the solution must be known. In the present study, the conformational space of four neutral cyclen-based ligands was elucidated by a multi-step procedure: the survey of the conformational space using molecular mechanics (MM) was followed by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations on the low-energy conformers and evaluation of the solvent effects. The results revealed several low-energy conformers in aqueous solution. In terms of electronic energies, a significant preference of symmetric structures (C4 or C2—similar to the ligand arrangements in their metal complexes) was obtained. The thermal contributions to the Gibbs free energy (mainly the vibrational ones) tend to decrease this preference by several kJ/mol against non-symmetric structures. Nonetheless, the advantage of compact symmetric structures was confirmed in all the four studied cases.

Identifying sequential differences between protein structural classes using network and statistical approaches

Protein sequence information is believed to embed the hint of their structures. To uncover the nature between protein sequence and their structures, this study motivates to inspect the dynamic interactions between various protein sequence features, and identify the sequential differences between the different protein structures. Protein sequence data from all structural classes in CATH and SCOP, and the structural disordered proteins from DisProt, as well as the structural motifs in PROSITE, are analyzed in this study. Betweenness and closeness centrality measures are employed to capture the topology of the networks constructed from amino acid feature interactions, while statistical tests are further implemented to compare the feature series distributions. Key findings suggest that in all structural classes, the features for Ala and α-helix and bend preference property, Ala and side-chain size, Ala and Gly, as well as Met and Leu attain significant interactions between each other, and the feature for Leu, Val, and Asn are acted as the critical sources of feature interactions, whereas Cys, His, Trp, and Met exhibit weak intra-type interactions with other features. These implicate that these feature interactions may have little impact in coding the structural differences. For the α structures, Glu, Pro and side-chain size, hydrophobicity properties exhibit high importance in feature interactions, whereas Gly, Thr and physical properties such as α-helix and bend preference, extended structural preference, pK-C value and surrounding hydrophobicity for β structures, show special high importance in β structures. Both α and β types of structures show Ser as the common sources of feature interactions, while the mixed α and β structures not only show common characters with the α and β types of structures, but also preferred interactions between Met, Lys and double-bend preference property, and between the sequence arrangements of Cys, His, Met, Tyr and amino acid composition features. The intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) present high frequency for the repetition patterns of certain amino acids, while the different structural motifs also show special characters. More sequential differences between the structures can also be identified from K-mers statistics and feature series distributions. The new discoveries reveal the nature of amino acid feature interaction mechanics, and show great importance of these interactions in coding the different types of protein structures. The results can not only contribute to future molecular design for protein-based vaccine or drug, but also enlighten the development for new protein structural classifiers.

Innovative Strategies for Exploring the Potential of China’s Market

As the world's second-largest economy, China plays an important role in the development of world trade. With nearly one-fifth of the world's population, China's market has huge trade potential for each country. In the process of expanding exports and investment to China, many countries face a lot of trade barriers due to China's large market span, complex structure, and different consumer preferences, so exploring China’s market has become a difficult research topic for many economists and entrepreneurs. It is also a complicated strategy for different companies choose different cities and regions when entering China’s market or expanding their market share in China. The research subject of this paper is exploring the potential of China’s market, and the research object is three dimensions (geographical, economic, and import potential) analysis of market entry approaches in China. According to the depth, breadth and market potential of China’s market, this paper makes a comprehensive comparison of different methods to enter China’s market. The research results will help a company improve the efficiency of penetrating China’s market. In the conclusion part, this paper summarizes new scientific methods and steps for international companies to explore the potential of China’s market.

REDUCE—A Tool Supporting Inconsistencies Reduction in the Decision-Making Process

This paper presents REDUCE, a free online tool designed to support decision-making processes by addressing inconsistency in multiplicative pairwise comparison (PC) matrices, a key element of many multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods, including the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). AHP relies on pairwise comparisons to assign weights to decision criteria or alternatives, but human-generated PC matrices often exhibit inconsistencies. Consistency is evaluated using Saaty’s consistency ratio (CR), where a value below 0.10 is considered acceptable. Higher inconsistency levels necessitate matrix corrections, which are challenging if the original expert is unavailable or revision constraints exist. REDUCE autonomously reduces inconsistency in PC matrices using two different algorithms that require no expert intervention. The tool accommodates different PC matrices, enabling users to specify the desired CR threshold (e.g., CR≤0.10) and select the algorithm for adjustment. It ensures the resulting matrix is consistent while preserving the original preference structure to the greatest extent possible. Additionally, REDUCE calculates weights for the compared entities, making it a valuable tool for applications of AHP and related methodologies. Quantitative evaluations demonstrate that REDUCE can improve matrices with high inconsistency (e.g., CR=0.25) to acceptable levels (e.g., CR=0.08) while retaining up to 95% of the original preference integrity, depending on the chosen algorithm. By addressing the accessibility gap for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that lack resources for costly decision-making software or expert consultants, REDUCE facilitates broader adoption of MCDM tools. This work highlights the potential of REDUCE to enhance decision-making reliability and accessibility in resource-constrained environments.

From Monosyllabic to Disyllabic: A Study on Learners' Syllable Structure Preferences in Same-Morpheme Noun Acquisition by Indo-European Chinese Language Learners

This research investigates the monosyllabic and disyllabic syllable patterns that Indo-European Chinese language learners prefer for same-morpheme nouns. In a qualitative and quantitative study that used a mix of methods, information was collected from participants at beginner, intermediate and high-level proficiency levels to test for syllable structure preferences. Preferences were measured on tasks like the Noun Repetition Task and the Structure Selection Task, and examined for correlations with proficiency. The findings suggest that beginners learn more strongly disyllabic structures, possibly due to being exposed to polysyllabic structures in their own native tongues, whereas intermediate learners gradually move towards monosyllabic forms. Advanced learners favour monosyllabic forms with greater phonological flexibility. Statistical tests such as correlation and Chi-square test showed these patterns to be statistically significant. These results provide interesting data on phonological acquisition in second-language acquisition, which have implications for how language teachers can deliver instruction that accommodates learners proficiency-based syllable-construction preferences.

Musical Preferences and Personality Traits

Music resonates differently in every single person according to human culture and characteristics. Individual differences such as personality traits may play a key role in modulating the emotional response to music and yet relatively little is known about the underlying structure of Italian musical preferences. On these bases, the current research presents a replication of the structure of the MUSIC Model and examines its relationships with personality traits. A sample of 2,104 participants completed an online survey. The current study is divided into three parts: 1) an exploratory factor analysis study, 2) a confirmatory factor analysis study to verify the emerged structure, and 3) a structural equation modeling for the investigation of the relationships between music and personality. Findings confirmed a latent five-factor structure that was labeled as follows: 1) Mellow: classical, gospel, opera, and religious; 2) Unpretentious: alternative, bluegrass, and new age; 3) Sophisticated: jazz, blues, soul R&B; 4) Intense: heavy metal, punk, and rock; and 5) Contemporary: dance electronica, world (international), pop, reggae, and rap hip-hop. Overall, findings suggested musical preferences are subject to some personality traits. These results could be considered a promising starting point to generate new theories to use music in therapeutic contexts for enhancing well-being.

Shelter or complexity? Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) preference for enrichment structures is a matter of time and frequency of visits.

Shelter or complexity? Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) preference for enrichment structures is a matter of time and frequency of visits.