Search

Hemodialysis patients frequently require ambulance transport to the hospital for dialysis. Some patients require urgent dialysis (UD) within 24 hours of transport to hospital to avoid morbidity and mortality. UD is not available in all hospitals; therefore, predicting patients who need UD prior to hospital transport can help paramedics with destination planning. In this paper, we developed machine learning models for paramedics to predict whether a patient needs UD based on patient characteristics available at the time of ambulance transport. This paper presented a study based on ambulance data collected in Halifax, Canada. Given that relatively few patients need UD, a class imbalance problem is addressed by up-sampling methods and prediction models are developed using multiple machine learning methods. The achieved prediction scores are F1-score=0.76, sensitivity=0.76, and specificity=0.97, confirming that models can predict UD with limited patient characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper determined the performance indicators that are a source of customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction towards hotel. This has evaluated the satisfaction and dissatisfaction considered the significance of nationality, which found to be lacking in previous researches. This paper considered four nationalities such as United Kingdom, USA, Canada, and Philippines. Through the hotel reviews, determinants were determined using a text mining analysis. Furthermore, determinants identified in every review were evaluated and used to determine which, performance indicator is the most source of customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Through the analysis, it was found that the performance indicators to be unequally important per nationality. In this paper, it was found that location and interaction to the staff, a major indicator of satisfaction. It was also found that staff, room quality, facilities and amenities, comfort, and service are the most critical performance indicators in the hotel business. Furthermore, through the utilization of the results, it was statistically tested the significance of customer nationality on satisfaction and dissatisfaction. This was tested through the Chi-square test and Cramer measure of association. At the end of this paper, it is defined which determinant and performance indicators are most critical in achieving customer loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of peace and conflict studies is still coalescing, despite the fact that the first undergraduate degree program in the United States was established in 1948. Almost sixty years later, the field still goes by so many names that core identity issues have not been resolved. The names of degree programs reveal various foci: peace studies; justice studies; conflict studies; conflict analysis; conflict resolution; conflict management; conflict transformation; and dispute resolution. This paper recounts the history of the field's development, and then charts and analyzes the curricular content of undergraduate degree programs in the United States and Canada. This is accomplished through analysis of the curricular requirements for those degree programs, as well as through comparative analysis of the syllabi for the required courses in those programs. This data allows us to identify whether and if core constructs have been established in this emerging discipline, and the degree of coherence that may be present in the field. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the distinct realities of street youth in Canada and Ecuador, it is important to interpret crime both in the developed and developing world as it applies to street youth. Specifically, what factors are seen to influence criminal activity in these two contexts? Theories of crime most influential in the study of street youth, such as strain, control and blocked opportunities/power suffer from an issue of applicability. These theories have dominated the North American research on street youth, but have not been applied to the developing world context. This paper fills this void in the research and discusses the extent to which these theories explain criminal activity among street youth in the developed and developing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postmodern university education should provide students with, among other things, a third eye of wisdom to see the world and themselves. The enculturation of Buddhism in university education serves to realize this grand aim. This paper first examines the historical development and practical significance of the Buddhist components in both Chinese and Canadian contexts. Based on the cases of representative universities in the two countries, it then analyzes the permeation of Buddhism in the two countries' university education, comparing the implications of Buddhist education in their respective higher-learning contexts. The findings indicate how, in their own ways, Chinese and Canadian universities employ Buddhist concepts in shaping students' morality, enriching the humanistic and / or liberal education and assisting students in adapting to the changing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on productivity and innovation of Canada and appointment of expert panel by the federal government for reviewing business research and development. It discusses the review programs which include scientific research and experimental development contributing to innovation and productivity. It further conduct a comparative study of Canadian businesses which global business counterparts. It also discusses the performance of Quebec and issues facing investment.

Canadian business ethics have suffered throughout the years. According to a Market Wired article, "42% of working Canadians have witnessed misconduct at their current employer." Of this percentage, only 52% reported the wrongdoing. Many Canadian employees claim they are under a great deal of pressure to achieve certain goals in the workplace according to the Market Wired Article. Pressure is one of the elements of the fraud triangle; meaning these employees have certainly been put into a position where they must choose between meeting a goal unethically, or choosing the ethical route but failing to hit certain numbers. Choosing the ethical route does seem like the obvious route, but in some cases employees are facing a reduction or total loss in yearly bonuses or opportunities to be promoted. In Brazil, corruption amongst politics as well as business is very much a prevalent issue the country. According to an ethic intelligence article, consumers may not always be getting the best product or service due to the fact that companies offer businesses kickbacks and they will choose what company to buy from due to kickbacks. Another alarming issue is the fact that a majority of Brazilian citizens wouldn't consider giving an officer a small bribe a corrupt act. Unethical acts are sort of considered the "norm" or "okay in this country. In Brazil power distance is a much more prevalent theme than in Canada. Canada promotes Individualism much more than Brazil, meaning in Canada the societal structure is much looser knit. Brazilians cherish a cohesive community of groups. Both countries score very similarly on the masculinity scale scoring a "moderate" score meaning gender is not of too much importance and there is a work life balance. This moderate masculinity scale also means that they let their accomplishments and achievements speak for them versus characterizing a person based off gender. Canadians score much lower on the "uncertainty avoidance"scale meaning that they allow freedom of expression and they’re less emotionally expressive than their Brazilian counterparts. Surprisingly, Canadians are a tad more indulgent than Brazilians, meaning they have less control over their desires and impulses. Based on my research, Canadians show greater care for the needs and wants of their citizens when it comes to customer service. Brazilians are corrupt as far as purchasing products for their consumers and are okay with providing products at more expensive prices due to kickbacks from vendors. Canadians show a greater deal of customer consideration when it comes to service. There are a variety of things that differentiate Mexico and Spain. In terms of ethics, discrimination is rejected world wide. However, it has been found that in Mexico many people who undergo the hiring process have been known to be reject because of their race, age and sex. This can be linked to the masculinity scores found by Hofstede's 6D model. Something like this would not be as likely in Spain. Although, both countries have very serious issues with corruption. Mexico is currently fighting a massive war between gangs where even the police can form an alliance with gangs in order to make money. Likewise, the same can be said for their companies. In Spain, some employees have been known to avoid paying tax so their monthly income can be greater even though they would have less money during retirement. Employers introduce this concept to them and most people openly accept it. This means their ethics standards are not very high. This can be measured by indulgence included in Hofstede's 6D model. According to Hofstede's model, Mexico has a power distance of 81. Spain's power distance in 57. This has a lot to do with masculinity where Mexico scores 69 compared to Spain 42. This makes sense because in Mexico, ideas would need to be brought to the attention of the individual with the highest position before taking action, but the opposite can be said for Spain. People are encouraged to be innovative and creativethinkers, which is why you also see much more women go to school. Both countries had a high uncertainty avoidance so they like to have their rules and regulations laid out in front of them to make no mistakes. Indulgence is very high in Mexico compared to Spain where short term pleasures are preferred and long term orientation is 24 in Mexico and 48 in Spain. Customer service in these countries can also be predicted based off of Hofstede's 6D model. For example, because the power distance is high in Mexico, customers would feel very inferior and may even be uncomfortable asking question or dealing with the company overall making their experience unpleasant. Spain would be a more relaxed country because customers wouldn't feel inferior or intimidated leading to more confident relationships and happy customers. Individualism could possibly effect this too because in Mexico you could be attended to by only one person as opposed to in Spain where a group of people would try to assist you. Lastly, masculinity could impact customer service in Mexico because more men are employed. Men tend to be more aggressive than women, so Spain would also be a better experience for customers. Every nation holds different ethics standard. In a country like in Malaysia, child labor can be considered as a normal thing. Many children entered the work force at an early age (around 15). If we compare Germany and Malaysia, we will see that in Germany child labor is illegal. Germany protected the rights of children and developed many programs in order to supports children so they can go to school instead of working. If we compare Hofstede's 6D model between Germany and Malaysia we will see that Malaysia very high in Power Distance, Indulgence and Masculinity. Germany in the opposite side has very low power distance and high in long-term orientation. The similar between the two countries would be masculinity where both countries more likely to be dominant by man. Albania and the United States are quite different in many aspects. What I found interesting when looking at Hofstede's 6D model and comparing Albania and the United States is the drastic differences in Power Distance, Individualism, and in Indulgence. Albania scored a 90 in Power Distance compared to the U.S. score of 40 which really shows that Albania relies almost completely in a hierarchal system. Having seen this comparison, it also makes sense when looking at the individualism score that was generated why Albania scored a 20, while the United States scored a 91. Albania is a country that believes in a hierarchy which in tern would make them as a country believe more in the respects of ""we"" instead of ""I"" and more of a loyalty based culture. The United States on the other hand is more based on a selfish view of the individual and that we as a culture usually worry about only ourselves. On the other hand, it might also be said that Albania might be a little bit lower in ethics in comparison than that of the United States. Albania ranked as a mostly masculine country which states that it is a highly motivated country in the realm of school or work or business. This would mean that perhaps trying to be the best at everything they do could make them more susceptible to less ethical standards than the United States. In comparing the United States with Albania in regards to strategic customer service, the U.S. would have a leg up compared to Albania. Albania scored incredibly low in indulgence compared to the United States which shows to me that Albania does not want to put their time into leisurely activities, which had they been good in this area of business, would have them ranked higher for customer service. The United States appears to be a better at customer service which I believe will increase the indulgence rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Normative comparisons of media regulation across international settings can provide insight and highlight differences and similarities in the way political systems address media that other classifications may overlook. This study addresses the typology developed by Daniel Hallin and Paolo Mancini (2004), which compares along four dimensions - market development, media - politics links, journalistic professionalism, and state intervention in media. While the Hallin and Mancini typology groups the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada under the same model - the "North Atlantic"/"Liberal" model - this study describes and compares the underlying philosophical underpinnings of media ownership rules in these three countries; and although similarities exist, especially in light of ongoing concerns associated with the concentration of media ownership in all three, the normative ideals that have persisted and the variegated regulatory paths that have been taken highlight three very different "models" with nuanced histories that should be recognized as such. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a common disturbing thread that runs throughout the criminal justice system of these countries where 'race' is regarded as a relevant difference between individuals. The incarceration rates per 100,000 adult population of the Natives in Canada mirror very closely the incarceration rates per 100,000 adult population of Australian Aborigines. On the other hand, the incarceration rates per 100,000 adult African Americans are markedly similar to the incarceration rates per 100,000 adult Blacks in England and Wales. There is considerable disagreement among social scientists as to the causes of the disparities in the rates of imprisonment of racial minorities in these countries that often result in their over-representation in the criminal justice system. While some view the racial disproportion as a result of differential involvement in crime by racial minorities, others are of the strong opinion that the causes are embedded in the operations of economic, social and criminal justice systems of these countries. The percentages of minorities under correctional control and supervision in these countries in no way reflect their makeup in the civilian population. Currently in Canada, the Natives constitute about 3% of the general population but 17% of prisoners in the federal system. In Australia, the Natives currently make up 2% of the population but 20% of all prisoners. African Americans currently make up 13% of the US population and a staggering 46% of the sentenced prisoners. In England and Wales (1999/2000), Blacks comprised only 2% of the general population but 10.2% of the prison population [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the employment situation of newly arriving immigrants has grown more precarious, interest has focused on their children, and the question of, whether as native-born Americans, they achieve more successful labour market integration than their parents. Using the merged files of Current Population Surveys for the United States for the period 1995-2007, and the 2001 Censuses of Canada and Australia, this study examines the educational and employment experiences of the second-generation children of racial minority immigrants in the United States compared to their counterparts in Canada and Australia. Since institutional contexts that vary by nation and urban area pattern immigrant educational and employment success, we investigate whether terms of entry for immigrants carry forward to influence the success of their children. We find that Chinese, South Asian, and Black immigrant offspring experience consistent upward intergenerational mobility. With the exception of Blacks, they also match or out-perform their third-generation white peers. Even Blacks, however, exhibit intergenerational upward mobility. These findings are patterned by cross-national and interurban contexts. With the exception of Blacks, the second-generation are most successful in the United States, despite the fact that they were the least successful in the US a generation before. Within Canada, they are most successful in Vancouver, followed by Toronto and then Montreal. Our findings suggest that the entry status of the parental generation do not carry forward and block the mobility of second-generation immigrants. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past thirty years improvements in inmate-staff relations have been pursued by corrections organizations through introduction of unit management and direct supervision approaches, along with more open prison designs to support these strategies. This comparative study of Canadian and New Zealand uses a qualitative approach to appraise the impact of direct supervision initiatives and the meanings assigned to them by inmates and correctional staff. In-depth interviews provide the retrospective views of 37 inmates and 21 corrections staff at three medium security sites: a Canadian provincial correctional centre, a Canadian federal institution, and multi purpose New Zealand prison. Data indicate significant changes in inmate-correctional officer communication, less informal use of physical violence by officers and erosion of the inmate code of conduct. These gains are tempered by continued difficulties with drugs in some facilities, questions over the quality of interpersonal communication, and the negative influence of prison gang culture. While there is some variation between the two nations, there are more similarities than differences in the evolution of inmate and staff cultures. Results illustrate the potential of direct supervision approaches and suggest several promising methods to improve staff-inmate relations. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparative analysis of business press articles relating to social issues in management and corporate social innovations finds wide differences among three otherwise comparable countries (U.S., Canada, France). These differences shed doubt on the validity of the convergence hypothesis. They are explained by differences in national policy styles and political culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]