Network Project Research Articles

Exploring the effect of family function on non-suicidal self-injury among Chinese adolescents in different family socioeconomic status.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents represents an alarming public health concern worldwide. Both family function and family socioeconomic status (SES) were found to play important roles in adolescent NSSI engagement. However, the effects of family function on NSSI among adolescents in different family SES are not well evidenced. This study aimed to explore how family functions (adaptation, partnership, growth, affection, and resolve) affect NSSI among adolescents in different family SES levels. Data used in this study was derived from the Students' Mental Health Network Project (SMHN), a survey conducted among 8,872 pairs of adolescent-caregivers in a city in central China. Socio-demographic characteristics, family function, NSSI, adverse life events, and depressive symptoms were measured among adolescents. Family SES were generated from caregivers self-reported information using principal component analysis. Chi-square test and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were adopted to analyze the effects of family function on NSSI. It revealed that 10.2% of adolescents reported engaging in NSSI in the past 12 months. Poor family function and high family SES were positively associated with NSSI. Partnership, both adaptation and affection, resolve were NSSI-protective factors for adolescents in low, middle, high family SES, respectively. Efforts to address NSSI should acknowledge the association between family function and NSSI among adolescents in different family SES levels.

Bohccuid dálvebiebman – váikkuhusat bohccuid láhttenvieruide, boazodoalu geavadagaide ja birrasii

This report is based on the results from a Nordic network project funded by The Nordic Joint Committee for Agricultural and Food Research (NKJ) during the years 2021-2022. This network was created to encourage further cross-border discussions about the prospects of winter feeding of reindeer. In reindeer husbandry winter feeding has increased during the last decades due to competing land use activities and climate change. Herders in Norway, Sweden and Finland have previously raised concerns about the benefits and risks associated to the increasing need of winter feeding of reindeer in all three countries. The report, published in Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish and North Sámi, and covers the main findings from a series of preparatory workshops within each country and a main workshop in Arvidsjaur 8-9 June 2022. During the network activities, reindeer herders, researchers and managers discussed the effects of feeding on reindeer behaviour, herding practices and the environment. The two main topics discussed at the preparatory workshops were 1) the short- and long-term effects of winter feeding on reindeer behaviour, and 2) local to large scale effects of feeding on the environment and the natural pastures. During the main workshop, discussions were held about reasons for feeding of reindeer, the preconditions of feeding in the three countries, how winter feeding is usually performed, and best practices in relation to reindeer behaviour and the environment. The work aimed at promoting knowledge exchange on winter feeding of reindeer among all participants to help find solutions and mitigation actions to avoid changes in reindeer behaviour and negative effects of feeding on reindeer, reindeer herding and the environment. The report is aimed at herders, managers, as well as other land users, authorities and policymakers to give information on what was discussed and a summary of the challenges related to winter feeding and effects on reindeer behaviour and reindeer husbandry, and the environment. Rangifer Report No 23 is the North Sámi version of the report. The Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian versions have already been published (Rangifer Report No 18, 19 and 20 respectively).

ETwinning in Science Learning: The Perspectives of Pre-service Primary School Teachers

<p style="text-align:justify">eTwinning is a community of European schools that promotes networking and transnational collaboration projects. Therefore, as part of the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) initiative, we decided to explore how the research projects on scientific topics familiarize pre-service primary school teachers with eTwinning. 251 pre-service primary school teachers from Spain, Iceland, and Slovenia designed and carried out joint research projects on scientific topics. The aim was to gain insight into their self-assessment of their knowledge of the platform, the limitations of working with it, and their responses. An electronic questionnaire was used as the main instrument for data collection. It turned out that the pre-service teachers enjoyed this international collaboration, but also found it challenging. By the end of the projects, they were familiar with the eTwinning platform, although the least engaged prospective teachers recognized that they needed strong support and considered the platform a non-intuitive environment. Overall, they were willing to use the platform with pupils in the future, which is in line with the aim of the ITE initiative.</p>

Community-led urban transformation project as transdisciplinary approach: Case of Senboku Hottokenai Network Project

This study examined the community-led urban transformation project as a transdisciplinary approach in Senboku New Town (Senboku-NT). The research method employed a combination of case study and action research methodologies. In Senboku-NT, the population declined from approximately 170,000 to 115,000, and older adults account for 37.1% of the total population. The demographic change made it difficult for older people to live in Senboku-NT. Due to regional problems, local communities began to explore community-led urban transformation projects. The “Senboku Hottokenai Network Project” is a project in which vacant building stocks were gradually transformed into neighborhood healthcare facilities, including supportive housing for older people, a group home for people with disabilities, and a community restaurant. The urban transformations of the Senboku Hottokenai Network Project may have triggered those in the entire Senboku NT. Our main conclusions indicate the effectiveness of community-led urban transformation projects in old New Towns. The results of this study shed new light on the importance of community-led co-creation among multiple stakeholders as transdisciplinary projects toward the Healthy New Town. Our insight provides the need to implement a new movement program to extend the urban transformation project for the Healthy New Town to other old New Towns in East Asia.

PRINCIPLES FOR PREPARATION OF GROUND AND DESIGN MODELS RELATED TO ROCK MASSES IN THE LIGHT OF THE SECOND GENERATION OF EUROCODE 7

The article gives elements of methodology for preparation of ground models related to rock masses in the light of the second generation of Eurocode 7 (EC7 2025). The goal is to present state of the art in this field and to discuss procedures in ground modelling for typical rock engineering problems. Proposed methodology is based on earlier knowledge in preparation of engineering geological and geotechnical models developed in Yugoslavia, modified and adopted to newer recomendations in the EC7 2025. Preparation of Ground and Geotechnical Design Model shall be based on results from geotechnical investigations necessary in succesful definiton of Geotechnical Categories (GC) based on a combination of Consequence Class (CC) and Geotechnical Complexity Class (GCC). Practical illustration is done through presentation of several case histories for different types of structures constructed in rock mass media along Macedonian road network or hydrotechnical projects. Some open questions that can be a starting point for further developments are also mentioned.

The Importance of Project Status for Career Success: A Network Perspective

Employees’ career trajectories in project-based organizations are closely associated with their project participation history. Yet, little is known about what features make a project stand out as a career booster for its participants and who obtains more career benefits than others from working on “hotshot” projects. In this study, we focus on a unique feature of projects—project status—and theorize about potential network-related sources from which it derives. Specifically, we develop arguments for how the pattern of a project’s social relations with other projects in the project network reflects the project’s status. Then, we deduce hypotheses regarding the impact of project status on employees’ career advancement and the moderating role of one’s hierarchical level in this relationship, drawing on the literature on status diffusion, endorsement, evaluative uncertainty, and attribution. Our empirical examinations entailed two studies. Study 1 provides evidence for the validity of using a network structural feature of a project to indicate its status using data from a high-tech company’s R&D projects. Study 2 tested our hypotheses by leveraging a sample of over 1,000 IT specialists in a multinational accounting firm tracked over five years. We found that employees assigned to higher-status projects received faster promotions. This career advantage was moderated by a person’s organizational hierarchical level in a complex way such that middle-level people obtained more rapid promotions when assigned to high-status projects than their bottom- or top-level counterparts.

Organizational Climate and its Impact in a Women’s Prison on the Mental Health of Correctional Staff

The purpose of this study was to explore the organizational climate in a women’s prison from the shared perceptions of correctional staff. This study was part of the Prison Research and Innovation Network (PRIN) project, which began in the fall of 2020. Forty-two correctional staff from a low-medium security women’s prison in the Midwest were interviewed in spring 2021. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify staff’s perceptions of organizational climate in the women’s correctional facility. The themes identified as most important to staff were mental health, correctional practices, job satisfaction, and workplace culture. An item pool was developed from the themes identified, and a newly developed organizational climate survey was administered to 80 correctional staff. Qualitative data point to the issues of staff shortages and mandated overtime work impacting the mental health of staff. In addition, organizational climate and its impact on mental health were examined through multiple logistic regressions. The results indicated that having job promotion opportunities, having daily communication between staff and administration, and staff’s knowledge and awareness of correctional policies were positively associated with mental health. This mixed-methods study contributes to understanding the unique challenges correctional staff face working in women’s correctional facilities.

Spatiotemporal variation of water level in wetlands based on multi-source remote sensing data and responses to changing environments

Under changing environmental conditions, water level is a crucial indicator for assessing the wetland hydrological cycle. However, due to some wetlands being located in remote and widely dispersed areas, acquiring data on wetland water level changes presents significant challenges, making wetland water level monitoring exceptionally difficult. Wetlands are extensively distributed in western Jilin Province, China, and are experiencing significant degradation due to various factors including natural conditions, agricultural activities, and social development. To address this challenge, this study proposes a monitoring method that combines Sentinel-3 radar altimetry satellites with optical remote sensing images to obtain wetland water level data. Additionally, the study takes into account the Chinese government's Interconnected River System Network Project (IRSNP), classifying wetlands in western Jilin Province into three different water recharge scenarios: direct recharge through main and branch canals, indirect recharge through ditches, and no recharge to isolated wetlands. This study analyses the relationship between wetland water level changes and climatic factors, and assesses how IRSNP can mitigate the negative impacts of climate factors on wetland water levels across different recharge scenarios. The results show that: (1) the wetland water level monitoring method, has high accuracy and feasibility. The average difference between the in-situ measured and satellite-monitored water levels was 0.254 m. (2) There was an overall increasing trend in wetland water levels directly influenced by IRSNP, an insignificant decreasing trend in wetland water levels indirectly influenced by IRSNP. (3) Increased precipitation and decreased evaporation are the predominant climatic factors contributing to rising wetland water levels. Conversely, lower relative humidity and higher temperatures primarily lead to declining water levels. The construction of IRSNP can mitigate the impact of climate change on water levels. Thus, under changing environmental conditions, the implementation of IRSNP has positively impacted wetland protection and provides valuable insights for understanding wetland water level changes and managing water resources effectively.

Evaluating the Use of Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UASs) for Planetary Exploration in Mars Analog Terrain

Planetary analog mission simulations are essential for testing science operations strategies and technologies. They also teach us how to use terrestrial analogs to inform studies of extraterrestrial environments. Unoccupied aircraft systems (UASs) have great potential for planetary surface exploration as demonstrated by the Mars 2020 Ingenuity helicopter and the in-development Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon Titan. Although applications of UAS technology for planetary exploration remain largely unexplored, simulated missions in planetary analog terrains can inform operational best practices. As part of the Rover–Aerial Vehicle Exploration Network project, we simulated a 12 sol UAS mission on Mars in the Holuhraun region of Iceland. The UAS had airborne imaging capability, as well as imaging, sampling, and geochemical analysis capabilities while landed. The mission evaluated the use of these instruments and developed operational strategies for using UASs to explore a planetary surface. Oblique airborne images were essential for mission planning and were used to scout large areas to identify both potential landing sites and targets for focused investigations. The airborne and landed data collected by the UAS allowed for detailed observations and interpretations not possible with analog orbital data sets, resulting in an improved scientific return for the simulated UAS mission compared to a premission analysis of only the analog orbital data. As a planetary exploration vehicle, a UAS is most advantageous for exploring large areas (many square kilometers) and is particularly useful when the terrain may be impassable to ground-based traverses (e.g., by rovers or humans).

Effects of topological structure of project network on computational cost

Effects of topological structure of project network on computational cost

Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) With Incarcerated Women: Exploring the Role of Prison Activities as a Determinant of Preparedness for Re-entry

This study was part of a 5-year Prison Research and Innovation Network (PRIN) project to explore the shared perceptions of the prison climate among incarcerated women. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) was used to partner with incarcerated women as equal partners in the project. Focus group interviews were conducted with the incarcerated women in the fall of 2020. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify incarcerated women’s perceptions of prison climate in the correctional facility. An item pool was developed from the themes identified, and a new prison climate survey was administered to 436 incarcerated women. Structural equation modeling was conducted to examine the relationship between prison activity, correctional practices, and preparedness for re-entry. The results indicated the importance of prison activities, as incarcerated women who reported that the prison offers sufficient activities were more likely to feel supported and had a more positive view of the board of parole, which were in turn associated with preparedness for re-entry. Policies targeted toward creating prison activities and programs for re-entry should become a priority for prison leadership and the department of corrections.

Regression-based model predicting cost contingencies for road network projects

Cost contingencies represent a significant markup percentage for construction projects. Many construction projects experience cost overruns due to unexpected events before or during the construction phase. Determining the cost contingency for construction projects is one of the most frequent and widespread financial problems many countries face. Since the amount included in the estimates is always insufficient to absorb the actual cost overruns of the project. The main objective of this paper is to develop a simple realistic regression model for predicting the appropriate contingency amount for road network projects before the bidding stage. The regression model has been developed based on data from real case studies for 75 road network projects to adequately consider all potential risks may face the project. Good-of-fit tests were used to select the best-fitting statistical distribution for a given dataset. Based on the analysis of selected data, the log-logistic probability distribution function is the best-fit curve representing cost overrun behavior, and the cumulative distribution function has been used to determine the realistic probability of incurred cost overrun. Based on the analysis of real case studies, it is suggested that an average of 59.722% be used as a cost overrun contingency amount for road network projects. The study outcomes will help practitioners and researchers improve future accuracy/calculations of contingency amount for road construction projects and improve the decision-making process.

Advancing Science to Prevent Firearm Violence in Communities: A Process for Harmonizing Studies to Develop Research Infrastructure.

The Community Firearm Violence Prevention Network (CFVP Network), funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), supports a network of research projects that develop and test interventions through collaborations with community partners to prevent firearm violence, injury, and mortality. The CFVP Network presents a unique opportunity to accelerate the science of preventing firearm injuries. The data harmonization workgroup of the CFVP Network led the process of aligning studies across the three unique inaugural network projects, with particular attention to how the CFVP Network could address current gaps in the science. The goal of the data harmonization workgroup was to align study measures, assessment timelines, and data management and archival processes across projects to enable robust cross-project analyses that accelerate the science of preventing firearm injuries. To accomplish this goal, the workgroup established the infrastructure to facilitate cross-project data collection, data sharing and archiving, and analyses. Among the three inaugural network projects, the workgroup's process resulted in harmonizing two assessment timepoints (baseline and one year post-implementation) and 60 constructs (with 31 identical standardized constructs). These harmonized products provide opportunities for novel analyses across the network projects. We expect that the harmonized study infrastructure developed through this process will catalyze future research focused on preventing firearm injury, including and extending beyond CFVP Network projects. The CFVP data harmonization workgroup's process can serve as a model for future networks that seek to build the science in a particular area.

Collaborative learning in the digital age: empowering tuberculosis researchers through virtual training.

Integrating whole genome sequencing (WGS) of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex into routine care, surveillance, and research in high tuberculosis burden settings remains challenging due to limited resources and skills. While technological platforms for scaling WGS are emerging, scaling wet lab and analytic components often depends on partnerships where such skills have been established. To address this, a virtual training program was developed. Over 12 weeks, 21 trainees from five Southern African institutes engaged in learning from curated theoretical content and interactive virtual meetings with experienced instructors. The training program, developed by a diverse team of experts in molecular biology, biomedical research, microbiology, and tuberculosis research, provided comprehensive coverage aligned with the latest advancements. Teaching strategies included interactive mentor-led sessions and real-time feedback, together with facilitated knowledge exchange and understanding. The virtual training program yielded several successes. Of note, trainees submitted three scientific articles for peer review, based on their acquired knowledge and its application in research. The program also fostered collaborations on Mycobacterium tuberculosis WGS among participants, showcasing the potential for networking and future joint projects. While the virtual training program encountered challenges related to the pandemic, limited resources, trainee engagement, and language barriers, these were creatively mitigated. To improve future training sessions, a platform assessing participant engagement and information retention is recommended. Wider collaborative efforts among experts and institutions in collating resources will lead to more comprehensive training programs. Addressing challenges such as internet connectivity issues and language barriers is crucial for ensuring inclusivity and enhancing the overall learning experience. In conclusion, the virtual training program successfully provided knowledge and skill training in WGS to trainees, leading to scientific article submissions and collaborations. Furthermore, content creators benefited from improved science communication and training opportunities.

Establishment of an Australian National Master Linkage Key (NMLK) between AIHW Health Linkage spine (HLS) and Jurisdictional Master Linkage Keys (MLK) - NSW example

ObjectivesThis paper describes a Population Health Research Network project establishing the NMLK as a national linkage system utilising an enduring linkage between national and jurisdictional linkage spines. It used keys from existing enduring linkages within each participating jurisdictional Data Linkage Unit (DLU). The process is demonstrated with reference to an enduring map between AIHW Health Linkage Spine (HLS) and Centre for Health Record Linkage (CHeReL) MLK. ApproachThe NMLK has jurisdictional sections. The NSW section was established in four steps. CHeReL provided data from its regularly updated MLK for the NMLK project authorised by existing project ethics approval. AIHW linked NSW MLK subset to HLS and the de-identified linkage map and report were sent to CHeReL for review. CHeReL reviewed the results, particularly the additional duplicates identified through the linkage process. The agreed links form the AIHW-NSW section of NMLK quarantined for a year. The annual update, scheduled for later in 2024, will focus only on linking the new and unlinked individuals in both datasets. ResultsThe NSW cohort was supplied with almost 50 million records, comprising over 14 million unique person ids. Of these, 12 million were matched with reasonable confidence to HLS, or 84.4% of the total (or around 97% if we exclude NSW records with missing personal information and around 140,000 individuals out of scope of HLS.) Conclusion Establishment of the NMLK enabled effective production of high-quality enduring linkage maps used across multiple cross-jurisdictional projects while minimising the privacy risks.

BIOFAIR Data Network’s Listening Sessions for Engagement and Data Integration

During the last two decades, a wealth of data on biodiversity and associated environments has been mobilized in digital form. Collectively, these data provide a powerful resource that when curated and integrated with intention, can provide critical information to address emerging complex global biological, environmental, and public health challenges. Tapping into the vast potential of specimen, observation, and environmental data requires us to integrate diverse and multifaceted datasets, connect domain-specific communities, and bridge discipline-specific social norms and data infrastructures. Linking data and their respective communities is a critical next step to creating the accessible and enriched data source needed to empower broad integrative biological research and education. To initiate cross-domain collaborations, the Building an Integrated, Open, Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (*1) Data Network project, led by the Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN) and funded by the United States National Science Foundation, convened stakeholders through six listening sessions over the summer of 2024. The sessions were aimed at building connections between disparate data communities—highlighting an iterative process of building a larger, interdisciplinary community from within. These listening sessions brought together representatives from federal agencies, the genetic data community, the ecology data community, the climate and environmental data community, the One Health community, and the biodiversity informatics community to initiate a collaborative and accessible partnership toward an integrative and expanded data network. Discussions focused on advancing data culture and infrastructure that meets emerging needs in research, education, conservation, biosecurity, and the bioeconomy. Participants discussed building on and bridging the Extended Specimen Network (ESN) vision with other existing conceptual frameworks for data integration and application (Lendemer et al. 2019, Thiers et al. 2019). Stakeholder groups will be brought together at an interdisciplinary workshop in early 2025, to develop a roadmap to augment existing initiatives with the aim of producing a FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), open, integrated data network.

Research on Grid Multi-Source Survey Data Sharing Algorithm for Cross-Professional and Cross-Departmental Operations Collaboration

This paper addresses the problem of multi-source survey data sharing in power system engineering by proposing two improved methods: a survey data sharing method combined with differential privacy and a permission change method based on attribute encryption. The survey data sharing method integrated with differential privacy achieves effective cross-professional and cross-departmental data sharing while ensuring data security by introducing multi-discriminator architecture and dynamic noise adjustment. To reduce the computational and communication overhead when user permissions change during survey data sharing, the attribute encryption-based permission change method supports dynamic changes in user permissions. The effectiveness of the proposed methods has been validated through targeted experiments in different scenarios. The work in this thesis provides a new solution for dynamic sharing of survey data in power network engineering. It contributes to the digital transformation of power network projects.

Collaborative dynamics in open source software development: Unveiling the influence of team interaction and the role of project manager

AbstractAs the world becomes increasingly reliant on open‐source software (OSS) development platforms, collaborative communication networks are becoming more complex, resulting in non‐trivial effects on project performance. This study examines the impact of communication network characteristics on project performance, measured in terms of the number of issues closed within OSS projects. Additionally, this research examines how this project outcome is affected by project managers' active participation in these communication networks. Using a panel dataset of 1599 projects spanning 104 weeks, with a total of 120,243 observations, we find that the density of communication network has an inverted U‐shaped relationship with project performance, that is, as the density of the communication network formed by team member interactions increases, project performance initially increases but then starts to decrease. Meanwhile, a project manager's participation in the communication network has no direct positive impact on project performance, but it flattens the inverted U‐shaped relationship, that is, it reduces the rate of decrease in project performance after the density of the communication network formed by project team members crosses the inflection point. These results provide valuable insights into the dynamics of communication networks in OSS projects and can help develop strategies for improving project performance.

The role of digital resilient agility: how digital capability incompatibility affects knowledge cooperation performance in project network organizations

The role of digital resilient agility: how digital capability incompatibility affects knowledge cooperation performance in project network organizations

Approaches to Methodological Rationale of Development of Single Backbone Transport Network and Prioritisation of Transport Infrastructure Development Projects

Approaches to Methodological Rationale of Development of Single Backbone Transport Network and Prioritisation of Transport Infrastructure Development Projects