Search

Complete, accurate and timely hospital discharge summaries are important for continuity of care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an electronic discharge summary system in improving the medication information provided compared to the information in paper discharge summaries. We conducted a retrospective audit of 199 paper and 200 electronic discharge summaries from a 350-bed teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia. The completeness of medication information, and whether medication changes during the admission were explained, were assessed. Further, the likelihood of any incomplete information having an impact on continuity of care was assessed. There were 1352 and 1771 medication orders assessed in paper and electronic discharge summaries, respectively. Of these, 90.9% and 93.4% were complete in paper and electronic discharge summaries, respectively. The dose (OR 25.24, 95%CI: 3.41-186.9) and route (OR 8.65, 95%CI: 3.46-21.59) fields of medication orders, were more likely to be complete in electronic as compared with paper discharge summaries. There was no difference for drug frequency (OR 1.09, 95%CI: 0.77-1.55). There was no significant improvement in the proportion of incomplete medication orders rated as unclear and likely to impede continuity of care in paper compared with electronic discharge summaries (7.3% vs. 6.5%). Of changes to medication regimen, only medication additions were more likely to be explained in the electronic (n=253, 37.2%) compared to paper (n=104, 14.3%) discharge summaries (OR 3.14; 95%CI: 2.20-4.18). In summary, electronic discharge summaries offer some improvements over paper discharge summaries in terms of the quality of medication information documented. However, explanations of changes to medication regimens remained low, despite this being crucial information. Future efforts should focus on including the rationale for changes to medication regimens in discharge summaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effectiveness of online versus paper-based reading strategy instruction on EFL learners’ reading comprehension. Fifty-seven university students from two intact reading classes with comparable proficiency levels were assigned to participate in either a paper-based or an online reading instructional module. Both groups received comparable reading strategy instruction in four areas: Global (keyword list, prediction, overview, and text structure), Problem-solving (reading rate, listening, summarizing, and concept mapping), Support (dictionary, grammar book, translator, highlight, and record book), and Socio-affective (music and peer interaction) strategies. The only difference was the medium: the instruction was paper-based in one class and computer-based in the other class. After each group’s four-hour training and reading period, students’ reading comprehension was measured using a written recall and further analyzed with a weighted propositional system. Results showed that the online reading group outperformed the paper-based group on overall reading comprehension. An interview session provided insights into students’ perceptions of the online module. Findings of this study can encourage teachers to incorporate web-based reading strategy training into their curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Classical analyses of differences among the sciences has measured social but not cognitive structure. This paper suggests a method for describing differences among fields in the processes of knowledge growth. The method examines closely what is said about a particular scientific paper when it is cited in later works, and traces changes over time, if they occur. A comparative analysis of cases drawn from neuropharmacology and the sociology of science is used to illustrate the approach. The two papers analyzed shown strong differences in the level of generality at which the contents of the original papers are cited. Lack of change over time in how the sociology of science paper is cited is attributed to the lack of attention to its main empirical knowledge claim. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil has played a determinant role in the economic development of Sudan and South Sudan before and after their separation. The introduction of oil into the Sudanese economy in 1999 has been associated with many challenges, especially those related to export diversification, and institutional quality. Oil dependency increased with the growth of oil share in total exports. Therefore, the secession of South Sudan in 2011 represents a great shock to both economies. This event creates a situation in which the new country experienced a sudden influx of oil revenues. At the same time, the parent country witnessed a sudden loss of 70% of its proven oil reserves. This makes the case of Sudan unique and provides a very rare opportunity for macroeconomists to address the impacts of this shock on both economies. This paper uses the recent secondary data of both counties to analyze and compare the impact of oil revenues transfer on Sudan and South Sudan's economies in the post-secession period. The conclusion of this paper shows that oil loss has created incentives for better economic performance in Sudan. Reciprocally, South Sudan experiences a premature oil dependence that led to export concentration, institutional degradation, and macroeconomic instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the investigation and analysis of speech accommodation effects in data obtained from Spanish learners of German with varying proficiency levels. The production data were recorded during a collaborative map task of the Spanish learners of German among each other and with a native speaker of German. The map task was designed to target words and phrases with specific segmental and suprasegmental characteristics. These characteristics were derived from contrastive analyses of Spanish and German. The main objectives of the paper were to investigate whether segmental and suprasegmental characteristics of the target language German are affected by phonetic accommodation to varying degrees and whether these differences depend on the proficiency level of the speaker or the interlocutor. The statistical analysis, using regression analyses, revealed inconsistent accommodation effects across learners of different proficiency levels as well as different linguistic phenomena. In line with previous findings the results can best be accounted for by an adaptation of a dynamic system approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mathematical model is introduced which describes citing as a probabilistic process, while taking into account that in general the probability for a paper to be cited decreases with age. With the aid of the model it is possible to ascertain what differences in numbers of citations are to be considered statistically significant (i.e. not due to mere chance). Significant differences are supposed to reflect differences in 'impact' (i.e. differences in the overall judgement of the paper by the scientific community). The 'impact' of a paper is thought not only to be determined by its scientific significance, but also by such extrinsic factors as locale of the author, prestige of the journal in which the paper is published, and so on. A parameter is also introduced which measures the decay rate of citations. This parameter may be useful in making quantitative comparisons between the 'dynamics' of various scientific specialties. Finally, indices are proposed to measure the dissemination of scientific work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modified drafting system, named the soft drafting system, based on the ring spinning frame, has been introduced in the previous paper. In order to compare with the conventional drafting system, this paper analyzed pressure distributions of the two drafting systems and compared apron slippages based on the condition of spinning 18.2 tex combed cotton yarns. The results show that the floating area of the soft drafting system is only 6 mm, much smaller than that of the conventional drafting system at 12 mm. In addition, the soft drafting system can provide a longer and more stable friction zone and the curved channel is more conducive to the separation of fiber bundles to reduce yarn imperfections. The soft drafting system does not have the problem of apron-to-apron slippage that may cause deterioration of yarn quality. The slip rate of the soft drafting system between the lattice apron and the middle bottom roller is 0.03%, while the slip rate of the conventional drafting system between the bottom apron and the middle bottom roller is 8.58%, resulting in a reduction in drafting efficiency and poor stability of yarn quality. The experimental results show that the soft drafting system can significantly improve yarn evenness with CVm% of the soft drafting system decreasing 10.2% over the conventional drafting system. Also, the soft drafting system can reduce yarn imperfections, especially thick places with þ35% thick places decreasing 71.9% and þ50% thick places decreasing 70.4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Urban Studies (Sage Publications, Ltd.) is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper aims to contribute to the ongoing discussions on authoritarian populism and the media, from the lens of the political economy of ownership. In contrast to studies that consider the link between media and authoritarian populism by focusing on the discursive structures of populist communication, this study analyses changes in the structure of news media ownership in four European countries that have been subject to authoritarian populism. By employing social network analysis, a methodology rarely used in media ownership research, we reveal how news media ownership concentration as well as changes in ownership structures have provided favorable conditions for the rise and endurance of authoritarian populism. Our study covers ownership developments during the period 2000 to 2020, in Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, and Turkey where authoritarian populist tendencies have been evident, albeit to varying degrees. Conclusions are drawn to illustrate how authoritarian populist actors in the sample countries not only capitalize on prevailing news media ownership structures, but also proactively intervene in ownership relations in order to increase influence over the diffusion of information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many people believe that "living happily ever after" involves finding a romantic partner. Regardless, it seems obvious that at least some single people are happier than some coupled people. But how likely is it, and what factors predict whether singles will be as happy as their coupled peers? The present paper addressed these questions via a secondary analysis of an existing cross-sectional dataset (N = 2,000) of coupled (n = 1,438) and single (n = 562) adults. We identified 10 candidate predictors of life satisfaction, seven of which were significant in multiple regression models. Using the seven significant predictors as indicators in latent profile analysis (LPA), we identified four distinct profiles (or groups) of coupled adults and six distinct profiles of single adults. We then further conceptualized these profiles in terms of interpersonal indicators (friend satisfaction, closest friend intimacy, family satisfaction, and romantic satisfaction) and intrapersonal indicators (self-esteem, perceived stress, and physical health). Some profiles had very favorable levels of interpersonal and intrapersonal indicators and some had very unfavorable levels, while several profiles fell in between the two extremes with a range of nuances. Overall, people with favorable levels were happier than those with unfavorable levels—regardless of their relationship status, but disadvantages in one area (e.g., self-esteem) could be offset by advantages in another area (e.g., friendship satisfaction). Most importantly, in comparing single and coupled profiles directly, we found that the vast majority of single adults follow a range of life satisfaction patterns (from happy to unhappy) that is nearly identical to that of their coupled peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we perform a text analysis of Adam Smith's two books, the Theory of Moral Sentiments and the Wealth of Nations, to better characterize their highly disputed differences in terms of moral cognition. In particular, given that Smith's ideas are still very cited and influential in the current scholarly debate on moral cognition, we are interested in understanding whether a text analysis would unveil a semantic structure that is in line with a dual process theory interpretation or, alternatively, with a neuro-emergent cognition one. We find that, despite that the intellectual koine in which Smith's thought was originally embedded would be more in line with a dual process theory approach, the analysis reveals a better consonance with the neuro-emergent cognition approach. This opens new and interesting perspectives in future research on the moral cognition of market interactions in a Smithian tradition of thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I argue that if we are to make sense of why punishment differs between jurisdictions, then we should focus on the political cultures that shape penal practices. Political culture is conceived of here as a 'practical consciousness', made up of implicit and express cultural values and political commitments. Using the comparative case studies of Ireland and Scotland (from 1970–1990s), the paper tries to show that by taking the time to recover and interpret the beliefs and ideas that frame penal policymaking, we will be better able to illuminate and make sense of cross-national penal patterns. And using the leverage of cross-national contrast and analysis, we can also better understand punishment and its place in each society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: We examined the development of research articles published in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health and its predecessors Acta Socio-Medica Scandinavica and the Scandinavian Journal of Social Medicine from 1969 until 2020 to be able to identify the place of international comparisons of socioeconomic inequalities in health in the journal. Methods: Altogether 3237 research articles were screened to yield 126 comparative research articles. Examining full texts of the comparative articles led to 13 articles reporting comparisons of health inequalities. Results: The first one came out in 1972, but the rest only after the mid-1990s. The most common socioeconomic indicator was education, but also occupational class and income was used. The most common health indicator was self-rated health. The articles compared Nordic countries with each other, but also with non-Nordic countries. Although the number of comparative studies on health inequalities was relatively small, there were examples of well-designed studies using advanced methodology. We examined only published journal articles over the past five decades, not submitted but rejected papers. Conclusions: In the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health and its predecessors, comparisons of health inequalities were few and emerged relatively late, that is, during the past two decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores men's experiences of and management strategies for urinary incontinence (UI) following treatment for prostate cancer. Qualitative interviews with 29 men, recruited from two prostate cancer support groups, explored their post-treatment experiences. Drawing on a conceptual toolkit connecting theories of masculinities, embodiment, and chronic illness, this paper identifies older men's experiences and strategies for managing UI and explores how these are shaped by their masculinities. This article identifies interdependence between managing stigma for UI and maintaining masculinity. Men's embodied practices for engaging in activities in public, crucial to masculine identity, were disrupted. In response, they adopted new reflexive body techniques to manage and resolve their UI, and thereby address the threat to their masculine identities, characterised in three strategies: monitoring, planning, and disciplining. The new embodied practices men described suggest three factors as important components for adopting new reflexive body techniques: routine, desire, and unruliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research presents the results of a study about people with failed metal-on-metal hip implants, and draws on the STS concept of the technological imperative alongside research on the value of patient knowledge in clinical settings and the legitimacy of embodied stories. Popularly understood as positive and life changing, hip replacement surgery was hailed as 'the operation of the century', until a series of widespread failures of hundreds of thousands of hip implants, known collectively as metal-on-metal (MoM) hips, drew attention to the poor regulation of medical implants. This paper argues that poor regulation intersects with narratives of patients' pain, which are obstructed by surgeons and the UK regulatory body, with the effect of denying both patients' embodied experiences of implant failure, and their restitution to good health. Patient narratives about problems with their hip implant are the wellspring from which scientific evidence emerges which can indicate widespread implant failure. By obstructing these narratives the regulatory system undermines the very evidence it needs to operate effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working-age households where no-one is in work have become an increasing focus of policy concern even before the economic crisis, and the European Union (EU) has included household joblessness in its new poverty reduction target for 2020. This paper focuses on the variation across EU countries in the prevalence of household joblessness and its impact on income poverty and deprivation, and on the implications for the new EU poverty reduction target. It highlights first that there are some divergences across key data sources in the extent of joblessness. The prevalence of household joblessness varies substantially across EU countries, but there is little evidence of a consistent pattern among groupings of countries often categorized together in terms of welfare regime or geographically. In aggregate there is little association between the overall extent of household joblessness in a country and the percentage in relative income poverty or above a material deprivation threshold. At a micro level, being in a jobless household has a substantial impact on the likelihood of being in relative income poverty or deprived, but the scale of these impacts is shown to be very much greater in some countries than in others, and to vary between single-adult and multiple-adult households. In most EU countries little more than half the working-age adults in jobless households are either income-poor or deprived, so including joblessness in the poverty reduction target does make a difference, without a clearly articulated rationale. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Previous research has shown that worldviews can serve as a coping response to periods of difficulty or struggle, and worldviews can also change on account of difficulty. This paper investigates the impacts worldviews have on the nature and trajectory of meditation-related challenges, as well as how worldviews change or are impacted by such challenges. The context of meditation-related challenges provided by data from the Varieties of Contemplative Experience research project offers a unique insight into the dynamics between worldviews and meditation. Buddhist meditation practitioners and meditation experts interviewed for the study report how, for some, worldviews can serve as a risk factor impacting the onset and trajectory of meditation-related challenges, while, for others, worldviews (e.g., being given a worldview, applying a worldview, or changing a worldview) were reported as a remedy for mitigating challenging experiences and/or their associated distress. Buddhist meditation practitioners and teachers in the contemporary West are also situated in a cultural context in which religious and scientific worldviews and explanatory frameworks are dually available. Furthermore, the context of "Buddhist modernism" has also promoted a unique configuration in which the theory and practice of Buddhism is presented as being closely compatible with science. We identify and discuss the various impacts that religious and scientific worldviews have on meditation practitioners and meditation teachers who navigate periods of challenge associated with the practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arc explosion accidents in live working seriously threaten the safety of power workers. At present, the mainstream arc protective clothing material is aramid and blends of aramid. However, aramid will produce toxic gas under high temperature combustion, which is harmful to the health of operators. Therefore, it is a special challenge to study fabrics that are friendly to the human body and have a highly protective performance to protect electrical workers. Polyimide is nontoxic and has excellent high temperature resistance, flame retardation, and mechanical properties. In this paper, polyimide was proposed to be used as an arc protective clothing material. In order to explore the feasibility of polyimide in the field of arc protection, molecular dynamics simulation was used to compare the heat resistance of polyimide and aramid in terms of bond order and glass transition temperature. Referring to ASTM F1959 and IEC 61482-1-1, an arc test apparatus was built to test the protective properties of materials. The protection failure mechanism was analyzed by comparing the safety protective performance of polyimide and aramid fabric under the arc. It was found that polyimide has better arc thermal protective performance and break open threshold. The simulation and test results show that polyimide can be used as a material for arc protective clothing to improve protective performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neuromuscular disorders (NMD) are intrusive medical conditions with implications for psychosocial development. Objectives: This paper explores illness perceptions and illness identity dimensions of youth with NMD. First, we compare illness identity outcomes and illness perceptions of NMD patients with a comparison group of adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM). Second, we report about the relationships between NMD-related variables and illness perceptions and illness identity. Methods: Scores on the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire and the Illness Identity Questionnaire were compared between a group of NMD patients (N = 59; 12–22 years) and an age- and gender-matched group of DM patients (N = 118). NMD-related variables included time since diagnosis, prognosis, wheelchair use, and physical limitations. Results: Youth with NMD scored significantly higher on two of the four illness identity dimensions than youth with DM. NMD patients reported significantly less positive illness perceptions, experienced more physical symptoms, and had a lower score on understanding of their illness. Within the NMD group, wheelchair-users have a better understanding of their disease than those who are not wheelchair-bound. Conclusions: The present study is the first to investigate illness identity and illness perceptions in NMD. More research is needed to provide insight in the identity formation process of the growing group of adolescents with NMDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experimental study of artificial language learning has become a widely used means of investigating the predictions of theories of language learning and representation. Although much is now known about the generalizations that learners make from various kinds of data, relatively little is known about how those representations affect speech processing. This paper presents an event-related potential (ERP) study of brain responses to violations of lab-learned phonotactics. Novel words that violated a learned phonotactic constraint elicited a larger Late Positive Component (LPC) than novel words that satisfied it. Similar LPCs have been found for violations of natively acquired linguistic structure, as well as for violations of other types of abstract generalizations, such as musical structure. We argue that lab-learned phonotactic generalizations are represented abstractly and affect the evaluation of speech in a manner that is similar to natively acquired syntactic and phonological rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas turbines are widely used in various fields, and the failure of gas turbines can cause catastrophic consequences. Health condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of gas turbines can detect faults timely, avoid serious faults, and significantly reduce maintenance costs. Thus, fault diagnosis of gas turbines has great significance. Current researches on gas turbine fault diagnosis mainly focus on the case of abundant fault samples. However, fault data are very rare and the number of normal samples is much larger than the number of fault samples in the industrial scene. This class-imbalance problem widely exists but is hardly focused in the field of gas turbine fault diagnosis. Aiming to solve this problem, this paper introduces the concept of class-imbalanced learning from the machine learning field, summarizes three kinds of class-imbalance addressment methods including oversampling, undersampling, and sample weighting, and proposes a new combination method of focal loss and random oversampling for addressing class-imbalance in deep neural networks, and performs a systematic comparative study on class-imbalanced gas turbine fault diagnosis. Experimental results show that class-imbalance can seriously reduce the fault diagnosis accuracy. Through these class-imbalance addressment methods, diagnosis accuracy is greatly improved. Comparative experiments also show that the proposed combination method can obtain the best diagnosis accuracy among all the compared methods in class-imbalanced situation. Through this comparative study, a detailed guideline for improving diagnosis accuracy under class-imbalanced circumstance is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limitations of citation-based indicators include a lack of coverage, no normalization with respect to the length of reference lists (with a potential bias in favour of reviews), and different citation habits. As a consequence, the distributions of the indicators are not comparable across different disciplines. Here we show that the most popular journal citation indicators used in quality assessment - the journal impact factors of Thomson Scientific and the scientific journal rankings of Scopus - are strongly correlated with the proportion of within-database references, and even more so with the number of within-database recent references per paper. No significant correlations were found with other bibliometric magnitudes. We anticipate that these results will be a starting point for more sophisticated indicator models that take this dependence into account, and for the design of strategies aimed at extending such bibliometric databases as Thomson Scientific's Science Citation Index or Elsevier's Scopus to improve their capacity to evaluate all sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Medical students, interns, and residents have higher rates of depression than the general population, according to previous literature. Objective: The objectives of this paper were to determine the rate of depression and its severity in a group of Egyptian residents of Ain Shams University hospitals. Methods: This is a cross-sectional comparative study that took place in El-Demerdash Hospital from March 1, 2019 to September 1, 2020, with 220 Egyptian residents of Ain Shams University Hospitals participating. Results: The socioeconomic stress scale had a statistically significant relationship with depression scores (p value =.008) and suicide scores (p -value =.010), according to the findings. Additionally, there was a statistically significant relationship between suicide scores and depression scores (p -value =.001). The relationship between obstetrics and gynecology and high suicide risk was statistically significant (p value =.010), with obstetrics and gynecology having the highest percentage of high suicide risk (10 out of 19 residents, 52.63%), followed by pediatrics with 4 out of 11 residents (36.36%). Conclusion: The pediatrics department had the highest percentage of residents who were depressed, while the obstetrics and gynecology department had the highest suicide risk. Feeling underpaid, disruption of home life, having insufficient time, being concerned about keeping skills up to date, and having a large volume of work were also found to be the most stressful aspects of residency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses the challenges of evaluating the impact of business coaching programmes with a varied portfolio of firms working across sectors and countries. Observable indicators of changes in business management practices are rarely relevant across sectors. Therefore, evaluators need to rely on the perceptions of the managers who have received coaching. We designed an online survey to compare the effectiveness of business coaching within a portfolio and across programmes. The survey was applied to the portfolio of two private sector development programmes. We derived so-called 'contribution scores' from individuals' perceptions of how business management practices had changed and their perceptions of the role of business coaching in bringing about these changes. The survey included some features to reflect on response reliability. We show that the tool seems fairly reliable for comparative analysis and helped to identify the types of firms and contexts where business coaching support appears more effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of individual international organizations (IOs) has received considerable scholarly attention, not in the least because their importance for global governance. This paper adds to this body of work by adopting genuine comparative lenses. Based on a novel survey, it assesses the attributed performance of 49 IOs over two important dimensions: problem-solving effectiveness and legitimacy of outputs. This reveals variation between IOs with respect to both components. We derive hypotheses from international cooperation and IO design. The quantitative analysis reveals that except deliberative diplomatic practices many factors increasing attributed legitimacy differ from the ones increasing the attributed problem-solving effectiveness. Most notably, autonomous secretariats increase the problem-solving effectiveness attributed to IOs. Legitimacy attributions increase when IOs are regional instead of global in nature and when non-state actors have access to IO decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a large scale dataset of vision (stereo and RGB-D), laser and proprioceptive data collected over an extended duration by a Willow Garage PR2 robot in the 10 story MIT Stata Center. As of September 2012 the dataset comprises over 2.3 TB, 38 h and 42 km (the length of a marathon). The dataset is of particular interest to robotics and computer vision researchers interested in long-term autonomy. It is expected to be useful in a variety of research areas—robotic mapping (long-term, visual, RGB-D or laser), change detection in indoor environments, human pattern analysis, long-term path planning. For ease of use the original ROS ‘bag’ log files are provided and also a derivative version combining human readable data and imagery in standard formats. Of particular importance, this dataset also includes ground-truth position estimates of the robot at every instance (to typical accuracy of 2 cm) using as-built floor-plans—which were carefully extracted using our software tools. The provision of ground-truth for such a large dataset enables more meaningful comparison between algorithms than has previously been possible. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Individual talkers vary in their relative use of different cues to signal phonological contrast. Previous work provides limited and conflicting data on whether such variation is modulated by cue trading or individual differences in speech style. This paper examines differential cue weighting patterns in Mandarin sibilants as a test case for these hypotheses. Standardized Mandarin exhibits a three-way place contrast between retroflex, alveopalatal, and alveolar sibilants with individual differences in relative weighting of spectral center of gravity (COG) and the second formant of the following vowel (F2). In results from a speech production task, cue weights of COG and F2 are inversely correlated across speakers, demonstrating a trade-off relationship in cue use. These findings are consistent with a cue trading account of individual differences in contrast signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is about industrial relation (IR) strategies and practices in multinational companies (MNCs). It is based on a comparison of these practices in subsidiaries of different MNC within one country. We discuss how far differences and commonalities can be explained by national IR institutions, by company structures and cultures or by the agency of IR actors. In doing so, this will also address the broader question of how far the varieties of capitalism affect what MNCs do abroad and if, and in what way, they adapt to local conditions in terms of IRs and union structures. The paper is based on a case study comparison of two of the biggest automotive companies, Volkswagen and Hyundai, and their production locations in Slovakia. Both companies have different institutional backgrounds in their host countries with different patterns of labour relations, they are internationalized on a growing level and they both have foreign operations in identical countries like in Slovakia, which makes it possible to analyse the effects of institutions, strategies and labour agency by a comparison of establishments. There are two main findings exposing a strong interplay of the factors under scrutiny. First, in both companies, the local IR patterns are strongly shaped by the varieties of institutions at the company headquarters, whereas the IR institutions of the host country are adapted to them; and second, agency plays a growing role as the labour shortage improves the power position of the unions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade India and Brazil implemented waste policy reforms to tackle the constraints of their waste management. This study compares those reforms using the methodological framework proposed by Wilson where waste policy evolves through a series of subsequent stages, depending on two aspects: local circumstances; and stakeholders' groups. The current research is exploratory in its scope, adopting this method to describe, compare and evaluate both Indian and Brazilian cases, and also verifying how the model performs when applied to developing countries. The paper confirms Wilson's conclusions, and adds a perception that in developing economies a special local circumstance is to be considered the point of departure, that is, the particular starting point of Wilson's evolution. In addition, the research concludes that participation of diverse stakeholder groups throughout the political process is fundamental, and could be key to overcoming the risks of policy setbacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biomass content of material from pulp and paper production (a mixture of waste and paper and thin layer packaging plastics) is determined by the adapted balance method. This novel approach is a combination of combustion elemental analysis (CHNSO) and a data reconciliation algorithm based on successive linearisation for evaluation of the analysis results. It also involves less effort and expense than conventional procedures. However, the CHNSO technique only handles small mass amounts (few hundred milligrams), so cryogenic impact milling was applied for particle size reduction below 200 μm in order to generate homogeneous, representative analysis samples. The investigation focuses on the parameters biogenic content as a percentage of the total mass xB and xBTC, which is the biomass stated as a fraction of the total carbon value. The results are within 1%-5% of the data obtained by the reference methods, namely the selective dissolution method and 14C- method. Additionally, advantages and drawbacks of the adapted balance method in comparison with standard methods are discussed, showing that the adapted balance method is a method to be considered for the determination of biomass content in solid recovered fuels or similar materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Party organization has regained a new momentum in the party literature over the past decade. In this context, we review the most important advances in the literature and critically examine issues such as: the link between party organization literature and organizational theory literature, party organization and intra-party democracy, and between party organization on paper and in reality. We ascertain the need for more conceptual clarifications in the field and raise questions for debate. We further outline the contribution of this special issue to the theme of intra-party democracy in representative democracies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnoses and medication use has increased over time around the world, but significant regional differences remain. This paper aims to determine and explain disparities in ADHD prevalence and medication use among school-aged children in two distinct school systems, in Flanders (Belgium) and Québec (Canada). We present detailed descriptive and comparative analyses of data from 35 schools, 114 teachers, and 1046 parents (children) that were collected as part of a comparative international project. The data concern teacher and parent suspicions, teachers' ratings of ADHD-related behaviors in children, teachers' views of medication use, and teachers' beliefs about ADHD. The results show that, compared with Flanders, Québec had significantly more children diagnosed with ADHD and more frequent suspicions of ADHD in children by teachers and parents. We refer to the conceptual, institutional, and interactional levels of medicalization to interpret our findings and conclude that social and cultural readings of children's behaviors differ greatly between regions. Medicalization of children's behaviors is more common in Québec than in Flanders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature commonly links the role of informality in collective bargaining to industrial relations systems based on voluntarism and decentralized negotiation settings. According to this view, informal processes won't exist or at best play a marginal role in institutionally strong industrial relations systems, where formal rules define the roles, rights and duties of actors in the system. Yet, even in highly regulated contexts, formal and informal mechanisms very often co-exist and complement each other to help reach agreements or solve conflicts among actors. A relational approach and social network analysis applied to the study of the retail sector in Italy, Netherlands and Spain allows to understand the role of informality in countries with different industrial relations regimes. The analysis shows the importance of informal interactions and events in all countries, irrespectively of the industrial relations regime, and confirms the positive contribution of relational approaches to the study of collective bargaining linking with the literature on the embeddedness theory and structural holes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the way in which parental stalking — as a form of domestic abuse — raises fear in children and affects their sense of safety. The study draws on three therapeutic action groups involving 13 children who have experienced stalking by their fathers/stepfathers after the parents' separation. The research question is as follows: How does children's sense of fear manifest in therapeutic action groups? The qualitative analysis revealed three qualities of fear among the children: (1) internalised, (2) constant and (3) episodic. Internalised fear appeared as a child's mental state that materialised as an overwhelming sentiment in the group sessions and elsewhere. Constant fear activated at times, and the senses of fear and security alternated both in the sessions and elsewhere. Episodic fear related to the children's memories of violent events and father's stalking behaviour. The children were able to sense security in the group and in daily life owing to a temporal distance to their father's stalking. Our findings underscore the importance of professionals' awareness of the qualities of children's fear and the significance of assessing their fear and sense of safety in a child-centered manner in therapeutic practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to explore the drawing characteristics of the house-tree-person drawing test (HTP) in junior high school students with depressive symptoms. Methods: A total of 167 junior high school students were recruited and completed HTP and questionnaires. 12 drawing characteristics of HTP were extracted and compared to explore the potential drawing characteristics of depressive symptoms. Results: Among 12 drawing characteristics, eight drawing characteristics appeared more frequently in the depressed group (CES-D ≥ 20) than in the non-depressed group (CES-D < 20), while one drawing characteristic appeared with a lower frequency. Further, controlling for the risk perception of COVID-19, seven drawing characteristics, not suggestive of movement, lacking details, blackening the paper, drawing in an only dark color, drawing a detailed crown, hands behind the back, and omitting expression, emerged as predictors of depressive symptoms (CES-D ≥ 20) in junior high school students. Conclusion: Seven drawing characteristics of HTP are significantly associated with depressive symptoms in junior high school students. HTP is insightful for early screening for junior high school students with depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most contemporary work on public spheres tends to adopt, either explicitly or implicitly, Habermas’s idea of a deliberative public sphere as a normative model. There are, however, a number of other normative models available that are rarely the subject of empirical scrutiny: republican, liberal and multicultural. This article poses the empirical question of whether actually existing public spheres more closely resemble one model rather than another. To answer this question, the authors develop ways to measure public spheres, at both national and transnational level. They ground this attempt to move comparative media analysis forward conceptually and empirically via a case study comparing media content about the EU Constitution in six countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To be faced with a document collection and not to be able to find the information you know exists somewhere within it is a problem as old as the existence of document collections. Information architecture is the discipline dealing with the modern version of this problem: how to organize web sites so that users can actually find what they are looking for. Information architects have so far applied known and well-tried tools from library science to solve this problem, and now topic maps are sailing up as another potential tool for information architects. This raises the question of how topic maps compare with the traditional solutions, and that is the question this paper attempts to address. The paper argues that topic maps go beyond the traditional solutions in the sense that they provide a framework within which they can be represented as they are, but also extended in ways which significantly improve information retrieval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper bridges empirical research on children's political participation and theoretical debates on the concept of agency in Childhood studies. It takes insights from the internal criticism of the essentialist conception of agency in Childhood studies and develops it further. Based on an analysis of in-depth interviews with adolescent participants of anti-regime protests in two periods of recent Russian history—i.e., 2011–13 and 2017–20—it compares how these two cohorts of politically active children constructed their political agency. It suggests that the authoritarian and depoliticized context of Russian society affects the construction of agency by child activists in ways we do not see in Western democracies. It thus challenges the main concepts of agency in Childhood studies, including the "critical" ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the effect of leather residues from chrome tanning on the vulcanization kinetics and rheometric properties of a natural rubber composite was evaluated using three kinetic models proposed in the literature. Leather wastes were classified according to their size as fine (smaller than 0.6 mm) or coarse (between 0.84 and 2 mm). Subsequently, they were chemically treated with a sodium bicarbonate solution to neutralize their acidic nature derived from the tanning processes. The composites studied in this paper were obtained using a torque rheometer. Fine and coarse leather wastes were added to a natural rubber matrix in proportions of 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 phr. The rheometric properties of all the composites were monitored during the curing process using a moving die rheometer. The addition of leather wastes increased the vulcanization time and stiffness of the composites; however, materials with fine leather wastes achieved lower vulcanization times than materials with coarse residues. The curves obtained during vulcanization rheometry were fitted to the three kinetic models, which made it possible to determine the kinetic parameters k and n. The fits for the three models were satisfactory based on the R-squared results. The values and trends of the kinetic parameters of each model were analyzed and related to the vulcanization phenomenon of each composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020 created dangerous public health conditions which pressured governments and health systems to respond in a rapid and effective manner. However, this type of rapid response required many governments to bypass standing; bureaucratic structures of health sector administration and political governance to quickly take; essential measures against a rapidly evolving public health threat. Each government's particular; configuration of governmental and health system decision-making created specific structural and functional challenges to these necessary centrally developed and coordinated strategies. Most East Asian governments (except Japan) succeeded relatively quickly in centralizing essential disease control and treatment initiatives in a timely manner. In contrast, a number of European countries, especially those with predominantly tax-based financing and politically managed health delivery systems, had greater difficulty in escaping bureaucratic governance and management constraints. Drawing on data about these governments' early stage COVID-19 control experiences, this article suggests that structural changes will be necessary if low-performing governments are to better respond to a pandemic. This paper also summarizes other relatively successful strategies. By adopting such strategies, nations can help overcome structural bureaucratic and administrative obstacles in responding to further waves of COVID-19 or similar future pandemic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper formulates a generalised active disturbance rejection control technique based on Smith predictor (SP-GADRC) for power systems with communication delay. The SP-GADRC technique employs essential plant information and uses the notion of Smith predictor to alleviate the deterioration of transient response that arises due to the presence of communication delay in a system. The generalised formulae for computation of controller and observer gains for various single and multi-area power systems are derived. Furthermore, the effect of parametric uncertainty, nonlinearities, model-plant mismatch, load disturbances as well as varying time delay is examined to validate the robustness of the SP-GADRC technique. An elaborate comparative analysis is conducted with various existing approaches to exhibit efficacy of the SP-GADRC technique. The simulation results reveal that SP-GADRC scheme demonstrates an improved disturbance rejection ability, better transient performance and is robust to the presence of nonlinearities and disturbances in system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the reliability of active electromagnetic suspension and reduce energy consumption, a hybrid electromagnetic suspension that consists of linear motor and passive damper in parallel is proposed in this paper. First, a dynamic model is established and passive energy regeneration and active control systems are built. Thereafter, energy regeneration, ride comfort, and driving safety are taken as control objects. The effect of damping values on different control objects are studied, and the best values are determined. Passive suspension is taken for comparison, and comparative simulation analysis is conducted. Finally, a bench test of 1/4 suspension is performed to verify the accuracy of the simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Netflix and other transnational online video streaming services are disrupting long-established arrangements in national television systems around the world. In this paper we analyse how public service media (PSM) organisations (key purveyors of societal goals in broadcasting) are responding to the fast-growing popularity of these new services. Drawing on Philip Napoli's framework for analysing strategic responses by established media to threats of competitive displacement by new media, we find that the three PSM organisations in our study exhibit commonalities. Their responses have tended to follow a particular evolution starting with different levels of complacency and resistance before settling into more coherent strategies revolving around efforts to differentiate PSM offerings, while also diversifying into activities, primarily across new platforms, that mimic SVoD approaches and probe production collaborations. Beyond these similarities, however, we also find that a range of contextual factors (including path-dependency, the role and status of PSM in each country, the degree of additional government support, cultural factors and market size) help explain nuances in strategic responses between our three cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates whether daddy quotas – non-transferable paternity leave policies – mitigate motherhood penalties women face in the labour market. Using the introduction of a daddy quota in Quebec, Canada as a natural experiment, we employ labour force survey data to conduct a difference-in-difference estimation of the policy's impact on a range of mothers' career outcomes, using mothers in the neighbouring province of Ontario as a comparison group. The results suggest Quebec mothers exposed to the policy are 5 percentage points more likely to participate in the labour force and to work full time, 5 percentage points less likely to work part time, and 4 percentage points less likely to be unemployed than they would have been in the absence of the policy. Our results are robust to an alternative semi-parametric difference-in-difference methodology and to a battery of placebo and sensitivity tests. However, we find that the policy's effects are largest 2 to 3 years post-reform, reducing in size and significance thereafter, raising questions about the durability of such effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an era of automated driving, steer-by-wire system seems to be an indispensable component for an autonomous vehicle. Among the many problems concerned, steering control of the system may be arguably the most indispensable part that lay the foundation for the system and is essentially a position servo control problem. Traditionally, the most commonly used control loop structures of the position servo system can be classified into two categories, both considering the current control loop as an essential part. However, this is not necessarily true in practical applications. In view of this, control systems with two different types of control loops based on proportional–integral–derivative controllers have been designed and compared in this paper for trajectory tracking of the steer-by-wire system with Coulomb friction. The aim is to explore the essential differences between the two types of control loops and study the effect of current loop on performance of the system. When properly designed, it can be seen that the asymptotic stability of the control system can be guaranteed. However, the system with type I control loop has a faster response speed, whereas the system with type II control loop has a smoother response. Theoretical as well as simulation and experimental results have been provided in detail, which can contribute to the understanding of the two types of control loops and can be used as guidance not only for researchers but also for engineering practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migrant inclusion in a society is a process that ultimately succeeds or fails at the local level and cities have increasingly taken a proactive stance in delivering their own policies for integration. The literature on the topic has focused particularly on the cooperation between local political institutions and civil society organizations, underestimating the key role played by social partners. This paper demonstrates the participation of social partners in the local governance of migrant integration in three European cities: Barcelona, Lyon and Gothenburg. Drawing on process tracing analysis and qualitative interviews, the article illustrates the different responses of local unions and employers' organizations to immigration and the variety of approaches to supporting migrant integration into employment and society. The article argues that these approaches, which take place within different institutional and structural contexts, shape different patterns of migrant inclusion and allow us to explain the new and traditional ways in which social partners operate as social and political actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaboration is a complex skill, comprised of multiple subskills, that is of growing interest to policy makers, educators and researchers. Several definitions and frameworks have been described in the literature to support assessment of collaboration; however, the inherent structure of the construct still needs better definition. In 2015, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, in their Programme for International Student Assessment assessed 15-year-old students' collaborative problem solving achievement, with the use of computer-simulated agents, aiming to address the lack of internationally comparable data in this field. This paper explores what the data from this assessment tell us about the skill, and how these data compare with data from two other assessments of collaboration. Analyses enable comment on the extent to which the three assessments are measuring the same construct, and the extent to which the construct can be covered using computer-based assessments. These investigations generate better understanding of this complex and innovative domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microsimulation modeling is one of the contemporary techniques that has potential to perform complex transportation studies faster, safer, and in a less expensive manner. However, to get accurate and reliable results, the microsimulation models need to be well calibrated. Microsimulation model consists of various sub-models each having many parameters, most of which are user-adjustable and are attuned for calibrating the model. Manual calibration involves an iterative trial-and-error process of using the intuitive discrete values of each parameter and feasible combinations of multiple parameters each time until the desired results are obtained. With this approach, it is possible to easily get caught in a never-ending circular process of fixing one problem only to generate another. This can make manual calibration a time-consuming process and is suggested only when the number of parameters is small. However, when the calibration parameter subset is large, an automated process is suggested in the literature. Amongst the meta-heuristics used for calibrating microsimulation models, the genetic algorithm (GA) has been widely used and simulated annealing (SA) has been used only once in the past. Thus, the question of which meta-heuristics is more suitable for the problem of calibration of the microsimulation model still remains open. Thus, the objective of this paper is to evaluate and compare the manual and three (the GA, SA, and tabu search (TS)) meta-heuristics for calibration of microsimulation models. This paper therefore addresses the need to examine and identify the suitability of a meta-heuristics for calibrating microsimulation models. The results show that the meta-heuristics approach can be relied upon for calibrating simulation models very effectively, as it offers the benefit of automating the cumbersome calibrating process. All three meta-heuristics (the GA, SA, and TS) have the ability to find better calibrating parameters than the manually calibrated parameters. The number of better solutions, the best solution, and convergence to the best solution by TS is better than those by the GA and SA. Significant time can be saved by automating calibration of microsimulation models using meta-heuristics. The approach presented in this research can be used to help engineers and planners achieve better modeled results, as the calibration of microsimulation models is likely to become more complex in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the effect of macroeconomic and social conditions on the demand for redistribution. Using a synthetic cohort design to generate panel data at the level of socio-demographic groups, analysis of fives waves of data from the European Social Survey (2002–2010) shows that differences across countries in macroeconomic and social conditions have an effect on the demand for redistribution. Consistent with theoretical expectations, economic growth generates a lower demand for redistribution, while higher income inequality generates a higher demand. By contrast, differences across countries in unemployment levels and social expenditure are unrelated to the demand for redistribution. The analysis also suggests that empirical results depend to a considerable extent on the assumptions underlying different methodological approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There are competing theoretical expectations and conflicting empirical results concerning the impact of partisanship on spending on active labour market policies (ALMPs). This paper argues that one should distinguish between different ALMPs. Employment incentives and rehabilitation programmes incentivize the unemployed to accept jobs. Direct job creation reduces the supply of labour by creating non-commercial jobs. Training schemes raise the human capital of the unemployed. Using regression analysis this paper shows that the positions of political parties towards these three types of ALMPs are different. Party preferences also depend on the welfare regime in which parties are located. In Scandinavia, left-wing parties support neither employment incentives nor direct job creation schemes. In continental and Liberal welfare regimes, left-wing parties oppose employment incentives and rehabilitation programmes to a lesser extent and they support direct job creation. There is no impact of partisanship on training. These results reconcile the previously contradictory findings concerning the impact of the Left on ALMPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]