Effects of community ecological network construction on physicochemical, microbial, and quality characteristics of inoculated northeast sauerkraut: A new insight in food fermentation processes.

The enhancement of the quality of northeast sauerkraut can be achieved by inoculation with lactic acid bacteria. However, a comprehensive ecological understanding of the intricate dynamic processes involved is currently lacking, which could yield valuable insights for regulating sauerkraut fermentation. This study compares spontaneously sauerkrauts with the sauerkrauts inoculated with autochthonous Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SC-MDJ and commercial L. plantarum, respectively. We examine their physicochemical properties, quality characteristics, bacterial community dynamics, and ecological network interactions. Inoculation with L. plantarum leads to reduced bacterial community richness and niche breadth, but an increase in robustness, interactions, and assembly processes. Notably, there appears to be a potential correlation between bacterial community structure and quality characteristics. Particularly, sauerkraut inoculated with L. plantarum SC-MDJ may produce a sourness more quickly, possibly attributed to the enhanced ecological role of L. plantarum SC-MDJ. This study establishes a foundation for the targeted regulation of sauerkraut fermentation.

Field-aged rice hull biochar stimulated the methylation of mercury and altered the microbial community in a paddy soil under controlled redox condition changes.

Mercury (Hg) contaminated paddy soils are hot spots for methylmercury (MeHg) which can enter the food chain via rice plants causing high risks for human health. Biochar can immobilize Hg and reduce plant uptake of MeHg. However, the effects of biochar on the microbial community and Hg (de)methylation under dynamic redox conditions in paddy soils are unclear. Therefore, we determined the microbial community in an Hg contaminated paddy soil non-treated and treated with rice hull biochar under controlled redox conditions (< 0 mV to 600 mV) using a biogeochemical microcosm system. Hg methylation exceeded demethylation in the biochar-treated soil. The aromatic hydrocarbon degraders Phenylobacterium and Novosphingobium provided electron donors stimulating Hg methylation. MeHg demethylation exceeded methylation in the non-treated soil and was associated with lower available organic matter. Actinobacteria were involved in MeHg demethylation and interlinked with nitrifying bacteria and nitrogen-fixing genus Hyphomicrobium. Microbial assemblages seem more important than single species in Hg transformation. For future directions, the demethylation potential of Hyphomicrobium assemblages and other nitrogen-fixing bacteria should be elucidated. Additionally, different organic matter inputs on paddy soils under constant and dynamic redox conditions could unravel the relationship between Hg (de)methylation, microbial carbon utilization and nitrogen cycling.

An empirical study on social network analysis for small residential communities in Gangwon State, South Korea.

Social Network Analysis (SNA) provides a dynamic framework for examining interactions and connections within networks, elucidating how these relationships impact behaviors and outcomes. This study targeted small residential communities in Gangwon State, South Korea, to explore network formation theories and derive strategies for enhancing health promotion services in rural communities. Conducted in 12 small residential areas, the survey led to a network categorization model distinguishing networks as formal, informal, or non-existent. Key findings demonstrated that demographic and socio-economic factors, specifically age, income, living environment, leisure activities, and education level, significantly influence network formation. Importantly, age, environmental conditions, satisfaction with public transportation, and walking frequency were closely associated with the evolution of formal networks. These results highlight the importance of early community network assessments, which must consider distinct network traits to develop effective health promotion models. Utilizing SNA early in the assessment process can improve understanding of network dynamics and optimize the effectiveness of health interventions.

Final epidemic size of a two-community SIR model with asymmetric coupling.

Communities are commonly not isolated but interact asymmetrically with each other, allowing the propagation of infectious diseases within the same community and between different communities. To reveal the impact of asymmetrical interactions and contact heterogeneity on disease transmission, we formulate a two-community SIR epidemic model, in which each community has its contact structure while communication between communities occurs through temporary commuters. We derive an explicit formula for the basic reproduction number R 0 , give an implicit equation for the final epidemic size z, and analyze the relationship between them. Unlike the typical positive correlation between R 0 and z in the classic SIR model, we find a negatively correlated relationship between counterparts of our model deviating from homogeneous populations. Moreover, we investigate the impact of asymmetric coupling mechanisms on R 0 . The results suggest that, in scenarios with restricted movement of susceptible individuals within a community, R 0 does not follow a simple monotonous relationship, indicating that an unbending decrease in the movement of susceptible individuals may increase R 0 . We further demonstrate that network contacts within communities have a greater effect on R 0 than casual contacts between communities. Finally, we develop an epidemic model without restriction on the movement of susceptible individuals, and the numerical simulations suggest that the increase in human flow between communities leads to a larger R 0 .

Swiss chiropractic cohort (Swiss ChiCo) pilot study: feasibility for a musculoskeletal cohort study conducted within a nationwide practice-based research network.

PURPOSE: Practice-based research networks are collaborations between clinicians and researchers to advance primary care research. This study aims to assess the feasibility for longitudinal data collection within a newly established chiropractic PBRN in Switzerland. METHODS: A prospective observational cohort feasibility study was performed. PBRN participating chiropractors were asked to recruit patients seeking new conservative health care for musculoskeletal pain from March 28, 2022, to September 28, 2022. Participants completed clinically oriented survey questions and patient-reported outcome measures before the initial chiropractic assessment as well as 1 h, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks thereafter. Feasibility was assessed through a variety of process, resource, and management metrics. Patient clinical outcomes were also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 76 clinicians from 35 unique primary care chiropractic clinics across Switzerland participated. A total of 1431 patients were invited to participate, of which 573 (mean age 47 years, 51% female) were enrolled. Patient survey response proportions were 76%, 64%, 61%, and 56%, at the 1-h, 2-, 6-, and 12-week survey follow-ups, respectively. Evidence of an association was found between increased patient age (OR = 1.03, 95%CI 1.01-1.04), patient from a German-speaking region (OR = 1.81, 95%CI 1.17-2.86), non-smokers (OR = 1.89, 95%CI 1.13-3.17), and increased pain impact score at baseline (OR = 1.18, 95%CI 1.01-1.38) and response to all surveys. CONCLUSION: The Swiss ChiCo pilot study exceeded its prespecified feasibility objectives. Nationwide longitudinal data capture was highly feasible. Similar to other practice-based cohorts, participant retention remains a challenge. Trial registration Swiss chiropractic cohort (Swiss ChiCo) pilot study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05116020).

Effect of Age-Friendly Communities Action Plan on Trajectories of Older Canadians' Depressive Symptoms Between 2018 and 2020: Multilevel Results From the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

As the COVID-19 pandemic impacted mental health, this longitudinal study examined the effect of age-friendly communities (AFC) action plan on older adults' depressive symptoms. Using the CLSA, the CLSA COVID-19 Questionnaire study, survey of Canadian municipalities, and the census, the depressive symptoms trajectories were modeled with multilevel multinomial regressions. Most respondents (66.1%) had non-depressed trajectories, 28.1% experienced a moderate increase in depressive symptoms, and 5.8% had a depressed trajectory. AFC action plans did not have a protective effect on these trajectories. Being a female, greater loneliness, lower income, ≥2 chronic conditions, inferior social participation, weaker sense of belonging, COVID-19 infection, and pandemic stressors predicted a depressed trajectory. Neighborhood's deprivation had a weak protective effect on the declining trajectory. Although AFC action plans provided no benefits during the pandemic, volunteers facilitating resource access and social interactions could limit any increase in depressive symptoms.

Microbial redox cycling enhances ecosystem thermodynamic efficiency and productivity.

Microbial life in low-energy ecosystems relies on individual energy conservation, optimizing energy use in response to interspecific competition and mutualistic interspecific syntrophy. Our study proposes a novel community-level strategy for increasing energy use efficiency. By utilizing an oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction network model that represents microbial redox metabolic interactions, we investigated multiple species-level competition and cooperation within the network. Our results suggest that microbial functional diversity allows for metabolic handoffs, which in turn leads to increased energy use efficiency. Furthermore, the mutualistic division of labour and the resulting complexity of redox pathways actively drive material cycling, further promoting energy exploitation. Our findings reveal the potential of self-organized ecological interactions to develop efficient energy utilization strategies, with important implications for microbial ecosystem functioning and the co-evolution of life and Earth.

Building Culturally Centered System Dynamics Logic Models for the Brown Buttabean Motivation Organization: Protocol for a Systems Science Approach.

BACKGROUND: Brown Buttabean Motivation (BBM) is an organization providing support for Pacific people and Indigenous Maori to manage their weight, mainly through community-based exercise sessions and social support. It was started by DL, a man of Samoan and Maori descent, following his personal weight loss journey from a peak weight of 210 kg to less than half that amount. DL is a charismatic leader with a high media profile who is successful in soliciting donations from corporations in money and kindness. Over time, BBM's activities have evolved to include healthy eating, food parcel provision, and other components of healthy living. A co-design team of university researchers and BBM staff are evaluating various components of the program and organization. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to build culturally centered system dynamics logic models to serve as the agreed theories of change for BBM and provide a basis for its ongoing effectiveness, sustainability, and continuous quality improvements. METHODS: A systems science approach will clarify the purpose of BBM and identify the systemic processes needed to effectively and sustainably achieve the study's purpose. Cognitive mapping interviews with key stakeholders will produce maps of their conceptions of BBM's goals and related cause-and-effect processes. The themes arising from the analysis of these maps will provide the initial indicators of change to inform the questions for 2 series of group model building workshops. In these workshops, 2 groups (BBM staff and BBM members) will build qualitative systems models (casual loop diagrams), identifying feedback loops in the structures and processes of the BBM system that will enhance the program's effectiveness, sustainability, and quality improvement. The Pacific and Maori team members will ensure that workshop content, processes, and outputs are grounded in cultural approaches appropriate for the BBM community, with several Pacific and Maori frameworks informing the methods. These include the Samoan fa'afaletui research framework, which requires different perspectives to be woven together to create new knowledge, and kaupapa Maori-aligned research approaches, which create a culturally safe space to conduct research by, with, and for Maori. The Pacific fonofale and Maori te whare tapa wha holistic frameworks for interpreting people's dimensions of health and well-being will also inform this study. RESULTS: Systems logic models will inform BBM's future developments as a sustainable organization and support its growth and development beyond its high dependence on DL's charismatic leadership. CONCLUSIONS: This study will adopt a novel and innovative approach to co-designing culturally centered system dynamics logic models for BBM by using systems science methods embedded within Pacific and Maori worldviews and weaving together a number of frameworks and methodologies. These will form the theories of change to enhance BBM's effectiveness, sustainability, and continuous improvement. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN 12621-00093-1875; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=382320. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/44229.

Supporting Birthing People and Supporting Doulas: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on a Community-Based Doula Organization in San Francisco.

Background: Beginning in March 2020, health care systems in the United States restricted the number of support people who could be present during pregnancy-related care to reduce the spread of COVID-19. We aimed to describe how SisterWeb, a community-based doula organization that employs Black, Pacific Islander, and Latinx doulas in San Francisco, California, adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: As part of process and outcome evaluations conducted through an academic-community partnership, we interviewed SisterWeb doulas, mentors, and leaders in 2020, 2021, and 2022 (n=26 interviews). We identified preliminary themes using the Rapid Assessment Process and then conducted thematic analysis of data related to COVID-19. Results: SisterWeb leadership remained committed to safeguarding doulas by shifting to virtual support until doulas were onboarded as benefitted employees. Doulas reported hospital policies impacted clients' pregnancy-related care. Initially, doulas adapted to virtual support by connecting with clients more frequently through phone and text. When permitted to meet in person, doulas adjusted to client preference. Finally, as the pandemic impacted doulas' well-being, they turned to mentors for emotional support. Discussion and Health Equity Implications: This analysis contributes to a growing body of literature describing doulas' experiences during the pandemic. By shifting to virtual support, SisterWeb leaders prioritized the health, safety, and financial stability of doulas, who were members of communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Our findings suggest that public health guidance, organizational COVID-19 precautions, and hospital policies hindered SisterWeb's goal of ensuring clients receive equitable medical care. In addition, we found that emotional support for doulas is vital to their work.

Development and Implementation of Diabetes Care by a Community Network Based on a Chronic Care Model.

INTRODUCTION: This participatory action research was conducted by the collaborative health-related team in a district, in Thailand. The community network jointly developed a care model for diabetic patients in primary care using the Chronic Care Model (CCM) and evaluated the effectiveness of implemented model. METHODS: Data was collected between October 2021 and March 2022 and involved 2 groups: 1) a community network of 25 people including representatives of the community hospital, primary care hospital, Sub-district administrative organization, community leaders, community representatives, representatives of diabetic patients, and representatives of caregivers of diabetic patients, and 2) 41 people with type 2 diabetes and 41 of their family caregivers. The research was conducted in 4 stages: planning, action, observation, and reflection. RESULTS: Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected, and the overall average knowledge scores of diabetic patients, family caregivers, and community representatives significantly increased from before (6.07 ± 2.11, 7.07 ± 1.98, P = .024, 5.74 ± 1.88, 7.37 ± 2.25, P < .001, 7.47 ± 2.44, 8.99 ± 1.72, P = .010) respectively. For satisfaction, diabetic patients were most satisfied with family caregiver support, while the community network representatives were most satisfied with their participation in planning a model for diabetic patients in primary care. After model implementation, the blood sugar-controlled patients (HbA1c < 7 mg%) significantly increased (0 and 9.76%, P = .045), although the fasting blood sugar (FBS) of diabetic patients did not improve. CONCLUSION: The development and implementation of diabetes care based on CCM, promoted community participation and involvement in diabetes care. This model mainly affected diabetic patients who could control their HbA1c level and the satisfaction of the community network.

A Multi-SCALE Community Network-Based SEIQR Model to Evaluate the Dynamic NPIs of COVID-19.

Regarding the problem of epidemic outbreak prevention and control, infectious disease dynamics models cannot support urban managers in reducing urban-scale healthcare costs through community-scale control measures, as they usually have difficulty meeting the requirements for simulation at different scales. In this paper, we propose combining contact networks at different spatial scales to study the COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai from March to July 2022, calculate the initial Rt through the number of cases at the beginning of the outbreak, and evaluate the effectiveness of dynamic non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) adopted at different time periods in Shanghai using our proposed approach. In particular, our proposed contact network is a three-layer multi-scale network that is used to distinguish social interactions occurring in areas of different sizes, as well as to distinguish between intensive and non-intensive population contacts. This susceptible-exposure-infection-quarantine-recovery (SEIQR) epidemic model constructed based on a multi-scale network can more effectively assess the feasibility of small-scale control measures, such as assessing community quarantine measures and mobility restrictions at different moments and phases of an epidemic. Our experimental results show that this model can meet the simulation needs at different scales, and our further discussion and analysis show that the spread of the epidemic in Shanghai from March to July 2022 can be successfully controlled by implementing a strict long-term dynamic NPI strategy.

Universal Dynamics of Microbial Communities in Full-Scale Textile Wastewater Treatment Plants and System Prediction by Machine Learning.

The performance of full-scale biological wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) depends on the operational and environmental conditions of treatment systems. However, we do not know how much these conditions affect microbial community structures and dynamics across systems over time and predictability of the treatment performance. For over a year, the microbial communities of four full-scale WWTPs processing textile wastewater were monitored. During temporal succession, the environmental conditions and system treatment performance were the main drivers, which explained up to 51% of community variations within and between all plants based on the multiple regression models. We identified the universality of community dynamics in all systems using the dissimilarity-overlap curve method, with the significant negative slopes suggesting that the communities containing the same taxa from different plants over time exhibited a similar composition dynamic. The Hubbell neutral theory and the covariance neutrality test indicated that all systems had a dominant niche-based assembly mechanism, supporting that the communities had a similar composition dynamic. Phylogenetically diverse biomarkers for the system conditions and treatment performance were identified by machine learning. Most of the biomarkers (83%) were classified as generalist taxa, and the phylogenetically related biomarkers responded similarly to the system conditions. Many biomarkers for treatment performance perform functions that are crucial for wastewater treatment processes (e.g., carbon and nutrient removal). This study clarifies the relationships between community composition and environmental conditions in full-scale WWTPs over time.

Cooperation of structural motifs controls drug selectivity in cyclin-dependent kinases: an advanced theoretical analysis.

Understanding drug selectivity mechanism is a long-standing issue for helping design drugs with high specificity. Designing drugs targeting cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) with high selectivity is challenging because of their highly conserved binding pockets. To reveal the underlying general selectivity mechanism, we carried out comprehensive analyses from both the thermodynamics and kinetics points of view on a representative CDK12 inhibitor. To fully capture the binding features of the drug-target recognition process, we proposed to use kinetic residue energy analysis (KREA) in conjunction with the community network analysis (CNA) to reveal the underlying cooperation effect between individual residues/protein motifs to the binding/dissociating process of the ligand. The general mechanism of drug selectivity in CDKs can be summarized as that the difference of structural cooperation between the ligand and the protein motifs leads to the difference of the energetic contribution of the key residues to the ligand. The proposed mechanisms may be prevalent in drug selectivity issues, and the insights may help design new strategies to overcome/attenuate the drug selectivity associated problems.

Exploring the Brazilian pediatric palliative care network: a quantitative analysis of a survey data / Explorando a rede brasileira de cuidados paliativos pediátricos: uma análise quantitativa de levantamento de dados

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the characteristics of services in Brazil that compound the Brazilian Pediatric Palliative Care (PPC) Network. Methods: An online survey was conducted among representatives from PPC services. A total of 90 services from Brazil completed the online survey and answered a questionnaire about the service's characterization, health professionals working in PPC, access to opioid prescription and education, and research in PPC. Results: In total, 80 services (88.9%) were created after 2010, 52 (57.9%) were in the southeast region, 56 (62.2%) were in public hospitals, 63 (70%) had up to 100 beds, and 57 (63.3%) were at the tertiary level. Notably, 88 (97.8%) had a physician in the team and 68 (75.5%) dedicated part-time to PPC. Also, 33 (36.7%) revealed concern with the care of health professionals and 36 (40%) reported difficulty or no access to opioid prescription. Research studies were reported to be conducted in 29 (32.2%) services. Conclusions: This mapping points out to a concentration of PPC services in the southeast region, with part-time professional dedication, and the need to improve professionals' care. Difficulty in opioid access was reported. It is necessary to extend PPC participation to other Brazilian regions, increase time dedicated to PPC, improve professionals' care and improve access to opioid prescription.

RESUMO Objetivo: Identificar as características dos serviços que compõem a Rede Brasileira de Cuidados Paliativos Pediátricos (CPP). Métodos: Estudo do tipo survey online entre representantes de serviços de CPP. O total de 90 serviços do Brasil participaram da pesquisa e responderam a um questionário sobre a caracterização do serviço, os profissionais de saúde que nele atuam, o acesso à prescrição de opioides e a educação e pesquisa em CPP. Resultados: Oitenta serviços (88,9) foram criados após 2010, 52 (57,9%) estão na Região Sudeste, 56 (62,2%) em hospitais públicos, 63 (70%) têm até cem leitos e 57 (63,3%) estão no nível terciário. Oitenta e oito serviços (97,8%) tinham um médico na equipe e, em 68 (75,5%), os profissionais dedicavam parte de seu tempo aos CPP. Trinta e três serviços (36,7%) revelaram preocupação com o atendimento aos profissionais de saúde. Trinta e seis (40%) relataram dificuldade ou nenhum acesso à prescrição de opioides. Foi reportada a realização de pesquisas em 29 (32,2%). Conclusões: Este mapeamento aponta para a concentração dos serviços de CPP na Região Sudeste, com dedicação parcial dos profissionais, e para a necessidade de cuidar deles. Foi relatada dificuldade no acesso aos opioides. É necessário estender a participação na rede de CPP para outras regiões do Brasil, aumentar o tempo dedicado aos CPP pelos profissionais e cuidar destes, além de melhorar o acesso à prescrição de opioides.

Home-Dwelling Older Adults' Day-to-Day Community Interactions: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Many home-dwelling older adults present abnormal behaviours related to dementia or to non-dementia cognitive impairment (e.g., agitation, anxiety, apathy, etc.). Because many older adults live at home alone or are able to hide any signs of abnormal behaviours from others, the non-healthcare workers who interact with older adults on a daily basis are key actors in detecting those behaviours and orienting older adults towards appropriate support services. To the best of our knowledge, no studies to date have explored the daily interactions experienced between older adults and the various non-healthcare workers whom they regularly encounter in the community. This work aimed to identify the non-healthcare workers who are regularly in direct contact with older adults during their day-to-day activities and then develop specific training for these workers on the subject of abnormal behaviours among the elderly. METHODS: This qualitative and ethnographic study asked 21 home-dwelling older adults aged 65 years old or more to answer open-ended questions. Sixteen had no self-reported cognitive impairments, and five had a probable or diagnosed slight cognitive impairment or mild-to-moderate dementia. A thematic analysis of the data was carried out. RESULTS: The non-healthcare workers who spent the most time with older adults with and without reported cognitive impairments were those working in cafés or tea rooms and leisure or activity centres. CONCLUSIONS: In view of the significant amounts of contact between home-dwelling older adults and non-healthcare workers, it seems necessary and sensible to increase non-healthcare workers' knowledge about abnormal behaviours, especially by offering them training. The proactive detection and identification of older adults' abnormal behaviours by non-healthcare workers will ensure earlier care and reduce avoidable hospitalisations, institutionalisations and costs linked to geriatric healthcare.

Aplicación del grupoanálisis en la práctica clínica comunitaria / Application of group analysis in the community-based clinical practice

El grupoanálisis nació tras una primera experiencia de análisis mutuo (T. Burrow) retomada por Foulkes como experiencia psicoterapéutica grupal. Integra aspectos sociológicos (Elias), psicoanalíticos (M. Klein, A. Freud, Jung), y más recientemente de la teoría del apego (Bowlby, Marrone) y las neurociencias (Golstein, Siegel). Es un modelo de pensamiento que se adapta a las diversas psicopatologías y encuadres asistenciales basado en el análisis de los componentes del grupo realizado por todos sus miembros, incluido el profesional. En este artículo se analizan algunos elementos conceptuales y clínicos que constituyen la estructura conceptual de un modelo introducido en España en 1976 (Campos, Guimón) mediante los cursos formativos de la Universidad de Deusto —Fundación OMIE. Es un modelo que se utiliza en diversos recursos de la amplia red comunitaria en la que se inserta la salud mental, considerando a pacientes, a sus familiares y a los profesionales como actores básicos de una red interpersonal de influencias mutuas. (AU)

Group analysis was born after a first experience of mutual analysis (T. Burrow) taken up by Foulkes as a group psychotherapeutic experience. It integrates sociological (Elias) and psychoanalytical (M. Klein, A. Freud, Jung) aspects, and more recently some elements of attachment theory (Bowlby, Marrone) and neuroscience (Golstein, Siegel). It is a model of thought that adjusts to various psychopathologies and care settings based on the analysis of the group carried out by all its members, professionals included. In this article some of the conceptual and clinical elements of a model introduced in Spain in 1976 by Campos and Guimón through training courses in the University of Deusto—OMIE Foundation are analyzed. It is a model that is used in various resources of the wide community network in which mental health is inserted, considering patients, families, and professionals as basic actors in an interpersonal network of mutual influences. (AU)

Polystyrene nanoplastics shape microbiome and functional metabolism in anaerobic digestion.

Nanoplastics (NPs) and microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in the natural environment, social production, and life. However, our understanding of the effects of NPs and MPs on shaping the microbiome and functional metabolism of anaerobic microorganisms is limited. We investigated the response of core microbiomes and functional genes to polystyrene (PS) NPs and MPs exposure in a representative anaerobic micro-ecosystem of waste activated sludge. Independent anaerobic digestion (AD) experiment indicated that PS nanobeads suppressed acidogenesis by inhibiting the activity of acetate kinase, and subsequently reduced methane production. Our findings confirmed that MPs (1 and 10 µm) had no perceptible effect on methane production, yet 50 nm NPs resulted in a 15.5% decrease in methane yield, perhaps driven by the behavior of dominant genera Sulfurovum, Candidatus Methanofastidiosum, and Methanobacterium. Assays revealed that NPs contributed to the simplest network assemblies in bacterial communities, contrary to empirical networks in archaeal communities. NPs significantly reduced the abundance of genes involved in carbon degradation: lig, naglu and xylA, as well as gcd and phnK related to phosphorus cycling. The absolute abundance of mcrA encoding methyl-coenzyme M reductase was 54.4% of the control assay. PS NPs might adversely affect the biodiversity and biogeochemical cycles in natural and artificial ecosystems through their negative impact on biomass energy conversion by anaerobic microorganisms.

Effects of the Participation and Involvement of Medical Professionals in Dementia Cafés on the Attendance of People with Dementia Living at Home and Their Family Caregivers.

BACKGROUND: Dementia cafés have been attracting attention as a new approach to dementia care, but the effects of the participation of medical professionals remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: To clarify the significance of collaboration between medical professionals and dementia cafés. METHODS: Questionnaires regarding the numbers of staff and guests, whether medical professionals introduced guests, whether cafés announced their activities to medical institutions, and whether people with dementia played a role were sent to dementia cafés throughout Japan. The responding dementia cafés were then divided into two groups according to the presence or involvement of medical professionals and institutions and compared. RESULTS: Responses were received from 148 dementia cafés, among which, medical professionals participated in 96 (64.9%). Significantly more people with dementia living at home attended cafés run or staffed with medical professionals (p = 0.021 and p = 0.017, respectively), as well as when medical professionals introduced guests to the café or when the café announced their activities to medical institutions (p = 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively). Significantly more people with dementia played a role in cafés where medical professionals were administrators or staff (p = 0.008 and p = 0.018, respectively). Similar effects were observed for family caregivers. CONCLUSION: The participation and involvement of medical professionals and institutions in dementia cafés increased the attendance of people with dementia, especially those living at home. These results suggest that dementia cafés are an effective hub for connecting care for dementia with medical care, and thus help avoid fragmentation in dementia care.

Robustness Evaluation of the Open Source Product Community Network Considering Different Influential Nodes.

With the rapid development of Internet technology, the innovative value and importance of the open source product community (OSPC) is becoming increasingly significant. Ensuring high robustness is essential to the stable development of OSPC with open characteristics. In robustness analysis, degree and betweenness are traditionally used to evaluate the importance of nodes. However, these two indexes are disabled to comprehensively evaluate the influential nodes in the community network. Furthermore, influential users have many followers. The effect of irrational following behavior on network robustness is also worth investigating. To solve these problems, we built a typical OSPC network using a complex network modeling method, analyzed its structural characteristics and proposed an improved method to identify influential nodes by integrating the network topology characteristics indexes. We then proposed a model containing a variety of relevant node loss strategies to simulate the changes in robustness of the OSPC network. The results showed that the proposed method can better distinguish the influential nodes in the network. Furthermore, the network's robustness will be greatly damaged under the node loss strategies considering the influential node loss (i.e., structural hole node loss and opinion leader node loss), and the following effect can greatly change the network robustness. The results verified the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed robustness analysis model and indexes.

A Digital Mobile Community App for Caregivers in Singapore: Predevelopment and Usability Study.

BACKGROUND: With increasing life expectancy and aging populations, the global prevalence of chronic diseases and the long-term care required for people with comorbidities is rising. This has led to an ever-growing need for caregiving. Previous literature has shown that caregivers face problems of isolation and loneliness. However, many health organizations mainly focus their efforts on in-person community groups that require participants to meet physically. This is not always convenient or accessible for caregivers who are often juggling caring for their care recipient with family and work responsibilities. OBJECTIVE: With medical advancements such as the proliferation of mobile phones and internet technology, caregivers may have opportunities for easier access to resources and support. Technological innovations could help empower the caregiving community to seek assistance for improving their quality of life at their convenience. A community network app called Caregivers' Circle was conceptualized in response to the needs of the caregivers on a day-to-day caregiving journey. This paper traces the predevelopment inquiry and technical details of this app to provide a clear understanding of its implementation along with a usability study to gauge user opinion of the app within Singapore. METHODS: A predevelopment survey was conducted to identify specific needs of caregivers and gaps in the currently available web-based community networks. The survey consisted of questions on demographical data, health-related issues of the care recipient, mental and physical health-related issues of the caregiver, digital media use, information seeking, and support. This pre-app development survey was completed by 103 caregivers. Qualitative enquiries were also conducted with caregivers within Singapore to identify issues related to caregiving, support provided, and what caregivers would want from a caregiving mobile app. RESULTS: From the feedback garnered from the caregivers, the developers were able to identify several caregivers' needs and gaps within the current support networks. This feedback was integrated into the mobile app called Caregivers' Circle upon development. The features of this app include a public forum for community discussions, a marketplace to buy and sell items, care groups to hold private discussions with friends or other users of the app, and a friends feature to search and add new caregiving friends. CONCLUSIONS: In general, the caregivers liked the Caregivers' Circle app and were confident that this app could help them have a better quality of life. The Caregivers' Circle app is unique in its integrated approach. The integration of many features that caregivers need on a daily basis into an easy app can save their time as well as help them navigate their life smoothly.