, where 𝑝 is the number of node pairs (excluding node i) between which a path exists, 𝜎 , is the number of shortest paths between nodes u and v, and 𝜎 , 𝑖 the number of shortest paths between u and v that pass through node i. The multiplicity of a shortest path between two nodes is defined as the product of the edge weights of the path. bci, thus, provides information on the number of times with which a species acts as an intermediate between network connections.