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Decision models such as the drift-diffusion model (DDM) are widely used and broadly accepted for their ability to account remarkably well for binary choices between perceptual hypotheses about a stimulus or for preferential decisions between valued options (such as snacks or consumer products), and for their response time (RT) distributions, as a function of the stimulus or the option values. The DDM is built on an evidence accumulation to bound concept, where, in the value domain, a decision maker repeatedly samples the mental representations of the values of the options on offer until satisfied that there is enough evidence in favor of one option over the other. As the value signals that drive the DDM evidence are derived from value estimates that are not known to the decision maker with certainty, repeated sequential samples are necessary to average out noise. The classic DDM typically does not allow for different options to have different levels of variability in their value representations. However, recent value-based decision studies have shown that decision makers often report levels of certainty regarding value estimates that vary across choice options. There is therefore a need to extend the DDM to include an option-specific value certainty component. We present several such DDM extensions and validate them against empirical data from four previous studies. The data supports best a DDM version in which the drift of the accumulation is based on a sort of signal-to-noise ratio of value for each option (rather than a mere accumulation of samples from the corresponding value distributions). This DDM variant accounts for the positive impact of value certainty on choice consistency and for the negative impact of value certainty on RT.

BACKGROUND Quality leaders are concerned that creation of multi-hospital health systems may lead to surgeons traveling to and from distant hospitals and thus to more fragmented surgical care and worse outcomes for their patients. Despite this concern, little empirical data exist on outcomes of multi-site vs. single-site surgeons. METHODS Using national Medicare data, we assessed trends in the number of multi-site vs. single-site surgeons from 2011 to 2016. We performed a multivariable regression analysis to compare overall 30-day mortality differences, stratified by system and rural status, and examined trends over time. RESULTS The number of multi-site surgeons and the percentage of multi-site surgeons per hospital decreased over time (24.2% to 19.0%; 44.3% to 41.8%). Overall, multi-site surgeons had lower 30-day mortality than single-site surgeons (2.24% vs. 2.50%, p < 0.01). When stratified by system status, multi-site surgeons performed better in-system (2.47% vs. 2.58%, p < 0.01); by rural status, multi-site surgeons had lower mortality in non-rural hospitals (2.42% vs. 2.51%, p < 0.01). The statistically significant but small mortality advantage of multi-site vs. single-site surgeons decreased over time, such that by 2016 there was no difference in outcomes between multi-site and single-site surgeons. CONCLUSION For the majority of study years, multi-site surgeons had lower 30-day mortality than single-site surgeons, but this trend narrowed until outcomes were equivalent by 2016. Surgeons operating at multiple hospitals can provide surgical care to patients without any evidence of increased mortality.

Este trabajo pretende mostrar, por unlado, la necesidad de priorizar los cuidadoscomo necesidad básica para el sostenimientode la vida y la sociedad; porotro lado, el desigual reparto entre quienesproporcionan y quienes reciben esoscuidados, basado, fundamentalmente, enel sistema sexo-género. Para ello, se aplicael marco teórico de la ética del cuidadoy se proporcionan argumentos y datosempíricos acerca de las consecuenciasque tienen sobre las mujeres circunstanciascomo la maternidad, la crianza o elcuidado de personas en situación de dependencia.

Traffic calming techniques are extensively used as safety tools to reduce the speed of motorised vehicles along any type of paved road. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of isolated speed humps on urban roads in India and to suggest an optimised geometry of speed humps for the desired level of speed reduction. For this, five different urban road sections were identified in Delhi and video graphic data were collected at each study section. The median speed of vehicles at each grid is estimated and speed profiles were developed for each category of vehicle approaching the speed hump. The speed behaviour of the vehicles approaching a circular or parabolic shape of isolated speed hump are examined and compared. This study developed speed profile models using regression techniques for an individual vehicle and also for the combined data. The observed speed of the vehicle was considered as a response variable and the physical properties of the speed humps were considered as explanatory variables. Further, the combined linear equation was considered for determining the optimum height and entry radius of the speed hump for the desired speed by using the simplex method.

The financing of long-term care and the planning of care capacity are of increasing interest due to demographic changes and the ageing population in many countries. Since many care-intensive conditions begin to manifest at higher ages, a better understanding and assessment of the expected costs, required infrastructure, and number of qualified personnel are essential. To evaluate the overall burden of institutional care, we derive a model based on the duration of stay in dependence and the intensity of help provided to elderly individuals. This article aims to model both aspects using novel longitudinal data from nursing homes in the canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Our data contain comprehensive health and care information, including medical diagnoses, levels of dependence, and physical and psychological impairments on 21,758 individuals. We build an accelerated failure time model to study the influence of selected factors on the duration of care and a beta regression model to describe the intensity of care. We show that apart from age and gender, the duration of stay before death is mainly affected by the underlying diseases and the number of different diagnoses. Simultaneously, care intensity is driven by the individual level of dependence and specific limitations. Using both evaluations, we approximate the overall care severity for individual profiles. Our study sheds light on the relevant medical, physical, and psychological health indicators that need to be accounted for, not only by care providers but also by policy-makers and insurers.

Following a new innovation strategy, software vendors move their software onto their software service platforms and open up their platforms to third-party software service vendors. Although many studies state that enlarging the scope of software service offerings is the goal of the platform providers, only a few studies have focused on the roles that the platform providers take on to achieve the goal. These studies identified that the platform providers not only manage the platform but also promote and regulate third-party software. In this article, we extend this research by analyzing the activities of how platform providers promote innovation. For the analysis, we use empirical data about software services gathered from AppExchange of Salesforce. The analysis identifies the clusters and positions of software services of Salesforce and third-party vendors in the software service network. Our analysis results show that Salesforce promotes innovation by provisioning software services that are in core positions or that are bridges between service clusters. Third-party vendors release software services that are complementary to those of Salesforce. Overall, the results suggest that platform providers need to position strategically their software services to build successful software ecosystems, and that research on innovation needs to analyze the roles and efforts of the platform providers in detail.

Uncertainty affects the overall performance of railway systems. It can be captured tracking the successive departure and arrival events of trains at stations in the scheduled railways. Markov chains has shown to be an effective means to model variabilities in the departure and arrival delays of trains. The empirical data of actual operations are used to develop the Markov matrices. Transitions between delay states comprise the internal dynamics of running and dwelling processes in probabilistic terms, presenting particular patterns of deterioration, recovery and state keeping in the prevailing timetable setting. All these features conform to the practice of railway operations as well as train dispatchers and drivers. Hence, delay-based Markov chains becomes a simple and effective tool to predict delays in the following events of trains and distribution of delays over a longer period of time using simple performance measures. We have developed the homogeneous and non-homogeneous Markov models and tested their performances using the actual data collected in the Netherlands railway network. The analysis and evaluation show that the railway corridor considered in this study performs well and the corresponding Markov chain models can be used effectively to predict train delays and to evaluate timetable robustness. The outcomes of the homogeneous and non-homogeneous model are evaluated with respect to the observed data resulting that the non-homogeneous model performs better than the homogeneous model.

In this paper, some mysteries and asymmetries of the Chinese potential de construction are investigated. It is shown that a morphosytnactic approach is conducive to accounting for these puzzles. First we explore the possibility of taking de and its negative counterpart -bude as functional heads (cf. Tsai 2001; T. Wu 2004). It is proposed that bude could be a functional head with the negative potential (i.e. impossible/impermissible) meaning. This could be evidenced by both empirical data and theoretical deduction. It is argued that bu in V-bu-R, which is distinct from the normal pre-verbal negative morpheme bu, is actually bude. This helps to explain why the negative potential meaning is involved in V-bu-R. Meanwhile, V-de/bude and V-de/bu-R are both assumed to be formed through Morphological Merger (cf. Marantz 1988; Embick & Noyer 2001, 2007, etc.). Meanwhile, we have discussed some asymmetries observed between V-de/bude and V-de/bu-R and some paradigmatic asymmetries between potential V-de construction and its negative potential V-bude construction. It is assumed that these syntactic asymmetries may be due to some morphological operations related to de and bude.

This chapter argues that a recent backlash against multiculturalism in Australia is not about ‘multiculturalism’ as much as it is about the accommodation of Muslim minority groups in multicultural states. The chapter seeks to address concerns that some multicultural policies pose a threat to the cohesion of society and place women in a particularly vulnerable position. Drawing on the work of Will Kymlicka and Tariq Modood, we argue that multicultural policies have an important place in liberal democratic states and contribute to integration of minority groups into the wider society. Using a theoretical framework of Foucault’s work on power and resistance, and drawing on new empirical data, we argue that multicultural policies facilitate Muslim women’s resistance to existing discourses. We explore issues of Australian Muslim women’s agency, multiculturalism and Shari’a in select areas of Muslim women’s lives including their choice of dress, access to and utilization of both Australian and Islamic Family law, and participation in a key area of Australian cultural life, that of sport.

A physics-based computer model has been developed to support the development of volatile extraction from regolith of the Moon and asteroids. The model is based upon empirical data sets for extraterrestrial soils and simulants, including thermal conductivity of regolith and mixed composition ice, heat capacity of soil and mixed composition ice, hydrated mineral volatile release patterns, and sublimation of ice. A new thermal conductivity relationship is derived that generalizes cases of regolith with varying temperature, soil porosity, and pore vapor pressure. Ice composition is based upon measurements of icy ejecta from the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) impact and it is shown that thermal conductivity and heat capacity equations for water ice provide adequate accuracy at the present level of development. The heat diffusion equations are integrated with gas diffusion equations using multiple adaptive timesteps. The entire model is placed into a Crank-Nicholson framework where the finite difference formalism was extended to two dimensions in axisymmetry. The one-dimensional version of the model successfully predicts heat transfer that matches lunar and asteroid data sets. The axisymmetric model has been used to study heat dissipation around lunar drills and water extraction in asteroid coring devices., Comment: 50 pages, 23 figures

Protocol proposal (preferential list of items to be reported) for Scope Review that seeks to describe the profile of scientific studies, with empirical evidence, on the governance of institutions, systems, actions and concrete programs of public security and social defense.

The use of Hierarchical Bayes (HB) estimation techniques for choice-based conjoint (CBC) data offers the opportunity to directly use HB draws for preference simulations. This paper analyzes the use of HB draws for shares of choice predictions. Five different choice rules are compared: the first choice rule applied to HB draws, the logit choice rule applied to HB draws, the randomized first choice rule, the traditional first choice rule and the traditional logit choice rule. Each two different holdout choice scenarios are constructed containing one time two extremely similar and the other time very unique alternatives to assess how well the choice rules tolerate the IIA property in predicting choice shares. We present a Monte Carlo study to systematically explore shares of choice predictions based on the different choice rules and further verify whether our findings hold in empirical settings. The key finding of our Monte Carlo study is that using HB draws either combined with the first choice rule or the logit choice rule substantially improves choice share predictions when compared to the other choice rules, regardless of the type of holdout choice scenario. While the logit choice rule applied to HB draws performs a touch better for simulated data, the first choice rule applied to HB draws provides the best choice share predictions for each of the five empirical data sets. Using HB draws does not only provide the best predictive validity but, more importantly, it is theoretically correct when applying a Bayesian estimation approach to CBC data.

Applications of biometrics in various societal contexts have been increasing in the United States, and policy debates about potential restrictions and expansions for specific biometrics (such as facial recognition and DNA identification) have been intensifying. Empirical data about public perspectives on different types of biometrics can inform these debates. We surveyed 4048 adults to explore perspectives regarding experience and comfort with six types of biometrics; comfort providing biometrics in distinct scenarios; trust in social actors to use two types of biometrics (facial images and DNA) responsibly; acceptability of facial images in eight scenarios; and perceived effectiveness of facial images for five tasks. Respondents were generally comfortable with biometrics. Trust in social actors to use biometrics responsibly appeared to be context specific rather than dependent on biometric type. Contrary to expectations given mounting attention to dataveillance concerns, we did not find sociodemographic factors to influence perspectives on biometrics in obvious ways. These findings underscore a need for qualitative approaches to understand the contextual factors that trigger strong opinions of comfort with and acceptability of biometrics in different settings, by different actors, and for different purposes and to identify the informational needs relevant to the development of appropriate policies and oversight. New journal. Article is available through the open-access option of this journal! ispartof: IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society vol:3 issue:1 pages:1-6 ispartof: location:United States status: Published online

Contribution: This article discusses the use of manufacturing simulation games to study collaborative problem-solving skills in engineering students. The simulation represents the mass production paradigm in which large quantities of identical products are produced. Empirical data is collected from the simulation to evaluate the skills engineering students used in solving the problem and their group effectiveness. Background: The use of simulation games to teach problem solving in design and manufacturing is an effective approach to convey concepts to students. Simulation games engage students in experiential and collaborative learning with fun elements. Research Questions: How does hands-on simulation engage students in collaborative problem solving? How does participation in collaborative problem solving affect group effectiveness? Methodology: This work presents a study of 37 university-level engineering students in the United States. Participants worked in groups completing the simulation game and responded to surveys on their various skills used. Findings: Participants utilized analytical, metacognitive, and thinking skills in their engagement, reported that the simulation games enhanced their understanding of manufacturing concepts and active collaboration improved problem-solving effectiveness.

Active microwave remote sensing data at different frequencies can provide crucial information on crop morphology and conditions, thus effectively supporting agronomic management at different scales. Despite the ever-increasing availability of spaceborne platforms and the extensive research developed throughout more than two decades, some knowledge gaps still await to be filled toward operational use, dealing with SAR backscatter response to crop-specific features and seasonal dynamics, including the effects of agronomic practices. In this work, we used variance-based global sensitivity analysis (GSA) as a quantitative framework for investigating the sensitivity of X-band backscattering to agronomic and morphological features typical of two different crops maize and rice. To this end, we jointly exploited empirical data on crop status and growth, high-resolution TerraSAR-X (TSX) data, and microwave radiative transfer model (RTM) simulations. Phenology-informed simulations allowed us to quantify the contributions of different scattering mechanisms for the two crops under varying observation setups, to assess the sensitivity of X-band backscattering to morphostructural crop biophysical parameters (BPs) (and their interactions), and to evaluate the effects of crop biomass on backscatter across growth stages. In particular, multidimensional GSA outputs accounting for model input correlations through Shapley effects provided a comprehensive suite of information on the relative proportion of total backscatter variance explained by a range of parameters and a quantitative description of the different behavior in vertical and horizontal polarization (changing throughout plant growth) in paddy rice, and the mixed contribution of canopy density and leaf angle distribution (depending on the incident angle) in maize.

This paper looks into the emerging trends of makerspaces and outsourced 3D printing services, and examines the natural progression between them. Also, by presenting survey empirical data, it investigates the reasons why individual users and enterprises have started to choose such services and the benefits acquired from this choice, that lead to the promotion of creativity, innovation, and competition. Fundamental working principles both for makerspaces and outsourced 3D printing services are being analyzed. Through the conduction of a survey among two different makerspaces’ users, authors attempt to further clarify the factors that motivate users to choose to participate in makerspaces or use the services offered by an outsourced 3D printing provider. 3D printing technologies have been recognized as being the new industrial revolution. However, because of the nature of the additive manufacturing process, a high level of expertise is required in order to accomplish an acceptable result. The recent proliferation of makerspaces as well as outsourced 3D printing services offers alternative solutions towards overcoming the aforementioned challenges. Makerspaces are currently growing rapidly, aiming to help local communities to get accustomed with emerging manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing, especially in modern STEM educational practices. On the other hand, outsourcing has emerged as one of the top business practices of our time due to its numerous benefits for the companies involved. The paper makes a comparison between makerspaces and outsourced services and presents relevant original survey data from users.

Proper scoring rules are used to assess the out-of-sample accuracy of probabilistic forecasts, with different scoring rules rewarding distinct aspects of forecast performance. Herein, we re-investigate the practice of using proper scoring rules to produce probabilistic forecasts that are ‘optimal’ according to a given score and assess when their out-of-sample accuracy is superior to alternative forecasts, according to that score. Particular attention is paid to relative predictive performance under misspecification of the predictive model. Using numerical illustrations, we document several novel findings within this paradigm that highlight the important interplay between the true data generating process, the assumed predictive model and the scoring rule. Notably, we show that only when a predictive model is sufficiently compatible with the true process to allow a particular score criterion to reward what it is designed to reward, will this approach to forecasting reap benefits. Subject to this compatibility, however, the superiority of the optimal forecast will be greater, the greater is the degree of misspecification. We explore these issues under a range of different scenarios and using both artificially simulated and empirical data.

One form of criminal acts of possession of weapons committed by children or children who are in conflict with the law is in Decision Number: 14/Pid.Sus-Anak/2019/PN Gdt. The research method uses a normative and empirical juridical approach. Sources of normative and empirical data. Collecting data through library research and field research. The data analysis used was qualitative juridical. The results of the research and discussion show that the factors causing the child to be the perpetrator of a criminal act of possession of firearms or sharp objects based on Decision Number: 14/Pid.Sus-Anak/2019/PN Gdt are 1 (one) sharp weapon blade with a wooden handle and a wooden cover is the property of Son HA Bin YH who was brought with the aim to protect themselves. Criminal responsibility for children as perpetrators of criminal possession of firearms or sharp objects based on Decision Number: 14/Pid.Sus-Anak/2019/PN Gdt is to impose a 4 (four) month imprisonment and charge the child to pay a court fee of IDR 2,000 (two thousand rupiah). Judges' legal considerations in imposing criminal sanctions on children as perpetrators of criminal acts of possession of firearms or sharp objects based on Decision Number: 14/Pid.Sus-Anak/2019/PN Gdt are in accordance with the provisions of the applicable law. What is burdensome is that the child's actions are disturbing society, while what mitigates is the child admits frankly and regrets his actions and promises not to repeat it and the child has never been punished.

This article presents an analysis of climate risks structure and effects on the Russian Federation's economic development. Despite the existed theoretical background, it is not clear about the leading risk factor, human adaptation to it, and the subsequent effect on the economy. This happens since some climate risks can be controlled; therefore, their impact on the regional economy is minimal. Thus, we are interested in the scope of certain climate risks affecting the Russian Federations economic situation. We have selected the North Caucasian Federal District because it is strongly susceptible to the most severe climate risks as droughts and floods. Considering the complexity of the climate risk formation process, we use mixed-methods. It allows identifying the quantitative component and analyzing the object in the framework of the existing theoretical background. During our research, we determined the cause of climate risk formation in the Russian Federation. With the collected empirical data for 2010-2013 regarding the level of drought, precipitation, and crop productivity, we have compared the region's economic situation with climate risks. It was determined that despite the clear manifestation of climate risks in the North Caucasian Federal District, the economic damage to the region is minimal due to the high level of the region's resistance to the existing threats and their localization. Nevertheless, guided by the theoretical and methodological basis of the topic under study and revised data on the migration loss of the region, we can assume that the North Caucasian FDs climate risks are expressed in the concept of climate migration, and this process has an increasing dynamic.

The article examines a relatively new type of public administration acts for the Russian legal system - administrative regulations. Despite the widespread use of this type of act, its legal nature, features of the legal structure, and classification remain insufficiently studied, which determines the relevance of this study. The purpose of the study is to identify the specific characteristics of administrative regulations, allowing to classify them as a special tool for realisation of various public administration forms. Achieving this goal suggests analysis of regulatory legal acts, both Russian and foreign, as well as certain approaches to legal doctrine to determine the essence of administrative regulations, various public administration forms, and acts of public administration. Based on the analysis of theoretical and empirical data, the authors offer their definitions of acts of public administration, administrative regulations, and tools for realisation of public administration forms. In the process of research, the authors used a formal legal method that allows characterising the legal nature of administrative regulations, their role, and place in the system of acts of public administration, a comparative legal method to identify the general and the special when comparing domestic and foreign experience and general logical methods (analysis, synthesis, analogy).

Environmental (e)DNA methods have enabled rapid, sensitive and specific inferences of taxa presence throughout diverse fields of ecological study. However, use of eDNA results for decision-making has been impeded by uncertainties associated with false positive tests putatively caused by sporadic or systemic contamination. Sporadic contamination is a process that is inconsistent across samples and systemic contamination occurs consistently over a group of samples. Here, we used empirical data and laboratory experiments to (i) estimate the sporadic contamination rate for each stage of a common, targeted eDNA workflow employing best practice quality control measures under simulated conditions of rare and common target DNA presence, (ii) determine the rate at which negative controls (i.e., "blanks") detect varying concentrations of systemic contamination, and (iii) estimate the effort that would be required to consistently detect sporadic and systemic contamination. Sporadic contamination rates were very low across all eDNA workflow steps, and, therefore, an intractably high number of negative controls (>100) would be required to determine occurrence of sporadic contamination with any certainty. Contrarily, detection of intentionally introduced systemic contamination was more consistent; therefore, very few negative controls (

Eradication has been achieved for many vertebrate pest control programs, primarily on small, isolated islands, but has never been considered a practical goal for invasive sea lampreys in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Our objective was to examine evidence relevant to the feasibility of setting eradication as a management goal for Great Lakes sea lampreys. Bomford and O'Brien (1995) listed six conditions for successful eradication of a vertebrate pest; here we examine evidence that these conditions are likely to be met for Great Lakes sea lampreys, with a focus on the first condition: that removal of the pest through control can exceed their rate of replenishment. We analyzed two data sets – one empirical and one synthetic – to estimate stock-recruitment relationships and calculate the exploitation rate necessary for extinction. The empirical data set included the effect of existing lampricide control and suggested an exploitation rate of 59%, in addition to lampricide control, would be sufficient for eventual eradication. The synthetic data set, derived from a simulation of stream-level recruitment dynamics in the absence of lampricide control, suggested that an overall exploitation rate of 90% would be sufficient. We suggest that both of these targets could be achieved. Meeting the other conditions will depend on the scale of the eradication effort, and on development of an exploitation strategy, such as genetic biocontrol, that can target sea lampreys in presently invulnerable habitats. Overall, we concluded that eradication of sea lampreys from the Great Lakes should not be dismissed as a prospective goal.

The present research primarily investigates the applicability of different roadway capacity estimation methods under mixed-traffic conditions, operating with weak-lane discipline. The study also explores the feasibility and advantages of stochastic capacity estimation methods for mixed traffic scenarios on urban roads in India. Three methods, namely Traffic-stream models (calibrated empirically), Product limit method (PLM), and Sustained Flow Index (SFI), are used to estimate the capacity for five different categories of road sections. The Van-Aerde model is found to be the best representative for estimating deterministic roadway capacity. The PLM method is observed to provide the freedom of selecting desirable operational quality. And the SFI method provides the maximum sustained flow for the roadway infrastructure. As a practical outcome, a novel Level of Service monitoring framework is developed by augmenting the traditional volume-to-capacity ratio with the breakdown probabilities.

Structural change is important driver of productivity. Existing decompositions of structural change rely heavily on the share weights of firms. Ideally, one would need a complete census of all firms to calculate the share weights. However, empirical data are often less than ideal. Another limitation of the structural change decompositions is that existing firms that switch from one industry to another are mixed with startups and bankrupt firms. To address both these limitations, we develop an alternative productivity decomposition of structural change that avoids the use of share weights, which can be useful whenever the share weights are problematic or unavailable. Our decomposition also takes the product switch explicitly into account and applies to both the level and percentage change of productivity. Application to Finnish agriculture illustrates the proposed approach.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate what con`sequences the digitisation of public libraries’ knowledge dissemination and the transition to online services has, for library staff members’ perception of their skills. This discussion is interesting because library staff members, by politicians, stakeholders, and other opinion makers, have been appointed as key facilitators of citizens’ continued attachment to civil society and the labour market. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on interviews with library staff members at Danish public libraries. Empirical data were collected through semi-structured e-mail interviews, based on an interview formula, and via follow-up telephone conversations. Library professional rapports and research literature were identified and applied as a theoretical framework in the creation of the analytical apparatus. Findings There were several different explanatory models available when respondents had to articulate their current challenges. The first model regarded the library staff members’ lack of skills as a political-organisational issue, occurring because of a lack of invest in their continuing education. Continuing education had therefore become a personal matter. The second model highlighted the library staff members’ lack of skills as an individual, library professional problem, where the responsibility for solving the problem lay with the individual employee. Originality/value Several studies have been conducted on library staff members’ skills and how they change, due to the transition to digital forms of dissemination. The present study strives to give employees a voice, which is why the respondents’ experiences are the starting point for the analytical work. Such studies are essential to understanding the extent and nature of the problem.

An increasing number of arguments for causal pluralism invoke empirical psychological data. Different aspects of causal cognition—specifically, causal perception and causal inference—are thought to involve distinct cognitive processes and representations, and they thereby distinctively support transference and dependency theories of causation, respectively. We argue that this dualistic picture of causal concepts arises from methodological differences, rather than from an actual plurality of concepts. Hence, philosophical causal pluralism is not particularly supported by the empirical data. Serious engagement with cognitive science reveals that the connection between psychological concepts of causation and philosophical notions is substantially more complicated than is traditionally presumed.

Mathematical modeling describes how events, concepts, and systems of interest behave in the world using mathematical concepts. This research approach can be applied to theory construction and testing by using empirical data to evaluate whether the specific theory can explain the empirical data or whether the theory fits the data available. Although extensively used in the physical sciences and engineering, as well as some social and behavioral sciences to examine theoretical claims and form predictions of future events and behaviors, theory-oriented mathematical modeling is less common in educational technology research. This article explores the potential of using theory-oriented mathematical modeling for theory construction and testing in the field of educational technology. It presents examples of how this approach was used in social, behavioral, and educational disciplines, and provides rationale for why educational technology research can benefit from a theory-oriented model-testing approach.

Through historical, economic and technological contextualisation and empirical data analysis, this article explores the cultural purchase the image-sharing app Instagram and the printed Michelin Guide have on contemporary food criticism. Both platforms contribute to popular understandings of ‘good food’. Yet, there are important functional and discursive distinctions in how culinary criticism is done in Instagram vis-à-vis Michelin. To that end, this article focuses on London’s restaurant scene and proposes the concept of the Instagram gaze as a means of understanding the representational repertoires and knowledge claims advanced by foodies on visual social media platforms. The Instagram gaze also facilitates insight into the relationship between Instagrammers’ culinary judgements and Michelin’ s.

Patient-centred outcomes are increasingly recognised as crucial measures of healthcare quality. Days alive and at home up to 30 days after surgery (DAH30 ) is a validated and readily obtainable patient-centred outcome measure that integrates much of the peri-operative patient journey. However, the minimal difference in DAH30 that is clinically important to patients is unknown. We designed and administered a 28-item survey to evaluate the minimal clinically important difference in DAH30 among adult patients undergoing inpatient surgery. Patients were approached pre-operatively or within 2 days postoperatively. We did not study patients undergoing day surgery or nursing home residents. Patients ranked their opinions on the importance of discharge home using a Likert scale (from 1, not important at all to 6, extremely important) and the minimum number of extra days at home that would be meaningful using this scale. We recruited 104 patients; the survey was administered pre-operatively to 45 patients and postoperatively to 59 patients. The mean (SD) age was 53.5 (16.5) years, and 51 (49%) patients were male. Patients underwent a broad range of surgery of mainly intermediate (55%) to major (33%) severity. The median minimal clinically important difference for DAH30 was 3 days; this was consistent across a broad range of scenarios, including earlier discharge home, complications delaying hospital discharge and the requirement for admission to a rehabilitation unit. Discharge home earlier than anticipated and discharge home rather than to a rehabilitation facility were both rated as important (median score = 5). Empirical data on the minimal clinically important difference for DAH30 may be useful to determine sample size and to guide the non-inferiority margin for future clinical trials.

Purpose The morphology of a building describes its outline and influences its architectural aesthetics and the cost directly. However, the literature on the impact of morphology on the aesthetics and cost of urban detached residential buildings is scarce. Thus, this study is significant because its aim was to identify the critical building morphology factors and the relationship that each of them maintains with the cost and aesthetics of urban detached residential buildings. Design/methodology/approach The multi-method qualitative approach was used to collect the required empirical data through interviews and case studies and to identify the effect of the morphology factors on the aesthetics and construction cost of urban residences in Sri Lanka, respectively. The collected data were analyzed using manual content analysis and descriptive statistics. Findings The study findings revealed that the morphology factors such as the roof and circulation spaces, open spaces and voids have a high impact on both the building cost and aesthetics. These findings will assist building designers in making effective design decisions on building costs and aesthetics so that a successful design outcome satisfying both the clients and design team could be obtained. Originality/value Although morphology has an impact on the cost and aesthetic of buildings, literature on the subject is scarce. Thus, this study is significant in that it aimed at identifying the significant building morphology factors in urban detached residential buildings and identifying their relationship with the cost and aesthetic of those buildings.

El objetivo general del presente artículo es analizar las prácticas proteccionistas en lo referente a la Inversión Extranjera Directa introducidas en los últimos años en Europa Central, así como las implicaciones para México. Para proteger el mercado europeo de las prácticas abusivas la Unión Europea creó el mecanismo de screening a partir del Reglamento de la Unión Europea No. 2019/452 de 2019. Los países de la Europa Central implementaron en sus marcos legales dichas provisiones. ¿Cuáles son las implicaciones de esos marcos legales para la relación económica con México? Se aplicó el método comparativo en lo referente a los marcos legales, así como el análisis de los datos empíricos. Con la técnica de investigación de la revisión documental el tipo de investigación es cualitativo. En la conclusión se observa que los países de la Europa Central presentan una heterogeneidad en lo referente a la implementación de las medidas proteccionistas de la UE. Además, se considera que la perspectiva post-pandemica de la recuperación económica la cooperación será un desafío por las prácticas proteccionistas, incluyendo un desafío para México para estrechar los lazos con Europa Central. Por ende, se considera el desarrollo de campos estratégicos de mutuo beneficio en los temas de energías renovables, transporte sustentable urbano, y proyectos conjuntos a nivel municipal.

International migration occurs because population growth does not match the job opportunities and availability. This issue has increased labor migration abroad. International migration as a workforce is dominated by female migrant workers or Tenaga Kerja Wanita (TKW). Women in their development want to actualize themselves by having transitional roles as workers who actively earn money for their families. During this time, news and research are still around the protection and problems TKI / TKW has experienced. Only a few studies have focused on the TKI / TKW’s success during their work. This research is qualitative using the textual study method by analyzing secondary data from various related literature and former TKW interviews. Empirical data showed that the factors leading to Hong Kong’s success were caused by the Hong Kong and Indonesian governments’ policies. They protected the workers’ rights and support to self-actualize, and female workers began to join the organization. Thus, women had more insight, freedom, and confidence to work in Hong Kong.

The problem of quantification of emotions in the choice between alternatives is considered. The alternatives are evaluated in a dual manner. From one side, they are characterized by rational features defining the utility of each alternative. From the other side, the choice is affected by emotions labeling the alternatives as attractive or repulsive, pleasant or unpleasant. A decision maker needs to make a choice taking into account both these features, the utility of alternatives and their attractiveness. The notion of utility is based on rational grounds, while the notion of attractiveness is vague and rather is based on irrational feelings. A general method, allowing for the quantification of the choice combining rational and emotional features, is described. Despite that emotions seem to avoid precise quantification, their quantitative evaluation is possible at the aggregate level. The analysis of a series of empirical data demonstrates the efficiency of the approach, including the realistic behavioral problems that cannot be treated by the standard expected utility theory.

Research concerning Indian American Christian college students’ experiences is virtually non-existent, leaving scholars and student affairs professionals lacking empirical data to support this popu...

This paper draws from a larger doctoral study, conducted between 2013 and 2016 in five flood-prone schools of the Budalang’i division of western Kenya. The mixed-methods study was based on empirical data drawn from twenty-three in-depth interviews from parents, senior school managers, and Sub County Education officers. Fifteen of these interviews were with males and eight with females. A questionnaire was completed by a total of 191 Standard Eight pupils, 49.2% boys and 50.8% girls across the five schools. Focus group discussions (FGDs) consisting of ten pupils from each of the five schools were also conducted. The study investigated the extent to which flood-prone schools can generate equitable epistemological access (EEA) and how they are committed to delivering a socially just educational experience. The research was embedded in the 'critical realism framework' as the overarching philosophy, premised on Sen's capability approach and Nancy Fraser's social justice framework. The two theories offer competing predications that: 1) the development of individual capabilities improves lives 2) the development of individuals should be based on a socially just approach. Findings suggested that to develop individual capabilities, schools need to embark on a socially just approach, especially to learners who are subjected to deprivation. The paper models a capabilities and social justice approach, as a substantial contribution to our understanding of the extent to which flood-prone schools of Kenya may improve individual capability development. Apart from its implications for policy, we suggest that the model should be implemented in schools to determine its efficacy. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.20.10.9

A produção científica em saúde é direcionada às pesquisas que geram benefícios para a população. O objetivo geral deste estudo foi descrever a construção da rede de cuidados para acolhimento psicológico aos trabalhadores da saúde em sofrimento psíquico durante a pandemia da Covid-19. Do ponto de vista da metodologia, trata-se de um estudo descritivo, do tipo relato de experiência, associado à técnica de observação participante, com coleta de dados empíricos na pesquisa qualitativa. Foram levantados os principais caminhos e fluxos da construção da rede de acolhimento psicológico aos trabalhadores da saúde em um cenário que impôs desafios inéditos. Os resultados apontam para a composição estratégica, ativa, dialógica e interativa da rede de cuidado e acolhimento psicológico a esse grupo. Destaca-se a necessidade de investimento e dedicação contínuos nos dispositivos que compõem o itinerário de serviços e cuidados, com vistas a fomentar a robustez da Rede de Atenção Psicossocial (RAPS), seu alcance, capilaridade e efetividade.

Bullying is an increasingly common problem in schools, associated with negative educational outcomes for both bullies and victims. This study explored the socio-educational family and school variables related to bullying, victimization and positive behavior, such as age, gender, separation from parents, school results, and truancy. In this study 311 students (50.8% boys) have participated, they were aged between 6 and 16 years (M = 11.01, SD = 1.71), enrolled in primary school (47.3%) and in secondary school (52.7%), all were from urban areas. 43.8% of respondents were separated from one or both parents due to divorce (17.4%), parental death (6.1%), migration (20%) or abandonment (0.3%). Bullying, victimization and positive behavior were measured with one standardized scale; the data about school results and attendance of the students was collected from the school registers; family information was self-reported by participants. Because Cronbach’s Alpha for the positive behavior scale was 0.57, lower that 0.7, this scale was not considered for further data analysis. Empirical data for the study was collected before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mann-Whitney U test showed significant age differences: secondary school students scored higher in aggression than primary school students. We also found significant gender differences in bullying behavior: boys’ reported higher level of aggression. The Independent Sample Student’s t-test indicated gender differences in school results: the boys obtained lower school results in Language and Mathematics than the girls. Separation from one or both parents did not lead to significant differences in bullying behavior, but pupils separated from their parents had fewer school absences than their colleagues not separated from their parents. Pearson’s correlation indicated that students with higher bullying scores, also scored higher on victimization and had higher number of school absences, but had scored lower grades in Language and Mathematics. One-way ANOVA indicated that victimization was influenced by age and bullying was influenced by gender. Also, one-way ANOVA indicated an effect of bullying on school results. Two-way ANOVA showed an interaction effect between gender and separation from parents on bullying. When living with both parents, boys had higher bullying scores, but under separation condition, the boys scored slightly lower than girls. The implications of the results for education and counseling are discussed.

The field of journalism in Azerbaijan is vastly understudied. Aiming to fill the major knowledge gap owing to the lack of any empirical data on Azerbaijan’s media, this is an attempt to systematically study the media environment in Azerbaijan. Through a national survey based on the larger frameworks of theGlobal Journalist(GJ) and theWorlds of Journalism(WoJ) projects this study constructs a demographic profile of journalists in Azerbaijan. We find that the overall picture of journalism in Azerbaijan is, in many ways, similar to the global averages (i.e. education, ethnic and religious affiliation with majority groups). However, even when the findings are similar between Azerbaijan and other countries, especially the “Western” countries with particular media systems, similar demographic characteristics can be due to a set of factors specific to Azerbaijani society.

This article analyzes the conceptual approaches and exhibition designs used by Russian museums for exhibitions on the Soviet terror. Using empirical data from 145 museums researched over 16 years, ...

This study measured the impacts of failure in Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) during the outbreak of a contagious Corona viral disease. The study measured the impacts by the number of individuals and hospitals exposed to the virus. The 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in South Korea was used to investigate the consequences of CERC failure, where the names of hospitals exposed to MERS‐CoV were withheld from the public during the early stage of virus diffusion. Empirical data analyses and simulated model tests were conducted. The findings of analyses and tests show that an early announcement of the hospital names and publicizing the necessary preventive measures could have reduced the rate of infection by approximately 85% and the number of contaminated healthcare facilities by 39% at maximum. This level of reduction is comparable to that of vaccination and of social distancing.

Families with teenagers are known to experience various challenges, as parents and teens often have conflicting opinions in regard to technology use. To understand how the disruption caused by SARS-CoV2-2 impacted dynamics around technology use within Asian Indian families with teens in the U.S., we conducted a mixed-methods study with 22 Asian Indian parent-teen dyads of different socioeconomic status (SES). Based on our empirical data, we present the complex picture of technology use in Asian Indian families during a period of disruption. We discuss the differences and similarities in (a) tensions that emerged in regard to technology use and mediation as participants from different SESs adjusted their daily life routines and (b) the ways technology helped them to develop practices that contributed to family resilience. Finally, we offer recommendations for the designers of technologies that can support parents and teens not only in times of crisis, but also under normal circumstances.

Reflecting on Loader and White ’s (2018) suggestion that the labour of private security workers is difficult to ‘commodify’, this paper uses original empirical data to show that there are four elements to what private security workers ‘do’ for victims of domestic violence when contracted by domestic violence advocacy services: they provide (a) practical ‘target-hardening’ measures, (b) ‘expert’ advice on security, (c) forms of ‘security therapy’ as workers talk clients through their safety-based anxieties and (d) forms of ‘security theatre’ as workers provide the appearance of providing security despite the efficacy often being unclear or uncertain. Each of these elements have significant risks that can threaten the interests of victims and domestic violence services.

Online consumer reviews significantly impact market performance as potential customers rely heavily on these reviews for consumer decision making. Accordingly, experienced online reviewers, or highly motivated reviewers who account for the largest attribution of reviews, are proposed to be an important part of the online reviewing ecosystem. This research examines experienced reviewers in the online communities. Using empirical data, this study found that experienced reviewers tend to behave as experts with the aim to achieve a common good with rating and selection attributes similar to critics. Hence, results showed that experienced reviewers leave lower ratings, have less extremity in their ratings, prefer sophisticated products but do not prefer popular products. The female experienced reviewers are less generous than novice female reviewers and their generosity decreases more dramatically than males in the rating propensity as they become experienced reviewers.

Aim: Against the background of the rising number of elderly people being incarcerated and the rare data on this special subgroup, the aim of our study was to collect first empirical data on the affective state of elderly prisoners in North Rhine Westphalia, Germany. Methods: Data were collected in nine German prisons. We included elderly prisoners from pretrial prevention, penal sentences, open enforcement, preventive detention and from special detention units for elderly inmates. For the evaluation of the affective state, we used the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Sociodemographic and crime-related characteristics were documented. Findings: In total, n=116 prisoners (91.4% male) were included. The age ranged from 53 to 91 years (65.6±6.3 years). In our sample, 48% reported at least mild depressive symptoms, which is a significantly higher prevalence of depressive symptomatology than in the general population aged 60 years and older. Differences were found with regard to the type of detention, as prisoners in open enforcement showed significantly less symptoms compared to those in pretrial prevention and preventive detention. The participants reported in general more somatic symptoms as sleep disturbances and fatigue compared to mood items as feelings of sadness. Originality: It is the first study assessing the affective state of older prisoners in Germany. The high rate of depressive symptoms in our sample is in line with findings from international studies underlining the need for adequate diagnostics and therapy. In addition, in a previous study depression was indirectly linked with a greater risk of re-incarceration, fortifying the need for successful treatment of depression in prison both for the individuum and for society.

Clinical cancer genomic testing based on next-generation sequencing can help select genotype-matched therapy and provide diagnostic and prognostic information. Pathological tissue from malignant tumors obtained during routine practice are frequently used for genomic testing. This article is aimed to standardize the proper handling of pathological specimens in practice for genomic medicine based on the findings established in "Guidelines on the handling of pathological tissue samples for genomic medicine (in Japanese)" published by The Japanese Society of Pathology (JSP) in 2018. The two-part practical guidelines are based on empirical data analyses; Part 1 describes the standard preanalytic operating procedures for tissue collection, processing, and storage of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples, while Part 2 describes the assessment and selection of FFPE samples appropriate for genomic testing, typically conducted by a pathologist. The guidelines recommend that FFPE sample blocks be used within 3 years from preparation, and the tumor content should be >= 30% (minimum 20%). The empirical data were obtained from clinical studies performed by the JSP in collaboration with leading Japanese cancer genome research projects. The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) recommended to comply with the JSP practical guidelines in implementing cancer genomic testing under the national health insurance system in over 200 MHLW-designated core and cooperative cancer genome medicine hospitals in Japan.

Despite increasing interest in the use of digital tools in boardgames for both commercial and research purposes, little research has to date explored how and why these tools are used. We interviewed 18 professionals working in the boardgame industry to explore the combination of digital tools and tabletop play, which affords new experiences and opportunities for both players and designers. We generated five key themes from the interview data. Participants engaged with ontological questions about the fundamental nature of games; they showed strong opinions about the use of digital tools; they discussed the impacts of digital tools for game design as well as in their design practice; they raised concerns about the costs to develop and maintain such tools; and they considered how they affect the in-game player experience. From these themes, we generate five design principles for digital tools for boardgame play: traceability, completeness, integration, privacy, and materiality. Grounded in empirical data, these design principles guide game designers and researchers seeking to explore this novel design space. Our research focuses attention on the role of digital components in play and on the need for thoughtful implementation that considers the entire lifecycle of the game, from development through publication and, ultimately, archival access.

Building community resilience to climate-induced disaster shocks requires an innovative, adaptive, and forward-looking approach. However, empirical data on such initiatives is lacking. Adopting an Adaptive Governance Framework, we gathered evidence that collaborative multi-loop social learning by multilevel institutions (local, regional, and national) can significantly enhance community resilience to climate induced disaster shocks and reduce gaps between institutional disaster governance responsibilities and capacities. Following a Case Study approach, we investigated the disaster resilience of two coastal communities in Bangladesh. Our primary data collection techniques were Key Informant Interviews and document reviews. The results of our investigation revealed three key prerequisites for building community resilience to nature-triggered disasters like cyclones or floods: i) the presence of multiple nested institutional structures at the local level; ii) multi-loop social learning at multiple institutional levels; and iii) documentation of lessons learned from each disaster and the application of these lessons to disaster governance at all institutional levels. We documented that bridging organizations play a decisive role in documenting and scaling-up lessons learned from episodic extreme weather events. Therefore, more emphasis needs to be placed on the importance of bridging organizations in scaling up lessons from episodic disaster events into national-level policy and practice.

BACKGROUND: By the beginning of December 2020, some vaccines against COVID-19 already presented efficacy and security, which qualify them to be used in mass vaccination campaigns. Thus, setting up strategies of vaccination became crucial to control the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We use daily COVID-19 reports from Chicago and New York City (NYC) from 01-Mar2020 to 28-Nov-2020 to estimate the parameters of an SEIR-like epidemiological model that accounts for different severity levels. To achieve data adherent predictions, we let the model parameters to be time-dependent. The model is used to forecast different vaccination scenarios, where the campaign starts at different dates, from 01-Oct-2020 to 01-Apr-2021. To generate realistic scenarios, disease control strategies are implemented whenever the number of predicted daily hospitalizations reaches a preset threshold. RESULTS: The model reproduces the empirical data with remarkable accuracy. Delaying the vaccination severely affects the mortality, hospitalization, and recovery projections. In Chicago, the disease spread was under control, reducing the mortality increment as the start of the vaccination was postponed. In NYC, the number of cases was increasing, thus, the estimated model predicted a much larger impact, despite the implementation of contention measures. The earlier the vaccination campaign begins, the larger is its potential impact in reducing the COVID-19 cases, as well as in the hospitalizations and deaths. Moreover, the rate at which cases, hospitalizations and deaths increase with the delay in the vaccination beginning strongly depends on the shape of the incidence of infection in each city.

Map distance is one of the key measures in genetics and indicates the expected number of crossovers between two loci. Map distance is estimated from the observed recombination frequency using mapping functions, the most widely used of those, Haldane and Kosambi, being developed at the time when the number of markers was low and unobserved crossovers had a substantial effect on the recombination fractions. In contemporary high-density marker data, the probability of multiple crossovers between adjacent loci is negligible and different mapping functions yield the same result, that is, the recombination frequency between adjacent loci is equal to the map distance in Morgans. However, high-density linkage maps contain an interpretation problem: the map distance over a long interval is additive and its association with recombination frequency is not defined. Here, we demonstrate with high-density linkage maps from humans and stickleback fishes that the inverse of Haldane or Kosambi mapping functions fail to predict the recombination frequency from map distance, and show that this is because the expected number of crossovers is not sufficient to predict recombination frequency. We formulate a piecewise function to calculate the probability of no crossovers between the markers that yields more accurate predictions of recombination frequency from map distance. Our results demonstrate that the association between map distance and recombination frequency is context-dependent and no universal solution exists. We anticipate that our study will motivate further research on this subject to yield a more accurate mathematical description of map distance in the context of modern data.