Community Networks Research Articles

Exploring the Strengths and Resilience of Siblings of People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Siblings play a crucial role in shaping and guiding the experiences of their brother or sister with a disability across the lifespan. However, little is known about the positive outcomes of their roles and experiences as siblings. Understanding the positive outcomes challenges stereotypes and the stigma associated with disabilities and allows for a more holistic view of sibling experiences. We conducted a survey with 140 adult siblings of people with disabilities to explore their strengths, resilience and community belonging. We found that siblings highly rated their perceived strengths across various domains. Furthermore, siblings maintained high levels of resilience and most belonged to various organisations for social support. We also noted several strengths-based factors that predicted siblings' resilience. Our findings offer significant insights into siblings' inherent and developed strengths and the role of community networks in promoting sibling resilience and expanding their support systems.

An Integrated Review of Transitional Care for Families of Pre-Term Infants

This study was conducted to identify the key elements of transitional care for families with pre-term infants in South Korea. We used an integrative review methodology proposed by Whittemore and Knafle. During the problem identification step, the review question was constructed via the population, intervention, outcome, and timeframe (PIOT) format. During the literature search step, integrative reviews of the published literature from nine electronic databases were undertaken and a total of 14 studies were reviewed that met our inclusion criteria. During the data evaluation step, the quality of the literature was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) developed by Hong et al. We identified three domains and 10 key attributes of transitional care for families of pre-term infants. The parenting empowerment domain included growth and development, developmental promotion, nutrition, safe environment, general parenting, and parent–infant interaction. The emotional support domain included counseling, advocacy, and community network. The social support domain included professional collaboration. Efforts should continue to further develop programs and policies to enhance transitional care for families of pre-term infants that reflect South Korean nursing practices.

Aphasia centre science: What makes an aphasia centre work?

ABSTRACT Background People with aphasia are often discharged from rehabilitation services with chronic communication disability, ongoing challenges in participation, and limited access to long-term support. Aphasia centres aim to fill this gap through the provision of dedicated aphasia programming within a social model of care. Preliminary research suggests that aphasia centres are effective in improving linguistic and psychosocial outcomes, however, the mechanisms by which this occurs are less clear. Aims (1) To describe the structure and operation of aphasia centres internationally; (2) To describe the factors perceived to contribute to aphasia centre effectiveness and sustainability. Methods and Procedures Explanatory, sequential mixed-methods design. A quantitative online survey was used to gather information about the structure and operations of existing aphasia centres. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Semi-structured email interviews explored participant perceptions of factors contributing to centre outcomes and sustainability. Interview data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Outcomes and Results Fourteen aphasia centres were included in the sample, and all reported offering therapy that was predominantly activity and participation focused and group based. In terms of staffing profile, allied health professionals, specifically speech pathologists, were employed in the greatest numbers. An “effective” centre was conceptualised as one that meets the complex needs of consumers. Committed staff, a sense of community, person-centred service provision and consumer involvement were perceived to be key factors influencing effectiveness. Diversification of funding was perceived to be critical to sustainability. Conclusions Involving consumers in centre operations, facilitating social connectedness and community networks and diversifying funding sources was perceived to contribute to service effectiveness and sustainability. Financial constraints and sufficient staffing remained globally recognised barriers to continued operation.

Characteristics of soil microbial community assembly patterns in fields with serious occurrence of tobacco Fusarium wilt disease

IntroductionFusarium wilt disease (FWD) of tobacco is a destructive disease caused by Fusarium spp. in tobacco-growing regions worldwide. The Fusarium spp. infection may alter the composition and structure of the tobacco root microbial community; however, the relationship between these factors under large-scale geographical conditions in China remains underexplored.MethodsIn the context of this investigation, soil samples from the rhizosphere of tobacco plants were procured from fields afflicted with FWD and those devoid of the disease in the Hanzhong region of Shaanxi province, as well as in the Sanmenxia and Nanyang regions of Henan province. These regions are recognized for the commercial cultivation of tobacco. The examination focused on discerning the influence of tobacco FWD on the composition and configuration of the rhizosphere microbial community, along with their co-occurrence patterns. This scrutiny was underpinned by targeted PCR amplification and high-throughput sequencing (amplicon sequencing) of the 16S rRNA gene and the ITS1 region.ResultsThe amplicon data analyses showed that FWD influenced the microbial structure and composition of the tobacco rhizosphere soil. FWD had a greater impact on the microbiome of the tobacco fungal community than on the microbiome of the bacterial community. Healthy plants had the ability to recruit potential beneficial bacteria. Diseased plants were more susceptible to colonization by other pathogenic fungi, but they still had the capacity to recruit potential beneficial bacteria. The analysis of microbial intra- and inter-kingdom networks further indicated that FWD destabilized microbial networks. In the overall microbial interaction, microorganisms primarily interacted within their boundaries, but FWD increased the proportion of interactions occurring across boundaries. In addition, FWD could disrupt the interactions within microbial network modules.DiscussionThis study provides evidence that FWD can cause changes in the composition and network of microbial communities, affecting the interactions among various microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi. These findings contribute to our understanding of how plant microbiomes change due to disease. Furthermore, they add to our knowledge of the mechanisms that govern the assembly and interactions of microbial communities under the influence of FWD.

Microbial diversity in the arid and semi-arid soils of Botswana.

To date, little research has been conducted on the landscape-scale distribution of soil microbial communities and the factors driving their community structures in the drylands of Africa. We investigated the influence of landscape-scale variables on microbial community structure and diversity across different ecological zones in Botswana. We used amplicon sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and a suite of environmental parameters to determine drivers of microbial community structure. Bacterial communities were dominated by Actinomycetota (21.1%), Pseudomonadota (15.9%), and Acidobacteriota (10.9%). The dominant fungal communities were Ascomycota (57.3%) and Basidiomycota (7.5%). Soil pH, mean annual precipitation, total organic carbon, and soil ions (calcium and magnesium) were the major predictors of microbial community diversity and structure. The co-occurrence patterns of bacterial and fungal communities were influenced by soil pH, with network-specific fungi-bacteria interactions observed. Potential keystone taxa were identified for communities in the different networks. Most of these interactions were between microbial families potentially involved in carbon cycling, suggesting functional redundancy in these soils. Our findings highlight the significance of soil pH in determining the landscape-scale structure of microbial communities in Botswana's dryland soils.

Extreme soil salinity reduces N and P metabolism and related microbial network complexity and community immigration rate.

Soil microbiomes are well known to suffer from the effects of rising salinity. There are, however, no current understandings regarding its specific effects on microbial metabolic functions associated with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycling, particularly in the Yellow River Delta (YRD), one of the largest estuaries in the world. This research examined soil microbiomes at 50 sites in the YRD region to analyze their co-occurrence networks and their relationship with N (nitrification, denitrification, dissimilatory, assimilatory, fixation, and mineralization) and P (solubilization, mineralization, transportation, and regulation) metabolism processes. Our findings indicate a notable reduction in soil multifunctionality as salinity levels increase, with Halofilum-ochraceum playing a significant role in nitrification, whereas Bacteroidetes-SB0662-bin-6 helps solubilize inorganic P in highly saline areas. High soil salinity negatively affected the amoA gene involved in nitrification and increased the nosZ gene involved in denitrification in extreme salinity soil with 8.2g/kg salt content. Extreme salinity significantly reduced the expression of genes involved in inorganic P solubilization, such as ppa and ppx. Additionally, the alkaline P gene phoD exhibited significant decreases in extremely saline soils, thereby impeding the mineralization of organic P. The neutral community models indicated that microbial community immigration rate showed a linear negative relationship with soil EC in the six N and four P processes. Salinization, however, displayed a nonlinear pattern with clearly defined thresholds on the community of microbes involved in N and P cycling. Reduced microbial diversity and interactions are causing a decline in soil multifunctionality, and the soil multifunctionality and network edges jointly limited the microbial community immigration rate involved in N and P cycling. It is crucial to preserve soil microbial functions to support nutrient cycling and predict the ecological effects of soil salinization.

What drives Chinese Generation Z’s purchase intentions for new Chinese style apparel? A study from a stimulus-organism-response perspective

PurposeThis study aims to understand how product attributes (object stimuli), social influences (social-psychological stimuli) and internal factors (internal stimuli) contribute to Chinese Generation Z’s purchase intentions (responses) for new Chinese style apparel (NCSA) through NCSA attitudes (cognitive state) and cultural pride (affective state) based on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 989 respondents aged between 18 and 29 years through self-administrated questionnaires via a professional survey panel, Credamo, in China. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.FindingsResults showed that among the seven stimuli, NCSA’s design, online social networking communities, cultural identity and personal norms significantly influenced Generation Z’s purchase intentions through both NCSA attitudes and cultural pride. Further, NCSA’s cultural connotations and celebrity influences elicited purchase intentions merely through the affective state – cultural pride. In contrast, NCSA’s functionality did not have a significant influence on NCSA attitudes and adversely affected cultural pride.Originality/valueThis study fills the research gap and extends the application of the S-O-R model within the NCSA context. The findings of this study shed light on the practical implications for marketers, brands and policymakers with regard to a better understanding of Chinese Generation Z’s NCSA consumption.

An aftercare intervention programme for employees returning from substance use rehabilitation in South Africa

PurposeEmployee assistance programmes (EAPs) and wellness practitioners (WPs) are the first line of support for employees returning from substance use rehabilitation. However, many workplaces need more guidance and support provisions to address these needs effectively. The purpose of this paper is to present a 10-week aftercare intervention programme that EAPs and WPs can use to support employees returning to work after a period of substance use rehabilitation.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative methodological approach involved two distinct stages of data collection and consensus search activities. Stage 1 involved three data collection activities with three stakeholder groups, and Stage 2 consisted of two consensus-seeking engagements with the intended audience of the intervention programme.FindingsParticipants in the consensus-seeking activities endorsed the inclusion of content in the proposed intervention programme and structural and organisational arrangements. Specific recommendations were made, namely, increased reliance on faith-based and spiritual support, the need to include community support structures and ensuring that workplace interventions include counselling, skills training and motivational speakers.Practical implicationsThose working in the EAP environment are offered a systematic and holistic plan for managing and supporting employees recovering from substance abuse disorders (SUDs) to maintain their recovery and return to productive work.Originality/valueImplementing the intervention programmes can reduce the ad hoc nature of current approaches to workplace aftercare. The WPs are placed in a central role while stressing the valuable input of other key role players within the workplace or part of the family and community networks of the employee.

Microbial Basis for Suppression of Soil-Borne Disease in Crop Rotation

The effect of crop rotation on soil-borne diseases is a representative case of plant–soil feedback in the sense that plant disease resistance is influenced by soils with different cultivation histories. This study examined the microbial mechanisms inducing the differences in the clubroot (caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae pathogen) damage of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis) after the cultivation of different preceding crops. It addresses two key questions in crop rotation: changes in the soil bacterial community induced by the cultivation of different plants and the microbial mechanisms responsible for the disease-suppressive capacity of Chinese cabbage. Twenty preceding crops from different plant families showed significant differences in the disease damage, pathogen density, and bacterial community composition of the host plant. Structural equation modelling revealed that the relative abundance of four key bacterial orders in Chinese cabbage roots can explain 85% and 70% of the total variation in pathogen density and disease damage, respectively. Notably, the relative dominance of Bacillales and Rhizobiales, which have a trade-off relationship, exhibited predominant effects on pathogen density and disease damage. The disease-suppressive soil legacy effects of preceding crops are reflected in compositional changes in key bacterial orders, which are intensified by the bacterial community network.

Kernel machine tests of association using extrinsic and intrinsic cluster evaluation metrics.

Modeling the network topology of the human brain within the mesoscale has become an increasing focus within the neuroscientific community due to its variation across diverse cognitive processes, in the presence of neuropsychiatric disease or injury, and over the lifespan. Much research has been done on the creation of algorithms to detect these mesoscopic structures, called communities or modules, but less has been done to conduct inference on these structures. The literature on analysis of these community detection algorithms has focused on comparing them within the same subject. These approaches, however, either do not accomodate a more general association between community structure and an outcome or cannot accommodate additional covariates that may confound the association of interest. We propose a semiparametric kernel machine regression model for either a continuous or binary outcome, where covariate effects are modeled parametrically and brain connectivity measures are measured nonparametrically. By incorporating notions of similarity between network community structures into a kernel distance function, the high-dimensional feature space of brain networks, defined on input pairs, can be generalized to non-linear spaces, allowing for a wider class of distance-based algorithms. We evaluate our proposed methodology on both simulated and real datasets.

Sensitivity of Bayesian Networks to Noise in Their Parameters

There is a widely spread belief in the Bayesian network (BN) community that the overall accuracy of results of BN inference is not too sensitive to the precision of their parameters. We present the results of several experiments in which we put this belief to a test in the context of medical diagnostic models. We study the deterioration of accuracy under random symmetric noise but also biased noise that represents overconfidence and underconfidence of human experts.Our results demonstrate consistently, across all models studied, that while noise leads to deterioration of accuracy, small amounts of noise have minimal effect on the diagnostic accuracy of BN models. Overconfidence, common among human experts, appears to be safer than symmetric noise and much safer than underconfidence in terms of the resulting accuracy. Noise in medical laboratory results and disease nodes as well as in nodes forming the Markov blanket of the disease nodes has the largest effect on accuracy. In light of these results, knowledge engineers should moderately worry about the overall quality of the numerical parameters of BNs and direct their effort where it is most needed, as indicated by sensitivity analysis.

Sustainable Livelihood Approach for Supporting Aquaculture Households Amid Structural Shifts in Sidoarjo Regency

This study examines the role of the Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA) in supporting aquaculture households in Sidoarjo Regency as they adapt to structural shifts driven by industrialization and urbanization. The research analyzes how sustainable livelihood strategies enhance the economic stability of pond-based households impacted by land-use change. Using a quantitative approach with descriptive analysis, the study employs Structural Equation Modeling Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) to evaluate the influence of key variables. Conducted in Kalisogo Pond Village, the study uses purposive sampling based on criteria such as economic reliance on aquaculture and sector experience. Data were gathered through questionnaires and analyzed for model validity and reliability. Findings indicate that the SLA significantly bolsters pond households’ adaptive capacity to structural shifts. Income diversification through non-aquaculture activities enhances economic stability and reduces dependence on pond farming. Social capital further supports households by strengthening local community networks. The study underscores the importance of institutional backing and microcredit access for aquaculture households. Policymakers and financial institutions are encouraged to support sustainable adaptation measures. These findings offer valuable insights into the SLA’s application amid structural changes in industrialized coastal regions.

Unpaid caregivers' process of collaborating with others during older adult hospital-to-home transitions: A grounded theory study.

Unpaid/family caregivers provide support critical to older adult hospital-to-home transitions, but lack time and preparation. There is limited evidence regarding important collaboration for caregivers during the transition. The objective was to examine caregivers' process of collaborating with others, including other family members, healthcare professionals, and community, social, and professional networks, during older adult hospital-to-home transitions. This study utilized grounded theory methodology. One-on-one interviews were conducted with unpaid/family caregivers of an older adult during a hospital-to-home transition. Data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. Participants (N = 16) relationship to the older adult included: partners (n = 8), friends (n = 4), children (n = 3), and siblings (n = 1). Most were female (n = 14) and living with the older adult (n = 10). A conceptual model was developed which illustrates participants' process through 3 stages: 1) identifying and learning the caregiver role, 2) collaborating with others to provide care and support to the older adult, while supporting themselves, during the hospital-to-home transition, and 3) supporting the older adult's progress in recovering independence or planning to provide long-term care and support. Participants described multiple approaches to collaborating with others: caring on own, caring in network, caring with healthcare professionals, and caring with social and professional networks. Implications include the need to recognize and promote utilization of care networks, as it may help address negative outcomes associated with caregiving. We also identified opportunities to further leverage caregivers' social/professional networks and increase focus on caregiver needs in healthcare encounters.

Disaster Management Strategy Through Social Capital Development

Indonesia is one of the countries with the highest level of natural disaster vulnerability in the world due to extreme geographical and climate conditions. In facing this risk, the government has implemented a disaster management policy based on community involvement. One important aspect in this approach is social capital, which includes social participation, interpersonal trust, and community networks, as a crucial component to strengthen community resilience. This study explores the role of the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Lampung Province in developing weather literacy and disaster mitigation programs through digital media to build social capital in the community. The results of the study show that although BMKG has succeeded in increasing community participation through digital channels, community involvement is currently still passive and limited. To achieve comprehensive disaster preparedness, it is necessary to increase active community participation, strengthen trust through two-way communication, and expand community networks. With a social capital-based approach, BMKG is expected to be able to create a more responsive and adaptive mitigation program, making the community an active partner in facing the threat of disasters in the future.

‘They Don’t Want to Label It’: Insights from Communities Not Enrolled in the Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities

ABSTRACT More than 800 municipalities and 11 states and territories in the United States have joined the Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities (NAFSC); however, to our knowledge, no studies have examined the many communities that have not joined. The present study explored the factors that inhibit communities from joining the NAFSC. Data were drawn from semi-structured interviews conducted with 12 community leaders in Massachusetts and Maine. Results indicated variation in perceptions and attitudes, with some participants seeing benefits to joining but encountering barriers to doing so, while others did not see sufficient benefit to joining to make the effort worthwhile. Key themes included lack of human and financial capacity, concerns over aspects of the NAFSC model, and desire to maintain local control over the process and components of age-friendly efforts. Participants voiced a need for funding and technical assistance in order to expand their age-friendly work.

Path analysis of social network factors influencing sustainable eco-city development in the northeast of Thailand

In Urban development, diversity respect is needed to prioritize and balance the urban development design for sustainable eco-city development. As a result, this research aimed to investigate the causal factor pathways of social network factors influencing sustainable eco-city development in the northeastern region of Thailand through a quantitative research approach. With the aim to survey insightful information, the analysis unit was conducted at the individual level with three hundred and eighty-three (383) samplings in Khon Kaen and Udon Thani provinces, including univariate analysis and multivariate analysis, using path analysis and multiple linear regression. The study results indicated that two pathways of social network factors influencing sustainable eco-city development were indirect influence factors. The indirect influence factor consists of information exchange, benefits exchange in the network, and members’ role in the social network. Additionally, the study revealed that the pathway has influences through social network types and the economic and social dimensions of sustainable cities (R2 = 0.330). Therefore, this study concluded that sustainable eco-city development should be implemented through community networks and economic and social network development for environmental development through social network types.

Observing the dynamic community structure of urban travel networks based on navigation data

Dynamic community division is crucial for comprehending the interactive structure and mechanism between residents and space. Currently, there is insufficient research on dynamic community changes in travel networks regarding travel distance. This study utilizes residents’ travel trajectories to construct a multi-layer network based on travel purposes. The study establishes methods for identifying travel network communities and analyzing community evolution influence. Dynamic characteristics of travel network communities at different distances are extracted. Results show that within 3–7 km travel distance, different travel network communities exhibit continuous spatial aggregation, whereas beyond 11 km, heterogeneity is observed. Moreover, communities within 3-7 km experience drastic dynamic evolution, whereas beyond 7 km, they tend to stabilize, forming a large-scale and fixed travel mode. This study enriches the dynamic interaction research of functional space from the perspective of distance, and the experimental results provide an effective reference for urban planning and management.

Engaging with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities to Promote Palliative Care That Exceeds Expectation.

Given longstanding barriers that obstruct integrated palliative care, particularly for culturally and linguistically diverse communities, this article demonstrates a way to engage with Syrian, Bhutanese and African communities to learn about brilliant palliative care with and from members of these communities. This study involved the methodology of POSH-VRE, which combines positive organisational scholarship in healthcare (POSH) with video-reflexive ethnography (VRE). Members of the Syrian, Bhutanese, and African communities (n = 14) participated in a focus group or an interview to consider understandings of palliative care; conceptualisations of a good death; how and why palliative care was typically enacted in their communities; the associated effects; as well as the relationship between culturally and linguistically diverse communities and public palliative care services. Discussions were aided by video recordings captured during the previous study on brilliant palliative care, which participants were invited to review. Video recordings and transcripts of the focus groups and interview were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The participants demonstrated considerable variability in the ways that palliative care was understood and enacted. For some, death was a taboo topic, while for others, it was a reality that was required to face, particularly in war-torn regions. Similarly, while doctors were held in high regard, participants held different views about how they should enact palliative care and the anticipation of death, particularly because family members were deemed to be a pivotal part of palliative care. To improve the care of people of culturally and linguistically diverse communities who experience a life-limiting illness, participants highlighted three opportunities. These included the avoidance of generalisations, prioritising the needs and preferences of cultural groups, and leveraging the community network. This study demonstrated how reciprocal understandings of palliative care were potentiated using POSH-VRE. Specifically, the members of the Bhutanese, African and Syrian communities demonstrated diversity in the needs, preferences, and customs of culturally and linguistically diverse communities. As such, integrated palliative care is likely to be bolstered by relinquishing assumptions about how cultural groups wish to be referred to and cared for and adopting a public health approach to palliative care that embraces both a population-based and person-centred approach to care. Members of the Bhutanese, African and Syrian communities contributed to this study as participants and co-researchers, contributing to the analysis and interpretation of the data and in the preparation of the article.

Meadow degradation reduces microbial β diversity and network complexity while enhancing network stability

Continuing meadow degradation under the dual impacts of climate change and human activities has altered microbially-mediated biogeochemical cycles. However, microbial diversity and network stability in response to meadow degradation and their relationships to environmental variables remain insufficiently understood. This study focused on alpine meadows with varying degrees of degradation in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. It analyzed the soil microbial diversity (α and β diversity) and ecological network topology characteristics under the degradation of alpine meadows. Furthermore, the extent to which these factors elucidate the environmental changes observed during degradation was explored. The results demonstrated that: (1) the α diversity of soil microbial under degradation of alpine meadows exhibited an increasing trend, although not significantly. The β diversity (community dissimilarity) exhibited a significant decreasing trend. These indicated that meadow degradation resulted in microbial homogenization intra- and inter-community. In the light degradation stage, the β diversity of bacteria and fungi significantly increased with geographic and environmental distance rise. Only bacterial β diversity significantly increased with geographical distance in the moderate degradation stage and environmental distance in the heavy degradation stage, respectively. This indicated that meadow degradation possibly altered microbial assembly, especially for fungi. (2) The degree of soil bacterial nodes exhibited a significant decreasing trend with degradation and fungal eigencentrality demonstrated a significant decreasing trend. After removing the identical nodes, the natural connectivity of the fungal network exhibited a significant decreasing trend with degradation. This suggested that the stability of the soil microbial network increased while the network complexity decreased under meadow degradation. These changes possibly marked the irreversible course of alpine meadow degradation. (3) The Mantel test indicated that bacterial diversity and network topological features were more strongly associated with environmental factors than those of fungi. Akaike information criterion (AIC) values and the upset matrix plots of variance partitioning based on Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that higher rates of soil factors, such as soil pH, organic carbon (SOC) content, and total potassium (TK), elucidated changes in microbial community diversity and network topological features. This study highlights the importance of soil microorganisms for ecological stability and the role of microorganisms should be emphasized in future efforts to restore alpine grasslands.

2024 AAHA Community Care Guidelines for Small Animal Practice.

Community care is a creative way of thinking about health care that mobilizes resources within a community and consists of four core principles: recognition of the urgency of access-to-care for the veterinary profession, collaboration within community networks, family-centered health care, and redefining the gold standard of care. The AAHA Community Care Guidelines for Small Animal Practice offer strategies to help busy veterinary practitioners increase access to care within their practice and community by optimizing collaborative networks. While these guidelines do not claim to provide exhaustive solutions to access-to-care issues, they propose a starting point from which private practices can explore and implement workable solutions for their community and their practice. Broadening the scope of care to reach all people with pets requires multimodal, collaborative, and creative solutions both within and outside of the veterinary profession. These solutions can begin with greater communication and collaboration between private veterinary practices and nonprofit veterinary practices, with the goal of keeping pets in their homes with their loving families as much as reasonably possible.