Active Social Contacts Research Articles

Information diffusion in distributed OSN: The impact of trusted relationships

Distributed Online Social Networks (DOSN) are a valid alternative to OSN based on peer-to-peer communications. Without centralised data management, DOSN must provide the users with higher level of control over their personal information and privacy. Thus, users may wish to restrict their personal network to a limited set of peers, depending on the level of trust with them. This means that the effective social network (used for information exchange) may be a subset of the complete social network, and may present different structural patterns, which could limit information diffusion. In this paper, we estimate the capability of DOSN to diffuse content based on trust between social peers. To have a realistic representation of a OSN friendship graph, we consider a large-scale Facebook network, from which we estimate the trust level between friends. Then, we consider only social links above a certain threshold of trust, and we analyse the potential capability of the resulting graph to spread information through several structural indices. We test four possible thresholds, coinciding with the definition of personal social circles derived from sociology and anthropology. The results show that limiting the network to “active social contacts” leads to a graph with high network connectivity, where the nodes are still well-connected to each other, thus information can potentially cover a large number of nodes with respect to the original graph. On the other hand, the coverage drops for more restrictive assumptions. Nevertheless the re-insertion of a single excluded friend for each user is sufficient to obtain good coverage (i.e., always higher than 40 %) even in the most restricted graphs. We also analyse the potential capability of the network to spread information (i.e., network spreadability), studying the properties of the social paths between any pairs of users in the graph, which represent the effective channels traversed by information. The value of contact frequency between pairs of users determines a decay of trust along the path (the higher the contact frequency the lower the decay), and a consequent decay in the level of trustworthiness of information traversing the path. We show that selecting the link to re-insert in the network with probability proportional to its level of trust is the best re-insertion strategy, as it leads to the best connectivity/spreadability combination.

The influence of regional deprivation index on personal happiness using multilevel analysis.

OBJECTIVES:The objective of the present study was to identify the factors that influence the happiness index of community residents, by considering personal and regional aspects, and to use as evidence of efforts for improvement of the happiness index.METHODS:The study was conducted based on information from 16,270 participants who met the data requirement among those who participated in the 2011 South Gyeongsang Community Health Survey. Of the factors that can influence the happiness index, socioeconomic characteristics, health behavior, morbidity, and healthcare use, social contact, and participation in social activities were classified as personal factors; for regional factors, data from the 2010 census were used to extrapolate the regional deprivation indices at the submunicipal-level (eup, myeon, and dong) in South Gyeongsang Province. The happiness index for each characteristic was compared to that for others via t-test and ANOVA, and multilevel analysis was performed, using four models: a basic model for identification of only random effects, model 1 for identification of personal factors, model 2 for identification of regional factors, and model 3 for simultaneous consideration of both personal and regional factors.RESULTS:The mean happiness index was 63.2 points (64.6 points in males and 62.0 points in females), while the mean deprivation index was -1.58 points. In the multilevel analysis, the regional-level variance ratio of the basic model was 10.8%, confirming interregional differences. At the personal level, higher happiness indices were seen in groups consisting of males with high educational level, high income, high degree of physical activity, sufficient sleep, active social contact, and participation in social activities; whereas lower happiness indices were seen in people who frequently skipped breakfast, had unmet healthcare needs, and had accompanying diseases, as well as those with higher deprivation index.CONCLUSIONS:The study confirmed that the happiness index of community residents was influenced by not only personal aspects but also various regional characteristics. To increase the happiness index, interests at both personal and regional levels, as well as community emphasis on creating social rapport and engaging in selective efforts, are needed in vulnerable regions with relatively high deprivation index.

Estimation of global network statistics from incomplete data.

Complex networks underlie an enormous variety of social, biological, physical, and virtual systems. A profound complication for the science of complex networks is that in most cases, observing all nodes and all network interactions is impossible. Previous work addressing the impacts of partial network data is surprisingly limited, focuses primarily on missing nodes, and suggests that network statistics derived from subsampled data are not suitable estimators for the same network statistics describing the overall network topology. We generate scaling methods to predict true network statistics, including the degree distribution, from only partial knowledge of nodes, links, or weights. Our methods are transparent and do not assume a known generating process for the network, thus enabling prediction of network statistics for a wide variety of applications. We validate analytical results on four simulated network classes and empirical data sets of various sizes. We perform subsampling experiments by varying proportions of sampled data and demonstrate that our scaling methods can provide very good estimates of true network statistics while acknowledging limits. Lastly, we apply our techniques to a set of rich and evolving large-scale social networks, Twitter reply networks. Based on 100 million tweets, we use our scaling techniques to propose a statistical characterization of the Twitter Interactome from September 2008 to November 2008. Our treatment allows us to find support for Dunbar's hypothesis in detecting an upper threshold for the number of active social contacts that individuals maintain over the course of one week.

Correlation between 50-kHz band activity in primary auditory cortex and social interaction in rats

Event Abstract Back to Event Correlation between 50-kHz band activity in primary auditory cortex and social interaction in rats Hengjun J Kim1*, Gyunggoo Cho1, Youngkyu Song1, Song-I Chun1, Dongwan Lim1, Jeong Kon Kim2 and Young Ro Kim3 1 Korea Basic Science Institute, Korea 2 Radiology, Asan medical center, Korea, Republic 3 Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, United States Ultrasonic vocalization (USV) reflects emotional state and the level of social interaction in rats. The USV in 50-kHz band are emitted in a positive affective state induced by food reward or rough-and-tumble play as well as by the approach behavior, whereas 22-kHz band relates to an anxious state. Primary auditory cortex (Aud1) of rat is tonotopic, in which spatial divisions of Aud1 corresponds to specific frequency bands. Based on the work of Rutkowski et al. (2003), we created probabilistic maps to display the 50-kHz or 22-kHz band responsivity in Aud1 (Figure A). Penetrating through the blood-brain barrier, manganese ions (Mn2+) enter and accumulate in the firing neurons via voltage-gated calcium channels, enhancing the MRI signal intensity. Thus, we applied manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) to investigate the relation between social behavior and 50-kHz band activity in Aud1 using MDEFT pulse sequence (TR/TE=15/3.8ms, Inversion delay=1100ms, 4 segments, FA=15°) and social interaction test (SIT). First, SIT was performed based on File et al. (1978)'s protocol. Female pairs of rats (6 pairs, n=12) were placed in the box for 10 min and SIT score was measured by the time spent in active social contacts including sniffing, grooming, and following. Secondly, we acquired high-resolution image before and after Mn2+ injection to rats to monitor the brain activity for one day. From the brain activity map and probabilistic map, we calculated Aud1 activities in 50-kHz band region, which were correlated with SIT score. Figure B showed the relation between brain activities and SIT score for left and right Aud1 regions. Only in the left Aud1, the neural activities receiving 50-kHz band had significant correlation with the SIT score (r=0.70, p=0.01), indicating that animals showing active social behavior had enhanced neural activities to 50-kHz calls in Aud1. Previous behavioral studies showed that the dominant rat had higher SIT score than subordinates, and high SIT score was known to represent low anxiety level. Our result revealed that the animals with low anxiety level had positive bias in the perception of ultrasonic calls. In addition, we suggest that the probabilistic map, if it was applied to functional brain imaging data, could be used to measure the affective valence in the auditory sensory cortex. References RG Rutkowski et al. (2003) Hear. Res. 181, 116-130. SE File et al. (1978) Br. J. Pharmacol. 62, 19-24. Figure 1 Keywords: Neuroimaging, primary auditory cortex, social interaction in rats, manganese ions, voltage-gated calcium channels Conference: 5th INCF Congress of Neuroinformatics, Munich, Germany, 10 Sep - 12 Sep, 2012. Presentation Type: Poster Topic: Neuroinformatics Citation: Kim H, Cho G, Song Y, Chun S, Lim D, Kim J and Kim Y (2014). Correlation between 50-kHz band activity in primary auditory cortex and social interaction in rats. Front. Neuroinform. Conference Abstract: 5th INCF Congress of Neuroinformatics. doi: 10.3389/conf.fninf.2014.08.00004 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 21 Mar 2013; Published Online: 27 Feb 2014. * Correspondence: Dr. Hengjun J Kim, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon, Korea, heyjoon73@gmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Hengjun J Kim Gyunggoo Cho Youngkyu Song Song-I Chun Dongwan Lim Jeong Kon Kim Young Ro Kim Google Hengjun J Kim Gyunggoo Cho Youngkyu Song Song-I Chun Dongwan Lim Jeong Kon Kim Young Ro Kim Google Scholar Hengjun J Kim Gyunggoo Cho Youngkyu Song Song-I Chun Dongwan Lim Jeong Kon Kim Young Ro Kim PubMed Hengjun J Kim Gyunggoo Cho Youngkyu Song Song-I Chun Dongwan Lim Jeong Kon Kim Young Ro Kim Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

PDB14 - Social Networks-Based Diabetes Education Improves Social Efficacy And Cohesion, And Favors Sustainability

PDB14 SOCIAL NETWORKS-BASED DIABETES EDUCATION IMPROVES SOCIAL EFFICACY AND COHESION, AND FAVORS SUSTAINABILITY Shaya FT1, Howard D1, Foster C1, Chirikov VV1, Snitker S2, Costas J3, Kucharski K3, Tangirala K3, Frimpter J3 1University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, USA, 2University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA, 3Sanofi US, Bridgewater, NJ, USA OBJECTIVES: Diabetes group education programs have shown better clinical outcomes than one-on-one programs. That effect often subsides when the program is discontinued. We explore the impact of a novel intervention, in a largely African-American population with diabetes. We assess the impact of leveraging patients’ natural social networks on measures of social efficacy and cohesion, with the assumption that those variables will support behavior change and mitigate modifiable risk factors. METHODS: Intervention patients (P2P®) were asked to recruit peers, form small clusters, and attended monthly diabetes education sessions. Control patients were recruited, educated and followed up individually. P2P® patients engaged in interactive educational sessions within their cluster. HbA1c, blood glucose, functional status (SF-12), self-efficacy (General Self-Efficacy Scale), cohesion (Perceived Cohesion Scale), social network characteristics (Social Network Index), and disease knowledge (Diabetes Knowledge Test) were recorded at baseline and followed up at 3-months. RESULTS: Among the 136 patients recruited in the study, intervention patients’ (68) scores were lower on the number of active social network domains (1.1 vs.1.4, P=0.09), network diversity (5.6 vs. 5.9, P=0.30), and number of people in network (11.0 vs. 12.3, P=0.21) than controls (68), at baseline. Other baseline characteristics were evenly distributed between arms. After 3 months of followup, the intervention group had a statistically significantly greater increase in values for active social network domains (1.1, P<0.01), diversity (4.52, P<0.01), and contacts (0.84, P<0.01) than the control group. At the second follow-up, (only 22 patients have reached that point so far) social network index values improved even further from baseline (3.1, 10.8, and 1.0, respectively), compared to the controls. CONCLUSIONS: The P2P® social networks intervention is showing improved social efficacy and integration of patients within their existing networks. These results inform the translation of diabetes education to a sustainable diabetes self-management behavior at the community level.

Anxiolytic-like effect of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice in rats

The main biologically active constituents of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice (AMFJ) are polyphenolics, amongst them flavonoids, mainly anthocyanins. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of AMFJ (5 and 10 mL/kg) on anxiety using the social interaction test, on locomotor activity in the open field test and on working memory in the object recognition test in rats. AMFJ showed an anxiolytic-like effect which was demonstrated by a dose-dependent increase in the time of active social contacts between the test partners. The effects of both AMFJ doses were comparable to the effect of diazepam (1 mg/kg). AMFJ neither changed significantly horizontal and vertical locomotor activity, nor did it adversely affect working memory.

Aging and Oral Health Related to Quality of Life in Geriatric Patients

Oral health is more than healthy teeth. Oral diseases and disorders can affect general health, well-being, and quality of life. The goal of this investigation was to establish oral health related to quality of life of geriatric patients. The study was made for a period of 12 months in a private dental office in Sofia, Bulgaria. It included 53 geriatric patients (36 women and 17 men). The women's average age was 69.5 years old (65 to 87), and men's average age was 70.5 years old (65 to 84). A special questionnaire was made and patients were asked about specific dental problems related to quality of life. Of the respondents, 69.8% were women and only 30.2% were men, which means that women are more likely to visit dental health care offices. Of geriatric patients, 31.5% visit the dental office because of acute pain and 68.4% because of caries. The following are the specific items used to assess geriatric oral health and quality of life: trouble biting or chewing (eating), uncomfortable eating in front of other people, trouble speaking, and limitation of social contacts. Oral health can be an indicator of general health and quality of life in geriatric patients. Oral diseases are progressive and cumulative. They become more complex over time. Improved oral health will allow geriatric patients to improve their self-confidence, have active social contacts, and restore the ability to work at home or on the job.

Effects of creative and social activity on the health and well-being of socially isolated older people: outcomes from a multi-method observational study

Depression and social isolation affect one in seven people over 65 and there is increasing recognition that social isolation adversely affects long-term health. Research indicates that interventions, which promote active social contact, which encourage creativity, and which use mentoring, are more likely to positively affect health and well-being. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a complex intervention for addressing social isolation in older people, embodying these principles: The Upstream Healthy Living Centre. Mentors delivered a series of individually-tailored activities, with support tailing off over time. Two hundred and twenty-nine participants were offered the Geriatric Depression Scale, SF12 Health Quality of Life, and Medical Outcomes Social Support scale at baseline, then 6 months and 12 months post intervention. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 participants, five carers and four referring health professionals to provide a deeper understanding of outcomes. Data were available for 172 (75%) participants at baseline, 72 (53% of those eligible) at 6 months and 51 (55%) at 12 months. Baseline scores indicated social isolation and high morbidity for mental and physical health. The intervention was successful in engaging this population (80% of referrals were engaged in some form of activity). At 6 months, there were significant improvements in SF12 mental component, and depression scores, but not in perceived physical health or social support. At 12 months, there were significant improvements in depression and social support and a marginally significant improvement in SF12 physical component (p = 0.06), but the SF12 mental component change was not maintained. The qualitative data showed that the intervention was well-received by participants. The data indicated a wide range of responses (both physical and emotional), including increased alertness, social activity, self-worth, optimism about life, and positive changes in health behaviour. Stronger, 'transformational' changes were reported by some participants. Individual tailoring seemed to be a key mediator of outcomes, as was overcoming barriers relating to transport and venues. Key processes underlying outcomes were the development of a positive group identity, and building of confidence/self-efficacy. The Upstream model provides a practical way of engaging socially isolated elderly people and generating social networks. The data suggest a range of psychosocial and physical health benefits. Although there are limitations in attributing causality in uncontrolled studies, the data seem to indicate a reversal of the expected downward trends in some aspects of participants' health, and suggest that this approach is worth further investigation.

Brain angiotensin and anxiety-related behavior: The transgenic rat TGR(ASrAOGEN)680

The transgenic rat TGR(ASrAOGEN)680, characterized by a transgene-producing antisense RNA against angiotensinogen in the brain, provides an opportunity to study the behavioral effects of angiotensin. While exposed to the elevated plus-maze (EPM) and the light/dark box, TGR(ASrAOGEN)680 rats showed more signs of anxiety compared to parental Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats. In the EPM, they made fewer entries into the open arms, spent less time there and more time on the closed arms. Head dips were reduced and U-turns were increased. In the light/dark box, the latency to the first re-entry into the light compartment was higher in TGR(ASrAOGEN)680. They displayed more SAP out from the dark and a reduced number of transitions between the two compartments. In the social interaction test, active social contacts were reduced, further suggesting an anxious phenotype. Although there was no transgenic effect on distance traveled in the open field, the more anxious TGR(ASrAOGEN)680 spent less time in the inner zone. Self-grooming was increased in TGR(ASrAOGEN)680 during exposure to the EPM and the open field, but was decreased in the social interaction test. In TGR(ASrAOGEN)680, tissue content of 5-HT and its metabolite 5-HIAA was lower in the hippocampus, frontal, and parietal cortex. HIAA and 5-HIAA/5-HT ratios were reduced in the hypothalamus, striatum, and septum. In the open field, the anxiogenic effect of the 5-HT2C/1B receptor agonist mCPP (0.5–1 mg/kg IP) was more pronounced in TGR(ASrAOGEN)680. The data suggest an anxious phenotype in rats with low brain angiotensinogen, possibly related to secondary dysfunctions of the brain serotonergic system.

Age effects on the social interaction test in early adulthood male rats

The effects of age on active and passive social interaction were studied in Wistar rats using the social interaction test (S.I.T.). Individual behaviors such as ambulation, rearing, and defecation were also studied. Despite the widespread use of the S.I.T. in anxiety research, the effects of age on the S.I.T have not been studied thoroughly. Male Wistar rats of 75, 135, and 180 days old were used. Our results showed age effects on active social contact, passive social contact, ambulation, rearing, and defecation. At 135 days old, animals presented the lowest scores on active social behavior and the highest scores on defecation. Moreover, exploratory behavior measured by ambulation and rearing decreased with age. These results suggest that age could be a relevant variable in the social interaction test. Depression and Anxiety 12:226–231, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Age effects on the social interaction test in early adulthood male rats

The effects of age on active and passive social interaction were studied in Wistar rats using the social interaction test (S.I.T.). Individual behaviors such as ambulation, rearing, and defecation were also studied. Despite the widespread use of the S.I.T. in anxiety research, the effects of age on the S.I.T. have not been studied thoroughly. Male Wistar rats of 75, 135, and 180 days old were used. Our results showed age effects on active social contact, passive social contact, ambulation, rearing, and defecation. At 135 days old, animals presented the lowest scores on active social behavior and the highest scores on defecation. Moreover, exploratory behavior measured by ambulation and rearing decreased with age. These results suggest that age could be a relevant variable in the social interaction test.

Social interaction increases 5-HT release and cAMP efflux in the rat ventral hippocampus in vivo.

The aim of the present study was to combine in vivo microdialysis in the rat with behaviour in the social interaction test in order to investigate changes in both 5-HT release and cyclic AMP (cAMP) efflux in the ventral hippocampus with simultaneous measurement of behaviour. Exposure of the rat to a 10min period of social interaction with an unfamiliar partner in a brightly lit, unfamiliar arena resulted in an increase in extracellular 5-HT and extracellular cAMP in the ventral hippocampus. Pretreatment with diazepam (1mg/kg i.p.) 30min prior to the social interaction test significantly inhibited the increases in both extracellular 5-HT and cAMP while significantly increasing the amount of time the pair of rats spent in active social contact over the 10min period. During the 30min prior to the social interaction test diazepam reduced basal levels of 5-HT, but had no effect on the basal efflux of cAMP. Pretreatment with a selective 5-HT(1A) antagonist, WAY 100135 (5mg/kg s.c.), 30min the social interaction test, significantly potentiated the increase in extracellular 5-HT observed in saline-treated rats during the social interaction test. In contrast, WAY 100135 pretreatment significantly attenuated the increase in extracellular cAMP observed in saline-treated rats during the social interaction test but had no effect on the time spent in active social contact between pairs of rats. The results suggest that social interaction results in activation of a post-synaptic 5-HT receptor (5-HT(1A) or 5-HT(6)/5-HT(7)) coupled to adenylate cyclase but that this receptor is not responsible for the aversion-induced behaviour. Furthermore antagonism of the 5-HT(1A) somatodendritic autoreceptor under conditions of 5-HT neuronal activation, but not under basal conditions, potentiates 5-HT release.

Analysis of the facilitatory effect of the ACTH-(4–9) analog ORG 2766 on active social contact in rats

Pairs of male rats were tested for active social interaction, either in a familiar test arena under low illumination or in an unfamiliar test arena under high illumination conditions. Rats tested in an unfamiliar environment and under high light, spent less time in active social contact than rats tested under familiar, low light conditions. This effect was not pronounced during the first half of the 10 minute test period. Intraperitoneal injections of ACTH-(1–24) and ACTH-(4–10) (50 μg/kg) administered 5 minutes before the test decreased, whereas the same dose of the synthetic ACTH-(4–9) analog ORG 2766 increased the time spent in active social contact, when rats were tested under unfamiliar, high light conditions. The effects of ACTH-(4–10) and ORG 2766 were present in the second and first half of the test period respectively. Dose response relationship studies with ORG 2766 showed that 0.5 μg/kg of this peptide facilitated social contact under both test conditions and the dose response relation followed an inverted U-shaped curve under the familiar low light condition, but not under the unfamiliar, high light condition. ACTH-(4–10) and ORG 2766 failed to influence active social contact, when administered 30 minutes before the test. The change in social contact by ACTH-(4–10) and ORG 2766 was not accompanied by an alteration in ambulation of the rats. It is concluded that ACTH-(4–10) and ORG 2766 decrease and increase respectively social interaction of pairs of rats. The expression of these effects however, depends on the test and treatment conditions and may be related to the action of brain-born ACTH-like peptides.

Normalizing effect of an adrenocorticotropic hormone (4-9) analog ORG 2766 on disturbed social behavior in rats.

Short-term isolation increased the frequency of social interactions in rats tested in pairs, while pairs of rats placed in an unfamiliar test cage and subjected to a high level of illumination spent less time in active social contact. These changes in social behavior elicited by environmental manipulations were counteracted by treatment with the adrenocorticotropic hormone (4-9) analog ORG 2766. The peptide's normalizing effect may be mediated by endogenous opioid systems.

Development of complex patterns of behavioral orientation to social and physical stimuli in kindergarten children.

The effects of school attendance on the behavior orientation patterns exhibited by children at kindergarten entrance were examined by contingency analysis of videotaped behaviors observed during the first and the seventh month of school attendance. Results indicated that the dependency relations between motor areas do not change from the first to the seventh month, and that behaviors oriented to physical stimuli are organized in two broad patterns which remain unchanged. Teacher-oriented behaviors form a pattern of inactive attention which becomes more pronounced during the seventh month, and seem to be negatively related with work behaviors. Behaviors directed to peers are the most subject to changes during the school year, and tend to overlap with work behaviors in mixed patterns. The patterns which emerge in the second observation period indicate more active social contacts with peers in the seventh school month. They suggest also a progressive differentiation between patterns of social interaction and attention patterns.