Community Properties Research Articles

Role of the private sector within Latvia’s strategic defence documents: Dimensions of psychological resilience and strategic communication

The comprehensive defence framework introduced in 2019 in Latvia has the potential to accelerate the implementation of national defence priorities, thus strengthening Latvia as one of NATO’s external border states. In a time of geopolitical turbulence and increasing hybrid threats, a whole-of-society approach is required and work in ever-new directions. As dimensions of psychological resilience and strategic communication are becoming an important part of the defence studies debate, the study focuses on the role of the private sector within Latvia’s strategic defence documents and aims to investigate where these dimensions are situated and how they have evolved in the strategic landscape. To study the role and evolution of the private sector within Latvia’s strategic defence documents, quantitative content analysis and qualitative text analysis were used for in-depth analysis of the documents. The study finds that the role of the private sector in the strategic defence documents has generally increased over the years and there has not been a significant change regarding private sector involvement in dimensions of psychological resilience and strategic communication. The long-term pattern indicates that dimensions of psychological resilience and strategic communication appear rare in strategic documents, suggesting that the private sector is not seen as a significant actor in achieving defence goals. Meanwhile, in more practical dimensions,an upward trend towards strengthening ties and sharing responsibilities is identified. The study therefore opens up a discussion regarding the need for a more institutionalised framework for psychological and strategic communication dimensions in order to achieve the strategic goals of comprehensive defence.

Toward a digitalized medicine: the Covid-19 pandemic as a disclosure of the importance of digital communication in the clinical world.

This paper focuses on the importance of digital communication between medical teams and patients and their families when mediated by technological tools. Medicine is changing following the fourth industrial (the digital) revolution: from CAT scans, to X-rays, to UV radiation, to electronic records, to treatment tracking apps, to telemedicine, and the use of AI in doctors' decision-making processes. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted both the fruitful and problematic sides of this medical evolution. Digital tools such as tablets, smartphones, and video calling apps proved to be essential. Accordingly, I analyze three cases that reveal the helpfulness and the limitations of new communication technologies: on physicians and non-hospitalized patients, on families and patients, and on healthcare professionals and patients' families. Since the medical relationship is not only clinical but also relational and human, one must pay attention to the communicative dimensions of it to remain at least partly human-e.

Truck Driving Assessment for Chinese Logistics and Transportation Companies Based on a Safety Climate Test System

By applying the “safety atmosphere” measurement theory to Chinese management companies engaged in road transportation, a corporate and individual safety risk assessment system was established that is consistent with the management and cultural climate in China, thereby reducing the driving safety risk of truck drivers. The system realizes the safety risk assessment of enterprises, fleets and individuals in the form of test scales by constructing a structural model of the enterprise safety atmosphere, including the management, communication, and supervision of enterprises, fleets, and individuals. The safety climate was modeled using a two-level framework, at the organizational level and fleet level, and three dimensions of test items for each level were obtained by exploratory factor analysis. The three dimensions of safety management, safety supervision, and safety priority at the organizational level, and the three dimensions of positive communication, safety awareness, and self-discipline at the fleet level, respectively, passed a valid factorial test (p < 0.01). Finally, the validity of the system evaluation results was verified by relying on the actual in-vehicle monitoring data and accident records of the corporate transportation fleet. The results show that the total test scores at the organizational level and the fleet level are significantly correlated with their driving risk behaviors, and both are linearly and negatively correlated with the number of accidents per thousand kilometers. This indicates a high degree of consistency between the system’s test results and actual risky accidents.

Navigating the contradictory dynamics of production and social reproduction in collectively owned agricultural enterprises in South Africa's land reform

AbstractThe paper explores how beneficiaries of South Africa's land reform programme attempt to navigate the contradictory dynamics of production and social reproduction in collectively owned agricultural enterprises. The Mphuzanyoni Communal Property Association in KwaZulu‐Natal province farms with commercial beef herds and the Mayime Cooperative in the Eastern Cape province is engaged in a joint venture dairy farming scheme in partnership with an agribusiness firm. Severe tensions are evident between the social reproduction of households and the requirements of simple or expanded reproduction of agricultural enterprises. Bernstein's concept of competing ‘funds’ is used to examine struggles over production and reproduction on the farms, in which members of socially differentiated households contest divergent visions for the collective enterprises. Conflicts centre on how labour and capital should be mobilised, how income and other benefits in kind should be distributed to households and whether or not income should be invested for purposes of simple or expanded reproduction of the enterprise. Challenges of governance are rooted in these conflicts rather than in group ownership as a form of property right.

Beyond the aggregated paradigm: phenology and structure in mutualistic networks

Mutualistic relationships, where species interact to obtain mutual benefits, constitute an essential component of natural ecosystems. The use of ecological networks to represent the species and their ecological interactions allows the study of structural and dynamic patterns common to different ecosystems. However, by neglecting the temporal dimension of mutualistic communities, relevant insights into the organization and functioning of natural ecosystems can be lost. Therefore, it is crucial to incorporate empirical phenology -the cycles of species’ activity within a season- to fully understand the impact of temporal variability on network architecture. In this paper, by using empirical datasets together with a set of synthetic models, we propose a framework to characterize the phenology of plant-pollinator communities and assess how it reshapes their portrayal as a network. Analyses of three empirical cases reveal that non-trivial information is missed when representing the network of interactions as static, which leads to overestimating the value of fundamental structural features. We discuss the implications of our findings for mutualistic relationships and intra-guild competition for common resources. We show that recorded interactions and species’ activity duration are pivotal factors in accurately replicating observed patterns within mutualistic communities. Furthermore, our exploration of synthetic models underscores the system-specific character of the mechanisms driving phenology, increasing our understanding of the complexities of natural ecosystems.

The role of perceived quality of care on outpatient visits to health centers in two rural districts of northeast Ethiopia: a community-based, cross-sectional study

BackgroundPatients who have had a negative experience with the health care delivery bypass primary healthcare facilities and instead seek care in hospitals. There is a dearth of evidence on the role of users’ perceptions of the quality of care on outpatient visits to primary care facilities. This study aimed to examine the relationship between perceived quality of care and the number of outpatient visits to nearby health centers.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in two rural districts of northeast Ethiopia among 1081 randomly selected rural households that had visited the outpatient units of a nearby health center at least once in the previous 12 months. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire via an electronic data collection platform. A multivariable analysis was performed using zero-truncated negative binomial regression model to determine the association between variables. The degree of association was assessed using the incidence rate ratio, and statistical significance was determined at a 95% confidence interval.ResultsA typical household makes roughly four outpatient visits to a nearby health center, with an annual per capita visit of 0.99. The mean perceived quality of care was 6.28 on a scale of 0–10 (SD = 1.05). The multivariable analysis revealed that perceived quality of care is strongly associated with the number of outpatient visits (IRR = 1.257; 95% CI: 1.094 to 1.374). In particular, a significant association was found for the dimensions of provider communication (IRR = 1.052; 95% CI: 1.012, 1.095), information provision (IRR = 1.088; 95% CI: 1.058, 1.120), and access to care (IRR = 1.058, 95% CI: 1.026, 1.091).ConclusionsService users’ perceptions of the quality of care promote outpatient visits to primary healthcare facilities. Effective provider communication, information provision, and access to care quality dimensions are especially important in this regard. Concerted efforts are required to improve the quality of care that relies on service users’ perceptions, with a special emphasis on improving health care providers’ communication skills and removing facility-level access barriers.

Kiwifruit resistance to gray mold is enhanced by yeast-induced modulation of the endophytic microbiome

The influence of endophytic microbial community on plant growth and disease resistance is of considerable importance. Prior research indicates that pre-treatment of kiwifruit with the biocontrol yeast Debaryomyces hansenii suppresses gray mold disease induced by Botrytis cinerea. However, the specific underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, Metagenomic sequencing was utilized to analyze the composition of the endophytic microbiome of kiwifruit under three distinct conditions: the healthy state, kiwifruit inoculated with B. cinerea, and kiwifruit treated with D. hansenii prior to inoculation with B. cinerea. Results revealed a dominance of Proteobacteria in all treatment groups, accompanied by a notable increase in the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. Ascomycota emerged as the major dominant group within the fungal community. Treatment with D. hansenii induced significant alterations in microbial community diversity, specifically enhancing the relative abundance of yeast and exerting an inhibitory effect on B. cinerea. The introduction of D. hansenii also enriched genes associated with energy metabolism and signal transduction, positively influencing the overall structure and function of the microbial community. Our findings highlight the potential of D. hansenii to modulate microbial dynamics, inhibit pathogenic organisms, and positively influence functional attributes of the microbial community.

Discord and Teamwork in Children of the Peruvian Highlands

The objective of this research was to determine the effectiveness of Discord as an educational resource to promote teamwork in sixth grade primary school students. The design was pre-experimental, with a sample of 35 children between 11-12 years old. The technique was the survey and the instrument was the questionnaire to measure teamwork. The statistical test used was Wilcoxon's W. The results demonstrate improvement in the development of teamwork in the dimensions of leadership, communication and empathy, thus proving that the Discord platform optimizes interaction and collaboration between students. It is concluded that the Discord platform as an educational resource is effective in the development of teamwork, according to the Wilcoxon test, obtaining a p value lower than the proposed significance (0.00<0.05), which suggests that there is a significant difference between the entrance questionnaire and exit after the experiment.

Study on the Problems and Countermeasures in the Process of Party Building Leading Community Governance

Strengthening party building to lead community governance has become a focus of grassroots social governance. Bishan District, Chongqing Municipality, focuses on the micro-unit of residential districts, pilots the work of "Party building leading district governance", and analyzes the problems of Party building leading district governance based on the theory of Party building, the theory of governance, and the theory of civic service.It is found that its governance work still exists that the efficacy of party building leadership has not been brought into full play, the enthusiasm of main body participation is insufficient, there are cognitive differences between owners and property committees, and the participation of community residents is not high, etc. From the aspects of the party building-led governance mode, the governance team's subjective initiative, the misalignment of the community property service enterprises, and the disordered participation of the residents in the community, the party building leadership governance model is examined, and optimization countermeasures are put forward.

Linking aerial hyperspectral data to canopy tree biodiversity: An examination of the spectral variation hypothesis

AbstractImaging spectroscopy is emerging as a leading remote sensing method for quantifying plant biodiversity. The spectral variation hypothesis predicts that variation in plant hyperspectral reflectance is related to variation in taxonomic and functional identity. While most studies report some correlation between spectral and field‐based (i.e., taxonomic and functional) expressions of biodiversity, the observed strength of association is highly variable, and the utility in applying spectral community properties to examine environmental drivers of communities remains unknown. We linked hyperspectral data acquired by airborne imaging spectrometers with precisely geolocated field plots to examine the spectral variation hypothesis along a temperate‐to‐boreal forest gradient in southern Québec, Canada. First, we examine the degree of association between spectral and field‐based dimensions of canopy tree composition and diversity. Second, we ask whether the relationships between field‐based community properties and the environment are reproduced when using spectral community properties. We found support for the spectral variation hypothesis with the strength of association generally greater for the functional than taxonomic dimension, but the strength of relationships was highly variable and dependent on the choice of method or metric used to quantify spectral and field‐based community properties. Using a multivariate approach (comparisons of separate ordinations), spectral composition was moderately well correlated with field‐based composition; however, the degree of association increased when univariately relating the main axes of compositional variation. Spectral diversity was most tightly associated with functional diversity metrics that quantify functional richness and divergence. For predicting canopy tree composition and diversity using environmental variables, the same qualitative conclusions emerge when hyperspectral or field‐based data are used. Spatial patterns of canopy tree community properties were strongly related to the turnover from temperate‐to‐boreal communities, with most variation explained by elevation. Spectral composition and diversity provide a straightforward way to quantify plant biodiversity across large spatial extents without the need for a priori field observations. While commonly framed as a potential tool for biodiversity monitoring, we show that spectral community properties can be applied more widely to assess the environmental drivers of biodiversity, thereby helping to advance our understanding of the drivers of biogeographical patterns of plant communities.

A Research of Subtitle Translation and International Communication of Chinese Cultural Documentary from the Perspective of Eco-Translatology

A Research of Subtitle Translation and International Communication of Chinese Cultural Documentary from the Perspective of Eco-Translatology

Implementation of Public Service Policy through Online Media and Drive Thru at the Bogor City Population and Civil Registration Office

The implementation of public service policies through online media is a service to facilitate the public in managing population documents. With this service, people do not need to queue at the Bogor City Disdukcapil office. This service policy is a form of application of presidential regulation number 95 of 2018 concerning online-based government systems. The purpose of this study is to determine the process of implementing service policies through online drive thru media at Disdukcapil Bogor City and the impact resulting from this policy. This research uses qualitative methods. Data was collected by interviews, observation and documentation. The data is then analyzed by data reduction, data presentation and conclusions. The results showed that the process of implementing public service policies through online drive thru at the Bogor City Disdukcapil which was seen from the dimensions of communication, resources, disposition and bureaucratic structure had been carried out well. However, there are obstacles in the communication dimension, this is because there are still quite a lot of people who do not know and do not understand about the use of services through online drive thru media. On the other hand, this policy has had a positive impact. This can be seen from the fact that there are also many people who use services through online drive thru media. The implications of research on the implementation of public service policies through the online drive-thru media Disdukcapil Bogor City are theoretically good, but the resulting impact has not been maximized.

Designing function-specific minimal microbiomes from large microbial communities

Microorganisms exist in large communities of diverse species, exhibiting various functionalities. The mammalian gut microbiome, for instance, has the functionality of digesting dietary fibre and producing different short-chain fatty acids. Not all microbes present in a community contribute to a given functionality; it is possible to find a minimal microbiome, which is a subset of the large microbiome, that is capable of performing the functionality while maintaining other community properties such as growth rate and metabolite production. Such a minimal microbiome will also contain keystone species for SCFA production in that community. In this work, we present a systematic constraint-based approach to identify a minimal microbiome from a large community for a user-proposed function. We employ a top-down approach with sequential deletion followed by solving a mixed-integer linear programming problem with the objective of minimising the L1-norm of the membership vector. Notably, we consider quantitative measures of community growth rate and metabolite production rates. We demonstrate the utility of our algorithm by identifying the minimal microbiomes corresponding to three model communities of the gut, and discuss their validity based on the presence of the keystone species in the community. Our approach is generic, flexible and finds application in studying a variety of microbial communities. The algorithm is available from https://github.com/RamanLab/minMicrobiome.

基于生态翻译学三维转换视角下张培基散文翻译探究

The theory of ecological translation studies provides an important theoretical and practical basis for the translation of prose in literature, and its emphasis on the three-dimensional selective adaptation of translation methods provides translators with an operable basis in the process of prose translation. Based on the theoretical framework of Eco-translation, this paper adopts a three-dimensional perspective of translation, including linguistic, cultural and communicative dimensions, to make an in-depth comparative analysis of the original text and the translated text of Selected Modern Chinese Prose in English Translation, and explores various strategies and methods in the process of translation, aiming to deepen the understanding of the translation process. The purpose of this study is to deepen the knowledge and understanding of translation techniques, to reveal how translators can make adaptive choices in different dimensions to ensure that the aesthetic qualities and deeper meanings of the original text can be faithfully reproduced in the translated text, and to illustrate how to effectively convey the unique elements and essence of Chinese culture to foreign readers, so as to help promote the international dissemination of Chinese culture and achieve the goal of “Going Global”. This will help promote the international dissemination of Chinese culture and realize the cultural strategy of “going out”.

Efficacy of a psychoeducational program on soft skills to reduce disruptive behavior among students in the Peruvian Amazon

Introduction: disruptive behavior, characterized by actions that interrupt or hinder the development of educational activities, has been the subject of increasing attention and interest in the academic field due to its significant impact on the school environment and the teaching-learning process. In this context, effectively intervening in these cases is crucial to create a safe and conducive school environment for learning.Objective: to evaluate the effectiveness of a psychoeducational program on soft skills to reduce disruptive behavior in students in the Peruvian Amazon.Methods: quantitative study, experimental design, and pre-experimental type. The sample consisted of 243 students from the fifth cycle of regular basic education. A psychoeducational program based on social skills was developed, and to assess its effectiveness, a questionnaire was administered before and after the intervention, which had adequate psychometric properties.Results: statistically significant differences (p<0,05) were identified between the overall scores of the disruptive behavior variable before (71,79) and after (48,20) the implementation of the psychoeducational program. Likewise, significant differences were observed between the average scores of the dimensions of classroom climate, effective communication, and interpersonal relationships before and after the intervention (p<0,05).Conclusions: the application of a psychoeducational program is effective in reducing disruptive behavior in students in the Peruvian Amazon. Therefore, it is recommended that future educational initiatives consider implementing similar programs to foster an enriching school environment that promotes personal growth and positive interactions

Deaf Social Media Influencers' Content Analysis: Creating Engagement with Educational Content

Social media has evolved into a communication tool that promotes inclusivity, allowing persons with disabilities to share a variety of messages with their audiences. @jennifernatalie_ is a deaf Social Media Influencer (SMI) who uses TikTok to share sign language-related educational content. Despite her difficulty talking verbally, @jennifernatalie_ is capable of generating quite high levels of engagement with her followers. The goal of this study is to analyze @jennifernatalie_'s sign language educational content in terms of creating engagement with followers along five characteristics that support SMI communications. This study used a qualitative study content analysis methodology. The research data was gathered by assessing the content of short videos on TikTok @jennifernatalie_ and enhanced by literature reviews from various sources relevant to the research issues. The findings showed that @jennifernatalie_ was capable of presenting the five dimensions of SMI communications to generate engagement through her educational TikTok posts.

Bureaucratic Behavior in Increasing Community Participation: Study of the Implementation of Village Development

This study investigated the impact of bureaucratic conduct on promoting community involvement in village development and evaluated and analyzed the behavior of bureaucrats. This research employs a qualitative descriptive design. This study gathers data via four distinct stages: pre-field, field work, data processing, and report writing. Community participation at every level or process of development is crucial for achieving success, as shown by the study findings. Community participation is a crucial aspect of development and serves as an indicator of its efficiency, but it often remains insufficient. The lack of community participation in the development process may be attributed to the ineffectiveness of bureaucratic leadership, communication, and education, resulting in poor operation of the process. The coordination between District Heads, Service Branches, and District Level Agencies has not been in accordance with the work program. The community in Wasior District lacks education, rendering them devoid of authority and unable to make informed decisions on development programs that align with their specific requirements. There has been a deficiency in the implementation of efficient village administration and direction for community institutions. Government-led development initiatives have overwhelmingly overshadowed ongoing development efforts in the last 5 years, neglecting the aspirations and requirements of local communities. Community property ownership policies impede both economic progress and community involvement.

Antibiotic resistance of microorganisms isolated from the urine of patients before surgical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia: results from a 7-year single-center study

Introduction. The tendency of microorganisms to develop resistance mechanisms is a widely discussed and significant problem worldwide. Studying regional differences in the qualitative characteristics of microorganisms provides valuable information for empirically preventing and treating infectious complications, as well as providing an enhanced understanding of the variability in microbial community properties within the clinical context of diseases and patients' comorbidity status.Objective. To assess the antibiotic resistance of microorganisms isolated in high titers from the urine samples of patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) prior to surgery.Materials & Methods. This single-center, retrospective study conducted from March 2016 to February 2023 included 59 suprapubic-draining BPH-patients (Group I), 46 drainage-free BPH-patients with leukocyturia (Group II), and 44 drainage-free BPH-patients and no leukocyturia (Group III). Inclusion criteria: indications for BPH surgery, no history of sexually transmitted diseases, no symptoms of urinary tract infection, and no prostate cancer. The patient's voluntary informed consents to participate were also obtained.Results. The rates of resistance to ciprofloxacin in patients of Group I were statistically significantly higher compared to Group II (85.7% vs 55.6%, p = 0.002). Resistance of gram-negative microorganisms to meropenem and imipenem was higher in Group III compared to Group I (31.1% vs 13.7%, p = 0.006 for meropenem and 44.5% vs 9.8%, p = 0.001 for imipenem, respectively). Resistance of Gram-positive microorganisms to ampicillin in Groups I to III was 13.6%,6.3% and 20.0%, respectively with no significant difference between groups (p > 0.05). However, there was extremely high resistance among verified Gram-positive organisms to all the drugs in the fluoroquinolone class (ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, levofloxacin) ranged from 63.6% to 80.0%.Conclusion. The present study demonstrates that the isolation frequency of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms from the urine sample of drainage-free BPH-patients or no clinical and laboratory signs of inflammation in the urinary tract is high. The presence of antibiotic resistance provides risks for developing difficult-to-control infectious complications. Currently, assessment of urine-derived microbial antibiotic resistance should be considered in every BPH-patient with indications for surgical management of bladder outlet obstruction, regardless of the presence of risk factors.

Leaf carbon chemistry effectively manipulated soil microbial profiles and induced metabolic adjustments under different revegetation types in the loess Plateau, China

Microorganisms are essential components of underground life systems and drive elemental cycling between plants and soil. Yet, in the ecologically fragile Loess Plateau, scant attention has been paid to the response of microbial communities to organic carbon (C) chemistry of both leaves and soils under different revegetation conditions, as well as subsequent alternation in their C metabolic functions. Here, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum, amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA and ITS, and temporal incubation with Biolog-Eco 96 plates were combined to explore the vegetative heterogeneity of microbial community properties and metabolic functions, as well as their regulatory mechanisms in three typical revegetation types including Robinia pseudoacacia L. (RF), Caragana korshinskii KOM. (SL), and abandoned grassland (AG). We observed higher bacterial-to-fungal ratios (B: F = 270.18) and richer copiotrophic bacteria (Proteobacteria = 33.08%) in RF soil than those in AG soil, suggesting that microbes were dominated by r-strategists in soil under RF treatment, which is mainly related to long-term priming of highly bioavailable leaf C (higher proportion of aromatic and hydrophilic functional groups and lower hydrophobicity). Conversely, microbial taxa in AG soil, which was characterized by higher leaf organic C hydrophobicity (1.39), were dominated by relatively more abundant fungi (lower B: F ratio = 149.49) and oligotrophic bacteria (Actinobacteria = 29.30%). The co-occurrence network analysis showed that microbial interactive associations in RF and AG soil were more complex and connective than in SL soil. Furthermore, Biolog-Eco plate experiments revealed that microorganisms tended to utilize labile C compounds (carbohydrates and amino acids) in RF soil and resistant C compounds (polymers) in AG soil, which were consistent with the substrate adaptation strategies of predominant microbial trophic groups in different revegetation environments. Meanwhile, we observed greater microbial metabolic activity and diversity advantages in RF vegetation. Collectively, we suggest that besides the nutrient variables in the leaf-soil system, the long-term regulation of the microbial community by the C chemistry of the leaf sequentially alters the microbial metabolic profiles in a domino-like manner. RF afforestation is more conducive to restoring soil microbial fertility (including microbial abundance, diversity, interactive association, and metabolic capacity). Our study potentially paves the way for achieving well-managed soil health and accurate prediction of C pool dynamics in areas undergoing ecological restoration of the Loess Plateau.

Improving the bacterial community, flavor, and safety properties of northeastern sauerkraut by inoculating autochthonous Levilactobacillus brevis

The effect of Levilactobacillus brevis as a starter in northeastern sauerkraut fermentation is still unknown, and further evaluation is worthwhile. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of autochthonous L. brevis inoculation on the bacterial community succession and formation of flavor and harmful substances in sauerkrauts. Inoculation with L. brevis lowered the pH and increased the total acid content of sauerkrauts (P < 0.05). The nitrite content of the inoculated sauerkraut was significantly lower than that of control (P < 0.05). Moreover, the spoilage bacteria of the inoculated sauerkraut were decreased and nitrogen metabolism was improved. The contents of aldehydes, alcohols, esters, acids, and alkanes increased significantly (P < 0.05), and the sensory attributes such as aroma, sourness, and gloss were also improved. L. brevis was positively and negatively correlated with flavor metabolites and nitrite, respectively, which proved to be a potential starter culture to manufacture sauerkraut.