Formation Of Communities Research Articles

Politicizing belonging: Community formation at the Late Preclassic Maya hamlet of Dos Ceibas

Abstract People are often assumed to expand existing mechanisms—kinship in particular—to include others when they form communities. These models (con)fuse similarity with sameness, as we argue based on Husserl's concept of empathy. People recognize others without overlooking differences. They form community by negotiating belonging. We ask how individuals materialize community, how they create unity in a political process, and how they employ bordering and bonding social interactions. Our case study is Dos Ceibas, a Late Preclassic (350 b.c. to a.d. 250) Maya hamlet in the Petexbatun region. The North Plaza originated as a residential group—possibly of the hamlet's founder—and was transformed over multiple construction episodes into a public and ceremonial place. By a.d. 250, Dos Ceibas consisted of a small pyramid overlooking a plaza and two likely residential buildings. Its growth pattern sets the North Plaza apart from nearby Group MP16 and magnified internal differences. At the same time, Dos Ceibas's pyramid and plaza were likely communal constructions that project a shared community identity. The comparison with contemporary settlements nearby identifies distinct settlement layouts and suggests localized community identities.

Straw additive enhances manure compost quality by promoting diverse aerobic bacteria and unitary thermophilic fungi

Shortening the initial activation time and extending the duration of the thermophilic phase are key to improving compost product quality in cold-climate regions. This study set up three treatments that cattle manure (CM), manure with rice straw (MR), and manure with maize straw (MM) in the field with ambient temperature ranging from –6 to 7 ℃. Compared with traditional manure composting, composting with straw performed more effectively, and the effect of the addition of maize straw surpassed that of the addition of rice straw. Straw additives markedly increased the compost pile temperature and extended the thermophilic phase duration. In addition, straw addition improved compost product maturity, as indicated by the humic-like substance content, absorbance ratio, and germination index. To further illustrate this result, the microbial community structure during the composting process was studied. During the thermophilic phase, straw additives, especially maize straw, improved the formation of a diverse aerobic bacterial community and a unitary thermophilic fungal community, and promoted a stronger relationship between the bacterial and fungal communities, as revealed by co-inertia analysis. The abundance of functional genes indicated that straw addition increased the activities of organic carbon degradation and transformation. This study demonstrated the necessity of enhancing the interaction between thermophilic–aerobic bacteria and thermophilic fungi to improve compost product quality.

A framework for generating recommendations based on trust in an informal e-learning environment

Rapid advancement in information technology promotes the growth of new online learning communities in an e-learning environment that overloads information and data sharing. When a new learner asks a question, how a system recommends the answer is the problem of the learner’s cold start. In this article, our contributions are: (i) We proposed a Trust-aware Deep Neural Recommendation (TDNR) framework that addresses learner cold-start issues in informal e-learning by modeling complex nonlinear relationships. (ii) We utilized latent Dirichlet allocation for tag modeling, assigning tag categories to newly posted questions and ranking experts related to specific tags for active questioners based on hub and authority scores. (iii) We enhanced recommendation accuracy in the TDNR model by introducing a degree of trust between questioners and responders. (iv) We incorporated the questioner-responder relational graph, derived from structural preference information, into our proposed model. We evaluated the proposed model on the Stack Overflow dataset using mean absolute precision (MAP), root mean squared error (RMSE), and F-measure metrics. Our significant findings are that TDNR is a hybrid approach that provides more accurate recommendations compared to rating-based and social-trust-based approaches, the proposed model can facilitate the formation of informal e-learning communities, and experiments show that TDNR outperforms the competing methods by an improved margin. The model’s robustness, demonstrated by superior MAE, RMSE, and F-measure metrics, makes it a reliable solution for addressing information overload and user sparsity in Stack Overflow. By accurately modeling complex relationships and incorporating trust degrees, TDNR provides more relevant and personalized recommendations, even in cold-start scenarios. This enhances user experience by facilitating the formation of supportive learning communities and ensuring new learners receive accurate recommendations.

Social media affordances of LGBTQIA+ expression and community formation

Faced with offline discrimination, LGBTQIA+ users frequently turn to social media to find role models, build social networks and test out new forms of self-expression. Each platform has its own affordances and governance processes which can, in turn, facilitate or impede self-expression and community growth. Through a survey of 120 LGBTQIA+ participants, this paper considers which social media affordances facilitate the creation and development of LGBTQIA+ identities, support online and offline community formation and peer-to-peer learning, whilst limiting opportunities for online abuse. While previous research has so far largely focused on younger LGBTQIA+ users' experiences on SM, we found that broadening our sample to include older participants can lead to novel reflections on platforms' potential and/or challenges towards expressing one’s queerness online. For example, while users young and old found the visibility of other LGBTQIA+ accounts inspiring, entertaining and reassuring, particularly within previously stigmatised expressions of bisexuality, we found that older participants preferred to be selective about their outness, or sometimes to not be out at all, not simply for fear of harassment or context collapse, but also because of historical factors around family and friend relationships or because their identity experimentation had already happened offline. We also identified contrasting views about outness and the use and visibility of pronouns, reminding us that the online LGBTQIA+ community is not a monolith in its beliefs and practices, particularly when different life stages are considered.

왜 영화를 트는가? - 동시대 비제도권 시네클럽 연구

This study aims to examine non-institutional cinè-clubs that screen films in the context of the increasingly individualised way of watching movies. Cinè-clubs in Korea, which have existed in various forms, have had a significant impact on the film viewing experience and the formation of cinephilia, which has been shaped by the military dictatorship, democratisation movement, and media changes of video and internet. This study analyses the activities and programming processes of non-institutional cinè-clubs in Seoul through a qualitative research methodology to discover the role and significance of cinè-clubs. Cine club operators born in the mid-90s to early 00s have embraced cinema in a variety of different ways. From this experience, their cinè-clubs represent a cross-section of contemporary cinèphilia, with activities that straddle the boundaries between legal and illegal, and programming that does not follow the canon, in the realm of the non-institutional. The university space and interaction in online communities are important conditions for the operation of these cinè-clubs. In addition, non-institutional cinè-clubs, which were formed as a result of the film movement in the 1990s, contribute to the diversity of film culture and the formation of new communities by discovering and screening films that have been marginalised by the Korean film institutions such as film festivals, film schools, and cinèmathèques. In the current stagnant Korean film culture, non-institutional cinè-clubs become a cultural space to discover lost vitality.

The role of Ondofolo to maintain religious harmony: A study in a Christian perspective

Local wisdom refers to the cultural heritage of a community, which is derived from its cultural origins and includes a wide range of values, rituals and traditions. Ondofolo is the current paramount chief of the Sentani community in Papua province, a position that remains in effect at the moment. The local community holds Ondofolo’s leadership in high esteem and places substantial trust in it. The research aims to investigate the function of Ondofolo within religious congregations using a qualitative phenomenological design approach. Data were gathered via participatory observations, interviews with Ondofolo, leaders of prayer rooms and Islamic boarding schools and a review of literature and research conducted in the indigenous area of Sentani. The local knowledge of Sentani ‘Ondofolo’ plays a crucial role in fostering the religious community by embodying the fundamental qualities of leadership, peace, love and brotherhood found in the Bible. The preservation of wisdom in all its manifestations is imperative, as it represents an irreplaceable cultural legacy.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This study applies the interdisciplinary characteristics of contextual theology to Ondofolo’s leadership of the religious congregation in Papua, drawing on Christian wisdom. The findings positively impact the formation of religious communities in Sentani, Papua. They also present a viable leadership model specific to the local context and can be used as an option for guiding the faithful community in Indonesia.

Rhizosphere Bacteria

Abstract The review is devoted to the analysis of modern literature data on rhizosphere bacteria and their role in the vital activity of plants. The structure of the rhizosphere is characterized, the role of plants as centers of formation of microbial communities is shown, data on the taxonomic affiliation of the main groups of microorganisms inhabiting the rhizosphere are presented. The associative relationships of rhizobacteria with a partner plant and the modern concept of a holobiont as a combination of a plant organism and associated microorganisms are considered. The role of rhizobacteria in the processes of azo fixation is discussed in detail. The mechanisms of direct stimulation of plant growth through the synthesis of phytohormones, improvement of phosphorus and nitrogen nutrition and increase in stress resistance, as well as indirect stimulation through antagonism with respect to phytopathogenic microorganisms are presented. The criteria for the selection of rhizobacteria for practical purposes are discussed.

Metabolic interplay between Proteus mirabilis and Enterococcus faecalis facilitates polymicrobial biofilm formation and invasive disease.

Biofilms play an important role in the development and pathogenesis of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI). Proteus mirabilis and Enterococcus faecalis are common CAUTI pathogens that persistently co-colonize the catheterized urinary tract and form biofilms with increased biomass and antibiotic resistance. In this study, we uncover the metabolic interplay that drives biofilm enhancement and examine the contribution to CAUTI severity. Through compositional and proteomic biofilm analyses, we determined that the increase in biofilm biomass stems from an increase in the protein fraction of the polymicrobial biofilm. We further observed an enrichment in proteins associated with ornithine and arginine metabolism in polymicrobial biofilms compared with single-species biofilms. We show that arginine/ornithine antiport by E. faecalis promotes arginine biosynthesis and metabolism in P. mirabilis, ultimately driving the increase in polymicrobial biofilm protein content without affecting viability of either species. We further show that disrupting E. faecalis ornithine antiport alters the metabolic profile of polymicrobial biofilms and prevents enhancement, and this defect was complemented by supplementation with exogenous ornithine. In a murine model of CAUTI, ornithine antiport did not contribute to E. faecalis colonization but was required for the increased incidence of urinary stone formation and bacteremia that occurs during polymicrobial CAUTI with P. mirabilis. Thus, disrupting metabolic interplay between common co-colonizing species may represent a viable strategy for reducing risk of bacteremia.IMPORTANCEChronic infections often involve the formation of antibiotic-resistant biofilm communities that include multiple different microbes, which pose a challenge for effective treatment. In the catheterized urinary tract, potential pathogens persistently co-colonize for long periods of time and the interactions between them can lead to more severe disease outcomes. In this study, we identified the metabolite L-ornithine as a key mediator of disease-enhancing interactions between two common and challenging pathogens, Enterococcus faecalis and Proteus mirabilis. Disrupting ornithine-mediated interactions may therefore represent a strategy to prevent polymicrobial biofilm formation and decrease risk of severe disease.

Establishment of Healthy Tolam Community (KOTOS): Community Empowerment Strategy in Improving Environmental Health Quality in Kuala Tolam Village

The establishment of Komunitas Tolam Sehat (KOTOS) in Kuala Tolam Village is a community empowerment initiative that aims to improve health and environmental quality through a participatory approach. This article explores the process of community formation, the strategies used in community empowerment, as well as its impact on the health and environment of the village. Through a participatory approach, the community successfully engaged various elements of the community, including the village government, community leaders, and local residents, in designing and implementing health and environmental programs. The results show that this approach not only increases community awareness about the importance of health and environmental hygiene, but also strengthens social solidarity and community capacity to manage health issues independently and sustainably. This article highlights the importance of community empowerment in creating sustainable positive change at the local level.

The role of root systems of Pinus sylvestris L. during the formation of secondary pine forests in deforestation in the Kola North

The role of the roots and root systems of Pinus sylvestris L. in the formation of secondary pine forests in the cuttings of the Kola North was studied. It has been established that in pine seedlings in disturbed areas, root and shoot systems are formed quite quickly. Already in the I-th grade of age, characteristic morphological signs of root systems appear, the feeding areas of trees begin to overlap each other. The bulk of the roots (80–85%) is concentrated in the upper 20-centimeter soil layer. A linear relationship between the taxation indicators of trees and the mass of root systems has been revealed. The conducted studies have shown that the formation of forest communities of Scots pine in the cuttings of the Kola North, their stability and productivity are directly dependent on the degree of development of individual roots and root systems as a whole.

Mimicking Urinary Tract Infections Caused by Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Using a Human Three-Dimensional Tissue Engineering Model

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli are the main causal agent of urinary tract infections. These diseases can affect more than half of women during their lifetime. Moreover, recurrent urinary tract infections can affect up to 30% of patients, leading to higher social and economic costs for the community. No efficient treatment against the recurrent form of the disease has been discovered. Due to the low average rate of successful translation from 2D cell culture and in vivo animal models into clinical trials, new models that mimic pathologies, such as those produced by tissue engineering, are needed. A model of human-derived 3D bladder mucosa was produced by tissue engineering techniques using collagen gels and organ-specific primary human stromal and epithelial cell populations. This model was used to mimic the different steps of a urinary tract infection: adhesion, invasion, intracellular bacterial community and quiescent intracellular reservoir formation and, finally, bacteria resurgence after umbrella cell exfoliation through chitosan exposure to mimic the recurrent infection. The uropathogenic strain UTI-89-GFP was used as infectious bacteria and BL-21-GFP strain as a control. Our model is unique and is the first step toward mimicking the different phases of a UTI in a human context.

INSTAGRAM @ INDONESIABAIK.ID ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY AS A MEDIUM FOR DISSEMINATING PUBLIC INFORMATION

Social media is a platform that allows users to engage in interaction, collaboration, and the formation of virtual social communities. Social media plays an important role in the dissemination of information. This research aims to study how to manage Instagram accounts owned by the Indonesian government, namely, Indonesian accounts belonging to Kominfo. The research uses a qualitative approach to gather in-depth narratives and detailed accounts from informants. The data was collected through interviews, observations, and literature studies. Finally, the data was interpreted to answer the research questions and provide meaningful insights. This study contributes to understanding the effective management of social media platforms, specifically Instagram, as a tool for disseminating public information. The study provides insights into strategies and practices that can optimize social media usage for public communication, enhancing engagement, information accessibility, and public awareness. This could provide further insights into optimizing social media strategies for public information dissemination.

‘Jij bent Chinese! Ik niet! (You are Chinese! I am not!)’: a case study of Chinese heritage language maintenance in the Netherlands

ABSTRACT This paper aims to reveal different stakeholders’ beliefs and opinions on heritage language maintenance and complementary schools in the Netherlands, namely those of parents, educators, and students. A case study was conducted at a Chinese school in the south of the Netherlands. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 respondents (N = 21) consisting of nine parents, eight educators, and four students. The results reveal that (1) Chinese parents value their children learning both Dutch and Mandarin due to economic, socio-cultural, and identity factors; (2) Heritage language maintenance is perceived by parents and educators as vital in ethnic grouping (sense of belonging), connection with the heritage culture, and for instrumental purposes. They also recognise Mandarin as a new diasporic linguistic standard replacing Cantonese; (3) Chinese parents view complementary schools as a platform to strengthen their ethnic bonding and community formation. Despite students’ perceptions of heritage language maintenance do not align with adults’ (parents and educators) views, their identity construction in complementary schools is in line with adults’ expectations.

Demystifying trauma in international relations theory: From incomprehensibility to the liberatory real

Recent work on trauma and memory in international relations has sought to emphasize the key role trauma plays in state and community formation, security policies, the mediatization of atrocities, and transitional and social justice. This article problematizes the doxology of trauma in this body of work: the assumptions about the traumatic that go without saying because they come without saying in the discipline. We counter, in particular, international relations’ unreflective consumption of Cathy Caruth’s paradigm of trauma as an incomprehensible shock. In this article, we excavate the contours, origins, and effects of this doxology. We first use the examples of post-conflict struggles for truth and reconciliation and the COVID-19 pandemic to illustrate that international relations’ vision of trauma centralizes a psychiatric and medicalized paradigm of governance and management that depoliticizes suffering. We then seek to provide an alternative account of trauma woven in dialogue with the psychoanalytical reflections of Francophone and Lusophone scholars in the Black Radical Tradition, particularly Fanon, Mbembe, Kilomba, Nascimento and Gonzalez. The goal is to move from a theory of trauma-as-event to an understanding of (colonial/racial) trauma as it appears in the writings of those who never felt protected or at peace in the white colonial order.

Chinese Christian Community in Modern Singapore: The Case of the Jubilee Church, 1883–1942

The Chinese Christian community occupies an essential position in the pluralistic religious landscape of modern Singapore, which is known as a multicultural and multiracial immigrant society. Despite being a minority compared with Buddhists and Taoists in Singapore, the historical formation and contemporary existence of the Chinese Christian community in Singapore not only embodies religious diversity, but also contributes significantly to Singapore’s social development. This paper zooms into the founding and evolution of the Jubilee Church to see how Chinese Christians contributed to the revolutionary cause, took part in the anti-opium movement, and advanced educational activities in Singapore. Particularly, by establishing the Singapore Reading Room, participating in the founding of the Anti-Opium Society and the Chinese Kindergarten, the Jubilee Church played an important role in Singapore’s history, contributing to the modernization of Singapore in terms of advancing ideas, improving social order, and promoting education. We aim to shed light on how Chinese Christians were engaged in social activities, taking up significant roles in the transformation of the Chinese diaspora in Singapore. More importantly, we argue that these varied social engagements significantly impacted the development of Christianity. Through a detailed historical case study on the Jubilee Church, this paper proposes that social functions and religious evangelization are mutually constitutive, thus complicating our understanding of the entangled relationship among Chinese diaspora, Christianity, and motherland China.

Resource sharing of an infant gut microbiota synthetic community in combinations of human milk oligosaccharides.

Quickly after birth, the gut microbiota is shaped via species acquisition and resource pressure. Breastmilk, and more specifically, human milk oligosaccharides are a determining factor in the formation of microbial communities and the interactions between bacteria. Prominent human milk oligosaccharide degraders have been rigorously characterized, but it is not known how the gut microbiota is shaped as a complex community. Here, we designed BIG-Syc, a synthetic community of 13 strains from the gut of vaginally born, breastfed infants. BIG-Syc replicated key compositional, metabolic, and proteomic characteristics of the gut microbiota of infants. Upon fermentation of a 4 and 5 human milk oligosaccharide mix, BIG-Syc demonstrated different compositional and proteomic profiles, with Bifidobacterium infantis and Bifidobacterium bifidum suppressing one another. The mix of 5 human milk oligosaccharides resulted in a more diverse composition with dominance of B. bifidum, whereas that with 4 human milk oligosaccharides supported the dominance of B. infantis, in 4 of 6 replicates. Reintroduction of bifidobacteria to BIG-Syc led to their engraftment and establishment of their niche. Based on proteomics and genome-scale metabolic models, we reconstructed the carbon source utilization and metabolite and gas production per strain. BIG-Syc demonstrated teamwork as cross-feeders utilized simpler carbohydrates, organic acids, and gases released from human milk oligosaccharide degraders. Collectively, our results showed that human milk oligosaccharides prompt resource-sharing for their complete degradation while leading to a different compositional and functional profile in the community. At the same time, BIG-Syc proved to be an accurate model for the representation of intra-microbe interactions.

Fluid Modernity and Virtual Communities: An Analysis of the Popularity of MBTI on Social Media

This paper, rooted in Zygmunt Baumans theory of modernity, examines the formation of virtual communities and the characteristics of liquid modernity as manifested in the widespread phenomenon of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) on social media. As a psychological assessment tool, MBTI has pervaded social media platforms, engendering virtual communities characterized by high fluidity and consumerist tendencies. Through participatory observation and online ethnography, this study delves into the MBTI virtual communities on the "Xiaohongshu" platform, exploring their consumerism-driven formation mechanisms and cultural attributes. In modern society, virtual communities exhibit dynamic stability and structural elasticity, with identity constantly being reshaped and redefined within these virtual spaces. The popularity of MBTI underscores the anxieties surrounding identity in contemporary society and reflects the liquid nature of modern identity formation. Under the influence of technology and consumerism, virtual communities have emerged as a significant social form in modern society.

Mangrove afforestation as an ecological control of invasive Spartina alterniflora affects rhizosphere soil physicochemical properties and bacterial community in a subtropical tidal estuarine wetland

Background The planting of mangroves is extensively used to control the invasive plant Spartina alterniflora in coastal wetlands. Different plant species release diverse sets of small organic compounds that affect rhizosphere conditions and support high levels of microbial activity. The root-associated microbial community is crucial for plant health and soil nutrient cycling, and for maintaining the stability of the wetland ecosystem. Methods High-throughput sequencing was used to assess the structure and function of the soil bacterial communities in mudflat soil and in the rhizosphere soils of S. alterniflora, mangroves, and native plants in the Oujiang estuarine wetland, China. A distance-based redundancy analysis (based on Bray–Curtis metrics) was used to identify key soil factors driving bacterial community structure. Results S. alterniflora invasion and subsequent mangrove afforestation led to the formation of distinct bacterial communities. The main soil factors driving the structure of bacterial communities were electrical conductivity (EC), available potassium (AK), available phosphorus (AP), and organic matter (OM). S. alterniflora obviously increased EC, OM, available nitrogen (AN), and NO3−-N contents, and consequently attracted copiotrophic Bacteroidates to conduct invasion in the coastal areas. Mangroves, especially Kandelia obovata, were suitable pioneer species for restoration and recruited beneficial Desulfobacterota and Bacilli to the rhizosphere. These conditions ultimately increased the contents of AP, available sulfur (AS), and AN in soil. The native plant species Carex scabrifolia and Suaeda glauca affected coastal saline soil primarily by decreasing the EC, rather than by increasing nutrient contents. The predicted functions of bacterial communities in rhizosphere soils were related to active catabolism, whereas those of the bacterial community in mudflat soil were related to synthesis and resistance to environmental factors. Conclusions Ecological restoration using K. obovata has effectively improved a degraded coastal wetland mainly through increasing phosphorus availability and promoting the succession of the microbial community.

Strategies Concerning Synergistic Development between Scientific Journals and Academic Communities

This research aims to undertake a comprehensive overview of how scientific journals interact with academic communities, comparing them to academic communities. This research investigated the salient features of Chinese scientific journals in relation to academic communities, , entailing a systematic approach to overseas literature review, translation, analysis, and synthesis of the attributes of academic communities. The conclusions underscore the necessity for: (1) Enhancing the formation of academic communities through the demarcation of academic resources and enhancement of dissemination frameworks; (2) Catalyzing the evolution of academic communities via the institution of governance and augmentation; (3) Amplifying the cohesive attraction of academic communities by guiding research directions and diversifying resource capabilities; (4) Elevating the impact of academic communities on scientific journals. In conclusion, global scientific journals are positioned to construct and nurture academic communities that resonate with their distinctive professional identities, thereby utilizing collective synergy to enhance the overall impact of scientific journals.

Developing a Supportive Community of Practice

This paper employs a qualitative case study to suggest how the research journey of doctoral students can be improved in educational institutions by encouraging the formation of small and informal Communities of Practice (CoP). It examines themes emerging from the feelings and opinions of four part-time professional doctorate students about their study experience and participation in their emergent CoP. A peer group developed where the students share their experience, expertise, insight, and knowledge in a caring and supportive, but informal, forum. CoP could become an effective tool to aid retention, identity development and wellbeing of postgraduate level students, factors which have been previously identified as key areas of risk. An autoethnographic approach was used to review the feelings, perceptions, and opinions of the four case study group members about their experiences of the informal CoP to date. Thematic analysis of transcripts and WhatsApp communications was used to reveal the perceived common benefits and gains from participation in the informal CoP such as joy, safe spaces, and identity development, aligning members experiences to a CoP lifecycle. The study found small group formation at doctoral programme induction, and encouragement for students to organise their own regular study days using of social channels, may impact overall success. Application and adaptation of this doctoral CoP model could form the basis for future research and a model for academic institutions to suggest to new and existing students