Specific Preferences Research Articles

Accessible Cinema for Older Adults

Age-related sensory and cognitive decline of older adults is typically not taken into consideration while designing accessible audiovisual services. As most studies on audiovisual translation (AVT) and media accessibility have focused on young or adult audiences, we know little about specific preferences and needs of older adults regarding AVT. In 2015, 82% of Polish older adults declared that they never or almost never go to the cinema, which for the vast majority of foreign films offers subtitling. A study carried out as part of the AudioMovie project in Poland suggested that older adults may have problems with reading subtitles and that they are willing to use an accessibility application to watch films with audio subtitles (AST) in the cinemas. However, we still do not know if they are able to deal with the technology once they actually start using it. This focus group study investigated whether older adults experience problems with reading subtitles and whether they be willing to use a smartphone application in the cinema. The results show that older adults may have problems with following subtitles, especially when watching fast-paced films, and, although they are not always proficient smartphone users, the overall reception of the app was positive. Lay summary In Poland, the translation of foreign films in cinemas is usually provided through subtitling (dubbing is used only for family films). This mode of audiovisual translation might be particularly difficult to process for older viewers who usually experience vision loss, hearing loss and decline in cognitive functioning. While most academic studies have focused on young or adult audiences, little is known about the specific preferences and needs of older adults regarding the type of audiovisual translation. A survey carried out in Poland in 2018 has suggested that older adults may find it difficult to read subtitles and that they may be willing to use a smartphone application that would provide an oral translation (voice-over or dubbing) in cinemas. However, it is not yet known if this group of viewers is prepared to manage the functions of the technology (in this case, a smartphone) once they start using it. With that in mind, I conducted a group interview which investigated whether older adults experience problems with reading subtitles, and whether they would be willing to use a smartphone application in the cinema. The results show that older adults may have problems reading subtitles, especially when watching fast-paced films. The overall reception of the app was positive, though the participants were not always proficient smartphone users. The study also suggests that such applications could help elderly cinema-goers watch films in their preferred types of translation (such as dubbing or voice-over).

Characterization of the enzymatic properties of human RNPEPL1/aminopeptidase Z.

It is now evident that the M1 family of aminopeptidases play important roles in many pathophysiological processes. Among them, the enzymatic properties of arginyl aminopeptidase-like 1 (RNPEPL1) are characterized only by its truncated form. No peptide substrate has been identified. To characterize the enzymatic properties of RNPEPL1 in more detail, the full-length protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. The full-length RNPEPL1 showed rather restricted substrate specificity and basic amino acid preference towards synthetic substrates, which was different from the previously reported specificity characterized by the truncated form. Searching for peptide substrates, we found that several peptides, such as Met-enkephalin and kallidin, were cleaved. RNPEPL1 cleaved bradykinin to de-[Arg]-bradykinin despite the presence of proline at the P2'-position. The enzyme cleaved Met-enkephalin but not dynorphin A1-17. Similar to aminopeptidase B, the full-length RNPEPL1 showed basic amino acid preference towards both synthetic and peptide substrates. In addition to the unusual cleavage of bradykinin, this enzyme shows chain length-dependent cleavage of peptide substrates sharing N-terminal amino acid sequence. This is the first study to report the enzymatic properties of the full-length human RNPEPL1 as an aminopeptidase enzyme.

Does plastic type matter? Insights into non-indigenous marine larvae recruitment under controlled conditions.

Marine plastic debris (MPD) are a global threat to marine ecosystems. Among countless ecosystem impacts, MPD can serve as a vector for marine 'hitchhikers' by facilitating transport and subsequent spread of unwanted pests and pathogens. The transport and spread of these non-indigenous species (NIS) can have substantial impacts on native biodiversity, ecosystem services/functions and hence, important economic consequences. Over the past decade, increasing research interest has been directed towards the characterization of biological communities colonizing plastic debris, the so called Plastisphere. Despite remarkable advances in this field, little is known regarding the recruitment patterns of NIS larvae and propagules on MPD, and the factors influencing these patterns. To address this knowledge gap, we used custom-made bioassay chambers and ran four consecutive bioassays to compare the settlement patterns of four distinct model biofouling organisms' larvae, including the three notorious invaders Crassostrea gigas, Ciona savignyi and Mytilus galloprovincialis, along with one sessile macro-invertebrate Spirobranchus cariniferus, on three different types of polymers, namely Low-Linear Density Polyethylene (LLDPE), Polylactic Acid (PLA), Nylon-6, and a glass control. Control bioassay chambers were included to investigate the microbial community composition colonizing the different substrates using 16S rRNA metabarcoding. We observed species-specific settlement patterns, with larvae aggregating on different locations on the substrates. Furthermore, our results revealed that C. savignyi and S. cariniferus generally favoured Nylon and PLA, whereas no specific preferences were observed for C. gigas and M. galloprovincialis. We did not detect significant differences in bacterial community composition between the tested substrates. Taken together, our results highlight the complexity of interactions between NIS larvae and plastic polymers. We conclude that several factors and their potential interactions influenced the results of this investigation, including: (i) species-specific larval biological traits and ecology; (ii) physical and chemical composition of the substrates; and (iii) biological cues emitted by bacterial biofilm and the level of chemosensitivity of the different NIS larvae. To mitigate the biosecurity risks associated with drifting plastic debris, additional research effort is critical to effectively decipher the mechanisms involved in the recruitment of NIS on MPD.

High-Order Social Graph Neural Network for Service Recommendation

Driven by proliferation of the Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), the quantity of published software services and their users keeps increasing rapidly in the service ecosystem; thus, personalized service selection and recommendation has remained a hot topic. Recent studies have revealed that users’ social connections may help better model their potential behaviors. Therefore, in this paper, we study how users’ high-order social networks may help improve service recommendation as well as its explainability. Two observations are set forth. First, a user’s service preference may be influenced by his trusted users, whom in turn influenced by their social connections. Second, such chained influences will not remain static and equally-weighted, as a user’s confidence over his social relations may vary confronted with different targeted services. We thus introduce a novel High-order Social Graph Neural Network (HSGNN) to support social-aware service recommendation. The key idea of the model is a graph convolution-based, multi-hop propagation module devised to extract the high-order social similarity signals from users’ local social networks, and encode them into the users’ general representations. Afterwards, a neighbor-level attention module is constructed to adaptively select informative neighbors to model the users’ specific preference. Extensive experiments in a real-world service dataset show that our HSGNN makes service recommendation more accurately, i.e., by 4.71% in terms of normalized discounted cumulative gain (NDCG), than state-of-the-art baseline methods.

Developing a culturally tailored brain healthy diet intervention for older midwestern African Americans: a qualitative and quantitative study

AbstractBackgroundEmerging evidence suggests that up to half of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) cases are a result of modifiable risk factors related to poor diet such as blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes, all of which disproportionately affect African Americans (Johansen, Langton‐Frost, & Gottesman, 2020). Adherence to brain healthy diets has consistently been reported to be low among African Americans due to the lack of cultural considerations, such as soul food traditions (Epstein et al., 2012). Therefore, it is important to understand barriers and incorporate culture into a brain healthy diet design to improve adherence and reduce the risk of AD among African Americans.MethodWe conducted 6 semi‐structured focus groups (n = 40) to understand how older AA specific food preferences, preparation preferences, and community cooking class topics specific to the development and delivery of the intervention. Also, we conducted a needs assessment using surveys to further understand barriers and facilitators of dietary behaviors among older AA to further inform the development of a culturally tailored brain healthy dietary intervention.ResultA total of 40 African Americans participated in the study. The 6 focus groups generated 5 main themes including knowledge of dementia, practices shaping food choices and consumption, barriers impacting healthy dietary consumption, external instrumental support, and elements of culturally tailored brain healthy dietary intervention. The Mediterranean‐DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative delay (MIND) diet model was most favored and seen more feasible to follow due to alignment with current lifestyle practices within the African American community. However, adjustments in the MIND diet are need increase acceptability. Findings from the needs assessment indicated that taste (30.8%) and cost (20.5%) were perceived barriers to eating healthy. Facilitators to eating healthy eating included nutrition education focused on eating healthy on a budget, meal planning and prepping that is delivered using virtual formats.ConclusionFindings from this study inform the development of a culturally tailored MIND diet incorporating soul food traditions (MIND‐SOUL) for African Americans.

Hurdles and clarifications for the cultivation of saffron in Jammu and Kashmir

Since saffron is a triploid crop, it does not generate seed when selfed or crossed and is passed down through the generations by daughter corms produced from the mother corms. As a result, agro-technology development is the only viable alternative for bringing this crop to its full potential. Saffron does not have any specific habitat preferences, as evidenced by discovering numerous previously unknown saffron farmed areas during the current study. The plant grows as a mixed crop under apple ( Malus domestica Borkh ), almond (Prunus amygdalus Batsch.), populus ( Populus alba L.), and walnut ( Juglans regia L.) trees, as well as in plains, undulated soils, hills, and rice fields. It can be found growing between 1585 and 2050 m above sea level. Different agro-techniques were standardized, among which compost soil (compost 250 gms per pot with 2 kgs of soil; 500 gms per tray with 4 kgs of soil; 10 kgs per bed) was found to be best for early flower production. Soil and farmyard manure (1:3), UDP 0.25 gms/pot (N-115.511+ K130.952+P-58.496 mg), soil DAP 650 mg/2 kg of soil (@P = 152.0899 mg), soil MOP 350 mg/2 kg (@ K = 183.37 mg) of soil was preeminent of procured in vitro raised cormlets in terms of their sprouting and survival of shoots. Corm density was also checked in the offseason of the crop, with growth activity of only saffron corms. Significant negative correlation was recorded with r = 0.82; n = 100; P ≤ 0.001. But the reverse trend was observed in the crop's growing season when most de-weeding and field preparations are accomplished. The study will benefit people in near future as it emphasized the imperative proofs and picture of saffron cultivation in Kashmir valley, reflects the realities of saffron cultivation and trounces the earlier myths. • Saffron is a triploid crop, hence fails to produce seed upon selfing or crossing. It is propagated by daughter corms produced from the mother corms. • Some unfamiliar saffron cultivated sites have also been located. • It grows along an altitudinal gradient of 1585–2050 m asl. i.e. from Nehama (1585 m) Budgam to Buzgow (2050 m)- Nilnag- Gogipathri. • Different agro-techniques were standardized and compost soil (Compost 250 gms per pot with 2 kgs of soil; 500 gms per tray with 4 kgs of soil; 10 kgs per bed) was found to be best with respect to early flower production. • Soil and farm yard manure 1:3, UDP 0.25 gms/pot (N-115.511+ K130.952+P-58.496 mg), soil DAP 650mg/2 kg of soil (@P = 152.0899 mg), soil MOP 350mg/2 kg (@ K = 183.37 mg) of soil was preeminent of procured invitro raised cormlets in terms of their sprouting and survival of shoots up to the second year of their growth period. • Knowledge of weed characteristics, morphology, ontogeny, nature of competition and degree of association with crops are pre-requisite for suggesting some efficient weed control measures. • The data on weeds revealed that most weed species belongs to three families with dominant family Asteraceae, followed by Brasicaceae, Fabaceace and Lamiaceae. • Corm density was checked in off season of the crop, with growth activity of only saffron corms, significant negative correlation was recorded with r = 0.82; n = 100; P ≤ 0.001. But reverse trend was observed in growth season of the crop when most de-weeding and field preparations are going on.

Abstract IA021: Challenges of conducting active surveillance for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)

Abstract The COMET (Comparing an Operation to Monitoring, with or without Endocrine Therapy) multicenter Phase III prospective trial randomizes women with low-risk DCIS to either standard of care (surgery +/- radiation therapy) or active surveillance (AS), a management approach in which mammograms and physical exams are used to monitor breast changes and determine when, or if, surgery is needed. It is currently open at 85 Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology sites and has accrued 905 patients as of 08/01/22. Initial recruitment challenges related to standardizing pathology eligibility criteria, with re-evaluation regarding the merits of central versus second pathology review, and discordance among pathologists regarding DCIS grade and necrosis. These discussions resulted in evidence-based protocol amendments that subsequently increased accrual. Patients that express a specific treatment preference often decline the arm to which they are randomized (not uncommon in trials of surgery de-escalation). Two consultants were recruited to implement the Quintet Recruitment Intervention, an initiative that utilizes qualitative/quantitative strategies to better understand recruitment in trials with very different treatment arms; acceptance rates in each randomized arm stabilized following this intervention. Patient and provider attitudes also presented a potential barrier to recruitment. Some surgeons lacked equipoise with the concept of AS and possess a “more is more” mentality; others express concern about younger patients undergoing AS; there are also financial implications of conducting AS rather than surgery for some surgeons. Radiologists often provide the initial diagnosis of DCIS to the patient; if the patient is told “DCIS is breast cancer”, they will expect to have surgery. Potential to consider AS may be limited if this preconceived notion about the need for surgery becomes established at the outset. DCIS has been disproportionately influenced by its terminology and classification, which may contribute to women feeling rushed into treatment decisions. Because of the way that DCIS is described to them, women considering AS may feel anxious knowing that the ‘threat’ of invasive breast cancer (IBC) has not been removed. Specific challenges to conducting AS for patients include those with a family history of breast cancer who express a strong desire for surgery. Women who undergo AS may experience ‘anticipatory anxiety’ regarding ongoing surveillance for the disease. Insufficient research exists about how relevant the outcomes of undergoing AS are to women and how patient perception around the potential ‘risk’ of IBC may impact upon their acceptance of AS. Collection of patient-reported outcomes in currently enrolling studies enables the challenges of undergoing AS to be understood from a patient perspective. Changing the treatment paradigm for DCIS requires multidisciplinary collaboration to drive change. However, providing more safe options for patients with low-risk DCIS will significantly reduce treatment-related harms. Citation Format: Thomas Lynch. Challenges of conducting active surveillance for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Rethinking DCIS: An Opportunity for Prevention?; 2022 Sep 8-11; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2022;15(12 Suppl_1): Abstract nr IA021.

Factors influencing rice production in the south-eastern belt of Ghana

Ghana has great potential to produce rice for local consumption, however, the average rice produced barely meets half of the country's consumption needs. Focus group discussions (FGDs) and surveys were held within the coastal lowland rice production belt in Ghana. The FGDs were held at Okyereko and Afife followed by surveys in the two communities in addition to Dawenya and Ashaiman. The objectives were to assess the production challenges faced by farmers in the four communities and determine the rice traits preferred by the farmers. Twenty farmers were involved in each of the FGDs while 227 respondents were selected through convenient sampling for the interviews. Sixty-nine percent of respondent farmers were male, 53% were above 50 years while 44% had varied levels of education. Farmers preferences mainly related to marketable traits such as aroma (87%), taste (83%) and yield potential (78%). There was special preference for Jasmine 85 (62.8%) and Togo Marshal l (25%), an indication of the high adoption of aromatic rice varieties in the study areas. Challenges such as securing credit, input supplies, soil salinity and ageing work force were matters of grave concern to respondent farmers. Given the importance of rice cultivation in the study areas to Ghana’s quest to achieve self-sufficiency in rice, targeted and coordinated support from relevant governmental and non-governmental organizations is needed to sustain a higher level of production in the study areas.

Basic doctrinal approaches to understanding the function of the “custodian” of the constitution of the President of the Republic of Poland

The article outlines the main doctrinal approaches to understanding the role of the President of the Republic of Poland in protecting the Constitution of the Polish state. It is stated that despite the fact that the protection of the Constitution is legally recognized as one of the key functions of the President of the Republic of Poland as the head of state, the Polish constitutional doctrine lacks a clear vision of the actual filling of this function with relevant powers. It is emphasized that this situation is due to the type of republican form of government in Poland and the specifics of the Polish model of the separation of powers. 
 It is proved that the interpretation of the Constitution, which is contained in the official acts issued by the President, has priority over the interpretation of other state bodies regarding the powers exercised by these bodies, as well as when there are contradictory or even conflicts between the President and another central constitutional body of the state situations
 It was concluded that the function of the “custodian” of the Constitution results in the “presumption of rightness” of the President of the Republic of Poland in front of other authorities. It is noted that only a final decision by the Constitutional Tribunal on the competence dispute can cancel the interpretation of the President, refuting his interpretation of the relevant provisions of the Constitution, which is based on the specific preferences of the interpretation of the President as the “guardian of the Constitution”.
 It is emphasized that the supervision of the President of the Republic of Poland over the observance of the Constitution obviously also means a special concern for the observance of the Constitution by the President himself as an integral institutional component of the system of state authorities.
 It is summarized that the specification and addition of the principle of legalism expressed in Art. 7 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, set out in Part 3 of Art. 126, it is no coincidence that it is contained in the same article as the provisions of parts 1 and 2, defining the main functions (tasks) of the President. Therefore, the President of the Republic of Poland, as the “custodian” of the Constitution, can perform these and other functions provided for by law, and not only on the basis of the powers defined in specific provisions of the Constitution and laws, but also on the basis of authorizing norms systematically constructed on the basis of constitutional or legislative provisions

Foraging discrepancy of Bombus species with native versus non–native flora in Chitwan Annapurna landscape, Nepal

We compared the foraging frequency of bumblebee ( Bombus spp) with native versus non-native flowring plants in Chitwan Annapurna Landscape (CHAL). Specimens were collected using a sweeping net along the altitudinal gradients following an accessible walking trail between 600 to 3500 m asl. The random sampling was carried in different habitat types (agriculture, forest, grassland and home garden) along the transects. The relative frequency of Bombus species was significantly vary with the flowering plant(Native types and non native cultivated, non native naturalized and invasive) in sampling rout along the altitudinal gradients. some Bombus species were found to be foraged only to the specific flowers within the study sites indicating that the specific flowering preference of certain bumblebees in the study area. The overall result indicated, the differential foraging choice of Bombus species with native and non-native plant communities in the study area.

Integrated physiological and weighted gene co-expression network analysis reveals the hub genes engaged in nitrate-regulated alleviation of ammonium toxicity at the seedling stage in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Wheat has a specific preference for NO3 - and shows toxicity symptoms under high NH4 + concentrations. Increasing the nitrate supply may alleviate ammonium stress. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying the nitrate regulation of wheat root growth to alleviate ammonium toxicity remain unclear. In this study, we integrated physiological and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify the hub genes involved in nitrate alleviation of ammonium toxicity at the wheat seedling stage. Five NH4 +/NO3 - ratio treatments, including 100/0 (Na), 75/25 (Nr1), 50/50 (Nr2), 25/75 (Nr3), and 0/100 (Nn) were tested in this study. The results showed that sole ammonium treatment (Na) increased the lateral root number but reduced root biomass. Increasing the nitrate supply significantly increased the root biomass. Increasing nitrate levels decreased abscisic acid (ABA) content and increased auxin (IAA) content. Furthermore, we identified two modules (blue and turquoise) using transcriptome data that were significantly related to root physiological growth indicators. TraesCS6A02G178000 and TraesCS2B02G056300 were identified as hub genes in the two modules which coded for plastidic ATP/ADP-transporter and WRKY62 transcription factors, respectively. Additionally, network analysis showed that in the blue module, TraesCS6A02G178000 interacts with downregulated genes that coded for indolin-2-one monooxygenase, SRG1, DETOXIFICATION, and wall-associated receptor kinase. In the turquoise module, TraesCS2B02G056300 was highly related to the genes that encoded ERD4, ERF109, CIGR2, and WD40 proteins, and transcription factors including WRKY24, WRKY22, MYB30, and JAMYB, which were all upregulated by increasing nitrate supply. These studies suggest that increasing the nitrate supply could improve root growth and alleviate ammonium toxicity through physiological and molecular regulation networks, including ROS, hormonal crosstalk, and transcription factors.

Influence of Organic Acids on Kinetic Properties of Engineered <i>Phlebia radiata</i> MnP3 Enzymes (Wild-type and Mutants) during Mn (II) Oxidation

Organic acids are potent inhibitors or activators of enzymes and are involved in the catalytic cycle of peroxidase. This study investigated the influence of some organic acids on kinetic parameters during the oxidation of Mn (II) catalyzed by recombinant Phlebia radiata wild-type and mutant manganese peroxidases. For the wild-type, the highest affinity (low Km) and highest catalytic efficiency were obtained in the presence of lactate. The E40H, E44H, D186H and D186N rPr-MnP3 variants exhibited similar characteristics as the wild-type with highest catalytic efficiencies in the presence of lactate. Michaelis constant, Km for rPr-MnP3 mutants was far higher compared to wild-type indicating that enzymes with less affinity for Mn (II) were created by mutation of the Mn (II)-binding site. This resulted in gross decrease in catalytic efficiencies of the mutants relative to wild-type. While D186H was least efficient in tartrate, D186N showed equivalent catalytic efficiencies in both malonate (0.31 mM-1s-1) and tartrate (0.30 mM-1s-1). E40H/E44H was most effective in the presence of malonate. Our outcomes agree with the hypothesis that certain organic acids are involved in the catalytic cycle of manganese peroxidase. We conclude that mutation specific preferences for organic acid chelators have been created and histidine is a better alternative to asparagine in retaining the activity of Mn peroxidase. For practical applications, tartrate is the most for wild-type, E40H, E44H, D186H and D186N activity while malonate is the best for E40H/E44H mutant. Creation of more mutants and investigation of specific modulators of these mutant enzymes are on-going in our laboratory.

Preferred Communication with Adolescent and Young Adult Patients Receiving Bad News About Cancer.

Purpose: Several studies have investigated good communication practices with adult patients receiving bad news about cancer. However, while communication preferences may differ between adults and adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients, these preferences have not been determined for AYA patients. The primary endpoint of this study was to describe the communication preferred by AYA patients with cancer. Methods: The study cohort consisted of 15 patients who received a cancer diagnosis at the age of 15-29 years. Patients were recruited at the National Cancer Center Hospital or through "STAND UP!!," an association of AYA patients with cancer. Semistructured interviews were conducted, and content analysis was performed to analyze the data. Results: For the preferred communication of AYA patients, 80 categories were extracted in the following five domains: (1) "Supportive setting," (2) "Method of disclosure of bad news," (3) "Information given," (4) "Emotional support," and (5) "Support for the patient's decision making." Although more than half of the categories extracted were identical to the preferred communication of adult patients, some categories specific to AYA patients were identified that physicians should consider. Preferences specific to AYA patients included mentioning generation-specific social factors, not showing excessive empathy, and communicating in a manner considering their age and cognitive development that supports their decision making. Conclusion: Although physicians should be mindful of the specific preferences of AYA patients, the basic attitude and communication preferences are similar to those of patients of other generations.

The versatility of pulses: Are consumption and consumer perception in different European countries related to the actual climate impact of different pulse types?

Pulses support sustainable production and consumption. Their culinary versatility creates a wide range of possibilities for new products, bridging consumers’ preparation barriers. However, this potential is often intangible for consumers who have little knowledge about plant-based foods. Based on an online survey in Denmark, Germany, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom (N = 4,226), this study aimed to investigate consumer utilization and perception of pulses as a versatile, low-carbon food relative to objective life cycle assessment (LCA) measures of 12 pulse types. The most popular pulse types, with specific preferences across countries, were lentils, kidney beans, and chickpeas, typically consumed at home and purchased in dried or canned form. Respondents associated pulses with being healthy and natural, but sustainability was not an essential attribute related to the perception of pulses. LCA revealed a low environmental impact caused by pulse production and consumption, with marginal variations between types and produce. Respondents were unaware of the nuances in the environmental impact of different pulse types, generally perceiving uncommon pulses to be relatively more sustainable than others. In conclusion, a low consumption combined with a misconception of pulses’ environmental impact may demand different promotional strategies including clear communication to inform consumers.

Exploring country's preference over news mentions to academic papers

• A few countries play dominant role in producing and receiving news mentions to academic papers. • The overall distribution of news mentions sees no country's preference over domestic papers. • The statistical test suggests that news articles from all investigated countries have positively mentioned more domestic papers. • Countries have shown preference over academic papers from some specific countries. • Country's preference in the micro perspective presents disciplinary difference. News mentions to academic papers has provided an important channel for research to yield impact on broad audience in the society, and is particularly useful in scholarly communication, scientific outreach and altmetrics. Unlike academic paper, news articles are often influenced by social factors such as culture, ideology and geography. It is therefore uncertain whether news mentions to academic paper is valid for evaluative purpose as expected by altmetrics studies. In response, this study has conducted large scale statistical analysis to explore country's preference over news mentions, based on the assumption that if news mentions to academic paper is not (or weakly) influenced by social factors, no obvious country's preference would be observed, and the vice versa. The major findings are: (1) From the macro perspective, overall distribution of news mentions is highly imbalanced, with several developed countries taking the dominant position. However, no obvious preference towards domestic papers was observed. (2) From the micro perspective, based on the ZINB test results, news from all countries have more positively mentioned domestic papers and simultaneously shown preference over papers from certain countries. (3) In terms of disciplinary comparison, disciplinary differences were observed in the impact strength and specific preference. These results suggest that in micro level country's preference exist for news mentions to academic papers, but in macro level, country's preference is insignificant. Therefore, it is suggested that news mentions can be used for assessing purpose in the macro level.

Evolution of the common pochard (Aythya ferina, Linnaeus, 1758) population in the aquatic ecosystems of the Dniester-Prut interfluve over the last 60 years

The ecological and behavioral peculiarities of the common pochard, a diving species, with specific preferences for the aquatic habitat, are described in the article. It was noticed that only fish ponds, provided with combined food for fish, create optimal conditions for the reproduction and development of the offspring of the species. In fish habitats, where the ducks are provided with food and the energy effort is directed to reproduction, some clutches number up to 11-12 eggs and the offspring constitute an average of 7 ducklings per female. At the age of 4-5 weeks, an average of 5.3 ducklings per female survive, compared to 4.2 ducklings per female in the Prut wet habitats. The presence of food somehow reduces the competition between individuals and allows the colonization of small and shallow waters.

THE ROLE OF PERSONALITY TRAITS AND MOOD IN TASTE PREFERENCE AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Objective: The current study was conducted to investigate the relationship between personality traits, mood and taste preference among university students. Design: Correlational and Cross-sectional research design was used for the present study. Method: The sample was comprised of 170 university students, 83 males and 87 females with age range 18-25 years. The sample size was calculated through G*power. Data was collected online through google form. The Big Five Inventory-10, Brief Mood Introspection and a self-constructed taste preference scale were used to assess personality traits, mood and taste preference respectively. Results: The results suggested that some specific personality traits were correlated with specific taste preferences such as agreeableness was associated with salty, sour, and sweet taste preferences while negatively associated with bitter taste preference. As well as extraversion was significantly positively associated with salty taste preference. On the other hand, pleasant mood was also shown to have positive correlation with salty, sweet, spicy, and sour taste preference. The finding of current research also showed that women are more likely to prefer salty, spicy, and sour tastes than men. Conclusion: There are some specific mood and personality traits that are related with specific taste preferences. Gender differences indicated that women are more likely to prefer food on the basis of its taste while men are more likely to prefer food on the basis of amount of its calories. Implication: The present research would be useful in health settings in order to design diet plans for obese individuals according to their personality, mood and related food choices.

Metabolism of linoleic and linolenic acids in muscle cells of two freshwater fish with n-3 or n-6 fatty acid requirements

Different fish species have specific requirements for essential fatty acids (EFAs). However, it is not well known whether cellular EFAs metabolism patterns among fish species are related to their differences in EFA requirements. In the present study, we used primary muscle cells from grass carp (GCM) and Nile tilapia (NTM), which has specific requirement of n-3 and n-6 EFA, respectively, to compare the fatty acids uptake, β-oxidation and esterification towards [1-14C]-labeled linoleic acid (LA, 18:2n-6) and linolenic acid (LNA, 18:3n-3). The results showed that the uptake rate of LNA was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than LA in GCM, but lower than LA in NTM. Total mitochondrial and peroxisomal β-oxidation efficiencies for LA were also significantly higher than those for LNA in GCM, while the opposite trend was observed in NTM. In GCM, the esterification of LNA into triacylglycerol (TG) was significantly lower than that of LA, but higher LNA esterification into phosphatidylcholine (PC) than LA was observed. However, the significantly higher LA esterification into TG and PC was observed in NTM. Additionally, LNA significantly upregulated the expressions of the genes related to lipid transportation, while significantly downregulated the expressions of the genes related to lipid catabolism in GCM. However, in NTM, the LA significantly upregulated the expressions of the genes related to lipid transportation, but did not change the expressions of the genes related to lipid catabolism and lipogenesis. In conclusion, GCM had specific preference to uptake and esterify LNA and tends to breakdown LA, while NTM preferred to uptake and esterify LA and tended to breakdown LNA. These differences are in accordance with the specific EFA requirements of grass carp and Nile tilapia. Our present study provides new information for understanding the specific EFA requirements of different fish species from the perspective of cellular EFAs metabolism.

Socioeconomic Disparities in Iranians' Preferences toward Dental Care Services: A Population-Based Survey.

Patients' perspectives and preferences are considered an essential influencing factor for healthcare utilization. This study is one of the first to investigate patient preference for dental services across socioeconomic and demographic indicators in Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted through telephone interviews with adult residents in Mashhad and Kerman cities. A representative sample was selected by stratified random sampling. A valid structured questionnaire was used for data collection, including people's preference toward dental care services in terms of dental settings, choosing a general or specialist dentist, prevention or treatment, and the preferable gender of the dentist. Factors potentially associated with preferences included gender, age, educational level, job, monthly income, house size, family number, insurance coverage, dental insurance, type of insurance, and social class in the city were investigated. 1475 individuals participated in the study [response rate 63%]. Our findings showed higher preferences for private offices (50.6%), specialist dentists (76.2%), treatment services (40.8%), and no specific gender preference for the dentist (60.6%). Their preferences were significantly influenced by age range, social class, insurance status, dental insurance, and type of insurance. Income, household size, level of education, and job were not statistically significant with none of the preferences. Socioeconomic and demographic factors' correlation with people's preferences was observed. Efforts are needed to promote preventive care demand in deprived regions. Moreover, increasing financial resources allocated to preventive care and covering preventive dental services in insurance plans are recommended.

Unified operation optimization model of integrated coal mine energy systems and its solutions based on autonomous intelligence

An integrated coal mine energy system involves the production, transmission, conversion, storage, and consumption of multiple types of energy with complicated coupling relationships. The operation optimization problem of this system is characterized by multi-scenario, multi-variable, multi-objective, and strong constraints, making it difficult to be solved. Based on the structure of this system, a unified system operation optimization model suitable for various scenarios is established to minimize the economic and carbon transaction costs. To effectively solve optimization problems in various scenarios, we propose an autonomous intelligent optimization strategy based on a support vector machine to make full use of their characteristics in various scenarios to generate the most target intelligent optimization algorithms. To improve the performance of a population in convergence under strong constraints, we develop three strategies for repairing infeasible solutions according to specific preferences. Taking a mine in Shanxi Province as the object under test, a series of experiments are conducted under four typical scenarios, and the experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.