Collaborative Construction Research Articles

Electrolyte Engineering via Competitive Solvation Structures for Developing Longevous Zinc Ion Batteries

AbstractAqueous zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) are troubled by the severe Zn dendrite growth and side reactions, manifesting as low coulombic efficiency and poor cyclic stability. Electrolyte engineering is regarded as an efficient method to improve Zn metal reversibility. Herein, a distinctive electrolyte regulation strategy is demonstrated for long‐lasting ZIBs through the construction of competitive solvation structures. In the composite aqueous system, the insoluble LiNO3 in dimethyl carbonate (DMC) is introduced to outwit active water dissociation from Zn2+ coordination environment, and the organic/anion‐enriched solvation structure enables the formation of a stable interface to effectively restrain adverse reactions. Distinctly, the Zn metal anode exhibits inhibited dendrite growth with high reversibility of plating/stripping processes over 1600 h with an exceptional cumulative capacity over 16 Ah cm−2, an ultra‐long lifespan over high‐temperature (50 °C), and high discharge of depth (65%). Furthermore, the Zn || V2O5 full battery can operate stably over 1000 cycles at 1 A g−1. This work points a direction to effectively solve the major challenges of ZIBs through the collaborative construction of a regulated electrolyte environment and interfacial chemistry.

Empowerment of Civil Society and the Army in Collaborative Innovation for Emergency Bridge Construction Due to Flash Floods in Bima NTB

This article aims to analyse the empowerment of civil society and the Indonesian Army in collaborative innovation for the construction of an emergency bridge due to flash floods in Bima Regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), in 2021. The flash flood had destroyed the bridge, which was the connecting access to the district market as the center of the community's local economy. The soft systems methodology (SSM) approach analyzed the complex situation involving various human activity systems in the bridge construction collaboration. The analysis results show the need for collaborative innovation between the Provincial and District Governments, Non-Government, the Indonesian National Army (TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), and civil society. Especially in disaster emergency conditions, the choice of Ultra-Wide Acrow Panel Bridge technology proposed bottom-up by the NTB Provincial Government and the Military Resort Command (Korem) 162/Wira Bhakti NTB proved to be faster, more practical and more robust than the Bailey Bridge technology by the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemen PUPR RI). This collaborative innovation restored road connectivity and the local economy and improved the quality of public services in Bima District. The contribution of this article is to provide enrichment about learning collaborative innovation in disaster management efforts and bottom-up infrastructure development in disaster situations.

Cocreation to Facilitate Communication and Collaboration Between Multidisciplinary Stakeholders in eHealth Research and Development: Case Study of the CARRIER (Coronary Artery Disease: Risk Estimations and Interventions for Prevention and Early Detection) Consortium.

Collaboration with diverse stakeholders in eHealth research is fundamental yet complex. Stakeholders from various disciplines do not "speak the same language" and have different levels of power and interest, resulting in contrasting objectives, priorities, and expectations. An approach to constructive communication and collaboration is necessary to overcome this complex dynamic. Cocreation, known in the field of eHealth most often to involve end users, may also be suitable for facilitating stakeholder engagement and alignment. This paper provides insights into the application of cocreation, specifically in the early phases of research that focus on involving and aligning relevant stakeholders from different academic and professional backgrounds. The case for this study was a group discussion with members of a multidisciplinary consortium that works on developing a personalized eHealth intervention for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Using stakeholder mapping, health and medicine experts, big data scientists, software developers, and an innovation manager (N=8) were invited to participate. The discussion was based on a user scenario and structured according to the Six Thinking Hats of de Bono, representing 6 different types of thinking. The discussion was recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically with the use of ATLAS.ti software. First, informative and intuitive thinking served the preparatory purpose of familiarization with the project details and other participants. Second, positive and critical thinking constituted the body of the discussion and resulted in an in-depth conversation. Third, creative and organizational thinking were action oriented and focused on solutions and planning to safeguard future progress. The participants repeatedly reflected on various intervention-related themes, ranging from intervention content to technical functionalities and from legal requirements to implementation in practice. Moreover, project-related matters were discussed, including stakeholder management and time and budget constraints. This paper demonstrates how cocreation can be of value for multidisciplinary stakeholder engagement and alignment. Based on stakeholder mapping (with whom to discuss), a dream user scenario (what to discuss), and the Six Thinking Hats of de Bono (how to discuss), the participants shared information, discussed differences, searched for solutions, and moved toward a collective approach regarding intervention development. The lessons learned may further improve the understanding of how cocreation can contribute to multidisciplinary collaboration.

Deconstructing verbal and nonverbal accommodation in Arabic cross-dialectal communication

Aims and objectives: This study examines language accommodation in cross-dialectal encounters. It demonstrates how speakers of different Arabic varieties use (non)accommodation strategies that include both verbal and embodied actions. Approach: The study uses qualitative data from Arabic cross-dialectal communication. In the course of their interactions, participants draw on linguistic and nonlinguistic resources to achieve either convergent or divergent accommodation. Using the theoretical frameworks of discourse analysis (DA) and communication accommodation theory (CAT), the study investigates natural conversations for insight into qualities of Arabic cross-dialectal communication. Data and analysis: The data were collected in the United States. In this study, the participants originate from four major geographical areas in the Arab world, including the Maghreb, Egypt and Sudan, the Levant, and the Gulf. Findings/conclusions: The analysis demonstrates that successful accommodation requires a verbal and nonverbal collaborative construction of meaning to achieve co-participation. Participants linguistically converge while they display a shared Arab identity. The data also show that when a sense of shared Arabness is deemphasized and the positive social image to a group’s variety is violated, divergence as a nonaccommodative strategy is used. Originality: This is the first study that demonstrates how different modes of accommodation are expressed, not only through speech but also through embodied actions. The study shows that accommodation as a process is not complete at the verbal level; it must be orchestrated at multiple semiotic levels, including nonverbal ones. Significance/implications: Scholars have paid less attention to nonverbal accommodation. This study seeks to bridge this gap by analyzing both verbal and nonverbal accommodation, whether convergent or divergent, in Arabic cross-dialectal communication. It shows how speakers of different dialects use accommodation to signal intergroup relations and negotiate different social identities.

Research Progress of Human Origins

The birth of human is a miracle in earth history, and the earliest human could be traced back to Sahelanthropus tchadensis, who had existed for at least about seven million years. In cultural anthropology, human is defined as a creature capable of using language, having a complex social organization, and science and technology. The origin of human has always been the focus of the field of paleoanthropology, including creationism, theory of evolution, panspermia, and aquatic ape hypothesis. Although there is some evidence to support each hypothesis, conclusive evidence is still lacking. China has a favorable geographical location and a good foundation in the field of paleoanthropology and related disciplines. The scientists from China successively discovered the fossils of Homo erectus, Heidelberg man, Homo sapiens and Danisova man, and made an important breakthrough in the “from fish to man” research. However, the exploration of the origin of human beings in China is facing challenges such as extensive research fields, lack of high-level scientific research bases and insufficient fossil discovery and identification. It is suggested that the research on the origin of human beings in China should focus on the three fields of land, ocean, and space, find more fossils and evidence, strengthen the identification and research of fossils, and cultivate more talents with international perspectives through the construction of high-level research bases and cross collaboration.

Progressive 3D Reconstruction for Collaborative Construction of Digital Twins

Digital twins are increasingly useful in metaverse-related applications, but their construction process usually involves deep technical expertise and costly resources. This position paper demonstrates an early prototype (see Figure 1) of a web-based digital twin authoring system to enable untrained users to collaboratively build digital twin environments. The system aims to explore the combination of photogrammetry and GAN-based machine learning models to enable near-real-time collaboration between capture client (scanning objects using common smartphone cameras) and editing client (constructing 3D scenes on thin client devices) users.

Reproducibility in pharmacometrics applied in a phase III trial of BCG-vaccination for COVID-19

Large clinical trials often generate complex and large datasets which need to be presented frequently throughout the trial for interim analysis or to inform a data safety monitory board (DSMB). In addition, reliable and traceability are required to ensure reproducibility in pharmacometric data analysis. A reproducible pharmacometric analysis workflow was developed during a large clinical trial involving 1000 participants over one year testing Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) (re)vaccination in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) morbidity and mortality in frontline health care workers. The workflow was designed to review data iteratively during the trial, compile frequent reports to the DSMB, and prepare for rapid pharmacometric analysis. Clinical trial datasets (n = 41) were transferred iteratively throughout the trial for review. An RMarkdown based pharmacometric processing script was written to automatically generate reports for evaluation by the DSMB. Reports were compiled, reviewed, and sent to the DSMB on average three days after the data cut-off, reflecting the trial progress in real-time. The script was also utilized to prepare for the trial pharmacometric analyses. The same source data was used to create analysis datasets in NONMEM format and to support model script development. The primary endpoint analysis was completed three days after data lock and unblinding, and the secondary endpoint analyses two weeks later. The constructive collaboration between clinical, data management, and pharmacometric teams enabled this efficient, timely, and reproducible pharmacometrics workflow.

Influential factors affecting perceptions of interprofessional collaboration for advancing health outcomes: Insights and recommendations from an international fellowship program

ObjectivesThis study aims to examine the perception of health professions faculty towards interprofessional collaboration and to analyze how these perceptions are linked with their profession and prior professional experiences. MethodsThis study includes a convenience sample of 90 professionals who enrolled in a fellowship programme that focused on leadership competencies in interprofessional education. The perception of the Interprofessional Collaboration Model Questionnaire (PINCOM-Q) was used for data collection. The Chi-square test for independence was used to explore the relationship between profession and perception. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare between the groups. ResultsThe response rate was 90%, with the majority of the participants being women (n = 49, 54.4%). The mean age was 42.16 ± 5.88 years (Range = 31–55 years). The most prominent constructs of collaboration perceived by the participants were: motivation, group leadership, and organisational culture. A difference in the perception based on age, years of experience, prior experience of working in interprofessional teams, and profession was observed. The Pearson correlation between construct averages was statistically significant (p ≤ 0.001) between: individuals and groups, r = 0.493; individuals and organisation, r = 0.418; and group and organisation, r = 0.683. ConclusionThe present study revealed that the perception of health professions faculty towards interprofessional collaboration differs in relation to their gender, age, professional qualification, working experience, professional background, and past experience with the interprofessional team. The study highlights the need to consider these factors while working with interprofessional teams.

Thinking for Soul, Reforming to Empower, and Cooperating to Strengthen Foundation: Responding to Implementation of Educational Reform of Civics and Political Science with Fuzzy Theory Algorithm

INTRODUCTION: Against the background of the new period of casting souls in Civics, empowering reforms, and strengthening foundations through cooperation, it is necessary to put the educational concepts and strategies of the Party and the government into practice in the process of deepening the educational reform of Civics and Politics courses.
 OBJECTIVES: This paper starts from the practical feasibility of the work and the conditions of the course design, with clear objectives, optimizing the teaching content, innovating and improving the teaching mode, and gradually forming effective strategies and methods of educational thought and policy.
 METHODS: This work examines and synthesizes the challenges and strategies of ideological and political education reform in the contemporary era, employing fuzzy theory and algorithmic approaches.
 RESULTS: It is concluded that the reform of the ideological and political curriculum is not only suitable for the development of students but also for the development of an era. Therefore, it is necessary to retain the content of all new textbooks, pay attention to the inclusion of ideological and political content in all textbooks, and ensure that there are scientifically sound and appropriate teaching materials for all teaching materials in order to contribute to the development of curriculum ideology and politics effectively.
 CONCLUSION: In the implementation process, it is necessary to improve the comprehensive quality of ideological and political course teaching, establish a sound ideological and political teaching system, and set up a comprehensive construction and educational collaboration mechanism. A multifactor ideological and political learning platform has been created to promote closer integration and interaction between theoretical learning and value orientation.

Research on Collaborative Construction of Virtual and Real Teaching and Research Section in Application-oriented Universities

The collaborative development of virtual and real teaching and research offices is an important exploration of the construction of new grass-roots teaching organizations in the information age. In order to better define the construction standards of virtual and real teaching and research offices and construct the evaluation index system of virtual and real teaching and research offices, this paper discusses the necessity of collaborative construction of virtual and real teaching and research offices in colleges and universities from the perspective of synergy theory, sorts out the present situation and existing problems of teaching and research offices in colleges and universities, and puts forward corresponding solutions and construction objectives. By constructing a "one body, two wings and multiple supports" teaching and research section organization system, the function of teaching and research section as a basic teaching organization in applied undergraduate colleges is strengthened.

The quality of collaboration with child welfare scale (Q-CCW): Development and validation

Collaborations in child welfare are crucial for addressing complex needs and improving outcomes for children and their families. In this study we aimed to develop and validate the Quality of Collaboration with Child Welfare (Q-CCW) scale to assess working relationships between providers and child welfare workers. The scale was developed to assess four attributes of collaboration: quality of the working relationship, responsiveness, joint understanding, and communication. Following its construction, the scale was administered to a sample of 208 participants, including mental health clinicians, foster/kinship parents, and lawyers/evaluators. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a one-factor solution, indicating a unified construct of quality collaboration, that demonstrated reliability. The Q-CCW can facilitate the measurement and improvement of collaborations in child welfare, thereby contributing to enhanced service delivery and positive outcomes for children and families.

Enhancing construction robot learning for collaborative and long-horizon tasks using generative adversarial imitation learning

The development and deployment of robots on construction sites are integral to the industrialization of construction, known as Construction 4.0. Tele-operated and pre-programmed robots have enhanced construction efficiency and safety. However, their utilization on-site remains limited due to the need for expert remote control and the lack of adaptability in dynamic environments. Reinforcement learning (RL) has emerged as a promising solution, as RL-controlled robots possess inherent self-learning abilities to adapt to diverse situations. Nevertheless, manual design of RL reward functions for complex tasks poses challenges. To address this issue, inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) methods, such as Generative Adversarial Imitation Learning (GAIL), have been proposed to learn optimal actions through expert demonstration and self-exploration, without explicitly defined reward functions. In this study, we propose an innovative approach integrating GAIL and virtual reality (VR) integrated robot control approach to control robots for long-horizon collaborative construction tasks involving multiple sub-tasks. We employ VR expert demonstrations as input for GAIL training, enabling a team of robots, including an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) and two robot arms, to interact with the designed RL environment and perform tasks such as transporting, picking, and installing window panels. Handle long-horizon collaborative construction tasks (i.e., a long sequence of several sub-tasks performed by multiple robots). For evaluation, we compare the performance of our VR-GAIL model with a prevalent and robust RL baseline model, Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO). The results demonstrate that our reward-free VR-GAIL model achieves, on average, a 4.5% higher success rate than the PPO counterpart equipped with carefully designed reward functions across all three sub-tasks and their randomized variations. Furthermore, the performance gap between GAIL and PPO widens as the task difficulty increases. These findings indicate that our approach effectively enhances RL agent performance in tackling complex construction tasks while expediting development by eliminating reward function design requirements.

Multi-Camera-Based Human Activity Recognition for Human-Robot Collaboration in Construction.

As the use of construction robots continues to increase, ensuring safety and productivity while working alongside human workers becomes crucial. To prevent collisions, robots must recognize human behavior in close proximity. However, single, or RGB-depth cameras have limitations, such as detection failure, sensor malfunction, occlusions, unconstrained lighting, and motion blur. Therefore, this study proposes a multiple-camera approach for human activity recognition during human-robot collaborative activities in construction. The proposed approach employs a particle filter, to estimate the 3D human pose by fusing 2D joint locations extracted from multiple cameras and applies long short-term memory network (LSTM) to recognize ten activities associated with human and robot collaboration tasks in construction. The study compared the performance of human activity recognition models using one, two, three, and four cameras. Results showed that using multiple cameras enhances recognition performance, providing a more accurate and reliable means of identifying and differentiating between various activities. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the advancement of human activity recognition and utilization in human-robot collaboration in construction.

Orchestrierung produktiver Unterrichtsgespräche im Schweizer Mathematikunterricht der zweiten Primarstufe

AbstractProductive classroom talks provide a variety of learning opportunities including the collaborative construction of mathematical meaning. To support the orchestration of productive classroom talk, teachers can use specific conversational strategies called “talk moves”. Positive relations between the number of productive talk moves, discourse quality, and learning success have been demonstrated, but mostly at the secondary school level and in English-speaking countries. There are very few findings from elementary school in German-speaking countries. The present study makes the first step towards closing this gap by analyzing classroom talk in mathematics second grade classes in Switzerland (n = 22). The dataset includes recordings of mathematics lessons as well as students’ pretest and posttest performance in mathematics. The results show that teachers varied in their use of productive talk moves and that some talk moves such as reasoning moves were preferred, depending on the teacher. In addition, the number of productive talk moves was positively related to both the number of justifications students provided and their learning success. Implications for the use of productive classroom talk in elementary school mathematics lessons are discussed.

Status and future prospects of the NEWS-G experiment

The NEWS-G collaboration is searching for light dark matter using spherical proportional counters. Access to the mass range from 50 MeV to 10 GeV is enabled by the combination of low energy threshold, light gaseous targets (H, He, Ne), and highly radio-pure detector construction. Several of the recent developments that have paved the way for the operation of a new 140 cm in diameter, spherical proportional counter are presented. Constructed and commissioned at LSM using 4N copper with a 500\muμxm electroplated inner layer, the detector is now installed in SNOLAB, where it has begun data taking. Building on the electroplating of the current detector, the collaboration construct its next detector directly in the underground laboratory, using ultra-pure copper electroforming. The design and construction of ECUME, a 140 cm in diameter spherical proportional counter fully electroformed underground is discussed, along with the potential to achieve sensitivity reaching the neutrino floor in light Dark Matter searches with a next-generation detector.

Student Versus Expert Outlines in Reading Comprehension: The Effect of Collaborative Construction

Reading comprehension is a basic skill that influences the outcomes of language learning. The role played by using different cognitive organizers and collaboration as well in the improvement of reading comprehension of academic texts has been a subject of recent literature. Hence, this study employed the experimental 2 × 2 factorial design to identify the difference in effect of two types of outlines, student-constructed versus expert-constructed, on EFL learners’ reading comprehension across two modes of learning, collaborative and individual. Participants were 161 English majors from a reading intact English course at a Saudi university. They were randomly assigned into four treatment groups, two student-constructed and two expert-constructed outlines groups. After ensuring a homogenous level of the four groups in reading comprehension, the groups had the reading comprehension test on one mode of application; collaborative student-constructed, collaborative expert-constructed, individual student-constructed, and individual expert-constructed outlines. The findings revealed that there was a significant main effect among the four groups in reading comprehension scores favoring the student-constructed outlines groups. Besides that, the findings indicated that the collaborative student-constructed outlining is the most effective mode. The implications are discussed in terms of the efficacy of student-construction of outlines in a collaborative context and recommend its significance in supporting EFL learners’ reading comprehension of academic texts.

Harnessing digital community mapping for the development of primary and secondary students’ civic competences: a case study

In this study, we examine a pedagogical activity centered around the collaborative construction of a digital community map, involving students from 4th to 7th grade. Our primary focus is to explore how engaging students in meaningful activities related to their local environment can facilitate the development of civic and social competences. Furthermore, we propose a methodology for analyzing the digital artifacts created by students, with the goal of examining the connection between the discursive actions carried out through the artifacts and different types of social and civic competences. The analysis enables us to discuss four distinct categories of artifacts: Task-oriented, Reflexive/descriptive, Critical/problematizing, and Transformative/agentic. Each category encompasses artifacts that embody a specific set of discursive actions and corresponds to different competences. We claim that identifying the discursive actions that the students perform by means of the artifacts can help teachers to assess the students’ competences during this type of pedagogical activities.

How Do Midwives View Their Professional Autonomy, Now and in Future?

Internationally, midwives' professional autonomy is being challenged, resulting in their inability to practice to their full scope of practice. This situation contrasts with the increasing international calls for strengthening the midwifery profession. The aim of this study therefore is to explore Belgian midwives' views on their current and future autonomy. An online survey among Belgian midwives was performed. Data were collected and analyzed using a quantitative approach, while quotes from respondents were used to contextualize the quantitative data. Three hundred and twelve midwives from different regions and professional settings in Belgium completed the questionnaire. Eighty-five percentage of respondents believe that they are mostly or completely autonomous. Brussels' midwives feel the most autonomous, while those in Wallonia feel the least. Primary care midwives feel more autonomous than hospital-based midwives. Older midwives and primary care midwives feel less recognized and respected by other professionals in maternity care. The majority of our respondents believe that in future midwives should be able to work more autonomously in constructive collaboration with other professionals. While Belgian midwives generally rated their own professional autonomy as high, a significant majority of respondents desire more autonomy in future. In addition, our respondents want to be recognized and respected by society and other health professionals in maternity care. It is recommended to prioritize efforts in enhancing midwives' autonomy, while also addressing the need for increased recognition and respect from society and other maternity care professionals.

Safe human-robot collaboration in construction: A conceptual perspective

Introduction: Small mobile robots have become increasingly popular in the construction domain over the last few years. They are stable on rough terrains, can walk over small obstacles, climb stairs, and carry various sensors or arms to perform diverse functions and sub-tasks required to complete construction-related tasks. Saving time, improving accessibility to difficult or unsafe spaces, and reducing costs while accomplishing construction tasks are some of the benefits of using small, mobile robots in construction. However, serious concerns about new workplace hazards could arise from having mobile robots on the jobsite. Unfortunately, no study has attempted to evaluate these risks, especially in the construction domain. Therefore, there was a significant need to develop a holistic understanding of the direct and indirect risks of mobile robot applications in construction. Method: In this paper, we used inferential and Virtual Reality (VR) visualization techniques to: (1) construct conceptual visualizations of proximal and distant human-robot interaction within the construction context; and (2) identify potential safety challenges of robots, which were categorized into three groups: (a) physical risks, (b) attentional costs, and (c) psychological impacts. These identified safety challenges were then validated and ranked by a group of construction safety and robotic experts who had knowledge and experience using such robots in construction. Practical Applications: The outcomes of the study provided a detailed understanding of how robots might adversely affect workers’ safety and health. The study outcomes could also be ultimately used in creating regulatory and administrative guidelines for the safe operations of small mobile robots in construction.

Yeknemilis: Social Learning and Intercultural Transdisciplinary Collaboration for Sustainable Life

Intercultural transdisciplinary research reinforces sustainable social-ecological systems in Latin America. Social learning (SL) is a crucial process within this type of research as it fosters collaboration among diverse groups of people, communities of practice, and cultures. Buen vivir (‘well living’), of the popular movements in America, promotes collective responsibility and respect for life. Yeknemilis (‘a good life’) is a value framework of the Masewal people of the Sierra Madre Oriental, Mexico. Members of Tosepan, an organization of the Masewal and other indigenous peoples of this region, reflected on their cultural roots, ways of life, and relations with the territory to strengthen their alternative and self-determined lifeway. Involvement in participatory research within the transdisciplinary process allowed us to focus on the learnings and conditions that foster values and strategies for yeknemilis. Through participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and participatory activities, we identified five key social learning areas that foster conditions for yeknemilis and life-sustaining relationships in intercultural transdisciplinary collaboration (ITC): collective action agenda, community capacities, intercultural transdisciplinarity, creative reflexivity, and a relational ontology horizon. Finally, we show how the collaborative construction of yeknemilis and social learning practices can be crucial in scaling up collective action toward sustainability.