Stage Of Project Research Articles

Towards the use of virtual reality prototypes in architecture to collect user experiences: An assessment of the comparability of patient experiences in a virtual and a real ambulatory pathway

Virtual Reality (VR) enables the low-cost production of realistic prototypes of buildings at early stages of architectural projects. Such prototypes may be used to gather the experiences of future users and iterate early on in the design. However, it is essential to evaluate whether what is experienced within such VR prototypes corresponds to what will be experienced in reality. Here, we use an innovative method to compare the experiences of patients in a real building and in a virtual environment that plays the role of a prototype that could have been created by architects during the design phase. We first designed and implemented a VR environment replicating an existing ambulatory pathway. Then, we used micro-phenomenological interviews to collect the experiences of real patients in the VR environment (n=8), along with VR traces and first-person point of view videos, and in the real ambulatory pathway (n=8). We modeled and normalized the experiences, and compared them systematically. Results suggest that patients live comparable experiences along various experiential dimensions such as thought, emotion, sensation, social and sensory perceptions, and that VR prototypes may be adequate to assess issues with architectural design. This work opens unique perspectives towards involving patients in User-Centered Design in architecture, though challenges lie ahead in how to design VR prototypes from early blueprints of architects.

Native bee habitat restoration: key ecological considerations from recent North American literature

Habitat loss is a primary driver of global biodiversity decline, negatively impacting many species, including native bees. One approach to counteract the consequences of habitat loss is through restoration, which includes the transformation of degraded or damaged habitats to increase biodiversity. In this review, we survey bee habitat restoration literature over the last 14 years to provide insights into how best to promote bee diversity and abundance through the restoration of natural landscapes in North America. We highlight relevant questions and concepts to consider throughout the various stages of habitat restoration projects, categorizing them into pre-, during-, and post-restoration stages. We emphasize the importance of planning species- and site-specific strategies to support bees, including providing floral and non-floral resources and increasing nest site availability. Lastly, we underscore the significance of conducting evaluations and long-term monitoring following restoration efforts. By identifying effective restoration methods, success indicators, and areas for future research, our review presents a comprehensive framework that can guide land managers during this urgent time for bee habitat restoration.

Linear relationships between aboveground biomass and plant species diversity during the initial stage of degraded grassland restoration projects.

The relationship between aboveground biomass and plant diversity has been extensively examined to understand the role of biodiversity in ecosystem functions and services. Degraded grassland restoration projects can enhance carbon sequestration. However, the relationship between biomass and diversity remains one of the most actively debated topics regarding grassland ecosystems in degraded grassland restoration projects. We speculated that establishing the linear relationships between aboveground biomass and plant species diversity could contribute to enhancing the efficacy of degraded grassland restoration projects. This study sought to determine whether these relationships were linear during the initial stages of the restoration projects of degraded grasslands in Xing'an League, China. The investigations were based on an examination of seventy-six 1 × 1 m2 plots distributed among 15 areas in which the degraded grassland was at the initial stages of restoration. To quantify the species diversity of the degraded grassland communities, we used the species richness, Shannon-Wiener, inverse Simpson's reciprocal, and Pielou's evenness indices. Our analyses revealed that aboveground biomass had clear positive linear relationships with species richness during the initial stages of degraded grassland restoration. However, there were less pronounced associations with species diversity as assessed using the Shannon and inverse Simpson indices, based on regression models. Furthermore, weed biomass was found to have significant negative effects on species richness and Pielou's evenness. The weak linear relationship between aboveground biomass and species richness could be ascribed to an increase in weed biomass. We concluded that aboveground biomass and plant species diversity could be enhanced during the initial stages of degraded grassland restoration projects and suggest that the extent of weed biomass could serve as a key indicator of the efficacy of restoration from the perspective of plant species diversity and aboveground biomass in carbon sequestration projects.

Water Scarcity Effect on Kirkuk irrigation project

Abstract The Kirkuk irrigation project is very importance for the Kirkuk Governorate. The governorate has been significantly affected due to the water scarcity in Iraq. The shortage of the water can be attributed to various factors. The most important one related to influence of recent climatic changes on the water strategies implemented by neighboring nations sharing borders with Iraq. Moreover, Iraq is facing several challenges in the mismanagement of its water resources. The rise in population has led to a higher demand for water. This study examines various stages of the Kirkuk irrigation project, including the main channels and the feeding channel. Also, this study analyses the dams and projects established by Iran they have Indirect effect on project by cutting the feeding tributaries of dam which Kirkuk irrigation project mainly depended on it. Furthermore, this study explores the consequences of water scarcity on the agricultural output of Kirkuk proven. At the normal years of the project the annual discharge of the Kirkuk irrigation project was higher than they are currently. In 1996, the annual discharge for the Kirkuk irrigation project was 104.5 m3/second, and in 2023, t decreased to 30 m3/second. This reduction forced the farmers to excavate wells for irrigation purposes, and by the year 2023, the total number of wells in the Kirkuk had reached 291,480. the study explores the consequences of water scarcity on the agricultural output of Kirkuk project. Drought and water scarcity have decreased the annual share of individual water share, in 2003 the amount of water per capita was 2393.55 m3/year and decreased in 2021 until it became 758.42 m3/year.

Migration industries around the nexus of mobility, immobility and settlement. An overview

This introduction aims to give a brief overview of research on the migration industries, based on our definition of the migration industry as all those eco-nomic and financial activities developing between people on the move and the border, we categorise the literature that focuses on this topic around the nexus of mobility, immobility and settlement. We suggest reading and interpreting the research along three main dimensions, depending on where migration in-dustry actors intervene in the relationship between people on the move and the border: a migration industry that facilitates mobility and border crossing and involves actors ranging from smuggling networks to global recruitment agen-cies; an immobility migration industry that involves state and private actors aiming to regulate and/or control the movement of people; and a migration in-dustry that is not concerned with the journey itself, but with the settlement of migrants. Various migration industry actors are present in all these stages, re-configuring their roles, shifting their activities, and responding to new and dis-tinct opportunities for/of the commodification and commercialisation of mi-gration. For these reasons, as will be argued in the introduction to this mono-graph issue, the notion of industries rather than a single industry better reflects the variety of actors and activities operating between migrant agency and border along the different stages of migration projects.

Co-Design of a Digital Health Tool for Use by Individuals With Opioid Use Disorder: App4Independence (A4i-O).

Opioid use disorder (OUD) has arguably the highest mortality rate of mental health conditions; opiate-related deaths are identified as the number one cause of accidental deaths in Canada and the United States. Specialized care for OUD is often described as lacking, fractured, and with frequent periods of disengagement. Digital health strategies may support connection to evidence-based resources even during periods of disengagement. However, sustained engagement in digital interventions remains a barrier, and as such, experts recommend using co-design approaches to develop interventions. The current study outlines the results from a qualitative co-design project that engaged 6 lived experts and 8 clinical experts in a series of focus groups and interviews to adapt an existing intervention for use in OUD. Focus groups and interviews were recorded and transcribed before undergoing thematic analysis. This co-design process is the first stage of a larger project that will lead to the development of a novel digital health intervention for OUD populations. Transcripts underwent thematic analysis, and themes were divided into Crosscutting Themes, Feasibility and Engagement, and Specific Features. Each theme was divided into specific subthemes, which were reviewed by the design team and informed the design of the digital health platform. Key resulting directions included creating a psychologically safe digital space, curating resources for OUD as a multifaceted condition, and being mindful of barriers to implementation from both lived and clinical expert perspectives. Specific features are discussed in detail in the article. Lived experts and clinicians strongly supported integrating digital tools into OUD care. Ongoing work is needed to better understand the role of technology in existing OUD structures as well as the implementation of key features such as digital peer support and creating effective and safe social connections. This study also validates co-design as an essential step in digital health development.

The concept of human-centricity as a basis for digital and value transformation in the management of modern entrepreneurial projects

Aim. To apply the concept of human-centricity in the process of digital transformation when building a management system for developing entrepreneurial projects.Objectives. Development of practical recommendations and digital tools to implement the concept of Human-Centricity Management (HCM); formation of humanistic values at the early stages of entrepreneurial project development.Methods. The authors applied the methods of analysis, grouping and generalization, typologization, synthesis, graphic and tabular visualization.Results. Practical recommendations for the implementation of the concept of human-centricity (HCM) in the formation of entrepreneurial project management system were developed. The methodology of overcoming the information problem has been supplemented and modified: the web-service Management of Developing Projects (MDP), aimed at the realization of the basic principles of HCM within the framework of the current model of project management, has been proposed and developed. The necessity of humanistic values formation at the early stages of entrepreneurial projects development was substantiated.Conclusions. Entrepreneurial community and related institutions unite on the basis of socially directed role-based business models that support useful social transformations as well as the main principles of HCM. Companies that implement the concept of human-centricity are more successful in attracting and retaining qualified human resources. In conditions of increased demand on the labor market, digitalization of this concept plays the role of a catalyst for development, and it should be taken into account by the initiators of entrepreneurial projects when building the company’s management system.

Taxonomy for the assessment of the subjective experience of curly hair manageability.

This paper aims to develop and validate a taxonomy for the assessment of the subjective experience of curly hair manageability. It represents the latter of two iterative stages of a mixed-method design interdisciplinary project. The qualitative stage of the study incorporated thematic analysis of 14 interview transcripts generated using a video-ethnographic method (SEBE). A survey-based instrument assessing different elements of the construct of hair manageability designed during the first stage of this project was further developed following consultations with experts with extensive experience in hair research, product development, testing and trichology. The instrument was tested online with 506 female participants self-reporting natural curly hair, types 3A and higher according to the Andre Walker Curl Classification. The initial construct of four groups of hair goals received positive content validity from the experts. High scale reliability was achieved for the aesthetic, haptic and emotive goals' scales as well as for hair esteem (Cronbach's alpha >0.75). Curl type was the only personal hair attribute that was correlated with hair goals and perceptions. From the demographic and lifestyle data, only age was correlated with goals and willingness to try new products. Common hair practices and product usage were also correlated with hair curl and goals. The appropriateness of the instrument for measuring the strength of different hair goals and perceptions relevant to hair curvature degree and hair esteem has been validated. The instrument will support the development and testing of products better aligned with the manageability needs of very curly and textured hair. It was also confirmed that hair curvature is the most significant determinant of practices, and age of product attitudes.

Digital Trio: Integration of BIM–EIR–IoT for Facilities Management of Mega Construction Projects

Facility Management (FM) has increasingly focused on integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) with the Internet of Things (IoT), known as digital twins, in large-scale development projects. Effective BIM integration in FM requires improved cooperation among participants across various project stages. This digital revolution aims to enhance planning, construction, and asset management efficiency, benefiting all parties. However, BIM utilization in FM is limited by incomplete owner understanding, insufficient data accessibility, and stakeholders’ unfamiliarity with BIM procedures and standards. Despite recognizing BIM’s significance, the FM industry faces significant implementation challenges. Facility managers often lack a comprehensive understanding of BIM’s benefits in streamlining operations and enhancing cost efficiency, as well as the necessary skills for its use. Addressing these barriers requires developing an Employer’s Information Requirements (EIR) document at a project’s outset, providing a strategic plan and vision for all involved parties. BIM and IoT are pivotal technologies for transitioning to efficient building operations and crucial for reducing time, costs, and operational challenges throughout any project. This research aims to establish a digital trio workflow, integrating BIM, EIR, and IoT to maximize stakeholder benefits. It explores how preparing the EIR through stakeholder communication can improve design processes, sustainability, efficiency, cost, and time, especially for megaprojects.

Enhanced method for evaluating remodeling floor plans for apartment complexes with an emphasis on efficiency and accuracy

A social issue in Korea has recently emerged regarding the structural performance and living environment improvement of aged apartment houses (i.e., 20 or more years old). The available methods to improve the issues related to aged apartment houses are remodeling and reconstruction, and there is a trend to recommend environmentally friendly remodeling. During the initial design stage of a typical remodeling project, several floor plan drafts are prepared and undergo several revisions to produce the final floor plan. As such, this study aims to develop a program capable of promptly offering quantitative structural guides during the initial design stage, thereby reducing the duration and workforce required to complete the final floor plan. The developed program was utilized to conduct a structural evaluation of five existing apartment complexes in Korea. Subsequently, to validate the usability of the developed program, the accuracy and time efficiency of its evaluation results were compared to those using commercial structural analysis software. While the calculated structural indices showed a variance within 5 % between the two programs, there were considerable differences in processing time, at 35 min vs. 8–16 h per building. Therefore, the program developed in this study will be beneficial during the initial design stage, and it will significantly reduce the time, effort, and cost necessary for decision-making in a remodeling project while maintaining accuracy in structural assessment.

Research on the vertical compressive bearing characteristics of offshore wind power steel pipe piles

In the absence of a comparison of static load test results for large-diameter steel pipe piles at home and abroad, optimize the design parameters based on the test pile results to guide later construction. This paper is based on the pile foundation design calculation method of API specification, as well as the relationship between the t-z, Q-z, p-y curve modes suggested by this specification, vertical ultimate bearing capacity, and stratum parameters. The conclusions and results obtained are limited to pile foundation calculations using API specifications. Analyze and back-analyze the results of static load tests on large-diameter steel pipe piles, and verify the pile foundation parameters. Combined with the data obtained from the test pile tests, analyze the stratum parameters to guide the optimization design of pile foundations in the construction drawing design stage of the offshore wind farm expansion project.

Action research as a meta-methodology: insights from an operations development project

This research addresses action research (AR) as a meta-methodology and uses an operations development project as an illustration to provide some insights on AR as a meta-methodology. First, we report on a six-month action research (AR) project concerning analysing and improving production and inventory performance in an industrial firm in the food and beverage industry. The implementation of a new, basic period cyclic production approach resulted in higher production volumes and higher customer service levels while maintaining inventory levels. Second, we discuss the insights from the project concerning success factors related to novelty, rigour, relevance and usefulness, and applicability in other situations. The use of mixed methods, including case study research, conceptual modelling, mathematical modelling, and heuristic approaches, and the strong research interest of the management team at the company contributed to the success of the project. The novel cyclic production approach was subsequently transferred to other production lines. This AR project supports the perception of AR as serving as a meta-methodological framework, where different research methods can be used at various project stages where required and for triangulation purposes.

Enseñanza y aprendizaje por competencias en la carrera de Abogacía de la Universidad Católica de Salta

This work reflects the result of the first stage of the research project “Teaching and learning by competencies in the Law career of the Catholic University of Salta (UCASAL)”. The general objective of the research is to investigate whether the competencies defined by the UCA-SAL`s educational model are reflected explicitly and/or implicitly in the degree programs in face-to-face and distance modalities. To do this, all the programs of the different subjects in both modalities were analyzed through documentary observation by category.A quantitative analysis of the data was carried out which showed that there is little explicit reference to the term competencies from a pedagogical per-spective and a disparate presence of the generic competencies established by the University both between the subjects and between the years of com-pletion of the degree. Implicitly, a greater number of these competencies have been identified, although a great dispersion is observed in terms of their typology and their recurrence. The differences in the in-person and distance modalities are not significant and, in general, the same pattern can be observed, however, there are important variations in their devel-opment by year and by program elements.

Research on Carbon Emission Pre-Assessment of Residential Buildings in Xi’an City during the Scheme Design Stage

The effect of energy saving and carbon reduction in the building industry is closely related to the realization of China’s double carbon goal. In this study, a two-dimensional framework for building life cycle carbon emissions was established, which takes into account the early stages of building design such as the feasibility study stage and scheme design stage. Taking 57 residential buildings in Xi’an City as examples, the life cycle carbon emission characteristics of residential buildings in cold areas were introduced. This study found that the life cycle carbon emission intensity is about 45~55 kgCO2/(m2·a). The operation and maintenance stage and building materials production stage accounted for the largest proportion of carbon emissions, and the sum of carbon emissions of the two stages accounted for 92.3% of the total carbon emissions. In addition, based on the probability density function, the carbon emission intensity distributions of the building life cycle, building material production stage, building material transportation stage, and operation and maintenance stage were analyzed, and it was found that each distribution fitting graph was generally in line with a lognormal distribution, and their expected value provided a reference index for carbon emission pre-assessment in the feasibility study stage. Based on the analysis and determination of 11 independent variables that affect the total carbon emissions, such as area, floor number, story height, and number of households, a multiple linear regression model for carbon emission pre-assessment in the design stage of building schemes is proposed. The R2adj of the model is 0.985 and the error is about 10%. The prediction model can provide beneficial guidance for the life cycle carbon emission prediction in the design stage of building projects, so as to reduce carbon emissions by changing building design.

Communication Model in Managing Geothermal Power Plant Conflicts on Serang Regency, Indonesia

Aims: The construction of Geothermal Power Plants in several regions in Indonesia is currently always characterized by conflict and opposition from local communities, including in Serang Regency. One of the main issues is the company’s inappropriate communication strategy, resulting in a lack of community acceptance and leading to conflicts. The research focuses on the different stages of conflict, behavior and communication of conflicting parties within managing conflict strategies. Researchers utilize Galtung's conflict model and the convergence-divergence communication theory. Methodology: The research method used is qualitative research through the examination of case studies. This was done because the problems in this research remained unclear, holistic, complex, dynamic and full of meaning. Meanwhile, the data collection techniques used in this research were documentation obtained 73 news published by 35 online media covering statistics on yearly citizen actions and newspaper publications, news topics or discussions, and online news coverage on the construction of the Geothermal Power Plant in Serang regency, Indonesia. Also, with direct field observations and in-depth interviews with several informants at the study location. Results: Based on research findings, the Geothermal Power Plant conflict went through 4 stages, including the initial conflict phase; conflict phase; the trust-building phase leading to conflict resolution; and the conflict resolution phase. Meanwhile, based on Galtung's theory, conflict occurs when there is a discrepancy between the socialization provided by the company and the community’s direct experiences, leading to rejection through various actions. The divergent communication approach utilized by the company towards the affected communities resulted in different interpretations, ultimately causing the root of the conflict. Conclusion: The conflict stages in the Geothermal Power Plant development project in Serang regency are divided into several phases that closely related with communication occurred between company, government and the local communities. Lack of communication formed negative opinions about the project developers, leading them to oppose the construction of the Geothermal project. The convergent communication model combined with other communication models such as open, participatory and supportive communication is considered to be highly effective in addressing conflicts.

The use of digital platforms by citizen aid actors during the Ukraine humanitarian crisis

Following the Ukraine humanitarian crisis, which was a result of the war in Ukraine, ordinary citizens stepped up to spontaneously coordinate various humanitarian responses to support affected populations. In this article such individuals who founded or coordinated this form of spontaneous humanitarian aid are referred to as citizen aid actors (CAA). This paper explores the work of citizen aid actors in Poland, a country which received many of the people displaced by the war in Ukraine. The study applies the concept of digital affordances to illustrate and argue that citizen aid actors relied on the features available on digital platforms to attain their goals. It is an outcome of a qualitative research approach where interviews, participant observation, and analysis of relevant online material about the studied citizen aid actors were used as methods of collecting data. The findings indicate that these actors used diverse digital platforms at different stages of the humanitarian aid projects, from establishment, organization and sustenance. While this study demonstrates how specific digital platforms contributed to the accomplishment of the work done by CAAs, it also highlights how problematic it can be when the actors largely rely on digital platforms. As such, potential risks associated with overreliance on digital platforms as a way of implementing projects are factored in. Ensuing concerns include the presence of online trolls, the spreading of fake news, and internet disruptions as potential obstacles for the success of the aid projects.

Improved Detection of Drug-Induced Liver Injury by Integrating Predicted In Vivo and In Vitro Data.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) has been a significant challenge in drug discovery, often leading to clinical trial failures and necessitating drug withdrawals. Over the last decade, the existing suite of in vitro proxy-DILI assays has generally improved at identifying compounds with hepatotoxicity. However, there is considerable interest in enhancing the in silico prediction of DILI because it allows for evaluating large sets of compounds more quickly and cost-effectively, particularly in the early stages of projects. In this study, we aim to study ML models for DILI prediction that first predict nine proxy-DILI labels and then use them as features in addition to chemical structural features to predict DILI. The features include in vitro (e.g., mitochondrial toxicity, bile salt export pump inhibition) data, in vivo (e.g., preclinical rat hepatotoxicity studies) data, pharmacokinetic parameters of maximum concentration, structural fingerprints, and physicochemical parameters. We trained DILI-prediction models on 888 compounds from the DILI data set (composed of DILIst and DILIrank) and tested them on a held-out external test set of 223 compounds from the DILI data set. The best model, DILIPredictor, attained an AUC-PR of 0.79. This model enabled the detection of the top 25 toxic compounds (2.68 LR+, positive likelihood ratio) compared to models using only structural features (1.65 LR+ score). Using feature interpretation from DILIPredictor, we identified the chemical substructures causing DILI and differentiated cases of DILI caused by compounds in animals but not in humans. For example, DILIPredictor correctly recognized 2-butoxyethanol as nontoxic in humans despite its hepatotoxicity in mice models. Overall, the DILIPredictor model improves the detection of compounds causing DILI with an improved differentiation between animal and human sensitivity and the potential for mechanism evaluation. DILIPredictor required only chemical structures as input for prediction and is publicly available at https://broad.io/DILIPredictor for use via web interface and with all code available for download.

Labour multiplier driven approach for budgeting project resources

Manpower demand for construction projects is roughly budgeted based on planners’ personal experience. This research study explores an analytical way to characterise project labour demand profiles throughout project duration. Labour multiplier (LM) approach was advanced to characterise the labour demand profiles. Optimistic, most-likely, and pessimistic LM and labour demand profiles at 10 project stages are defined by using manpower and payment data derived from 91 completed public construction projects under 21 project types in Hong Kong. The root-mean-square-error and root-mean-squared-logarithmic-error are used to quantify the difference between the budgeted and the benchmarked manpower. A text-book example is successfully adopted to demonstrate the steps of the proposed approach, validated by two practical projects. This research is the first to study the use of LM to characterise optimistic, most-likely, pessimistic resource demand profiles for validating manpower resource budgets. Also, the approach provides a basis to evaluate the reasonableness of planned resource.

Research in an intercultural context: mediator-investigators of epidemiological health studies, bridges between two worlds.

ContextFrench Guiana is a French overseas department where very different linguistic, cultural and societal populations live together in a small area. Health issues and their specific epidemiological profiles call for research projects crossing several cultures. In this context, health mediators have a role to play in research. The aim of this study was to describe the perceptions, attitudes and opinions on research of mediators and researchers collaborating on research projects, and to describe the strengths and difficulties encountered during this cooperation.MethodsThe Inter-med project was conducted in French Guiana between February 2022 and April 2023 on the base of semi-directive interviews with mediators, or researchers, all working in health research in the intercultural context of French Guiana. The socio-demographic characteristics of the participants were described. An inductive thematic analysis was carried out on all the interviews, and word occurrence analysis on certain themes. The information was triangulated with field coordination notebooks from two epidemiological surveys conducted in French Guiana between 2021 and 2022.ResultsA total of 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted and 1,328 notebook pages analyzed. Mediation was described as an indispensable interface between the world of research and that of the population targeted by a survey. Mediators have a role to play at different stages of projects, in respect of good clinical practice, ethics and legislation. They act as interfaces between languages, concepts and representations. Their profession remains under-defined and under-dimensioned. The jobs offered are often precarious. Mediation work is emotionally costly, calls on soft skills and requires a combination of rigor and flexibility. All these aspects are implemented in the specific world of research, where there are common concepts and divergent perceptions. Researchers and mediators converge on a common goal: improving health.ConclusionThis study covers several aspects of the development and implementation of research projects. Respect for good clinical practice and people, transparency and data quality are redundant concerns, and this study touches on ethnocentrism, stigmatization and cultural representations. This study points out that the integration and recognition of mediators could be beneficial in research conducted in a cross-cultural context.

Success Factors of the Consultant Selection Stage of the Ghanaian Public Construction Projects: The Road Sector’s Perspective

Success Factors of the Consultant Selection Stage of the Ghanaian Public Construction Projects: The Road Sector’s Perspective