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Many digital controllers need an operating system to perform tasks such as networking and file operations. This causes an increase in task jitter which can affect the performance of the control system. Some researchers have claimed that Root-Mean-Square (RMS) of the task jitter is a good indicator of how the control system will be affected but there has been without evi- dence to show this to be true. In this paper, Gaussian, Uniform and a Brute force distributed task jitter, all with the same jitter RMS, were tested on a second order control system. The collected step response envelopes of 10,000 simulations for each jitter type show a very similar shape suggesting that task jitter RMS is a good indicator of control system performance. The overshoot distribution is shown to be normal which means that system performance can be characterised by a much smaller number of simulation runs.The work also shows that particular patterns can have a significant impact on overshoot and settling time. A real control system subject to task jitter may randomly and occasionally show extreme behaviour which may be outside acceptable limits. Simulation is essential to find these extremes early in the design process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the maintenance task prediction problem of armored forces, the macro model and micro model are established to analyze the constraint conditions, and the equipment maintenance task prediction model is established in order to meet the motor hours echelon storage. Under the condition of meeting the balance of annual motor hours payments, the motor hours consumed by equipment are allocated according to the annual training tasks, and a hybrid optimization algorithm of improved particle swarm optimization is designed to solve the model, and a case study is carried out on a few vehicles in a certain army. The simulation results show that the model can effectively solve the problem of equipment maintenance task prediction, and a provide reference value for troops to make the maintenance plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employee morale is a determinant of productivity and retention. This study explores relationships and morale levels between employees and supervisors in a large service industry. An open-ended questionnaire developed based on literature was created to assess morale and motivation, support, incentive, workplace environment, way of motivation, and job satisfaction. This survey was then piloted to managers of hourly product handlers working in a large North American distribution company. Data on existing status of employee morale and the factors influencing morale were collected from managers of three different departments responsible for supervising product handlers. The survey was administered using an online survey tool and answered by a sample of 44 respondents. Poor employee morale and negative attitudes toward their jobs were reported. Influencing factors included minimal pay and hours, lack of motivation, understaffed and unskilled labor, high physical workload, and poor supervision. Manager feedback indicated employees had a lack of understand of company mission and vision but also demonstrated a potential disconnect at the worker and manager levels. Potential interventions such as increasing employee-supervisor interaction, promoting good behavior, offering non-monetary benefits, training, wage rate and employee selection consistency, job redesign, etc. were recommended to management for implementation to improve existing conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to explore differences in the coronal biomechanics of the trunk, pelvis, hip, and knee joints, and gluteus medius muscle activity (GMed) during walking and step down from two riser heights. Joint kinematics and kinetics from 20 healthy participants were recorded using a 10-camera Qualisys system and force plates, and GMed EMG was recorded using a Delsys Trigno system. Hip abductor strength was measured using a hand-held dynamometer. Pelvic obliquity and lateral trunk bending excursions were significantly higher in walking than in step-down tasks. Significantly greater knee adduction moments were seen during both step-down tasks compared to level walking with significantly greater GMed activity. However, a significant interaction between side and task was seen for hip adduction moment, with step-down tasks showing lower hip moments than during walking, with greater peak hip moments being more apparent in the dominant limb. This suggests the GMed has a greater stabilizing role during the step-down tasks, although walking required a greater mechanical demand. Health professionals should expect to find less excursion of lateral trunk bending in step-down tasks compared to level walking and consider that GMed has different roles in these two tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the input-based and output-based tasks with different and identical degrees of involvement loads on Iranian EFL learners' incidental vocabulary learning. The participants were 120 pre-intermediate EFL learners from five English language institutes in Iran. In Phase 1, the participants received input-based and output-based tasks with identical involvement loads. In phase 2, they received both types of tasks but the involvement load of input-based tasks was higher than that of the output-based ones. Finally, in phase 3, the participants received output-based tasks with higher involvement loads. To measure the amount of vocabulary learning, immediate post-tests and delayed post-tests were administered upon completion of the tasks and a week after the post-tests, respectively. The results revealed that input- and output-based tasks with identical involvement loads had a positive significant effect on students' vocabulary learning and retention at both the post-test and the delayed post-test. Also, input-based tasks with higher involvement loads had no significant effect on students' vocabulary learning and retention at the post-test and delayed post-test. Finally, output-based tasks with higher involvement loads had a positive significant effect on students' vocabulary learning in both the post-test and delayed post-test. The findings have pedagogical implications for teachers and materials developers in developing effective tasks with a sufficient amount of involvement load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to investigate the effects of dual-task processing on consumers' responses to high-versus low-imagery radio advertisements. In a repeated-measures experimental design, participants listened to six high- and six low-imagery radio spots while simultaneously performing a visual-processing task (viewing a series of pictures unrelated to the ads or viewing a blank/black screen). Consistent with theoretical expectations, the high-imagery radio advertisements performed better than the low-imagery ads on measures of advertising involvement, attitude toward the ad, brand attitude, and purchase intention. The study found that high-imagery radio ads are universally superior, but suffer more when there is competition for cognitive resources. When a visual-processing task (viewing pictures) was introduced, consumers' responses became generally less favorable. The pattern of responses, however, varied across ad types and processing conditions. In particular, the detrimental effect of introducing a picture-viewing task was more pronounced for high-imagery ads than for low-imagery ads, as well as on measures of ad-related response (advertising involvement and attitude toward the ad). No such moderating effect was observed for brand-related responses (brand attitude and purchase intention). Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines an important issue that has not been specifically addressed in the GSS literature, namely, the effects of GSS and task type on group processes and social interactions. Most previous GSS research has focused on studying group outcomes, whereas the current research studies group interaction processes using two different coding methods. A conceptual research model is derived from the Theory of Time, Interaction and Performance (TIP theory) and a review of the literature on social psychology and GSS. Task and social interactions are studied from an influence perspective. The task type is varied as preference task and intellective task. The support level is varied in a GSS support and non-GSS support (i.e., face-to-face) discussion. Research results report that GSS could significantly influence group interaction processes, and tend to enhance group task interactions but dampen group social interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to explore how the members of two representative Moroccan Islamist movements (one against the government and the other with previous political and administrative experiences) could deal with the civil state principles, when facing a counterargument task. The results showed that the political association had a significant impact on different civil state principles (secularism, separation of powers, political pluralism, elected governmental institutions, and participative governance), whereas other principles (acceptance of non Muslim governors and democracy) were considered to constitute the strong identity core of an Islamist party and were, as such, rejected by both movements. A significant gender effect could be found only for the principle of secularism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated whether our virtual reality (VR) system task could detect extrapersonal neglect in patients with stroke and attempted to determine which targets were easiest/most difficult to detect for patients with unilateral spatial neglect. Thirty-six participants completed the VR task (neglect [NEG] group, n = 10; elderly healthy [EH] group, n = 11; and young healthy [YH] group, n = 15). The VR task consisted of 18 targets, each with different characteristics (front/side; right/left/both sides; static/dynamic/irregular). Participants verbally reported the detection of targets during the task. Detection percentages were significantly lower in the NEG group than in the EH and YH groups (p < 0.001). Difficult stimulations for the NEG group to detect in the leftward detection were a Signal (front/left side/static; detection percentage: NEG = 0%, EH = 100%), a Car (side/left side/static; detection percentage: NEG = 10.0%, EH = 100%), and Cars (side/both sides/static; detection percentage: NEG = 20.0%, EH = 100%). The easiest stimulation for the NEG group to detect was a Human (front/left side/static; detection percentage: NEG = 80.0%, EH = 100%). In conclusion, our VR task can be used to confirm extrapersonal neglect in patients with stroke, and we also identified detection difficulty in the different stimulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quasi-experiment was conducted in the field to compare the decision-making process for groups using a nonsimultaneous computer conferencing (NCC) system with similar groups using face-to-face (FTF) communication. Groups of five participants performed group decision making using a general knowledge task. Group members searched for the solution by sharing information and generating alternatives. The participants were professional workers from several different organizations. The results of the study suggest that groups using the NCC system were significantly less effective than FTF groups in solving the problem. NCCs shared less information, were less comprehensive in considering all aspects of the decision-making task, and made less progress toward the perceived decision goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the nature of the U.S. security officers and their duties and responsibilities. The author states that some of the U.S. security officers are lawyers who have experience with military intelligence service, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or with other law enforcement agencies. He asserts that there are second-rate security officers who use their position for their own advantage. He explains that the security officer is the one responsible for safeguarding the government's military, technical, and other secrets. He stresses that the security officer does not have the power to investigate.

Recently, a five-year trial period without a set timetable for compulsory school education in 79 municipalities was concluded in Sweden. The overall idea of the trial was to facilitate local participation, local time governance and flexible learning. Within the pilot trial, each individual pupil's school activities were supposed to be designed to suit his/her needs, interests and prerequisites. This article examines how teachers, principals and students describe students' schoolwork as being located in the intersection between school/home, work/leisure, time/task and individual/collective spheres. Three empirical studies indicate that the essential part of new temporal habits of school concerns a reconstructed task orientation. Time has been taken into the service of tasks and clock-time is not always a taken for granted regulator in educational settings. Potential disadvantages with a more task-oriented education are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a hypothetical human resources issue on time management problem encountered by an electrical engineer. Causes of disorganization; Importance of categorizing work tasks; Importance of concentration to time management.

Discusses the development of policies and procedures for dealing with motivational dualism within an ambidextrous organization to create highly motivated research and development professionals. Task characteristics that elicit high levels of intrinsic work motivation; Ways to examine the task characteristics; Tips for human resource professionals on how to address the motivational challenges of dualism.

Data from individual measurements of production in a manufacturing environment may be thought of as a two-way table indexed by worker and task. If there are many tasks, such a table will normally be sparse. Adjustment for task effects is important if workers are to be compared to one another, since any two workers may have no tasks in common. Three techniques are presented for the analysis of such sparse tables: table-stripe regression, rectangle ratios, and network scores. These techniques are illustrated on data from a large industrial concern, where 6,846 person-task-weeks of data on 479 workers and 678 tasks were collected as part of an ongoing group incentive plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a story that narrates the day of a contemporary writer in modern Iran. The writer wakes up at 4:30 in the morning to jog and then prepares his pencils after a quiet bath to finish several miscellaneous documents. He likewise arranges several things he have to finish during the day including his university class, his visit to a shop and his lunch with a friend. In the middle of the day, he then rents a taxi to the College of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages where he had finished advanced English writing courses.

This case study of Kleer Windows, a firm which manufactures doors and windows for the recreational vehicles industry argues that the influence of the work group can under certain conditions be harnessed by management in their attempts to control workers. Peer control exists when co- workers seek to monitor and influence each others level of productivity. Data were collected during three summers of ethnographic research. A comparison of the control systems utilized in the production, shipping, and receiving departments at Kleer Windows reveals that peer control is likely to stimulate, rather than inhibit, productivity when two conditions exist. First, when workers are motivated to monitor one another through an interdependence of reward - making the rewards of each worker dependent upon the effort and productivity of all co-workers as we11 as the effort of the individual worker (i.e., through the use of a group bonus system) - peer control that stimulates productiuity is increasingly likely to develop. The second condition necessary for peer control is that workers be able to monitor each other through an interdependence of task - organizing work such that each worker is dependent upon co-workers for the successful completion of their work tasks (i.e., serial production) contributes to the establishment of peer control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]