Planning Phase Research Articles

An Innovative Logic Model Design to Produce High Performing Public Health Programs: Focus on Need-Based Functional Model for Effective Management of COVID-19

Logic models are valuable tools in the field of public health to picturize the relationships between program input, activities and desired outcomes. A logic model provides a clear and seamless method of designing, applying and analyzing public health programs. This article aims at understanding the different types of logic models and their use in different situations by taking into account the pros and cons of each type of model. A specific focus is placed on using Type III Logic model in preventing communicable diseases like Covid-19. This article tries to use this type of logic model in the planning phase to develop programs to address communicable diseases. Public health practitioners, managers and leaders could use this type of model in planning, implementing and evaluating their current and future health promotion and protection programs. Keywords: Logic model, Public Health Programs, COVID-19

Dimensions of Posterior Implant Restorations Related to Intra-Coronal Cantilever and Occlusal Forces: An In Vitro Study.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relation of the implant position to the implant crown and analyze the location and magnitude of bite force. The dimensions of 49 posterior implant-supported restorations were recorded in terms of: 1. implant diameter, 2. crown length, 3. crown width, 4. crown height, 5. occlusal surface of the restoration. The crown/implant height was measured and the distance between the implant center and the restoration center revealed the size of intra-coronal cantilevers. The occlusal force analysis determined the point and magnitude of loading. Correlation coefficient r was used for the statistical process and statistical control was carried out with the aid of t-test with minimum level of significance p < 0.05. - The mean crown-to-implant ratio was 0.9 and in short implants (< 10mm) the ratio was 1.28. - Intra-coronal cantilever extensions ranged from 2.1 mm to 6.35 mm depending on crown size. - Occlusal loading was identified in cantilever areas of the crown. - Implant center deviates from crown center in 71%-82% of the cases depending on site location. - Implants with non-ideal position may support a functionally occluding crown. Intra-coronal cantilevers are a critical factor to avoid clinical complications and should be taken under consideration both in the planning and fabrication phase of implant restorations.

The study of the condition of older people and their participation as a prerequisite for specific interventions for the third age

The administrative decentralisation and citizen participation called for by the Constitution of the Republic aim to eliminate obstacles that can limit freedom and equality. It is to achieve an autonomous, conscious, direct presence of the population alongside the elected delegates in the political arena. The various health reform laws could allow for a non-formal but real participation of the citizen in the planning, management and control phases.

Transdisciplinary research on the safety case for nuclear waste repositories with a special focus on uncertainties and indicators

In the search for a repository site for high-level radioactive waste in Germany, the perception of safety and trust in the actors are central to public acceptance. In communicating safety, methods of safety assessment and the role of uncertainties need to be addressed. Given the complexity of the issue, there is a need for indicators that are suitable both for assessing the long-term safety of repositories and for communicating with the general public. Similarly, there is a requirement to communicate uncertainties in an accessible manner. The TRANSENS project provides basic research in nuclear waste management (NWM) and utilizes a transdisciplinary approach: Non-experts who are not directly affected by the site selection process and who have no stated interest in NWM are involved in the research process, as are practice actors. A series of four transdisciplinary workshops was specifically designed to explore the perspectives of individuals with a high level of disciplinary knowledge but no system knowledge of NWM. Participants were selected from doctoral students in science and technology who had no prior knowledge in this area. Two of these workshops address the questions stated above and are presented here. The article describes the considerations underlying the workshop planning and implementation phases, and the content developed in the workshops on indicator selection and visualisation of uncertainties. The participants compiled a list of desirable indicator properties, which showed a high degree of congruence with the relevant literature. A proposal for a database to collect, administer and assess uncertainties shows similarities with the approach followed by the German implementer and complements it with an interactive visualisation. Transdisciplinary work is resource-intensive and its use in a research context must be carefully considered for each individual application. A transdisciplinary approach was successfully used for the purposes of method validation, method optimisation and the development of disciplinary impulses. An application of transdisciplinary approaches for optimising the Safety Case of nuclear repositories is feasible.

Causal Learning: Monitoring Business Processes Based on Causal Structures.

Conventional methods for process monitoring often fail to capture the causal relationships that drive outcomes, making hard to distinguish causal anomalies from mere correlations in activity flows. Hence, there is a need for approaches that allow causal interpretation of atypical scenarios (anomalies), allowing to identify the influence of operational variables on these anomalies. This article introduces (CaProM), an innovative technique based on causality techniques, applied during the planning phase in business process environments. The technique combines two causal perspectives: anomaly attribution and distribution change attribution. It has three stages: (1) process events are collected and recorded, identifying flow instances; (2) causal learning of process activities, building a directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) represent dependencies among variables; and (3) use of DAGs to monitor the process, detecting anomalies and critical nodes. The technique was validated with a industry dataset from the banking sector, comprising 562 activity flow plans. The study monitored causal structures during the planning and execution stages, and allowed to identify the main factor behind a major deviation from planned values. This work contributes to business process monitoring by introducing a causal approach that enhances both the interpretability and explainability of anomalies. The technique allows to understand which specific variables have caused an atypical scenario, providing a clear view of the causal relationships within processes and ensuring greater accuracy in decision-making. This causal analysis employs cross-sectional data, avoiding the need to average multiple time instances and reducing potential biases, and unlike time series methods, it preserves the relationships among variables.

Developing a Calculation Workflow for Designing and Monitoring Urban Ecological Corridors: A Case Study

Urban ecological corridors play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation, connecting fragmented habitats in highly anthropized areas and generating benefits in terms of the sustainability of urban environments. These corridors mitigate the effects of habitat fragmentation, such as reduced genetic diversity and limited species dispersal, while improving the ecological health of urban environments and the well-being of citizens. This study proposes a calculation workflow for the identification of the necessary and most suitable ecological corridors to be planned in the urban-environmental planning phase and identifies some of the existing innovative technologies to evaluate and improve their functionality, enabling the real-time monitoring of habitat conditions and providing valuable information to optimize the design and management of these peri-urban natural areas. Urban ecological corridors also improve human well-being by contributing to cleaner air, better water quality and recreational opportunities to the point that the costs incurred for their construction are much lower than the economic and social benefits for the area.

Toward understanding the hydrologic, ecologic and community flooding implications of coastal restoration strategies: Sediment diversions

Evaluating the real-world impacts of proposed restoration strategies is a complex process. Typically, restoration is pursued to achieve a number of primary and secondary objectives as most coastal and deltaic areas support a variety of functions and activities with substantial social and economic values. In this analysis, we demonstrate the importance of considering the broad implications of planning and implementing restoration projects. We use a recently developed simplified and computationally efficient biophysical numerical model. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, a restoration project approximately 60 km down the Mississippi River from New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, offers an opportunity to quantify the benefits and potential impacts of large-scale restoration. Operation plans of the diversion are employed in this analysis to reveal the delicate balance between its potential benefits and possible adverse effects. Evaluation metrics include net land change and landscape evolution, change in salinity and subsequent shift in the distribution of marsh types, long-term change in the hydroperiod and marsh inundation, and change in the flood risk for unique local coastal communities and culture. We also consider subaqueous basin infilling, spatial sediment deposition, and creation of shallow water areas that might be of ecological value. These metrics are evaluated collectively under a set of future scenarios capturing long-term impacts of sea level rise and subsidence. This analysis provides evidence in favor of using a multi-metric approach to holistically evaluate restoration during the planning and design phases, as well as to guide the process of adaptively managing restoration projects post construction.

Exploring impacts of electricity tariff on charging infrastructure planning: An activity-based approach

In the past decade, electric vehicles (EVs) have gained popularity for their efficiency and environmental benefits. Advances in battery technology and charging equipment have yielded long-range EVs and fast-charging. However, many major cities lack adequate charging infrastructure for daily EV use. This study addresses this gap by integrating activity-based modeling, charging behavior simulation, and charging infrastructure optimization. The research utilizes the POLARIS agent-based transportation model to accurately capture user activities, trip patterns, and traffic flows. Additionally, the study investigates the impact of fixed and spatiotemporal electricity rate distributions on optimal charging infrastructure deployment. The framework is applied to the Chicago regional area network and analyzed under various EV ownership scenarios. The results reveal significant impacts of the charging pricing strategy on user decision-making and charging demand distribution. There is also a need for consistent pricing policies in charging infrastructure planning and operational phases to avoid drops in service quality.

Peningkatan Hasil Belajar Pendidikan Agama Katolik dan Budi Pekerti dengan Metode Problem Based Learning Fase D Kelas VII SMP Negeri 3 Tukka

This study aims to determine the improvement in student learning outcomes in Catholic Religious Education and Character Education after the implementation of the Problem Based Learning (PBL) method for seventh-grade students in Phase D at SMP Negeri 3 Tukka. The research method used is Classroom Action Research (CAR) conducted in two cycles. Each cycle consists of planning, implementation, observation, and reflection phases. This method was chosen for its ability to develop critical thinking skills, collaboration, and the application of religious values in daily life. The study employs a quantitative approach with pretests and posttests to measure learning outcomes. Data were collected from test results and observations during the learning process. The results indicate a significant improvement in student learning outcomes following the implementation of the PBL method. In the first cycle, the average student score increased from 70.6 to 75.6, while in the second cycle, it rose further to 90.6. Additionally, there was an improvement in critical thinking skills and the ability to work collaboratively among students. Thus, the implementation of the PBL method has proven effective in enhancing learning outcomes in Catholic Religious Education and Character Education for seventh-grade students in Phase D at SMP Negeri 3 Tukka.

Opportunities and challenges of a community-based bull breeding programme: a case of the regional pastoral livelihood resilience project in Uganda

The Regional Pastoral Livelihood Resilience Project Community-Based Breeding Programme (CBBP) was designed with the objective of increasing production and productivity of local Zebu cattle by introducing Sahiwal bulls among sedentary and agro-pastoral livestock farmers. This study mapped out actors, their roles and level of influence in the CBBP as well as the opportunities and challenges encountered during its implementation using the Process Net-Map tool. The results revealed that there were differences in number and type of influential actors between sedentary and agro-pastoral livestock farmers. The bull host and subcounty veterinary officer were the most influential actors among the sedentary livestock farmers whereas it was the herdsman, bull host, and Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) among the agro-pastoral farmers. The CBBP was associated with benefits such as increased market value for cattle, reduced chances for cattle rustling, increased cattle productivity in terms of milk and beef production volumes and ease of access to veterinary services. In contrast, the challenges encountered were related to both governance (limited availability of veterinarians, cattle rustling, exclusion of farmers in the planning phase of the CBBP, political interference and failure of collective action) and bull management (high costs of keeping and maintaining the bulls in terms of feeding, housing, watering and veterinary care, heavy bulls injuring or breaking the small cows, sexually transmitted reproductive diseases among others). Lastly, this paper recommends adoption of a combination of well-organized and facilitated Artificial Insemination (AI) programmes alongside the improved bull service scheme as each has capacity to address the challenges of another.

DIABEZE: Diabetes self-management among the elderly in a Belgian home for the aged: a best practice implementation project.

The aim of this project was to improve the self-management of diabetes among elderly residents in a Belgian home for the aged. Diabetes is a common chronic condition with significant comorbidity. Incidence is increasing, but a third of patients with diabetes are unaware that they have the disease. The treatment of diabetes requires a multifactorial approach. Treatment guidelines on diabetes recommend involving patients in monitoring their condition because supported self-management improves daily glycemic control. This evidence implementation project used the JBI Evidence Implementation Framework, which follows three phases. In the first phase, the area of change, stakeholders' role, and practice context and readiness for change are investigated. In the second phase, a baseline audit is conducted to compare current practice with best practice. Strategies are then implemented to address any areas of non-compliance with best practice. In the third phase, a follow-up audit is conducted to evaluate changes in practice. At baseline, six criteria had 0% compliance, two criteria had compliance lower than 50%, and only 49% of health care workers were familiar with the procedure for hypoglycemia treatment. Improvement strategies included creating awareness among health workers. In the follow-up audit, one criterion improved from 0% to 100%, three criteria improved from 0% to 85%, two criteria reached the threshold of 50% compliance, and one criterion reached 19%. Further audits are needed to ensure sustainability. This project improved diabetes self-management in elderly people living in a Belgian home for the aged. An in-depth planning phase with internal facilitation and interdisciplinary collaboration between all co-workers addressed barriers related to quality systems, structure, communication, and education. http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A258.

Interdisciplinary Animal Research Ethics-Challenges, Opportunities, and Perspectives.

Can nonhuman animals be used for the benefit of humans in a scientifically and morally justified manner and, if yes, how? Based on our own experiences as scholars from various academic backgrounds, we argue that this question can only be answered as an interdisciplinary and international endeavor, considering insights from research ethics and animal ethics as well as scientific and legal aspects. The aim of this article is to contribute to the foundation of the emerging field of animal research ethics. In doing so, we describe the following seven phases of animal research experiments: ethical, legal and social presumptions (phase 0), planning (phase I), review (phase II), conduct of experiments (phase III), publication/dissemination (phase IV), further exploitation of results (phase V), and evaluation (phase VI). In total, 20 key ethical, legal, and practical challenges that an ethical framework for the use of animals in research needs to address are identified and analyzed. Finally, we characterize the following four meta-challenges and opportunities associated with animal research ethics as a field: (1) moral pluralism, (2) the integration of views and positions outside the laboratory, (3) international plurality of conduct, standards, and legal norms, and (4) interdisciplinary education.

Design and rationale for an empirical investigation of the resource use and costs of investigator-initiated randomized trials in Switzerland, the UK, and Germany

BackgroundConducting high-quality randomized clinical trials (RCTs) is challenging, time consuming, and resource intense. Academic investigators usually depend on scarce financial resources; however, current literature lacks systematically collected empirical data on the detailed resource use and costs of investigator-initiated RCTs.MethodsThe aim of this study is to generate a database of detailed empirical resource use and cost data from 100 investigator-initiated RCTs in Switzerland, Germany, and the UK. Investigators enter their empirical costs data into an online data collection form, which is followed by a short interview and a detailed cost report. We plan to investigate cost patterns and cost drivers and examine planned versus actual RCT costs as well as explore different strata of costs across the planning, conduct, and finalization phases, in drug and non-drug trials, and across medical fields and countries.DiscussionThis study will add detailed empirical data to the limited research on investigator-initiated RCT costs currently available. A study limitation will be that cost data will be retrospective and self-reported, which might be inaccurate depending on how costs were recorded.Trial registrationOpen Science Framework (OSF) https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/QY2GU. Registered on June 4, 2021.

Acoustic aspects in the construction and upgrading of military firing ranges - Part 1

Military firing ranges are indispensable facilities to train armed forces in handling and use of small arms. In the past, such ranges were outdoor installations. Due to noise problems around some of these shooting ranges they will be replaced more and more by indoor shooting facilities, which increases the noise impact on the personnel. First, the design of shooting ranges must consider the internal and external firing safety. However, acoustics comes next. There are two different but equally important objectives. The facilities should be built in such a way that (1) the noise impact on the hearing of personnel and (2) the noise impact on the neighbourhood is as low as possible. The design of shooting ranges should already take these aspects into account during the planning phase. This article focusses on the topic of acoustic safety (1) and is divided into two parts. Part I: The first part describes the procedure acoustic safety and demonstrates how requirements for surfaces in planned facilities are determined from computer-aided calculations using ray tracing in combination with the AHAAH model.

The right fountain for the right place? An in-situ co-creative soundscaping methodology

Road traffic noise-polluted parks pervade the urban landscape, hindering the enjoyment of the relaxing potential and cognitive benefits that urban parks offer. Soundscape augmentation with natural sounds has demonstrated its merits in this context before, and deliberately introducing fountains can be an attractive solution since such installations can be easily controlled. This work describes a co-creative in-situ experiment where locals help select the most suited fountain at a predefined design spot during the planning phase, with a clear focus on sound. The simplified auralization approach, with loudspeakers positioned at the pond's bank, allowed participants to evaluate various fountain scenarios in an ecologically valid context. To arrive at the optimal choice, sound pleasantness and the road traffic noise masking potential of the (combination of) fountain(s) should be balanced.

Acoustic aspects in the construction and upgrading of military firing ranges - Part 2

Military firing ranges are indispensable facilities to train armed forces in handling and use of small arms. In the past, such ranges were outdoor installations. Due to noise problems around some of these shooting ranges they will be replaced more and more by indoor shooting facilities, which increases the noise impact on the personnel. First, the design of shooting ranges must consider the internal and external firing safety. However, acoustics comes next. There are two different but equally important objectives. The facilities should be built in such a way that (1) the noise impact on the hearing of personnel and (2) the noise impact on the neighbourhood is as low as possible. The design of shooting ranges should already take these aspects into account during the planning phase. This article focusses on the topic of acoustic safety (1) and is divided into two parts. Part II: The second part of the article describes the practical application of the new directive, with its acoustic material and measurement requirements, based on a recent tendering procedure in which various companies were offered the opportunity to develop acoustic wall and ceiling systems for indoor shooting ranges as part of a so-called competitive dialog.

Industrial plant noise mitigation starting from the plant first runs

The article summarizes a noise impact mitigation study that was carried out in the Liguria region in Northern Italy, between July 2020 and March 2022 on a large industrial plant that produces zinc oxide. The authors were summoned at the plant first run tests, so this study started without a participation in the industry planning and design phases. We followed the main machine installations and perfected the mitigation project accordingly: priorities were updated after each assessment and new modelization. This approach was carried out with different SPL measurement campaigns and the use of sound-intensimetry and a beam-forming SEVENBEL antenna. A SoundPLAN 3d model was updated step by step, defining a designing ad hoc noise control strategies and solutions, in order to respect the Italian administrative noise regulations. The mitigation works were directed by one of the authors and included different approaches: such as some large cylindrical silencers on the smoke stacks, sound barriers and insulating coatings, as well as fan velocity optimization.

Assessing the Effects of Habitat Loss and Deterioration on a Red Squirrel Translocation Site: Insights for Future Conservation Management.

Translocations, a conservation tool used to conserve and restore dwindling species, are often associated with high failure rates. Inadequate long-term monitoring of both populations and their introduction sites beyond the initial years post-translocation creates a gap in our understanding of the factors that determine translocation success or failure, resulting in less informed projects in the future. This lack of long-term monitoring is partly caused by the absence of a well-defined framework by which the success of the translocation can be measured, leading to premature and sometimes inaccurate assessments of their outcome. We investigated the long-term outcome of a red squirrel translocation in the west of Ireland, specifically assessing the habitat changes in the translocation site since the introduction in 2005, and their impact on the capacity of the forest to sustain a population of a given size. Using digitised historical map data, we showed that the translocation site experienced a 53% reduction in suitable habitat. Additionally, there was a 41%-81% reduction in the total number of red squirrels the forest could support, according to feeding survey data. Clear-felling, a forest fire and a shift in tree species composition collectively contributed to this decline in site suitability. This investigation underscores the complexity of translocation projects and emphasises the pivotal role of habitat quality in their outcomes. We advocate for detailed habitat assessments during the planning phase, avoidance of unstable habitats as translocation sites, and the implementation of long-term monitoring practices.

Empowering decentralized production: A distributed manufacturing system for additive manufacturing processes

This work presents a pilot distributed manufacturing system for decentralized additive manufacturing, focusing on the Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Manufacturing Systems (ICAMS) capabilities at Auburn University. The paper outlines the first phase of a multi-phase implementation plan and demonstrates the developed capabilities. The vision is to coordinate geographically separated manufacturing facilities as a cohesive unit. In our work, we prioritize instantaneous communication for file and information sharing. The Manufacturing Hub and Remote Cell, two facilities within driving distance, are coordinated in terms of part design, printing, and inspection procedures for a distributed Additive Manufacturing process. To enable coordination between the two facilities, ICAMS addresses three technological needs. These needs consider information sharing, process standardization, and data collection and monitoring. A network attached storage facilitates information sharing, a database-connected graphical user interface streamlines and standardizes the manufacturing process, and a data collection system facilitates process monitoring. The graphical user interface allows for order placement, progress monitoring, and communication updates. The developed phased plan, collaborative workflow, technological solutions, and production protocols demonstrate the potential for decentralized additive manufacturing. Successful integration of communication, design, printing, and quality assurance processes sets the foundation for future advancements in decentralized manufacturing systems.

Perancangan Sistem Informasi Manajemen Klien Digital Agency PT. XYZ berbasis Website

PT XYZ operates in the service sector and is a creative agency that produces product videos for its clients. During this time PT. XYZ has not implemented a management information system to manage the resources they have and maintain relationships with clients. Ease of access via various platforms is the reason why applications are built based on websites. The stages used in the research correspond to the stages in the software development life cycle (SDLC) in the planning, analysis and design phases. Interviews and literature studies are used to explore the business processes that occur. It was found that there were three types of users, namely super admin, admin, and client. The processes handled by the system include employee registers, client registers, recording incoming orders, project monitoring, and checking employee availability. The diagrams used to explain the system plan that will be created are use case diagrams, activity diagrams, sequence diagrams, and entity relationship diagrams. Lo-fi designs are also created using the Figma application. Further research can continue to the implementation, support and security stages.