Search

[Objective] The pollution of 1, 2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) will seriously harm human health and environmental ecological safety. In order to obtain efficient 1,2-DCA biodegrading microorganism resources, the characteristics of bacterial flora were studied, and then the rules and methods for separating and screening efficient 1,2-DCA degrading strains were explored. [Method] The bacteria utilizing 1,2-DCA as the sole carbon source and energy were enriched and cultured from soil contaminated by 1,2-DCA. The growth of bacteria and degradation of 1,2-DCA in different batches were investigated by ultraviolet spectrophotometry and gas chromatography respectively. The species diversity and relative abundance of different enriched solution were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing. The strain was identified by 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis. The degraded products were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the degradation pathway was analyzed. [Result] Bacterial consortium BG1 for degradation was gained, and the experimental results showed that the degrading rate of 12.5 mg/L 1,2-DCA by enriched bacterial consortium in batch 6-11 and 15 increased at the beginning and then decreased within 24 h, and the microbial biomass (OD600) increased from 0.03 to 0.095, but the relative abundance of Ancylobacter sp. in the flora decreased with continuous enrichment process. A strain named BL0 was screend from the batch 9 of enrichment solution and identified as Ancylobacter sp., which degraded 120 mg/L 1,2-DCA within 6 h. It was inferred that the metabolic pathway of degradation of 1,2-DCA by BL0 was hydrolysis of 1,2-DCA to 2-chloroethanol at first, and 2-chloroethanol was oxidized to chloroacetic acid, which was then completely degraded and utilized. [Conclusion] Highly efficient 1,2-DCA degrading bacterial consortium BG1 and strain Ancylobacter sp. BL0 are obtained, and it is found that a long period of sample enrichment is required for screening and separation of 1,2-DCA degrading strains during the process of sample enrichment and low microbial growth is observed, which is not suitable for over-enrichment. Strain Ancylobacter sp. BL0 is competitive with the other strains in the enrichment of bacterial consortium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the rapid development of Internet technology and social media, a growing number of companies now not only transfer their traditional offline business interactions to online but also engage in online customer relationship management, market share expansion and brand building. Consumer interaction in the virtual brand community has become progressively more important in consumers’ purchase decision. Objectives: The purpose of establishing virtual brand community is to obtain brand loyalty, but the existing research rarely discusses the impact of member interaction on brand loyalty. To address this research gap, we explore the influence mechanism between virtual brand community member interaction and brand loyalty. Method: To verify the research hypothesis, we distributed and collected 393 valid questionnaires on wenjuan.com, one of the largest online questionnaire service companies in China. Results: Our results reveal that virtual brand community members’ interaction has a positive impact on brand loyalty. In addition, community identification also has a partial mediating effect. Moreover, media richness regulates the relationship between member interaction and community identification. Conclusion: This article mainly investigates the virtual brand community member interaction behaviours. We also explore the influences of different dimensions of virtual brand community interaction on community identification and member brand loyalty. Contribution: This article deepens our understanding of online platform members’ participance behaviours.

Food web projections are critical for evaluating potential risks to ecosystems and fisheries under global warming. The temperature dependence of biological processes and regional differences in food web structure are two important sources of uncertainty and variation in climate forced projections of fish communities, but we do not know their magnitude or relative contribution. Here we systematically evaluated a range of different assumptions about temperature‐dependence on rates, including size‐dependent effects, controlling food intake, metabolism, and non‐predation mortality in fishes using species‐resolved size spectrum food web models that link individual‐level physiological processes to population and community dynamics. We simulated the physiological effect of warming in a range of size‐structured food web models calibrated to different marine ecosystems and in simplified trait‐based models. Higher food intake in warmed conditions increased total fish biomass, catches, and mean body weight, but these effects were offset by the negative effects of warming on metabolism and mortality, which combined resulted in lower total biomasses and catches for most food webs. These effects were enhanced when warming increased metabolic rates more than food intake, and the outcomes were also sensitive to size dependency of temperature responses. Importantly, these general patterns were not uniform across all food webs—individual functional groups and fish species within food webs responded to warming in different ways depending on their position in the food web and its structure. Hence, caution is warranted when generalizing food web or species outcomes to warming because they are mediated by community interactions. Uncertainty related to temperature dependence and ecological interactions will impact food web projections and should be represented in climate change projections. Plain Language Summary: Multi‐species models are often used to predict how climate change will affect marine ecosystems, fisheries yields and conservation. However, temperature can affect species in a variety of ways, making predictions challenging. Moreover, warming driven changes in a fish community will also depend on species interactions, potentially amplifying or dampening warmingdriven effects in individual species. We explored how 2°C of warming may impact fish biomasses, yields and sizes using six models developed for different marine food webs and three theoretical models with different assumptions about species interactions. We found that, overall, warming tended to result in lower biomasses and fisheries yields, but slightly larger average fish sizes. Yet, results differed depending on how we modeled temperature effects on species food intake and energy expenditure. Moreover, even under the same assumptions about temperature impacts, models developed for different ecosystems behaved differently showing that species interactions will modify warming effects, making general predictions difficult. To make better predictions on warming impacts and more informed adaptation strategies we urgently need more work to understand how temperature affects individual species and communities. Meanwhile, models predicting ecosystems responses to warming should more clearly account for the uncertainty in temperature effects on fishes. Key Points: Assumptions regarding how temperature drives biological rates strongly influence food web responses to warmingCommunity interactions further modify outcomes to warming which complicate efforts to generalize warming responses across food websUncertainty in food web temperature dependences should be represented in climate change projections [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the social internet of things, community structure exists objectively and affects the transmission of network messages. If the social context such as community is fully utilized, the efficiency of data forwarding will be effectively improved. A community-based routing algorithm (MSAR) is proposed by studying the multiple social relationships. First, we propose four measures of social relationships. They are social closeness degree, in-community activeness, cross-community activeness and community interaction. Then, the design of routing algorithm considers two stages. One is in-community forwarding and the other is cross-community forwarding. The measurement of node forwarding capability depends on closeness degree and in-community activeness in the in-community forwarding stage. In the cross-community stage, the measurement of node forwarding capability depends on closeness degree, cross-community activeness and community interaction. The relay node with higher cross-community forwarding utility will be selected. This prevents messages from being limited to the local community. Therefore, messages can always travel in the direction of the destination node's community. Finally, a lot of simulation experiments and analyses are carried out. The analysis results show that the proposed algorithm has good performance in the following two aspects, the average latency and the message delivery rate respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Food web projections are critical for evaluating potential risks to ecosystems and fisheries under global warming. The temperature dependence of biological processes and regional differences in food web structure are two important sources of uncertainty and variation in climate forced projections of fish communities, but we do not know their magnitude or relative contribution. Here we systematically evaluated a range of different assumptions about temperature‐dependence on rates, including size‐dependent effects, controlling food intake, metabolism, and non‐predation mortality in fishes using species‐resolved size spectrum food web models that link individual‐level physiological processes to population and community dynamics. We simulated the physiological effect of warming in a range of size‐structured food web models calibrated to different marine ecosystems and in simplified trait‐based models. Higher food intake in warmed conditions increased total fish biomass, catches, and mean body weight, but these effects were offset by the negative effects of warming on metabolism and mortality, which combined resulted in lower total biomasses and catches for most food webs. These effects were enhanced when warming increased metabolic rates more than food intake, and the outcomes were also sensitive to size dependency of temperature responses. Importantly, these general patterns were not uniform across all food webs—individual functional groups and fish species within food webs responded to warming in different ways depending on their position in the food web and its structure. Hence, caution is warranted when generalizing food web or species outcomes to warming because they are mediated by community interactions. Uncertainty related to temperature dependence and ecological interactions will impact food web projections and should be represented in climate change projections.

Copyright of REGEPE Entrepreneurship & Small Business Journal is the property of Revista de Empreendedorismo e Gestao de Pequenas Empresas (REGEPE) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of this paper is to explore whether the quality of interaction in the live streaming tourism community (interaction quality, swift-guanxi, sense of community) has a positive impact on travel intention. This paper collected 308 questionnaires and used structural equation models (SEMs) to test the relevant hypotheses. The main contributions of this article to the field of live streaming tourism are as follows: community interaction quality, swift-guanxi and the sense of community all significantly positively affect travel intention. Swift-guanxi will actively enhance members' sense of community and thus promote their travel intention. This article is one of the first articles to explore the relationship between live streaming tourism, community interaction and travel intention. It enriches the theory of tourism management in the construction of online tourism communities and provides positive and valuable guidance for practical management activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of the literature on the microbiome composition and metabolic properties of kefir available at the RSCI and Web of Science was carried out. Kefir has been used by humans for centuries. It is a useful product of mixed lactic and alcoholic fermentation, produced using evolutionally established associative cultures, collected in an aggregated state termed kefir grains. General characterization of kefir grains from the territorial zones of different continents (Russia, Europe, Asia, and America) is provided. The methods for differentiation and identification of individual species are described, as well as their interactions within the community. The diversity of microbial composition of kefir grains depending on local cultivation conditions and storage processes is shown. The microorganisms present in kefir have a number of properties that determine their metabolism, interaction in the community, beneficial effects on human health and immune system, which is important for the prevention and control of bacterial and viral infections, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript mainly focuses on the correlation between the spatial distribution of convenience stores and the distribution of urban spatial functions. We took 1217 FamilyMart convenience stores within the Shanghai outer ring area as the research objects and used the calculation method of kernel density estimation. The results show that the distribution of Shanghai FamilyMart stores is centered on the three central urban areas of Huangpu District, Jing'an District, and Xuhui District; the high-density areas of convenience stores partially overlap with the city's main center, and some do not. The research shows that in areas with a high distribution density of convenience stores, the establishment of the convenience stores has a strong correlation with urban spatial functions, and these continence stores have formalized a network deeply integrated with the community. We believe that, in the future, with the development of small retail businesses, these can be transformed into public activity spaces through space transformation and design, which promotes the sustainable development of community interaction and traditional retail business, stimulating the sustainability of community vitality. The results of this study show that this concept has a feasible spatial basis, and the research method can also be applied to the study of other small retail commercial spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers' retention plays a critical role in rural students' access to quality education. Previous studies on rural teacher turnover have emphasised the role of economic disadvantages, with little attention paid to non-economic factors. The present study examined the effects of teacher-community interactions and community social structure on rural teachers' intention to leave. Hierarchical Linear Model analysis was conducted with a national sample of 3,742 rural teachers in China. The descriptive statistics showed that rural teachers had a mild level of community engagement on average. However, we found that interactions between teachers and local members were significantly related to a higher level of intention to stay. Teachers working in close-knit communities were more likely to leave than their counterparts in scattered and dispersed communities. Leaders of rural schools and communities should be aware of such interactions' benefits, especially in areas with strong social ties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution prevention is an approach for generating less waste using fewer toxic chemicals while conserving water and energy. Even though pollution prevention practices have been encouraged for over thirty years, many smaller businesses have not considered or adopted such techniques. This study examines the effect of a community-based approach designed to emphasize the benefits to the health and economic well-being of urban communities when source reduction practices are implemented by businesses in the community. Partnering with existing community groups in Newark and Jersey City, NJ, technical assistance was provided to small and medium-sized businesses under grant funding from Region 2 of the US Environmental Protection Agency. In this research, 32 small and medium-sized businesses were evaluated for source reduction opportunities and implementation plans were drawn up. After these businesses implemented operational changes, emission and cost savings were determined and reported back to respective small business owners as well as to the communities during community meetings designed to encourage additional participation. Based on 32 case studies, several measurable benefits were achieved, including the yearly saving of 932 pounds of hazardous waste, 3917 pounds of non-hazardous waste, 13.62 metric tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE) of greenhouse gases and $5335 USD. The initial findings suggest that community-based programs such as this can be beneficial but must be sustained over a period of time. One issue that was repeatedly observed, and is likely widely believed, is the concern of small business operators that cooperation with any group funded by a government program may lead to the assessment of fines or penalties for environmental violations. This concern limits the willingness of many smaller businesses to participate. The findings of this study suggest that a sustained community-based program may overcome that concern through demonstration of the benefit to the business and the community, and through credibility building achieved by regular community reporting and the absence of official intervention.

Voting in China's grassroots elections is more of a ritual than a right. For most citizens especially in the urban areas, the results of the local elections have little effect on their lives. Indeed, despite the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) campaigns to get the vote out in local elections, voter turnout is relatively low especially among younger voters. Beyond local political campaigns to remind citizens of their duty to vote is the community pressure and engagement. How does community interaction influence voter turnout in authoritarian grassroots elections? That is, are more socially engaged citizens more likely to vote in ritual elections? Moreover, does community engagement mitigate the age gap in voter turnout in grassroots elections in China? Scant literature exits on the relationship between community interaction and ritual voting in authoritarian regimes. Using the 2013 Chinese General Social Survey, this paper finds that community interaction plays a significant role in voter turnout. In addition, young people, who interact with neighbors, are just as likely to vote as the more socially connected older residents. The results have important implications for political behavior as well as for the grassroots elections in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cohesion is a fundamental determinant of performance in farmer groups in which collective action is pursued for the benefit of the members. The study examined the influence of individual members’ objectives, participation culture, group rewards, structure of tasks and perceived equity on cohesion of farmer groups that can promote access to agricultural extension services. Quantitative data were collected from 180 members of 19 farmer groups using questionnaires selected in a multi-stage process that combined purposive and random sampling. Qualitative data were gathered from 20 key informants in oral interviews and three focus group discussions. Regression analysis indicated that there were statistically significant negative relationships between individual members’ objectives, structure of the tasks, group reward system and cohesion of farmer groups. In contrast, perceived equity had a statistically significant positive relationship with cohesion in farmer groups. We recommend that, for sustainability of group cohesion, group facilitators work with the farmer groups to ensure alignment of group and NAADS institutions and performance indicators. A group dynamics perspective to understanding farmer group cohesion should be a helpful organizing principle.

Working with groups of parents in career development services in secondary schools is rare practice and little researched. This article focuses on the pedagogy applied in one such intervention, "Parents Turn," supporting family learning and community learning. The secondary analysis of qualitative data collected from parents has been used to evaluate the pedagogy on which the intervention was based. It shows that group work is feasible in a school-based intervention and reflects on some issues to enhance such parent-involved career development services in secondary schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing transaction-specific customer satisfaction theory within tourism marketing, this research investigates how tour services elicit international tourists' satisfaction and contribute to tourists' loyalty to a destination. The research was conducted using 356 international tourists visiting destination sites in Cape Coast who answered questions regarding tour services: accommodation, food services, tour guide performance, souvenir shopping, and community interaction. Structural equation modeling was used to test the six proposed hypotheses based on validated survey data from the tourists. The data revealed that community interactions, souvenir shopping, and accommodation had positive effects while food services and tour guide performance negatively influenced international tourist satisfaction. Additionally, tourist satisfaction had a positive effect on tourist loyalty. The results suggest that effective tour services encounter and tourist satisfaction can promote local city economies at destination via recommendations or revisitation of international tourists due to their memorable and unforgettable experiences. Again, the outcome of this research validates the usefulness of the transaction-specific customer satisfaction theory within city tourism literature and will help tourism officials, city managers, city developers, businesses, and tourism practitioners to have a better understanding of the studied core tour services within context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals pose significant threats to soil biota, ultimately disrupting soil micro-food web. However, no studies have yet elucidated the impact of heavy metals on soil micro-food web. In this study, we explored the response of bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and soil micro-food web along a gradient of heavy metals in an abandoned smelting-mining area. We found that bacteria responded strongly to heavy metals, whereas fungi showed greater resistance and tolerance. Nematodes responses were less apparent. With the increasing levels of heavy metal pollution, the importance of heavy metal-tolerant organisms in micro-food webs increased significantly. For instance, the keystone bacteria in soil micro-food web shifted from copiotrophic to oligotrophic types, while the keystone nematodes shifted from to bacterial-feeding (e.g., Eucephalobus) to fungal-feeding species (e.g., Ditylenchus). Additionally, elevated heavy metal concentrations increased the proportion of fungi (e.g., Mortierellomycota), intensifying their interactions with bacteria and nematodes and causing a shift from bacteria-based to fungi-based soil micro-food web. Furthermore, heavy metal contamination induced a more complex and stable soil micro-food web. Overall, we highlight the changes in soil micro-food web as a mechanism for coping with heavy metal stress. Our study provides valuable insights into how heavy metal pollution can cause shifts in soil micro-food webs and has critical implications for enhancing our understanding of the ecological consequences of environmental pollution at the ecosystem level. [Display omitted] • Fungal communities were more resistant to heavy metals than bacterial communities. • Nematodes exhibited weaker responses to heavy metals than microorganisms. • Micro-food web shifted from bacteria-based to fungi-based with increasing heavy metals. • Heavy metal pollution strengthened interactions among bacteria, fungi, and nematodes. • Micro-food web became more complex and stable with increasing heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plankton communities consist of complex microbial consortia which change over time with. These fluctuations can only be partially explained by limiting resources. Biotic factors such as herbivores and pathogens also contribute to the control of algal blooms. Here we address the effect of algicidal bacteria on a natural plankton community in an indoor enclosure experiment. The algicidal bacteria, introduced into plankton taken directly from the North Sea during a diatom bloom, caused the rapid decline of the bloom forming Chaetoceros socialis within only one day. The haptophyte Phaeocystis, in contrast, is resistant against the lytic bacteria and could benefit from the removal of the competitor indicated by an onset of a bloom in the treated enclosures. This cascading effect caused by the bacterial pathogen accelerated the succession of Phaeocystis which bloomed with a mere delay of several weeks in the in situ waters at Helgoland Roads, North Sea. The algicidal bacteria can thus modulate the community within the limits of the framework of the abiotic and biotic limitations of the local environment. Implications of our findings for plankton ecosystem functioning are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is an essential component of food security, sustainable livelihoods, and economic development in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Smallholder farmers, however, are restricted in the number of crops they can grow due to small plot sizes. Agriculture inputs, such as fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides, and improved seed varieties, could prove to be useful resources to improve yield. Despite the potential of these agriculture technologies, input use throughout much of SSA remains low. This paper aims to better understand the process of innovation diffusion through information and interaction processes at the individual, social network, and community levels. A total of 203 participants were surveyed using a semi-structured interview method in four rural communities located in the Mbale, Lira, Kabale, and Masaka districts of Uganda. Participants were asked about their access to information technologies, information sources via social network ties, level of engagement in the local community, and agricultural input use. Results indicate households with higher levels of information access through cell phone use and weak-tie information sources are more likely to use inputs. Significant findings also include the interactional effect of cell phones and weak ties on fertilizer adoption. This research could inform policy makers of cost-effective methods of disseminating agriculture information and encouraging innovation diffusion.