Organizational Networks Research Articles

Lacking Accountability and Effectiveness Measures: Exploring the Implementation of Mentoring Programs for Refugee Youth

A high proportion of refugees coming into the U.S. are under the age of 18, and many continue to struggle to attain basic educational qualifications which may lead to viable economic opportunity. Recently, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) began issuing youth mentoring (YM) grants to support the integration of refugee youth. This paper explores the decision-making processes of resettlement organizations in a vertically complex network of organizations which implemented the YM programs for refugee youth in one large city of Texas. Through a series of semi-structured interviews with program implementers, findings suggest that resettlement agencies remain powerless in making key programmatic decisions, including implementation of the programs and designing accountability and effectiveness measures, which can truly evaluate the program quality. Other findings suggest that across the network of organizations involved in implementation of the YM programs, compliance with federal regulation is prioritized over accountability. The lack of program effectiveness and accountability measures have implications for one of the most vulnerable population, refugee youth. The main recommendation for policy and practice argues for the lead public agency’s increased involvement in defining key outcomes for the program recipients in a vertically complex network.

Tobacco Free Advent Calendar: Evaluating innovative strategies in Public Health digital campaigns

Abstract Introduction Two editions, 2022 and 2023, of the Tobacco Free Advent Calendar (TFAC) built a large network of Organizations, Universities, Institutions, individual experts and medical students across Europe, coordinated by ENSPNext (European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention Youth Group), to advocate for Youth and for Public Health. This study has 2 objectives: 1. Monitor the performance of TFAC 2023 vs TFAC 2022 for 31 days 2. Evaluate improvements in reach and engagement made for TFAC 2023. Methods For 24 days, TFAC 2023 featured thematic messages, embedded fact sheets, quizzes, videos and call-to-action buttons. New content was accessible daily starting on the first day of advent, ending on Christmas. TFAC was available in English and Armenian. AI was used to assist for various tasks and challenges during development and research. Comparative and Time Series Analysis were conducted in Excel and IBM SPSS26. Results TFAC 2023 was accessed 3764 times (8.8% increase), the doors were opened 1506 times (3.9% decrease), Call to action buttons were clicked 261 times (169% increase). For english version a strong variation in reach was observed, but not in engagement which remained relatively constant. In Armenian version both reach and engagement varied in 2023 vs 2022. A seasonal component was identified for both versions, particularly an increase at weekends and a decrease on weekdays. Similar to 2022, the reach and engagement were higher at the start and lower as time passed, although in 2023 the reach and engagement remained higher and more constant over time. Completion rates of interactive materials ranged between 21.4% to 100% in the English version and from 7.1% to 100% in the Armenian version. No interactive material remained unanswered. Conclusions Decrease of translations didn’t lower the reach and engagement of TFAC. Engagement with TFAC 2023 was higher, possibly due to the implication of students organizations and collaboration with influencers. Key messages • Targeted dissemination increased the reach and engagement of TFAC 2023 versus TFAC 2022. • Members of the target group should be recruited for being members in the projects affecting them to increase engagement and impact of the campaign.

Leveraging Advanced Machine Learning Algorithms for Enhanced Cyberattack Detection on U.S. Business Networks

Cyberattacks' rising volume and sophistication have made conventional security measures, such as firewalls, signature-based intrusion detection systems, and antivirus software, increasingly inadequate. The upsurge of cyber threats has been one of the most pressing predicaments for U.S. organizations in the digital age. With the increased dependence on internet-based forums, cloud computing, and interconnected networks, companies face an advancing number of extreme cyberattacks. The chief objective of this research project is to design and deploy proven machine learning methods to enhance the detection and combating of cyberattacks on U.S. organization networks. This research project retrieved a cyber-attack dataset from Kaggle.com, which had a collection of public datasets of cyber threats. This dataset was curated precisely, offering a realistic representation of cyber-attack scenarios, making it an ideal playground for various analytical tasks. The collection was classified as per the source of the relevant information, such as host-based datasets, network traffic datasets, malware or fraud reports, or a special section for datasets that can be classified according to a specific source. The dataset comprised numerous network traffic attributes such as source and destination IP addresses, ports, protocol, payload size, and attack labels. For this research project, three machine learning algorithms were used, namely: Logistic Regression, XG-Boost and Random Forest. This research project applied performance metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score for the performance of the classification models were considered. The result illustrated that the random forest model was far superior in accuracy compared to the logistic regression model; particularly, it had excellent accuracy. Through the use of advanced machine learning models, organizations will be in a position to devise more dynamic and intelligent security systems that evolve with the threat landscape. These intelligent systems monitor every kind of anomaly, malicious activity, and threat response with unparalleled effectiveness. The findings of this research project have significant implications for enhancing cybersecurity in U.S. organizational networks.

A distance-based network activity correlation framework for defeating anonymization overlays

As the effectiveness of modern Internet-based anonymization infrastructures grows, law enforcement agencies are experiencing a progressive erosion of their surveillance capabilities. This can severely undermine their efforts to prevent and investigate various types of unlawful activities, potentially increasing the impunity of organized criminal networks. Balancing the legitimate privacy needs of individuals with the imperative to maintain public safety and combat criminal behavior in the digital world remains a complex tradeoff for both policymakers and technologists who need to find a systematic and reliable way to link the traffic traces associated with criminal activities to their anonymized origins. Accordingly, this paper presents a simple but very effective de-anonymization approach capable of associating traffic traces captured at the edge of the overlay infrastructures, in correspondence with the true origins, to those captured in correspondence with the destinations. The approach is based on determining the minimum-distance pairs within a complete bipartite graph in which the traffic traces are the nodes. Experiments with different distance functions, applied in varied ways, show that the resulting framework appears to be a promising solution that is scalable and easily deployable on real-life network equipment.

Organizational Influence on Security Development in Open-Source Software Projects

Increasing technological complexity, intensified competition, and security requirements have driven open-source software (OSS) projects to become a crucial part of organizations' software development. This study focuses on the OSS project TensorFlow (TF) and uses a case study to examine how organizations and their associated developers collaborate to identify, fix and prevent security vulnerabilities. Social Network Analysis (SNA) of archived security data from software repositories is used to gain insight into security activities. The study examines the internal structure and evolution of security code collaboration, organizational networks, and top organizational contributors to TF. It also examines productivity, homophily, development diversity, and turnover rates among developers across various software releases. The in-depth insights from this research enhance our understanding of collaborative patterns in OSS communities within open software ecosystems, particularly in the security context.

Providing Cataract Surgeries at a Rural Primary Health Centre through Non-governmental Organisation Collaboration: An 8-year Experience

Abstract The National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment aims to reduce blindness and visual impairment in India. Despite these efforts, rural areas still have high numbers of cataract patients due to inadequate healthcare services. Leveraging non-governmental organisation (NGO) networks to provide rural eye care camps has been proposed to address these challenges. This article shares an 8-year collaboration with an NGO in rural Haryana, delivering cataract surgeries. Initially, surgeries were conducted in temporary locations; however, due to complications, they were shifted to hospitals, increasing travel difficulties. In 2016, collaboration with ICARE Eye Hospital began, involving screening camps and transporting patients for surgery. This reduced patient expenses and referral burdens, performing 1690 surgeries with high satisfaction. Authors recommend similar collaborations to achieve the national blindness reduction goal.

Personal Values and Their Impact on the Opinion Leadership of Managers and Employees in Internal Communication

ABSTRACT Opinion leaders play a prominent role in the internal communication network of organizations, although the concept and its drivers have rarely been addressed in internal communication research. Based on a representative online survey of 1,030 managers and employees in German private and public corporations, this paper analyzes the impact of personal values on the opinion leadership of managers and employees. The results show that specific personal values positively predict opinion leadership and particularly harmonizing behavior, with some differences between managers and employees. Theoretical and empirical implications for internal communication research and practice are discussed.

Evaluation of Human Trafficking and its Causes in Kosovo

The occurrence of human trafficking is a very harmful and disturbing crime for Kosovo and the countries of the region, which are encountering this criminal issue that seriously attacks human rights. Human trafficking is often associated with organized criminal groups that operate outside the state borders of Kosovo, making the fight against this occurrence much more challenging for the mechanisms that combat this type of crime. This research paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of human trafficking in Kosovo, evaluating the contributing factors and assessing the effectiveness of existing legal frameworks. It also offers actionable recommendations for enhancing collaboration among key stakeholders. The method used in this research is a literature review, systematically analyzing academic literature, reports, and relevant documents on human trafficking. The findings indicate that human trafficking severely deteriorates the socio-economic conditions in Kosovo and reinforces organized crime networks. Therefore, close cooperation at both regional and international levels is essential for effectively addressing this criminality, which remains a pressing concern in Kosovo and beyond.

Community and Care: Black Civil Society and the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 in the United States

Abstract During the deadliest pandemic of the twentieth century, the Great Influenza pandemic of 1918–1920, African Americans in the United States appeared to be an especially vulnerable population. The health effects of racialized segregation, produced by congested housing conditions, environmental racism, and exclusion from or discrimination in healthcare services, threatened a devastating situation during the second wave of the pandemic in late 1918. This paper argues that a network of Black civil society organizations and activists sprang into action to ameliorate the worst effects of this public health emergency, and that it was able to provide care and relief that would have largely been denied by white-led public and private institutions. This network had been built up in the preceding decades and can therefore serve as an important model and informational resource in utilizing community-centered planning to prepare marginalized peoples for the spread of pandemic disease.

Oncomatrix: Molecular Composition and Biomechanical Properties of the Extracellular Matrix in Human Tumors

The extracellular matrix is an organized three-dimensional network of protein-based molecules and other macromolecules that provide structural and biochemical support to tissues. Depending on its biochemical and structural properties, the extracellular matrix influences cell adhesion and signal transduction and, in general, can influence cell differentiation and proliferation through specific mechanisms of chemical and mechanical sensing. The development of body tissues during ontogenesis is accompanied by changes not only in cells but also in the composition and properties of the extracellular matrix. Similarly, tumor development in carcinogenesis is accompanied by a continuous change in the properties of the extracellular matrix of tumor cells, called ‘oncomatrix’, as the tumor matures, from the development of the primary focus to the stage of metastasis. In this paper, the characteristics of the composition and properties of the extracellular matrix of tumor tissues are considered, as well as changes to the composition and properties of the matrix during the evolution of the tumor and metastasis. The extracellular matrix patterns of tumor tissues can be used as biomarkers of oncological diseases as well as potential targets for promising anti-tumor therapies.

Structure matters: Assessing the statistical significance of network topologies.

Network analysis has found widespread utility in many research areas. However, assessing the statistical significance of observed relationships within networks remains a complex challenge. Traditional node permutation tests are often insufficient in capturing the effect of changing network topology by creating reliable null distributions. We propose two randomization alternatives to address this gap: random rewiring and controlled rewiring. These methods incorporate changes in the network topology through edge swaps. However, controlled rewiring allows for more nuanced alterations of the original network than random rewiring. In this sense, this paper introduces a novel evaluation tool, the Expanded Quadratic Assignment Procedure (EQAP), designed to calculate a specific p-value and interpret statistical tests with enhanced precision. The combination of EQAP and controlled rewiring provides a robust network comparison and statistical analysis framework. The methodology is exemplified through two real-world examples: the analysis of an organizational network structure, illustrated by the Enron-Email dataset, and a social network case, represented by the UK Faculty friendship network. The utility of these statistical tests is underscored by their capacity to safeguard researchers against Type I errors when exploring network metrics dependent on intricate topologies.

Outcomes from an Early Adopters Home Hospital Accelerator for Acute Care at Home.

Following the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' approval of the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver, an increasing number of health care organizations launched Home Hospital (HH) programs in the USA. Ongoing barriers include access to HH expertise and a standard, comprehensive set of implementation tools. We created the HH Early Adopters Accelerator to bring together a network of health care organizations to develop tools ("knowledge products") necessary for HH implementation. To demonstrate the feasibility of the Accelerator approach for generating and implementing relevant, high-quality knowledge products. Mixed methods evaluation of the Accelerator. Surveys and qualitative interviews of Accelerator participants were conducted. Surveys elicited feedback on the knowledge products, including time spent on development, perceived utility and quality, and implementation success. The qualitative interviews gathered more in-depth information on topics covered in the surveys. Eighteen healthcare organizations and 105 individuals participated in the Accelerator. The Accelerator reached its goal and developed 20 knowledge products in 32 working weeks (more efficient than expected). Participants agreed that the knowledge products were useful (developers: 98.1%; stakeholders: 93.8%), of high quality (developers: 96.8%), and would improve patient care if implemented in their HH program (developers: 91.7%; stakeholders: 91.2%). Two thirds (66.7%) of the participating organizations who had implemented knowledge products at 3 months continued utilizing knowledge products in their HH program at 1 year. Agreement that knowledge products improve patient care persisted (92% strongly agreed or agreed) at 1 year. Several programs created new tools, policies, and workflows as a result of implementing the knowledge products. The Accelerator created high-quality, comprehensive knowledge products that healthcare organizations found useful for safe HH implementation 1 year later. The Accelerator approach can feasibly help healthcare organizations safely bridge the gap between innovation and standard practice.

Co-creation of value in a cultural organizations’ ecosystem

From the perspective of Service Dominant Logic (Vargo and Lusch 2018), this research analyzes how co-creation of value develops in a Peruvian cultural ecosystem through analyzing its actor’s engagement, embeddedness, and value-in-context. The findings obtained aim to contribute to the dialogue between S-D logic and Arts Marketing, and to put light on the mechanisms that activate and restrict cultural participation in a service ecosystem. The research consists of a multiple case study which analyzes the Peruvian Puntos de Cultura Network (PPDCN) through 9 of its organizations. Participants include organizational leaders, users, and Network central headquarters’ managers. The instruments were an exploratory survey, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group. The analysis included codification, inter-rater reliability, ‘making-strange tool’ and a meta-matrix. Through the study of the co-creation of value in the PPDCN, findings revealed the following mechanisms for cultural participation: (1) Activation mechanisms: co-production between organizations and users; high leader engagement; cultural identity activities; educative, affective and entertainment-oriented activities. (2) Restriction mechanisms: different institutional logics at any level of interaction: organizations and Headquarters managers, organizations and socio-cultural environment, Headquarters managers and state actors; misalignment of platforms.

Highly Anion-Conductive Viologen-Based Two-Dimensional Polymer Membranes as Nanopower Generators.

Two-dimensional polymers (2DPs) and their layer-stacked 2D covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs) membranes hold great potential for harvesting sustainable osmotic energy. The nascent research has yet to simultaneously achieve high ionic flux and selectivity, primarily due to inefficient ion transport dynamics. This is directly related to ultrasmall pore size (<3 nm), much smaller than the duple Debye length in the diluted electrolyte (6-20 nm), as well as low charge density (<4.5 mC m-2). Here, we introduce a π-conjugated viologen-based 2DP (V2DP) membrane possessing a large pore size of 4.5 nm, strategically enhancing the overlapping of the electric double layer, coupled with an exceptional positive surface charge density (~6 mC m-2). These characteristics enable the membrane to facilitate high anion flux while maintaining ideal selectivity. Notably, V2DP membranes realize an impressive current density of 5.5×103 A m-2, surpassing benchmarks set by previously reported nanofluidic membranes. In the practical application scenario involving the mixing of artificial seawater and river water, the V2DP membranes exhibit a considerable ion transference number of 0.70 towards Cl-, contributing to an outstanding power density of ~55 W m-2. Theoretical calculations reveal the important role of the large quantity of anion transport sites, which act as binding sites evenly located in the positively charged N-containing pyridine rings. These binding sites enable kinematic coupling and decoupling between anions and the V2DP skeleton, establishing a continuous Cl- ion transport pathway. This work demonstrates the great promise of large-area ultrathin 2DP membranes featuring highly organized charged ion transport networks when applied for osmotic energy conversion.

Research on the collaborative relationship of task-driven urban earthquake emergency organizations

Earthquake emergency response is a complex process, and a large number of tasks are involved in the process of urban earthquake emergency response. To further study the collaborative relationship between organisations in the city-level emergency collaboration network driven by different emergency tasks, this study first constructs a task–organisation relationship framework and explores the collaborative mechanism of organisations driven by tasks. Then, the co-expression analysis was used to analyse the degree of correlation between task-driven emergency organisations. Finally, considering the influence of tasks on the degree of inter-organisational collaboration, this study constructs a task-driven weighted directed emergency organisation collaboration network. Social network analysis was used to reveal the structural attributes of the task-driven organisational collaboration network, the collaborative characteristics among organisations in the network, and the structural positions of organisations in the collaborative network. It is found that the task-driven earthquake emergency collaboration network was relatively loose, and there were small groups with close collaboration in the network. Most organisations in these small groups are in the same task module, and their tasks are similar. Commanders in the task execution process are usually at the core of the network, and these organisations are usually the main coordinators of the overall emergency collaboration and task module networks. These findings can improve our understanding of earthquake emergency organisational collaboration relationships and inspire the optimisation of urban earthquake emergency management.

Enhance Key Stage Generation for Developing Kasumi Encryption Algorithm

Today, data security is a critical component of the efficient performance of every organization's diverse requirement, one of the important requirements is to provide a secure connection for data transmission in organization's networks. Cryptography algorithms are used to protect transmitted data from unauthorized access. Every day, a great deal of research is being done. The process of encrypting data is currently under development. Therefore, a substantial technological or research effort is still required. Cellular networks and secure communication. This proposal calls for the development of a new encryption system based on Using random keys in all the rounds. That’s mean we generated random keys as 128 bits for each round and save it in an array with size (8×8) because we have 8 rounds and each key divided into 8 sub keys as 16 bits for each to use in encryption and decryption. The developed random keys and traditional algorithm keys were tested with statistical tests of NIST, which made up a comparison and conclusion that the developed keys have a higher randomness specially in linear complexity, Frequency within block and random excursion tests, which leads to a better quality of encryption. Then we could test the cipher text with frequency within block test that was evaluated by (0.49590998713105255) and the approximate entropy test that was evaluated by (0.4922198616875501) for each cipher text which resulted from standard and modified Kasumi algorithm that’s means we can conclude that our modified Kasumi algorithm achieved more secure data in its resulted cipher text.

A qualitative reflexive thematic analysis of innovation and regulation in hearing health care

BackgroundThe hearing health sector is an example of a health sector that is experiencing a period of rapid innovation driven by digital technologies. These innovations will impact the types of interventions and services available to support the communication of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. This study explored the perceptions of informed participants on the topic of innovation and regulation within hearing healthcare in Australia and the United Kingdom (UK).MethodsParticipants (N = 29, Australia [n = 16], UK [n = 13]) were purposively sampled and joined one of two online workshops. Participants included adults with hearing loss and family members, hearing health professionals, academics/researchers, representatives of hearing device manufacturers, regulators and policymakers. Workshop data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.ResultsParticipants conceptualised the hearing health sector as a network of organisations and individuals with different roles, knowledge and interests, in a state of flux driven by innovation and regulation. Innovation and regulation were perceived as mechanisms to ensure quality and mitigate risk within a holistic approach to care. Innovations encompassed technological as well as non-technological innovations of potential benefit to consumers. Participants agreed it was essential for innovation and regulation to be congruent with societal values. Critical to ethical congruence was the involvement of consumers throughout both innovation and regulation stages, and the use of innovation and regulation to tackle stigma and reduce health disparities. Participants expressed the desire for accessible and inclusive innovation in the context of fair, transparent and trustworthy commercial practices.ConclusionsThis study explored how stakeholders within the hearing health sector understand and make sense of innovation and the role of regulation. Overall, and despite reservations relating to health care professionals’ changing roles and responsibilities, innovation and regulation were conceptualised as beneficial when situated in the context of holistic, whole-person, models of care. The results of this study will inform considerations to support the development and implementation of innovations and regulation within the hearing sector and across other health sectors influenced by technological advances.

Effect of chitosan on thermal gelling properties of pork myofibrillar protein and its mechanism.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the addition of chitosan can improve the quality and functional properties of meat products. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the effect and mechanism of the addition of chitosan on the gel properties of myofibrillar protein (MP) were investigated. The results indicated that the gel strength and the water-holding capacity of MP-chitosan gel increased significantly when chitosan was added at 2.5-10 mg mL-1. Myofibrillar protein samples with 10 mg mL-1 added chitosan exhibited the highest elasticity and viscosity during gel formation and strengthening. The addition of chitosan also caused a modification in both the secondary and tertiary structure of MP, resulting in an enhanced exposure of hydrophobic and sulfhydryl groups in comparison with the control. Chitosan inhibited the conversion of immobilized water into free water and the formation of water channels during the thermal gelation process of MP. The denaturation enthalpy (ΔH) of myosin decreased as the concentration of chitosan exceeded 5 mg mL-1. The microstructure showed that the incorporation of chitosan (5-10 mg mL-1) facilitated the formation of compact and well organized MP gel networks. The addition of chitosan can enhance the functional properties of meat protein and facilitate heat-induced gelation, making it a promising ingredient for improving the quality of processed meat products. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Spa Center as the Economic Engine of the Municipal Business Ecosystem: Case of Banja Koviljača Organizational Network

This paper addresses the role of the Spa Health Resort as the Economic Engine of the Mu-nicipal Business Ecosystem. Usualy a single larger enterprise drives the local economy at the municipal level, and in the case of Serbia that company has often been from heavy in-dustries. For many transitional economies, local communities have been supported by the main municipal organization, identified in the literature under the terms economic engine, anchor, driver, powerhouse, catalyst, hub or lifeline. Most literature defines it as a compa-ny that plays a pivotal role in propelling municipal economic growth and development, acting as the source of economic stability and resilience within the municipality. Our re-search is based on dataset gathered from the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, extracted from the annual financial and business reports of 80,737 companies and sole entrepre-neurs in Serbia from 2013 to 2022 and supplemented by detailed insights into business reports of hypothesized economic engine. Our findings support the hypothesis that Spe-cialized Rehabilitation Hospital Banja Koviljaca's acts as economic engine for the region. Conclusion is that investment in balneo industry returns mutlifold benefits of different categories to the community and the state.

NOVEL STUDY ON ETHICAL HACKING AND VULNERABILITY TESTING

Ethical hacking and vulnerability testing represent critical components of modern cybersecurity strategies, aimed at proactively identifying and mitigating potential security threats within organizational systems and networks. Ethical hacking, also known as penetration testing, involves authorized attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in systems, applications, or networks, mirroring the tactics of malicious actors. This proactive approach allows organizations to uncover weaknesses before they are exploited by cybercriminals, thereby strengthening overall security posture. Vulnerability testing complements ethical hacking by systematically assessing systems for known vulnerabilities and configuration errors, providing insights into areas requiring remediation. Together, these practices enable organizations to assess, prioritize, and address security risks effectively, safeguarding sensitive data, maintaining regulatory compliance, and preserving business continuity. This article explores the principles, methodologies, and benefits of ethical hacking and vulnerability testing, emphasizing their role in enhancing cybersecurity resilience in an increasingly interconnected digital landscape. Keywords: Cybersecurity, Ethical Hacking, Mitigation, Networks, Penetration Testing, Security Threats, Systems, Testing, Vulnerabilities.