A Tool for Network Research on HIV Among Drug Users

描述（由申请人提供）：该SBIR项目的主要目标是创建一个集成软件系统（“SocioMetrica”），以促进社会网络方法在艾滋病毒和药物滥用流行病学、预防和控制中的应用。由于社交网络机制在人类行为中的重要性，该软件还被设计为在研究、公共卫生、政府和企业市场中具有更广泛的商业用途。公共卫生价值是巨大的，因为虽然收集以自我为中心的提名数据相对容易和便宜（有许多现有的这种类型的数据集），但获得社会计量数据的速度较慢，更困难，成本更高。 第一阶段侧重于将大型或无限网络的成员，如社区中的吸毒者联系起来的问题。LinkAlyzer程序匹配和链接以自我为中心的记录来构建社会计量数据，从而可以应用更完整的网络模型。该方法用含有15，000条记录和1亿个潜在匹配的艾滋病毒药物滥用数据集进行了测试，生成了一个网络模型，其结果支持有效性。 第二阶段将创建和测试更大的SocioMetrica应用程序包（包括LinkAlyzer），旨在解决具有商业价值的问题。将增加评估功能，以协助收集以自我为中心的数据。将实施一套扩展的社交网络措施，并创建一个平台，使用户更容易实现自己的网络算法。互联网架构将为用户提供从强大的服务器进行低成本处理的可选途径。这一结构将简化软件分发、维护和用户支持，并将便利多地点项目运作和数据管理。将与顾问和潜在客户一起使用新的和现有的数据进行迭代测试和验证。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The primary goal of this SBIR project is to create an integrated software system ("SocioMetrica") facilitating the application of social network methods for use in HIV and drug abuse epidemiology, prevention, and control. Because of the importance of social network mechanisms in human behavior, the software is also being designed to have wider commercial use in research, public health, government, and corporate markets. The public health value is substantial, because while it is relatively easy and inexpensive to gather egocentric nomination data (there are many existing data sets of this type), it is slower, more difficult, and costly to obtain sociometric data. Phase 1 focused on the problem of linking members of large or unbounded networks, such as drug abusers in communities. The LinkAlyzer program matches and links egocentric records to construct sociometric data, allowing more complete network models to be applied. The approach was tested with a HIV drug abuse data set with 15,000 records and 100 million potential matches, generating a network model with results that support validity. Phase II will create and test a larger SocioMetrica package of applications (including LinkAlyzer) designed to solve problems of commercial value. Assessment functions will be added to assist in gathering egocentric data. An extended set of social network measures will be implemented, and a platform will be created making it easier for users to implement their own network algorithms. Internet architecture will provide users with optional access to low-cost processing from powerful servers. This architecture will simplify software distribution, maintenance, and user support, and will facilitate multi-site project operations and data management. Iterative testing and validation will be done with consultants and potential customers using new and existing data.