Changes In Membership Research Articles

Utilizing a novel fecal sampling method to examine resistance of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) gut microbiome to a low dose of tetracycline.

Disruption of host-associated microbial communities can have detrimental impacts on host health. However, the capacity of individual host-associated microbial communities to resist disturbance has not been well defined. Using a novel fecal sampling method for honey bees (Apis mellifera), we examined the resistance of the honey bee gut microbiome to disruption from a low dose of the antibiotic, tetracycline (4.5 μg). Prior to the experiment, bacterial communities from fecal samples were compared to communities from dissected whole guts of the same individuals to ensure fecal samples accurately represented the gut microbiome. Fecal samples were collected from lab-caged honey bees prior to, and five days after, tetracycline exposure to assess how antibiotic disturbance affected the communities of individuals. We used metrics of alpha and beta diversity calculated from 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequences to compare gut community structure. Low dose tetracycline exposure did not consistently change honey bee gut microbiome structure, but there was individual variation in response to exposure and specific taxa (one ASV assigned to Lactobacillus kunkeei and one ASV in the genus Bombella) were differentially abundant following tetracycline treatment. To assess whether individual variation could be influenced by the presence of tetracycline resistance genes, we quantified the abundance of tet(B) and tet(M) with qPCR. The abundance of tet(M) prior to tetracycline treatment was negatively correlated with change in community membership, assessed by difference in Jaccard dissimilarity over the five-day experiment. Our results suggest that the honey bee gut microbiome has some ability to resist or recover from antibiotic-induced change, specific taxa may vary in their susceptibility to tetracycline exposure, and antibiotic resistance genes may contribute to gut microbiome resistance.

The digital transformation of party membership. How party members perceive online participation and adapt to it under pandemic circumstances

Analysing the effects of digital transformation on politics is a vast and fast-growing research field. We contribute to this research by assessing how party members perceive enforced digitalisation during the COVID-19 pandemic and how this affected their (non-)participation. Based on the DigiPM party member survey data, we investigate how individuals perceived participating in their organisations and how they dealt with peculiarities through the pandemic. The study provides insights into how the pandemic as an external shock is processed within parties and the role that routinised party-internal practices play in this regard. Methodologically, the article draws on bivariate analysis and multivariate regression models to explain stable member activity during the pandemic. Through this analysis, we contribute to the discussion on party membership change and the digital transformation of party organisations. Our analyses confirm the assumptions that the pandemic enforced digitalisation in German parties and changed party members’ engagement. Further, the results draw attention to the importance of intra-party socialisation for member participation.

Internalizing Symptoms and Their Impact on Patient-Reported Health-Related Quality of Life and Fatigue among Patients with Craniopharyngioma During Proton Radiation Therapy.

The aim of this study was to describe fatigue, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and brain tumor-associated symptoms after surgical resection and during proton radiotherapy, using latent class analysis (LCA), and to determine if there is class membership change among pediatric patients with craniopharyngioma. For all patients (n = 92), demographic and disease-related/clinical variables were attained, and patient reported outcomes were collected prior to proton therapy, at week three, and at the completion of proton therapy. The mean scores for fatigue, HRQOL, and brain tumor symptoms were compared over time and profiles were identified. Factors that influenced profile status and transition probability were examined. Fatigue, HRQOL, and brain tumor symptoms improved over time during proton therapy; however, a subset remained in the lower profile, profile 1, associated with increased internalizing behaviors, compared to profile 2. Future study should explore the bidirectional relationship of sleep, worry and anxiety in the context of ongoing radiotherapy.

Latent profiles of disability in retired, community‐dwelling older adults

AbstractLater life disability poses a significant public health challenge, and while research often concentrates on physical limitations, understanding the full spectrum of disability requires a comprehensive approach. This study employs latent profile analysis (LPA), a statistical technique that identifies underlying subgroups or profiles within a larger population based on patterns of responses to multiple indicators, to classify disability. We examined one wave of existing panel data from 414 participants aged 72–106 living in retirement communities. We focus on the following disability indicators: basic and instrumental activities of daily living; physical, cognitive, and sensory impairments; and participation restrictions. Three distinct profiles emerged. The largest group (58%), “Low Disability,” exhibited minimal disability across all domains and superior psychological well‐being. The second group (38%) experienced “High Physical and Functional Disability,” with a higher prevalence among older, unmarried women. The smallest group (4%) displayed “High Cognitive‐Sensory‐Functional Disability,” marked by extensive cognitive impairment and the highest functional and sensory limitations, prevalent in advanced age with poorer psychological outcomes of all profiles. Notably, participation restrictions showed minimal variation across disability profiles. The findings emphasize the need for a data‐driven policy framework addressing disability profiles. Efficient resource allocation and targeted support are crucial, and prevention strategies should proactively address individuals at risk of transitioning into higher‐multidomain disability profile membership. Given the connection between disability and mental health, addressing these concerns can enhance overall health and well‐being. Future research should explore changes in disability group membership over time in diversified samples.

Deep learning infused SIRVD model for COVID-19 prediction: XGBoost-SIRVD-LSTM approach.

The global impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, while somewhat contained, remains a critical challenge that has tested the resilience of humanity. Accurate and timely prediction of COVID-19 transmission dynamics and future trends is essential for informed decision-making in public health. Deep learning and mathematical models have emerged as promising tools, yet concerns regarding accuracy persist. This research suggests a novel model for forecasting the COVID-19's future trajectory. The model combines the benefits of machine learning models and mathematical models. The SIRVD model, a mathematical based model that depicts the reach of the infection via population, serves as basis for the proposed model. A deep prediction model for COVID-19 using XGBoost-SIRVD-LSTM is presented. The suggested approach combines Susceptible-Infected-Recovered-Vaccinated-Deceased (SIRVD), and a deep learning model, which includes Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and other prediction models, including feature selection using XGBoost method. The model keeps track of changes in each group's membership over time. To increase the SIRVD model's accuracy, machine learning is applied. The key properties for forecasting the spread of the infection are found using a method called feature selection. Then, in order to learn from these features and create predictions, a model involving deep learning is applied. The performance of the model proposed was assessed with prediction metrics such as R 2, root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and normalized root mean square error (NRMSE). The results are also validated to those of other prediction models. The empirical results show that the suggested model outperforms similar models. Findings suggest its potential as a valuable tool for pandemic management and public health decision-making.

Impact of Membership Changes on Innovation Performance in Public R&D Teams with a Focus on Core Competencies

Membership changes in public research and development (R&D) teams are a crucial aspect yet unexplored, particularly within inter-organizational teams, wherein organizations possessing core competencies play a distinct role in promoting innovation performance. This study examined the impact of membership changes within public R&D teams and focused on organizations with core competencies. Analyzing public energy R&D projects in South Korea revealed that increased changes in team membership negatively affects innovation performance. This emphasizes the critical role of core competencies in influencing how membership changes impact innovation performance in public R&D teams, offering valuable insights for funding agencies and R&D project management.

Change in clusters of lifestyle behaviours from childhood to adolescence: a longitudinal analysis.

This study aimed to identify changes in clusters of lifestyle behaviours (physical activity, screen time and diet) between the ages of 7 and 14years, and to examine socio-demographic determinants of changes. Longitudinal analyses were performed on a sample of 9339 children from the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) who had complete data on behaviours of interest at age 7 (wave 4) and 14years (wave 6). Joint Correspondence Analysis (JCA) and k-means cluster analysis were used to identify clusters of lifestyle behaviours at both time waves. Multinomial logistic regressions were used to examine the associations between socio-economic variables and changes in cluster membership. Analyses were conducted separately for boys and girls. Clusters of behaviours at age 7 and 14years were identified as healthy, mixed or unhealthy respectively. Compared to girls, a higher proportion of boys remained in the healthier cluster over time (19.1% vs. 13.1%) or became healthier (26.4% vs. 9.36%). A higher proportion of girls changed to an unhealthier cluster (57.2% vs. 33.9%). Indicators of lower socio-economic status, such as low family income, low parental education, and not living with both parents at age 7 were associated with unhealthier changes in cluster membership. Conclusion Lifestyle behaviours cluster in children and are susceptible to change over a 7-year period, with a high proportion of boys becoming healthier and a higher proportion of girls became unhealthier. Indicators of socio-economic status appear to be important in determining changes in clusters. What is Known: • Poor lifestyle behaviours (i.e. unhealthy dietary habits, low physical activity, and sedentary behaviours) tend to cluster in children and adolescents. What is New: • Lifestyle behaviours cluster in children and are susceptible to changes between childhood and adolescence. Changes occur differently in boys and girls. Indicators of low socio-economic status are associated with unhealthier changes in behavioural clusters.

Quaternary Tree Group Diffie- Hellman Based Group Key Management Protocol for Dynamic Peer Groups

Diffie-Hellman (DH) protocol for 2-party has made the key exchange to be simple yet powerful. It is widely used in many communication-oriented protocols for establishing the keys in public communication channels. With millions of internet users connected globally and using various group oriented applications, communication among them has to be in a secured manner. Due to its simplicity, DH has been further extended to group setting and number of protocols are developed. Establishing Group Key and regenerating it during membership changes is a challenging task in communication among large groups. This paper proposes a quaternary tree method that uses the key tree concept and Group Diffie Hellman protocol, GDH.3 to establish the common key. GDH.3, an extension of DH for n parties is best suited for large dynamic groups. Quaternary tree reduces the height almost by half as against binary trees, making the rekeying much easier. As the group size increases, GDH.3 outperforms other existing group protocols based on DH, since it requires much lesser number of exponentiations.

Comparison of Gender Diversity Among Spine Surgeons in the Japanese Society for Spine Surgery and Related Research and the Neurospinal Society of Japan: A Descriptive Study Through Secondary Analysis of Aggregated Data.

This was a descriptive study through secondary analysis of aggregated data. This study aimed to describe changes in women's membership in the Japanese Society for Spine Surgery and Related Research (JSSR) for orthopedic surgery and the Neurospinal Society of Japan (NSJ) for neurosurgery over the past decade and make predictions for the future. Although the ratio of women physicians in the field of spine surgery is known to be low worldwide, there is a lack of detailed surveys in Japan. We sent emails to the JSSR and NSJ secretariats to verify membership information (gender and age) from 2013 to 2022. Using ordinary least squares, we projected the years it would take for the JSSR and NSJ to achieve a gender diversity ratio of 30%. In 2013, the percentage of women in JSSR and NSJ was 2.3% and 2.7%, respectively. However, after 2018, the percentage of women in NSJ will be higher than in JSSR, rising to 2.7% in JSSR and 4.7% in NSJ by 2022. It would require 101 years for the NSJ and more than 1,000 years for the JSSR to realize 30% gender diversity. JSSR and NSJ have low percentages of women. Improving gender diversity is an important issue for both societies, and they may collaborate on finding a good solution. Both the JSSR and NSJ societies need to actively address gender diversity and become more attractively represented in society for the next generation of spine surgeons.

State and trait characteristics of attachment as predictors of outcome in inpatient psychotherapy.

Attachment has mostly been investigated as a stable characteristic of individuals, although theoretical considerations and recent empirical findings suggest that attachment styles are also subject to change. When attachment is investigated as a treatment factor in psychotherapy, state and trait characteristics need to be differentiated, as they warrant different conclusions. This study examined the trait- and statelike characteristics of attachment styles over the course of inpatient psychotherapy as predictors of treatment outcome. A total of N = 419 patients provided weekly measurements of attachment styles and symptoms for up to 8 weeks of inpatient psychotherapy. Data were analyzed in multilevel longitudinal models controlling for rolling admissions and weekly changes in group membership. Over the course of treatment, patients' attachment styles became more secure and less fearful-avoidant. Trait attachment security as well as gains in attachment security predicted better outcomes, while trait preoccupied and fearful-avoidant attachment as well as increases in attachment preoccupation and anxiety predicted worse outcomes. Findings imply that attachment security may grow during a relatively short inpatient treatment period and both trait attachment styles as well as changes in attachment styles predict outcome. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Inflection class interactions and valency changes in Matlatzinca

Abstract In this paper, we explore how changes in the inflection class membership of verbs in Matlatzinca (Oto-Pamean, Oto-Manguean, Mexico) lead to changes in both their valency and meaning. In Matlatzinca, verbs often exhibit multiple class membership so that a given verb may be inflected as transitive in one class but as intransitive in another. For instance, the verb chun+ta, when inflected in different classes, can encompass diverse meanings: the action of ‘waking someone up’; the result state of ‘being awake’; and the spontaneous event of ‘waking up’. This linguistic phenomenon is intriguing from both a typological and a theoretical perspective as it challenges our understanding of lexical representation by prompting the question of whether these meanings represent distinct lexical entries or various construals of the same verb (Spencer 2013).

Heterogeneity in the co-occurrence of depression and anxiety among adolescents: Results of latent profile analysis

BackgroundDepression and anxiety co-occur frequently and there is heterogeneity in the co-occurrence of such symptoms; however, few previous studies investigated the heterogeneity based on person-centered perspectives in adolescents. The primary aim of our study was to explore it using latent profile analysis (LPA), a person-centered statistical approach. MethodThe Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) were used to examine depression and anxiety symptoms in 7422 Chinese adolescents from 23 primary and secondary schools. To investigate latent profiles and assess profile validity, we employed Latent Profile Analysis (LPA), multinomial logistic regression, and analysis of variance. ResultsA three-profile model was suggested as the optimum: low (69.9 %), moderate (21.6 %), and high depression/anxiety (8.5 %). Female with higher negative cognitive bias and higher emotional regulation difficulty are more likely to be categorized in the high depression/anxiety group. Internet addiction, academic “Lying flat” and involution are significantly and positively linked with the severity of anxiety and depression. LimitationsReliance on self-reported measures may lead to response bias; the cross-sectional design limits our ability to study how symptom profiles and category membership change over time. ConclusionsThree latent profiles of the co-occurrence of depression and anxiety presented a parallel pattern, which serves as a poignant reminder of the imperative need to identify Chinese adolescents who may be at elevated risk for depression and/or anxiety, and promoting intervention that are meticulously tailored to address the unique symptom presentations of each individual.

Antecedents of changes in an organization's affiliation with group purchasing organization(s)

This paper focuses on the membership aspect of collaborative purchasing by examining the factors related to an organization's decision to change its affiliation with group purchasing organizations (GPOs), the most commonly practiced organizational form of collaborative purchasing. Specifically, this paper empirically investigates the relationships among environmental conditions (i.e., market competition), organizational conditions (i.e., analytics advantage and collaborative linkage), and GPO change, building on strategic change and resource perspectives. Our results reveal that environmental and organizational conditions relate to the change in GPO membership and interactively affect its propensity. This study brings the membership aspect of collaborative purchasing to the forefront as a strategic decision area in the context of strategic purchasing. Given the lack of empirical research addressing GPO membership change, this study enhances our understanding of the nature of the membership aspect of collaborative purchasing. This paper also offers insights into strategic procurement decisions, as manifested in the change in GPO memberships.

The flipped classroom: first-time student preparatory activity patterns and their relation to course performance and self-regulation

AbstractIn the flipped classroom, students engage in preparatory activities to study the course materials prior to attending teacher-guided sessions. Students’ success in the flipped classroom is directly related to their preparation and students tend to change their preparation activity over time. Few studies have investigated why students change their preparation activity. Therefore, we address this gap by first clustering university students (N = 174) enrolled in a flipped course for the first time based on their preparatory activities at three time points. We identified distinct preparatory activity patterns by computing changes in cluster membership. Next, we compared students’ preparatory activity patterns in course performance, motivation, and self-regulation. The temporal investigation of activity patterns provided important insights into how preparation (or lack thereof) at different phases relates to course performance. Intensive preparation only at the beginning of the course was related to significantly worse course performance whereas preparation only in the middle of the course was related to higher course performance. Students who performed intensively during the course had significantly higher course performance, higher intrinsic motivation at the beginning, and higher self-regulation (in particular, time management) in the middle of the course than students showing lower activity during preparation. Our findings provide important implications for future research and educational practice, particularly for students transitioning to flipped classroom learning for the first time.

What Does Leadership Do to the Leader? Using a Pattern-Oriented Approach to Investigate the Association between Daily Leadership Profiles and Daily Leader Well-Being

Leader behavior can vary daily, and leaders face multiple demands and problems in one day. Therefore, studying how leader behaviors interplay on the day-level (i.e., daily leadership profiles) is essential. Building on conservation of resources theory as a meta-theory, we investigated which daily leadership profiles exist and whether profile membership changes across one week. Additionally, we examined whether the leadership profiles are differentially related to leaders' daily well-being (i.e., emotional exhaustion, positive and negative affect), mediated by their daily experienced thriving and time pressure. In a diary study over five workdays (N = 289 leaders), we found three qualitatively different daily leadership profiles: one dominated by passive behaviors (passive), one dominated by transformational and contingent reward behaviors (transformational-rewarding), and one with elevated transformational and all transactional behaviors (comprehensive). The transformational-rewarding and the comprehensive profile showed greater stability across the week than the passive profile. Days in the transformational-rewarding profile were most beneficial for leaders' well-being. In contrast, days in the comprehensive profile seemed to be a double-edged sword for leaders, as indicated by higher experienced thriving and positive affect and simultaneously enhanced experienced time pressure, emotional exhaustion, and negative affect. Taken together, we illuminate the interplay of leadership behaviors on the day-level and the differential associations with leaders' well-being.

Conceptualizing Team Disruption Through an Event-System Framework

The success of work teams is often contingent on how they handle disruption. Although research has examined how teams respond to disruptive events, there is surprisingly little clarity about the nature of team disruption as a construct. Through an integration of Event-System Theory (EST) with team-based theories and frameworks, we define team disruption in terms of misalignment of team member coordination relative to task demands due to shifts in coordination, task demands, or both. We describe how event novelty and criticality create team disruption, and explore the temporal and spatial conditions under which team disruption is promoted or mitigated. The proposed conceptualization of team disruption offers a unifying definition of the construct that complements existing research on team adaptability, membership change, team interventions, and related approaches. The framework offers a way to understand past research in new ways, provides specific directions for future research, and contributes actionable guidance for practice.

Nomination Vs. Succession - Dispute Regarding Mode of Inheritance of Shares

A company is said to have perpetual succession, meaning that a company continues to function for time immemorial and its working would not be affected by any change in membership, death of the owner or insolvency. Collaborating with the same thoughts, the shares of a company will also not have any expiry period insofar as the company remains to be a publicly listed entity. However, the current fad of trading in the open market depicts shares as a movable property that may be transferred from one person to another. Section 44 of the Companies Act, 2013 agrees that "the shares or debentures or other interest of any member in a company shall be movable property and transferable in the manner provided by the articles of the company. The Act legalizes the act of transferring shares in cases of them being bought, or sold in general. However, considering that shares and debentures are movable property, they can be considered familial property that can be inherited by one’s children. The problem of inheriting shares and debentures arises due to the mode by which the parent/guardian chooses to transfer his shares. Section 109A discusses the mode of Nomination of shares where a holder may nominate a person to whom his shares can be vested after his death. However, the problem arises when the person has stated in his will that particular people in his family will inherit his property and the shares under his name are also included as transferable property under his will. This paper will delve, into these modes of transfer of shares and which one will prevail over the other.

Team Membership Change Events: Processes That Support Gender Diverse Teams

Recent global events have triggered compositional changes in the workplace (e.g., intentional diversification and sudden team member removal). This study investigates whether team gender diversity and the novelty of membership changes moderate the relationship between team processes and performance. We found that development of team confidence plays a pivotal role in shaping performance through its influence on backup behavior. Moreover, gender-balanced teams were better at translating their confidence into backup behaviors, and teams experiencing reduced novelty during membership change events tend to leverage these behaviors more effectively, leading to enhanced overall performance. We explored several theoretical and practical implications.

Behavioral interventions and symptom cluster change in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and insomnia

BackgroundPeople with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and insomnia experience multiple co-occurring symptoms, but no studies have examined symptom cluster change over time in this population. ObjectivesThis study explored longitudinal patterns of symptom cluster profiles for adults with COPD and insomnia and evaluated whether behavioral interventions were associated with changes in symptom cluster profiles. MethodsThis study included 91 adults with COPD and insomnia who participated in a randomized trial of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and COPD education. The pre-specified symptom cluster included insomnia, dyspnea, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Latent profile analysis identified participant groups with distinct symptom cluster profiles at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at 3-month follow-up; latent transition analysis then estimated the probability of group membership change over time. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine whether the interventions were associated with changes in symptom cluster profiles. ResultsThree groups were identified at each of three time-points: Class 1 (low symptom burden), Class 2 (intermediate), and Class 3 (high). Classes 1 and 2 showed less movement to other classes (16 % and 38 %, respectively), whereas Class 3 showed greater transition (64 %). The CBT-I intervention was significantly associated with movement to a lower symptom burden group (Class 3 to 2 or 2 to 1). ConclusionsCBT-I, with or without COPD education, shows promise as a tailored intervention to reduce symptom burden in the study population. Study findings will facilitate development of interventions to reduce the severity of multiple co-occurring symptoms in people with COPD and insomnia. Clinical Trial RegistrationRegistry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Name: A Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Co-existing with COPD; Identifier: NCT01973647.

Longitudinal relationships between risky online behaviors and positive technological development among early adolescents: A person-centered approach

This study investigated the longitudinal relationships between risky online behaviors and positive technological development (PTD) among Hong Kong early adolescents by using a person-centered approach. Specifically, this study attempted to identify distinct classes of early adolescents demonstrating specific patterns of risky online behaviors and any changes in class membership over time. It further elucidated the developmental trajectories of risky online behaviors and PTD among early adolescents and examined their complex longitudinal relationships. Data were collected from 453 students aged 11–15 years of seven secondary schools in Hong Kong over three time points, at 5-month intervals. At every time point, latent class analysis identified two classes of students, namely low- and high-risk classes, and most of the participants were included in the low-risk class. Latent transition analysis showed that the low-risk class exhibited higher stability over time, whereas the high-risk class exhibited lower stability over time. Those in the high-risk class were moderately likely to transition to the low-risk class. Latent growth curve models indicated that risky online behaviors among students were stable and mild but a significant decrease in PTD over time was observed. No significant differences in PTD between the two classes of students at the three time points were found.