Community Properties Research Articles

The role of psychology and communication skills in orthodontic practice: a systematic review

Effective communication and psychological strategies are integral to orthodontic practice, influencing patient satisfaction, adherence, and overall treatment outcomes. This systematic review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD42024560432), examined the role of these strategies in orthodontic care and their integration into educational curricula. A comprehensive search identified studies focusing on communication and psychological interventions in orthodontics. The findings emphasize that patient-centered communication enhances understanding, adherence, and satisfaction. Structured approaches, such as personalized follow-up reminders and digital tools like social media, have shown significant improvements in patient engagement. Psychosocial factors, including anxiety and body image concerns, were identified as critical barriers to adherence, necessitating tailored psychological support and empathy-based communication. Additionally, gaps in orthodontic education were identified, with recommendations for integrating simulations, interprofessional education, and ongoing training into curricula to address these challenges. This review underscores the importance of addressing the psychological and communicative dimensions of orthodontic care, providing actionable recommendations for enhancing patient outcomes and optimizing educational practices. Future research should explore the long-term impact of these strategies and assess their effectiveness across diverse populations.

Microhabitat accessibility determines peptide substrate degradation by soil microbial community.

Soil pore space, considered the most complex biomaterial that exists, generates a complex environment, that gives rise to a wide variety of properties, such as microbial diversity and carbon storage. Soils contain, at the same time, the largest carbon reservoir on earth and an immense amount of nutrient-limited microbial biomass. The reason why this carbon is not consumed by soil microbes is attributed to the complex nature of soil, which forms a labyrinth where carbon and microbes cannot be in direct contact. In the present study, by using microfluidics, we tested the effect of labyrinth-like structures of decreasing accessibility on the decomposing activity of soil microbial communities from a soil inoculum. The two parameters used to study the effect of microhabitat accessibility were either the turning angle in an array of channel-like pore structures or the fractal order in an array of maze-like pore structures. We found that in both cases, channels and mazes, decreasing accessibility produced a higher peptide substrate degradation. When we analyzed the degradation within the structures, we found that most of the activity is concentrated in the regions of intermediate accessibility. We think that the increased degradation activity in low accessibility mazes might be due to the reduced interactions within the microbial communities which leads to a reduction in competition. Lowered competition allows different communities with a wide range of metabolic strategies to cohabit in the structures, which resulted in a bulk increase of the peptide substrate degradation.IMPORTANCEThe role microbes have in the environment is highly influenced by the characteristics of their habitat. Here, we show that a complex habitat enhances the enzymatic activity of a soil microbial inoculum. This might occur due to a reduced competition in complex habitats, which allows a more diverse community to coexist and explore a wider variety of metabolic strategies. The different rates of enzymatic activity in different levels of complexity suggest emergent properties of microbial communities in complex microhabitats which could have important implication for microbial processes, such as soil carbon storage and nutrient cycling.

Weed management modifies functional properties of both weeds and microbial nitrogen‐cycling communities in Mediterranean vineyards

Abstract Nitrogen (N) availability is crucial to maintaining crop productivity in agroecosystems, driven primarily by soil microbial processes such as nitrification and denitrification. Weeds are an integral part of agroecosystems and are involved in many processes related to the N cycle, but how weed management could shift plant–microbe interactions, and thus, N‐cycling is yet to be determined. Using a network of 15 Mediterranean vineyards, we quantified the effect of 5 years of different weed management practices (chemical weeding, tillage, mowing) on the above‐ground and below‐ground functional properties of weed communities and soil microbial N‐cycling. Specific root length (SRL) of the tilled and mowed weed communities were 30% and 44% lower than in the herbicide‐treated weed communities. Soil pH and texture were the main drivers of soil microbial activity as quantified by substrate‐induced respiration (SIR), potential denitrifying enzyme activities to SIR ratio (PDEA:SIR) and potential nitrifying and denitrifying enzyme activity ratio (PNEA:PDEA). SIR was also impacted by the management: Mowed weed communities had 58% higher SIR compared to herbicide‐treated communities. Weed communities with high SRL were associated with soils with a higher nitrifying enzyme efficiency per unit of respired carbon. Synthesis and applications. Overall, our findings indicate that vineyard weed management influences the potential nitrifying enzyme activities by modifying the root strategies of weed communities. This study highlights that the design of sustainable weed management strategies should incorporate unintended effects on soil microbial communities and N‐cycling.

The RECONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL SUFISM STUDIES

This scholarly investigation aims to elucidate and evaluate the manifestations of social Sufism, employing the framework of Social Representation Theory (SRT) in conjunction with the Quranic context. The analysis centers on Surah Al-Ma'idah:2, which is essential for comprehending the fundamental tenets of faith and ethical considerations in Islamic discourse. Adopting a qualitative descriptive research methodology, the inquiry undertakes an empirical investigation in Malang Regency, which is distinguished for its significant contribution to the social stuff of East Java, which is characterized by a profound cultural and traditional heritage. Findings indicate that the practices of social Sufism in Malang Regency are profoundly influenced by the exegetical understanding of Quranic Surah Al-Ma'idah:2. This research enriches the existing literature on Social Sufism, particularly through the interpretive lens of the al-Qur'an, providing an in-depth examination of the variables that contribute to character development and social identity within the frameworks of social sufism studies. Moreover, the outcomes illuminate the quintessence of reality, revealing how individual behaviors are shaped by experiences aimed at attaining happiness and their ramifications on the social attributes of the Madurese-Santri community

La vocación del encuentro. Reflexiones sobre la dimensión ética del don de sí mismo a los otros, desde una perspectiva filosófica personalista y dialógica

This article seeks to reflect on the concept of vocation, understood as a personal and original project that needs to be experienced also in the encounter with others. To do this, first, we discuss what is meant by vocation from a personal and dialogical philosophical perspective.Then, the foundations are developed that allow to understand the link between vocation and encounter with others, being such: freedom; love understood as manifestation of the giving who is; the understanding of the notion of otherness as ethical and ontological listening that awakens in the subject the esteem for himself by his responsible response to others, and; the care of the you, which denotes the relational essence of the human condition.Subsequently, the experience of vocation is detailed in a community dimension which occurs due to an original experience of loneliness that pushes the person to overcome it. This impulse is due to the person’s desire to live the so-called good life and to his or her understanding of vulnerability, which invites him or her to depend on others to alleviate it.Finally, we reflect on the importance of the moment understood as a misunderstanding in which time and eternity touch each other, that short circuit between the two immeasurable extremes, that it allows a confrontation with its constitutive difference and also offers the opportunity to settle as an ethical possibility, an opportunity to be fruitful by giving to the other, offering of a personal vocation that requires meeting those close to them, helping them to live the originality of their existence by recognizing them as neighbors.

Years matter: the role of memory and place attachment in remote Nordic areas facing natural hazards

Remembrance, commemoration, and specific dates play an important role in many societies and cultures. They can be about positively connotated events with societal impacts, such as reunifications or the gaining of independence, but also disastrous or other devastating events on a national or international scale. In disaster risk areas, there are various ways such events are addressed. While for some communities they are an active part of the local history and the living memory, other communities tend to neglect or disregard such events. By applying a classification system, building on the ideas of Assmann (2011) and Halbwachs (1992), we identify active and passive forms of remembering in five case study areas in the Nordic countries. We investigate the possible positive and negative outcomes of the collective and cultural memory and how they relate to place attachment as well as capacity building. An example of positive outcomes is an even closer-knit community, exhibiting place-protective behavior, that learns from past events and is better prepared for future disasters. A negative example at the local scale is willful blindness and the neglect of any risk. However, the society outside an affected settlement is also important in the creation and manifestation of the collective and cultural memory: stigmatization and ascription can be negative side effects. Small and remote communities may be recognized by society at large for only one point in time—a year and a disaster—thus sidelining the positive attributes of such communities.

Properties of Biofilm Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Communities in a Representative Hypereutrophic Urban River

ABSTRACT Biofilms play an important role in nutrient and food web dynamics of shallow aquatic ecosystems. Multiple prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms within biofilms interact with each other to shape the community structure and their functional attributes. However, there is no clear understanding of varied patterns of biofilm prokaryotic versus eukaryotic microbial abundances, diversities and communities, which limit our understanding of how biofilm communities and functions in hypereutrophic urban river ecosystems are changing. To elucidate the properties of biofilm communities and controls on biofilm communities in a hypereutrophic urban river, we conducted a one‐year study to investigate the seasonal and water‐depth variations on the abundance/biomass, diversity and structure of biofilm prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities. The structure and dynamics of biofilm prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities were determined by high‐throughput sequencing based on the 16S and 18S rRNA gene. Sequencing revealed that Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota and Cyanobacteria were the three dominant phyla in biofilm prokaryotic communities, and Rotifera, Chlorophyta, Annelida and Bacillariophyta were the four dominant phyla in biofilm eukaryotic communities. Biofilm bacterial abundance depended mainly on the water temperature, whereas biofilm algal biomass correlated with rotifer grazing and light levels. Prokaryotic communities had higher species richness and diversity than eukaryotic communities. Species richness and diversity displayed significant seasonal variations with minima for prokaryotic communities in winter and eukaryotic communities in summer, which were linked to water temperature and rotifer grazing, respectively. Variations in biofilm prokaryotic and eukaryotic community composition were mainly related to ammonia concentration and water temperature, respectively. The co‐occurrence network analysis suggested that rotifer grazing could considerably decrease the complexity of the biofilm network in summer, and the algal groups, especially for Chlorophyta and Bacillariophyta, were the key to the formation of stable biofilm networks. There were significant differences in seasonal and water‐depth heterogeneity of biofilm prokaryotic and eukaryotic community composition. Our findings indicate that variations in water temperature, light level, rotifer grazing and nutrients (especially ammonia) appreciably contribute to changes in the abundance, diversity and composition of biofilm prokaryotic versus eukaryotic communities in the hypereutrophic urban river. These findings increase our understanding of biofilm community characteristics in hypereutrophic urban rivers and provide insights for water pollution remediation strategies.

Mapuche Worldview, Territory, and Language: Narratives of Mapuche Speakers and Elders

This article addresses the relationship between worldview, territory, and language among the Mapuche people. Our research aims to explore, through the voices of Mapuche elders, the sociocultural, political, and territorial knowledge that guides the teaching and transmission of Mapuzugun to new generations. In alignment with the proposed objective, we have adopted a socio-critical approach to explore Mapuche identity through the territorial and communal dimensions that underpin linguistic revitalization. The findings reveal that the elders possess a vast source of knowledge, serving as primary cultural bearers through epistemology centered on the unity of language and territory.

Dimensions of a Satisfactory Communication from A Viewpoint of Iranian Older Adults: A Qualitative Study

Dimensions of a Satisfactory Communication from A Viewpoint of Iranian Older Adults: A Qualitative Study

Disease suppression is driven by microbial community properties at fine taxonomic scales

AbstractThe soil microbiome provides essential services in agroecosystems that can increase plant health and productivity, such as disease suppression and growth promotion. A small number of microbial groups have been proposed as main players behind disease suppression, but the complete picture of the underlying mechanisms remains unclear for both functions in many soil systems. Here, we investigated broad and fine‐scale microbial community features for their contributions to disease suppression and growth promotion for potato plants. In a greenhouse study, we grew potato plants in pots sharing a common background soil and inoculated with living soil microbial communities with or without a separate inoculation with Streptomyces scabiei, the causal agent of potato common scab disease. The suppression of common scab and growth promotion abilities of a variety of soil microbial communities were estimated and related to quantitative patterns in microbial community structure. We found that suppression of common scab was mostly driven by fine‐scale microbial community features, especially the diversity within the Actinomycetota phylum. Even though opposing components of microbial community structure might be related to the two functions, disease suppression did not cause a negative trade‐off in growth promotion. This suggests high functional redundancy in growth promotion. It may be possible to improve the multi‐functionality of soil microbial communities by engineering the communities toward optimized disease suppression and growth promotion ability.

Ecological Scaling of Temporal Fluctuations with Bacterial Abundance in Gut Microbiota Depends on Functional Properties of Individual Microbial Species and Bacterial Communities.

Macroecological relationships that describe various statistical associations between species' abundances, their spatial, and temporal variability are among the most general laws in ecology and biology. One of the most commonly observed relationships is a power-law scaling between means and variances of temporal species abundances, known in ecology as Taylor's law. Taylor's law has been observed across many ecosystems, from diverse plant and animal ecosystems to complex microbial communities. While many mathematical models have been proposed to explain the potential origins of Taylor's law, what determines its scaling exponents across species and ecosystems is not understood. Here, we use temporal trajectories of human and baboon gut microbiota to analyze the relationship between functional properties of individual bacterial species and microbial communities with the scaling of species-specific and community-level Taylor's law. The species Taylor law characterizes - for each individual species - the relationship between the species' temporal abundance means and temporal abundance variances across host organisms. On the other hand, community-level Taylor's law characterizes - in each host organism - the scaling across multiple species between their temporal abundance means and temporal abundance variances. For community Taylor's law, we find that the power law scaling is strongly associated with the microbiota abundance of certain nutrient-degrading enzymes in the gut. Notably, our results demonstrate that the availability of enzymes metabolizing starch glycogen significantly increases Taylor's law scaling. We also find that species Taylor's law depends on the individual species' functional properties. Specifically, we observe lower Taylor's law scaling for species with larger metabolic networks, for species that are able to grow on a larger number of carbon sources, and for species with particular metabolic functions, such as glutamine and folate metabolism. Overall, our study reveals that Taylor's law scaling is strongly associated with the functional capabilities of bacterial communities and individual microbial species' biosynthetic properties, which are likely related to their ecological roles in the gut microbiota.

Oral Communication Skills of the Students of Osias Colleges, Inc.

The study employed a descriptive design to gather baseline data on respondents' oral communication skills in English. The results revealed that the majority of respondents were female, aged 19-24, who primarily spoke Tagalog and Ilokano at home, and were mainly in their second and third years of study. Utilizing a 5-point Likert scale for assessment, the findings indicated that respondents were rated as "good" across various dimensions of oral communication, including audience engagement, context, transactional and interper-sonal skills, medium of exchange, and paralinguistics. This overall rating suggests that while their skills are adequate, there is consid-erable potential for improvement to enhance their competitiveness in the job market.As a result, the study underscored the need for a program aimed at strengthening students' oral communication skills in English, with an intervention proposed for review and implementation in the upcoming academic year. Recommendations for program heads and school administrators included incorporating these findings into curriculum evaluations and policy development. Regular curriculum mapping is essential to ensure that course objectives align with the enhancement of students' English oral communication skills. Addi-tionally, it is recommended that training programs focused on im-proving these skills be made available, and that language teachers engage in professional development seminars to refine their in-structional techniques. Furthermore, increasing the number of in-teractive classroom activities is advised to further cultivate stu-dents' oral communication abilities in English.

Measures to address challenges of communal property associations in South Africa: The case of Elandskloof, Western Cape province

Measures to address challenges of communal property associations in South Africa: The case of Elandskloof, Western Cape province

The Impact of Communication on Sexual Response: A Summary of Findings

This paper examines how sexual communication impacts both sexual desire and sexual satisfaction. The purpose is to assist clinicians in understanding how these components of human sexuality interrelate so that they may use these findings to inform their clinical practice and improve outcomes for clients. Key dimensions of effective sexual communication are explored, and how those dimensions interact with experiences of sexual desire and sexual satisfaction. Consideration is given to the additional factors of relationship satisfaction and non-sexual communication and how these may mediate the relationship between sexual communication, desire, and satisfaction. The need for further research in this area outside of heterosexual and monogamous relationships is emphasized. Implications for practice highlight the importance of clinicians being able to screen for sexual communication skills in their clients, and upskill accordingly, particularly when issues of sexual desire and satisfaction are present, to enhance clinical outcomes.

The Logos of the Communicating Silence

The following thesis is an attempt to establish the communicative dimensions of silence. In it I put forward a thesis in the spirit of Martin Buber's philosophy of dialogue and Max Scheler's phenomenology of emotion , according to which true dialogue does not convey specific content, but modes of existence born of the experience of presence. This kind of normative transmission of existence makes communication a communion. Underlying tacit communication are various forms of affection , through which emotionality becomes one of the main dimensions of communicating silence.

Spanish Translation, Adaptation and Psychometric Analysis of a Short Version of the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale in Chilean Public Workers.

Chile has been facing socio-cognitive, affective and cultural tensions and changes due to the constant increase of the migrant population in Chile over the last two decades. This means that local public policy workers must interact and achieve effective communication with migrant users living in their territories. Intercultural sensitivity is understood as the affective dimension of intercultural communication. This dimension facilitates the awareness that people differ in their behaviors, perceptions and feelings during intercultural communication processes, promoting acceptance and respect towards these differences. The aim of this paper was to analyze the factor structure, psychometric properties and invariance of the Intercultural Sensitivity scale (Chen & Starosta, 2000) in a sample of Chilean workers. The sample consists of 337 workers from five municipalities in two regions of Chile. The sample has a mean age of 42.8years (SD = 10.4), and 62.9% report being female. To determine the factor structure, an unweighted least squares (ULS) parameter estimation method was used, which is recommended for relatively small sample sizes, as is the case in this study. The overall structure of the original scale, although showing adequate indicators in a confirmatory factor analysis, presented serious conflicts in the covariance matrix used. Therefore, the 5-factor structure seen in other studies is disconfirmed. Because of this, it was decided to construct an abbreviated version, but reducing the limitations encountered during the validation process. The final result is a 4-dimensional structure, corresponding to four of the original dimensions, with a total of 13 items. The goodness-of-fit indices (CFI, TLI, RMSEA and SRMR) had optimal levels. The Manifest and Subtle Prejudice scale was used for its divergent validity, presenting all the dimensions of the instrument, and its total score, inverse and significant correlations with manifest prejudice, subtle prejudice, and total prejudice, as expected.

Current investigation of neurocognitive functioning in preschool children with cancer: A cross-sectional study from western China.

Cancer and its treatments may cause neurocognitive impairments in preschool children, but there is limited research on the neurocognitive outcomes of this population. This study, which assessed the neurocognitive function of preschool children with cancer and analyzed various influencing factors of neurocognitive functioning, is of significant importance. We aimed to investigate neurocognitive function and related risk factors in preschool children with cancer to inform preventive and intervention strategies. From September 2023 to May 2024, we recruited 100 preschool children with cancer. The Chinese version of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires, the Spence Preschool Anxiety Scale Chinese Version, and the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children were used to collected data. Binary logistic stepwise regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of neurocognitive function in preschool children with cancer. 49% of the preschool children with cancer had abnormalities in at least one neurocognitive dimension. The majority of children had abnormalities in gross motor dimension, accounting for 30%, which was related to age and frequency of participation in neurocognitive activities. Communication dimension was related to father's education level, dietary habit, and frequency of participation in activities. Fine motor dimension was associated with age, sex, and father's education level. Problem-solving dimension was associated with age and dietary habit. Personal-social dimension was related to age and radiotherapy. Nearly half of preschool children with cancer experienced neurocognitive impairment. The Chinese version of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires is a simple and effective tool for screening children with possible neurocognitive impairment. It was found that children's neurocognitive function was significantly influenced by family environment, dietary habit, cognitive activities, and cancer treatment. Therefore, it is recommended to strengthen family and social support, and to formulate personalized intervention such as cognitive therapy and dietary adjustment based on children's age and family background, which are important for promoting neurocognitive recovery.

Kadın Sporculara Uygulanan Mobbing Düzeyinin Özgüvenleri Üzerine Etkisi

Kadın Sporculara Uygulanan Mobbing Düzeyinin Özgüvenleri Üzerine Etkisi

Internal communication from a happiness management perspective: state-of-the-art and theoretical construction of a guide for its development

ObjectiveThis study aims to conduct a literature review and meta-analysis on the use of Happiness Management strategies in internal communication. The objective was to extract theoretical constructs of dimensions and indicators for the development of a guide for its application, validated by a panel of experts.MethodsA systematic literature review and meta-analysis was performed under the protocol of the PRISMA Extension Guide of articles indexed in the Scopus database (2019–2024). The total number of extracted documents (n = 479) was screened based on the inclusion criteria, and the sample was delimited by 49 studies. Subsequently, after reading and analyzing the research, the dimensions and indicators of internal communication from a Happiness Management perspective were clustered. This guide was submitted to a panel of 13 experts who determined the reliability and validity of the construct and content using the Content Validity Index (CVI).ResultsThe dimensions and indicators emerging from the literature were validated with an average (X¯\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\overline{\\mathrm X}$$\\end{document}) of 3.36/4, achieving a level of inter-judge agreement (CVI) of 0.86, an excellent agreement of 86%, and an average score of 2.90/4 (high). The guide was composed of 9 dimensions of internal communication: Attitudes of the leader, employer or supervisor, Climate and communication policies, Feedback and recognition, Organizational environment and structures, Peer and informal communication, Organizational culture and business perspective, Employee-organization relationship, Communication media and platforms, and Employee attitudes, which brought together 103 variables. These dimensions were then reorganized into the three macro-dimensions of the Happiness Management philosophy: (1) active construction of a healthy work environment and well-being, (2) formation of employees’ positive personality, and (3) active emotional experience during the working day to build the internal communication development guide from the Happiness Management perspective.ConclusionsIntegrating Happiness Management into internal communication can significantly enhance employee well-being and organizational effectiveness. The validated framework provides a detailed guide for aligning internal communication strategies with the Happiness Management principles.

Health experiences of pregnant and women with chagas disease in the Atacama, Tarapaca, and Metropolitan regions of Chile. Mistreatment as an indicator of healthcare barriers.

Congenital transmission is one of the most significant forms of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission worldwide. Migrant women, in particular, often face barriers to accessing the healthcare system; one such barrier being that their health rights are not recognised. The situation in Chile is a reality that can be extrapolated to historical territories affected by Chagas disease and that is characterized by migrant populations. This article explores the healthcare experiences of pregnant and women living with Chagas disease, both nationals and migrants, and residents of three regions of Chile. The qualitative research study analyzed the experiences and meanings around the problem of Chagas based on 54 in-depth interviews with women in pregnancy and women who were diagnosed with the disease. The information was processed following the Grounded Theory tenets through the constant encoding feedback procedure, which allowed us to describe and comprehensively understand the phenomenon. The findings indicate that managing information is a sensitive aspect in evaluating healthcare experiences, with the potential to either positively or negatively impact the acceptance of diagnosis and treatment planning. The negative impact is determined by the communicative dimension and how healthcare teams deliver information. Poor attention, poor treatment, and lack of empathy lead patients to reject or distance themseves from the healthcare system. The positive aspects are related to a sensitive, personalized, and highly empathetic treatment. In historically endemic areas, these factors are essential for ensuring continuity in healthcare processes. There is an evident need to understand and value the settings, means, and contents within Chagas´s healthcare contexts. Communication is crucial during diagnostic processes as it determines the assessment, credibility, and trust in the health system, thereby influencing the continuity of treatment, especially in highly sensitive moments such as pregnancy. Therefore, it is necessary to articulate strategies considering information magement with greater empathy and emotional support.