Dynamics of collective cooperation under personalised strategy updates.

Collective cooperation is essential for many social and biological systems, yet understanding how it evolves remains a challenge. Previous investigations report that the ubiquitous heterogeneous individual connections hinder cooperation by assuming individuals update strategies at identical rates. Here we develop a general framework by allowing individuals to update strategies at personalised rates, and provide the precise mathematical condition under which universal cooperation is favoured. Combining analytical and numerical calculations on synthetic and empirical networks, we find that when individuals' update rates vary inversely with their number of connections, heterogeneous connections actually outperform homogeneous ones in promoting cooperation. This surprising property undercuts the conventional wisdom that heterogeneous structure is generally antagonistic to cooperation and, further helps develop an efficient algorithm OptUpRat to optimise collective cooperation by designing individuals' update rates in any population structure. Our findings provide a unifying framework to understand the interplay between structural heterogeneity, behavioural rhythms, and cooperation.

A Model of Community Health Worker Integration into Schools: Community-based Participatory Research in Action.

BACKGROUND: Schools are rich sites for collaborations between health and educational sectors. OBJECTIVES: To identify lessons learned from formation of a community-academic partnership and application of community-based participatory research (CBPR) to develop a model that integrates community health workers into schools. METHODS: Individuals from an academic medical center, a large public school district, and a community-based research institute applied CBPR principles to reimagine schools as a place for improving the health of children. LESSONS LEARNED: Three lessons emerged. Leveraging each team member's expertise centered the partnership on community strengths, co-learning, and stakeholder engagement. Adherence to CBPR's principles of power sharing and equity helped navigate the challenges of collaboration between large institutions. Early focus on sustainability helped address unexpected issues, build capacity, and boost advocacy. CONCLUSIONS: This partnership demonstrates how CBPR fosters conditions in which equitable partnerships between research institutions and public schools can thrive to promote childhood health.

Coordination and modularization: the experience of the joint prevention and control mechanism to COVID emergencies in China.

Background: The integration of disparate emergency resources and the improvement of emergency response teamwork are the underlying trends and shared requirements for building resilience in an era of multiple global public health crises. Objective: This study investigated the emergency response with emergency collaboration networks of each functional module and the overall Joint Epidemic Prevention and Control Mechanism (JPCM) network in China's COVID outbreak prevention and control. Methods: The study employed a scholarly framework of "the integration of JPCM coordination and emergency collaborative modularization" to explore the attributes of JPCM using social network analysis. The data were obtained from administrative records from JPCM's official website, spanning January 2020 to December 2022. Results: The study examined the JPCM coordination and found several functional working modules of JPCM, such as Interrupt Spread, Manage Supply, Medical Rescue, Restore Work and Production, and Implement Responsibility modules. The network structure indicators showed that the Manage Supply module had the most extensive network connectivity, the shortest communication distance, and the most consistent collaboration. The E-I index of the overall JPCM network and the Manage Supply network were - 0.192 and - 0.452, respectively (at p < 0.001 and p < 0.05), indicating more internal relationships than external relationships. The E-I index of the Medical Rescue and Implement Responsibility collaboration networks were 0.122 and 0.147, respectively (at p < 0.001 and p < 0.05), indicating more external relationships than internal relationships. The QAP regression analysis showed that the most vital driver on the overall JPCM network was the Interrupt Spread module, followed by the Implement Responsibility and Medical Rescue modules. Discussion: The Interrupt Spread module initiated emergency coordination with most departments and agencies. The Manage Supply module ensured the flow of medical supplies and survival essentials, while the Medical Rescue module addressed the core aspects of the health emergency response. The Restore Work and Production module repaired the halt in production and livelihoods caused by the outbreak, strengthening and developing emergency coordination and roles across emergency organizations. The Implement Responsibility module provided more heterogeneous emergency response resources for the overall JPCM coordination, complementing the COVID cross-organizational emergency response coordination. Conclusion: The study on the JPCM case in China improves public health emergency management and aids informed decision-making.

Lessons from Two Latino Communities Working with Academic Partners to Increase Access to COVID-19 Testing.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to examine the experiences of community partners in a community-academic partnership to promote COVID-19 testing in two majority Latino communities. METHODS: We conducted semistructured, in-depth interviews in English and Spanish with community-based organization leaders and community health workers/promotoras (n = 10) from June to July 2021. Interviews focused on identifying partner roles in planning and testing implementation and evaluating communication among partners. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed in ATLAS.ti version 8.4.5. Analyses involved deductive and inductive approaches to identify key themes. RESULTS: Participants described both strengths and challenges to the collaborative approach within each of three core themes: building relationships in the time of COVID-19; uplifting existing community leadership; and commitment of the academic partners and community-based organizations to conduct partnership activities in Spanish. CONCLUSION: Community-academic partnerships that invest in strong relationships, community leadership, and a commitment to the community's preferred language offer a promising approach to addressing COVID-19 testing barriers. Findings provide direction for future research on how community members and academic partners can come together to inform strategies to continue addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Excellence in healthcare: nurturing servant leadership, fostering collaborative culture and promoting social sustainability in the UAE - strategies for transformation.

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the healthcare sector of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to explore the significance of servant leadership and collaborative culture in fostering social sustainability. The primary objective of this paper is to investigate how servant leadership and a collaborative culture contribute to social sustainability in health care in the UAE. With a focus on promoting well-being within healthcare organizations, the paper aims to uncover the synergies between servant leadership, collaborative culture, and social sustainability. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: This paper conducted a multilayer literature review of existing literature on servant leadership, collaborative culture and social sustainability in health care, both globally and specifically in the UAE context, and a conceptual model was proposed. FINDINGS: Servant leadership proves to be a culturally pertinent and effective leadership model within the UAE due to its alignment with cultural values, emphasis on community support, and the robust health-care system that contributes to individual well-being. This combination establishes a solid foundation for fostering a healthy and sustainable society. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Limitations and implications are discussed. The current research has not identified the boundary conditions under which servant leadership and collaborative culture may be more or less effective. This could involve exploring industry-specific influences or contextual factors. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The research seeks to unravel the interconnections between servant leadership, collaborative culture and social sustainability. To the best of the author's knowledge, none of the studies have explored the interrelationships of these constructs, particularly in the UAE context.

Microbial Primer: Cooperation in bacteria.

The growth and success of many bacteria appear to rely on a stunning range of cooperative behaviours. But what is cooperation and how is it studied?

Favoritism or bias? Cooperation and competition under different intergroup relationships: evidence from EEG hyperscanning.

Cooperation and competition are the most common forms of social interaction in various social relationships. Intergroup relationships have been posited to influence individuals' interpersonal interactions significantly. Using electroencephalography hyperscanning, this study aimed to establish whether intergroup relationships influence interpersonal cooperation and competition and the underlying neural mechanisms. According to the results, the in-group Coop-index is better than the out-group, whereas the out-group Comp-index is stronger than the in-group. The in-group functional connectivity between the frontal-central region and the right temporoparietal junction in the ß band was stronger in competition than cooperation. The out-group functional connectivity between the frontal-central region and the left temporoparietal junction in the α band was stronger in cooperation than competition. In both cooperation and competition, the in-group exhibited higher interbrain synchronization between the prefrontal cortex and parietal region in the θ band, as well as between the frontal-central region and frontal-central region in the α band, compared to the out-group. The intrabrain phase-locking value in both the α and ß bands can effectively predict performance in competition tasks. Interbrain phase-locking value in both the α and θ bands can be effectively predicted in a performance cooperation task. This study offers neuroscientific evidence for in-group favoritism and out-group bias at an interpersonal level.

Replicator-mutator dynamics with evolutionary public goods game-environmental feedbacks.

Feedback loops between strategies and the environment are commonly observed in socio-ecological, evolution-ecological, and psychology-economic systems. However, the impact of mutations in these feedback processes is often overlooked. This study proposes a novel model that integrates the public goods game with environmental feedback, considering the presence of mutations. In our model, the enhancement factor of the public goods game combines positive and negative incentives from the environment. By employing replicator-mutator (RM) equations, we provide an objective understanding of the system's evolutionary state, focusing on identifying conditions that foster cooperation and prevent the tragedy of the commons. Specifically, mutations play a crucial role in the RM dynamics, leading to the emergence of an oscillatory tragedy of the commons. By verifying the Hopf bifurcation condition, we establish the existence of a stable limit cycle, providing valuable insights into sustained oscillation strategies. Moreover, the feedback mechanism inherent in the public goods game model offers a fresh perspective on effectively addressing the classic dilemma of the tragedy of the commons.

Discipline and punishment in panoptical public goods games.

In Public Goods Games (PGG), the temptation to free-ride on others' contributions poses a significant threat to the sustainability of cooperative societies. Therefore, societies strive to mitigate this through incentive systems, employing rewards and punishments to foster cooperative behavior. Thus, peer punishment, in which cooperators sanction defectors, as well as pool punishment, where a centralized punishment institution executes the punishment, is deeply analyzed in previous works. Although the literature indicates that these methods may enhance cooperation on social dilemmas under particular contexts, there are still open questions, for instance, the structural connection between graduated punishment and the monitoring of public goods games. Our investigation proposes a compulsory PGG framework under Panoptical surveillance. Inspired by Foucault's theories on disciplinary mechanisms and biopower, we present a novel mathematical model that scrutinizes the balance between the severity and scope of punishment to catalyze cooperative behavior. By integrating perspectives from evolutionary game theory and Foucault's theories of power and discipline, this research uncovers the theoretical foundations of mathematical frameworks involved in punishment and discipline structures. We show that well-calibrated punishment and discipline schemes, leveraging the panoptical effect for universal oversight, can effectively mitigate the free-rider dilemma, fostering enhanced cooperation. This interdisciplinary approach not only elucidates the dynamics of cooperation in societal constructs but also underscores the importance of integrating diverse methodologies to address the complexities of fostering cooperative evolution.

Radical Collaboration: Reimagining Cancer Team Science.

SUMMARY: Here, we define a future of cancer team science adopting "radical collaboration"-in which six "Hallmarks of Cancer Collaboration" are utilized to propel cancer teams to reach new levels of productivity and impact in the modern era. This commentary establishes a playbook for cancer team science that can be readily adopted by others.

Social restructuring during harsh environmental conditions promotes cooperative behaviour in a songbird.

Cooperation may emerge from intrinsic factors such as social structure and extrinsic factors such as environmental conditions. Although these factors might reinforce or counteract each other, their interaction remains unexplored in animal populations. Studies on multilevel societies suggest a link between social structure, environmental conditions and individual investment in cooperative behaviours. These societies exhibit flexible social configurations, with stable groups that overlap and associate hierarchically. Structure can be seasonal, with upper-level units appearing only during specific seasons, and lower-level units persisting year-round. This offers an opportunity to investigate how cooperation relates to social structure and environmental conditions. Here, we study the seasonal multilevel society of superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus), observing individual responses to experimental playback of conspecific distress calls. Individuals engaged more in helping behaviour and less in aggressive/territorial song during the harsher non-breeding season compared to the breeding season. The increase in cooperation was greater for breeding group members than for members of the same community, the upper social unit, comprised of distinct breeding groups in association. Results suggest that the interaction between social structure and environmental conditions drives the seasonal switch in cooperation, supporting the hypothesis that multilevel societies can emerge to increase cooperation during harsh environmental conditions.

Integrating perspectives in developing mycorrhizal trait databases: a call for inclusive and collaborative continental efforts.

Global assessments of mycorrhizal symbiosis present large sampling gaps in rich biodiversity regions. Filling these gaps is necessary to build large-scale, unbiased mycorrhizal databases to obtain reliable analyses and prevent misleading generalizations. Underrepresented regions in mycorrhizal research are mainly in Africa, Asia, and South America. Despite the high biodiversity and endemism in these regions, many groups of organisms remain understudied, especially mycorrhizal fungi. In this Viewpoint, we emphasize the importance of inclusive and collaborative continental efforts in integrating perspectives for comprehensive trait database development and propose a conceptual framework that can help build large mycorrhizal databases in underrepresented regions. Based on the four Vs of big data (volume, variety, veracity, and velocity), we identify the main challenges of constructing a large mycorrhizal dataset and propose solutions for each challenge. We share our collaborative methodology, which involves employing open calls and working groups to engage all mycorrhizal researchers in the region to build a South American Mycorrhizal Database. By fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and embracing a continental-scale approach, we can create robust mycorrhizal trait databases that provide valuable insights into the evolution, ecology, and functioning of mycorrhizal associations, reducing the geographical biases that are so common in large-scale ecological studies.

Putting theory to the test: An integrated computational/experimental chemostat model of the tragedy of the commons.

Cooperation via shared public goods is ubiquitous in nature, however, noncontributing social cheaters can exploit the public goods provided by cooperating individuals to gain a fitness advantage. Theory predicts that this dynamic can cause a Tragedy of the Commons, and in particular, a 'Collapsing' Tragedy defined as the extinction of the entire population if the public good is essential. However, there is little empirical evidence of the Collapsing Tragedy in evolutionary biology. Here, we experimentally demonstrate this outcome in a microbial model system, the public good-producing bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa grown in a continuous-culture chemostat. In a growth medium that requires extracellular protein digestion, we find that P. aeruginosa populations maintain a high density when entirely composed of cooperating, protease-producing cells but completely collapse when non-producing cheater cells are introduced. We formulate a mechanistic mathematical model that recapitulates experimental observations and suggests key parameters, such as the dilution rate and the cost of public good production, that define the stability of cooperative behavior. We combine model prediction with experimental validation to explain striking differences in the long-term cheater trajectories of replicate cocultures through mutational events that increase cheater fitness. Taken together, our integrated empirical and theoretical approach validates and parametrizes the Collapsing Tragedy in a microbial population, and provides a quantitative, mechanistic framework for generating testable predictions of social behavior.

Adjustments in Interprofessional Communication: A Focus Group Study in Psychiatric Outpatient Units.

Communication in healthcare extends beyond patient care, impacting the work environment and job satisfaction. Interprofessional communication is essential for fostering collaboration, but challenges arise from differences in training, roles, and hierarchies. The study aimed to explore psychiatric outpatient clinicians' experiences of interprofessional communication and their perceptions of how the communication intersects the organizational and social work environment of healthcare. Qualitative research involved focus group interviews with clinicians from five psychiatric outpatient units in Central Sweden, representing diverse professions. The authors analyzed semi-structured interview data thematically to uncover clinicians' perspectives on interprofessional communication. An overarching theme, "Adjustment of communication," with subthemes "Synchronized communication" and "Dislocated communication," emerged. Clinicians adapted communication strategies based on situations and needs, with synchronized communication promoting collaboration and dislocated communication hindering it. Communicating with each other was highly valued, as it contributed to a positive work environment. The study underscores the importance of an open, supportive environment that fosters trust, and respect among healthcare clinicians. Consistent with prior research, collaboration gaps underscore the urgent need to improve interprofessional communication.

Indirect reciprocity with Bayesian reasoning and biases.

Reputations can foster cooperation by indirect reciprocity: if I am good to you then others will be good to me. But this mechanism for cooperation in one-shot interactions only works when people agree on who is good and who is bad. Errors in actions or assessments can produce disagreements about reputations, which can unravel the positive feedback loop between social standing and pro-social behaviour. Cooperators can end up punished and defectors rewarded. Public reputation systems and empathy are two possible mechanisms to promote agreement about reputations. Here we suggest an alternative: Bayesian reasoning by observers. By taking into account the probabilities of errors in action and observation and their prior beliefs about the prevalence of good people in the population, observers can use Bayesian reasoning to determine whether or not someone is good. To study this scenario, we develop an evolutionary game theoretical model in which players use Bayesian reasoning to assess reputations, either publicly or privately. We explore this model analytically and numerically for five social norms (Scoring, Shunning, Simple Standing, Staying, and Stern Judging). We systematically compare results to the case when agents do not use reasoning in determining reputations. We find that Bayesian reasoning reduces cooperation relative to non-reasoning, except in the case of the Scoring norm. Under Scoring, Bayesian reasoning can promote coexistence of three strategic types. Additionally, we study the effects of optimistic or pessimistic biases in individual beliefs about the degree of cooperation in the population. We find that optimism generally undermines cooperation whereas pessimism can, in some cases, promote cooperation.

Value creation in a learning community: an interprofessional partnership between nursing home care, education and students.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the value created in a learning community - comprised of different professionals and nursing students - at a nursing home. METHODS: A case study approach was used. Data were collected between 2019 and 2021 through self-reports, observations and stories (interviews, diaries). RESULTS: The template analysis revealed nine transcending themes, six associated with preexisting value-creation cycles (expected, immediate, potential, applied, realized and transformative value) and three other relevant themes: contextual, factors and value-creation initiators. CONCLUSIONS: A nursing home learning community comprised of diverse professionals in partnership with nursing students shows a variety of value creation and seems to potentially leverage interprofessional and lifelong learning activities, on top of formal nursing education. It is recommended to integrate the value-creation cycles into the processes of learning communities to promote collective decision-making. Research on both the final level of students involved and having residents participate in the learning community would be worthwhile.

When do stereotypes undermine indirect reciprocity?

Social reputations provide a powerful mechanism to stimulate human cooperation, but observing individual reputations can be cognitively costly. To ease this burden, people may rely on proxies such as stereotypes, or generalized reputations assigned to groups. Such stereotypes are less accurate than individual reputations, and so they could disrupt the positive feedback between altruistic behavior and social standing, undermining cooperation. How do stereotypes impact cooperation by indirect reciprocity? We develop a theoretical model of group-structured populations in which individuals are assigned either individual reputations based on their own actions or stereotyped reputations based on their groups' behavior. We find that using stereotypes can produce either more or less cooperation than using individual reputations, depending on how widely reputations are shared. Deleterious outcomes can arise when individuals adapt their propensity to stereotype. Stereotyping behavior can spread and can be difficult to displace, even when it compromises collective cooperation and even though it makes a population vulnerable to invasion by defectors. We discuss the implications of our results for the prevalence of stereotyping and for reputation-based cooperation in structured populations.

History and Prospects of Drug Discovery and Development Collaboration between Industry and Academia.

Research collaborations and licensing deals are critical for the discovery and development of life-saving drugs. This practice has been ongoing since the inception of the pharmaceutical industry. The current process of drug discovery and development is complex, regulated, and highly regimented, having evolved over time. Academia excels in the discovery of fundamental scientific concepts and biological processes, while industry excels in translational science and product development. Potential for collaboration exists at every step of the drug discovery and development continuum. This perspective walks through such collaborative activities, provides examples, and offers tips for potential collaborations.