Personal Networks Research Articles

“No Story, No Response”: Narratives from Girls Subjected to Youth Intimate Partner Violence and Placed at Special Residential Homes in Sweden

ABSTRACT Several studies have suggested a high prevalence of violence in young people’s romantic relationships. A significant gap in knowledge persists, however, regarding how young people in special residential homes for youth (SRHY) in Sweden characterize and communicate about the violence they experience in their relationships, as well as how they describe societal responses to such violence within their networks, including from professionals. Sixteen in-depth interviews were conducted with girls from three different SRHYs using Hydén’s “teller-focused” approach. Responses varied based on the girls’ personal networks and professional connections. A common denominator, however, is that the girls had disclosed the violence, described as exceptionally severe, to any external person to only a limited extent. Many of them shared their experiences of victimization for the first time during the interview, prompting a reconsideration and clarification of the relational aspects of the interview procedure and resulting in the conceptualization of a new interview procedure: the relational interview approach. This approach has implications for the practicalities of engaging in a conversation with a young person who has experienced violence.

The Empty Office: protocol for sequential mixed-method study on the impact of telework activities on social relations and well-being

IntroductionTeleworking is one of the most significant legacies of the pandemic. Great attention is now being paid to its effects on workers’ health. One of the arguments that emerged on...

Using a computational cognitive model to simulate the effects of personal and social network experiences on seasonal influenza vaccination decisions

IntroductionSeasonal influenza poses significant societal costs, including illness, mortality, and reduced work productivity. Vaccination remains the most effective strategy for preventing the disease, yet vaccination rates in the United States fall below 50% for adults. Understanding the factors influencing vaccination decisions is crucial for designing interventions to improve uptake. This study investigates how personal experiences and the experiences of social contacts affect individual decisions to get vaccinated against influenza.MethodsA multi-year longitudinal survey study was conducted to examine the impact of personal and social network experiences on vaccination decisions. Participants' vaccination behaviors and experiences with influenza were tracked over time. To model these influences, we developed a memory-based vaccination decision model using the Adaptive Control of Thought – Rational (ACT-R) integrated cognitive architecture, which incorporates cognitive processes associated with memory and decision-making.ResultsThe survey results demonstrated that both personal experiences with influenza and the experiences of close social contacts significantly influenced vaccination decisions. The memory-based model, built within the ACT-R framework, effectively captured these effects, providing a computational representation of how personal and social factors contribute to vaccination behaviors.DiscussionThe findings suggest that personal and social experiences play a critical role in shaping vaccination decisions, which can inform the development of targeted interventions to increase vaccination uptake. By incorporating cognitive processes into the model, we identified potential strategies to enhance vaccine promotion efforts, such as recalling past experiences with illness to motivate individuals to get vaccinated.

Personal Networks and Cervical Cancer Screening among Black Immigrant Women.

Prior research has linked personal network characteristics with cancer screening uptake including Papanicolaou (Pap) screening, but less is known about the experiences of Black immigrant women (BIW) in the USA. We examined the relationship between network characteristics and Pap screening among BIW and explored how their network members influence their cancer related knowledge and prevention behaviors. A mixed methods study of BIW, aged 21-65years, in southeastern US included a cross-sectional survey (N = 204) and in-depth individual interviews (N = 13). We examined whether high-social connectedness, contact frequency, and social support were associated with Pap screening, using multivariable logistic regression models. Thematic analysis further assessed the roles of personal network factors on BIW's cancer preventive behaviors. Pap screening was more likely among BIW with high- versus low-social connectedness (OR: 2.68, CI: 1.12, 6.46). However, the impact of high-social connectedness was attenuated, after adjusting for demographic factors and health insurance. Our qualitative findings revealed that both BIW and their personal networks had limited knowledge on cancer and related prevention measures. Close network members, particularly mother-figures, provided support for BIW's care seeking efforts, including cancer screening, although some participants mentioned a lack of screening support. These findings suggest that Black immigrant communities may benefit from tailored cancer prevention interventions among close network members, to improve knowledge and support for cancer control behaviors.

QOL-02. SOCIAL NETWORKS CAN BE QUANTITATIVELY MEASURED AND NETWORKS WITH GREATER STRUCTURAL DIVERSITY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER HUMAN FLOURISHING

Abstract BACKGROUND In patients with glioblastoma, the predicted progressive deterioration in physical and cognitive abilities leads to decreased quality of life for patients and their caregivers. Research has shown that one’s social environment is a major contributor to health outcomes. However, in this population, study of the social environment is a gap in the literature. METHODS We examined the personal social networks of 25 adult glioblastoma patients at one time between initial diagnosis and first cycle of adjuvant chemotherapy from March to September 2023. We additionally collected demographic, tumor measures, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life for Patients with Brain Tumors (EORTC QLQ-BN20) and the Harvard Human Flourishing Index (HFI) measures. RESULTS The average age was 64.5 years old, 56% were female, and 84% had a Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) of 70 or higher. Patients had large network sizes (mean of 8.8). Patients reported high levels of flourishing despite the challenging diagnosis. Flourishing was statistically significantly associated with lower network constraint (networks in which alters are less likely to be connected to each other) in a patient’s social network (p=0.046) and less lower extremity weakness (p=0.025), controlling for age, gender, income, tumor at size of diagnosis, and KPS. CONCLUSION Our study indicates personal social networks with more contacts who are not connected to each other are associated with greater flourishing. Quantifying the social networks of patients with glioblastoma has implications as an objective measure for supportive care trials. Moreover, standard quality-of-life measures may not adequately capture what it means to meaningfully live and flourish. Therefore, future studies should include how social networks and flourishing change over the course of illness and how this may also impact overall survival.

The Role of Networks in Mobilization for Ethnic Minority Interest Parties

AbstractRecently, parties that are run by and for ethnic minority citizens with a migration background have become more prominent. They can be considered a manifestation of ethnic political segregation. A key example of such a party is DENK in the Netherlands. So far, the explanatory literature has focused on how programmatic considerations drives voting for these parties. Other factors, such as the role of social networks in mobilization, have received limited testing and limited exploration in more detail. Furthermore, the literature on social networks is mainly based on majority populations. To inform our understanding of the role of social networks in voting (in general but also particularly among ethnic minority communities and for ethnic minority interest parties) this paper analyzes the voting behavior for DENK focusing on the role of personal, online and religious networks. The paper uses both qualitative interviews (with bicultural youth in the third largest city of the Netherlands in 2022) and quantitative surveys (the 2021 Dutch Ethnic Minority Electoral Study). Our analysis points to the importance of religious and personal networks for voting for DENK, whereas online networks appear to be less relevant.

Fostering AI literacy for future librarians

This study assesses the artificial intelligence (AI) literacy and perceptions among Master of Library Science (MLS) students in India. It aims to identify the most relevant AI knowledge areas for library science, examine students’ attitudes toward AI’s potential impact on library services, and explores the importance of AI literacy for professional practice. A quantitative survey administered to 118 final-year MLS students via WhatsApp groups and personal networks collected data on AI literacy levels, perceptions, and attitudes. The findings reveal that natural language processing (NLP) is considered the most transformative AI technology, with significant interest in other areas like recommender systems and data mining. Students express optimism about AI’s potential to enhance library services but raise concerns about ethical implications and job displacement. The study highlights the need for increased AI literacy training and integration into LIS programs, emphasizing its importance for future career competitiveness. The results provide valuable insights into how AI literacy can be fostered among MLS students to align with evolving library services and user needs.

A Longitudinal Multi-Method Inquiry of Educational Workers’ Use of Interventions for Positive Mental Wellbeing

Background and Objectives: Compassion fatigue and burnout are two distinct forms of mental health distress faced by educational workers. Researchers have shown a high level of both phenomena across the field of education; however, a better understanding of what educational workers already do for positive mental and emotional health is needed. Methods: This research study examined three years of data, collected via survey, inquiring into the various interventions, namely supports and resources, that educational workers use to support positive mental health. Results: Quantitative data analysis via descriptive and inferential statistics revealed that educational workers relied heavily on their personal support network followed distantly by medical professionals and other interventions, revealing a gap that needs to be addressed by employers. Qualitative thematic analysis revealed a trend towards increased use of environmental interventions to promote positive mental wellbeing. Conclusions: The data analysis suggested areas of focus required to ensure workplace wellbeing, and that programs too focused on individual or self-directed interventions would not be well received by educators. Suggestions for other interventions that might be helpful for leaders and policy-makers are provided.

Loneliness and low fruit and vegetable consumption among adults in Japan.

Loneliness is the distressing feeling that arises when a person's network of social relations is perceived as being inadequate in some way. Research has linked loneliness to a number of detrimental health outcomes. There is also some evidence that lonely individuals are more likely to engage in poorer health behaviors. However, as yet, there has been comparatively little attention paid to the relation between loneliness and dietary behavior. In particular, there has been little focus on the association between loneliness and fruit and vegetable intake. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the association between loneliness and low fruit and vegetable consumption in the Japanese general population. Data were analyzed from 3,410 Japanese adults collected in an online survey in early 2023. Information was obtained on past-week fruit and vegetable consumption with a single-item measure, while loneliness was assessed with the Three-Item Loneliness Scale. Information was also collected on sociodemographic characteristics, physical health status, health-risk behaviors and depressive symptoms. Logistic regression was used to assess associations. One in twenty (5.3%) adults reported low fruit and vegetable consumption. In a fully adjusted analysis loneliness was associated with higher odds for low fruit and vegetable consumption (OR: 1.14, 95%CI: 1.04-1.26). In sex- and age-stratified analyses loneliness was significantly associated with low fruit and vegetable consumption in both women and middle-aged adults, although confidence intervals overlapped for this association across all of the sex and age groups in the fully adjusted analyses. Loneliness is associated with low fruit and vegetable consumption among adults in Japan. As loneliness and inadequate fruit and vegetable intake have both been linked to poorer health outcomes, the results of this study underscore the potential importance and public health benefits of reducing loneliness in Japan.

Predictors for psychosocial consequences of screening for liver diseases in Germany: a LASSO approach

Abstract Background Medical screening is extensively used across various disciplines for early disease detection and prevention of severe progression aiming to reduce disease-specific burden, improve quality of life and promote health. However, screening is debated due to unclear evidence of its overall benefits from a public health perspective. Screening is associated with improved health behavior and cost-effectiveness. However, studies identified adverse effects of screening like psychosocial burden. Most results originate from cancer screening and it is unclear whether they are transferable to other contexts. Within a research program, a systematic screening procedure to detect patients with liver cirrhosis at early stage in an asymptomatic general population was evaluated. In this study, we aimed to identify patient characteristics that predict and explain variance in psychosocial outcomes of screened patients. Methods This study analyzed data from 523 participants who underwent a systematic liver disease screening in Germany from Jan 2018 to Feb 2021. We used bootstrapped LASSO regression with 10-fold validation to evaluate the influence of various predictors on the outcomes measured by the Psychological Consequences of Screening Questionnaire (PCQ). The constructs measured by the PCQ are social, physical and emotional dysfunction associated with screening. Results We identified lower severity of comorbidities, higher subjective social status, stronger social support, older age, better critical health communication skills and higher health literacy as relevant predictors of lower psychosocial dysfunction, indicating their protective role in preventing psychosocial burden of screening. Conclusions From a public health perspective, medical screening offers should take into account patients’ individual context regarding their subjective social status, health impairments, personal social networks and health literacy skills to reduce post-screening psychosocial burden. Key messages • Social support, age, health literacy and higher subjective social status were positively associated with lower psychosocial consequences of liver screening. • The findings indicate that liver screening should be carried out, taking into account the individual’s situation and resources available.

Zakat, Non-state Welfare Provision and Redistribution in Times of Crisis: Evidence from the Covid-19 Pandemic

AbstractAround the world, the Covid-19 pandemic drew attention to state social protection and its limitations. Less attention has been paid to what is likely the world’s largest system of predominantly non-state welfare provision: zakat, an annual Islamic obligatory payment of a percentage of productive wealth to the poor and other eligible recipients. We explore how states and citizens engage with zakat during crises through a case study of the Covid-19 pandemic in Pakistan, Egypt, and Morocco, drawing on novel and nationally representative survey data of 5484 respondents across the three countries. While we may expect that citizens may be less motivated to pay zakat in times of personal economic hardship, we find that a large majority of the general population and of zakat contributors perceives zakat as particularly important in the Covid context. We show that while zakat may play an important role in non-state social welfare provision supplementing state social protection and redistribution in times of crisis, state attempts to harness it are often ineffective. However, while we find that higher income individuals are more likely to pay zakat, even only among those that are eligible, there are potentially negative equity impacts given the flat rate at which it is levied and the fact that people tend to give through personal networks.

Online Media Use and COVID-19 Vaccination in Real-World Personal Networks: Quantitative Study.

Most studies assessing the impact of online media and social media use on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy predominantly rely on survey data, which often fail to capture the clustering of health opinions and behaviors within real-world networks. In contrast, research using social network analysis aims to uncover the diverse communities and discourse themes related to vaccine support and hesitancy within social media platforms. Despite these advancements, there is a gap in the literature on how a person's social circle affects vaccine acceptance, wherein an important part of social influence stems from offline interactions. We aimed to examine how online media consumption influences vaccination decisions within real-world social networks by analyzing unique quantitative network data collected from Romania, an Eastern European state and member of the European Union. We conducted 83 face-to-face interviews with participants from a living lab in Lerești, a small rural community in Romania, using a personal network analysis framework. This approach involved gathering data on both the respondents and individuals within their social circles (referred to as alters). After excluding cases with missing data, our analysis proceeded with 73% (61/83) of the complete personal networks. To examine the hierarchical structure of alters nested within ego networks, we used a mixed multilevel logistic regression model with random intercepts. The model aimed to predict vaccination status among alters, with the focal independent variable being the respondents' preferred source of health and prevention information. This variable was categorized into 3 types: traditional media, online media (including social media), and a combination of both, with traditional media as the reference category. In this study, we analyzed 61 personal networks, encompassing between 15 and 25 alters each, totaling 1280 alters with valid data across all variables of interest. Our primary findings indicate that alters within personal networks, whose respondents rely solely on online media for health information, exhibit lower vaccination rates (odds ratio [OR] 0.37, 95% CI 0.15-0.92; P=.03). Conversely, the transition from exclusive traditional media use to a combination of both traditional and online media does not significantly impact vaccination rate odds (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.32-1.78; P=.52). In addition, our analysis revealed that alters in personal networks of respondents who received the vaccine are more likely to have received the vaccine themselves (OR 3.75, 95% CI 1.79-7.85; P<.001). Real-world networks combine diverse human interactions and attributes along with consequences on health opinions and behaviors. As individuals' vaccination status is influenced by how their social alters use online media and vaccination behavior, further insights are needed to create tailored communication campaigns and interventions regarding vaccination in areas with low levels of digital health literacy and vaccination rates, as Romania exposes.

Evaluation of Rheumatologists' Teledermatology Practices and Perspectives.

In their regular practice, rheumatologists often come across patients with skin and nail abnormalities, so they need dermatology consultations. A new option available today is the use of telemedicine for dermatology consultations. The aim of this study is to assess how frequently rheumatologists use this method, known as teledermatology (TD), and to investigate their perspectives. This study is a survey of rheumatologists in Türkiye. The survey, generated with Google Docs, was e-mailed to rheumatologists who are members of the Turkish Rheumatology Association and asked them to complete it. A total of 122 rheumatologists completed the survey, with 85 women (70%) and 37 men (30%). The rheumatologists claimed that they encounter a mean of 6.60 (SD: 6.90) patients with skin/ nail lesions each week in their clinical practice and consult them for face-to-face (FTF) dermatology examinations for a mean of 12.3 (SD: 15.56) patients every month. Of the rheumatologists who took part in the trial, 38.5% said they experienced the TD approach. Most of them (n: 30, 62.5%) use TD “occasionally.” A significant proportion of rheumatologists stated that they used TD to consult with dermatologists in their personal networks (54.2%), dermatologists at the hospital where they work (47.2%), or dermatologists with advanced academic training in their field (45.8%). Most rheumatologists (60.8%) reported that, following TD, they only refer their patients to FTF examinations if the dermatologist requests it (e.g., for a biopsy). Some of the rheumatologists (37.5%) stated that TD would be effective in all skin lesions, but most rheumatologists (52.1%) stated TD would be more beneficial for special skin/nail lesions like infectious skin lesions or inflammatory dermatoses. This study showed that a considerable number of rheumatologists use TD. Most rheumatologists schedule TD consults with dermatologists to gain speed for diagnosis and due to a lack of appointment availability from dermatologists. In rheumatology practice, clinicians have noted that they found TD effective for a wide range of skin/nail lesions.

The border in common: The Janus-faced place attachment of cross-border regions

For several decades, cross-border areas have been the setting for the successive deployment of various cross-border cooperation and integration mechanisms. These mechanisms aim primarily to facilitate mobility and interaction between actors through cross-border cooperation projects designed to create institutional cross-border areas. The current article takes an approach centred on attachment to places with the aim of determining whether cross-border areas make sense for their inhabitants. The analyses are based on a cross-sectional survey of 3,200 inhabitants of three institutional cross-border areas: Greater Geneva, the Basque Eurocity and the Eurometropolis of Lille Kortrijk Tournai. The methodology introduces into the field of border studies the technique of structural equation models for the measurement of place attachment using different explanatory variables. Several original results are found. First, place attachment is composed of both the sense of belonging to a country and the residential location of the members ego’s (the respondent) personal network. Second, two notable forms of attachment have an ambivalent relationship within the institutional cross-border areas: attachment to the border region of residence and attachment to the neighbouring border region. Specifically, the estimated attachment to the neighbouring border region favours the declared attachment to the institutional cross-border area. Subsequently, the estimated attachment to either border region also helps explain the choice of location for regular activities. Finally, the reported attachment to the institutional cross-border area is dependent on the individual’s social position. These results open up new perspectives on European integration policies that could rely more strongly on attachment to strengthen social cohesion in institutional cross-border areas.

Person-centered and qualitative approaches to network analysis in physics education research

Network analysis has become a well-recognized methodology in physics education research (PER), with study topics including student performance and persistence, faculty change, and the structure of conceptual networks. The social network analysis side of this work has focused on quantitative analysis of whole-network cases, such as the structure of networks in single classrooms. Egocentric or personal network approaches are largely unexplored, and qualitative methods are underdeveloped. In this paper, we outline theoretical and practical differences between two major network paradigms—whole-network and egocentric—and introduce theoretical frameworks and methodological considerations for egocentric studies. We also describe qualitative and mixed-methods approaches that are currently missing from the PER literature. We identify areas where these additional network methods may be of particular interest to physics education researchers and end by discussing example cases and implications for new PER studies. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis of Wireless Technologies in WPANs for IoT-Enabled Smart Buildings in Tourism

The increasing demand for energy-efficient and interconnected smart buildings, particularly in the tourism sector, has driven the adoption of advanced wireless technologies. IoT technologies are crucial in this evolution, improving modern buildings’ functionality and operational efficiency. This study investigates the utilization of various wireless technologies within Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs), including Bluetooth BLE 4.2, Bluetooth BLE 5.0, ZigBee, and Z-Wave, in smart buildings. A multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach, specifically the PIPRECIA-S model, was applied to evaluate these technologies based on criteria such as device connectivity, mobility, low energy consumption, scalability, flexibility, and interoperability. Simulations using the PIPRECIA-S model were conducted to assess technology performance across various real-world scenarios. The results indicate that ZigBee (0.2942) and Bluetooth BLE 5.0 (0.2602) provide superior performance in terms of energy efficiency and scalability, followed by Z-Wave (0.2550) and Bluetooth BLE 4.2 (0.1906). These findings provide decision-makers with data-driven recommendations for selecting the most suitable wireless technologies for smart buildings.

Social networks and stigma: The experiences of African immigrants living with HIV in the United States

Over the past two decades, research on the conceptualization, measurement, and refinement of stigma has grown extensively due to increasing recognition of stigma as a driver of adverse health outcomes. While these lines of research have generally recognized that stigma is enacted in social relationships, few analysts have characterized how the structure and composition of these relationships influence stigma, particularly among immigrant populations. In response, this paper integrates data from social network analysis and in-depth interviews to explore the experiences of and responses to stigma by African immigrants living with HIV in the United States.All participants reported that they anticipated, experienced, and internalized stigma within their personal networks. Many concealed their status and disclosed to only trusted associates, family members, and medical providers. Building on findings from previous studies, we found that the meanings and belief systems (particularly African cultural discourses that link HIV with mortality, immorality, retribution, and silence) matter for how stigma is assigned, enacted, experienced, and resisted. Our analyses also revealed that the structure of participants personal networks (i.e, the extent to which their associates were connected to each other, and how integrated/involved they were in these network relationships) intensified or diluted their exposure to stigmatizing discourses, depending on the composition (resourcefulness/quality) of their personal networks. Such network connections (i.e., social capital) translate into rewards if they are supportive and accepting, and costs if they stigmatize.By showing how individuals can use their social networks to stigmatize or support their peers, this study advances theoretical expositions on (1) how the meanings and belief systems held by individuals matter for understanding social network/structural processes,(2) how social networks shape how stigma is assigned, enacted, experienced and resisted,(3) the costs and downsides of social capital, which are often neglected through emphasis on its salutary impacts. Our findings underscore the need for interventions that leverage the salient properties of personal networks to understand, conceptualize, measure, and reduce stigma.

Relationship between radiofrequency-electromagnetic radiation from cellular phones and brain tumor: meta-analyses using various proxies for RF-EMR exposure-outcome assessment

IntroductionThe authors conducted meta-analyses regarding the association between cellular and mobile phone use and brain tumor development by applying various radiofrequency-electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) exposure subcategories. With changing patterns of mobile phone use and rapidly developing Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) technology (such as Bluetooth), this study will provide insight into the importance of more precise exposure subcategories for RF-EMR.MethodsThe medical librarian searched MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library until 16 December 2020.ResultsIn these meta-analyses, 19 case-control studies and five cohort studies were included. Ipsilateral users reported a pooled odds ratio (OR) of 1.40 (95% CI 1.21–1.62) compared to non-regular users. Users with years of use over 10 years reported a pooled OR of 1.27 (95% CI 1.08–1.48). When stratified by each type of brain tumor, only meningioma (OR 1.20 (95% CI 1.04–1.39)), glioma (OR 1.45 (95% CI 1.16–1.82)), and malignant brain tumors (OR 1.93 (95% CI 1.55–2.39)) showed an increased OR with statistical significance for ipsilateral users. For users with years of use over 10 years, only glioma (OR 1.32 (95% CI 1.01–1.71)) showed an increased OR with statistical significance. When 11 studies with an OR with cumulative hours of use over 896 h were synthesized, the pooled OR was 1.59 (95% CI 1.25–2.02). When stratified by each type of brain tumor, glioma, meningioma, and acoustic neuroma reported the pooled OR of 1.66 (95% CI 1.13–2.44), 1.29 (95% CI 1.08–1.54), and 1.84 (95% CI 0.78–4.37), respectively. For each individual study that considered cumulative hours of use, the highest OR for glioma, meningioma, and acoustic neuroma was 2.89 (1.41–5.93) (both side use, > 896 h), 2.57 (1.02–6.44) (both side use, > 896 h), and 3.53 (1.59–7.82) (ipsilateral use, > 1640 h), respectively. For five cohort studies, the pooled risk ratios (RRs) for all CNS tumors, glioma, meningioma, and acoustic neuroma, were statistically equivocal, respectively. However, the point estimates for acoustic neuroma showed a rather increased pooled RR for ever-use (1.26) and over 10 years of use (1.61) compared to never-use, respectively.DiscussionIn this meta-analysis, as the exposure subcategory used became more concrete, the pooled ORs demonstrated higher values with statistical significance. Although the meta-analysis of cohort studies yielded statistically inconclusive pooled effect estimates, (i) as the number of studies included grows and (ii) as the applied exposure subcategories become more concrete, the pooled RRs could show a different aspect in future research. Additionally, future studies should thoroughly account for changing patterns in mobile phone use and the growing use of earphones or headphones with WPAN technology.

MGACL: Prediction Drug-Protein Interaction Based on Meta-Graph Association-Aware Contrastive Learning.

The identification of drug-target interaction (DTI) is crucial for drug discovery. However, how to reduce the graph neural network's false positives due to its bias and negative transfer in the original bipartite graph remains to be clarified. Considering that the impact of heterogeneous auxiliary information on DTI varies depending on the drug and target, we established an adaptive enhanced personalized meta-knowledge transfer network named Meta Graph Association-Aware Contrastive Learning (MGACL), which can transfer personalized heterogeneous auxiliary information from different nodes and reduce data bias. Meanwhile, we propose a novel DTI association-aware contrastive learning strategy that aligns high-frequency drug representations with learned auxiliary graph representations to prevent negative transfer. Our study improves the DTI prediction performance by about 3%, evaluated by analyzing the area under the curve (AUC) and area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC) compared with existing methods, which is more conducive to accurately identifying drug targets for the development of new drugs.

Depression risk and resilience in a diverse sample of older adults in the United States

Living in poor and physically deteriorating neighborhoods is associated with heightened likelihood of experiencing depression. At the same time, not all people experience their neighborhoods in the same way. We predicted and tested the possibility that variability in this association can be explained by the social support that people derive both from their personal networks and other people residing in the same neighborhood, and that this moderation varies by race/ethnicity. Health and Retirement Study data (2018/2020 waves) were used to evaluate the role of individual-level and contextual risk and resilience factors in association with depression among US older non-Hispanic white adults (n = 4,986, mean age 67 years), non-Hispanic black adults (n = 1,342, mean age 65 years), and Hispanic adults (n = 937, mean age 64 years). Four notable findings emerged. First, perceived neighborhood disorder was related to increased depression risk for non-Hispanic white and black participants, but not Hispanic participants. Second, participants residing in census tracts with higher poverty rates were more likely to report depression. Third, non-Hispanic white participants residing in census tracts with greater Hispanic resident density had reduced depression risk. This same pattern was not observed among non-Hispanic black participants. Finally, perceived support from family was associated with reduced depression risk among all participants. These data suggest both individual- and contextual-level sources of risk and resiliency for depression. The implications for theories that seek to explain the relative resilience to neighborhood disorder observed among US Hispanic residents are discussed.