Ethical considerations in social network studies are grounded in the general principles of human subjects’ research, including avoidance of harm, promotion of justice, equitable distribution of burdens and benefits, respect for human dignity, and protection of confidentiality. To help navigate these challenges, this article presents recommendations for conducting ethical network research, developed by a multi-disciplinary and multi-national working group. The article is divided in three main sections where there are certain recommendations identified for each one of them: data collections, use, and availability. Discovering how others addressed and solved problems can be a way for all of us to improve our capacity to stand up to the scrutiny of ethical governance bodies, while also increasing our capacity to responsibly address novel, rare, or otherwise difficult situations for which institutions provide limited guidance. We see this as a first step toward a virtuous circle, or a form of “generalized indirect reciprocity” whereby researchers share information that may be relevant for others, and benefit at the same time from the information given by other members of the social networks analysis community. Our goal is to continue to produce and promote scientifically solid, ethical social network research.

As companies face increasing accountability for resource efficiency, circularity measures like repair or remanufacture offer a promising solution. Modeling expected product lifecycles in early design phases is crucial for planning their effective application. This paper introduces a hierarchical lifecycle model to represent component-specific lifecycle paths across all product architecture levels in a single model. Our approach ensures consistency across hierarchy levels and facilitates precise application of component-specific circularity measures, promoting effective circular product design.

Rebound effects occur when sustainability interventions trigger behavioural or systemic responses that offset environmental benefits. This paper explores how designers encounter and seek to prevent them in practice, based on nine interviews with sustainability-oriented practitioners. We identify twelve challenges across micro, meso and macro levels, showing that effective prevention requires aligning behavioural literacy, organisational governance and structural incentives across design contexts.

This study investigates how clinicians and technicians describe the preparation and use of CAD models in collaborative design sessions for mass personalised products. Semi-structured interviews with ten professionals were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed three themes: the input data required before modelling, the additional information that supports interaction with the CAD model, and the role-specific ways in which contributors evaluate it. These insights guided the development of an initial parametric CAD model intended to support future collaborative work.

This study investigates the gap between objective and subjective garment quality and explores how insights from subjective quality can inform industry practices to enhance product longevity. Based on 16 interviews, findings reveal that consumers rely on subjective-intuitive aspects to form quality expectations and subjective-aligned aspects that emerge through experiences. Qualitative use emerges as a crucial connection between subjective and objective quality. These insights inform design strategies promoting garment longevity across three phases: design, primary retail, and secondary retail.

Current fibre recommendations are based on historical data and may underestimate the intake required for optimal cardiometabolic protection. We examined whether fibre intakes exceeding current guidelines are associated with additional improvements in inflammation and lipid metabolism. We analysed data from 7,008 adults (≥20 years) from the NHANES 2015-2018 with 24-h dietary recall and biomarker data (CRP, total cholesterol [TC], LDL, HDL, triglycerides [TG]). Fibre intake was expressed relative to recommendations from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), and associations with biomarkers were assessed using multivariable regression models. Higher fibre intake was consistently associated with lower CRP concentrations, with the greatest reductions observed at intakes >150% of the IOM recommendation (>55.7 g/day; 95% CI: 48.6–56.7). Among men, both TC and LDL cholesterol decreased significantly at intakes >150% of IOM values (>69.8 g/day; 95% CI: 64.2–75.4). Triglycerides were significantly lower when fibre intake exceeded AND recommendations (>41.0 g/day; 95% CI: 32.6–49.5). No clear associations were observed for HDL cholesterol. The associations found in this study make us consider the possibility that the benefits of fibre on systemic inflammation and lipid profile may extend beyond current recommended levels. Public health guidelines may need to reconsider fibre targets to better reflect condition-specific benefits rather than minimum thresholds for adequacy should this hypothesis be duly proven by future longitudinal studies.

Early embodiment design requires sustainability considerations for design alternatives that traditional LCA techniques cannot efficiently support. This paper presents a fast parametric LCA model that expresses environmental impacts as linear functions of material mass, recycled content and recyclability potential, allowing rapid evaluation of design alternatives. Applied to load break switch drives of two generations, the model achieves a MAPE below 5% relative to conventional ISO-compliant LCA results and demonstrates its capability to support design space exploration.

Product configuration systems support customized design in complex engineering. However, as products grow in complexity, the configuration model also grows, making it important to manage these models effectively. Based on industrial case studies, This study shows how companies structure their configuration models and how modularization helps improve flexibility, maintainability, and scalability. The results provide empirical insights and practical guidance for structuring robust configuration models in complex engineering contexts.

The Circular Life Cycle Blueprint (CLB) is a four-step design methodology for integrating circular economy principles at the component level in product design. Developed via a design science approach with iterative prototyping and evaluation, the CLB guides design teams from conceptualizing circular strategies to mapping component lifecycles and conducting a sustainability assessment. Pilot evaluation with industry professionals indicates that the CLB is effective and user-friendly, fostering innovative circular design and demonstrating practical viability in sustainable product development.

This study examines barriers for circular ecosystems in literature, and identifies 11 enabling factors for collaboration in circular ecosystems. Based on a web-based analysis of 763 European CE projects, the study analyses how factors are addressed in practice. Collaborative processes, trust building, and technological enablers were most frequent, supporting relational foundations via digital tools. Projects often signal collaboration but rarely detail governance or ecosystem orchestration. Findings highlight design capabilities to foster shared-value creation in circular ecosystems.