Group Identity Research Articles

Optimizing the production and efficacy of antimicrobial bioactive compounds from Streptomyces kanamyceticus in combating multi-drug-resistant pathogens.

The rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens has intensified the search for novel antimicrobial agents. This study aimed to isolate Streptomyces kanamyceticus from local soil samples and evaluate its antimicrobial properties, along with optimizing the production of bioactive compounds. Soil samples were collected from local regions, processed, and analysed for Streptomyces strains isolation using morphological characteristics and molecular identification through 16S rRNA gene PCR assay. Antimicrobial activity was assessed against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Candida albicans using the double-layer method, while Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values were determined. The extracted compounds underwent Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis for functional group identification. Optimization of bioactive compound production was performed using a Central Composite Design (CCD) coupled with Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR). A total of 25 distinct Streptomyces strains were isolated, with seven confirmed as S. kanamyceticus. These strains exhibited antimicrobial activity, with inhibition zones reaching 30 mm and MIC values between 20 and 70 µg/mL. The extraction yielded 150-200 mL of bioactive compounds. Optimization studies revealed that a medium containing 10 g/L glucose and 10 g/L glycine max meal maximized antibiotic production. This study confirmed that S. kanamyceticus is a promising source of novel antibiotics. The combination of microbial isolation, antimicrobial testing, and statistical optimization successfully enhanced the production of bioactive compounds, contributing to the search for effective antimicrobial agents against resistant pathogens.

Phenotypic Identification of Blood Groups in Blood Donors: A Peruvian Multicenter Analysis.

Red blood cell alloimmunization currently continues to be a significant problem during the blood transfusion process, where phenotypic identification plays a clinically relevant role in its prevention. The objective of the study was to carry out the phenotypic identification of blood groups in blood donors from three hospitals in Lima. A cross-sectional study was conducted, including 20,141 blood donors in three hospitals in Lima, Perú during the period from January to June 2023. Red blood cell phenotyping was performed by the gel agglutination method using gel cards with the IH-500 automated system. A predominance of donors within the age group of 29 to 38 years (30.9%) was observed, with the majority being men (69.5%). Most donors were Peruvian (97.9%), and among foreign donors (2.1%), Venezuelans predominated (1.5%). In the distribution of the ABO and RhD blood groups, the O Rh+ phenotype predominated in 79% of the donors. In the phenotypic distribution of the Rh system, the presence of the D antigen was observed in 98.1% of the donors, with the c phenotype being the most frequent (76.4%). For the Kidd system, 70.7% of the donors presented the Jka antigen and 81.9% the Jkb antigen. In the Duffy system, 77.7% of the donors presented the Fya antigen and 50% the Fyb antigen. For the MNS system, 93.7% of donors had the S antigen and 76.1% had the s antigen. It was also found that 1.5% of donors are carriers of the Kell antigen, all of which are clinically important. The phenotypic identification of blood groups in blood donors from three hospitals in Lima highlighted the clinical relevance of identifying less common antigens in the Kell, Kidd, Duffy, and MNS systems to prevent alloimmunization during blood transfusions.

The effect of principal leadership on school teachers' group identification: Relational or organizational

The effect of principal leadership on school teachers' group identification: Relational or organizational

Synergistic Effect of Preharvest Application with Some Elicitors on Quality and Shelf Life of Avocado Fruits

Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is a tropical and subtropical climacteric fruit of Central America. It is necessary to maintain high quality of the fruit after harvest for the distant imported market through sustainable solutions. Therefore, this experiment was aimed to increase the quality and shelf life of “Hass” avocado fruits through spray avocado trees with two elicitors, calcium chloride (control, 0.5%, 1%, 2%) and potassium silicate (control, 1%, 2%, 4%) which application after 30 and 75 days of fruit set. Fruits after harvest were placed in carton boxes and sorted into identical groups under temperature and humidity of normal room. it could be recommended by spraying Hass avocado trees with (0.5%) calcium chloride and (2%) potassium silicate as well as the interaction between them to maintaining the quality of fruits for as long as possible through storage and extend shelf life of fruits.

Cultural disaster: A threat to the preservation of Minangkabau culture

Culture is something essential and a marker of the identity of an ethnic group. Therefore, culture must always be part of human life. However, due to various factors, the culture of a tribe is often neglected and which lead to cultural disasters. In this regard, this study examined cultural disaster in Minangkabau. The study used a qualitative and quantitative approach. The respondents were the younger generation of Minangkabau who were studying at university. Discussions with cultural figures, religious leaders, educators, and community leaders were also conducted to know their perspectives on cultural disasters. The study results showed that there has indeed been a shift in Minangkabau cultural values which could lead to a cultural disaster. The lack of instilling cultural values and the ignorance of the collective awareness regarding the importance of knowledge and implementation of cultural values lead to a cultural disaster. The result of the study indicated a potential threat of a cultural disaster in Minangkabau, as indicated by the lack of basic knowledge of the young generation about cultural values in Minangkabau expressions, kinship terms, traditional arts, and culinary. The learning process of Minangkabau cultures can be one of the ways to anticipate the Minangkabau cultural disaster.

Association Between Four Non-Insulin-Based Insulin Resistance Indices and the Risk of Post-Stroke Depression.

Research suggests that insulin resistance (IR) is associated with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and depression. The use of insulin-based IR assessments is complicated. Therefore, we explored the relationship between four non-insulin-based IR indices and post-stroke depression (PSD). A total of 638 consecutive AIS patients were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Clinical data were collected to compute indices such as the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index, triglyceride glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI), insulin resistance metabolic score (METS-IR), and triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-C). One month post-stroke, neuropsychological assessments were conducted using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the relationship between the four non-insulin-based IR indices and PSD. Ultimately, 381 patients completed the 1-month follow-up, including 112 (29.4%) with PSD. The PSD group exhibited significantly higher levels of the four IR indices compared to the non-PSD group. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that these indicators were independently associated with PSD occurrence, both before and after adjusting for potential confounders (all P < 0.001). Tertile analyses indicated that the highest tertile group had a greater risk of PSD occurrence than the lowest tertile group for four IR indicators, even after adjusting for potential confounders (all P < 0.05). Restricted cubic spline analysis revealed a linear dose-response relationship between the four IR indices and PSD. In the subgroup analysis, only the TyG index showed a significant interaction with diabetes (P for interaction = 0.014). The area under curve values for the TyG index, TyG-BMI, METS-IR, and TG/HDL-C were 0.700, 0.721, 0.711, and 0.690, respectively. High TyG index, TyG-BMI, METS-IR, and TG/HDL-C at baseline were independent risk factors for PSD in AIS. Each of these indicators exhibits predictive value for PSD occurrence, aiding in the early identification of high-risk groups.

Biochar boost: revolutionizing functionalization of a difficult material.

The challenge with synthetically modified biochars is that they are notoriously difficult to characterize, and a new characterization approach that circumvents the challenges posed by overlapping bands in IR spectra is needed. We report multinuclear NMR approaches successful in the easy identification and quantification of covalently-bound functional groups on the biochar surface using 31P{1H} CPMAS NMR spectroscopy.

Status and influencing factors of frailty in hospitalized patients with chronic heart failure: A cross-sectional study.

To investigate the frailty status of inpatients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and analyse its influencing factors, so as to provide evidence for the early identification of high-risk groups and frailty management. Early identification of frailty can guide the development and implementation of holistic and individualized treatment plans. However, at present, the frailty of patients with CHF has not attracted enough attention. A cross-sectional study. From June 2022 to June 2023, a convenience sample of 256 participants were recruited at a hospital in China. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of frailty in patients with CHF, and an ROC curve was drawn to determine the cut-off values for each influencing factor. STROBE checklist guides the reporting of the manuscript. A total of 270 questionnaires were sent out during the survey, and 256 valid questionnaires were ultimately recovered, resulting in an effective recovery rate of 94.8%. The incidence of frailty in hospitalized patients with CHF was 68.75%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that age, self-care ability, nutritional risk, Kinesiophobia and NT-proBNP were risk factors for frailty, while albumin and LVEF were protective factors. Multidimensional frailty was prevalent in hospitalized patients with CHF. Medical staff should take measures as early as possible from the aspects of exercise, nutrition, psychology and disease to delay the occurrence and development of frailty and reduce the occurrence of clinical adverse events caused by frailty. This study emphasizes the importance of the early identification of multidimensional frailty and measures can be taken to delay the occurrence and development of frailty through exercise, nutrition, psychology and disease treatment. Patients contributed through sharing their information required for the case report form and filling out questionnaires.

The Use of Humor, Irony, and Metaphors in Everyday Communication: An Exploratory Investigation

This study explores the role of humor, irony, and metaphors in everyday communication among college students at Mindoro State University (MinSU). These rhetorical strategies are integral to social interactions, helping individuals convey emotions, form connections, and simplify complex ideas. Using an exploratory, qualitative approach, the researchers examined how selected students employ these techniques across various social contexts, including family, friends, and academic settings. Data collection involved in-depth interviews, allowing for analysis of sociolinguistic factors, such as age, gender, and social class, that influence humor, irony, and metaphors. The findings suggest that humor fosters camaraderie, while irony subtly critiques or expresses contradictions, and metaphors enhance comprehension by linking abstract ideas to familiar experiences. Cross-cultural insights reveal unique interpretations of these elements, manifesting the potential for misunderstandings in diverse settings. This research highlights the adaptive nature of these rhetorical tools, revealing how they bridge social gaps, reinforce group identity, and support communication. The study contributes to understanding language use in regional academic settings, offering implications for effective communication and cultural sensitivity in multicultural environments.

Response to collective threat: Russian invasion unifies Ukrainians across ethnic, linguistic, religious and geographic lines

Under the collective threat of war, the 2022 Russian invasion would be expected to unify Ukrainians across distinct ethnic, linguistic, geographic and generational identities. Here, we show this using survey data collected in Belarus and Ukraine before and after the full-fledged invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Using our data collection waves from spring and summer of 2022, we observed attitudinal changes rarely documented before and after such an event. Our data include both the invaded country, Ukraine, as the ‘treatment’ and a non-invaded country, Belarus, as the ‘control’. We find that, in Ukraine but not in Belarus, geopolitical views were sharply unified by the experience of the invasion, outweighing the heterogeneous group identities before the event. Our observations serve as evidence that identity fusion under collective threat can override long-standing social divisions.

Perception of Residency Program Diversity Is Associated With Vulnerability to Race and Gender Stereotype Threat Among Minority and Female Orthopaedic Trainees.

Stereotype threat (ST) is a psychological phenomenon in which perceived fear of confirming negative stereotypes about one's identity group leads to impaired performance. Gender and racial ST has been described in various academic settings. However, it is prevalence in orthopaedic surgery, where women and minorities are underrepresented, has not been examined. This study analyzes the prevalence of ST among orthopaedic surgery residents and fellows. US orthopaedic trainees completed a voluntary anonymous survey, which included demographics, perceived program diversity based on percentage of racial-ethnic and gender-diverse faculty and trainees, and a validated, modified version of the Stereotype Vulnerability Scale (SVS). Higher scores indicate greater ST vulnerability. ST prevalence was analyzed with descriptive statistics, and associations between program diversity, resident demographics, and ST vulnerability were compared using nonparametric tests. Of 1,127 orthopaedic trainees at 40 programs, 322 responded (response rate 28.6%). Twenty-five percent identified as female, and 26% identified as an underrepresented minority in medicine (i.e., Asian, Black, or Hispanic). Asian (12 points), Black (12.5 points), and Hispanic (13.5 points) trainees had significantly higher SVS scores than White trainees (9 points) (p = 0.0003; p < 0.0001; p = 0.0028, respectively). Black trainees at perceived racially nondiverse residencies had the highest mean SVS scores (16.4 ± 1.03 points), while White trainees at perceived racially nondiverse residencies had the lowest SVS scores (9.3 ± 0.3 points), p = 0.011. Women had significantly higher gender stereotype vulnerability than men (p < 0.0001) in both gender-diverse (17.9 ± 0.2 vs. 9.0 ± 0.3 points) and gender nondiverse residencies (16.4 ± 0.4 vs. 9.6 ± 0.2 points). Minority and female orthopaedic trainees had higher ST vulnerability, especially in programs perceived as lacking racial or gender diversity. While perceived program diversity may offer some protection for minority and women trainees, women trainees still met the threshold for high vulnerability regardless of program gender diversity. Future strategies to mitigate ST should be explored in orthopaedic training.

Changing Vulnerability to Climate Change and Health Impacts in an Outer Island in Kiribati: A Qualitative Study

Purpose: The objective of this research is to investigate climate change impacts and resilience strategies in an outer island community in Kiribati, a Pacific nation highly vulnerable to environmental changes. Originality: This research is the first ethnographic investigation in outer islands of Kiribati regarding the influence of climate change on the islanders’ life and health. Methodology: Using a qualitative, ethnographic approach, we explore community perceptions of climate change, health impacts, and local adaptations to environmental stressors. A purposive sampling of 48 households and five primary healthcare providers was conducted to gather insights into how residents experience and respond to challenges such as coastal erosion, water scarcity, food insecurity, and health risks. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews in I-Kiribati and English, focusing on three core domains: perceptions of climate risk, identification of vulnerable groups, and the role of social networks in resilience. Result: The findings highlight a high level of climate change awareness, with participants describing the loss of land, increasingly unpredictable weather, and rising salinity as immediate threats to their livelihoods. Coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion have significantly reduced arable land and freshwater resources, forcing islanders to relocate and rely on communal water tanks. Health impacts include increased prevalence of waterborne diseases, respiratory issues, and heat stress, exacerbated by limited healthcare resources. Additionally, rising sea temperatures and ecological changes have disrupted fishing, a vital food source, leading to greater reliance on imported goods. Despite these challenges, social networks, known locally as “macoro,” play a crucial role in resilience, facilitating communal water sharing, labor for relocating homes, and collective resource management. However, the community also expresses climate anxiety and a desire for external support to develop sustainable adaptation strategies. Conclusions and Implication: The findings of this research underscore the need for culturally sensitive, community-driven adaptation policies that address the specific vulnerabilities of Kiribati’s outer islands. This study contributes to understanding resilience in Pacific atoll communities, highlighting the value of traditional support networks and the urgent need for targeted interventions to mitigate climate impacts and support adaptive capacity.

RACIAL/ETHNIC GROUP DIFFERENCES IN OLDER ADULTS’ INVOLVEMENT WITH ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES

Abstract Child protective services has long wrestled with concerns about Black and Hispanic families being disproportionately more likely to be investigated. In contrast, only one, small, recent study has quantified racial/ethnic group differences in adult protective services (APS). A paucity of research and inconsistent findings in this area have limited the generalizability of studies and complicated efforts to develop culturally sensitive practices for specific groups. The proposed project would represent the first national study of racial/ethnic group differences in older adults’ involvement in APS. It would provide the several key findings, including: a conceptual framework that explains why racial/ethnic group differences in APS may exist; benchmarks for the “typical” magnitude of racial/ethnic group differences in key APS metrics across most US states; identification of mistreatment types, genders, and age groups where racial/ethnic group differences in APS metrics are especially large; identification of the types of racial/ethnic group differences in APS metrics that vary markedly from state to state or county to county; and descriptions of the community (e.g., poverty rate) and organizational (e.g., APS agency) characteristics that help explain this variation. The project will also engage researchers, practitioners, and community leaders in three advisory teams. Their regular involvement will help ensure that the project employs the best available theories and methods, provides useful guidance for APS professionals, and reflects the priorities and lived experiences of the communities being studied.

The Role of Hip-Hop in Community Building and its Influence on Cluj-Napoca’s Young Urbanites “Concrete Rockers”. A Case Study

This article examines the cultural influence of hip-hop on urban youth in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania (Romania), through a case study of the “Concrete Rockers” Association. This dynamic group is deeply involved in hip-hop activities, with a particular emphasis on breakdancing, its core focus, as well as organizing hip-hop events such as “One May Jam”—the group’s flagship event. Here, members and special guests participate in various hip-hop activities like DJing and graffiti art. By exploring the motivations and experiences that drive these individuals to engage with hip-hop, we aim to gain insight into their roles as both consumers and practitioners of this culture. The article further investigates how group affiliation and identity are formed within this vibrant and close-knit community, while also exploring the Concrete Rockers’ aspirations to become prominent representatives of hip-hop in Transylvania. Our findings, based on primary data, offer a deeper understanding of hip-hop’s role in shaping the identities and lives of young adults in Cluj-Napoca, highlighting the local adaptations and transnational connections of this global movement and underscoring the positive impact hip-hop has on these individuals.

Identity Formation in Educational Communities of Practice : The Role of Communication, Trust, and Conflict Mediation

This qualitative study explores the processes of identity construction and negotiation among three university students in an English Presentation class. Drawing primarily on fieldnotes and interviews, the research demonstrates how communication styles, trust dynamics, and conflict mediation influence identity formation within educational settings. Anchored in Identity Theory and the concept of Communities of Practice (CoP), the study examines three distinct CoPs where identity shaping occurs. The findings reveal that reluctance to engage in team interactions, breaches of trust, and the role of conflict mediation significantly impact group dynamics and identity formation. The study underscores the fluid nature of identity as it responds to social interactions. These findings emphasize the need for fostering inclusive and supportive learning environments that accommodate diverse identities and enhance teamwork. Future research should further investigate these dynamics to deepen our understanding of identity formation in multicultural educational contexts.

A Multi Parameter Synchronous Identification Method for Stiffness and Damping of Single Fixed Clamp Based on Pareto Algorithm

As a composite structure, the single fixed clamp (SFC) is an important supporting component of the aeroengine piping system. The dynamic parameters (stiffness and damping) of SFC have significant differences in bolt direction and opening direction. Accurately identifying the dynamic parameters of an SFC in both directions is of great significance for the study of pipeline system dynamics. At present, there is very little research on the identification of dynamic parameters for such SFC. Therefore, an SFC-straight pipe structure for identifying the dynamic parameters of an SFC is proposed in this paper. In this structure, one end of the straight pipe is completely fixed, and the other end is supported by an SFC. This structure can better reflect the working state of the SFC. A dynamic model of this structure is established based on the finite element method for parameter identification of SFC. In the finite element model (FEM), the constraint effect of the SFC is simplified into two identical spring-damping groups. Considering the structural asymmetry, spring and damping parameters for bolt direction and opening direction are separately set in each spring damping group. Next, based on the Pareto multi-objective genetic algorithm, an identification algorithm and procedure for the stiffness and damping of the SFC using modal test data as input parameters are proposed. Through experimental testing, parameter identification is carried out for DK8 type SFC, and a straight pipe experimental structure completely supported by two SFCs is constructed to verify the correctness of the identification results.

Living Faith in Adversity: The Psalms of Solomon Proposal

Pseudepigraphic Literature is a privileged place from which to explore the experience of the faith in Judaism at the turn of the era. This article studies the Psalms of Solomon, specifically Psalms 2, 8 and 17, to determine how the loss to the Romans of jewish soverignty affected this group. To this end, we follow Lloyd Bitzer's theory of the Rhetorical Situation to reconstruct the historical context in which each psalm arosue. Moreover, we analyse the modus vivendi that the psalmists propose at each specific moment to its addressees. In this way, we actualize the guidelines established to maintain faith and identity of the group during the post-war period. We conclude that faithfulness to the covenant and trust in God as the only one who has the capacity to resolve the crisis are proposed as the keys to maintaining the group's identity.

Participatory Communication of Thai Youth in Strengthening Pride in Their Local Southern Identity

The southern people in Thailand are often questioned and given negative connotations by society and the government. The media also portrays stereotypical images of southerners and characterizes them as having a stagnant identity. Most of it is constructed through the eyes of an "outsider," who would present the southern community in a more negative light than a positive one. This study aims to create a participatory communication process among the target youth by establishing a prototype media kit and enhancing pride in the southern identity through participatory action research among junior high school students as active audiences and students in the change agent communicator group. The study revealed that the participatory communication process has created a communication story arising from the exchange of experiences of the target groups with regards to their pride in their southern identity. The process of collecting information on the use of words that oppress Southern localities eventually led to the setting up of an entry point as the starting point to communicate the narrative for "transforming pain points into proud points", to change negative experiences that are painful points and transform them into feelings of positive identification reinforcement and shift their mindsets from forbidding others to mock them into an immunity against mockery. It has also revealed empirical results with regards to building pride in the southern region's local identity of the target group and the ability to re-process the application of participative communication processes to building acceptance of diversity and cultural pride. Keywords: Local identity, proud identity, media prototype, participatory communication, Southern Thai youth.

Healthcare-associated infections: state of the problem and prospects

Currently, the epidemic process of healthcare-associated infections (HAI’s) has a number of features, including a decrease in the intensity of manifestations of the epidemic process of HAI’s in surgery with a simultaneous increase in the proportion of severe forms of infections with loss of function or organ, a high risk of developing HAI’s in children with low and extremely low body weight, the spread of HAI’s pathogens with high epidemic potential: bacteria multiresistant to antimicrobial drugs, a decrease in the frequency of exogenous infection and an increase in infections associated with the formation of a hospital clone. At the same time, it should be noted that there are clear trends in the development of medical technologies, primarily in surgery, concerning the intensification of surgical treatment methods, a decrease in the aggression of medical technologies, an increase in the use of various implants, as well as organ and tissue transplantations. At the same time, the epidemic process of HAI predominantly involves microorganisms from the group of ESKAPE pathogens, which have the ability to “escape” the biocidal action of antimicrobial drugs and a high epidemic potential, necessary and sufficient for their epidemic spread in the hospital environment. In this regard, a mandatory condition for combating the formation of a “hospital” strain (clone) and the further development of group diseases of patients and employees of a medical organization is the introduction of systemic genetic monitoring of microorganisms circulating in the hospital environment using a risk-oriented approach based on systematically organized epidemiological diagnostics. This approach is determined by the need for timely identification of groups and risk factors, both in the context of individual units and the medical organization as a whole, in order to develop effective preventive and anti-epidemic measures.

An Analysis of Code Mixing That is Used by The Models and The Judges in Indonesia’s Next Top Model Cycle 3

This research discusses the types and functions of code mixing found in the "Indonesia's Next Top Model Cycle 3" event. This research focuses on analyzing the code mixing used by the models and judges at the event. The main objective of this research is to find out the types and functions of code mixing at the "Indonesia's Next Top Model Cycle 3" event, then find out the types of code mixing that are most widely used, analyze the reasons and functions of certain code mixing. The data for this research are 62 clauses containing code mixing at the event "Indonesia's Next Top Model Cycle 3". This research was conducted using Qualitative Analysis Research. The technique used to collect data is the technique of recording, reading, studying and analyzing all the data. The data in this research were analyzed using Hoffman's code mixing theory (1991). Based on data analysis, it was found that there were three types of code mixing found at the "Indonesia's Next Top Model Cycle 3" event, namely intra-sentential code mixing, intra-lexical code mixing, and involving pronunciation changes. furthermore, there are seven functions of code mixing, namely talking about certain topics, quoting other people, being empathetic towards something, interjection, repetition used for clarification, intention to clarify the content of the interlocutor's speech, and expressing group identity. The most dominant type of code mixing used in the "Indonesia's Next Top Model Cycle 3" event was Intra Sentential Code Mixing with a total of 57 clauses out of the 62 clauses found. Furthermore, the most dominant function of code mixing is found in the "Indonesia's Next Top Model Cycle 3" event, namely discussing certain topics, namely there are 39 clauses out of 62 clauses.