Description Of Project Research Articles

Explorations in Effective Co-Design: A Case Study

This paper provides a rich description of a participatory research project which employed co-design methods to conduct research with students. This case study offers strategies and tools for other research teams who may consider undertaking a participatory research project which involves co-designing with students, emphasizing lessons learned about recruiting, facilitating, and communicating with stakeholders about the emergent, flexible nature of this work. Findings from the project discussed in the case study are included, and reflections on the overall project design are discussed. 

Geosynthetic-encased columns (GEC): A proven case study over 30 years

The construction of embankments on very soft soils is a challenge due to the low shear strength, low permeability, high compressibility, and high-water content of the subsoil. The surcharge load imposed by the embankment can result not only in a local or total loss of stability but also in unacceptable settlements and horizontal deformations or thrusts, which could endanger nearby structures. To overcome these problems, different construction methods are applicable. One particularly interesting and still innovative foundation system is the use of geotextile encased granular columns, which can be considered “State-of-the-Art” in Europe. It was developed and introduced in 1994, and since then many major projects have been realised using geotextile encased columns (GEC). The overall loads and stress concentrations above the column heads induce outwardly directed radial horizontal stresses in the columns. The particularity of the GEC system is that these stresses are counteracted not only by the inwardly acting pressure of the soft soil but also –most importantly – by the radial resistance of the tensile stiff geotextile casing. This paper briefly describes the GEC system and includes the description of a few notable projects using GEC as a foundation system: land reclamation at the Airbus site in Hamburg, Germany, and the Second Niger Bridge in Africa. The geotechnical challenges, design basis, and what can be considered the most important findings of each of these projects are also discussed in this paper.

АДМІНІСТРАТИВНИЙ МЕНЕДЖМЕНТ В УПРАВЛІННІ ІНВЕСТИЦІЙНИМИ ПРОЄКТАМИ

The purpose of the article is to study the impact of administrative management on the implementation of projects in investment activity. Administrative management acts as an organiser of project activities in the investment sphere. The authors have analysed the algorithm of administrative management and identified its components that should be applied in the practice of investment activity. The research methodology used was a systematic approach and a structural analysis, as well as the method of comparison. The process of administrative management of an investment project has been presented as a sequence of steps or stages, which include planning, organisation, execution and control. A general outline of this process is provided hereunder. This process can be iterative, with changes and adjustments made at different stages of the project depending on changes in internal and external conditions. The main goal of investment project administration is to ensure the efficient use of resources and the achievement of project goals. Developing an investment project charter is an important step in the process of project preparation and implementation. The charter is a document that formalises the main aspects of the project, its goals, terms and conditions, and the procedure for its implementation. Here are some key elements that are usually included in an investment project charter: project name and description; goals and objectives; management structure; budget and financial terms; implementation schedule; implementation conditions; reporting and monitoring system; termination conditions. An analysis of the investment project and business plan is provided in the article. Administrative management in the investment projects management includes the use of various tools and methods to ensure effective planning, organisation, control and implementation of projects. Key administrative management tools that can be used to manage investment projects are as follows: SWOT analysis; PESTLE analysis; Gantt chart; RACI responsibility matrix; project management methodologies are: Methodologies such as PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge), PRINCE2 (Projects in Controlled Environments), Agile, Scrum; customer relationship management systems (CRM); financial analysis and control.

Enhancing the Accessibility of Text Data in Decision Making for Capability-based Planning Using Ontology: A Perspective of Semantic Compliance

Project introduction texts provide decision-makers with essential information for project portfolio planning. These free texts offer valuable information about how developing capabilities align with their strategic goals. Capability-based Planning (CBP) process is concerned with optimizing the project portfolio to realize the planning, engineering, and delivery of these capabilities. However, up to now, the research on enhancing accessibility to free text data in the CBP decision-making process through semantic modeling is limited, leading the CBP’s decision-makers to ignore the potential advantages of existing semantic modeling methods when dealing with many free texts. This paper aims to address this gap by introducing knowl­edge modeling and mining of project introduction text corpus, leveraging semantic technology to support CBP. First, we design an ontology of capability to describe the core concepts relevant to the CBP process. Subsequently, a semantic framework based on the RDF knowl­edge graph is proposed, enabling humans and machines to comprehend project description texts. To capture the semantic data essential for CBP, a motif structure is employed to model semantic expressions, ensuring their consistency with CBP concepts through compliance checks. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed semantic framework is evaluated by querying the project’s knowl­edge graph after semantic normalization, providing an assessment of its potential in CBP applications.

INTEGRATED REPORTING AS A MODEL FOR SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT REPORTING: THE CASE OF NORTHEASTERN EUROPEAN AIRPORTS

In their annual and sustainability reports, many companies assert their adherence to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. The validity of such claims might be questioned if they are not substantiated with financial information and descriptions of value-creation projections. One framework that can show how SDGs are achieved is integrated reporting (<IR>). In contrast to traditional sustainability reports, <IR> encourages the integrated analysis of financial and non-financial information for six capital types within the company’s business model, which enables measuring the achievement of sustainability targets. Among many advantages of <IR> related to sustainability is also the analysis of value creation processes in the long term, which generates evidence-based projections of future performance, not merely a reflection on past activities. The aim of this research was to determine if Northeastern European airports apply the <IR> framework to their annual sustainability communications with stakeholders. The major research finding indicates that these airports do not use the <IR> framework in their annual sustainability reporting. However, given the inclusion of <IR> features in their reports and a recent tendency of other airports to adopt <IR>, this finding can be a sign of transition to <IR> for annual sustainability reporting.

Smart grid projects in the pan-European energy system

Purpose. To provide a comparative and comprehensive analysis of the smart grid projects funded by the H2020 ENERGY and FP7-ENERGY programs. Methodology. As part of the text analysis, the authors evaluated smart grid projects’ results in a sample using text mining methods. Based on statistical analysis and concept-based method, the most significant outcomes of smart grid projects were identified. Findings. A detailed review of the results shows that project teams of the H2020 ENERGY and FP7-ENERGY programs mostly relied on the existing experience which helped to form further development for standardization of tools, conduct planning, or derive specific management actions aimed at smart energy consumption. The majority of these solutions were applied for digitalizing small commercial consumers and for integrating isolated renewable sources in the most effective way. The projects considered the possibilities of electric vehicles used to solve environmental problems and balancing unstable electricity production from renewable sources with Li-ion stationary batteries, tools for effective interaction of users of smart grids, and integration of isolated renewable sources in centralized energy networks. Originality. Based on statistical and machine analysis, the most significant results of smart grid projects were identified. N‑grams of expressed keywords used in the texts of project results were used to present and visualize the textual description of smart grid projects. Practical value. The results might be helpful for the European policymakers and scientific advisers seeking to further promote and ameliorate the pan-European energy system.

Making the BEST decision-the BESTa project development, implementation and evaluation of a digital Decision Aid in Swedish cancer screening programmes- a description of a research project

BackgroundSweden has a long tradition of organized national population-based screening programmes. Participation rates differ between programmes and regions, being relatively high in some groups, but lower in others. To ensure an equity perspective on screening, it is desirable that individuals make an informed decision based on knowledge rather than ignorance, misconceptions, or fear. Decision Aids (DAs) are set to deliver information about different healthcare options and help individuals to visualize the values associated with each available option. DAs are not intended to guide individuals to choose one option over another. The advantage of an individual Decision Aid (iDA) is that individuals gain knowledge about cancer and screening by accessing one webpage with the possibility to communicate with health professionals and thereafter make their decision regarding participation. The objective is therefore to develop, implement and evaluate a digital iDA for individuals invited to cancer screening in Sweden.MethodsThis study encompasses a process-, implementation-, and outcome evaluation. Multiple methods will be applied including focus group discussions, individual interviews and the usage of the think aloud technique and self-reported questionnaire data. The project is based on The International Patient Decision Aid Standards (IPDAS) framework and the proposed model development process for DAs. Individuals aged 23–74, including women (the cervical-, breast- and CRC screening module) and men (the CRC screening module), will be included in the developmental process. Efforts will be made to recruit participants with self-reported physical and mental limitations, individuals without a permanent residence and ethnic minorities.DiscussionTo the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first attempt aimed at developing an iDA for use in the Swedish context. The iDA is intended to facilitate shared decision making about participation in screening. Furthermore, the iDA is expected to increase knowledge and raise awareness about cancer and cancer screening.Patient or public contributionLay people are involved throughout the whole development and implementation process of the digital DA.Trial registrationNCT05512260.

Grammar Learning Strategies: Towards a Pedagogical Intervention

Despite undeniable advances in research on language learning strategies in the last several decades, empirical investigations of actions and thoughts that learners engage in to better understand and use grammar structures in different contexts, or grammar learning strategies (GLS), remain scarce. Moreover, there is a paucity of studies examining the effects of pedagogical interventions in this area, both with respect to the use of different types of GLS and the mastery of grammar structures in terms of explicit and implicit (automatized) knowledge. There is also no empirical evidence concerning the mediating role of individual difference (ID) factors in this respect. The paper outlines a study currently in progress that seeks to address all of these gaps. The first part is devoted to a brief overview of key issues related to the definition and classification of GLS as well as a synthesis of available research in this area. This is followed by a description of an intervention-based research project which explores the effects of strategies-based instruction (SBI) targeting GLS by English majors in Poland, also taking into account the moderating impact of selected ID variables. In particular, the methodology of the study is presented and the envisaged contributions of the intervention are considered.

Establishing a child and adolescent mental health center in Herat, Afghanistan: a project description

ObjectiveAfghanistan has witnessed a long-lasting 4-decade armed conflict, which together with high levels of poverty and interpersonal violence, resulted in high incidence and prevalence of mental disorders in general population, including children and adolescents. Until mid-2018, there was neither mental health care facility nor a child psychiatrist in Afghanistan. Here, we report the establishment of the first children and adolescents’ mental health center (CAMHC) in Herat province of Afghanistan. MethodsIn July 2018, CAMHC was initiated at Mental Health Training Center – Herat. CAMHC was initially planned by the International Assistance Mission (IAM) and Herat Public Health Directorate; and financially supported by the Tearfund UK, the United Methodist Committee on Relief and Tearfund Australia. The target population of CAMHC was children and adolescents in Herat and neighboring provinces, healthcare professionals, staff of government and non-governmental organizations, school teachers and community leaders. ResultsA group of eight mental health professionals were trained and made the interdisciplinary board for diagnosis and management of mental disorders in children and adolescents. During the initial three-year period, 2 448 patients, including 1 264 (51.6%) boys and 1 184 (48.4%) girls, presented with mental disorders to CAMHC. Diagnosis and management of mental disorders were performed according to standard international protocols. Eighteen awareness-raising seminars were held; 2 000 leaflets, 10 000 posters, and 30 000 brochures were prepared and distributed; and two short video clips were produced and broadcast via IAM website, social media and local TV channels. A database was developed to house for project data, assessment of outcomes and reporting to stakeholders. ConclusionEstablishment of CAMHC resulted in significant achievements in diagnosis and management of mental disorders among children and adolescents, healthcare staff capacity building, and awareness-raising about mental disorders. Data obtained in CAMHC offers government, mental health professionals and the community the opportunity of improving mental health in the region.

History of creation and development of emergency medical care in City of Moscow

The article is devoted to the history of the creation and development of emergency medical care for the population of Moscow. The stages of the activity of the home care centers, the night emergency room at the Ambulance Station and their subsequent organization in the district emergency centers are considered. The main regulatory and legal documentation is indicated, in the development of which the heads of the Station n. a. A. S. Puchkov and A. M. Nechaev took part. The work on the creation of a system of emergency and emergency medical care for adults and children in Moscow, the rules of action of the doctor of the emergency room upon receipt of appeals is shown. The article describes the search for effective ways to solve organizational and material problems in the field of emergency and emergency medical care at different stages of the development of the emergency service. The role of the Moscow Ambulance and Emergency Medical Care Station in the development and implementation of organizational and methodological measures to improve the work of emergency departments in the capital is shown. A description of a major project is given, the purpose of which was the full integration of emergency medical care for adults and children into the structure of the Ambulance and emergency Medical Care Station in Moscow at the present stage, the organization of a Single city dispatch center for emergency and emergency medical care with the formation of a single information space, the previous preparatory work for receiving calls on a single federal number 103 on the base of the Station. During its history, the Moscow emergency medical Service has passed a difficult path. Thanks to the efforts made, the service is now an integral part of the Ambulance n. a. A. S. Puchkov and Emergency Medical Care Station in Moscow.

Regulation of the postnatal activity of the HPG axis in male Callithrix jacchus - A project description

Regulation of the postnatal activity of the HPG axis in male Callithrix jacchus - A project description

The Impact of Discrepancies between Offerors’ Self-Disclosure and Customers’ Reviews on Online Sales of Experiences in Sharing Economy

ABSTRACT Experience sharing is becoming popular as customers increasingly respond to the rapid platform technology development. However, because of format diversity and quality variation, customers refer to multiple information sources before booking. Two of the most important information sources are the hosts’ self-disclosure texts about the experience project and customers’ online reviews. Using natural language processing (NLP) techniques, we analyze the data from Airbnb experience projects. We find that the information discrepancies in hosts’ self-disclosure texts of the experience project and customers’ online reviews, in terms of their focus on the attributes of products and services and the linguistic styles, exist, and these discrepancies affect sales. Hosts elaborate more on the descriptive attributes, whereas customers focus mainly on individual perceptions in their reviews. Customers also write online reviews in a more concise, diverse, and relaxed fashion, conveying positive emotion and a more subjective tone than expressed by hosts’ project descriptions. Additionally, a large topic difference, reflected by customers’ more details about various attributes elaborated in their online reviews compared with the attributes described by the hosts in the project description, increases sales. Further, a larger discrepancy in length and diversity increases sales, whereas a larger discrepancy in subjectivity reduces sales. Compared with the online mode, the in-person mode strengthens the impact of content and linguistic discrepancies on sales. This study’s findings will help hosts and sharing economy platforms use a relative approach to optimize their information provision and exploit the electronic word-of-mouth effect to improve customers’ online purchase intention and behavior.

A stronger form of Yamamoto's theorem on singular values

For a matrix T∈Mm(C), let |T|:=T⁎T. For A∈Mm(C), we show that the matrix sequence {|An|1n}n∈N converges to a positive-semidefinite matrix H whose jth-largest eigenvalue is equal to the jth-largest eigenvalue-modulus of A (for 1≤j≤m). In fact, we give an explicit description of the spectral projections of H in terms of the eigenspaces of the diagonalizable part of A in its Jordan-Chevalley decomposition. This gives us a stronger form of Yamamoto's theorem which asserts that limn→∞⁡sj(An)1n is equal to the jth-largest eigenvalue-modulus of A, where sj(An) denotes the jth-largest singular value of An. Moreover, we also discuss applications to the asymptotic behaviour of the matrix exponential function, t↦etA.

From goals to engagement—evaluating citizen science project descriptions as science communication texts

Introduction: Attracting and recruiting volunteers is a key aspect of managing a citizen science initiative. Science communication plays a central role in this process. In this context, project descriptions are of particular importance, as they are very often, the first point of contact between a project and prospective participants. As such, they need to be reader-friendly, accessible, spark interest, contain practical information, and motivate readers to join the project.Methods: This study examines citizen science project descriptions as science communication texts. We conducted a thorough review and analysis of a random sample of 120 English-language project descriptions to investigate the quality and comprehensiveness of citizen science project descriptions and the extent to which they contain information relevant to prospect participants.Results: Our findings reveal information deficiencies and challenges relating to clarity and accessibility. While goals and expected outcomes were frequently addressed, practical matters and aspects related to volunteer and community management were much less well-represented.Discussion: This study contributes to a deeper understanding of citizen science communication methods and provides valuable insights and recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness and impact of citizen science.

Проектные особенности функционирования региональных отделений партии «Единая Россия» в контексте избирательного цикла 2021 года

The article provides an analysis of the project activities of the regional branches of the «United Russia» party in the Rostov region and the Stavropol region in the 2021 electoral cycle. The purpose of the study is to analyze the impact of «United Russia's» project activities on its functioning in the regions and the conceptualization of «United Russia's» image and electoral projects. The study was conducted on the materials of the 2021 elections in the Rostov region and the Stavropol region. The main research tool was the methods of applied political analysis. The results of the study: theoretical conceptualization of the image and electoral projects of «United Russia», a description of specific projects of the regional branches of «United Russia» in the electoral cycle of 2021, disclosure of the functional significance of each of the described projects. The main conclusions of the study are as follows. First, the difference between image and electoral projects lies in the goals of the projects and the periods of their implementation. Secondly, the electoral projects of «United Russia» have the potential for qualitative transformation into image projects, as an example, the project «People's Program» is given. Thirdly, image projects are often associated with the fulfillment by «United Russia» of important functions for the country's political system.

Maritime Security Initiatives at Maap: Implications for a Ched-Funded Partnership with the University of Wollongong Australia

This is a qualitative research for the preparation of the funded proposal using the following methods of data collection : interviews, observations , document analysis, internet search and the references and sources have been acknowledged. Based on the Maritime Security Initiatives of the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) Philippines and the University of Wollongong (UOW) through its Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) course offerings, the common denominators between these two institutions were analyzed for the possible joint maritime security training project that will be led by MAAP and funded by the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) through the Foreign Scholarship Training Program (FSTP) for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) this June 2023. The joint partnerships are justified. The paper presents a brief Project Description, Short-Term and Long-Term Goals of HEI/s, Main Objective/Expected Transformation or Effects of the Project; Response to the Grant Thrusts, Indicators of Sustainability and its Responsiveness to SDGS, AMbisyon 2040 and MIDP2028. The maritime security training project would steer the development path towards enabling Filipinos to attain all dimensions of development (economic, human and physical capital, institutional, social, and cultural) for a strong, comfortable, and secure Philippines.

Extracting software requirements-related information from online news using DomText-WMDS

Currently, there are not many studies that assess software requirements extraction from non-software artifacts. Most of the research in these related areas are focuses on software artifacts such as project descriptions or user reviews as a source of requirements extraction. This research aims to identify relevant information to the software requirements from online news using the vector space model. This software requirements-related information can assist systems analysts in discovering the problem domain based on the lesson learned presented by stakeholders in online news. This research proposes DomText-WMDS to extract requirements-related information from online news. We used online news and public software requirements specification dataset to develop software-specific vocabulary using domain specificity technique. Then we expanded the specific vocabulary software to obtain more comprehensive results by building vector space model from online news documents. This updated version of software-specific vocabulary can be used for basic filtering of software requirements-related information that previously extracted using the part-of-speech (POS) chunking. This study improved the performance for extracting software requirements-related information, with precision and recall 61.09% and 60.66% compared to domain specificity approach that only manages to obtain 43.34% and 40.78%.

The science of citizen science: a systematic literature review on educational and scientific outcomes

Citizen Science is an ever-growing field of public engagement with science, and recent years have seen an increasing number of studies examining its potential. This study reviews this research to determine the educational and scientific outcomes of Citizen Science. A literature search produced 1,240 articles that were subsequently coded according to their main focus. Articles fell into one of three main categories: (a) empirical scientific articles, (b) narrative project descriptions, and (c) theoretical and technical conceptualizations. Hundred and forty-eight studies investigated educational outcomes of participation in Citizen Science such as effects on interest in science or motivation. These studies were examined further to assess the achievement of educational outcomes of Citizen Science. In terms of changing epistemological beliefs, for example, Citizen Science seems to have little effect. Overall, there is currently a lack of empirical studies to assess the educational outcomes comprehensively. In contrast, many empirical scientific articles answered research questions in different scientific disciplines based on Citizen Science data and many studies confirmed a high level of Citizen Science data quality providing information on the scientific outcomes. Implications for future research on Citizen Science are discussed.

Synthesis of Modular Multipliers

The results of experiments on the circuit implementation of modular multipliers in the design library of ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits) and FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) are presented. The initial descriptions of modular multiplier projects were given by systems of not fully defined (partial) Boolean functions and algorithmic VHDL descriptions. Logical optimization was carried out in the class of disjunctive normal forms (DNF) and representations of Boolean function systems by BDD (Binary Decision Diagrams). The synthesized circuits were evaluated by area and time delay. It is established that the use of partial Boolean function models and preliminary logi­cal BDD optimization allows one to improve the parameters of synthesized ASIC and FPGA blocks for small module values, however, the best solutions for large module values can be obtained using algorithmic VHDL descriptions of modular multipliers. In the synthesis of modular multiplier circuits as part of an FPGA and the use of ISE and Vivado design systems it is advisable to use synthesized VHDL operations (a*b) mod p.

Advocating for Intrapreneurship in Arts Entrepreneurship Education: Developing a New Generation of Innovative Professionals

This research aims to propose a set of eight arts-based intrapreneurial projects for higher education, tailored to arts entrepreneurship students. The projects, designed for a 16-week timeframe (except one project requiring 21 weeks), provide project descriptions, learning objectives, assessment criteria, and resource requirements. To ensure feasibility and relevance, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with three experts in the field, including a project manager and creative director from a leading video production agency, an audio engineer and music producer in a multinational media conglomerate, and a creative director who transformed a Brazilian company into a multibillion-dollar empire through graphic design, music, video, and marketing services. The insights gathered from the interviews, along with an analysis and synthesis process, inform the proposed intrapreneurial projects, offering a framework for arts entrepreneurship educators to implement in their curricula.