Asset Framework Research Articles

Modular assurance of an Autonomous Ferry using Contract-Based Design and Simulation-based Verification Principles

Abstract With the introduction of autonomous technology into our society, e.g. autonomous shipping, it is important to assess and assure the safety of autonomous systems in a real-world context. Simulation-based testing is a common approach to attempt to verify performance of autonomous systems, but assurance also requires formal evidence. This paper introduces the Assurance of Digital Assets (ADA) framework, a structured method for the assurance of digital assets, i.e. novel, complex, or intelligent systems enabled by digital technologies, using contract-based design. Results are shown for an autonomous ferry assurance case, focusing on collision avoidance during the ferry’s transit. Further, we discuss the role of simulation-based testing in verifying compliance to contract specifications, to build the necessary evidence for an assurance case.

Understanding the Effect of External and Internal Assets on Hazardous/Harmful Drinking Among Chinese College Students: A Serial Mediation Model.

Hazardous/harmful drinking among college students is increasingly becoming a global health concern. Previous studies have mostly paid more attention to the prevalence and risk factors of alcohol use disorder based on the public health approach, and less is understood about psychological mechanisms and protective factors of problem drinking behavior. Grounded in the framework of developmental assets, this study explored the predictive effect of external assets (i.e., social connectedness) and internal assets (i.e., self-concept clarity and drinking refusal self-efficacy) on hazardous/harmful drinking among Chinese college students. Participants were 598 college students with a mean age of 19.41 (SD = 1.21) years. The results of structural equation modeling showed that social connectedness negatively predicted college students' hazardous/harmful drinking. Moreover, our path analyses revealed a serial mediation among these variables: students with high social connectedness tended to report high self-concept clarity, which in turn increased drinking refusal self-efficacy, and consequently decreased the level of hazardous/harmful drinking. This study revealed the mechanisms underlying how external and internal assets predict risky drinking among college students. These findings made significant contributions to prevention and precision interventions for college-aged youth with drinking problems.

Youth inclusion in value chain development: a case of the aquaculture in Nigeria

Many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have made youth inclusion a top priority in their development agendas. This is aimed at overcoming social, technical, and institutional obstacles and providing fair and significant opportunities for the growth of young people. Inclusive agricultural value chain development (VCD) is being used to address youth unemployment in the region. The Nigerian government and its partners have invested in aquaculture VCD to create employment opportunities for young men and women, but the participation rate is low, at around 2%. Further, research and practices focusing on rural youth inclusion in VCD is scant, with biases towards urban youth inclusion. This study explored youth engagement in the aquaculture value chain and how the chain features and context shape inclusive mechanisms/patterns of youth inclusion in VCD processes. We used the integrated livelihood asset framework, access approach, and VCD approaches to present an analysis of conditions influencing the inclusion of young men and women in the aquaculture VCD in Nigeria. Accordingly, two youth inclusion strategies were identified: investment and risk management strategies. Young men and women from better-off households adopt investment strategy and dominate the production function. They use their resources, social networks and support from youth-focused aquaculture projects to invest in production functions. Those adopting a risk management strategy dominate the processing, distribution, and marketing functions. They dominantly use social networks, support from aquaculture projects, and Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) to mitigate risks. The high demand for fresh and processed fish, supportive policies, and youth-centered aquaculture projects encourages the engagement of young men and women to adopt either of the strategies. However, they face challenges such as high-cost and low-quality inputs, lack of tailored services, inadequate infrastructure, and sociocultural norms. This study contributes to youth inclusion literature, provides a comprehensive theoretical lens for understanding youth inclusion in VCD, and offers insights into the specific case of young men and women’s engagement in the aquaculture sector in Nigeria.

An Asset Framework to Guide Nonhealth Policy for Population Health

This JAMA Forum discusses 3 types of assets (financial, physical, and social) that unlock access to resources and shape population health.

The Advent of Virtual Digital Assets: Analysing its Status in the Fintech Sector

Fintech, or financial technology, introduces the role of technology in finance, which forwards the discussion on big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning, facilitating investment opportunities. However, it is considered to have been introduced and evolved as the Bitcoin protocol in 2009. Digital assets date with the coining of ‘bit gold.’ This was formulated as a decentralised digital currency. The aim behind introducing such a currency was to have a payment mechanism outside the vigilance of the central authority, with a recurring high value. This laid the foundation of blockchain technology, inaugurating the market in digital assets. The utilisation of distributed ledger technology attracted a lot of financial players towards it. Creating digital assets and their required funding subsists on ongoing market changes and investor demands. Computer codes form the skeletal framework of digital assets and depend on agreement-based computer algorithms for effectuating transactions. These digital assets include an almost exhaustive range of virtual assets. Shifting the discussion to the "good faith acquisition" regime, when the transferee of property acquires a good title irrespective of the defect in the title of the transferor, it is known as "good faith acquisition" or "negotiability," an exception to the general rule: nemo dat quod non habet ("no one gives what they don't have"). In this scenario, good faith acquisition (negotiability) is quite relevant as digital assets transfer functions based on quite complex structures, which can be deceiving in disputes arising from insolvency, etc. This has been brought to light with the example of a digital asset held in custody by a third-party intermediary. Here, the legal status of the asset is uncertain, which creates the problem of determining who has the right to claim ownership over it. This is where the new legal framework for digital assets is needed to clear the air and award digital tokens the status of ‘property’ regarding these issues. The proposed legal framework can take due recourse to legal concepts, such as the law of bailment. This paper seeks to analyse and establish the legitimate status of virtual digital assets globally, slowly transitioning to a virtually driven e-community.

Internal and Social Assets, Weight-Based Bullying, Sport, and Activity Among Female Adolescents

Via a school-based survey, we used a developmental assets framework to investigate associations of internal and social characteristics and weight-based bullying with sport and physical activity (PA) among female adolescents with high weight status (n = 4,468; Mage = 14.9 years, SDage = 1.3; body mass index ≥ 95th percentile). Participants reported ≥60 min of PA on approximately 3.0 days (SD = 2.1) in the previous week. Over one-third played organized team sports, averaging 3.5 days (SD = 1.5) per week. Weight-based bullying was common (46%) and unassociated with lower sport and PA. Results from t-tests and chi-squared tests demonstrated that adolescents who played sport (vs. those who did not) had higher internal developmental assets, better perceived health, and stronger perceptions of caring from parents, friends, and other community adults. Similarly, adolescents engaging in more PA reported higher developmental assets. In regression models adjusted for all variables and demographic characteristics, higher internal developmental assets, better perceived health, and stronger perceptions of caring from adults in the community were positively and significantly associated with increased odds of sport participation and higher PA. Findings suggest female adolescents with high weight status have internal and social assets related to their participation in PA and sport, despite experiencing weight-based bullying. Adults (e.g., coaches, parents, and healthcare professionals) should help female adolescents with high weight status participate in sport and PA and build developmental assets. Adults should also recognize the frequent weight-based bullying youth encounter and strive to mitigate it in sport and PA contexts.

S5-4 Aquatic literacy for a lifelong safe and fun engagement in aquatic activities

Abstract Development Aquatic literacy (AL), emerging from the broader concept of physical literacy and translated to the aquatic environment, comes close to the concept of water competence. Water competence is described as a broad spectrum of competencies required to effectively help to prevent drowning by integrating the physical competencies with the cognitive and affective. Dudley (2019) explains the learning’ in aquatic environments from a physical literacy perspective, describing four dimensions: psychomotor, cognitive, affective, and social aspects. In aquatic literacy special attention is given to positive motivation to engage in aquatic recreation, considering the degree to which individuals have been privileged or restrained for different aquatic activities in a variety of contexts. The European project “Aquatic literacy for all Children” or ALFAC aims to improve the quality of aquatic education, in order to prepare them to take part in wide range of water sports while at the same time protect children from the dangers looking for balanced ‘challenges’. Implementation Developing children's aquatic skills, motivation, enjoyment, engagement, and confidence will be studied in seven European countries. The target group consists of elementary school children. An international database, enabling situating the level of children on the basis of reference values is a valuable tool for pedagogues, researchers and institutional actors whose aim is to improve swimming education systems. Evaluation & Dissemination The objective of building a standardized set of tests and a common evaluation will allow to build the foundations of a transnational work that will have repercussions on the national plans of aquatic recreation in general and school swimming in particular. The three elements of the Personal Assets Framework are inspiring for the educational approach in aquatics: (a) personal engagement in activities, (b) quality social dynamics, and (c) appropriate settings. Conclusion With ALFAC a pragmatic but evidence based international AL measurement tool will be created enabling to identify the most relevant areas of progress in aquatic education. It will offer educational resources proposing tasks, technical content, and educational support to help individual children and groups in their progress of AL.

CENSUS OF ABANDONED BUILT HERITAGE ASSETS: THE IMPORTANCE OF DEFINING SHARED METHODOLOGIES AND ONTOLOGIES

Abstract. The paper shows the studies carried out within the framework of two research agreements for the census of abandoned enlisted assets owned by public bodies in the Provinces of Piacenza, Parma and Reggio Emilia, stipulated with the respective Heritage Departments. The purpose of this research is to increase the cognitive framework of cultural assets in a state of abandonment, and then to transfer the results to the dedicated WebGIS platform, with the aim of identifying the ones which are most in need of a conservation and reuse intervention, in order to return them back to their community. Afterwards, as a result of the cataloguing carried out, it was possible to make some critical considerations and statistical reworkings of the collected data. The data analysis, performed through the design of a GIS database, finds out a higher frequency of abandonment for some specific building types and with recurring locations. The research also highlights, once again, the importance of defining common ontologies, which are essential for statistical data processing and interoperability between different existing databases.

Digital twin-based structural health monitoring by combining measurement and computational data: An aircraft wing example

Digital twin is a concept that utilizes digital technologies to mirror the real-time states of physical assets and extract the hidden yet valuable information of physical assets for optimization, decision-making or scheduling. By combining measurement and computational data, this paper presents a digital twin-based structural health monitoring framework of physical assets. The process for building the measurement-computation combined digital twin (MCC-DT) involves four steps. First, an artificial intelligence-driven load identification method combining measurement and computational data is employed to recognize the loads applied on physical assets. Two approaches were proposed to realize load identification, based on single fidelity surrogate models and deep learning techniques, respectively. Second, multi-fidelity surrogate (MFS) models are applied to improve the accuracy in the MCC-DT. Two routes for implementing the MFS models are introduced and the advantages and shortcomings of both are analyzed. Third, an online rainflow counting algorithm is developed to calculate the degradation of the physical assets. The main advantage of the algorithm is that it can provide a near real-time estimation for the damage accumulated of physical assets. Finally, the data generated from the first three steps can be fused into a three-dimensional scene using Web graphics library to provide an intuitive view of the MCC-DT. To describe the implementation details of the framework and verify its applicability and effectiveness, the MCC-DT was established using an aircraft model as an example.

From Strength-Based Parenting to Subjective Well-Being of College Students: A Chain Mediating Role of Personal Growth Initiative and Strengths Use.

Previous research demonstrated a positive relationship between strength-based parenting (SBP) and subjective well-being (SWB). However, the underlying mechanisms still need further research. Based on the social cognitive theory and developmental assets framework, we investigated the influence of SBP on college students' SWB through the mediating role of personal growth initiative (PGI) and strengths use. A total of 621 Chinese college students were recruited. Participants completed self-report scales about the SBP, PGI, strengths use and SWB. The results showed that SBP had a positive impact on college students' SWB. On the one hand, PGI and strengths use mediated the above relationship respectively. On the other hand, SBP influenced SWB through the chain mediating effect of PGI and strengths use. The findings indicate that exploring the relationship between SBP and SWB has positive implications for family education and youth development.

Understanding the Leadership and Environmental Mechanisms in a Super League Netball Club

The personal assets framework offers a lens to better understand the relationship between leadership in sport environments and the resultant (athlete) developmental outcomes. This investigation aimed to explore how leadership behaviors and the broader environment of a Super League netball club represented an effective context for athletes to flourish by exploring the interrelations between the personal assets framework’s dynamic elements, namely (a) quality social dynamics, (b) appropriate settings, and (c) personal engagement in activities. Twenty-eight stakeholders were interviewed either individually or in small groups. The results revealed that the environment constructed was shaped by many interrelated mechanisms, and all stakeholders influenced how the dynamic elements intersected with one another. Key leadership behaviors driving the positive environment of the club were related to individualization and generating perceptions of value. The stakeholders’ desire to understand the relationship between their individual contribution and Super League netball was also crucial.

The Role of Family Support and Communication on PrEP Attitudes and Stigma Among Black Men who Sex with Men (BMSM).

This study addresses the gap in the literature on protective factors for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) stigma and attitudes among Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) and young adults using the Developmental Assets Framework to examine how external assets (eg, family support, open family communication, and communication with parents about sex and drugs) can help reduce stigma and increase positive attitudes toward PrEP use. A cross-sectional survey was administered to participants (N = 400, mean age = 23.46, standard deviation = 2.59) using Amazon Mechanical Turk, social media sites, and community-based organization. A path analysis was conducted to examine associations between stigma and positive attitudes toward PrEP among external assets (family support, communication with parents about sex and drugs, and open family communication). Communication with parents about sex and drugs was positive and directly associated with PrEP stigma (β = 0.42, P < 0.001). Family support was negative and indirectly associated with stigma associated with PrEP (β = -0.20, P < 0.001). This is the first study to use a developmental asset framework to assess positive PrEP attitudes and stigma among young BMSM. Our results underscore that parents have an influence on human immunodeficiency virus prevention behaviors for BMSM. In addition, their influence can be both positive by helping lowering PrEP stigma and negatively lowering PrEP attitudes. It is critical that we develop culturally competent human immunodeficiency virus and sexuality prevention and intervention programs for BMSM and their families.

Early Socialization of Adolescent Female Student Leaders: Gender Stereotypes, Leadership Purpose, and Role Models

This study was the last part of a four-part dissertation that investigated the early socialization patterns of eight female student leaders in middle and late adolescence from sectarian and non-sectarian schools in Metro Manila, Philippines. Guided by the Developmental Assets Framework, results show themes related to gender stereotypes, leadership purpose, and role models, in addition to themes related to perceived disadvantages and advantages of female leaders. Younger participants' responses reflect a stronger dependence on others, while older participants exhibit a more stable and deeper appreciation of their leadership role, which could be linked to identity achievement. Although all participants identified female role models, more non-sectarian participants identified male role models (brother, father, and uncle) compared to sectarian participants. Overall, one of the most important findings of this study involves participants' critical appraisal of negative gender stereotypes of female leadership. In addition, leadership experiences and socialization show that Generation Z participants' more sustained exposure to positive and more diverse role models from social media may largely explain their critical appraisal of gender stereotypes.

“It’s like an elephant in the room with my family”: LGBTQ+ College Students’ Identity Expression During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic led many college campuses to close and transition to remote learning. For lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, or otherwise non-heterosexual or cisgender (LGBTQ+) college students, these disruptions may have affected their ability to express their sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). We used a developmental assets framework and minority stress theory with open-ended survey responses to examine LGBTQ+ students’ ( N = 411, Mage = 20.5; 38.4% bisexual; 48.7% women) perceptions of whether and how their SOGI expression changed due to the pandemic. We found the majority of LGBTQ+ students described their SOGI expression as restricted. However, some students perceived no change or improvements in their SOGI expression. We also examined whether perceived change in expression differed by gender identity (transgender and gender non-conforming [TGNC] compared to cisgender), and whether students lived with family. TGNC students and students who lived with family were more likely than their peers to report restricted expression and TGNC students were more likely than cisgender students to perceive improvements in their expression. Our findings highlight the internal and external assets that promote positive developmental outcomes for adolescents with minoritized identities and how universities might support LGBTQ+ students.

Personal and Contextual Developmental Assets Predictors of Thriving in Adolescence

The Positive Youth Development approach suggests that positive development, or Thriving, can occur through a convergence of positive individual characteristics and favourable contextual conditions. The purpose of this study was to analyse the experience of Thriving in Portuguese adolescents and to specifically explore what personal and contextual Developmental Assets were predictive of Thriving. A convenience sample of 503 Portuguese students was evaluated, ages between 13 and 19 (M = 15.92; SD = 1.17), 63% female gender. Thriving is a multidimensional construct, so the results of this study indicate the individual variation in terms of interests and capabilities. Results suggest the impact of a subset of Developmental Assets on the prediction of Thriving, representing 36% of the variance in the Thriving Index scores, and between 9% to 33% on the variance of the Thriving Individual Indicators. A subset of Developmental Assets contributed to explain the variance in more than one outcome of Thriving: Personal Power, Planning and Decision Making, Cultural Competence, Achievement Motivation, and Participation in Youth programs. Results suggest the theoretical and practical utility of the use of Thriving indicators and of the Developmental Assets framework for understanding optimal development in adolescence.

Vulnerabilidad social por infraestructura de la vivienda en la Sierra Oriental de Hidalgo

In this research work, a multidimensional index is generated that allows measuring the vulnerability to disasters of precarious housing in the localities of the municipalities of Huehuetla, Tenango de Doria, San Bartolo, Acaxochitlán and Agua Blanca, Hidalgo, México. The Social Residential Vulnerability Index (IVRS) considers variables such as access to basic housing services and goods, home overcrowding, and precarious construction materials. Based on information from the 2020 Census, disaggregated by locality; the IVRS is estimated, which allows locating areas with higher levels of vulnerability due to housing infrastructure and that become priority areas to reduce inequalities within the state of Hidalgo. The IVRS is constructed from Kaztman's (2000). Vulnerability asset framework. Vulnerability is a multidimensional phenomenon shaped by physical and social factors; both are linked since one can be a trigger for the other. Physical factors are related to the quality of the buildings in which they live, while social factors are related to the conditions of the population, which, in this case, are overcrowding, and access to goods and information technologies. Of the 341 localities that make up the study area, 40% are grouped into sectors of high social residential vulnerability.

Toward an Integrative Paradigm of Positive Youth Development: Implications for Research, Practice, and Policy

Positive youth development (PYD) has gained considerable traction among researchers and practitioners in promoting adolescent well-being and mental health. Several models have also been proposed in conceptualizing and measuring PYD, almost all of which were developed in individualistic and Western contexts. The abundance of overlapping PYD indicators from different models poses a challenge in further expanding the applicability of PYD in diverse cultural settings. Based on a review of major PYD paradigms (i.e., five/six/seven Cs model, 15 PYD constructs, and the 40 developmental assets framework), we propose an integrative paradigm of PYD, which organizes the different indicators of adolescent thriving into three clusters: (a) intrapersonal-immediate, (b) interpersonal-proximal, and (c) ecological-distal indicators. Building on prior empirically supported models of PYD, this paradigm aims to provide a common and unifying taxonomy among developmental scientists in conceptualizing and measuring adolescent thriving without neglecting the specificity of adolescent development in various ecologies. Future directions for PYD researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to advance the field are discussed.

A livelihoods assessment of new entrants within the US fisheries agriculture continuum

Commercial fishing and farming are critical industries that ensure national food security, provide employment opportunities, and contribute to the well-being of rural livelihoods and communities. In the U.S., both industries face a looming challenge in the aging of their workforce and concerns about their long-term resilience. In this study, we document the issues faced by young farmers and fishers in the U.S. using a systematic literature review and expert interviews. These issues are analyzed and contextualized using the capital assets framework or livelihoods approach, which includes financial, physical, natural, human, and social capital, to understand the structural issues faced by individuals seeking occupations in commercial fishing and farming. We then examine the diverse programming that has been developed to facilitate entry into both industries across the capital assets framework. Fundamental issues continue to impede entry into both industries, but the mechanisms that have been developed in farming to address these challenges are far richer in variety, scope, and depth. This is at least in part due to the long-term national recognition of the aging crisis in farming and the centralized nature of data collections, funding, and programs that exist to help beginning farmers. In stark comparison, piecemeal efforts have been undertaken across the country to address fisheries entry issues resulting in disparate, micro-level programs that address a singular capital asset at a very localized scale. The interrelatedness of these issues across these industries and how they are being addressed provides a vantage point that is imperative for building knowledge and understanding of dynamics that may be tackled with cross-cutting programs.

Optimal Portfolio Allocation between Global Stock Indexes and Safe Haven Assets: Gold versus the Swiss Franc (1999–2021)

This paper contributes to the literature on safe haven assets, analyzing gold and the Swiss Franc’s defensive properties inside various global stocks portfolios. The analysis relies on monthly data extending over the last two decades. Drawing on Multivariate Garch DCC models, the hedging effectiveness of bivariate Swiss Franc-hedged portfolios is found to be notably higher than that of gold-hedged portfolios. Value-at-Risk simulations, assuming equal or “optimal” portfolio weights, confirm these results inside a multivariate asset framework, while a regression approach with quantile dummies provides further support in this regard. Since the better hedge and safe haven properties of the Swiss Franc are likely to persist in the future, the main policy implication of the paper concerns asset allocation strategies giving relatively more weight to the Swiss currency in global stock portfolios.

The Dynamic Typology in the Development Process of Credit Union Movements

The aim of this paper is to find a dynamic framework of analysis of credit union movements by grouping credit unions into different category types. Within the heterogeneous reality of the worldwide credit union movement, the typology provides a clearer understanding of the dynamics of change and development. We use panel-ordered logistic regression to find the key covariates of influence when analyzing the original typology to add further explanation of the development of credit union movements. By using transnational research, we revisit each of the three categories of the original typology to re-evaluate and expand upon the relevance of this particular model. We also include the elements of economy, society, education, and culture in other countries in this research. Our findings suggest that the stage of development of the credit union movement depends on the variables of asset scale, financial crisis, legislative framework, economy, society, and culture of the country. In addition, they indicate that the penetration rate of the credit union movement depends on the asset scale, loan ratio, credit union growth, financial crisis, economy, society, education, and culture of the country. This lends support to the recognition of the diversity of the credit unions’ development.