Community Interactions Research Articles

Towards social sustainability in urban communities: exploring how community parks influence residents’ social interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 outbreak and associated lockdowns have heightened the challenges of social isolation in urban communities. Social interaction is recognized as a key factor in promoting people’s health, wellbeing, and social sustainability within urban communities. Public open spaces serve as a vital link between communities’ environment and individuals’ wellbeing. However, there has been limited research exploring how community parks impact residents’ social interaction in urban communities during the pandemic, particularly a lack of in-depth qualitative research in this area. To address this gap, this research investigated the impact of community parks on social interaction in master-planned communities in Sydney, using a qualitative case study method. A total of sixteen residents living in two selected communities—Breakfast Point and Liberty Grove—were interviewed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. It was found that three themes and seven underlying subthemes of park-use factors influence residents’ social interactions: (1) quality of park spaces (rest spaces, BBQ/picnic recreation spaces, children’s playgrounds, sport facilities, and nature amenities), (2) pedestrian integration of parks (interconnected park network and well-dispersed small parks), and (3) pedestrian connectivity with surroundings. The findings provide theoretical, empirical, and practical implications for promoting social wellbeing and community sustainability in the post-COVID era.

A Proposed Perspective for the Successful Deployment of Internet of Things in a Smart Home Environment

The Internet of Things (IoT) technology is used in smart homes to enhance comfort, security, and energy efficiency. This study outlines a theoretical framework for the deployment and dissemination of IoT technologies in intelligent residential environments. The framework of this study highlights the significance of many components that cater to people’s individual needs. The study offers a systematic explanation of IoT principles, tangible devices, services, data creation, software, applications, and logistical needs. Furthermore, it contains an extensive table that assists users in choosing the most appropriate resources and components. The study points to smart home systems based on IoT, which utilize sensors, controllers, and cloud solutions to manage data and provide user control while ensuring privacy and confidentiality. The study addresses various needs of users by utilizing a semantic vision framework for smart house design that guarantees economic advantages, enhanced security, and user contentment, ultimately leading to enhanced community interactions and the overall welfare of residents.

Examining the Utilisation of Pascal’s Triangle for Community Development and Allocation of Resources in Eastern Uganda

Challenges ranging from resource scarcity to social deprivation and environmental concerns confront the East Region of Uganda. Let’s focus on Pascal’s Triangle as a conceptual model to deal with the problems of unjust resource distribution among communities. This model, which is a triangular arrangement of numbers, affords an opportunity to gain useful insights into community interactions and the process of resource distribution. Understanding Pascal’s triangle’s mathematical nature is a key driving force behind realistic and feasible resource allocation methods and community development approaches. Equal resource distribution methods, clear resource allocation mechanisms, community involvement, and multi-level cooperation are essential for promoting fairness and resilience. East Ugandan communities celebrate diversity as a resource for social cohesion, creativity, and resilience. Collaboration and unity are keys to getting over the difficulties and achieving great heights. It creates resilience and sustainability through community-based organisations, cooperative ventures, and participatory decision-making processes. When involved in solving complex problems, education serves as a key tool for empowering individuals and communities. Participatory decision-making creates a degree of transparency and representativeness in resource allocation. Merging community building and resource deployment with SDGs ensures sustainability and durability. Policies and programmes that address gender issues and encourage community participation are the keys to improving inclusivity. This review article examines Community Building and Resource Allocation: Learning from the Pascal Triangle in Eastern Uganda: Insights. We used data from the last decade (2014–2024) available from many reliable data sources. The findings advocate for community participation in decision-making, the implementation of policies that promote gender equality and social inclusion, collaboration among stakeholders, and the prioritization of education and capacity building, in addition to the integration of Sustainable Development Goals into community development plans and the strengthening of local governance institutions for equitable resource distribution. To solve complicated issues in the east of Uganda, it’s imperative to put more emphasis on equal resource allocation, community mobilisation, and social integration. Apply the insights from Pascal’s Triangle to foster communities that are adaptable, inclusive, and stable. Keywords: Community Building, Resource Allocation, Pascal’s Triangle, East Uganda, Resilience, Sustainable Development Goals

Exploring the potential of native sea urchins as ex situ coral propagation allies

Caribbean coral reefs face unprecedented decline due to anthropogenic and environmental stressors, necessitating active restoration efforts. Among the strategies to conserve and restore reef ecosystems, land‐based sexual propagation of corals is crucial for preserving genetic diversity and population resilience. This study explores the efficacy of utilizing native sea urchin herbivory to control benthic macroalgal proliferation and enhance coral growth in land‐based propagation systems. Three captive‐reared urchin species—Lytechinus variegatus, Tripneustes ventricosus, and Diadema antillarum—were evaluated for their influence on algal cover and growth of sexually propagated brain coral Pseudodiploria strigosa. Juveniles of each urchin species were co‐cultured with 6‐month‐old coral colonies over a 105‐day experiment. Results indicated that all urchin treatments effectively reduced algal cover compared to controls; however, only T. ventricosus significantly increased coral growth rate, while the other urchin species did not have a notable effect. Despite differences in growth, coral survival was consistently high across all treatments. Benthic community analysis revealed shifts in algal composition, with D. antillarum grazing associated with increased crustose coralline algae. However, overgrazing by D. antillarum may have resulted in mild peripheral tissue damage to some corals. Urchin survival remained high, suggesting potential for downstream utilization in restoration (e.g. urchin population enhancement). This study highlights the potential of native urchins as biocontrol agents in coral propagation, emphasizing the importance of species‐specific interactions in shaping benthic communities and promoting coral resilience.

Prevalence of Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder among Medical Students, King Faisal University

Background: The neurobehavioral disorder known as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is typified by impulsivity, hyperactivity, and difficulty in maintaining focus. According to recent research, it can last into adulthood. Regarding identifying adult ADHD, the fifth edition of the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" has undergone major alteration. As far as we are aware, few research has been done in the Gulf region on adult ADHD among medical students.Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out on students of medicine from all academic years in King Faisal University, Hofuf, from December 2023 until June 2024. 279 medical students participated in the study. Self-reported English questionnaires with two sections—a sociodemographic section and a screening scale for adult ADHD based on the DSM5 version—were utilized for the investigation. Outcomes: (14. %) of pupils mentioned having signs of ADHD. Results: Of the sample, 14% of students exhibited ADHD symptoms, a rate higher than the global prevalence. Female students (13.1%) and first-year students (18.9%) showed significant ADHD symptoms. Psychological comorbidities were present in 28.6% of ADHD-affected students compared to 11.4% of non-affected students. The ADHD group demonstrated mild but notable challenges in concentration, relaxation, and impulsive behavior, with implications for academic performance and stress management.Conclusion: Our study shows a higher prevalence compared with a worldwide prevalence of i.e., 14%. This difference could be due to community interaction and way of living life style factors. Those individuals may have difficulty in communication and learning which can disturb students’ academic efficiency, lengthen their study, and even disturb their development.

Who Am I? Exploring the Role of Religious Beliefs in Shaping the Ethnic Identity of Tibetan Muslims: A Case Study in Hebalin, Lhasa, Tibet

Tibetan Muslims, as a unique ethnic group, hold significant religious, anthropological, and sociological value. This article examines the social functions of Islamic beliefs through questionnaires and structured interviews, focusing on the Tibetan Muslim community in Hebalin, Lhasa, Tibet. We analyze how Islamic beliefs influence the evolution of Tibetan Muslim ethnic identity and explore the relationship between nationality and religion. The key factors discussed include the developmental history of local Tibetan Muslims, the status of their Islamic culture, their community interactions, and changes in their ethnic identity. Despite these changes, their Islamic beliefs have remained consistent, playing a crucial role in shaping their ethnic identity, which mirrors the developmental history of their beliefs.

Marketing Strategies in the Digital Age: Opportunities and Challenges

Purpose:Transformation and Response to Enterprise Marketing Strategies in the Digital AgeWith the rapid development of information technology, the digital era has come in all its aspects, bringing a new landscape to enterprise marketing strategy. The digital age brings many opportunities. First, there is more accurate market positioning, and enterprises use technologies such as big data, Can in-depth analysis of a variety of consumer data, accurate grasp of their needs and preferences, so as to clearly identify the target market, like millet through the analysis of user data, accurate positioning of young, the pursuit of cost-effective consumer groups, to launch products that meet their needs. Secondly, there is a wider distribution channel. The popularization of the Internet and social media has allowed enterprises to quickly spread their marketing information to all parts of the world, and Bytedance's products have utilized the advantages of their own platforms to achieve widespread information distribution. Moreover, more efficient customer interaction, enterprises can communicate with customers in real time through the online platform, timely access to feedback, improve customer satisfaction, such as Huawei through the online community interaction with users to improve products and services. However, the challenges cannot be ignored. Data security and privacy protection have become critical issues, and once a data breach occurs, it can seriously damage the reputation of a company, as some high-profile companies have been questioned over data security. The difficulty of accurate marketing is that the market changes rapidly, consumer demand is diverse and volatile, and it is difficult for enterprises to accurately grasp it at all times. The complexity of multichannel integration also causes problems for enterprises, and the characteristics and user groups of different channels are different, making integration difficult. Domestic and foreign enterprises have many successful experiences to learn from. For example, Apple pays attention to the user experience and has built a unique brand image and marketing model through the convergence of online and offline channels. In response to the challenge, enterprises should strengthen data security management and establish strict protection mechanisms. Continuous improvement of data analysis capabilities to better adapt to market changes; At the same time, we should focus on coordination between channels to achieve complementarity of strengths. In short, enterprises need to take full advantage of opportunities in the digital age, actively cope with challenges, and formulate effective marketing strategies in order to gain a foothold and develop in the fierce market competition.

MAGqual: a stand-alone pipeline to assess the quality of metagenome-assembled genomes

BackgroundMetagenomics, the whole genome sequencing of microbial communities, has provided insight into complex ecosystems. It has facilitated the discovery of novel microorganisms, explained community interactions and found applications in various fields. Advances in high-throughput and third-generation sequencing technologies have further fuelled its popularity. Nevertheless, managing the vast data produced and addressing variable dataset quality remain ongoing challenges. Another challenge arises from the number of assembly and binning strategies used across studies. Comparing datasets and analysis tools is complex as it requires the quantitative assessment of metagenome quality. The inherent limitations of metagenomic sequencing, which often involves sequencing complex communities, mean community members are challenging to interrogate with traditional culturing methods leading to many lacking reference sequences. MIMAG standards aim to provide a method to assess metagenome quality for comparison but have not been widely adopted.ResultsTo address the need for simple and quick metagenome quality assignation, here we introduce the pipeline MAGqual (Metagenome-Assembled Genome qualifier) and demonstrate its effectiveness at determining metagenomic dataset quality in the context of the MIMAG standards.ConclusionsThe MAGqual pipeline offers an accessible way to evaluate metagenome quality and generate metadata on a large scale. MAGqual is built in Snakemake to ensure readability and scalability, and its open-source nature promotes accessibility, community development, and ease of updates. MAGqual is built in Snakemake, R, and Python and is available under the MIT license on GitHub at https://github.com/ac1513/MAGqual.EB_9RbKd3CYdEq3zCTHKaqVideo

Saccharomyces boulardii enhances anti-inflammatory effectors and AhR activation via metabolic interactions in probiotic communities.

Metabolic exchanges between strains in gut microbial communities shape their composition and interactions with the host. This study investigates the metabolic synergy between potential probiotic bacteria and Saccharomyces boulardii, aiming to enhance anti-inflammatory effects within a multi-species probiotic community. By screening a collection of 85 potential probiotic bacterial strains, we identified two strains that demonstrated a synergistic relationship with S. boulardii in pairwise co-cultivation. Furthermore, we computationally predicted cooperative communities with symbiotic relationships between S. boulardii and these bacteria. Experimental validation of 28 communities highlighted the role of S. boulardii as a key player in microbial communities, significantly boosting the community's cell number and production of anti-inflammatory effectors, thereby affirming its essential role in improving symbiotic dynamics. Based on our observation, one defined community significantly activated the aryl hydrocarbon receptor-a key regulator of immune response-280-fold more effectively than the community without S. boulardii. This study underscores the potential of microbial communities for the design of more effective probiotic formulations.

Fostering Sustainable Female Participation in STEM Through Ecological Systems Theory: A Comparative Study in Three African Countries

This study explores factors influencing female engagement in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields in Mozambique, Nigeria, and Uganda through Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. The research collected qualitative data from 81 women across these countries through open-ended surveys. Using content analysis, the results demonstrate the critical role of personal interests nurtured by family, showing how direct interactions with family influence STEM engagement at a microsystem level. The mesosystem level reveals the supportive influence of community and school interactions, emphasizing the importance of relationships between different microsystems, such as family–school collaborations, in fostering female participation in STEM. The exosystem level identifies the impact of positive media portrayals and role models, illustrating how external environments indirectly affect perceptions and aspirations in STEM through media and societal influences. The macrosystem level underscores the persistent cultural norms shaping gender roles, reflecting broader societal and cultural values that influence gender diversity in STEM fields, with 63% of respondents in Mozambique, 57% in Nigeria, and 67% in Uganda indicating that societal views on gender roles discouraged participation. Lastly, the chronosystem level captures the temporal changes and progress in gender diversity in STEM, highlighting the need for targeted interventions and policy reforms to address longstanding gender imbalances. Despite progress, significant gender imbalances remain, necessitating targeted interventions and policy reforms. The study proposes a sustainable, collaborative model to foster early interest and sustained participation of females in STEM, emphasizing the importance of seamless cooperation among families, educational institutions, communities, and government bodies. The findings aid in creating supportive environments for sustaining female STEM participation, promoting economic and social development in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Application of infrared spectroscopy to study carbon-deuterium kinetics and isotopic spectral shifts at the single-cell level

Microbial communities play crucial roles in shaping natural ecosystems, impacting human well-being, and driving advancements in industrial biotechnology. However, associating specific metabolic functions with bacteria proves challenging due to the vast diversity of microorganisms within these communities. In the past decades stable isotope probing (SIP) approaches, coupled with vibrational spectroscopy, have emerged as a novel method for revealing microbial metabolic roles and interactions in complex communities. In this study, we employed various combinations of heavy stable isotopes (D, 13C, 15N, and 18O), to evaluate all possible isotopic spectral shifts in the mid-IR region using Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) and Optical Photothermal Infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy, at both bulk community and single-cell levels. Additionally, we conducted a time-course study to explore the kinetics of CD vibration in Escherichia coli bacteria, allowing time-based sampling and assessment of isotopic labeling kinetics. The FT-IR and O-PTIR, along with the second derivative spectra of E. coli cells cultured in minimal medium supplemented with various combinations of heavy isotopes exhibited notable similarities. Several spectral shifts in primary vibrational peaks were observed due to the incorporation of heavy isotopes into biomolecules. Remarkably, the incorporation of deuterium into amide groups, resulting in the formation of nitrogen-deuterium bonds, caused a shift in amide A and B into the silent region, overlapping with CD signature peaks. The incorporation of 18O into the ester group of lipids and the carbonyl group of proteins resulted in a notable shift to the lower wavenumber region. Additionally, the second derivative of FT-IR spectral data highlighted the integration of 18O into α-helix and β-sheet structures. Furthermore, the spectra, second derivative, and PC-DFA scores plot of FT-IR data collectively illustrated the practicality of monitoring 13C and D incorporation into E. coli bacterial cells within the first 30-min incubation period. Significance: The findings of this study suggest that FT-IR and O-PTIR can serve as efficient tools for monitoring the incorporation of heavy isotopes into bacteria at both the population and single-cell levels. Additionally, the SIP approach allowed us to assign two new deuterium-associated vibrational peaks to their corresponding functional groups, which to the best of our knowledge have not been reported previously.

Evaluation of Resettled Residents’ Engagement in Community Gardens and Preferences for Garden Development Factors in Beijing

Resettlement communities arising from China’s urbanization process accommodate both landless resettled villagers and non-resettled villagers who migrate to cities for work. Community gardens help increase interactions in resettlement communities and facilitate the integration of resettled residents into the community. This paper, based on the differing characteristics of resettled and non-resettled villagers in China’s resettlement communities and the scarcity of outdoor public space, studies the participation willingness of resettled residents and their preferences for the construction of community gardens. Firstly, this study establishes a system of community garden construction elements for resettlement communities and conducts a Likert scale survey of residents in 30 resettlement communities in Beijing (n = 832). Secondly, variance analysis is used to explore the impact of demographic characteristics on garden preferences. Finally, a multiple linear regression model is employed to study the correlation between resettled residents’ willingness to participate in community gardens and the construction elements. The results show that (1) both resettled villagers and non-villagers have a willingness to participate in community gardens, and the spatial enhancement, facility supplementation, economic compensation, community integration, and identity recognition of garden construction elements are positively correlated with residents’ willingness to participate, with spatial enhancement having the strongest effect; (2) community gardens help achieve integration between resettled and non-resettled villagers; (3) gardens help enhance the identity recognition of resettled villagers. In summary, integrating community gardens into resettlement communities helps increase residents’ social interactions, enhances their sense of belonging, and assists resettled residents in integrating into urban society.

Inhibition of denitrification and enhancement of microbial interactions in the AGS system by high concentrations of quinoline

Quinoline represents a highly toxic and structurally stable nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound in coking wastewater, posing a potential threat to human beings and the ecological environment. In this study, we investigated the impact of gradually elevating quinoline concentration on pollutant removal efficiency, sludge characteristics, microbial community and their interactions in the aerobic granular sludge (AGS) system. The results demonstrated that AGS was capable of effectively degrading quinoline, with a final removal rate of 90 mg/L quinoline reaching 98.54 ± 0.28%. Notably, the denitrification process was significantly impeded in the presence of 90 mg/L quinoline, with the Phase D effluent displaying a notably high NO3--N concentration of 37.09 ± 21.81 mg/L, primarily attributed to the reduced abundance of norank_f_A4b bacteria. As the quinoline concentration increased, the sludge particle size diminished from 3.46 to 2.60 mm, while the settling performance deteriorated significantly, escalating from 31.29 ± 1.63 mL/g to 62.32 ± 2.87 mL/g. Meanwhile, the protein (PN) content in EPS gradually increased (from 19.87 ± 0.88 mg/g MLVSS to 51.22 ± 3.21 mg/g MLVSS), while the polysaccharide (PS) content fluctuated. Quinoline profoundly modified microbial community composition and structure, with deterministic processes dominating community assembly. Network analysis indicated intensified and complex microbial interactions at 90 mg/L quinoline, characterized by significantly higher positive correlations. In addition, rare taxa (RT) dominated the network nodes, with 74 of 93 key species belonging to RT, highlighting their pivotal roles in sustaining system functions and strengthening microbial connections. This study provides new insights into the effects of quinoline on microbial community structure and interactions in AGS system.

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.

Urban Development Together with Girls and Young Women

Public spaces are crucial to everyday life, providing sites for community interaction, mobility, and recreation. Traditionally, however, urban planning has been shaped by a gendered perspective that privileges masculine assumptions that overlook intersectional needs and reinforce societal inequalities for women and girls. This special issue, ‘Let Her Guide You’, developed in partnership with UN-Habitat as part of the Her City initiative, underscores the imperative of incorporating gender and youth perspectives into urban planning and design. The Her City Initiative, a collaboration between UN-Habitat and the Shared City Foundation, advances this goal by equipping urban actors worldwide with tools to integrate the perspectives of girls and young women into urban development. Launched in 2021, the Her City Toolbox has supported over 350 independent initiatives with registered users in 120 countries, demonstrating its effectiveness in fostering inclusive urban environments. This special issue features papers by young academic scholars selected from the Her City Master students alumni network, including case studies of feminist planning from Heerlen (The Netherlands), Nairobi (Kenya), Stockholm (Sweden), and Weimar (Germany). It also includes a diverse range of invited viewpoints advocating for collaborative approaches to urban development together with girls and young women, complemented by illustrative case studies from around the globe, including Belgium, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Mozambique, Palestine, Peru, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, Uganda, and the United Kingdom. By centring gender and youth perspectives in the urban planning process, this special issue highlights the potential to transform public spaces into more equitable, engaging, and sustainable environments. It calls on city makers, researchers, and community leaders to ensure that contemporary cities are designed with and for everyone.

Distribution of protoporphyrin IX during Prorocentrum donghaiense blooms and its relationship with particle-attached and free-living bacterial communities

Particle-attached (PA) and free-living (FL) bacterial communities are essential for nutrient cycles and metabolite production and serve as a food source in aquatic systems. However, our understanding of how biotic factors influence community interactions, co-occurrence patterns, and niche occupancy remains limited. This study investigated the influence of protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) on bacteria with different lifestyles during Prorocentrum donghaiense bloom. The findings revealed that PPIX distribution responded variably to changes in physicochemical parameters induced by red tide bloom. Large-sized or particle-attached (PA) phytoplankton (cell size >3 μm) were identified as the primary contributors to environmental PPIX, while small-sized plankton or free-living (FL) microorganisms (<3 μm) contributed less. In red tide-affected areas, PPIX and its derivatives were significantly more abundant than in non-red tide areas, indicating an increased demand for porphyrins by plankton during red tides. Additionally, the red tide also significantly influenced the preference of bacterial lineages for PA or FL lifestyles, highlighting a close interaction between bacteria with different lifestyles and PPIX levels. This study quantitatively analyzed the distribution of PPIX across different cell sizes in red tide and non-red tide marine environments, providing insights into microbial interactions and dynamics in changing ecosystems and offering a reference for using PPIX to predict red tide ecological disasters.

Nested patterns of commensals and endosymbionts in microbial communities of mosquito vectors

BackgroundMosquitoes serve as vectors for numerous pathogens, posing significant health risks to humans and animals. Understanding the complex interactions within mosquito microbiota is crucial for deciphering vector-pathogen dynamics and developing effective disease management strategies. Here, we investigated the nested patterns of Wolbachia endosymbionts and Escherichia-Shigella within the microbiota of laboratory-reared Culex pipiens f. molestus and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes. We hypothesized that Wolbachia would exhibit a structured pattern reflective of its co-evolved relationship with both mosquito species, while Escherichia-Shigella would display a more dynamic pattern influenced by environmental factors.ResultsOur analysis revealed different microbial compositions between the two mosquito species, although some microorganisms were common to both. Network analysis revealed distinct community structures and interaction patterns for these bacteria in the microbiota of each mosquito species. Escherichia-Shigella appeared prominently within major network modules in both mosquito species, particularly in module P4 of Cx. pipiens f. molestus, interacting with 93 nodes, and in module Q3 of Cx. quinquefasciatus, interacting with 161 nodes, sharing 55 nodes across both species. On the other hand, Wolbachia appeared in disparate modules: module P3 in Cx. pipiens f. molestus and a distinct module with a single additional taxon in Cx. quinquefasciatus, showing species-specific interactions and no shared taxa. Through computer simulations, we evaluated how the removal of Wolbachia or Escherichia-Shigella affects network robustness. In Cx. pipiens f. molestus, removal of Wolbachia led to a decrease in network connectivity, while Escherichia-Shigella removal had a minimal impact. Conversely, in Cx. quinquefasciatus, removal of Escherichia-Shigella resulted in decreased network stability, whereas Wolbachia removal had minimal effect.ConclusionsContrary to our hypothesis, the findings indicate that Wolbachia displays a more dynamic pattern of associations within the microbiota of Culex pipiens f. molestus and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes, than Escherichia-Shigella. The differential effects on network robustness upon Wolbachia or Escherichia-Shigella removal suggest that these bacteria play distinct roles in maintaining community stability within the microbiota of the two mosquito species.

Naive Bayes Algorithm for Sentiment Analysis on Spider-Man Movie: No Way Home

The rapid development of streaming platforms has significantly changed the landscape of movie consumption. The ease of access and social interaction in online communities has led to the creation of a new pop culture around movies. One interesting phenomenon is the movie Spider-Man: No Way Home, which sparked heated and viral conversations on various social media platforms. This research aims to analyze audience sentiment towards the movie Spider-Man: No Way Home using Naïve Bayes algorithm. Review data collected from online platforms was processed to identify positive and negative sentiments. The choice of Naïve Bayes algorithm is based on its efficiency and ability to classify text. The results showed that the model built was able to classify sentiment with an accuracy of 72.34%. The model is more effective in identifying positive reviews than negative, indicating a positive response from the majority of viewers. However, the model still needs to improve its performance in classifying negative sentiments. This research makes an important contribution in understanding audience preferences and evaluating the success of a movie, especially in the context of the digital era. The results can be utilized by the film industry to improve production quality, marketing strategies, and content development that is more relevant to audience preferences. In addition, this research also opens up opportunities for further development, such as the use of more complex algorithms or combining with other sentiment analysis techniques, as well as application to various types of social media content.

Mixed and membrane-separated culturing of synthetic cyanobacteria-yeast consortia reveals metabolic cross-talk mimicking natural cyanolichens

Metabolite exchange mediates crucial interactions in microbial communities, significantly impacting global carbon and nitrogen cycling. Understanding these chemically-mediated interactions is essential for elucidating natural community functions and developing engineered synthetic communities. This study investigated membrane-separated bioreactors (mBRs) as a novel tool to identify transient metabolites and their producers/consumers in mixed microbial communities. We compared three co-culture methods (direct mixed, 2-chamber mBR, and 3-chamber mBR) to grow a synthetic binary community of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 and the fungus Rhodotorula toruloides NBRC 0880, as well as axenic S. elongatus. Despite not being natural lichen constituents, these organisms exhibited interactions resembling those in cyanolichens. S. elongatus fixed CO2 into sugars as the primary shared metabolite, while R. toruloides secreted various biochemicals, predominantly sugar alcohols, mirroring the metabolite exchange observed in natural lichens. The mBR systems successfully captured metabolite gradients and revealed rapidly consumed compounds, including TCA cycle intermediates and amino acids. Our approach demonstrated that the 2-chamber mBR optimally balanced metabolite exchange and growth dynamics. This study provides insights into cross-species metabolic interactions and presents a valuable tool for investigating and engineering synthetic microbial communities with potential applications in biotechnology and environmental science.

Environment, plant genetics, and their interaction shape important aspects of sunflower rhizosphere microbial communities.

Associations with soil microorganisms are crucial for plants' overall health and functioning. While much work has been done to understand drivers of rhizosphere microbiome structure and function, the relative importance of geography, climate, soil properties, and plant genetics remains unclear, as results have been mixed and comprehensive studies across many sites and genotypes are limited. Rhizosphere microbiomes are crucial for crop resistance to pathogens, stress tolerance, nutrient availability, and ultimately yield. Here, we quantify the relative roles of plant genotype, environment, and their interaction in shaping soil rhizosphere communities, using 16S and ITS gene sequencing of rhizosphere soils from 10 genotypes of cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus) at 15 sites across the Great Plains of the United States. While site generally outweighed genotype overall in terms of effects on archaeal, bacterial, and fungal richness, community composition, and taxa relative abundances, there was also a significant interaction such that genotype exerted a significant influence on archaeal, bacterial, and fungal microbiomes in certain sites. Site effects were attributed to a combination of spatial distance and differences in climate and soil properties. Microbial taxa that were previously associated with resistance to the fungal necrotrophic pathogen Sclerotinia were present in most sites but differed significantly in relative abundance across sites. Our results have implications for plant breeding and agronomic microbiome manipulations for agricultural improvement across different geographic regions.IMPORTANCEDespite the importance of plant breeding in agriculture, we still have a limited understanding of how plant genetic variation shapes soil microbiome composition across broad geographic regions. Using 15 sites across the Great Plains of North America, we show that cultivated sunflower rhizosphere archaeal, bacterial, and fungal communities are driven primarily by site soil and climatic differences, but genotype can interact with site to influence the composition, especially in warmer and drier sites with lower overall microbial richness. We also show that all taxa that were previously found to be associated with resistance to the fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum were widespread but significantly affected by site, while a subset was also significantly affected by genotype. Our results contribute to a broader understanding of rhizosphere archaeal, bacterial, and fungal community assembly and provide foundational knowledge for plant breeding efforts and potential future microbiome manipulations in agriculture.