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Voltage distribution in sub-cellular micro-domains such as neuronal synapses, small protrusions, or dendritic spines regulates the opening and closing of ionic channels, energy production, and thus, cellular homeostasis and excitability. Yet how voltage changes at such a small scale in vivo remains challenging due to the experimental diffraction limit, large signal fluctuations, and the still limited resolution of fast voltage indicators. Here, we study the voltage distribution in nano-compartments using a computational approach based on the Poisson–Nernst–Planck equations for the electro-diffusion motion of ions, where inward and outward fluxes are generated between channels. We report a current–voltage (I–V) logarithmic relationship generalizing Nernst law that reveals how the local membrane curvature modulates the voltage. We further find that an influx current penetrating a cellular electrolyte can lead to perturbations from tens to hundreds of nanometers deep, depending on the local channel organization. Finally, we show that the neck resistance of dendritic spines can be completely shunted by the transporters located on the head boundary, facilitating ionic flow. To conclude, we propose that voltage is regulated at a subcellular level by channel organization, membrane curvature, and narrow passages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed Monte Carlo and dynamic Monte Carlo simulations to model the diffusion of monodispersed suspensions composed of impenetrable cuboidal particles, specifically hard board-like particles (HBPs), in the presence of parallel hard walls. The impact of the walls was investigated by adjusting the size of the simulation box while maintaining constant packing fractions, fixed at η = 0.150, for systems consisting of HBPs with prolate, dual-shaped, and oblate geometries. We observed that increasing the distance between the walls led to the recovery of an isotropic bulk phase, while local particle organization near the walls remained stable. Due to their shape, oblate HBPs exhibit more efficient anchoring at wall surfaces compared to prolate shapes. The formation of nematic-like particle assemblies near the walls, confirmed by theoretical calculations based on density functional theory, significantly influenced local particle dynamics. This effect was particularly pronounced to the extent that a modest portion of cuboids near the walls tended to diffuse exclusively in planes parallel to the confinement, even more efficiently than observed in the bulk regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica 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.)

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica 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.)

There is a renewed interest in third sector organizations with hope for contributions to systems of new public governance and welfare services. This study is based on a survey to the local authorities in Sweden and aims to analyze how collaboration between public and third sector organizations occurs at the local level. A special focus for the study is idea-driven public partnerships (IOPs). The results indicate that collaboration mainly occurs outside of the core fields of welfare and also that the national level agreements set standards to be used in especially the larger local authorities who are more in need of formalized policies to handle the local relations. The institutionalized collaborative relations are diverse and mainly meant to promote a thriving third sector for its democratic values, but there are also certain welfare fields with less local remit such as sports, leisure time activities, and homelessness where NPOs are not crowded out by the public sector. Collaboration with IOPs are more common in larger local authorities and places with a larger proportion of immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to investigate the impact of Aberdeen Football Club's proposed relocation from Pittodrie Stadium to the small town of Westhill, seven miles from the city-centre, and to assess the popularity of the proposed move among stakeholders of the club. At the present time, post-lockdown, it appears that the club has abandoned this plan and may move to a new stadium on the seafront near Pittodrie. However, the issues and stakeholder relationships revealed through this case remain worthy of intensive study for what they reveal about the intersection between the corporate world, community organizations, and hardcore supporter bases, and how each works according to a different logic and rhythm as they vie for ascendency. Overall, questionnaire responses from Aberdeen city-centre (Union Square) shoppers were marginally positive (66.90% for); supporters' club views were overwhelmingly negative (19.80% for); and Westhill shoppers' views were largely negative (39.60% for). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of gentrification encompasses numerous social, demographic, urbanistic, and economic consequences, among others. The majority of these outcomes are negative and demonstrate little consideration for the community and the territory in which they transpire. This paper presents a case study of a community project in a gentrified area of Palma (Balearic Islands – Spain), aimed at mitigating these consequences through community organization and empowerment. The article seeks to assess the subjective impact of the Intercultural Community Intervention Project and explore barriers to promoting participatory community development in gentrified locales. Findings indicate improvements incommunity networks and its responsiveness to social challenges, yet underscore difficulties in engaging the higher socio-economic status population. Another concern is the need for a technical team to sustain the community-driven process. In conclusion, community policies are recommended to empower the populace in addressing the social repercussions of gentrification by fostering spaces for participation and facilitating shared decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Important theoretical developments in TESOL education challenge the monolingual mindset, instead valuing and leveraging students' complex linguistic repertoires alongside their funds of knowledge and identity through translanguaging practices to foster literacy development. Through a case study of an arts‐rich book making experience facilitated by community organization, Kids' Own Publishing, this article uses assemblage thinking to examine how children's semiotic, knowledge, and identity resources interact to support them to create and sustain meaning making flow and to express distinctive authorial voices. Employing a critical content analysis guided by assemblage thinking, we highlight the literacy skills demonstrated in five students' published eight‐page books and show how the interaction of children's meaning‐making resources is best understood through an "assemblage" lens, a process which is under‐researched. Through this lens, we examine the facilitative role of the arts‐rich experience in furnishing vibrant activities, artifacts, and an inspiring physical space that shaped how the children's meaning‐making resources came together as flows. We consider implications for literacy learning, including the need to create conditions for all children's meaning making resources to be drawn upon in text creation in an approach that values what all students, whether they identify as monolingual or multilingual, bring to their learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study compares the COVID-19 information-seeking behavior of Chinese international students, who represent Korea's largest international student group, with their general health information seeking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted indepth semi-structured interviews with 30 Chinese international students who had been living in Korea for at least a year and were enrolled in degree programs. Two independent researchers coded the interview transcripts based on grounded theory until they reached an agreement. Our study revealed that the health information-seeking behaviors of participants differed depending on whether they were seeking general health information or COVID-19 information. Moreover, we found a notable discrepancy between the sources of information that participants preferred to use for general health information and the sources they actually used. Participants rated COVID-19 information as more accurate, authoritative, complete, current, useful, and objective compared to general health information. Our study highlights the critical need for comprehensive support from various organizations, including campus communities, local healthcare organizations, and the Korean and Chinese governments, to provide reliable and accessible health information to Chinese international students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article challenges a narrative of “decomunalization” and the loss of native culture and identity in the Andes. We ask in what way have formal community jurisdictions supported development and individual aspirations beyond the boundaries of rural places and economies? This research draws primarily on interviews conducted in 2023 with elected community council officials. In tracking changing aspirations of three generations of indigenous activists, we demonstrate how early leaders of the indigenous communities always looked beyond local circumstances in their plans, even as they consolidated immediate zones of relative organizational autonomy. We then show that while young people have moved from rural places, communities themselves are evolving and incorporating youth leadership. This paper seeks to contribute to emerging discussion on global indigeneity for the way it addresses a hemispheric issue of young people's exodus from rural places and the concerns that emigration raises about inter‐generational connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing need to provide evidence of outcomes within the community services sector. However, funding challenges, workforce pressures, and the complex social contexts in which community service organizations operate limit their potential for organizational capacity building. This has flow on effects on the ability to conduct impactful and strategic research. The embedded research model (i.e., when a researcher is embedded into a "host" organisation) may aid in building research and evaluation capacity. This may be particularly useful for the purposes of routine outcome monitoring and continuous quality improvement, which may in turn lead to opportunities for local research and evaluation through the embedded research model. Previous research on the embedded research model across various settings has suggested a number of lessons for implementation. However, to date, nil research has focused on community service organizations. Additional considerations need to be made within this context due to resource limitations, ethical issues, and diverse reporting requirements. Such considerations include the need to take a 'slow science' approach to research and evaluation outputs, consideration of the organisation's readiness for change, and the need to report activities in a transparent, thorough, and consistent manner. The endorsement of embedded research in community service organisations may aid in providing evidence of outcomes for clients, and simultaneously, increase the ability for policymakers to evidence-informed decisions on how to improve outcomes for the local population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly, coastal communities are subjected to disasters associated with the effects of the climate crisis. Puerto Rico, an occupied colony of the U.S. continues to endure flooding, hurricanes and earthquakes, and a protracted economic crisis. Communities and community-based organizations fulfill vital roles in disaster relief efforts. The Caño Martín Peña (CMP) communities are situated in the center of San Juan and home to over 26,000 residents. This study centers on the discourses of local leaders from the CMP communities, and their work with the Grupo de las Ocho Comunidades (G-8), a community-based nonprofit organization that fosters empowerment through literacy and ecological restoration efforts of the region. Using a critical approach, we facilitated a focus group with five leaders from the CMP communities. Qualitative analyses revealed four themes: enduring social, economic, and environmental injustice; challenging dominant narratives; importance of community organizing, collective action and caring; and social change through a “different kind of education.” Unsettling colonial approaches to disaster relief, the study concludes with implications for community practice in the context of disaster recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is critical need to strengthen the global nursing and midwifery workforce. This is especially true in Malawi where they are the primary providers of obstetric and neonatal care. In Neno district, Malawi, in 2017, we implemented an intensive training and longitudinal bedside mentorship intervention for nurses and midwives. From inception, there was a pre-planned project target completion after 5 years, including a staged handover to local ownership after 3 years. The objective of this study was to assess differences in reported maternal and neonatal complications following project completion and handover to local leadership. Methods: The project was a partnership between an academic institution and local nongovernmental organization. In October 2020, the intervention was handed over and maintained by the local organization with limited support from the academic institution. Data from January 2019 to May 2023 were extracted from the Malawi District Health Information Software 2. Bivariate analyses explored differences in the pre- and post-handover periods for all government-collected, birth-related variables. The "pre-handover" period encompassed January 2019 to September 2020 and "post-handover" from October 2020 to May 2023. Multivariate linear regression explored outcomes while controlling for health facility. Results: Data were collected from 10 health facilities in the district and included a total of 23,259 births. Overall, there were few significant changes between periods. Exceptions were in reporting of antepartum hemorrhage (p < 0.01), maternal sepsis (p = 0.01), and manual removal of the placenta (p < 0.01), where we observed decreases in reporting. There was a significant decrease in the reporting of neonatal sepsis (p = 0.01) in the bivariate analysis, which remained only borderline significant in the multivariate model (p = 0.05). Where differences occurred, they were associated with improvements in reported identification of complications and provision of associated emergency care. Conclusions: Few differences in reported maternal and neonatal complications between the periods suggest positive impact of the intervention was sustained following project handover and transition of activities to local leadership. These findings strengthen support for longitudinal mentorship as a pivotal component for skill retention after training. Transparent partnerships which include pre-determined end points and time for handover of activities to local ownership are crucial components for sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) holds promise for decreasing new HIV infections among people who inject drugs (PWID), yet daily oral PrEP use is low, and PrEP modality and delivery strategy preferences in this population remain understudied. Methods: From May 2022-June 2023, we conducted a discrete choice experiment (DCE) with PWID in San Diego, California. Participants viewed 18 PrEP program scenarios in sets of three and chose their preferred scenario within each set. Scenarios consisted of various combinations of five characteristics: PrEP modality (injectable, implantable, oral), frequency of use (annual, bi-monthly, daily), service location (community-based organization, clinic, telemedicine), prescription access location (on-site, street outreach, mail), and adherence supports (social support, outreach worker, phone/text reminder). Multinomial logit regression estimated probabilities of choosing PrEP program scenarios as a function of the five characteristics to estimate part-worth utility scores (PWUS; reflecting relative preferences for specific characteristic values) and relative importance scores (RIS; reflecting the relative influence of each characteristic on program choice). We also explored differences by hypothesized modifiers of preferences (i.e., sex assigned at birth, housing status, injection frequency, prior PrEP awareness). Results: Among 262 participants, mean age was 43.1 years, and most reported male sex assigned at birth (69.5%), identified as non-Hispanic (60.3%), and were previously unaware of PrEP (75.2%). Frequency of use (RIS: 51.5) and PrEP modality (RIS: 35.3) had the greatest influence on PrEP program choice. Within these characteristics, participants had relative preferences for annual use (PWUS: 0.83) and oral PrEP (PWUS: 0.57), and relative aversions to daily use (PWUS: -0.76) and implantable PrEP (PWUS: -0.53). Generally, participants did not indicate preferences for specific service or prescription access locations, or adherence supports; however, among those with prior PrEP awareness, prescription access location and adherence supports had a slightly greater influence on PrEP program choices. Conclusion: Our study considered diverse PrEP scenarios and highlighted potential preferences for long-acting oral modalities. Although not currently available, renewed investment in long-acting oral PrEP formulations may facilitate PrEP care engagement among PWID. Additional delivery and implementation strategy research is needed to support PrEP uptake and persistence in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the decision-making process that culminated in the creation of a zine as a responsive research communication tool. The zine “I’ll Be Here” emerged from research conducted with community organizations in three Ontario cities as an alternative format to return research findings to participants in a form more accessible than a conventional academic manuscript. This reflective piece not only draws attention to the limitations of academic writing for knowledge mobilization, but also amplifies the need for research communication strategies capable of encapsulating the richness of knowledge producers’ experiences. Exploring the intricacies of communicating social science research effectively and contemplating the extension of responsive reciprocal research values into writing, this article emphasizes the potential of creative research communication methods like zine work to be effective, accessible, and inclusive avenues for knowledge mobilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn Canada, many individuals, particularly underserved populations living in poverty, struggle to access menstrual supplies. Amidst growing awareness of menstrual inequities, community-based organizations have emerged as vital actors in collecting and distributing menstrual supplies. We conducted a qualitative study to understand the experiences of community-based organizations in promoting menstrual health through the distribution of menstrual supplies. Close community connections allow organizations to reach underserved populations and provide tailored support. However, the sustainability of distribution is inhibited by unreliable sourcing of menstrual products and limitations in financial infrastructure. We recommend additional research into the experiences of community-based organizations and funding to allow organizations to engage in monitoring and programming evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medically tailored meal (MTM) programs provide home-delivered meals to people living with serious illness and poor nutritional status. Client outcome studies have found evidence of decreased healthcare utilization and cost savings associated with MTM program participation, and inconclusive evidence of change in health measures. The purpose of this study was to use a novel observational framework to describe the client profile and change in health outcomes using routinely collected health and program data from a community-based MTM program at MANNA (Philadelphia, PA). Methods: Clients reported their self-rated health and experiences of food insecurity and malnutrition. Healthcare providers reported clients' body mass index, systolic blood pressure, and hemoglobin A1C. These health outcomes, measured at program intake and 3–6 months later, were linked with administrative data for 1,959 clients who completed at least two months of MTM services in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Results: Clients exhibited substantial heterogeneity in demographics and health status at intake. Self-reported malnutrition risk decreased significantly over program duration (p <.001). Nearly one-third of clients with poor health reported improvement over time. Over 60% of clients with obesity experienced stable BMI. Clients with hypertension experienced significant improvements in systolic blood pressure (p <.001). Clients with diabetes and available data (n = 45) demonstrated significant reduction in hemoglobin A1C (p =.005). Conclusion: We found evidence that participation in MANNA's MTM program was associated with favorable health outcomes for clients with serious illness and nutritional risk. Community-based organizations can maximize the completeness of their data by focusing on routinely collected internal data like validated health screeners and surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing global responses to HIV/AIDS entail shifting biological loci of surveillance which are believed to constitute HIV risk. Meanwhile, various local institutions and organizations are mobilized to play a key role in HIV service delivery and surveillance. Drawing on a socio-material approach to the body and the economy, this study theorizes the emergence of three 'HIV service bio-economies' devised to provide HIV services while controlling HIV transmission in Taiwan. Instead of presuming a divide between the social and the biological, it analyzes how different bodies are produced through differing modes of HIV surveillance and economization, buttressed by global health sciences, state budgets and quantitative metrics. The analysis of multiple ontologies of HIV underscores the political nature of risk-framing in a transnational context, but also how certain bodies incapable of being enrolled in these economies could be further marginalized – a process which might be understood as an ontological politics of HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban landscapes play a crucial role in the health of freshwater ecosystems. The task of protecting and restoring urban freshwater waterways requires concerted efforts from all sectors of society, including volunteers. The recruitment and retention of volunteers is often a challenge for community environmental organizations as urban residents are diverse and influenced by a blend of personal, societal, and environmental factors. We surveyed a representative sample of 1901 urban residents across Aotearoa New Zealand and used the Behaviour Change Wheel framework and audience segmentation to understand the underlying factors influencing volunteering for waterway restoration projects and to identify potential target audiences to recruit new volunteers. We identified four segments within the target audience ("Supportive," "Receptive but unsure," "Hesitant and lack opportunity," and "Reluctant") each with its own unique profile of capabilities, opportunities, and motivations for volunteering. Recommendations for appropriate intervention designs to increase levels of volunteering include providing tailored messaging and events for those who are "Receptive but unsure" or "Hesitant and lack opportunity" and information about volunteering opportunities to "Supportive" individuals. This knowledge lays the groundwork for future initiatives focused on increasing urbanites' volunteering with community freshwater restoration groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background.: Community-led health care interventions may be an effective way to tackle cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, especially in materially deprived communities where health care resources are stretched and engagement with institutions is often low. To do so effectively and equitably, interventions might be developed alongside community members through community engagement. Objectives.: The aim of this project was to carry out stakeholder mapping and partnership identification and to understand the views, needs, experiences of community members who would be involved in later stages of a community-based CVD prevention intervention's development and implementation. Methods.: Stakeholder mapping was carried out to identify research participants in three communities in Sussex, United Kingdom. A qualitative descriptive approach was taken during the analysis of focus groups and interviews with 47 participants. Findings.: Three themes were highlighted related to intervention design (a) Management: the suitability of the intervention for the community, management of volunteers, and communication; (b) Logistics: the structure and design of the intervention; and (c) Sociocultural issues, the social and cultural expectations/experiences of participants and implementers. Conclusions.: Study participants were open and willing to engage in the planned community-based intervention, particularly in elements of co-design and community-led delivery. They also highlighted the importance of sociocultural factors. Based on the findings, we developed recommendations for intervention design which included (but were not limited to): (a) a focus on a bottom-up approach to intervention design, (b) the recruitment of skilled local volunteers, and (c) the importance of fun and simplicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past three decades conceptual ecological models, that previously focused on competition, have integrated the pervasive role of positive interactions in community and ecosystem organization. This integration returns us to the seminal insights of some of the founders of ecological and evolutionary thought, including Humbolt, Clements, and Odum. Recognition of the role of positive interactions in nature has dramatically affected our understanding of organic evolution and all levels of ecological organization. Further incorporation of positive interactions into evolutionary ecology will be necessary to successfully address the existential problems of the Anthropocene. Facilitative interactions play crucial roles in community organization, and the stress gradient hypothesis (SGH) provides a simple conceptual framework for the context-dependency of competitive and facilitative interactions. The idea is that positive interactions are more common under high physical and consumer stress, where species benefit from stress-tolerant neighbors, than in benign environments. We explore insights from the SGH into ecological generality, niche theory, community assembly, and diversity effects on ecosystem function and discuss how the SGH can inform our understanding of rapid evolution, mutualisms, exotic invasions, and facilitation cascades. We suggest that, with escalating global stresses, the SGH may provide a conceptual template for an interdependent perspective in ecology that can contribute to conservation and restoration efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pundits, advocates, and scholars have increasingly focused on the strategies of transnational repression employed by autocratic states to deter opposition and control the voices of emigrants abroad. Typically, transnational repression is understood as various forms of state-directed tactics executed by institutional actors who are deployed, trained, and organized by the state. Yet, the tactic of inciting hatred and division among emigrants to undermine dissidents—part of a nationalist strategy that mobilizes non-state actors for repression—has not been thoroughly explored. This article reveals a unique form of diaspora actorhood: the repressive nationalist diasporas, which consist of culturally driven migrants who support their authoritarian homelands and exert significant influence in various aspects of transnational migrants' civic life, including student groups, ethnic associations, and grassroots organizations. Through these networks, diaspora migrants provide autocrats with the means to extend their repressive reach internationally. This paper examines the People's Republic of China (PRC) as a case study, demonstrating how the state leverages nationalist sentiments to alienate dissidents and fuel enmity among its loyalists overseas. The consequences are extensive, involving surveillance, harassment, and assaults on dissidents such as Hong Kongers, Tibetans, Uyghurs, Taiwanese, and mainland Chinese—aiming to silence those who criticize the PRC regime. Ethnographic research, interviews, and publicly available data are used to reveal, describe, and analyze the role and global reach of the repressive nationalist diaspora in the transnational repression mechanism as part of modern autocratic statecraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last half-century, the 'centre–periphery' model has become insufficient to describe the increasingly fragmented and multicentric Latin American metropolises. Frontiers between central and peripheral areas are shifting, in part, due to the emergence of new corporate centralities, usually located outside historical city centres and heavily equipped with private 'security' agents and devices. By examining the evolving governing practices taking place in and around the dynamic frontier of a business centrality in São Paulo, Brazil, this article discusses the connections between the transformation in centre–periphery relations and the reworking of prior forms of socio-spatial control since the 'security' turn of the 1990s. More specifically, it explores the effects of the production of securitised corporate centralities on the racialised differential governance of urban space. For this purpose, the article draws from empirical work involving fieldwork, interviews with public and private 'security' agents, the observation of meetings of the local Public Security Community Council (CONSEG), and the analysis of police statistics. In sum, the argument presented here is that the evolution of segregation mechanisms and governing practices in Latin-American metropolises reproduces centre–periphery relations under new spatial configurations, and increases the capacity of private agents to subject urban space to their own rules and regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife Conservation, Management and Sustainable Use Units (UMAs in Spanish) integrate strategies for wildlife management and social participation in Mexico. There are 25 UMAs within Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve in Morelos state. Two decades after their implementation, there is not much information on their performance. We analyzed human perceptions in terms of UMAs benefits, environmental conservation, institutional support, and problems through interviews with inhabitants. Interviewees considered income as the main benefit followed by environmental benefits from UMAs. They mentioned that institutional support and the continuous participation of inhabitants and technicians are fundamental for adequate performance. They expressed concern over poaching and unregulated hunting, among other. Given the restrictions on the activities permitted within a protected area, residents focus on obtaining alternative economic benefits, and the presence of UMAs provide income and employment. Institutional support, community organization and trustworthy technicians are key to successful conservation, sustainability and human welfare projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community schools are schools which recognize that children are apart of communities, and therefore, attempt to directly address the outside of school factors that impact student learning by offering services to students, their families, and the broader community through a variety of partnerships with governmental and community-based organizations. Based on empirical research, this paper argues that while the community schools provide a much-needed approach to educating students beyond their academic needs, the schools work within deeply-rooted racist systems and structures. Seen through the lens of racial capitalism, in particular, the work of community schools may be quite limited in what they can accomplish. Using census data from the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance (BNIA) combined with GIS mapping, this paper investigated the racially segregated contexts in which community schools operated in Baltimore. In so doing, the paper argues that the potential of community schools is circumscribed by the spatial injustice that the neighborhoods experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers and community organizations are increasingly operationalizing food sovereignty, and argue that participatory, community-engaged food sovereignty metrics can enhance insights about local contexts, and opportunities for food sovereignty. In Haiti, one of the most food-insecure countries in the world, peasant and civil society organizations have been calling for food sovereignty for over a decade, and the state recently published a food sovereignty policy document, marking an important paradigm shift. In this paper, we share a case study of a food sovereignty tool that was designed through a participatory, community-based process in Northern Haiti, offering a blueprint and lessons learned that we hope will be useful to others working to operationalize food sovereignty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the meanings of the public space, specifically addressing urban marginalized areas. It explores the issue of inequality in relation to public space and how this is reflected in urban policies. Starting from a theoretical framework based on three heuristic dimensions regarding practices, imaginaries, and norms, the authors will analyze through a multidisciplinary approach—that brings planning and cultural anthropology into dialogue—three cases related to some resignification and re-appropriation dynamics within a neighborhood of social housing located in Milan. The three cases concern: a regeneration project of a road accomplished through an experimental municipal device; a recently renewed square located on the border of the neighborhood; the organization of a public event to clean up waste. The public space of San Siro will emerge as an arena where several social actors and their conflicting interests clash, thus affecting the everyday life of its residents and the possibilities for planning an inclusive city as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies grassroots organizations that provide various forms of support to vulnerable local communities in the United Kingdom in a context of increasing austerity, public sector drawbacks, a lack of funding and extensive monitoring, and evaluative requirements. We focus on the COVID‐19 pandemic, which challenged traditional funding relationships. We analyze lived experiences of trust, emotion, and suffering to understand the politics of accountability across the diverse economy. We draw on Gibson‐Graham's post‐capitalist framework, which insists on the politics of language, the subject, and collective action. In the setting we study, the language of crisis reshaped funding, vulnerable subjectivities emerged to support vulnerable communities, and fragmenting accountabilities were met with attempts to promote collective action and solidarity. We, therefore, contribute to literature in critical accounting and literature focused on the voluntary and community sector by studying a landscape of diverse accountability practices to explore the possibilities that they offer in terms of accounting for non‐capitalist organizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies often suggest that the thrust of peasant politics is the advancement of autonomous family farming. Such studies seem remote in rural places where migration, pluriactivity, and non-agrarian jobs and aspirations are the norm. We examine peasant politics in rural Ecuador, where peasant communities have driven nationwide uprisings in recent years. We find that many peasant community organizations cultivate political legitimacy among their members by advancing diverse, non-agrarian objectives, rather than autonomous farming. We argue that researchers stand to learn much about peasant politics by attending to precisely how agrarian livelihoods and post-agrarian aspirations weave together to (re)produce rural institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we explored the social networks of 20 women who were in the process, or had completed, a sentence at a residential community corrections facility. Drawing on egocentric social network data and in-depth qualitative interviews, we analyzed the kinds of support that were most and least available to women, who were members of their network and what type of support they provided, and the role of complex relationships and peers. We found that women often relied on complex relationships and strategically navigated these relationships to access support. Many women also expressed a desire to mend and heal damaged relationships, recognizing their significance in their support system. Although peers can play a critical role in providing support to system-involved women, community corrections must invest in facilitating supportive connections and relationships among women. Ultimately, this research offers insights that can guide community corrections organizations in building and repairing women's networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What strategies can help communities to overcome the public goods problem in the maintenance of communal spaces and infrastructure in urban environments? This paper investigates whether an intervention targeted at Community-Based Organizations can motivate them to make increased contributions to the public good, thereby improving outcomes for the community as a whole. Using a randomized controlled trial conducted in Dakar, Senegal, the analysis tests the effectiveness of a program that provides incentives to community groups to encourage them to keep their neighborhoods clean, with the ultimate goal of reducing flooding. After one year, the intervention proved to be effective in engaging communities, improving cleanliness, and reducing flooding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adults with spinal cord injury/dysfunction (SCI/D) face challenges with medications they take to manage their secondary conditions (e.g., pain, urinary tract infections, autonomic dysreflexia). With many healthcare providers typically involved in care, there are additional challenges with care fragmentation and self-management. Prior research emphasized the desire for more support with medication self-management among this population. Objective: To explore what content should be included in a medication self-management resource (i.e., toolkit) for adults with SCI/D, as well as considerations for delivery from the perspectives of adults with SCI/D, caregivers, healthcare providers, and representatives from community organizations. Methods: A concept mapping study was conducted. Participants took part in one or more of three activities: brainstorming; sorting and rating; and mapping. Participants generated ideas about the content to include in a medication self-management toolkit. Participants sorted the statements into conceptual piles and assigned a name to each. All statements were rated on a five-point Likert-type scale on importance and realistic to include in the toolkit. Participants decided on the final cluster map, rearranged statements, and assigned a name to each cluster to create visual representations of the data. Results: Forty-four participants took part in this study. The final map contained eight clusters: 1) information-sharing and communication; 2) healthcare provider interactions and involvement; 3) peer and community connections; 4) supports and services for accessing prescription medications and medication information; 5) information on non-prescription medication and medication supplies; 6) safety and lifestyle considerations; 7) general medication information; and 8) practical information and strategies related to medication-taking. Safety and lifestyle considerations was rated as the most important and realistic to include in the toolkit. Conclusions: Given the limited tools to help adults with SCI/D with managing their medications, there is great potential to better support this population across all areas of medication self-management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indonesia's transmigration areas are recognized for failing to fulfill advancement necessities, particularly spearheading progress in remote rural regions. Despite the dynamic characteristics, Village Community Organizations (VCOs) have made transmigration village development more progressive and promising. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the engagement of VCOs, such as economic, women, and youth organizations, in developing transmigration areas. This study uses qualitative methods with data collection techniques in the form of observation and in-depth interviews in nine villages in Indonesia. A community-driven development approach was used to analyze the development of transmigration villages. The study further identified three main factors: social capital, education, and support from the village government for VCO initiatives. These factors significantly influenced the actions to foster development within each transmigration village. The results provided significant insights into the crucial role of VCOs in empowering transmigration areas. This study recommends that policymakers apply this model to encourage greater community involvement, where strengthening resources in VCOs will increase community participation in sustaining rural development. The study further complemented previous publications by examining the role of VCOs, which was neglected in developing countries such as Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neural decoding is a tool for understanding how activities from a population of neurons inside the brain relate to the outside world and for engineering applications such as brain-machine interfaces. However, neural decoding studies mainly focused on different decoding algorithms rather than different neuron types which could use different coding strategies. In this study, we used two-photon calcium imaging to assess three auditory spatial decoders (space map, opponent channel, and population pattern) in excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the dorsal inferior colliculus of male and female mice. Our findings revealed a clustering of excitatory neurons that prefer similar interaural level difference (ILD), the primary spatial cues in mice, while inhibitory neurons showed random local ILD organization. We found that inhibitory neurons displayed lower decoding variability under the opponent channel decoder, while excitatory neurons achieved higher decoding accuracy under the space map and population pattern decoders. Further analysis revealed that the inhibitory neurons' preference for ILD off the midline and the excitatory neurons' heterogeneous ILD tuning account for their decoding differences. Additionally, we discovered a sharper ILD tuning in the inhibitory neurons. Our computational model, linking this to increased presynaptic inhibitory inputs, was corroborated using monaural and binaural stimuli. Overall, this study provides experimental and computational insight into how excitatory and inhibitory neurons uniquely contribute to the coding of sound locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the potential for community health worker (CHW)-led programs to improve the health of people with justice involvement (PWJI), little is known about the practical implementation of such models. We explored barriers and facilitators to implementation of a municipal CHW program, the Health Justice Network (NYC HJN), led by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) in partnership with three reentry-focused community-based organizations (CBOs) and three federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) that was designed to serve the health and social service needs of PWJI. Methods: Eighteen in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of CHWs, partner site supervisors, and DOHMH staff. Interviews were conducted virtually and transcribed verbatim. Codes and themes were developed using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to understand facilitators and barriers to NYC HJN implementation. Results: Important facilitators to implementation included: lived experience of CHWs, as well as NYC HJN's voluntary nature, lack of onerous eligibility criteria, and prioritization of participant needs. One barrier was the lack of a formal implementation protocol. Themes identified as facilitators in some instances and barriers in others were CHW integration into site partners, the expansive scope of work for CHWs, the integration of a trauma-informed approach, values alignment and existing infrastructure, leadership engagement, CHW training and support, and input, feedback, and communication. Conclusions: Findings will help inform how to successfully implement future CHW-led interventions for PWJI with municipal, health, and social service partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of xylazine, a non-opioid tranquilizer not for human consumption, in illicitly manufactured fentanyl is increasing in the United States. However, little is known about xylazine awareness and attitudes among people who use drugs. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of people who use drugs in Ohio was conducted from November 2023 – May 2024 to identify xylazine awareness and attitudes in rural and urban counties across the state. Study participants were recruited from naloxone distribution sites, including health departments, syringe service programs, and community-based organizations. Results: Among 630 people who use drugs in Ohio, more than one-half (53.5%) were unaware of xylazine being in "street drugs," regardless of urbanicity. Among individuals who were aware of xylazine, most (73.0%) indicated they did not want to use the drug and try to avoid it. In addition, 75.8% of this group felt it was "very" or "extremely" important to know if xylazine was in their drugs. Discussion: This research found that many people who use drugs in Ohio are unaware of xylazine and its risks. An important finding of this study is that most individuals who had heard of xylazine did not want to use it and were concerned about knowing whether xylazine was in their drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we aim to understand how long‐term state neglect of public infrastructure coexists with a renewed emphasis on profit‐driven infrastructure development in urban contexts. We focus on Exarcheia, an Athens neighbourhood known for its radical character, where a lack of public infrastructure investment aligns with plans for new transport infrastructure and urban regeneration. Using a participatory action research approach and engaging in collective discussions with grassroots organisations opposing these plans, we argue that prolonged austerity following the 2008 economic crisis has redefined state‐funded public infrastructures, aligning them more closely with the speculative interests of real estate, commercial, and infrastructure capital. The interplay of austerity infrastructure, gentrification, and spatial violence manifests as a form of slow urbicide, paving the way for revanchist urban regeneration that prioritises the commercial exploitation of urban space at the expense of the historical, political, and cultural identities of affected neighbourhoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the cost efficiency of local police agencies in the US for 2016. We employ a multi-output translog stochastic frontier model and show that reductions in inefficiency would yield significant budgetary savings and improved performance in service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) presents a significant health concern during pregnancy, predisposing individuals to future diabetes. Despite established postpartum diabetes screening guidelines, adherence to follow-up remains inadequate. Aims: This study aimed to assess the predictive value of the 50-gram glucose challenge test (GCT) for post-pregnancy diabetes development. Materials and methods: A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted on pregnant women aged 18–45 who underwent GCT screening between November 2007 and July 2017 in a large Israeli community medical organization. Baseline characteristics, GCT results, and diabetes development during follow-up were analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Results: Among 8,675 women included, 2.4% developed diabetes over a median follow-up of 73.23 months. Elevated GCT results correlated with a higher risk of future diabetes, with a 4% rise in risk per 1 mg/dL increase in glucose above 140 mg/dL. Multivariate analysis revealed a 60-fold rise in the risk of future diabetes in women with GCT results ≥ 200 mg/dL compared to those with GCT < 140 mg/dL, adjusting for age, body mass index, pre-pregnancy glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides. A GCT result between 140 and 199 mg/dL was a predictor of future diabetes, even when adjusted for GDM based on a subsequent GTT if performed. Conclusions: GCT results during pregnancy strongly predict future diabetes development, with higher GCT values significantly increasing risk. Recognizing abnormal GCT results as indicative of a prediabetic state offers a practical approach for risk stratification, facilitating early diagnosis, and intervention in post-pregnancy care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Areas and systems affected by compounded crises, protracted conflicts, and structural violence often struggle to reform education for social reconstruction. At the forefront, we observe tireless and ambitious ventures among donor agencies, government institutions, and international and local organizations. However, in many of these cases, we also witness deepening political gridlock, stagnation, and marginalization that undermine the progress of an empowering education for citizenship that upholds principles of human rights. Causal factors to these institutional failures are often either overlooked, redacted, or undocumented in research. Evidence from Morocco, Iraqi Kurdistan, and, most of all, Lebanon illustrates the extent to which governance systems in education can either hinder or even prevent equity in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This developmental research aims to enhancing and extend the implementation of an integrated injury surveillance system for all age groups in areas where responsibilities have been transferred to local authorities in Ubon Ratchathani Province. The study period is from February to April 2024. The target groups include 208 individuals from government agencies, community leaders, and public health volunteers, as well as 200 individuals from all age groups at risk. The tools used in this research include the surveillance forms created and developed by the researchers in the model areas, communication and public relations strategies for injury warnings, health literacy assessments for at-risk groups, random helmet use surveys, and participation and satisfaction assessments. Data analysis involves qualitative methods using content analysis and quantitative methods using descriptive statistics, including percentages, medians, and paired t-tests. The study results indicate that after expanding the model, there was an integration of networks participating in the surveillance system. The use of surveillance tools for risk assessment facilitated communication and risk management at the individual, causative agent, and environmental levels. Consequently, participants' health literacy significantly increased, with a p-value < 0.01. Helmet use rose from 32.00% to 82.00%. Additionally, the management of risk points increased to 5 from the initial target of 4. Network participation post-implementation reached its highest level at 86.06%, and satisfaction was at 81.73%. The injury rate from major causes across all age groups decreased compared to the median rate of the past five years during the same period. Therefore, the surveillance system should focus on proactive measures to provide warnings before incidents occur. It should also encourage public participation, with local administrative organizations playing a central role in driving and coordinating efforts. This approach ensures continuous and sustainable integration of network operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) has functioned as a partnership between the federal government and a number of nonprofit partners for more than four decades. Yet resettlement is dependent on more than these particularly visible actors, and also includes states, municipalities, and a range of other organizations. In this paper I look at one part of the resettlement assemblage in the United States—ethnic community-based organizations (ECBOs)—from my own perspective as a researcher who has collaborated with one such entity over a number of years. Focusing on the shifting sands of refugee resettlement and drawing on research with staff at this agency, I examine some of the possibilities and pitfalls of engaging in praxis-oriented refugee research, especially at the local level. I suggest that the particular nuances and context of the ECBO is central to our understanding of contemporary resettlement practice in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan's dropping birthrate is a frequent topic in both media and political discourse and yet, an increasing number of non-Japanese women are giving birth in the country. While praised for several of its women-centered features, Japanese maternity care also faces criticism for its perceived inflexibility and lack of cultural sensitivity. This article presents a comprehensive overview of Japanese and English language studies on non-Japanese women's access to maternity care in Japan. It highlights the challenges many women encounter, such as linguistic and cultural barriers, as well as institutional and physician inflexibility. The article also acknowledges noteworthy aspects, including excellent midwifery and support for new mothers. Ultimately, this paper argues that research utilizing in-depth narratives from foreign women is necessary to develop a more culturally sensitive approach to maternity care. It also underscores the need for medical professionals to collaborate with grassroots organizations to understand the dynamic needs of non-Japanese women and sufficiently support them through pregnancy, birth, and post-natal care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of addressing social needs in a crisis context. Some US jurisdictions integrated a social service component into case investigation and contact tracing (CI/CT) programs, including the New York City (NYC) Test & Trace (T2) Program; the Take Care initiative referred NYC residents who tested positive or were exposed to COVID-19 to services to support isolation and quarantine and meet basic needs. More research is needed to determine effective implementation strategies for integrating social needs provision into CI/CT programs. To identify barriers and facilitators to the implementation of the Take Care initiative, we conducted key informant interviews with program staff, community-based organization partners, and cases and contacts as part of a larger evaluation of the T2 program. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using rapid qualitative methods. Key facilitators to implementation included utilizing a case management software system, employing strategies to encourage service uptake, leveraging cross-agency collaborations, and partnering with community-based organizations for resource navigation. Barriers identified included external management of the software system, challenges reaching and engaging the public, administrative complications due to shifting collaborations, and management of CBO partners' structure and hiring. Based on our findings, we provide recommendations to support effective planning and implementation of social needs service provision in a crisis context. Future research should focus on testing promising implementation strategies highlighted in this study and applying them to varied contexts and crisis situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavior change campaigns are crucial in combatting illegal wildlife trade (IWT) by reducing demand, but assessing their impact requires robust strategies. The Behavior‐Centered Theory of Change (BC‐ToC) integrates Theory of Change frameworks with decision‐making models to design and evaluate interventions using behavioral and progress indicators. We used BC‐ToC to design two behavioral change interventions aimed at reducing demand for two threatened Venezuelan bird species: the Yellow‐shouldered Amazon (YSA) and the Red Siskin (RS). We developed workshops to engage community organizations and conservationists to identify audience groups, evaluate alternative behaviors considering impact and benefits, and define behavior‐based indicators for monitoring change. For YSA, two audience groups with similar demand motivations emerged: "common folks" (women, 20–70 yo, low education) and "young professionals" (20–30 yo, educated). Enjoying parrots through outdoor activities emerged as an alternative. For RS, the main audience segments were the breeder groups "South American node" (Venezuelan and Brazilian) and "Iberian node" (Spaniels and Portuguese). Iberian with wider age range (30–60 yo) and greater education than South American. Adopting responsible sourcing practices surfaced as the alternative behavior. We described behavioral levers, intermediary outputs, and indicators reflecting changes in knowledge, attitudes, norms, and control. We discussed challenges for adoption, emphasizing systemic barriers and the role of regulations, and provided ground‐tailored strategies for effective behavioral interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organisational forms are defined by the cultural and the scientific – a dual dimensionality of organisational legitimacy. This study examines organisational legitimacy of refugee-led community organisations (RCOs), as they form or emerge out of refugee camps and places of displacement and then transition to fit into taken-for-granted cultural-scientific organisational models in places of resettlement. Analyses draw from participant observation, interviews and focus groups with leaders of RCOs. Findings illustrate how the 'face' of RCOs imitates western forms in managing external recognisability, while they retain embodied, culturally-specific practice modalities in their actions and programming for co-ethnic constituencies. Findings also point to the centrality of cultural expert knowledge in RCOs' processes of organisational legitimacy. In finality, we argue that the RCO, in its strategies of decoupling form from function and of deploying cultural expertise, perhaps resists the taken-for-granted legitimacy of organisations as primarily or solely rooted in the modern and the scientific, while also complicating and problematising the very meaning of those terms and pointing to questions about organisational ethno-racialisation. RCOs elucidate localised dissent more clearly, as they 'resettle' and negotiate their insider-outsider qualities into a newer synthesis. RCOs' contestations notwithstanding, their struggle for legitimacy is yet an ongoing contested process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is evident that father engagement in parenting contributes to child well-being, and fatherhood programs effectively enhance father engagement and employment outcomes. However, program effectiveness can be compromised if participating fathers drop out. This study investigates factors associated with program engagement (i.e., initiating treatment) and completion (i.e., attending 75% or more sessions) with a sample of primarily African American fathers recruited from a community-based organization in the United States (n = 691). The analysis showed that nearly one-third (31%) of enrolled fathers did not attend any program session, and just over half (55%) of those who attended at least one session completed the program. Being older was associated with program engagement, while having a high school diploma and being ordered by the court to pay child support were associated with program completion. Fathers expressed several barriers to program participation, including programmatic and institutional issues (Rules and Staff, Fit Misaligned with Needs), as well as scheduling and external factors (Job-Related Conflict, Logistic Issues, Challenging Life Events). These findings highlight the importance of identifying participant motivation, addressing life challenges, and implementing strengths-based practices in fatherhood programs to make fathers feel seen, welcomed, and supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All social networks possess a community organization of actors, and these actors are unequal in importance and influence. In the last decade, identifying influential nodes in social networks has drawn significant interest due to their numerous applications, as they play a crucial role in influence maximization, rumor control, and other practical applications. In social network analysis, most works rely on centrality measures for defining the influential nodes in a network. Finding the centrality score of the nodes in real-world large-scale networks involve extensive computational complexity, making it necessary to address this research gap and find a solution. The main contribution of this paper is its innovative methodology, which improves the efficiency of identifying the influencers by reducing the time and resources required for network analysis. The research objective is to categorize nodes and identify overlapping regions indicating individuals' memberships in multiple clusters or communities. It also incorporates centrality measures like degree, closeness, and betweenness to assess the influence levels of nodes within these overlapping clusters. The paper investigates the relationship between the node centrality score and the location of the nodes in the network communities and, at the same time, proposes a graph-based method to identify the influential nodes. The focus is on the overlapping nodes among the communities to understand how this factor influences the effectiveness of influencers. Through empirical analysis and simulations, the findings show a strong correlation between the node centrality score and the characteristic of overlapping nodes, which plays a crucial role in determining influencer efficacy. The research concludes that it is effectively possible to define the overlapping nodes as influencers since a vast majority of overlapping nodes have a high score of centrality compared to other nodes in network communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is based on an investigation of shared mobility in Chinese cities, which identifies the factors affecting the sustainable development of shared mobility based on the theoretical framework of TDM (travel demand management). Through a literature review and expert interviews, the FUZZY-DEMATEL-ISM-MICMAC integration model was used to screen 21 influencing factors from aspects that fit the research theme. Triangular fuzzy numbers are used to quantify the subjective scores of nine expert groups and weaken the subjective influence of expert scores. The logical relationships among DEMATEL technology-building factors and ISM technology-based factors are divided into levels. The MICMAC technique is used to divide the types of factors according to the driving power and dependency. The results show that (1) the influence factors of the "soft strategy" and "hard strategy" in the framework of TDM are determined. In the soft strategy, we should focus on "shared mobility education" (shared mobility education, shared mobility publicity and shared mobility "environment" information) and "community organization" (community organization and advocacy and organizational interaction). In the hard strategy, we should focus on "traffic planning and measures", "dedicated lanes", "parking facilities", and "financial subsidies". (2) The ISM recursive structure model is divided into five layers. Among them, shared mobility education, shared mobility operating technology, and organizational interaction are at the deep root level, which can continuously influence other factors in the long run. (3) In MICMAC, the number of related factors is large. When making decisions on these factors, managers should comprehensively consider the correlation of factors and adjust the use of factors from an overall perspective. This study can help managers identify the key factors affecting the sustainability of shared mobility and make targeted recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]