Undergraduates with Employer-Sponsored Aid: Comparing Group Differences

Science.gov (United States)

Faulk, Dagney G.; Wang, Zhenlei

2014-01-01

Tuition assistance offered by employers is an understudied area of financial aid research. The purpose of this study is to compare the demographic, socioeconomic, academic and financial aid characteristics of college students who receive employer-sponsored financial aid with students who receive traditional financial aid (institutional, state, or…

The role of political affiliation in employment decisions: A model and research agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Roth, Philip L; Goldberg, Caren B; Thatcher, Jason B

2017-09-01

Organizational researchers have studied how individuals identify with groups and organizations and how this affiliation influences behavior for decades (e.g., Tajfel, 1982). Interestingly, investigation into political affiliation and political affiliation similarity in the organizational sciences is extremely rare. This is striking, given the deep political divides that exist between groups of individuals described in the political science literature. We draw from theories based on similarity, organizational identification, and person-environment fit, as well as theoretical notions related to individuating information, to develop a model, the political affiliation model (PAM), which describes the implications of political affiliation and political similarity for employment decisions. We set forth a number of propositions based on PAM, to spur future research in the organizational sciences for a timely topic which has received little attention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Markowitz portfolio optimization model employing fuzzy measure

Science.gov (United States)

Ramli, Suhailywati; Jaaman, Saiful Hafizah

2017-04-01

Markowitz in 1952 introduced the mean-variance methodology for the portfolio selection problems. His pioneering research has shaped the portfolio risk-return model and become one of the most important research fields in modern finance. This paper extends the classical Markowitz's mean-variance portfolio selection model applying the fuzzy measure to determine the risk and return. In this paper, we apply the original mean-variance model as a benchmark, fuzzy mean-variance model with fuzzy return and the model with return are modeled by specific types of fuzzy number for comparison. The model with fuzzy approach gives better performance as compared to the mean-variance approach. The numerical examples are included to illustrate these models by employing Malaysian share market data.

Race, Employment Disadvantages, and Heavy Drinking: A Multilevel Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Celia C; Cheng, Tyrone C

2015-01-01

We intended to determine (1) whether stress from employment disadvantages led to increased frequency of heavy drinking and (2) whether race had a role in the relationship between such disadvantages and heavy drinking. Study data came from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, a prospective study that has followed a representative sample of youth since 1979. Our study employed data from 11 particular years, during which the survey included items measuring respondents' heavy drinking. Our final sample numbered 10,171 respondents, which generated 75,394 person-waves for data analysis. Both of our hypotheses were supported by results from multilevel mixed-effects linear regression capturing the time-varying nature of three employment disadvantages and of the heavy-drinking outcome. Results show that more-frequent heavy drinking was associated with employment disadvantages, and that disadvantages' effects on drinking were stronger for Blacks and Hispanics than for Whites. That worsening employment disadvantages have worse effects on minority groups' heavy drinking (compared to Whites) probably contributes to the racial health disparities in our nation. Policies and programs addressing such disparities are especially important during economic downturns.

[A group cognitive behavioral intervention for people registered in supported employment programs: CBT-SE].

Science.gov (United States)

Lecomte, T; Corbière, M; Lysaker, P H

2014-06-01

Supported employment programs are highly effective in helping people with severe mental illness obtain competitive jobs quickly. However, job tenure is often a problem for many. Of the various obstacles to job tenure documented, dysfunctional beliefs regarding the workplace and one's own abilities has been proposed as a therapeutic target. The purpose of this article is threefold: (1) to describe the development and the content of a novel group cognitive behavioral intervention designed to increase job tenure for people receiving supported employment services; (2) to present the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention; and (3) to investigate some preliminary data regarding employment outcomes. A group CBT intervention offered during 8 sessions over the course of one month, in order to respect the rapid job search principle of IPS (individual placement and support), was developed. The content was tailored to facilitate the learning of skills specific to the workplace, such as recognizing and managing one's stressors at work, determining and modifying dysfunctional thoughts (e.g. not jumping to conclusions, finding alternatives, seeking facts), overcoming obstacles (e.g. problem solving), improving one's self-esteem as a worker (recognizing strengths and qualities), dealing with criticism, using positive assertiveness, finding coping strategies (for symptoms and stress) to use at work, negotiating work accommodations and overcoming stigma. A trial is currently underway, with half the participants receiving supported employment as well as CBT-SE and the other half receiving only supported employment. A subsample of the first 24 participants having completed the 12-month follow-up were used for the analyses, including 12 having received at least 3 sessions out of the 8 group sessions and 12 receiving only supported employment. Feasibility and acceptability were determined by the group therapists' feedback, the participants' feedback as well as attendance to

Full employment and competition in the Aspen economic model: implications for modeling acts of terrorism.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sprigg, James A.; Ehlen, Mark Andrew

2004-11-01

Acts of terrorism could have a range of broad impacts on an economy, including changes in consumer (or demand) confidence and the ability of productive sectors to respond to changes. As a first step toward a model of terrorism-based impacts, we develop here a model of production and employment that characterizes dynamics in ways useful toward understanding how terrorism-based shocks could propagate through the economy; subsequent models will introduce the role of savings and investment into the economy. We use Aspen, a powerful economic modeling tool developed at Sandia, to demonstrate for validation purposes that a single-firm economy converges to the known monopoly equilibrium price, output, and employment levels, while multiple-firm economies converge toward the competitive equilibria typified by lower prices and higher output and employment. However, we find that competition also leads to churn by consumers seeking lower prices, making it difficult for firms to optimize with respect to wages, prices, and employment levels. Thus, competitive firms generate market ''noise'' in the steady state as they search for prices and employment levels that will maximize profits. In the context of this model, not only could terrorism depress overall consumer confidence and economic activity but terrorist acts could also cause normal short-run dynamics to be misinterpreted by consumers as a faltering economy.

Employed family physician satisfaction and commitment to their practice, work group, and health care organization.

Science.gov (United States)

Karsh, Ben-Tzion; Beasley, John W; Brown, Roger L

2010-04-01

Test a model of family physician job satisfaction and commitment. Data were collected from 1,482 family physicians in a Midwest state during 2000-2001. The sampling frame came from the membership listing of the state's family physician association, and the analyzed dataset included family physicians employed by large multispecialty group practices. A cross-sectional survey was used to collect data about physician working conditions, job satisfaction, commitment, and demographic variables. The response rate was 47 percent. Different variables predicted the different measures of satisfaction and commitment. Satisfaction with one's health care organization (HCO) was most strongly predicted by the degree to which physicians perceived that management valued and recognized them and by the extent to which physicians perceived the organization's goals to be compatible with their own. Satisfaction with one's workgroup was most strongly predicted by the social relationship with members of the workgroup; satisfaction with one's practice was most strongly predicted by relationships with patients. Commitment to one's workgroup was predicted by relationships with one's workgroup. Commitment to one's HCO was predicted by relationships with management of the HCO. Social relationships are stronger predictors of employed family physician satisfaction and commitment than staff support, job control, income, or time pressure.

A Simple Forecasting Model Linking Macroeconomic Policy to Industrial Employment Demand.

Science.gov (United States)

Malley, James R.; Hady, Thomas F.

A study detailed further a model linking monetary and fiscal policy to industrial employment in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas of four United States regions. The model was used to simulate the impacts on area and regional employment of three events in the economy: changing real gross national product (GNP) via monetary policy, holding the…

Will Carbon Tax Yield Employment Double Dividend for China?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinghua Zhang

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Carbon tax is an important economic means to reduce carbon emission. This paper establishes a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE model to reflect China’s resource environment where economic growth and employment play a role by analyzing impacts of carbon tax on employment. The CGE model measures short and long-term impacts of carbon tax on employment, and examines whether the employment “double dividend” would be possible. The analysis shows that the demand for employment tends to decrease as a whole, but different groups of employees would be affected in various ways. “Double dividend” will be possible if appropriate carbon tax cycle is in place.

Modelling group dynamic animal movement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Langrock, Roland; Hopcraft, J. Grant C.; Blackwell, Paul G.

2014-01-01

makes its movement decisions relative to the group centroid. The basic idea is framed within the flexible class of hidden Markov models, extending previous work on modelling animal movement by means of multi-state random walks. While in simulation experiments parameter estimators exhibit some bias......, to date, practical statistical methods which can include group dynamics in animal movement models have been lacking. We consider a flexible modelling framework that distinguishes a group-level model, describing the movement of the group's centre, and an individual-level model, such that each individual......Group dynamic movement is a fundamental aspect of many species' movements. The need to adequately model individuals' interactions with other group members has been recognised, particularly in order to differentiate the role of social forces in individual movement from environmental factors. However...

Prospecting for customers in the small employer market: the experience of Arizona Health Care Group.

Science.gov (United States)

Christianson, J B; Liu, C F; Schroeder, C M

1994-01-01

The findings of this study provide an interesting profile of the small employer "prospects" for prepaid health plans, where a prospect is defined as an employer that responds to a mass mailing effort with a request for information and further contact. About 60% of these prospects already have insurance, with 40% having group insurance. Therefore, a substantial portion of prospects are seeking to replace their existing health benefit package with a different one. Of those who do not offer existing insurance, the most common reason is that it is "too expensive" or the employer is "not profitable." A very small proportion do not offer insurance because they do not qualify for it due to medical underwriting considerations. Prospects tend to be larger than non-prospects in terms of sales, but employ lower wage employees, on average. About half of prospects are in service industries, a proportion typical of small employers in general. Somewhat surprisingly, most prospects have been in operation for over five years. They are not new firms attempting to establish their benefit packages. This is consistent with the findings on gross sales, suggesting that some maturity is necessary before an employer considers offering group health insurance as a benefit. The prepaid plans in this study also appeared to target established employers for their marketing efforts. In responding to questions about their attitudes towards health insurance, over one-quarter of prospects indicated that they would be unwilling to offer insurance at rates so low that they would not normally apply to the coverages offered by prepaid plans. Thus, although they were "prospects" by the study's definition, they were unlikely to eventually contract with prepaid plans. Those prospects that had offered insurance previously, but had discontinued it, tended to cite premium increases as the reason. This suggests that prospects among small employers are likely to be very price sensitive, and that further

A modified two-fluid model for the application of two-group interfacial area transport equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, X.; Ishii, M.; Kelly, J.

2003-01-01

This paper presents the modified two-fluid model that is ready to be applied in the approach of the two-group interfacial area transport equation. The two-group interfacial area transport equation was developed to provide a mechanistic constitutive relation for the interfacial area concentration in the two-fluid model. In the two-group transport equation, bubbles are categorized into two groups: spherical/distorted bubbles as Group 1 while cap/slug/churn-turbulent bubbles as Group 2. Therefore, this transport equation can be employed in the flow regimes spanning from bubbly, cap bubbly, slug to churn-turbulent flows. However, the introduction of the two groups of bubbles requires two gas velocity fields. Yet it is not desirable to solve two momentum equations for the gas phase alone. In the current modified two-fluid model, a simplified approach is proposed. The momentum equation for the averaged velocity of both Group-1 and Group-2 bubbles is retained. By doing so, the velocity difference between Group-1 and Group-2 bubbles needs to be determined. This may be made either based on simplified momentum equations for both Group-1 and Group-2 bubbles or by a modified drift-flux model

An integrative model for measuring graduates’ employability skills—A study in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenping Su

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Employability is a key issue in graduates’ job-hunting, but little research has been done on that of the graduates in Chinese universities. These universities have been experiencing a decline in their graduate employment since the past decade. This paper attempts to tackle this issue. It reviews the relevant research on employability and develops a research-based theoretical framework to evaluate and analyze the graduates’ employability in China. It adopts multiple approaches to establish the skills that will enhance university students’ employability. Investigating around 100 employers and 200 undergraduates from the universities in Beijing, the paper explores the characteristics of and factors influencing the graduates’ employability. Subsequently, it proposes a qualitative model to measure graduates’ employability. Based on the findings, it discusses the theoretical and practical implications and provides advice for Chinese graduates to improve their employability.

Developing a Sustainable Practical Model of Graduate Employability for Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Rufai, Ahmed Umar; Bakar, Ab Rahim Bin; Rashi, Abdullah Bin Mat

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to evolve a sustainable practical model of employability skills that is sure to capture relevant learning aspects of a particular occupational discipline to be used as framework for Undergraduate students to develop their employability potentials. The study was conducted in three Universities and Polytechnics each with…

The Impact of Medicare Part D on Self-Employment.

Science.gov (United States)

Moulton, Jeremy G; Diebold, Jeffrey C; Scott, John C

2017-01-01

We explore the relationship between access to affordable health insurance and self-employment using exogenous variation from the introduction of Medicare Part D that reduced the out-of-pocket cost of prescription drugs and improved health outcomes in a difference-in-differences model using the American Community Survey. We find that our treatment group of individuals aged 65-69 were 0.5 percentage points (or 5%) more likely to be self-employed in relation to a control group aged 60-64.

Applying the nominal group technique in an employment relations conflict situation: A case study of a university maintenance section in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cornelis (Kees S. van der Waal

2009-09-01

Full Text Available After a breakdown in employment relations in the maintenance section of a higher education institution, the authors were asked to intervene in order to try and solve the employment relations conflict situation. It was decided to employ the Nominal Group Technique (NGT as a tool in problem identification during conflict in the workplace. An initial investigation of documentation and interviews with prominent individuals in the organisation was carried out. The NGT was then used in four focus group discussions to determine the important issues as seen by staff members. The NGT facilitates the determination of shared perceptions and the ranking of ideas. The NGT was used in diverse groups, necessitating adaptations to the technique. The perceived causes of the conflict were established. The NGT can be used in a conflict situation in the workplace in order to establish the perceived causes of employment relations conflict.

A partnership-based model for embedding employability in urban planning education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neale Blair

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a partnership-based model for embedding employability in urban planning education. The model is based on the author’s experiences of implementing an international project which supported the development of employability skills in urban and regional planning education in Malawi. Since independence, urban planners have typically trained outside the country, attending university in the UK and other Commonwealth countries. More recently, the paradigm has shifted towards in-country education delivered by academic staff cognisant with the opportunities and challenges of development in Malawi. There remains, though, a gap between graduate knowledge of the subject and the skills necessary to pursue a professional career in the sector. Although there is no consensus yet on the meaning of employability in the literature, lessons from the project indicate that academic–public–private collaboration helps incorporate in curriculum skills that employers anticipate. Applicability of these principles is however context dependent, particularly in the emerging economy context where institutional capacity may be less developed compared to elsewhere.

42 CFR 422.106 - Coordination of benefits with employer or union group health plans and Medicaid.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... group health plans and Medicaid. 422.106 Section 422.106 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID... plans and Medicaid. (a) General rule. If an MA organization contracts with an employer, labor... enrollees in an MA plan, or contracts with a State Medicaid agency to provide Medicaid benefits to...

Ethnic variations in immigrant poverty exit and female employment: the missing link.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaida, Lisa

2015-04-01

Despite widespread interest in poverty among recent immigrants and female immigrant employment, research on the link between the two is limited. This study evaluates the effect of recently arrived immigrant women's employment on the exit from family poverty and considers the implications for ethnic differences in poverty exit. It uses the bivariate probit model and the Fairlie decomposition technique to analyze data from the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (LSIC), a nationally representative survey of immigrants arriving in Canada, 2000-2001. Results show that the employment of recently arrived immigrant women makes a notable contribution to lifting families out of poverty. Moreover, the wide ethnic variations in the probability of exit from poverty between European and non-European groups are partially explained by the lower employment rates among non-European women. The results suggest that the equal earner/female breadwinner model applies to low-income recent immigrant families in general, but the male breadwinner model explains the low probability of poverty exit among select non-European groups whose female employment rates are notably low.

LLNL Chemical Kinetics Modeling Group

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pitz, W J; Westbrook, C K; Mehl, M; Herbinet, O; Curran, H J; Silke, E J

2008-09-24

The LLNL chemical kinetics modeling group has been responsible for much progress in the development of chemical kinetic models for practical fuels. The group began its work in the early 1970s, developing chemical kinetic models for methane, ethane, ethanol and halogenated inhibitors. Most recently, it has been developing chemical kinetic models for large n-alkanes, cycloalkanes, hexenes, and large methyl esters. These component models are needed to represent gasoline, diesel, jet, and oil-sand-derived fuels.

Employment Trajectories: Exploring Gender Differences and Impacts of Drug Use

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, David Y. C.; Evans, Elizabeth; Hara, Motoaki; Weiss, Robert E.; Hser, Yih-Ing

2011-01-01

This study investigated the impact of drug use on employment over 20 years among men and women, utilizing data on 7661 participants in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Growth mixture modeling was applied, and five distinct employment trajectory groups were identified for both men and women. The identified patterns were largely similar…

What makes a 'good group'? Exploring the characteristics and performance of undergraduate student groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Channon, S B; Davis, R C; Goode, N T; May, S A

2017-03-01

Group work forms the foundation for much of student learning within higher education, and has many educational, social and professional benefits. This study aimed to explore the determinants of success or failure for undergraduate student teams and to define a 'good group' through considering three aspects of group success: the task, the individuals, and the team. We employed a mixed methodology, combining demographic data with qualitative observations and task and peer evaluation scores. We determined associations between group dynamic and behaviour, demographic composition, member personalities and attitudes towards one another, and task success. We also employed a cluster analysis to create a model outlining the attributes of a good small group learning team in veterinary education. This model highlights that student groups differ in measures of their effectiveness as teams, independent of their task performance. On the basis of this, we suggest that groups who achieve high marks in tasks cannot be assumed to have acquired team working skills, and therefore if these are important as a learning outcome, they must be assessed directly alongside the task output.

A Conceptual Model for Employer Training to Manage Employee Counter-Productive Behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Rock, Naomi Spickard

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a model for employer training to manage employees who possess counter-productive behaviors. With the increasing encouragement for employers to hire without discriminating, the number of individuals with disabilities in the workforce will rise. There is limited training in universities and businesses to…

Frequency of satisfaction and dissatisfaction with practice among rural-based, group-employed physicians and non-physician practitioners.

Science.gov (United States)

Waddimba, Anthony C; Scribani, Melissa; Krupa, Nicole; May, John J; Jenkins, Paul

2016-10-22

being in the lowest quintile of dissatisfaction; heavier workload and greater intolerance of uncertainty reduced that likelihood. Practitioner demographics and most practice unit characteristics did not manifest any independent effect. Mutable factors, such as workload, work meaningfulness, relational needs, uncertainty/ambiguity tolerance, and risk-taking attitudes displayed the strongest association with practitioner satisfaction/dissatisfaction, independent of demographics and practice unit characteristics. Organizational efforts should be dedicated to a redesign of group-employment models, including more equitable division of clinical labor, building supportive peer networks, and uncertainty/risk tolerance coaching, to improve the quality of work life among rural practitioners.

Assessing the reliability of predictive activity coefficient models for molecules consisting of several functional groups

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. P. Gerber

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Currently, the most successful predictive models for activity coefficients are those based on functional groups such as UNIFAC. In contrast, these models require a large amount of experimental data for the determination of their parameter matrix. A more recent alternative is the models based on COSMO, for which only a small set of universal parameters must be calibrated. In this work, a recalibrated COSMO-SAC model was compared with the UNIFAC (Do model employing experimental infinite dilution activity coefficient data for 2236 non-hydrogen-bonding binary mixtures at different temperatures. As expected, UNIFAC (Do presented better overall performance, with a mean absolute error of 0.12 ln-units against 0.22 for our COSMO-SAC implementation. However, in cases involving molecules with several functional groups or when functional groups appear in an unusual way, the deviation for UNIFAC was 0.44 as opposed to 0.20 for COSMO-SAC. These results show that COSMO-SAC provides more reliable predictions for multi-functional or more complex molecules, reaffirming its future prospects.

Exploring precarious employment and women's health within the context of U.S. microenterprise using focus groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Salt, Rebekah; Lee, Jongwon

2014-01-01

Nursing has been a leader in exploring social determinants of health within the context of U.S. microenterprise and women's health. The purpose of this study was to explore precarious employment within the context of microenterprise and women's health using focus groups with clientele from New Mexico (NM). The specific aims were to identify (1) the health concerns of low-income women who utilized resources from Women's Economic Self-Sufficiency Team (WESST), and (2) the meaning of precarious employment in low-income women's lives. Fourteen women, ranging in age from 21-65 years, who were affiliated with regional WESST sites around NM participated in focus groups and completed a demographic questionnaire. Focus group data were analyzed using content analysis. The degree of interrater agreement was determined by calculating the Cohen's kappa, percentage agreement, and prevalence-adjusted and bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK). Two broad themes emerged from these data: (1) Working for Yourself and (2) Strategies. Although the women identified concerns about participation in microenterprise, flexibility, freedom, and feeling purposeful were motivators to pursue a small business. The kappa statistics on the five transcripts revealed poor inter-rater agreement, yet PABAK, which is a more sophisticated inter-rater reliability index, indicated that inter-rater agreement between the two raters was satisfactory. Despite the challenges associated with microenterprise in the US, women found value in working for themselves. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Employment relations, flexibility and risk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Carsten Strøby

Employment relations literature often distinguishes between social democratic/corporatist models of employment relations and liberal models of employment relations as they are seen as opposite or at least different ways of organizing labor markets. They are often characterized as having very...... different risk profiles in terms of relationships between employees, employers, and the state. Low levels of labor market regulation very often characterize the liberal models of employment relations as we know them from, for instance, the USA and the UK. This means that employment conditions are very often...... insecure and that the burden of unemployment risk mostly lies with the employees rather than the employer. Corporatist – or social democratic – employment relations models are, in contrast to the liberal models, often characterized by stricter regulation of the labor market and by high standards...

LDA-Based Unified Topic Modeling for Similar TV User Grouping and TV Program Recommendation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pyo, Shinjee; Kim, Eunhui; Kim, Munchurl

2015-08-01

Social TV is a social media service via TV and social networks through which TV users exchange their experiences about TV programs that they are viewing. For social TV service, two technical aspects are envisioned: grouping of similar TV users to create social TV communities and recommending TV programs based on group and personal interests for personalizing TV. In this paper, we propose a unified topic model based on grouping of similar TV users and recommending TV programs as a social TV service. The proposed unified topic model employs two latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) models. One is a topic model of TV users, and the other is a topic model of the description words for viewed TV programs. The two LDA models are then integrated via a topic proportion parameter for TV programs, which enforces the grouping of similar TV users and associated description words for watched TV programs at the same time in a unified topic modeling framework. The unified model identifies the semantic relation between TV user groups and TV program description word groups so that more meaningful TV program recommendations can be made. The unified topic model also overcomes an item ramp-up problem such that new TV programs can be reliably recommended to TV users. Furthermore, from the topic model of TV users, TV users with similar tastes can be grouped as topics, which can then be recommended as social TV communities. To verify our proposed method of unified topic-modeling-based TV user grouping and TV program recommendation for social TV services, in our experiments, we used real TV viewing history data and electronic program guide data from a seven-month period collected by a TV poll agency. The experimental results show that the proposed unified topic model yields an average 81.4% precision for 50 topics in TV program recommendation and its performance is an average of 6.5% higher than that of the topic model of TV users only. For TV user prediction with new TV programs, the average

Group Capability Model

Science.gov (United States)

Olejarski, Michael; Appleton, Amy; Deltorchio, Stephen

2009-01-01

The Group Capability Model (GCM) is a software tool that allows an organization, from first line management to senior executive, to monitor and track the health (capability) of various groups in performing their contractual obligations. GCM calculates a Group Capability Index (GCI) by comparing actual head counts, certifications, and/or skills within a group. The model can also be used to simulate the effects of employee usage, training, and attrition on the GCI. A universal tool and common method was required due to the high risk of losing skills necessary to complete the Space Shuttle Program and meet the needs of the Constellation Program. During this transition from one space vehicle to another, the uncertainty among the critical skilled workforce is high and attrition has the potential to be unmanageable. GCM allows managers to establish requirements for their group in the form of head counts, certification requirements, or skills requirements. GCM then calculates a Group Capability Index (GCI), where a score of 1 indicates that the group is at the appropriate level; anything less than 1 indicates a potential for improvement. This shows the health of a group, both currently and over time. GCM accepts as input head count, certification needs, critical needs, competency needs, and competency critical needs. In addition, team members are categorized by years of experience, percentage of contribution, ex-members and their skills, availability, function, and in-work requirements. Outputs are several reports, including actual vs. required head count, actual vs. required certificates, CGI change over time (by month), and more. The program stores historical data for summary and historical reporting, which is done via an Excel spreadsheet that is color-coded to show health statistics at a glance. GCM has provided the Shuttle Ground Processing team with a quantifiable, repeatable approach to assessing and managing the skills in their organization. They now have a common

The Employment of spatial autoregressive models in predicting demand for natural gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castro, Jorge Henrique de; Silva, Alexandre Pinto Alves da

2010-01-01

Develop the natural gas network is critical success factor for the distribution company. It is a decision that employs the demand given location 'x' and a future time 't' so that the net allows the best conditions for the return of the capital. In this segment, typical network industry, the spatial infra-structure vision associated to the market allows better evaluation of the business because to mitigate costs and risks. In fact, economic models little developed in order to assess the question of the location, due to its little employment by economists. The objective of this article is to analyze the application of spatial perspective in natural gas demand forecasting and to identify the models that can be employed observing issues of dependency and spatial heterogeneity; as well as the capacity of mapping of variables associated with the problem. (author)

Sutherland models for complex reflection groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crampe, N.; Young, C.A.S.

2008-01-01

There are known to be integrable Sutherland models associated to every real root system, or, which is almost equivalent, to every real reflection group. Real reflection groups are special cases of complex reflection groups. In this paper we associate certain integrable Sutherland models to the classical family of complex reflection groups. Internal degrees of freedom are introduced, defining dynamical spin chains, and the freezing limit taken to obtain static chains of Haldane-Shastry type. By considering the relation of these models to the usual BC N case, we are led to systems with both real and complex reflection groups as symmetries. We demonstrate their integrability by means of new Dunkl operators, associated to wreath products of dihedral groups

Soldiers’ employment attitude and employability: An exploratory study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peng Gao

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Nowadays it is very difficult for Chinese retired soldiers to find proper jobs, and the primary reason is the significant gap between job requirements and soldiers owned job skills. Therefore, it is very important to improve the soldiers’ job skills and enhance their understanding of employment.Design/methodology/approach: This paper expands the study scope from the soldiers’ job skills to the employability, initiatively introduces the employment attitude which has obvious impact on the employment of soldiers, and analyses the influence that employment attitude can play on employability. At last, this paper develops statistical method to find the relationship between soldiers’ employment attitude and employability.Findings: The empirical analysis shows that soldiers’ employment attitude has the positive linkage with employability, which makes the employment attitude a measurable variable for the employability rather than an absolute standard.Research limitations/implications: According to the research purpose, more variables should be considered in the model, consequently, there are only three indicators to describe solders’ employment attitude and four indicators to describe solders’ employability.Originality/value: This paper takes research on soldiers’ employability in a new perspective. The soldiers’ employment attitude is served as the entry point, showing the influence that soldiers’ employment attitude has on employability.

Employability in Online Higher Education: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Paula Silva

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Over the past 15 years, learning in distance education universities has become more interactive, flexible, collaborative, and participative. Nevertheless, some accounts have highlighted the importance of developing more instrumental and standardized educational practices to answer the challenges of employability. In fact, the choice of skills that are important to learning communities and the labour market has been the subject of controversy because it involves heterogeneous motives among different groups.This paper compares the perceptions of employability skills in a sample of teachers from the Universidade Aberta and a sample of students who attend a local learning centre at this University. The research focused on the following dimensions: a the most important employability skills, and b the employability skills to be developed in online undergraduate degrees. To collect the required data, a questionnaire was prepared and applied to students and teachers, taking the theoretical model of Knight and Yorke (2006 as its main reference. In spite of the specificity of each group, the results revealed some similarities between students and teachers with regard to employability. The conclusions also highlighted the need to promote research on this matter in online education.

Economic Benefits of Self-Employment for Canadian Immigrants.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakhaie, Reza

2015-11-01

This paper evaluates the economic benefits of self-employment in Canada for 12 groups of ethno-racial immigrants. It tests whether or not their self-employment earnings are higher or lower than similar groups in wage and salary employment, whether ethnic minorities earn more or less from self-employment compared to White immigrants, and whether self-employment earnings of immigrant groups vary by their industrial sectors of employment. Using the Canadian Census 2006, I show that self-employed ethno-racial immigrants earn less than White immigrants. I also show that the economic benefits of self-employment depend on the ethno-racial groups and the industrial mix of their self-employment. © 2015 Canadian Sociological Association/La Société canadienne de sociologie.

Concept of self-employment

OpenAIRE

Startienė, Gražina; Remeikienė, Rita; Dumčiuvienė, Daiva

2010-01-01

The article deals with the theories that explain the growth of self-employment and help to determine the presumptions of the self-employment growth. Self-employment theories are classified to several groups, i.e. the economic and sociological-psychological as well as the “push” and “pull” theories. Economic theories of self-employment interpret financial motives of the person to pursue own business, while sociologicalpsychological theories of self-employment determine non-financial objectives...

Empirical evidence on the demand for carve-outs in employment group mental health coverage.

Science.gov (United States)

Salkever, David S.; Shinogle, Judith A.

2000-06-01

BACKGROUND AND AIMS OF THE STUDY: The use of specialized behavioral health companies to manage mental/health benefits has become widespread in recent years. Recent studies have reported on the cost and utilization impacts of behavioral health carve-outs. Yet little previous research has examined the factors which lead employer-based health plans to adopt a carve-out strategy for mental health benefits. The examination of these factors is the main focus of our study. Our empirical analysis is also intended to explore several hypotheses (moral hazard, adverse selection, economies of scale and alternate utilization management strategies) that have recently been advanced to explain the popularity of carve-outs. METHODS: The data for this study are from a survey of employers who have long-term disability contracts with one large insurer. The analysis uses data from 248 employers who offer mental health benefits combined with local market information (e.g. health care price proxies, state tax rates etc), state regulations (mental health and substance abuse mandate and parity laws) and employee characteristics. Two different measures of carve-out use were used as dependent variables in the analysis: (1) the fraction of health plans offered by the employer that contained carve-out provisions and (2) a dichotomous indicator for those employers who included a carve-out arrangement in all the health plans they offered. RESULTS: Our results tended to support the general cost-control hypothesis that factors associated with higher use and/or costs of mental health services increase the demand for carve-outs. Our results gave less consistent support to the argument that carve-outs are demanded to control adverse selection, though only a few variables provided a direct test of this hypothesis. The role of economies of scale (i.e., group size) and the effectiveness of alternative strategies for managing moral hazard costs (i.e., HMOs) were confirmed by our results. DISCUSSION: We

MODEL AUTHENTIC SELF-ASSESSMENT DALAM PENGEMBANGAN EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS MAHASISWA PENDIDIKAN TINGGI VOKASI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I Made Suarta

2015-06-01

______________________________________________________________ AUTHENTIC SELF-ASSESSMENT MODEL FOR DEVELOPING EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS STUDENT IN HIGHER VOCATIONAL EDUCATION Abstract The purpose of this research is to develop assessment tools to evaluate achievement of employability skills which are integrated in the learning database applications. The assessment model developed is a combination of self-assessment and authentic assessment, proposed as models of authentic self-assessment. The steps of developing authentic self-assessment models include: identifying the standards, selecting an authentic task, identifying the criteria for the task, and creating the rubric. The results of development assessment tools include: (1 problem solving skills assessment model, (2 self-management skills assessment model, and (3 competence database applications assessment model. This model can be used to assess the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor achievement. The results indicate: achievement of problem solving and self-management ability was in good category, and competencies in designing conceptual and logical database was in high category. This model also has met the basic principles of assessment, i.e.: validity, reliability, focused on competencies, comprehen-sive, objectivity, and the principle of educating. Keywords: authentic assessment, self-assessment, problem solving skills, self-management skills, vocational education

Modeling of critical experiments employing Raschig rings in uranyl nitrate solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanner, J.E.

1989-01-01

Four critical experiments employing borated glass rings in concentrated uranyl nitrate solution yielded k eff higher by 0. 04 when modeled with a flux-weighted, homogenized cross section set than when modeled with discrete rings. k eff varied by 0.014 for a 10% boron uncertainty and by up to 0.04 for a 10% packing fraction uncertainty

Stochastic Geometric Network Models for Groups of Functional and Structural Connectomes

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, Eric J.; Landsberg, Adam S.; Owen, Julia P.; Li, Yi-Ou; Mukherjee, Pratik

2014-01-01

Structural and functional connectomes are emerging as important instruments in the study of normal brain function and in the development of new biomarkers for a variety of brain disorders. In contrast to single-network studies that presently dominate the (non-connectome) network literature, connectome analyses typically examine groups of empirical networks and then compare these against standard (stochastic) network models. Current practice in connectome studies is to employ stochastic network models derived from social science and engineering contexts as the basis for the comparison. However, these are not necessarily best suited for the analysis of connectomes, which often contain groups of very closely related networks, such as occurs with a set of controls or a set of patients with a specific disorder. This paper studies important extensions of standard stochastic models that make them better adapted for analysis of connectomes, and develops new statistical fitting methodologies that account for inter-subject variations. The extensions explicitly incorporate geometric information about a network based on distances and inter/intra hemispherical asymmetries (to supplement ordinary degree-distribution information), and utilize a stochastic choice of networks' density levels (for fixed threshold networks) to better capture the variance in average connectivity among subjects. The new statistical tools introduced here allow one to compare groups of networks by matching both their average characteristics and the variations among them. A notable finding is that connectomes have high “smallworldness” beyond that arising from geometric and degree considerations alone. PMID:25067815

Renormalization group flow of scalar models in gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guarnieri, Filippo

2014-01-01

In this Ph.D. thesis we study the issue of renormalizability of gravitation in the context of the renormalization group (RG), employing both perturbative and non-perturbative techniques. In particular, we focus on different gravitational models and approximations in which a central role is played by a scalar degree of freedom, since their RG flow is easier to analyze. We restrict our interest in particular to two quantum gravity approaches that have gained a lot of attention recently, namely the asymptotic safety scenario for gravity and the Horava-Lifshitz quantum gravity. In the so-called asymptotic safety conjecture the high energy regime of gravity is controlled by a non-Gaussian fixed point which ensures non-perturbative renormalizability and finiteness of the correlation functions. We then investigate the existence of such a non trivial fixed point using the functional renormalization group, a continuum version of the non-perturbative Wilson's renormalization group. In particular we quantize the sole conformal degree of freedom, which is an approximation that has been shown to lead to a qualitatively correct picture. The question of the existence of a non-Gaussian fixed point in an infinite-dimensional parameter space, that is for a generic f(R) theory, cannot however be studied using such a conformally reduced model. Hence we study it by quantizing a dynamically equivalent scalar-tensor theory, i.e. a generic Brans-Dicke theory with ω=0 in the local potential approximation. Finally, we investigate, using a perturbative RG scheme, the asymptotic freedom of the Horava-Lifshitz gravity, that is an approach based on the emergence of an anisotropy between space and time which lifts the Newton's constant to a marginal coupling and explicitly preserves unitarity. In particular we evaluate the one-loop correction in 2+1 dimensions quantizing only the conformal degree of freedom.

Integrable lattice models and quantum groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saleur, H.; Zuber, J.B.

1990-01-01

These lectures aim at introducing some basic algebraic concepts on lattice integrable models, in particular quantum groups, and to discuss some connections with knot theory and conformal field theories. The list of contents is: Vertex models and Yang-Baxter equation; Quantum sl(2) algebra and the Yang-Baxter equation; U q sl(2) as a symmetry of statistical mechanical models; Face models; Face models attached to graphs; Yang-Baxter equation, braid group and link polynomials

Employing the intelligence cycle process model within the Homeland Security Enterprise

OpenAIRE

Stokes, Roger L.

2013-01-01

CHDS State/Local The purpose of this thesis was to examine the employment and adherence of the intelligence cycle process model within the National Network of Fusion Centers and the greater Homeland Security Enterprise by exploring the customary intelligence cycle process model established by the United States Intelligence Community (USIC). This thesis revealed there are various intelligence cycle process models used by the USIC and taught to the National Network. Given the numerous differ...

Who benefits from supported employment: a meta-analytic study.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Campbell, Kikuko

2012-02-01

AIMS: This meta-analysis sought to identify which subgroups of clients with severe mental illness (SMI) benefited from evidence-based supported employment. METHODS: We used meta-analysis to pool the samples from 4 randomized controlled trials comparing the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of supported employment to well-regarded vocational approaches using stepwise models and brokered services. Meta-analysis was used to determine the magnitude of effects for IPS\\/control group differences within specific client subgroups (defined by 2 work history, 7 sociodemographic, and 8 clinical variables) on 3 competitive employment outcomes (obtaining a job, total weeks worked, and job tenure). RESULTS: The findings strongly favored IPS, with large effect sizes across all outcomes: 0.96 for job acquisition, 0.79 for total weeks worked, and 0.74 for job tenure. Overall, 90 (77%) of the 117 effect sizes calculated for the 39 subgroups exceeded 0.70, and all 117 favored IPS. CONCLUSIONS: IPS produces better competitive employment outcomes for persons with SMI than alternative vocational programs regardless of background demographic, clinical, and employment characteristics.

The Alternative Peer Group: A Developmentally Appropriate Recovery Support Model for Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Nash, Angela; Collier, Crystal

2016-01-01

Recovery as the goal for substance use disorder treatment has been a key component of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's mission for the past decade. Consistent with their mission, there is a call for research and development of recovery-oriented systems of care to support affected individuals through all stages of the recovery process. Evidence is emerging to support recovery practice and research for adults, but recovery-oriented models for adolescents are scant. The Alternative Peer Group (APG) is a comprehensive adolescent recovery support model that integrates recovering peers and prosocial activities into evidence-based clinical practice. Employing APG participants' own words, this article will describe the essential elements and three theoretical frameworks underlying the APG model to illustrate how the APG serves as a developmentally appropriate recovery support service for adolescents with substance use disorder.

Building professionalism and employability skills: embedding employer engagement within first-year computing modules

Science.gov (United States)

Hanna, Philip; Allen, Angela; Kane, Russell; Anderson, Neil; McGowan, Aidan; Collins, Matthew; Hutchison, Malcolm

2015-07-01

This paper outlines a means of improving the employability skills of first-year university students through a closely integrated model of employer engagement within computer science modules. The outlined approach illustrates how employability skills, including communication, teamwork and time management skills, can be contextualised in a manner that directly relates to student learning but can still be linked forward into employment. The paper tests the premise that developing employability skills early within the curriculum will result in improved student engagement and learning within later modules. The paper concludes that embedding employer participation within first-year models can help relate a distant notion of employability into something of more immediate relevance in terms of how students can best approach learning. Further, by enhancing employability skills early within the curriculum, it becomes possible to improve academic attainment within later modules.

Testing a Model of Undergraduate Competence in Employability Skills and Its Implications for Stakeholders

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Denise

2014-01-01

Despite the development of employability skills being firmly entrenched in higher education's strategic agenda worldwide; recent graduates' standards in certain skills are not meeting industry expectations. This paper presents and tests a model of undergraduate competence in employability skills. It highlights those factors which impact on…

Modeling the cost-benefit of nerve conduction studies in pre-employment screening for carpal tunnel syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Evanoff, Bradley; Kymes, Steve

2010-06-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the costs associated with pre-employment nerve conduction testing as a screening tool for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in the workplace. We used a Markov decision analysis model to compare the costs associated with a strategy of screening all prospective employees for CTS and not hiring those with abnormal nerve conduction, versus a strategy of not screening for CTS. The variables included in our model included employee turnover rate, the incidence of CTS, the prevalence of median nerve conduction abnormalities, the relative risk of developing CTS conferred by abnormal nerve conduction screening, the costs of pre-employment screening, and the worker's compensation costs to the employer for each case of CTS. In our base case, total employer costs for CTS from the perspective of the employer (cost of screening plus costs for workers' compensation associated with CTS) were higher when screening was used. Median costs per employee position over five years were US$503 for the screening strategy versus US$200 for a no-screening strategy. A sensitivity analysis showed that a strategy of screening was cost-beneficial from the perspective of the employer only under a few circumstances. Using Monte Carlo simulation varying all parameters, we found a 30% probability that screening would be cost-beneficial. A strategy of pre-employment screening for CTS should be carefully evaluated for yield and social consequences before being implemented. Our model suggests such screening is not appropriate for most employers.

Comparing linear probability model coefficients across groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Anders; Ejrnæs, Mette; Karlson, Kristian Bernt

2015-01-01

of the following three components: outcome truncation, scale parameters and distributional shape of the predictor variable. These results point to limitations in using linear probability model coefficients for group comparisons. We also provide Monte Carlo simulations and real examples to illustrate......This article offers a formal identification analysis of the problem in comparing coefficients from linear probability models between groups. We show that differences in coefficients from these models can result not only from genuine differences in effects, but also from differences in one or more...... these limitations, and we suggest a restricted approach to using linear probability model coefficients in group comparisons....

The Anglo-Saxon model of employment in the current economic context. The case of United Kingdom

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirela Ionela ACELEANU

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The Anglo-Saxon model of employment has certain features that derive from the specificity of the political and economic system of Great Britain. The labour market policies in the United Kingdom were different depending on the historical and political period; however, the Anglo-Saxon model is characterized mainly by high flexibility but low security. This paper presents the main features of the Anglo-Saxon model of employment, compared to the Nordic and the Mediterranean model and shows Britain's economic situation before and after the crisis.

Job insecurity and discretionary behaviors: Social exchange perspective versus group value model.

Science.gov (United States)

Piccoli, Beatrice; De Witte, Hans; Reisel, William D

2017-02-01

This study examines the relationship between job insecurity and discretionary behaviors, that is, organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) and counterproductive work behaviors (CWB), with the purpose to extend knowledge on the theoretical explanations for these outcomes. Considering the employment relationship with the organization, two different perspectives are suggested and compared in a multiple mediator model, in order to understand the reasons for discretionary behaviors. We draw upon social exchange theory as the basis of psychological contract perceptions and we rely on the group value model to explain organizational justice evaluations. A total of 570 blue-collar workers in Italy participated in our survey. The results show that job insecurity is indirectly related to OCB and CWB through psychological contract breach and organizational injustice. Both mediational mechanisms have equivalent strength in explaining the relationships, namely, they are complementary processes in accounting for both behaviors. These findings suggest that employees' behaviors in job insecure contexts are driven not only by concerns related to the exchange of resources with the organization, but also by evaluations about their value as important members of the group. © 2016 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Predictive models to determine imagery strategies employed by children to judge hand laterality.

Science.gov (United States)

Spruijt, Steffie; Jongsma, Marijtje L A; van der Kamp, John; Steenbergen, Bert

2015-01-01

A commonly used paradigm to study motor imagery is the hand laterality judgment task. The present study aimed to determine which strategies young children employ to successfully perform this task. Children of 5 to 8 years old (N = 92) judged laterality of back and palm view hand pictures in different rotation angles. Response accuracy and response duration were registered. Response durations of the trials with a correct judgment were fitted to a-priori defined predictive sinusoid models, representing different strategies to successfully perform the hand laterality judgment task. The first model predicted systematic changes in response duration as a function of rotation angle of the displayed hand. The second model predicted that response durations are affected by biomechanical constraints of hand rotation. If observed data could be best described by the first model, this would argue for a mental imagery strategy that does not involve motor processes to solve the task. The second model reflects a motor imagery strategy to solve the task. In line with previous research, we showed an age-related increase in response accuracy and decrease in response duration in children. Observed data for both back and palm view showed that motor imagery strategies were used to perform hand laterality judgments, but that not all the children use these strategies (appropriately) at all times. A direct comparison of response duration patterns across age sheds new light on age-related differences in the strategies employed to solve the task. Importantly, the employment of the motor imagery strategy for successful task performance did not change with age.

Self-Observation Model Employing an Instinctive Interface for Classroom Active Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Gwo-Dong; Nurkhamid; Wang, Chin-Yeh; Yang, Shu-Han; Chao, Po-Yao

2014-01-01

In a classroom, obtaining active, whole-focused, and engaging learning results from a design is often difficult. In this study, we propose a self-observation model that employs an instinctive interface for classroom active learning. Students can communicate with virtual avatars in the vertical screen and can react naturally according to the…

Introducing the fit-criteria assessment plot - A visualisation tool to assist class enumeration in group-based trajectory modelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Klijn, Sven L; Weijenberg, Matty P; Lemmens, Paul; van den Brandt, Piet A; Lima Passos, Valéria

2017-10-01

Background and objective Group-based trajectory modelling is a model-based clustering technique applied for the identification of latent patterns of temporal changes. Despite its manifold applications in clinical and health sciences, potential problems of the model selection procedure are often overlooked. The choice of the number of latent trajectories (class-enumeration), for instance, is to a large degree based on statistical criteria that are not fail-safe. Moreover, the process as a whole is not transparent. To facilitate class enumeration, we introduce a graphical summary display of several fit and model adequacy criteria, the fit-criteria assessment plot. Methods An R-code that accepts universal data input is presented. The programme condenses relevant group-based trajectory modelling output information of model fit indices in automated graphical displays. Examples based on real and simulated data are provided to illustrate, assess and validate fit-criteria assessment plot's utility. Results Fit-criteria assessment plot provides an overview of fit criteria on a single page, placing users in an informed position to make a decision. Fit-criteria assessment plot does not automatically select the most appropriate model but eases the model assessment procedure. Conclusions Fit-criteria assessment plot is an exploratory, visualisation tool that can be employed to assist decisions in the initial and decisive phase of group-based trajectory modelling analysis. Considering group-based trajectory modelling's widespread resonance in medical and epidemiological sciences, a more comprehensive, easily interpretable and transparent display of the iterative process of class enumeration may foster group-based trajectory modelling's adequate use.

Group theory for unified model building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slansky, R.

1981-01-01

The results gathered here on simple Lie algebras have been selected with attention to the needs of unified model builders who study Yang-Mills theories based on simple, local-symmetry groups that contain as a subgroup the SUsup(w) 2 x Usup(w) 1 x SUsup(c) 3 symmetry of the standard theory of electromagnetic, weak, and strong interactions. The major topics include, after a brief review of the standard model and its unification into a simple group, the use of Dynkin diagrams to analyze the structure of the group generators and to keep track of the weights (quantum numbers) of the representation vectors; an analysis of the subgroup structure of simple groups, including explicit coordinatizations of the projections in weight space; lists of representations, tensor products and branching rules for a number of simple groups; and other details about groups and their representations that are often helpful for surveying unified models, including vector-coupling coefficient calculations. Tabulations of representations, tensor products, and branching rules for E 6 , SO 10 , SU 6 , F 4 , SO 9 , SO 5 , SO 8 , SO 7 , SU 4 , E 7 , E 8 , SU 8 , SO 14 , SO 18 , SO 22 , and for completeness, SU 3 are included. (These tables may have other applications.) Group-theoretical techniques for analyzing symmetry breaking are described in detail and many examples are reviewed, including explicit parameterizations of mass matrices. (orig.)

Authentic leadership, group cohesion and group identification in security and emergency teams.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Guiu López, Carlos; Molero Alonso, Fernando; Moya Morales, Miguel; Moriano León, Juan Antonio

2015-01-01

Authentic leadership (AL) is a kind of leadership that inspires and promotes positive psychological capacities, underlining the moral and ethical component of behavior. The proposed investigation studies the relations among AL, cohesion, and group identification in security and emergency teams. A cross-sectional research design was conducted in which participated 221 members from 26 fire departments and operative teams from the local police of three Spanish provinces. The following questionnaires were administered: Authentic Leadership (ALQ), Group Cohesion (GEQ), and Mael and Ashford's Group Identification Questionnaire. A direct and positive relation was found between AL, cohesion, and group identification. An indirect relation was also found between AL and group cohesion through group identification, indicating the existence of partial mediation. The utility of the proposed model based on AL is considered; this model can be employed by those in charge of the fire departments and operative groups in organizations to improve workteams' cohesion. Both AL and group identification help to explain group cohesion in organizations committed to security and emergencies.

Employing Tropospheric Numerical Weather Prediction Model for High-Precision GNSS Positioning

Science.gov (United States)

Alves, Daniele; Gouveia, Tayna; Abreu, Pedro; Magário, Jackes

2014-05-01

In the past few years is increasing the necessity of realizing high accuracy positioning. In this sense, the spatial technologies have being widely used. The GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) has revolutionized the geodetic positioning activities. Among the existent methods one can emphasize the Precise Point Positioning (PPP) and network-based positioning. But, to get high accuracy employing these methods, mainly in real time, is indispensable to realize the atmospheric modeling (ionosphere and troposphere) accordingly. Related to troposphere, there are the empirical models (for example Saastamoinen and Hopfield). But when highly accuracy results (error of few centimeters) are desired, maybe these models are not appropriated to the Brazilian reality. In order to minimize this limitation arises the NWP (Numerical Weather Prediction) models. In Brazil the CPTEC/INPE (Center for Weather Prediction and Climate Studies / Brazilian Institute for Spatial Researches) provides a regional NWP model, currently used to produce Zenithal Tropospheric Delay (ZTD) predictions (http://satelite.cptec.inpe.br/zenital/). The actual version, called eta15km model, has a spatial resolution of 15 km and temporal resolution of 3 hours. In this paper the main goal is to accomplish experiments and analysis concerning the use of troposphere NWP model (eta15km model) in PPP and network-based positioning. Concerning PPP it was used data from dozens of stations over the Brazilian territory, including Amazon forest. The results obtained with NWP model were compared with Hopfield one. NWP model presented the best results in all experiments. Related to network-based positioning it was used data from GNSS/SP Network in São Paulo State, Brazil. This network presents the best configuration in the country to realize this kind of positioning. Actually the network is composed by twenty stations (http://www.fct.unesp.br/#!/pesquisa/grupos-de-estudo-e-pesquisa/gege//gnss-sp-network2789/). The

Building Professionalism and Employability Skills: Embedding Employer Engagement within First-Year Computing Modules

Science.gov (United States)

Hanna, Philip; Allen, Angela; Kane, Russell; Anderson, Neil; McGowan, Aidan; Collins, Matthew; Hutchison, Malcolm

2015-01-01

This paper outlines a means of improving the employability skills of first-year university students through a closely integrated model of employer engagement within computer science modules. The outlined approach illustrates how employability skills, including communication, teamwork and time management skills, can be contextualised in a manner…

The Sort on Radioactive Waste Type Model: A method to sort single-shell tanks into characteristics groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, J.G.; Anderson, G.S.; Simpson, B.C.

1995-02-01

The Sort on Radioactive Waste Type (SORWT) Model is a method to categorize Hanford Site single-shell tanks (SSTS) into groups of tanks expected to exhibit similar chemical and physical characteristics based on their major waste types and processing histories. The model has identified 24 different waste-type groups encompassing 133 of the 149 SSTs and 93% of the total waste volume in SSTS. The remaining 16 SSTs and associated wastes could not be grouped. according to the established criteria and were placed in an ungrouped category. A detailed statistical verification study has been conducted that employs analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the core sample analysis data collected since 1989. These data cover eight tanks and five SORWT groups. The verification study showed that these five SORWT groups are highly statistically significant; they represent approximately 10% of the total waste volume and 26% of the total sludge volume in SSTS. Future sampling recommendations based on the SORWT Model results include 32 core samples from 16 tanks and 18 auger samples from six tanks. Combining these data with the existing body of information will form the basis for characterizing 98 SSTs (66%). These 98 SSTs represent 78% of the total waste volume, 61% of the total sludge volume, and 88 % of the salt cake volume

Theory and modeling group

Science.gov (United States)

Holman, Gordon D.

1989-01-01

The primary purpose of the Theory and Modeling Group meeting was to identify scientists engaged or interested in theoretical work pertinent to the Max '91 program, and to encourage theorists to pursue modeling which is directly relevant to data which can be expected to result from the program. A list of participants and their institutions is presented. Two solar flare paradigms were discussed during the meeting -- the importance of magnetic reconnection in flares and the applicability of numerical simulation results to solar flare studies.

Explaining individual- and country-level variations in unregistered employment using a multi-level model: evidence from 35 Eurasian countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krasniqi Besnik A.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to evaluate the individual- and country-level variations in unregistered employment. To analyse whether it is marginalised groups who are more likely to engage in unregistered employment and explain the country-level variations, a 2010 Life in Transition Survey (LiTS involving 38,864 interviews in 35 Eurasian countries is reported. Multilevel logistic regression analysis reveals that younger age groups, the divorced, and those with fewer years in education, are more likely to be unregistered employed. On a country-level, meanwhile, the prevalence of unregistered employment is strongly associated with tax morale; the greater the asymmetry between informal and formal institutions, the greater is the prevalence of unregistered employment. It is also higher when GDP per capita as well as social distribution and state intervention (subsidies and transfers, social contribution expenditure, health expenditure are lower. The paper concludes by discussing the theoretical and policy implications.

Comments on "Duality of Female Employment in Pakistan".

Science.gov (United States)

Duncan, A

1991-01-01

Data problems and substantive issues relating to an article on female employment problems in Pakistan are critiqued. It is noted that the emphasis was on demand factors in explaining the level and pattern of female employment, when it is evident that supply and demand are linked by cultural norms which vary among women in their degree of segregation/domestic responsibilities. Productivity and income of women by occupation is also important for policy analysis. The supply factors that affect women according to their income group are level of education, degree of segregation/domestic responsibility, and income/satisfaction level. Employers' biases are clear demand side factors. In the example of the upper income class group, women work due to higher levels of education and experience, their greater liberation from domestic duties, and the professional satisfaction derived from work; constraints are appropriate education and training, employers' gender discrimination, and higher satisfaction from domestic roles. Women's segregation as a supply factor is stronger in middle and low income groups; hence, employment is lower. Income generation is very important among low income groups, which creates a greater force to seek employment, but without the necessary skills or education and with household responsibilities; their employment is predominately in the informal sector with low productivity and income. Policy interventions to increase welfare and productivity must be different for each class or group. For upper income women, employers must not discriminate against women in hiring and firing, and more educational and training opportunities must be provided. In the middle income group, access to education an employment and more employment opportunities in a culturally acceptable framework are needed. Respectability of jobs, for instance in the service sector, is an important factor. In the low income group, productivity increases are the goal. Access to credits, and new

Bayesian latent feature modeling for modeling bipartite networks with overlapping groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Philip H.; Mørup, Morten; Schmidt, Mikkel Nørgaard

2016-01-01

Bi-partite networks are commonly modelled using latent class or latent feature models. Whereas the existing latent class models admit marginalization of parameters specifying the strength of interaction between groups, existing latent feature models do not admit analytical marginalization...... by the notion of community structure such that the edge density within groups is higher than between groups. Our model further assumes that entities can have different propensities of generating links in one of the modes. The proposed framework is contrasted on both synthetic and real bi-partite networks...... feature representations in bipartite networks provides a new framework for accounting for structure in bi-partite networks using binary latent feature representations providing interpretable representations that well characterize structure as quantified by link prediction....

Large-scale inverse model analyses employing fast randomized data reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Youzuo; Le, Ellen B.; O'Malley, Daniel; Vesselinov, Velimir V.; Bui-Thanh, Tan

2017-08-01

When the number of observations is large, it is computationally challenging to apply classical inverse modeling techniques. We have developed a new computationally efficient technique for solving inverse problems with a large number of observations (e.g., on the order of 107 or greater). Our method, which we call the randomized geostatistical approach (RGA), is built upon the principal component geostatistical approach (PCGA). We employ a data reduction technique combined with the PCGA to improve the computational efficiency and reduce the memory usage. Specifically, we employ a randomized numerical linear algebra technique based on a so-called "sketching" matrix to effectively reduce the dimension of the observations without losing the information content needed for the inverse analysis. In this way, the computational and memory costs for RGA scale with the information content rather than the size of the calibration data. Our algorithm is coded in Julia and implemented in the MADS open-source high-performance computational framework (http://mads.lanl.gov). We apply our new inverse modeling method to invert for a synthetic transmissivity field. Compared to a standard geostatistical approach (GA), our method is more efficient when the number of observations is large. Most importantly, our method is capable of solving larger inverse problems than the standard GA and PCGA approaches. Therefore, our new model inversion method is a powerful tool for solving large-scale inverse problems. The method can be applied in any field and is not limited to hydrogeological applications such as the characterization of aquifer heterogeneity.

Group spike-and-slab lasso generalized linear models for disease prediction and associated genes detection by incorporating pathway information.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Zaixiang; Shen, Yueping; Li, Yan; Zhang, Xinyan; Wen, Jia; Qian, Chen'ao; Zhuang, Wenzhuo; Shi, Xinghua; Yi, Nengjun

2018-03-15

Large-scale molecular data have been increasingly used as an important resource for prognostic prediction of diseases and detection of associated genes. However, standard approaches for omics data analysis ignore the group structure among genes encoded in functional relationships or pathway information. We propose new Bayesian hierarchical generalized linear models, called group spike-and-slab lasso GLMs, for predicting disease outcomes and detecting associated genes by incorporating large-scale molecular data and group structures. The proposed model employs a mixture double-exponential prior for coefficients that induces self-adaptive shrinkage amount on different coefficients. The group information is incorporated into the model by setting group-specific parameters. We have developed a fast and stable deterministic algorithm to fit the proposed hierarchal GLMs, which can perform variable selection within groups. We assess the performance of the proposed method on several simulated scenarios, by varying the overlap among groups, group size, number of non-null groups, and the correlation within group. Compared with existing methods, the proposed method provides not only more accurate estimates of the parameters but also better prediction. We further demonstrate the application of the proposed procedure on three cancer datasets by utilizing pathway structures of genes. Our results show that the proposed method generates powerful models for predicting disease outcomes and detecting associated genes. The methods have been implemented in a freely available R package BhGLM (http://www.ssg.uab.edu/bhglm/). nyi@uab.edu. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Hydrodynamic model research in Waseda group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muroya, Shin

2010-01-01

Constructing 'High Energy Material Science' had been proposed by Namiki as the guiding principle for the scientists of the high energy physics group lead by himself in Waseda University when the author started to study multiple particle production in 1980s toward the semi-phenomenological model for the quark gluon plasma (QGP). Their strategy was based on three stages to build an intermediate one between the fundamental theory of QCD and the phenomenological model. The quantum theoretical Langevin equation was taken up as the semi-phenomenological model at the intermediate stage and the Landau hydrodynamic model was chosen as the phenomenological model to focus on the 'phase transition' of QGP. A review is given here over the quantum theoretical Langevin equation formalism developed there and followed by the further progress with the 1+1 dimensional viscous fluid model as well as the hydrodynamic model with cylindrical symmetry. The developments of the baryon fluid model and Hanbury-Brown Twiss effect are also reviewed. After 1995 younger generation physicists came to the group to develop those models further. Activities by Hirano, Nonaka and Morita beyond the past generation's hydrodynamic model are picked up briefly. (S. Funahashi)

The Self-Employment Experience of Immigrants

OpenAIRE

George J. Borjas

1986-01-01

Self-employment is an important aspect of the immigrant experience in the labor market. Self-employment rates for immigrants exceed 15 percent for some national groups. This paper addresses three related questions on the self-employment experience of immigrants. First, how do self-employment rates of immigrants compare to those of native-born men? Second, is there an "assimilation" effect on the self-employment propensity of immigrants? Finally, are the more recent waves of immigrants facing ...

Perspectives of employability skills

OpenAIRE

ANNE LOUISE NEWTON

2017-01-01

The study investigated the different perspectives held by young people, employers and policy makers around Employability Skills and it examined how young people learnt these skills. This study draws young peoples’ perspectives into the research around Employability Skills and highlights the way in which social and cultural capital mediate their development. The research points to a model to re-vision employability skills which recognises the many ways in which they are learnt, over time a...

Employment Composition: A Study of Australian Employment Growth, 2002–2006

OpenAIRE

Jeremy Lawson; Crystal Ossolinski

2010-01-01

This paper uses data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey to examine whether there was a change in employment rates for people with ‘low employment’ characteristics between 2002 and 2006, which was a period of strong employment growth. In particular, it estimates the relationships between employment and personal and household characteristics using a binomial logit model, with a comparison of the coefficients in 2002 and 2006 providing tentative evidence o...

Group Membership, Group Change, and Intergroup Attitudes: A Recategorization Model Based on Cognitive Consistency Principles

Science.gov (United States)

Roth, Jenny; Steffens, Melanie C.; Vignoles, Vivian L.

2018-01-01

The present article introduces a model based on cognitive consistency principles to predict how new identities become integrated into the self-concept, with consequences for intergroup attitudes. The model specifies four concepts (self-concept, stereotypes, identification, and group compatibility) as associative connections. The model builds on two cognitive principles, balance–congruity and imbalance–dissonance, to predict identification with social groups that people currently belong to, belonged to in the past, or newly belong to. More precisely, the model suggests that the relative strength of self-group associations (i.e., identification) depends in part on the (in)compatibility of the different social groups. Combining insights into cognitive representation of knowledge, intergroup bias, and explicit/implicit attitude change, we further derive predictions for intergroup attitudes. We suggest that intergroup attitudes alter depending on the relative associative strength between the social groups and the self, which in turn is determined by the (in)compatibility between social groups. This model unifies existing models on the integration of social identities into the self-concept by suggesting that basic cognitive mechanisms play an important role in facilitating or hindering identity integration and thus contribute to reducing or increasing intergroup bias. PMID:29681878

Group Membership, Group Change, and Intergroup Attitudes: A Recategorization Model Based on Cognitive Consistency Principles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jenny Roth

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The present article introduces a model based on cognitive consistency principles to predict how new identities become integrated into the self-concept, with consequences for intergroup attitudes. The model specifies four concepts (self-concept, stereotypes, identification, and group compatibility as associative connections. The model builds on two cognitive principles, balance–congruity and imbalance–dissonance, to predict identification with social groups that people currently belong to, belonged to in the past, or newly belong to. More precisely, the model suggests that the relative strength of self-group associations (i.e., identification depends in part on the (incompatibility of the different social groups. Combining insights into cognitive representation of knowledge, intergroup bias, and explicit/implicit attitude change, we further derive predictions for intergroup attitudes. We suggest that intergroup attitudes alter depending on the relative associative strength between the social groups and the self, which in turn is determined by the (incompatibility between social groups. This model unifies existing models on the integration of social identities into the self-concept by suggesting that basic cognitive mechanisms play an important role in facilitating or hindering identity integration and thus contribute to reducing or increasing intergroup bias.

Group Membership, Group Change, and Intergroup Attitudes: A Recategorization Model Based on Cognitive Consistency Principles.

Science.gov (United States)

Roth, Jenny; Steffens, Melanie C; Vignoles, Vivian L

2018-01-01

The present article introduces a model based on cognitive consistency principles to predict how new identities become integrated into the self-concept, with consequences for intergroup attitudes. The model specifies four concepts (self-concept, stereotypes, identification, and group compatibility) as associative connections. The model builds on two cognitive principles, balance-congruity and imbalance-dissonance, to predict identification with social groups that people currently belong to, belonged to in the past, or newly belong to. More precisely, the model suggests that the relative strength of self-group associations (i.e., identification) depends in part on the (in)compatibility of the different social groups. Combining insights into cognitive representation of knowledge, intergroup bias, and explicit/implicit attitude change, we further derive predictions for intergroup attitudes. We suggest that intergroup attitudes alter depending on the relative associative strength between the social groups and the self, which in turn is determined by the (in)compatibility between social groups. This model unifies existing models on the integration of social identities into the self-concept by suggesting that basic cognitive mechanisms play an important role in facilitating or hindering identity integration and thus contribute to reducing or increasing intergroup bias.

Off-the-job training for VATS employing anatomically correct lung models.

Science.gov (United States)

Obuchi, Toshiro; Imakiire, Takayuki; Miyahara, Sou; Nakashima, Hiroyasu; Hamanaka, Wakako; Yanagisawa, Jun; Hamatake, Daisuke; Shiraishi, Takeshi; Moriyama, Shigeharu; Iwasaki, Akinori

2012-02-01

We evaluated our simulated major lung resection employing anatomically correct lung models as "off-the-job training" for video-assisted thoracic surgery trainees. A total of 76 surgeons voluntarily participated in our study. They performed video-assisted thoracic surgical lobectomy employing anatomically correct lung models, which are made of sponges so that vessels and bronchi can be cut using usual surgical techniques with typical forceps. After the simulation surgery, participants answered questionnaires on a visual analogue scale, in terms of their level of interest and the reality of our training method as off-the-job training for trainees. We considered that the closer a score was to 10, the more useful our method would be for training new surgeons. Regarding the appeal or level of interest in this simulation surgery, the mean score was 8.3 of 10, and regarding reality, it was 7.0. The participants could feel some of the real sensations of the surgery and seemed to be satisfied to perform the simulation lobectomy. Our training method is considered to be suitable as an appropriate type of surgical off-the-job training.

The advancement of the built environment research through employment of structural equation modeling (SEM)

Science.gov (United States)

Wasilah, S.; Fahmyddin, T.

2018-03-01

The employment of structural equation modeling (SEM) in research has taken an increasing attention in among researchers in built environment. There is a gap to understand the attributes, application, and importance of this approach in data analysis in built environment study. This paper intends to provide fundamental comprehension of SEM method in data analysis, unveiling attributes, employment and significance and bestow cases to assess associations amongst variables and constructs. The study uses some main literature to grasp the essence of SEM regarding with built environment research. The better acknowledgment of this analytical tool may assist the researcher in the built environment to analyze data under complex research questions and to test multivariate models in a single study.

WORK GROUP DEVELOPMENT MODELS – THE EVOLUTION FROM SIMPLE GROUP TO EFFECTIVE TEAM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raluca ZOLTAN

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Currently, work teams are increasingly studied by virtue of the advantages they have compared to the work groups. But a true team does not appear overnight but must complete several steps to overcome the initial stage of its existence as a group. The question that arises is at what point a simple group is turning into an effective team. Even though the development process of group into a team is not a linear process, the models found in the literature provides a rich framework for analyzing and identifying the features which group acquires over time till it become a team in the true sense of word. Thus, in this article we propose an analysis of the main models of group development in order to point out, even in a relative manner, the stage when the simple work group becomes an effective work team.

MULTIREGION: a simulation-forecasting model of BEA economic area population and employment. [Bureau of Economic Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olsen, R.J.; Westley, G.W.; Herzog, H.W. Jr.; Kerley, C.R.; Bjornstad, D.J.; Vogt, D.P.; Bray, L.G.; Grady, S.T.; Nakosteen, R.A.

1977-10-01

This report documents the development of MULTIREGION, a computer model of regional and interregional socio-economic development. The MULTIREGION model interprets the economy of each BEA economic area as a labor market, measures all activity in terms of people as members of the population (labor supply) or as employees (labor demand), and simultaneously simulates or forecasts the demands and supplies of labor in all BEA economic areas at five-year intervals. In general the outputs of MULTIREGION are intended to resemble those of the Water Resource Council's OBERS projections and to be put to similar planning and analysis purposes. This report has been written at two levels to serve the needs of multiple audiences. The body of the report serves as a fairly nontechnical overview of the entire MULTIREGION project; a series of technical appendixes provide detailed descriptions of the background empirical studies of births, deaths, migration, labor force participation, natural resource employment, manufacturing employment location, and local service employment used to construct the model.

New Pathways between Group Theory and Model Theory

CERN Document Server

Fuchs, László; Goldsmith, Brendan; Strüngmann, Lutz

2017-01-01

This volume focuses on group theory and model theory with a particular emphasis on the interplay of the two areas. The survey papers provide an overview of the developments across group, module, and model theory while the research papers present the most recent study in those same areas. With introductory sections that make the topics easily accessible to students, the papers in this volume will appeal to beginning graduate students and experienced researchers alike. As a whole, this book offers a cross-section view of the areas in group, module, and model theory, covering topics such as DP-minimal groups, Abelian groups, countable 1-transitive trees, and module approximations. The papers in this book are the proceedings of the conference “New Pathways between Group Theory and Model Theory,” which took place February 1-4, 2016, in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany, in honor of the editors’ colleague Rüdiger Göbel. This publication is dedicated to Professor Göbel, who passed away in 2014. He was one of th...

The psychological contract: is the UK National Health Service a model employer?

Science.gov (United States)

Fielden, Sandra; Whiting, Fiona

2007-05-01

The UK National Health Service (NHS) is facing recruitment challenges that mean it will need to become an 'employer of choice' if it is to continue to attract high-quality employees. This paper reports the findings from a study focusing on allied health professional staff (n = 67), aimed at establishing the expectations of the NHS inherent in their current psychological contract and to consider whether the government's drive to make the NHS a model employer meets those expectations. The findings show that the most important aspects of the psychological contract were relational and based on the investment made in the employment relationship by both parties. The employment relationship was one of high involvement but also one where transactional contract items, such as pay, were still of some importance. Although the degree of employee satisfaction with the relational content of the psychological contract was relatively positive, there was, nevertheless, a mismatch between levels of importance placed on such aspects of the contract and levels of satisfaction, with employees increasingly placing greater emphasis on those items the NHS is having the greatest difficulty providing. Despite this apparent disparity between employee expectation and the fulfilment of those expectations, the overall health of the psychological contract was still high.

Group-Based Active Learning of Classification Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Zhipeng; Hauskrecht, Milos

2017-05-01

Learning of classification models from real-world data often requires additional human expert effort to annotate the data. However, this process can be rather costly and finding ways of reducing the human annotation effort is critical for this task. The objective of this paper is to develop and study new ways of providing human feedback for efficient learning of classification models by labeling groups of examples. Briefly, unlike traditional active learning methods that seek feedback on individual examples, we develop a new group-based active learning framework that solicits label information on groups of multiple examples. In order to describe groups in a user-friendly way, conjunctive patterns are used to compactly represent groups. Our empirical study on 12 UCI data sets demonstrates the advantages and superiority of our approach over both classic instance-based active learning work, as well as existing group-based active-learning methods.

Early retirement and non-employment after breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindbohm, M-L; Kuosma, E; Taskila, T; Hietanen, P; Carlsen, K; Gudbergsson, S; Gunnarsdottir, H

2014-06-01

This study examined whether workplace support, sociodemographic factors and co-morbidity are associated with early retirement or non-employment due to other reasons among breast cancer survivors. We also compared quality of life and chronic symptoms (pain, fatigue, anxiety and depression) among employed, retired and other non-employed breast cancer survivors. We identified breast cancer survivors diagnosed between 1997 and 2002 from either a hospital or a cancer registry in Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway (NOCWO study). All patients had been treated with curative intent. Information on employment, co-morbidity and support was collected via a questionnaire. The sample included 1111 working-aged cancer-free survivors who had been employed at the time of diagnosis. We used multinomial logistic regression models to analyse the association of various determinants with early retirement and other non-employment (due to unemployment, subsidized employment or being a homemaker). Low education, low physical quality of life, co-morbidity and pain were associated with both early retirement and other non-employment after cancer. Other non-employed survivors also rated their mental quality of life as lower and experienced anxiety and fatigue more often than all the other survivors. Moreover, they reported a lower level of supervisor support after their diagnosis than the employed survivors. Retired survivors more often reported weak support from colleagues. Differences in ill health and functional status between various groups of non-employed cancer survivors need to be considered when planning policy measures for improving the labour market participation of this population and preventing their early withdrawal from working life. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Roots of Low European Employment : Family Culture?

OpenAIRE

Yann Algan; Pierre Cahuc

2005-01-01

OECD countries faced largely divergent employment rates during the last decades. But the whole bulk of the cross-national and cross-temporal heterogeneity relies on specific demographic groups: prime-age women and younger and older individuals. This paper argues that family labour supply interactions and cross-country heterogeneity in family culture are key for explaining these stylized facts. First we provide a simple labour supply model in which heterogeneity in family preferences can accou...

'Marginal Employment' and the Demand for Heterogenous Labour: Empirical Evidence from a Multi-factor Labour Demand Model for Germany

OpenAIRE

Ronny Freier; Viktor Steiner

2007-01-01

We develop a structural multi-factor labour demand model which distinguishes between eight labour categories including non-standard types of employment such as marginal employment. The model is estimated for both the number of workers and total working hours using a new panel data set. For unskilled and skilled workers in full-time employment, we find labour demand elasticities similar to previous estimates for the west German economy. Our new estimates of own-wage elasticities for marginal e...

Contribution of neurocognition to 18-month employment outcomes in first-episode psychosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Karambelas, George J; Cotton, Sue M; Farhall, John; Killackey, Eóin; Allott, Kelly A

2017-10-27

To examine whether baseline neurocognition predicts vocational outcomes over 18 months in patients with first-episode psychosis enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of Individual Placement and Support or treatment as usual. One-hundred and thirty-four first-episode psychosis participants completed an extensive neurocognitive battery. Principal axis factor analysis using PROMAX rotation was used to determine the underlying structure of the battery. Setwise (hierarchical) multiple linear and logistic regressions were used to examine predictors of (1) total hours employed over 18 months and (2) employment status, respectively. Neurocognition factors were entered in the models after accounting for age, gender, premorbid IQ, negative symptoms, treatment group allocation and employment status at baseline. Five neurocognitive factors were extracted: (1) processing speed, (2) verbal learning and memory, (3) knowledge and reasoning, (4) attention and working memory and (5) visual organization and memory. Employment status over 18 months was not significantly predicted by any of the predictors in the final model. Total hours employed over 18 months were significantly predicted by gender (P = .027), negative symptoms (P = .032) and verbal learning and memory (P = .040). Every step of the regression model was a significant predictor of total hours worked overall (final model: P = .013). Verbal learning and memory, negative symptoms and gender were implicated in duration of employment in first-episode psychosis. The other neurocognitive domains did not significantly contribute to the prediction of vocational outcomes over 18 months. Interventions targeting verbal memory may improve vocational outcomes in early psychosis. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Employment and employment conditions in the current economic crisis in Croatia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Goran Vukšić

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The goal of this research is to analyze developments in employment and employment characteristics during the current crisis in Croatia. The main findings can be summarized as follows: (1 The primary (aggregate mode of adjustment to the crisis was a decline in employment. There are, however, considerable differences in adjustment patterns across economic activities. (2 During the crisis, jobs were lost in the, more dynamic, private sector, while the number of jobs in the public sector (entities in state ownership slightly increased. (3 Economic activities with comparatively larger shares of women in employment have experienced fewer employment cuts and the aggregate employment share of women rose during the crisis, especially in activities with a larger share of public sector workers.(4 There has been a declining share of younger workers during the crisis, justifying policy actions to facilitate their employment. (5 Employees with comparatively lower educational attainment face severe challenges in the labor market, which is a longer term trend, not specific to the crisis period. There are indications that this group of employees enjoys a higher level of protection in the public sector. (6 Analysis also shows a rising significance of more flexible forms of employment: increasing shares of fixed term employees (during the last two observed years, and of part time workers. (7 Working hours do not exhibit any strong trends specific to the crisis, except for the diminishing number of overtime hours per worker.

Contemporary psychological contracts : How both employer and employee are changing the employment relationship

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Smissen, A.I.M.; Schalk, R.; Freese, C.

2013-01-01

The employment relationship between employer and employee has gone through fundamental changes in the last decades, influencing psychological contracts. It is unclear, however, exactly how psychological contracts are changing. This article offers a comprehensive model that focuses on two factors

Increasing Employability by Implementing a Work-Integrated Learning Partnership Model in South Africa--A Student Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Susanne; Govender, Cookie M.

2017-01-01

In South Africa, 70 per cent of the population is under 35 years old. South Africa has a vision to increase youth employment by focusing on education, training and skills development that will promote employment opportunities. A work-integrated learning (WIL) partnership model was developed to provide students with work experience and to increase…

Ferromagnetic linewidth measurements employing electrodynamic model of the magnetic plasmon resonance

Science.gov (United States)

Krupka, Jerzy; Aleshkevych, Pavlo; Salski, Bartlomiej; Kopyt, Pawel

2018-02-01

The mode of uniform precession, or Kittel mode, in a magnetized ferromagnetic sphere, has recently been proven to be the magnetic plasmon resonance. In this paper we show how to apply the electrodynamic model of the magnetic plasmon resonance for accurate measurements of the ferromagnetic resonance linewidth ΔH. Two measurement methods are presented. The first one employs Q-factor measurements of the magnetic plasmon resonance coupled to the resonance of an empty metallic cavity. Such coupled modes are known as magnon-polariton modes, i.e. hybridized modes between the collective spin excitation and the cavity excitation. The second one employs direct Q-factor measurements of the magnetic plasmon resonance in a filter setup with two orthogonal semi-loops used for coupling. Q-factor measurements are performed employing a vector network analyser. The methods presented in this paper allow one to extend the measurement range of the ferromagnetic resonance linewidth ΔH well beyond the limits of the commonly used measurement standards in terms of the size of the samples and the lowest measurable linewidths. Samples that can be measured with the newly proposed methods may have larger size as compared to the size of samples that were used in the standard methods restricted by the limits of perturbation theory.

Bt cotton and employment effects for female agricultural laborers in Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Kouser, Shahzad; Abedullah; Qaim, Matin

2017-01-25

The literature about economic and social impacts of Bt cotton adoption on farm households in developing countries is growing. Yet, there is still uncertainty about wider implications of this technology for rural development, including effects for landless rural laborers. Bt-related yield advantages may lead to intensified production and higher demand for labor. Building on farm survey data collected in Pakistan and using double-hurdle regression models, we analyze employment effects of Bt cotton adoption. Model estimates show that Bt adoption has increased the demand for hired labor by 55%. Manual harvesting, which is common in Pakistan, is a labor-intensive activity primarily carried out by female laborers. Accordingly, gender disaggregation shows that the employment-generating effects are particularly strong for women, who often belong to the most disadvantaged groups of rural societies. These results suggest that Bt technology can contribute to additional employment income for the poor and to more equitable rural development. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The perceived employability of ex-prisoners and offenders.

Science.gov (United States)

Graffam, Joseph; Shinkfield, Alison J; Hardcastle, Lesley

2008-12-01

A large-scale study was conducted to examine the perceived employability of ex-prisoners and offenders. Four participant groups comprising 596 (50.4%) employers, 234 (19.8%) employment service workers, 176 (14.9%) corrections workers, and 175 (14.8%) prisoners and offenders completed a questionnaire assessing the likelihood of a hypothetical job seeker's both obtaining and maintaining employment; the importance of specific skills and characteristics to employability; and the likelihood that ex-prisoners, offenders, and the general workforce exhibit these skills and characteristics. Apart from people with an intellectual or psychiatric disability, those with a criminal background were rated as being less likely than other disadvantaged groups to obtain and maintain employment. In addition, ex-prisoners were rated as being less likely than offenders and the general workforce to exhibit the skills and characteristics relevant to employability. Implications for the preparation and support of ex-prisoners and offenders into employment are discussed, together with broader community-wide initiatives to promote reintegration.

Dynamics of group knowledge production in facilitated modelling workshops

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tavella, Elena; Franco, L. Alberto

2015-01-01

by which models are jointly developed with group members interacting face-to-face, with or without computer support. The models produced are used to inform negotiations about the nature of the issues faced by the group, and how to address them. While the facilitated modelling literature is impressive......, the workshop. Drawing on the knowledge-perspective of group communication, we conducted a micro-level analysis of a transcript of a facilitated modelling workshop held with the management team of an Alternative Food Network in the UK. Our analysis suggests that facilitated modelling interactions can take...

Consumer focus can spur group practice turnaround.

Science.gov (United States)

Foreman, M S; Draper, A

2001-06-01

Many healthcare organizations have lost money on their employed group practices. The solution to this dilemma is not necessarily divestment of the group practices. Instead, some healthcare organizations should view their physicians as an asset. Healthcare organizations and physicians need to develop a new framework for their relationship to optimize their competitive advantage. Three guiding principles that will help accomplish this objective are to recast the healthcare organization-physician relationship to focus on the consumer, reconfigure the economic model to exceed consumer demands, and restructure the group practice to encourage fiscal and service excellence. In developing a new relationship framework, the stakeholders need to define the group practice's mission, strategic direction, composition, infrastructure, compensation model, and structure.

Building consensus in strategic decision-making : system dynamics as a group support system

OpenAIRE

Vennix, J.A.M.

1995-01-01

System dynamics was originally founded as a method for modeling and simulating the behavior of industrial systems. In recent years it is increasingly employed as a Group Support System for strategic decision-making groups. The model is constructed in direct interaction with a management team, and the procedure is generally referred to as group model-building. The model can be conceptual (qualitative) or a full-blown (quantitative) computer simulation model. In this article, a case is describe...

Group-level self-definition and self-investment: a hierarchical (multicomponent) model of in-group identification.

Science.gov (United States)

Leach, Colin Wayne; van Zomeren, Martijn; Zebel, Sven; Vliek, Michael L W; Pennekamp, Sjoerd F; Doosje, Bertjan; Ouwerkerk, Jaap W; Spears, Russell

2008-07-01

Recent research shows individuals' identification with in-groups to be psychologically important and socially consequential. However, there is little agreement about how identification should be conceptualized or measured. On the basis of previous work, the authors identified 5 specific components of in-group identification and offered a hierarchical 2-dimensional model within which these components are organized. Studies 1 and 2 used confirmatory factor analysis to validate the proposed model of self-definition (individual self-stereotyping, in-group homogeneity) and self-investment (solidarity, satisfaction, and centrality) dimensions, across 3 different group identities. Studies 3 and 4 demonstrated the construct validity of the 5 components by examining their (concurrent) correlations with established measures of in-group identification. Studies 5-7 demonstrated the predictive and discriminant validity of the 5 components by examining their (prospective) prediction of individuals' orientation to, and emotions about, real intergroup relations. Together, these studies illustrate the conceptual and empirical value of a hierarchical multicomponent model of in-group identification.

Employment discrimination in hungary and its effect on health.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuzesi, Zsuzsanna; Busa, Csilla; Varga, Ivett; Tistyan, Laszlo

2008-01-01

A dramatic drop in employment occurred in Hungary following the change of regime which particularly affected the Roma, people of reduced working ability, and mothers with young children. Alongside economic considerations, the prejudices of employers and discrimination in employment constitute the most significant obstacles to returning to the workplace. The poor mental and physical health of these groups further reduces their chances of finding employment. Only legislation exists to manage the problem, which-in the absence of other interventions-has not brought a breakthrough in the employment of these groups in either the state or local governments or in private spheres.

Maine's Employability Skills Program

Science.gov (United States)

McMahon, John M.; Wolffe, Karen E.; Wolfe, Judy; Brooker, Carrie

2013-01-01

This Practice Report describes the development and implementation of the "Maine Employability Skills Program," a model employment program developed by the Maine Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI). The program was designed to support the efforts of the chronically unemployed or underemployed. These consumers were either…

The work of the 'Irradiation Damage' sub-group of the EURATOM Working Group on Research Reactor Dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Genthon, J.P.

1975-01-01

The EURATOM Working Group on Reactor Dosimetry is investigating the problems of the dosimetry of radiation damage experiments. Papers have been published on the dosimetry of graphite and irradiation of metals: the model chosen, the quantities employed to express the fluences, numerical values, measurements, and measurement techniques. The ensuing work of the EURATOM Working Group of Reactor Dosimetry in these areas will deal with the measurement methods required for the dosimetry of radiation damage. (Auth.)

Precarious Employment and Quality of Employment in Relation to Health and Well-being in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Julià, Mireia; Vanroelen, Christophe; Bosmans, Kim; Van Aerden, Karen; Benach, Joan

2017-07-01

This article presents an overview of the recent work on precarious employment and employment quality in relation to workers' health and well-being. More specifically, the article mainly reviews the work performed in the E.U. 7th Framework project, SOPHIE. First, we present our overarching conceptual framework. Then, we provide a compiled overview of the evidence on the sociodemographic and European cross-country distribution of employment quality and employment precariousness. Subsequently, we provide the current evidence regarding the relations with health and broader worker well-being indicators. A final section summarizes current insights on the pathways relating precarious employment and health and well-being. The article concludes with a plea for further data collection and research into the longitudinal effects of employment precariousness among emerging groups of workers. Based on the evidence compiled in this article, policymakers should be convinced of the harmful health and well-being effects of employment precariousness and (further) labor market flexibilization.

Building consensus in strategic decision-making : system dynamics as a group support system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vennix, J.A.M.

1995-01-01

System dynamics was originally founded as a method for modeling and simulating the behavior of industrial systems. In recent years it is increasingly employed as a Group Support System for strategic decision-making groups. The model is constructed in direct interaction with a management team, and

Functional renormalization-group approach to the Pokrovsky-Talapov model via the modified massive Thirring fermions

Science.gov (United States)

Nosov, P. A.; Kishine, Jun-ichiro; Ovchinnikov, A. S.; Proskurin, I.

2017-12-01

We consider a possibility of the topological Kosterlitz-Thouless (KT) transition in the two-dimensional Pokrovsky-Talapov model with a finite misfit parameter and discuss its relevance to the theory of critical behavior in thin films of monoaxial chiral helimagnets. For this purpose, the initial model is reformulated in terms of the two-dimensional relativistic model of massive Thirring fermions and the Wetterich's functional renormalization-group (RG) approach is employed. In the new formalism, the misfit parameter corresponds to an effective gauge field that can be included in the RG scheme on an equal footing with the other parameters of the theory. Our main result is that the presence of the misfit parameter, which may be attributed to the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in the magnetic system, rules out the KT transition. To support this finding, we provide an additional intuitive explanation of the KT scenario breakdown by using the mapping onto the Coulomb gas model. In the framework of the model, the misfit parameter has a meaning of an effective in-plane electric field that prevents a formation of bound vortex-antivortex pairs.

Work-related factors influencing home care nurse intent to remain employed.

Science.gov (United States)

Tourangeau, Ann E; Patterson, Erin; Saari, Margaret; Thomson, Heather; Cranley, Lisa

Health care is shifting out of hospitals into community settings. In Ontario, Canada, home care organizations continue to experience challenges recruiting and retaining nurses. However, factors influencing home care nurse retention that can be modified remain largely unexplored. Several groups of factors have been identified as influencing home care nurse intent to remain employed including job characteristics, work structures, relationships and communication, work environment, responses to work, and conditions of employment. The aim of this study was to test and refine a model that identifies which factors are related to home care nurse intentions to remain employed for the next 5 years with their current home care employer organization. A cross-sectional survey design was implemented to test and refine a hypothesized model of home care nurse intent to remain employed. Logistic regression was used to determine which factors influence home care nurse intent to remain employed. Home care nurse intent to remain employed for the next 5 years was associated with increasing age, higher nurse-evaluated quality of care, having greater variety of patients, experiencing greater meaningfulness of work, having greater income stability, having greater continuity of client care, experiencing more positive relationships with supervisors, experiencing higher work-life balance, and being more satisfied with salary and benefits. Home care organizations can promote home care nurse intent to remain employed by (a) ensuring nurses have adequate training and resources to provide quality client care, (b) improving employment conditions to increase income stability and satisfaction with pay and benefits, (c) ensuring manageable workloads to facilitate improved work-life balance, and (d) ensuring leaders are accessible and competent.

Who will have Sustainable Employment After a Back Injury? The Development of a Clinical Prediction Model in a Cohort of Injured Workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Shearer, Heather M; Côté, Pierre; Boyle, Eleanor; Hayden, Jill A; Frank, John; Johnson, William G

2017-09-01

Purpose Our objective was to develop a clinical prediction model to identify workers with sustainable employment following an episode of work-related low back pain (LBP). Methods We used data from a cohort study of injured workers with incident LBP claims in the USA to predict employment patterns 1 and 6 months following a workers' compensation claim. We developed three sequential models to determine the contribution of three domains of variables: (1) basic demographic/clinical variables; (2) health-related variables; and (3) work-related factors. Multivariable logistic regression was used to develop the predictive models. We constructed receiver operator curves and used the c-index to measure predictive accuracy. Results Seventy-nine percent and 77 % of workers had sustainable employment at 1 and 6 months, respectively. Sustainable employment at 1 month was predicted by initial back pain intensity, mental health-related quality of life, claim litigation and employer type (c-index = 0.77). At 6 months, sustainable employment was predicted by physical and mental health-related quality of life, claim litigation and employer type (c-index = 0.77). Adding health-related and work-related variables to models improved predictive accuracy by 8.5 and 10 % at 1 and 6 months respectively. Conclusion We developed clinically-relevant models to predict sustainable employment in injured workers who made a workers' compensation claim for LBP. Inquiring about back pain intensity, physical and mental health-related quality of life, claim litigation and employer type may be beneficial in developing programs of care. Our models need to be validated in other populations.

Solar heating and employment in Canada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Victor, P A

1978-01-01

If solar heating technology is to be introduced into sections of Canada as a way to alleviate unemployment problems and stimulate the manufacturing sector, realistic expectations must be grounded in better estimates of solar energy's potential than were made by early nuclear power enthusiasts. A study by Middleton Associates identified a number of factors affecting employment. These include implementation rates, choice of technologies, industry size, government involvement, location, and the share of solar heating relative to other heating sources. An employment simulation model using available technologies as inputs suggests that solar heating is feasible on the basis of both energy source and employment strategy. Model results are favorable for direct and indirect employment, while displacement effects on employment in conventional fuel industries are minor. Direct employment is affected more by implementation rates than by variations in the amount of imported equipment.

Group Buying Schemes : A Sustainable Business Model?

OpenAIRE

Köpp, Sebastian; Mukhachou, Aliaksei; Schwaninger, Markus

2013-01-01

Die Autoren gehen der Frage nach, ob "Group Buying Schemes" wie beispielsweise von den Unternehmen Groupon und Dein Deal angeboten, ein nachhaltiges Geschäftsmodell sind. Anhand der Fallstudie Groupon wird mit einem System Dynamics Modell festgestellt, dass das Geschäftsmodell geändert werden muss, wenn die Unternehmung auf Dauer lebensfähig sein soll. The authors examine if group buying schemes are a sustainable business model. By means of the Groupon case study and using a System Dynami...

Employing organizational modeling and simulation of the KC-135 depot's flight controls repair cell

OpenAIRE

Paskin, Matthew A.; Trevino, Alice W.; Ferrer, Geraldo; Dillard, John T.

2008-01-01

Today’s environment of increased operations tempo is stressing the KC- 135 Stratotanker fleet. With an 80-year life span expectancy, effectively maintaining these aircraft is challenging. This research modeled the KC- 135 programmed depot maintenance (PDM) flight controls repair cell to identify improvement opportunities within the repair process. Computational organizational modeling (COM) incorporates the human element along with organizational design theory. By employing ...

Group Contribution Based Process Flowsheet Synthesis, Design and Modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

d'Anterroches, Loïc; Gani, Rafiqul

2004-01-01

This paper presents a process-group-contribution Method to model. simulate and synthesize a flowsheet. The process-group based representation of a flowsheet together with a process "property" model are presented. The process-group based synthesis method is developed on the basis of the computer...... aided molecular design methods and gives the ability to screen numerous process alternatives without the need to use the rigorous process simulation models. The process "property" model calculates the design targets for the generated flowsheet alternatives while a reverse modelling method (also...... developed) determines the design variables matching the target. A simple illustrative example highlighting the main features of the methodology is also presented....

An employer brand predictive model for talent attraction and retention

OpenAIRE

Annelize Botha; Mark Bussin; Lukas de Swardt

2011-01-01

Orientation: In an ever shrinking global talent pool organisations use employer brand to attract and retain talent, however, in the absence of theoretical pointers, many organisations are losing out on a powerful business tool by not developing or maintaining their employer brand correctly. Research purpose: This study explores the current state of knowledge about employer brand and identifies the various employer brand building blocks which are conceptually integrated in a predictiv...

Investigating Facebook Groups through a Random Graph Model

OpenAIRE

Dinithi Pallegedara; Lei Pan

2014-01-01

Facebook disseminates messages for billions of users everyday. Though there are log files stored on central servers, law enforcement agencies outside of the U.S. cannot easily acquire server log files from Facebook. This work models Facebook user groups by using a random graph model. Our aim is to facilitate detectives quickly estimating the size of a Facebook group with which a suspect is involved. We estimate this group size according to the number of immediate friends and the number of ext...

Effects of Housing First on Employment and Income of Homeless Individuals: Results of a Randomized Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Poremski, Daniel; Stergiopoulos, Vicky; Braithwaite, Erika; Distasio, Jino; Nisenbaum, Rosane; Latimer, Eric

2016-06-01

Housing First is emerging as an evidence-based practice for housing and supporting people who are homeless and have a mental illness. The objective of this study was to determine whether Housing First increases the odds of obtaining competitive employment in this population and affects income, including income from informal and illegal sources. A total of 2,148 people with a mental illness were recruited from five Canadian cities while they were homeless, classified as having moderate or high needs, and randomly assigned to Housing First or usual care. Housing First participants with high needs received assertive community treatment (ACT), and those with moderate needs received intensive case management (ICM). Every three months, participants were interviewed about employment and earnings in the previous months (median follow-up=745 days). Regression models were estimated via generalized estimating equations. ICM recipients had lower odds of obtaining employment compared with the control group with moderate needs. The odds of obtaining employment among ICM recipients increased but their employment rate never exceeded that of the control group. For ACT recipients, the odds of obtaining employment were not significantly different from those of the control group. Among Housing First participants, persons employed at baseline, men, and younger participants had greater odds of employment compared with control participants. Housing First did not appear to significantly increase income. This was the first large-scale randomized controlled study of Housing First's effects on employment. Further research is needed to determine how Housing First may be enhanced to increase odds of obtaining employment.

Developing a workplace breast feeding support model for employed lactating mothers.

Science.gov (United States)

Yimyam, Susanha; Hanpa, Wasana

2014-06-01

Resuming work is often considered an obstacle for continued breast feeding. The objectives of this participatory action research study were to develop a breast feeding support model in the workplace and to compare breast feeding rates before and after implementation of the breast feeding support campaign. Twenty-four women participated before the implementation of the breast feeding support campaign, whereas 31 women participated after the campaign. Data were collected by interviewing employed women about their breast feeding practices within six months post partum. Additional data were collected through interviews with the workplace administrator and head of work sections as well as observation of the breast feeding support campaigns. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis, whereas quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and χ(2) test. The workplace breast feeding support model was developed based on the concept of Mother-Friendly Workplace Initiatives by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) and the Thai government׳s promotion of a workplace breast feeding corner. Within this model, a committee for breast feeding support was created for working with the research team to develop breast feeding activities and media for breast feeding education and breast feeding support campaigns in the workplace. Breast feeding rates at six months after implementation of the breast feeding support campaign were significantly higher than rates before, both for exclusive breast feeding and any breast feeding at levels .004 and .033, respectively. These results suggest that breast feeding should be encouraged in every workplace depending on context. Individual advice and help for employed mothers should be provided from pregnancy through weaning in the postpartum period. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Who will have Sustainable Employment After a Back Injury? The Development of a Clinical Prediction Model in a Cohort of Injured Workers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shearer, Heather M.; Côté, Pierre; Boyle, Eleanor

2017-01-01

to develop the predictive models. We constructed receiver operator curves and used the c-index to measure predictive accuracy. Results Seventy-nine percent and 77 % of workers had sustainable employment at 1 and 6 months, respectively. Sustainable employment at 1 month was predicted by initial back pain...... intensity, mental health-related quality of life, claim litigation and employer type (c-index = 0.77). At 6 months, sustainable employment was predicted by physical and mental health-related quality of life, claim litigation and employer type (c-index = 0.77). Adding health-related and work......-related variables to models improved predictive accuracy by 8.5 and 10 % at 1 and 6 months respectively. Conclusion We developed clinically-relevant models to predict sustainable employment in injured workers who made a workers’ compensation claim for LBP. Inquiring about back pain intensity, physical and mental...

Employment and Regional Inequality in Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Patache

2013-08-01

Full Text Available It is no doubt that thinking about inequality plays a part in the judgments and actions of politicians, sociologists, economists and ordinary people, too. This paper examines which factors substantially influenced regional employment. Labour market, employment and unemployment have been the subject of various researches and the labour market object has been subject of dispute. Employment and unemployment are both decomposed and analyzed through separate components (such as: full employment, effective employment, atypical employment, precarious employment, regional/local employment etc., respectively, total unemployment, partial or hidden unemployment, technical and structural one and so on. The specific literature about the regional inequalities considered the income per capita as the most relevant indicator measured by Gini coefficient. Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income or consumption expenditure among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. At regional level we studied several indicators that generate regional disparities, and influence employment quality such us: employment rate, tertiary and medium employment, unemployment rate, occupied population in informal sector, employment in primary sector, rural employment, female employment. We developed a scoring based on the deviation from the average of a group of key indicators and devised a map of employment quality resulting from multi-criteria analysis.

Evaluation of an employment program for people with mental illness using the Supported Employment Fidelity Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Cocks, Errol; Boaden, Ross

2009-10-01

The Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model aims to achieve open employment for people with mental illness. The Supported Employment Fidelity Scale (SEFS) is a 15-item instrument that evaluates the extent to which a service follows the IPS principles of best practice. This paper describes the IPS model and an evaluation of a specialist employment program for people with mental illness using the SEFS. The SEFS enabled a quantitative assessment of service provision against the criteria of evidence-based practice principles. Data were collected from multiple sources. In addition, a literature review was conducted, and personnel engaged in implementation of the IPS model at other Australian employment programs were consulted. The program achieved a score of 59 of a possible 75 on the SEFS, which is described as fair supported employment. Analysis of the 15-scale items resulted in the identification of strengths, areas for further development, and a set of recommendations. The program was operating substantially in line with evidence-based practice principles and had considerable scope for further development. Issues arising from the evaluation, areas of applicability of the SEFS and the underlying literature, and implications for occupational therapy are highlighted.

Classifying University Employability Strategies: Three Case Studies and Implications for Practice and Research

Science.gov (United States)

Farenga, Stéphane A.; Quinlan, Kathleen M.

2016-01-01

This qualitative study documents three main strategic models used by Russell Group Careers Services to support students' preparation for graduate careers. It is framed against the backdrop of a challenging graduate labour market, discussions of employability in the literature and the policy assumption that universities are responsible for…

Employment protection and temporary work agencies

OpenAIRE

Baumann, Florian; Mechtel, Mario; Stähler, Nikolai

2008-01-01

Employers who use temporary agency staff in contrast to regular staff are not affected by employment protection regulations when terminating a job. Therefore, services provided by temporary work agencies may be seen as a substitute for regular employment. In this paper, we analyze the effects of employment protection on the size of the temporary work agency sector in a model of equilibrium unemployment. We find that higher firing costs may even reduce temporary work agency employment if agenc...

Reduced employment and financial hardship among middle-aged individuals with colorectal cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, Louisa G; Beesley, Vanessa L; Mihala, Gabor; Koczwara, Bogda; Lynch, Brigid M

2017-09-01

Financial hardship may affect up to 30% of cancer survivors, however, little research has addressed the effect of employment change on financial hardship. This study compared the self-reported financial hardship of middle-aged (45-64 years) colorectal cancer survivors (n = 187) at 6 and 12 months following diagnosis with that of a matched general population group (n = 355). Colorectal cancer survivors were recruited through the Queensland Cancer Registry, Australia; data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey were used for the general population group. Pearson chi-square tests were used to assess the differences in proportions between the two groups and McNemar tests to assess differences across time among the same group. Generalised linear modelling was performed to produce prevalence ratios. A higher proportion of workers with colorectal cancer reported financial strain (money shortage for living essentials) at 6 months (15%) but eased and was comparable to the comparison group at 12 months (7%). Middle-aged working cancer survivors who ceased or reduced work were more likely to report not being financially comfortable, compared with those who had continued work (adjusted prevalence ratio 1.66, 95%CI: 1.12, 2.44) at 12 months. Health professionals, employers and government services should address the impact of impaired employment on financial hardship among cancer survivors. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Action Recognition Using Discriminative Structured Trajectory Groups

KAUST Repository

Atmosukarto, Indriyati

2015-01-06

In this paper, we develop a novel framework for action recognition in videos. The framework is based on automatically learning the discriminative trajectory groups that are relevant to an action. Different from previous approaches, our method does not require complex computation for graph matching or complex latent models to localize the parts. We model a video as a structured bag of trajectory groups with latent class variables. We model action recognition problem in a weakly supervised setting and learn discriminative trajectory groups by employing multiple instance learning (MIL) based Support Vector Machine (SVM) using pre-computed kernels. The kernels depend on the spatio-temporal relationship between the extracted trajectory groups and their associated features. We demonstrate both quantitatively and qualitatively that the classification performance of our proposed method is superior to baselines and several state-of-the-art approaches on three challenging standard benchmark datasets.

The EU model evaluation group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petersen, K.E.

1999-01-01

The model evaluation group (MEG) was launched in 1992 growing out of the Major Technological Hazards Programme with EU/DG XII. The goal of MEG was to improve the culture in which models were developed, particularly by encouraging voluntary model evaluation procedures based on a formalised and consensus protocol. The evaluation intended to assess the fitness-for-purpose of the models being used as a measure of the quality. The approach adopted was focused on developing a generic model evaluation protocol and subsequent targeting this onto specific areas of application. Five such developments have been initiated, on heavy gas dispersion, liquid pool fires, gas explosions, human factors and momentum fires. The quality of models is an important element when complying with the 'Seveso Directive' requiring that the safety reports submitted to the authorities comprise an assessment of the extent and severity of the consequences of identified major accidents. Further, the quality of models become important in the land use planning process, where the proximity of industrial sites to vulnerable areas may be critical. (Copyright (c) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

Modeling phytoplankton community in reservoirs. A comparison between taxonomic and functional groups-based models.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Maggio, Jimena; Fernández, Carolina; Parodi, Elisa R; Diaz, M Soledad; Estrada, Vanina

2016-01-01

In this paper we address the formulation of two mechanistic water quality models that differ in the way the phytoplankton community is described. We carry out parameter estimation subject to differential-algebraic constraints and validation for each model and comparison between models performance. The first approach aggregates phytoplankton species based on their phylogenetic characteristics (Taxonomic group model) and the second one, on their morpho-functional properties following Reynolds' classification (Functional group model). The latter approach takes into account tolerance and sensitivity to environmental conditions. The constrained parameter estimation problems are formulated within an equation oriented framework, with a maximum likelihood objective function. The study site is Paso de las Piedras Reservoir (Argentina), which supplies water for consumption for 450,000 population. Numerical results show that phytoplankton morpho-functional groups more closely represent each species growth requirements within the group. Each model performance is quantitatively assessed by three diagnostic measures. Parameter estimation results for seasonal dynamics of the phytoplankton community and main biogeochemical variables for a one-year time horizon are presented and compared for both models, showing the functional group model enhanced performance. Finally, we explore increasing nutrient loading scenarios and predict their effect on phytoplankton dynamics throughout a one-year time horizon. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Employment and self-employment in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Science.gov (United States)

Zissimopoulos, Julie; Karoly, Lynn A

2010-05-01

We use data from the monthly Current Population Survey to examine the short- and longer-term effects of Hurricane Katrina on the labor market outcomes of prime-age individuals in the most affected states--Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi--and for evacuees in any state. We focus on rates of labor force participation, employment, and unemployment, and we extend prior research by also examining rates of self-employment. With the exception of Mississippi, employment and unemployment one year after the hurricane were at similar rates as the end of 2003. This aggregate pattern of labor market shock and recovery has been observed for other disasters but masks important differences among subgroups. Those evacuated from their residences, even temporarily, were a harder-hit group, and evacuees who had yet to return to their pre-Katrina state up to one year later were hit especially hard; these findings hold even after controlling for differences in observable characteristics. We also find evidence of an important role for self-employment as part of post-disaster labor market recovery, especially for evacuees who did not return. This may result from poor job prospects in the wage and salary sector or new opportunities for starting businesses in the wake of Katrina.

A Longitudinal Study of Work After Retirement: Examining Predictors of Bridge Employment, Continued Career Employment, and Retirement.

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Misty M; Beehr, Terry A; Lepisto, Lawrence R

2016-09-01

Older employees are increasingly accepting bridge employment, which occurs when older workers take employment for pay after they retire from their main career. This study examined predictors of workers' decisions to engage in bridge employment versus full retirement and career employment. A national sample of 482 older people in the United States was surveyed regarding various work-related and nonwork related predictors of retirement decisions, and their retirement status was measured 5 years later. In bivariate analyses, both work-related variables (career goal achievement and experienced pressure to retire) and nonwork-related variables (psychological distress and traditional gender role orientation) predicted taking bridge employment, but in multinomial logistic regression, only nonwork variables had unique effects. Few predictors differentiated the bridge employed and fully retired groups. Nonwork variables were salient in making the decision to retire, and bridge employment may be conceptually more similar to full retirement than to career employment. © The Author(s) 2016.

A collision avoidance model for two-pedestrian groups: Considering random avoidance patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Zhuping; Cai, Yifei; Ke, Ruimin; Yang, Jiwei

2017-06-01

Grouping is a common phenomenon in pedestrian crowds and group modeling is still an open challenging problem. When grouping pedestrians avoid each other, different patterns can be observed. Pedestrians can keep close with group members and avoid other groups in cluster. Also, they can avoid other groups separately. Considering this randomness in avoidance patterns, we propose a collision avoidance model for two-pedestrian groups. In our model, the avoidance model is proposed based on velocity obstacle method at first. Then grouping model is established using Distance constrained line (DCL), by transforming DCL into the framework of velocity obstacle, the avoidance model and grouping model are successfully put into one unified calculation structure. Within this structure, an algorithm is developed to solve the problem when solutions of the two models conflict with each other. Two groups of bidirectional pedestrian experiments are designed to verify the model. The accuracy of avoidance behavior and grouping behavior is validated in the microscopic level, while the lane formation phenomenon and fundamental diagrams is validated in the macroscopic level. The experiments results show our model is convincing and has a good expansibility to describe three or more pedestrian groups.

A Life-Cycle Model of Human Social Groups Produces a U-Shaped Distribution in Group Size.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gul Deniz Salali

Full Text Available One of the central puzzles in the study of sociocultural evolution is how and why transitions from small-scale human groups to large-scale, hierarchically more complex ones occurred. Here we develop a spatially explicit agent-based model as a first step towards understanding the ecological dynamics of small and large-scale human groups. By analogy with the interactions between single-celled and multicellular organisms, we build a theory of group lifecycles as an emergent property of single cell demographic and expansion behaviours. We find that once the transition from small-scale to large-scale groups occurs, a few large-scale groups continue expanding while small-scale groups gradually become scarcer, and large-scale groups become larger in size and fewer in number over time. Demographic and expansion behaviours of groups are largely influenced by the distribution and availability of resources. Our results conform to a pattern of human political change in which religions and nation states come to be represented by a few large units and many smaller ones. Future enhancements of the model should include decision-making rules and probabilities of fragmentation for large-scale societies. We suggest that the synthesis of population ecology and social evolution will generate increasingly plausible models of human group dynamics.

Economic and industrial development. EID - EMPLOY. Final report. Task 1. Review of approaches for employment impact assessment of renewable energy deployment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Breitschopf, Barbara [Fraunhofer-Institut fuer System- und Innovationsforschung (ISI), Karlsruhe (Germany); Nathani, Carsten; Resch, Gustav

2011-11-15

The objective of this study is to provide an overview of existing impact assessment studies that analyse employment impacts of renewable energy (RE) deployment and to show which methodological approaches are best suitable to assess employment effect in the field of RE- electricity. A first review shows a large variety of impact assessment studies in the field of energy deployment applying a rather broad array of methodological approaches. Bounding the studies to RE-electricity considerably reduces the number of studies, but not necessarily the number of approaches. Due to different approaches the questions answered by the impact assessment studies cover a wide range that captures e.g. limited impacts in the RE industry as well as overarching employment impacts in the overall economy. First, based on the research focus of the studies and their impacts (Figure 0-1), we classify the assessed studies on employment impacts into two groups: gross employment studies and net employment studies. They aim to answer different policy questions and capture different effects: - Gross employment studies focus on the economic relevance of the RE industry in terms of employment, thus on the number of jobs provided in the RE industry and the structural analysis of employment in the RE industry. Furthermore employment in supplying industries are also included as indirect or induced impacts. The aim is to provide transparency on employment in an industry that is in the public interest but not adequately represented in official statistics, and, furthermore, enabling monitoring of this industry in the course of RE promotion. Gross studies take into account positive effects of RE deployment. - Net employment impact studies aim to assess the overall economic impact of promoting RE deployment, thus the change of the number of jobs in the total economy. For this, they take into account negative and positive effects of RE deployment on employment in all economic sectors and hence provide a

Radiation exposure and management of medical employes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamamoto, C [Nagoya Univ. (Japan)

1981-11-01

Medical employes handling medical radiation are increasing in recent years. In connection with the radiation exposure management, it was surveyed how much their cumulative exposure doses are and how many employes distribute in respective exposure levels. The medical employes surveyed are physicians, radiation technicians and nurses, working in the hospitals of educational institutions. The period of survey is every three years, from 1962 to 1977. For X-ray and ..gamma..-ray, respectively, the yearly cumulative exposure doses were measured by film badges, stepwise starting from below 500 mrem upward to over 5000 mrem; for the respective groups of employes, the percentage in each dose level was shown. The percentage in the level below 500 mrem was the largest in all groups, and in both X-ray and ..gamma..-ray, the percentages in higher levels decreased sharply to less than 7%. The exposure management has been improved in recent years.

Age and disability employment discrimination: occupational rehabilitation implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Bjelland, Melissa J; Bruyère, Susanne M; von Schrader, Sarah; Houtenville, Andrew J; Ruiz-Quintanilla, Antonio; Webber, Douglas A

2010-12-01

As concerns grow that a thinning labor force due to retirement will lead to worker shortages, it becomes critical to support positive employment outcomes of groups who have been underutilized, specifically older workers and workers with disabilities. Better understanding perceived age and disability discrimination and their intersection can help rehabilitation specialists and employers address challenges expected as a result of the evolving workforce. Using U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Integrated Mission System data, we investigate the nature of employment discrimination charges that cite the Americans with Disabilities Act or Age Discrimination in Employment Act individually or jointly. We focus on trends in joint filings over time and across categories of age, types of disabilities, and alleged discriminatory behavior. We find that employment discrimination claims that originate from older or disabled workers are concentrated within a subset of issues that include reasonable accommodation, retaliation, and termination. Age-related disabilities are more frequently referenced in joint cases than in the overall pool of ADA filings, while the psychiatric disorders are less often referenced in joint cases. When examining charges made by those protected under both the ADA and ADEA, results from a logit model indicate that in comparison to charges filed under the ADA alone, jointly-filed ADA/ADEA charges are more likely to be filed by older individuals, by those who perceive discrimination in hiring and termination, and to originate from within the smallest firms. In light of these findings, rehabilitation and workplace practices to maximize the hiring and retention of older workers and those with disabilities are discussed.

Wave propagation model of heat conduction and group speed

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Long; Zhang, Xiaomin; Peng, Song

2018-03-01

In view of the finite relaxation model of non-Fourier's law, the Cattaneo and Vernotte (CV) model and Fourier's law are presented in this work for comparing wave propagation modes. Independent variable translation is applied to solve the partial differential equation. Results show that the general form of the time spatial distribution of temperature for the three media comprises two solutions: those corresponding to the positive and negative logarithmic heating rates. The former shows that a group of heat waves whose spatial distribution follows the exponential function law propagates at a group speed; the speed of propagation is related to the logarithmic heating rate. The total speed of all the possible heat waves can be combined to form the group speed of the wave propagation. The latter indicates that the spatial distribution of temperature, which follows the exponential function law, decays with time. These features show that propagation accelerates when heated and decelerates when cooled. For the model media that follow Fourier's law and correspond to the positive heat rate of heat conduction, the propagation mode is also considered the propagation of a group of heat waves because the group speed has no upper bound. For the finite relaxation model with non-Fourier media, the interval of group speed is bounded and the maximum speed can be obtained when the logarithmic heating rate is exactly the reciprocal of relaxation time. And for the CV model with a non-Fourier medium, the interval of group speed is also bounded and the maximum value can be obtained when the logarithmic heating rate is infinite.

[Precarious employment in undocumented immigrants in Spain and its relationship with health].

Science.gov (United States)

Porthé, Victoria; Benavides, Fernando G; Vázquez, M Luisa; Ruiz-Frutos, Carlos; García, Ana M; Ahonen, Emily; Agudelo-Suárez, Andrés A; Benach, Joan

2009-12-01

To describe the characteristics of precarious employment in undocumented immigrants in Spain and its relationship with health. A qualitative study was conducted using analytic induction. Criterion sampling, based on the Immigration, Work and Health project (Inmigración, Trabajo y Salud [ITSAL]) criterion (current definitions of 'legal immigrant' in Spain and in the literature) was used to recruit 44 undocumented immigrant workers from four different countries, living in four Spanish cities. The characteristics of precariousness perceived by undocumented immigrants included high job instability; disempowerment due to lack of legal protection; high vulnerability exacerbated by their legal and immigrant status; perceived insufficient wages and lower wages than coworkers; limited social benefits and difficulty in exercising their rights; and finally, long hours and fast-paced work. Our informants reported they had no serious health problems but did describe physical and mental problems associated with their employment conditions and legal situation. Our results suggest that undocumented immigrants' situation may not fit the model of precarious employment exactly. However, the model's dimensions can be expanded to better represent undocumented immigrants' situation, thus strengthening the general model. Precarious employment in this group can be defined as , as it affects their working and social lives. If these workers continue to be exposed to such precarious conditions, the impact on their health may increase.

Linear mixed-effects modeling approach to FMRI group analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Gang; Saad, Ziad S; Britton, Jennifer C; Pine, Daniel S; Cox, Robert W

2013-06-01

Conventional group analysis is usually performed with Student-type t-test, regression, or standard AN(C)OVA in which the variance-covariance matrix is presumed to have a simple structure. Some correction approaches are adopted when assumptions about the covariance structure is violated. However, as experiments are designed with different degrees of sophistication, these traditional methods can become cumbersome, or even be unable to handle the situation at hand. For example, most current FMRI software packages have difficulty analyzing the following scenarios at group level: (1) taking within-subject variability into account when there are effect estimates from multiple runs or sessions; (2) continuous explanatory variables (covariates) modeling in the presence of a within-subject (repeated measures) factor, multiple subject-grouping (between-subjects) factors, or the mixture of both; (3) subject-specific adjustments in covariate modeling; (4) group analysis with estimation of hemodynamic response (HDR) function by multiple basis functions; (5) various cases of missing data in longitudinal studies; and (6) group studies involving family members or twins. Here we present a linear mixed-effects modeling (LME) methodology that extends the conventional group analysis approach to analyze many complicated cases, including the six prototypes delineated above, whose analyses would be otherwise either difficult or unfeasible under traditional frameworks such as AN(C)OVA and general linear model (GLM). In addition, the strength of the LME framework lies in its flexibility to model and estimate the variance-covariance structures for both random effects and residuals. The intraclass correlation (ICC) values can be easily obtained with an LME model with crossed random effects, even at the presence of confounding fixed effects. The simulations of one prototypical scenario indicate that the LME modeling keeps a balance between the control for false positives and the sensitivity

Radiation exposure and management of medical employes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Chiaki

1981-01-01

Medical employes handling medical radiation are increasing in recent years. In connection with the radiation exposure management, it was surveyed how much their cumulative exposure doses are and how many employes distribute in respective exposure levels. The medical employes surveyed are physicians, radiation technicians and nurses, working in the hospitals of educational institutions. The period of survey is every three years, from 1962 to 1977. For X-ray and ν-ray, respectively, the yearly cumulative exposure doses were measured by film badges, stepwise starting from below 500 mrem upward to over 5000 mrem; for the respective groups of employes, the percentage in each dose level was shown. The percentage in the level below 500 mrem was the largest in all groups, and in both X-ray and ν-ray, the percentages in higher levels decreased sharply to less than 7%. The exposure management has been improved in recent years. (J.P.N.)

Employment-related information for clients receiving mental health services and clinicians.

Science.gov (United States)

King, Joanne; Cleary, Catherine; Harris, Meredith G; Lloyd, Chris; Waghorn, Geoff

2011-01-01

Clients receiving public mental health services and clinicians require information to facilitate client access to suitable employment services. However, little is known about the specific employment-related information needs of these groups. This study aimed to identify employment-related information needs among clients, clinicians and employment specialists, with a view to developing a new vocational information resource. Employment-related information needs were identified via a series of focus group consultations with clients, clinicians, and employment specialists (n=23). Focus group discussions were guided by a common semi-structured interview schedule. Several categories of information need were identified: countering incorrect beliefs about work; benefits of work; disclosure and managing personal information; impact of earnings on welfare entitlements; employment service pathways; job preparation, planning and selection; and managing illness once working. Clear preferences were expressed about effective means of communicating the key messages in written material. This investigation confirmed the need for information tailored to clients and clinicians in order to activate clients' employment journey and to help them make informed decisions about vocational assistance.

Black women, work, stress, and perceived discrimination: the focused support group model as an intervention for stress reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Mays, V M

1995-01-01

This exploratory study examined the use of two components (small and large groups) of a community-based intervention, the Focused Support Group (FSG) model, to alleviate employment-related stressors in Black women. Participants were assigned to small groups based on occupational status. Groups met for five weekly 3-hr sessions in didactic or small- and large-group formats. Two evaluations following the didactic session and the small and large group sessions elicited information on satisfaction with each of the formats, self-reported change in stress, awareness of interpersonal and sociopolitical issues affecting Black women in the labor force, assessing support networks, and usefulness of specific discussion topics to stress reduction. Results indicated the usefulness of the small- and large-group formats in reduction of self-reported stress and increases in personal and professional sources of support. Discussions on race and sex discrimination in the workplace were effective in overall stress reduction. The study highlights labor force participation as a potential source of stress for Black women, and supports the development of culture- and gender-appropriate community interventions as viable and cost-effective methods for stress reduction.

Keep the expert! Occupational expertise, perceived employability and job search: A study across age groups

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vos, A. de; Forrier, A.; Heijden, B.I.J.M. van der; De Cuyper, N.

2017-01-01

PURPOSE - In the current war for talent employers are concerned about the idea that the best employees are more likely to leave the organization for another employer (i.e. the management paradox). This study tests this management paradox. The purpose of this paper is to advance our understandings

An Aging Workforce: Employment Opportunities and Obstacles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Full Professor, Institute of Economic Sciences

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The last decade has witnessed significant changes in the structure of unemployment in the global labour market. This is corroborated by the fact that the global workforce is rapidly aging and the share of people aged 50 and over in the structure of the labour market is increasing. In line with this trend, unemployment issues should be considered as a global problem that cannot be fully resolved at the level of any individual country separately.The main objective of this paper is to throw some light on the aging workforce and the elderly population’s opportunity to realise their right to work and be treated equally with younger age groups. Hence, the paper simultaneously focuses on the age and gender discrimination of elderly population in terms of their employment prospects. The aim of our research is not only to point out certain stereotypes concerning the elderly labour force, but also to stress that unless preconditions for overcoming these stereotypes are created and employment opportunities are given to this segment of the labour force, full employment as an ultimate goal of global economic policy cannot be achieved. It is in accordance with these considerations that we offer a model to achieve this goal.

Critical behavior of the anisotropic Heisenberg model by effective-field renormalization group

Science.gov (United States)

de Sousa, J. Ricardo; Fittipaldi, I. P.

1994-05-01

A real-space effective-field renormalization-group method (ERFG) recently derived for computing critical properties of Ising spins is extended to treat the quantum spin-1/2 anisotropic Heisenberg model. The formalism is based on a generalized but approximate Callen-Suzuki spin relation and utilizes a convenient differential operator expansion technique. The method is illustrated in several lattice structures by employing its simplest approximation version in which clusters with one (N'=1) and two (N=2) spins are used. The results are compared with those obtained from the standard mean-field (MFRG) and Migdal-Kadanoff (MKRG) renormalization-group treatments and it is shown that this technique leads to rather accurate results. It is shown that, in contrast with the MFRG and MKRG predictions, the EFRG, besides correctly distinguishing the geometries of different lattice structures, also provides a vanishing critical temperature for all two-dimensional lattices in the isotropic Heisenberg limit. For the simple cubic lattice, the dependence of the transition temperature Tc with the exchange anisotropy parameter Δ [i.e., Tc(Δ)], and the resulting value for the critical thermal crossover exponent φ [i.e., Tc≂Tc(0)+AΔ1/φ ] are in quite good agreement with results available in the literature in which more sophisticated treatments are used.

Group Elevator Peak Scheduling Based on Robust Optimization Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZHANG, J.

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Scheduling of Elevator Group Control System (EGCS is a typical combinatorial optimization problem. Uncertain group scheduling under peak traffic flows has become a research focus and difficulty recently. RO (Robust Optimization method is a novel and effective way to deal with uncertain scheduling problem. In this paper, a peak scheduling method based on RO model for multi-elevator system is proposed. The method is immune to the uncertainty of peak traffic flows, optimal scheduling is realized without getting exact numbers of each calling floor's waiting passengers. Specifically, energy-saving oriented multi-objective scheduling price is proposed, RO uncertain peak scheduling model is built to minimize the price. Because RO uncertain model could not be solved directly, RO uncertain model is transformed to RO certain model by elevator scheduling robust counterparts. Because solution space of elevator scheduling is enormous, to solve RO certain model in short time, ant colony solving algorithm for elevator scheduling is proposed. Based on the algorithm, optimal scheduling solutions are found quickly, and group elevators are scheduled according to the solutions. Simulation results show the method could improve scheduling performances effectively in peak pattern. Group elevators' efficient operation is realized by the RO scheduling method.

Attitudinal Correlates of Maternal Employment during Infancy versus Childhood.

Science.gov (United States)

Alleger, Lindsay; Brogan, Maureen; Fronheiser, April; Hess, Auden; Kosakowski, Jill; Sosnowski, Jane; Sternberg, Tamar; Chambliss, Catherine

Differences in attitudes about maternal employment during infancy versus childhood were assessed by measuring the perceptions of college students grouped according to their mothers employment status during different periods of their childrens development. Attitudes about both costs and benefits associated with maternal employment were examined…

Employment Equity | IDRC - International Development Research ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

At IDRC, diversity is one of the keys to our success. We are committed to achieving employment equity for designated groups in our workforce. Our goal is to create and maintain an innovative and responsive work environment where employees are valued and respected. Designated groups – Definitions.

Labour Market and Flexibility. A logistic regression model to estimate the likelihood of being atypical for a woman employed in Pisa

OpenAIRE

Paola Meozzi

2014-01-01

How do demographic and educational factors affect a woman’s occupational status? How common is non standard employment for different labour force groups and in different sectors of the labour market? This paper aims at analysing the impact of different “structural variables” in terms of risk for a woman working in the province of Pisa to be employed with a non-standard contract. Determinants of women’s atypical employment in Pisa are studied using microdata for approximately 425.000 women emp...

Does Maternal Employment Following Childbirth Support or Inhibit Low-Income Children’s Long-Term Development?

Science.gov (United States)

Coley, Rebekah Levine; Lombardi, Caitlin McPherran

2012-01-01

This study assessed whether previous findings linking early maternal employment to lower cognitive and behavioral skills among middle class and White children generalized to other groups. Using a representative sample of urban, low-income, predominantly African American and Hispanic families (n = 444), OLS regression and propensity score matching models assessed links between maternal employment in the two years after childbearing and children’s functioning at age 7. Children whose mothers were employed early, particularly in their first 8 months, showed enhanced socio-emotional functioning compared to peers whose mother remained nonemployed. Protective associations emerged for both part time and full time employment, and were driven by African American children, with neutral effects for Hispanics. Informal home-based child care also heightened positive links. PMID:22931466

Health information technology knowledge and skills needed by HIT employers.

Science.gov (United States)

Fenton, S H; Gongora-Ferraez, M J; Joost, E

2012-01-01

To evaluate the health information technology (HIT) workforce knowledge and skills needed by HIT employers. Statewide face-to-face and online focus groups of identified HIT employer groups in Austin, Brownsville, College Station, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Lubbock, San Antonio, and webinars for rural health and nursing informatics. HIT employers reported needing an HIT workforce with diverse knowledge and skills ranging from basic to advanced, while covering information technology, privacy and security, clinical practice, needs assessment, contract negotiation, and many other areas. Consistent themes were that employees needed to be able to learn on the job and must possess the ability to think critically and problem solve. Many employers wanted persons with technical skills, yet also the knowledge and understanding of healthcare operations. The HIT employer focus groups provided valuable insight into employee skills needed in this fast-growing field. Additionally, this information will be utilized to develop a statewide HIT workforce needs assessment survey.

Are employment-interview skills a correlate of subtypes of schizophrenia?

Science.gov (United States)

Charisiou, J; Jackson, H J; Boyle, G J; Burgess, P; Minas, I H; Joshua, S D

1989-12-01

46 inpatients with a DSM-III diagnosis of schizophrenia were assessed in the week prior to discharge from hospital on measures of positive and negative symptoms and on 12 measures of employment interview skills (i.e., eye contact, facial gestures, body posture, verbal content, voice volume, length of speech, motivation, self-confidence, ability to communicate, manifest adjustment, manifest intelligence, over-all interview skill), and a global measure of employability. A cluster analysis based on the total positive and negative symptom scores produced two groups. The group with the lower mean negative symptom score exhibited better employment-interview skills and higher ratings on employability.

The Impact of Repealing the Exclusion for Employer-Sponsored Insurance

OpenAIRE

Gillette, Robert; Hunter, Gillian; Lurie, Ithai Z.; Siegel, Jonathan; Silverstein, Gerald

2010-01-01

The paper uses a new micro-simulation model to estimate the impact of repealing the employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) exclusion on ESI coverage given two alternative scenarios: a non-group market that is fully underwritten and a modified community-rated market where the low income population receives premium subsidies. When the alternative to ESI is the underwritten market, repeal of the exclusion reduces ESI coverage by 14 percent both overall and for those over 400 percent FPL. In contrast...

Impact of mothers' employment on infant feeding and care: a qualitative study of the experiences of mothers employed through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, Manisha; Ariana, Proochista; Webster, Premila

2014-04-02

To explore the experiences of mothers employed through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) using focus group discussions (FGDs) to understand the impact of mothers' employment on infant feeding and care. The effects of mothers' employment on nutritional status of children could be variable. It could lead to increased household income, but could also compromise child care and feeding. The study was undertaken in the Dungarpur district of Rajasthan, India. Mothers of infants employment compromises infant feeding and care', 'caregivers' inability to substitute mothers' care', 'compromises related to childcare and feeding outweigh benefits from MGNREGA' and 'employment as disempowering'. Mothers felt that the comprises to infant care and feeding due to long hours of work, lack of alternative adequate care arrangements, low wages and delayed payments outweighed the benefits from the scheme. This study provides an account of the trade-off between mothers' employment and child care. It provides an understanding of the household power relationships, societal and cultural factors that modulate the effects of mothers' employment. From the perspective of mothers, it helps to understand the benefits and problems related to providing employment to women with infants in the MGNREGA scheme and make a case to pursue policy changes to improve their working conditions.

Employee to employer communication skills: balancing cancer treatment and employment.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Richard F; Owens, Myra; Bradley, Cathy

2013-02-01

Cancer patients face difficulties in accessing legally mandated benefits and accommodations when they return to the workplace. Poor employer-employee communication inflates these difficulties. Although proven methods to facilitate physician-patient communication exist, these have not been applied to the workplace. Thus, we aimed to assess the feasibility and utility of applying these methods to educate patients about their workplace rights and provide them with communication skills training to aid their conversations with their employers. A DVD was produced to educate patients and facilitate workplace communication. Participants consisted of 28 solid tumor cancer patients (14 women and 14 men) who completed primary cancer treatment in the past 12 months and were employed at the time of diagnosis. Participants watched a communication skills training DVD and completed a telephone interview. The interview elicited information about workplace experiences and evaluation of the DVD training program. The physician-patient communication skills training model utilized was successfully translated to the employer-employee setting. All but one participant found the DVD useful and easy to understand and indicated a high degree of confidence in using the communication skills to help them ask for workplace accommodations. All participants agreed that it would help newly diagnosed patients in discussions with their employers. Our data provides promising preliminary evidence that patient communication skills training can be applied to the workplace setting and is a welcomed aid to newly diagnosed cancer patients in their discussions with employers regarding the impact of treatment on their work performance and needs for accommodations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A randomized controlled trial of a supported employment program for persons with long-term mental illness in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Kin Wong, Kenny; Chiu, Rose; Tang, Betty; Mak, Donald; Liu, Joanne; Chiu, Siu Ning

2008-01-01

Supported employment is an evidence-based practice that has proved to be consistently more effective than conventional vocational rehabilitation in helping people with severe mental illness find and sustain competitive employment. Most research on the effectiveness of supported employment comes from the United States. This study examined the effectiveness and applicability of a supported employment program based on the individual placement and support model in a Hong Kong setting. Ninety-two unemployed individuals with long-term mental illness who desired competitive employment were randomly assigned to either a supported employment program or a conventional vocational rehabilitation program and followed up for 18 months. Both vocational and nonvocational outcomes were measured. Over the 18-month study period, compared with participants in the conventional vocational rehabilitation program, those in the supported employment group were more likely to work competitively (70% versus 29%; odds ratio=5.63, 95% confidence interval=2.28-13.84), held a greater number of competitive jobs, earned more income, worked more days, and sustained longer job tenures. Repeated-measures analysis of variance found no substantive differences between participants in the two groups and no significant change from baseline over time for psychiatric symptoms and self-perceived quality of life. Consistent with previous research findings in the United States, the supported employment program was more effective than the conventional vocational rehabilitation program in helping individuals with long-term mental illness find and sustain competitive employment in a Hong Kong setting. The supported employment program based on the individual placement and support model can thus be recommended for wider use in local mental health practice.

Frailty Across Age Groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Zepeda, M U; Ávila-Funes, J A; Gutiérrez-Robledo, L M; García-Peña, C

2016-01-01

The implementation of an aging biomarker into clinical practice is under debate. The Frailty Index is a model of deficit accumulation and has shown to accurately capture frailty in older adults, thus bridging biological with clinical practice. To describe the association of socio-demographic characteristics and the Frailty Index in different age groups (from 20 to over one hundred years) in a representative sample of Mexican subjects. Cross-sectional analysis. Nationwide and population-representative survey. Adults 20-years and older interviewed during the last Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey (2012). A 30-item Frailty Index following standard construction was developed. Multi-level regression models were performed to test the associations of the Frailty Index with multiple socio-demographic characteristics across age groups. A total of 29,504 subjects was analyzed. The 30-item Frailty Index showed the highest scores in the older age groups, especially in women. No sociodemographic variable was associated with the Frailty Index in all the studied age groups. However, employment, economic income, and smoking status were more consistently found across age groups. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the Frailty Index in a representative large sample of a Latin American country. Increasing age and gender were closely associated with a higher score.

Employment and absenteeism in working-age persons with multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Salter, Amber; Thomas, Nina; Tyry, Tuula; Cutter, Gary; Marrie, Ruth Ann

2017-05-01

To better understand the impact of the clinical course of multiple sclerosis (MS) and disability on employment, absenteeism, and related factors. This study included respondents to the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis Registry spring 2015 update survey who were US or Canadian residents, aged 18-65 years and reported having relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), secondary progressive MS (SPMS), or primary progressive MS (PPMS). The RRMS and SPMS participants were combined to form the relapsing-onset MS (RMS) group and compared with the PPMS group regarding employment status, absenteeism, and disability. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between employment-related outcomes and factors that may affect these relationships. Of the 8004 survey respondents, 5887 (73.6%) were 18-65 years of age. The PPMS group (n = 344) had a higher proportion of males and older mean age at the time of the survey and at time of diagnosis than the RMS group (n = 4829). Female sex, age, age at diagnosis, cognitive and hand function impairment, fatigue, higher disability levels, ≥3 comorbidities, and a diagnosis of PPMS were associated with not working. After adjustment for disability, the employed PPMS sub-group reported similar levels of absenteeism to the employed RMS sub-group. Limitations of the study include self-report of information and the possibility that participants may not fully represent the working-age MS population. In MS, employment status and absenteeism are negatively affected by disability, cognitive impairment, and fatigue. These findings underscore the need for therapies that prevent disability progression and other symptoms that negatively affect productivity in persons with MS to enable them to persist in the workforce.

Integrating Fieldwork into Employment Counseling for Methadone-Treatment Patients

Science.gov (United States)

Blankertz, Laura; Spinelli, Michael; Magura, Stephen; Bali, Priti; Madison, Elizabeth M.; Staines, Graham L.; Horowitz, Emily; Guarino, Honoria; Grandy, Audrey; Fong, Chunki; Gomez, Augustin; Dimun, Amy; Friedman, Ellen

2005-01-01

An innovative employment counseling model, Customized Employment Supports, was developed for methadone-treatment patients, a population with historically low employment rates. The effectiveness of a key component of the model, "vocational fieldwork," the delivery of services in the community rather than only within the clinic, was assessed through…

Predicting gross wages of non-employed persons in Croatia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Slavko Bezeredi

2016-03-01

Full Text Available We present the findings of a study aimed at building a model for predicting wages of non-employed persons in Croatia. The predictions will be used in the calculation of marginal effective tax rate at the extensive margin and in labour supply modelling. The database used is 2012 “EU statistics on income and living conditions”. The paper comprehensively explains the data source, variables, subgroups of employed and non-employed, and the results of the linear regression model, the Heckman selection model and the quantile regression model. The quality of predictions obtained by different models is compared and discussed.

Analysis of thermoluminescence kinetics of Mg2SiO4:Tb compounds employing an interactive model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marcazzo, J.; Prokic, M.; Santiago, M.; Molina, P.; Caselli, E.

2009-01-01

The kinetics involved in the thermoluminescence (TL) of Mg 2 SiO 4 :Tb compounds has been investigated by unfolding glow curves employing both the General Order model and a model that takes into account interactions among traps. The dependence of the glow curve shape on dose is only correctly described if interaction among traps is included in the analysis.

Do better communication skills promote sheltered employment in schizophrenia?

Science.gov (United States)

Adamczyk, Przemysław; Daren, Artur; Sułecka, Aleksandra; Błądziński, Piotr; Cichocki, Łukasz; Kalisz, Aneta; Gawęda, Łukasz; Cechnicki, Andrzej

2016-10-01

Alongside various psychopathological symptoms and neurocognitive dysfunctions, communication skill impairments may be considered core feature of schizophrenia. Although many studies examined the relation between employment status and neurocognition in schizophrenia, we still know very little about the role of communication skills in vocational status among people with schizophrenia. The purpose of this study is to identify the most characteristic communication, neurocognitive and social cognition differences which separate the employed schizophrenia outpatients from those who do not work. The study included three groups: 33 schizophrenia outpatients employed in social firms, 29 unemployed schizophrenia outpatients participating in occupational therapy and sex & age matched 31 healthy controls. We assessed communication skills, global cognitive functioning, executive functions, memory, social cognition as well as severity of psychopathology. Our results indicate that the most characteristic differences between employed and unemployed schizophrenia outpatients are associated with selective language and communication skills, i.e. paralinguistic aspects of communication, understanding of discrete meaning of linguistic context and figurative meaning of language. We find no significant differences between both clinical groups with regard to neurocognition and social cognition. Moreover, unemployed group had more severe psychopathology than the employed group, so we re-analyzed results controlling for symptom severity. The only differences that endured were related to general communication skills and explanation of pictured metaphors, but only when controlling solely for positive or negative syndrome. In conclusion, the present study indicates that employment in schizophrenia is associated with better symptomatic remission and communication skills, but not with better neurocognition and social cognition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Employment and Roles of Counselors in Employee Assistance Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosie, Thomas W.; And Others

1993-01-01

Studied employment and roles of master's-level counselors in employee assistance programs (EAPs). Counselors were found to be similar to those with Master's of Social Work degrees in employment rate and percentage of EAP staff. Both groups were most frequently employed and constituted greatest percentage of professional mental health staff in…

Group-ICA model order highlights patterns of functional brain connectivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed eAbou Elseoud

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Resting-state networks (RSNs can be reliably and reproducibly detected using independent component analysis (ICA at both individual subject and group levels. Altering ICA dimensionality (model order estimation can have a significant impact on the spatial characteristics of the RSNs as well as their parcellation into sub-networks. Recent evidence from several neuroimaging studies suggests that the human brain has a modular hierarchical organization which resembles the hierarchy depicted by different ICA model orders. We hypothesized that functional connectivity between-group differences measured with ICA might be affected by model order selection. We investigated differences in functional connectivity using so-called dual-regression as a function of ICA model order in a group of unmedicated seasonal affective disorder (SAD patients compared to normal healthy controls. The results showed that the detected disease-related differences in functional connectivity alter as a function of ICA model order. The volume of between-group differences altered significantly as a function of ICA model order reaching maximum at model order 70 (which seems to be an optimal point that conveys the largest between-group difference then stabilized afterwards. Our results show that fine-grained RSNs enable better detection of detailed disease-related functional connectivity changes. However, high model orders show an increased risk of false positives that needs to be overcome. Our findings suggest that multilevel ICA exploration of functional connectivity enables optimization of sensitivity to brain disorders.

Deficiency of employability capacity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pelse I.

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Young unemployed people have comprised one of the significantly largest groups of the unemployed people in Latvia in recent years. One of the reasons why young people have difficulty integrating into the labour market is the “expectation gap” that exists in the relations between employers and the new generation of workers. Employers focus on capacity-building for employability such individual factors as strength, patience, self-discipline, self-reliance, self-motivation, etc., which having a nature of habit and are developed in a long-term work socialization process, which begins even before the formal education and will continue throughout the life cycle. However, when the socialization is lost, these habits are depreciated faster than they can be restored. Currently a new generation is entering the labour market, which is missing the succession of work socialization. Factors, such as rising unemployment and poverty in the background over the past twenty years in Latvia have created a very unfavourable employability background of “personal circumstances” and “external factors”, which seriously have impaired formation of the skills and attitudes in a real work environment. The study reveals another paradox – the paradox of poverty. Common sense would want to argue that poverty can be overcome by the job. However, the real state of affairs shows that unfavourable coincidence of the individual, personal circumstances and external factors leads to deficit of employability capacity and possibility of marked social and employment deprivation.

Working group report: Flavor physics and model building

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

cO Indian Academy of Sciences. Vol. ... This is the report of flavor physics and model building working group at ... those in model building have been primarily devoted to neutrino physics. ..... [12] Andrei Gritsan, ICHEP 2004, Beijing, China.

Diagrammatic group theory in quark models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canning, G.P.

1977-05-01

A simple and systematic diagrammatic method is presented for calculating the numerical factors arising from group theory in quark models: dimensions, casimir invariants, vector coupling coefficients and especially recoupling coefficients. Some coefficients for the coupling of 3 quark objects are listed for SU(n) and SU(2n). (orig.) [de

Employment status, employment functioning, and barriers to employment among VA primary care patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Zivin, Kara; Yosef, Matheos; Levine, Debra S; Abraham, Kristen M; Miller, Erin M; Henry, Jennifer; Nelson, C Beau; Pfeiffer, Paul N; Sripada, Rebecca K; Harrod, Molly; Valenstein, Marcia

2016-03-15

Prior research found lower employment rates among working-aged patients who use the VA than among non-Veterans or Veterans who do not use the VA, with the lowest reported employment rates among VA patients with mental disorders. This study assessed employment status, employment functioning, and barriers to employment among VA patients treated in primary care settings, and examined how depression and anxiety were associated with these outcomes. The sample included 287 VA patients treated in primary care in a large Midwestern VA Medical Center. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were conducted examining associations between socio-demographic and clinical predictors of six employment domains, including: employment status, job search self-efficacy, work performance, concerns about job loss among employed Veterans, and employment barriers and likelihood of job seeking among not employed Veterans. 54% of respondents were employed, 36% were not employed, and 10% were economically inactive. In adjusted analyses, participants with depression or anxiety (43%) were less likely to be employed, had lower job search self-efficacy, had lower levels of work performance, and reported more employment barriers. Depression and anxiety were not associated with perceived likelihood of job loss among employed or likelihood of job seeking among not employed. Single VA primary care clinic; cross-sectional study. Employment rates are low among working-aged VA primary care patients, particularly those with mental health conditions. Offering primary care interventions to patients that address mental health issues, job search self-efficacy, and work performance may be important in improving health, work, and economic outcomes. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Purpurogallin, a Natural Phenol, Attenuates High-Mobility Group Box 1 in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Induced Vasospasm in a Rat Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chih-Zen Chang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1 was shown to be an important extracellular mediator involved in vascular inflammation of animals following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH. This study is of interest to examine the efficacy of purpurogallin, a natural phenol, on the alternation of cytokines and HMGB1 in a SAH model. A rodent double hemorrhage SAH model was employed. Basilar arteries (BAs were harvested to examine HMGB1 mRNA and protein expression (Western blot. CSF samples were to examine IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α (rt-PCR. Deformed endothelial wall, tortuous elastic lamina, and necrotic smooth muscle were observed in the vessels of SAH groups but were absent in the purpurogallin group. IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in the SAH only and SAH plus vehicle groups were significantly elevated (P<0.01. Purpurgallin dose-dependently reduced HMGB1 protein expression. Likewise, high dose purpurogallin reduced TNF-α and HMGB1 mRNA levels. In conclusion, purpurogallin exerts its neuroinflammation effect through the dual effect of inhibiting IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA expression and reducing HMGB1 protein and mRNA expression. This study supports purpurogallin could attenuate both proinflammatory cytokines and late-onset inflammasome in SAH induced vasospasm.

Group Work: How to Use Groups Effectively

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, Alison

2011-01-01

Many students cringe and groan when told that they will need to work in a group. However, group work has been found to be good for students and good for teachers. Employers want college graduates to have developed teamwork skills. Additionally, students who participate in collaborative learning get better grades, are more satisfied with their…

Theoretical study of γ-hexachlorocyclohexane and β-hexachlorocyclohexane isomers interaction with surface groups of activated carbon model.

Science.gov (United States)

Enriquez-Victorero, Carlos; Hernández-Valdés, Daniel; Montero-Alejo, Ana Lilian; Durimel, Axelle; Gaspard, Sarra; Jáuregui-Haza, Ulises

2014-06-01

Activated carbon (AC) is employed in drinking water purification without almost any knowledge about the adsorption mechanism of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) onto it. Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) is an organochlorinated contaminant present in water and soils of banana crops production zones of the Caribbean. The most relevant isomers of HCH are γ-HCH and β-HCH, both with great environmental persistence. A theoretical study of the influence of AC surface groups (SGs) on HCH adsorption is done in order to help to understand the process and may lead to improve the AC selection process. A simplified AC model consisting of naphthalene with a functional group was used to assess the influence of SGs over the adsorption process. The Multiple Minima Hypersurface (MMH) methodology was employed to study γ-HCH and β-HCH interactions with different AC SGs (hydroxyl and carboxyl) under different hydration and pH conditions. The results obtained showed that association of HCH with SGs preferentially occurs between the axial protons of HCH and SG's oxygen atom, and the most favorable interactions occurring with charged SGs. An increase in carboxylic SGs content is proposed to enhance HCH adsorption onto AC under neutral pH conditions. Finally, this work presents an inexpensive computer aided methodology for preselecting activated carbon SGs content for the removal of a given compound. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Employment situation and risk of death among middle-aged Japanese women.

Science.gov (United States)

Honjo, Kaori; Iso, Hiroyasu; Ikeda, Ai; Fujino, Yoshihisa; Tamakoshi, Akiko

2015-10-01

Few studies have examined the health effects of employment situation among women, taking social and economic conditions into consideration. The objective of this research was to investigate the association of employment situation (full-time or part-time employee and self-employed) with mortality risk in women over a 20-year follow-up period. Additionally, we examined whether the association between employment situation and mortality in women differed by education level and marital status. We investigated the association of employment situation with mortality among 16,692 women aged 40-59 years enrolled in the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study. Multivariate HRs and 95% CIs for total deaths by employment situation were calculated after adjustment for age, disease history, residential area, education level, marital status and number of children. We also conducted subgroup analysis by education level and marital status. Multivariate HRs for mortality of part-time employees and self-employed workers were 1.48 (95% CI, 1.25 to 1.75) and 1.44 (95% CI, 1.21 to 1.72), respectively, with reference to women working full-time. Subgroup analysis by education level indicated that health effects in women according to employment situation were likely to be more evident in the low education-level group. Subgroup analysis by marital status indicated that this factor also affected the association between employment situation and risk of death. Among middle-aged Japanese women, employment situation was associated with mortality risk. Health effects were likely to differ by household structure and socioeconomic conditions. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

TRENDS IN YOUTH EMPLOYMENT: ROMANIA CASE OF STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura PATACHE

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Reducing poverty and creating employment are the twin challenges of Europe 2020 strategy. During the crisis period, relative poverty has been increased among 0-17 years of age group and in some Romanian development regions. The European Union is concerned in taking action on increasing youth employment, because: the youth unemployment rate is more than twice as high as the adult one; the chances for a young unemployed person of finding a job are low, when young people do work, their jobs tend to be less stable; early leavers from education and training are a high-risk group; resignation is an increasing concern; a significant percent of young people were neither in employment nor in education or training (NEETs; there are significant skills mismatches on Europe's labour market. This paper presents the dynamics of the Romanian youth employment in the development regions of Romania between 2008 and 2014.

Deciphering the crowd: modeling and identification of pedestrian group motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Yücel, Zeynep; Zanlungo, Francesco; Ikeda, Tetsushi; Miyashita, Takahiro; Hagita, Norihiro

2013-01-14

Associating attributes to pedestrians in a crowd is relevant for various areas like surveillance, customer profiling and service providing. The attributes of interest greatly depend on the application domain and might involve such social relations as friends or family as well as the hierarchy of the group including the leader or subordinates. Nevertheless, the complex social setting inherently complicates this task. We attack this problem by exploiting the small group structures in the crowd. The relations among individuals and their peers within a social group are reliable indicators of social attributes. To that end, this paper identifies social groups based on explicit motion models integrated through a hypothesis testing scheme. We develop two models relating positional and directional relations. A pair of pedestrians is identified as belonging to the same group or not by utilizing the two models in parallel, which defines a compound hypothesis testing scheme. By testing the proposed approach on three datasets with different environmental properties and group characteristics, it is demonstrated that we achieve an identification accuracy of 87% to 99%. The contribution of this study lies in its definition of positional and directional relation models, its description of compound evaluations, and the resolution of ambiguities with our proposed uncertainty measure based on the local and global indicators of group relation.

Waist circumference, body mass index, and employment outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinge, Jonas Minet

2017-07-01

Body mass index (BMI) is an imperfect measure of body fat. Recent studies provide evidence in favor of replacing BMI with waist circumference (WC). Hence, I investigated whether or not the association between fat mass and employment status vary by anthropometric measures. I used 15 rounds of the Health Survey for England (1998-2013), which has measures of employment status in addition to measured height, weight, and WC. WC and BMI were entered as continuous variables and obesity as binary variables defined using both WC and BMI. I used multivariate models controlling for a set of covariates. The association of WC with employment was of greater magnitude than the association between BMI and employment. I reran the analysis using conventional instrumental variables methods. The IV models showed significant impacts of obesity on employment; however, they were not more pronounced when WC was used to measure obesity, compared to BMI. This means that, in the IV models, the impact of fat mass on employment did not depend on the measure of fat mass.

Topological Poisson Sigma models on Poisson-Lie groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calvo, Ivan; Falceto, Fernando; Garcia-Alvarez, David

2003-01-01

We solve the topological Poisson Sigma model for a Poisson-Lie group G and its dual G*. We show that the gauge symmetry for each model is given by its dual group that acts by dressing transformations on the target. The resolution of both models in the open geometry reveals that there exists a map from the reduced phase of each model (P and P*) to the main symplectic leaf of the Heisenberg double (D 0 ) such that the symplectic forms on P, P* are obtained as the pull-back by those maps of the symplectic structure on D 0 . This uncovers a duality between P and P* under the exchange of bulk degrees of freedom of one model with boundary degrees of freedom of the other one. We finally solve the Poisson Sigma model for the Poisson structure on G given by a pair of r-matrices that generalizes the Poisson-Lie case. The Hamiltonian analysis of the theory requires the introduction of a deformation of the Heisenberg double. (author)

How the group affects the mind : A cognitive model of idea generation in groups

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijstad, Bernard A.; Stroebe, Wolfgang

2006-01-01

A model called search for ideas in associative memory (SIAM) is proposed to account for various research findings in the area of group idea generation. The model assumes that idea generation is a repeated search for ideas in associative memory, which proceeds in 2 stages (knowledge activation and

Employment of women in mauritian industry: opportunity or exploitation?

OpenAIRE

Hein C

1981-01-01

ILO pub-WEP pub. Working paper on industrial sector employment of woman workers in Mauritius - based on interviews and a 1977 survey, examines the conditions (lower minimum wages, higher labour productivity, less absenteeism and easier human relations) dictating employer preference for female industrial workers, discusses motivations, employment by age group, marital status and educational level, job satisfaction and employment policy issues, and includes questionnaire. Bibliography pp. 33 an...

75 FR 47631 - Swets Information Services, Operations Department, Information Technology Group, Marketing Group...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-06

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-73,668] Swets Information Services, Operations Department, Information Technology Group, Marketing Group, Finance Group, Runnemede..., Information Technology (IT) Group, Marketing Group and the Finance Group into one entity instead of...

Critical properties of the classical XY and classical Heisenberg models: A renormalization group study

Science.gov (United States)

de Sousa, J. Ricardo; de Albuquerque, Douglas F.

1997-02-01

By using two approaches of renormalization group (RG), mean field RG (MFRG) and effective field RG (EFRG), we study the critical properties of the simple cubic lattice classical XY and classical Heisenberg models. The methods are illustrated by employing its simplest approximation version in which small clusters with one ( N‧ = 1) and two ( N = 2) spins are used. The thermal and magnetic critical exponents, Yt and Yh, and the critical parameter Kc are numerically obtained and are compared with more accurate methods (Monte Carlo, series expansion and ε-expansion). The results presented in this work are in excellent agreement with these sophisticated methods. We have also shown that the exponent Yh does not depend on the symmetry n of the Hamiltonian, hence the criteria of universality for this exponent is only a function of the dimension d.

Impact of mothers’ employment on infant feeding and care: a qualitative study of the experiences of mothers employed through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, Manisha; Ariana, Proochista; Webster, Premila

2014-01-01

Objective To explore the experiences of mothers employed through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) using focus group discussions (FGDs) to understand the impact of mothers’ employment on infant feeding and care. The effects of mothers’ employment on nutritional status of children could be variable. It could lead to increased household income, but could also compromise child care and feeding. Setting The study was undertaken in the Dungarpur district of Rajasthan, India. Participants Mothers of infants employment compromises infant feeding and care’, ‘caregivers’ inability to substitute mothers’ care’, ‘compromises related to childcare and feeding outweigh benefits from MGNREGA’ and ‘employment as disempowering’. Mothers felt that the comprises to infant care and feeding due to long hours of work, lack of alternative adequate care arrangements, low wages and delayed payments outweighed the benefits from the scheme. Conclusions This study provides an account of the trade-off between mothers’ employment and child care. It provides an understanding of the household power relationships, societal and cultural factors that modulate the effects of mothers’ employment. From the perspective of mothers, it helps to understand the benefits and problems related to providing employment to women with infants in the MGNREGA scheme and make a case to pursue policy changes to improve their working conditions. PMID:24694624

Testing Group Mean Differences of Latent Variables in Multilevel Data Using Multiple-Group Multilevel CFA and Multilevel MIMIC Modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Eun Sook; Cao, Chunhua

2015-01-01

Considering that group comparisons are common in social science, we examined two latent group mean testing methods when groups of interest were either at the between or within level of multilevel data: multiple-group multilevel confirmatory factor analysis (MG ML CFA) and multilevel multiple-indicators multiple-causes modeling (ML MIMIC). The performance of these methods were investigated through three Monte Carlo studies. In Studies 1 and 2, either factor variances or residual variances were manipulated to be heterogeneous between groups. In Study 3, which focused on within-level multiple-group analysis, six different model specifications were considered depending on how to model the intra-class group correlation (i.e., correlation between random effect factors for groups within cluster). The results of simulations generally supported the adequacy of MG ML CFA and ML MIMIC for multiple-group analysis with multilevel data. The two methods did not show any notable difference in the latent group mean testing across three studies. Finally, a demonstration with real data and guidelines in selecting an appropriate approach to multilevel multiple-group analysis are provided.

The significance of employee biographics in explaining employability attributes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jo-Anne Botha

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Employability is the capacity of employees to acquire transferable competencies and individual capacities that enable them to adapt to, be innovative in and steer their own careers in a dynamic work environment. It is clear that employers would thus look for employees who are capable of proactive adjustment and action-oriented behaviours. Aim: The aim of the study was to determine whether significant differences exist in the employability attributes of individuals from different gender, race and age groups and if so, how should such a diverse workforce should be managed. Setting: This study was conducted at a distance education institution. The sample of respondents consisted of adult learners who are pursuing further distance learning studies in the economic and management sciences field in South Africa. Methods: Correlational and inferential statistical analyses were used. A stratified random sample of 1102 mainly black and female adult learners participated in the study. Results: The employability attributes framework identified three categories of employability: interpersonal, intrapersonal and career attributes. The research indicated that significant differences exist between gender, race and age groups with regard to employability. Male and female participants differed significantly with regard to entrepreneurial orientation, proactivity and career resilience. The various race groups differed considerably regarding cultural competence and sociability of individuals. Participants older than 50 years scored the highest on self-efficacy. Conclusion and implications: The findings of this research could ensure that previously disadvantaged individuals are not further marginalised because of a lack of employability attributes and that the required employability attributes can be cultivated to ensure advancement and success in the work place.

Employing Organizational Modeling and Simulation to Reduce F/A-18E/F F414 Engine Maintenance Time

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hagan, Joel J; Slack, William G

2006-01-01

...) at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore, California. To achieve this goal, organizational modeling was employed to evaluate how changes to the organizational structure of the Lemoore AIMD affected engine throughput time...

Deciphering the Crowd: Modeling and Identification of Pedestrian Group Motion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norihiro Hagita

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Associating attributes to pedestrians in a crowd is relevant for various areas like surveillance, customer profiling and service providing. The attributes of interest greatly depend on the application domain and might involve such social relations as friends or family as well as the hierarchy of the group including the leader or subordinates. Nevertheless, the complex social setting inherently complicates this task. We attack this problem by exploiting the small group structures in the crowd. The relations among individuals and their peers within a social group are reliable indicators of social attributes. To that end, this paper identifies social groups based on explicit motion models integrated through a hypothesis testing scheme. We develop two models relating positional and directional relations. A pair of pedestrians is identified as belonging to the same group or not by utilizing the two models in parallel, which defines a compound hypothesis testing scheme. By testing the proposed approach on three datasets with different environmental properties and group characteristics, it is demonstrated that we achieve an identification accuracy of 87% to 99%. The contribution of this study lies in its definition of positional and directional relation models, its description of compound evaluations, and the resolution of ambiguities with our proposed uncertainty measure based on the local and global indicators of group relation.

Newcomer nurses' organisational socialisation and turnover intention during the first 2 years of employment.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomietto, Marco; Rappagliosi, Cristina M; Sartori, Riccardo; Battistelli, Adalgisa

2015-10-01

The aim of this study was to determine which organisational socialisation contents affect turnover intention in newcomer nurses within their first 2 years of employment. Strategies to decrease turnover are a priority for improving organisational stability, reducing costs and enhancing effective nursing care. A cross-sectional design was employed, and standardised scales were used. The sample was divided into three groups: 0-6, 7-12 and 13-24 months of employment. Regression analyses were performed. A total of 156 Italian nurses participated in this study. In the 0-6 months group (model 1), the main factors that decreased turnover intention were competence acquisition (β = -0.42, P organisational rules (β = -0.38, P organisational socialisation contents over time. This result supports planning different on-boarding strategies to enhance organisational socialisation success and to improve nurse retention. Useful strategies to improve retention include enhancing task mastery and workgroup integration at the ward level and a professional development plan at the organisational level. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Affine Poisson Groups and WZW Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ctirad Klimcík

2008-01-01

Full Text Available We give a detailed description of a dynamical system which enjoys a Poisson-Lie symmetry with two non-isomorphic dual groups. The system is obtained by taking the q → ∞ limit of the q-deformed WZW model and the understanding of its symmetry structure results in uncovering an interesting duality of its exchange relations.

Key Informant Models for Measuring Group-Level Variables in Small Groups: Application to Plural Subject Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Algesheimer, René; Bagozzi, Richard P.; Dholakia, Utpal M.

2018-01-01

We offer a new conceptualization and measurement models for constructs at the group-level of analysis in small group research. The conceptualization starts with classical notions of group behavior proposed by Tönnies, Simmel, and Weber and then draws upon plural subject theory by philosophers Gilbert and Tuomela to frame a new perspective…

Employment impacts of alcohol taxes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wada, Roy; Chaloupka, Frank J; Powell, Lisa M; Jernigan, David H

2017-12-01

There is strong scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of increasing alcohol taxes for reducing excessive alcohol consumption and related problems. Opponents have argued that alcohol tax increases lead to job losses. However, there has been no comprehensive economic analysis of the impact of alcohol taxes on employment. To fill this gap, a regional macroeconomic simulation model was used to assess the net impact of two hypothetical alcohol tax increases (a 5-cent per drink excise tax increase and a 5% sales tax increase on beer, wine, and distilled spirits, respectively) on employment in Arkansas, Florida, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Wisconsin. The model accounted for changes in alcohol demand, average state income, and substitution effects. The employment impact of spending the new tax revenue on general expenditures versus health care was also assessed. Simulation results showed that a 5-cent per drink additional excise tax on alcoholic beverages with new tax revenues allocated to general expenditures increased net employment in Arkansas (802 jobs); Florida (4583 jobs); Massachusetts (978 jobs); New Mexico (653 jobs); and Wisconsin (1167 jobs). A 5% additional sales tax also increased employment in Arkansas (789 jobs; Florida (4493 jobs); Massachusetts (898 jobs); New Mexico (621 jobs); and Wisconsin (991 jobs). Using new alcohol tax revenues to fund health care services resulted in slightly lower net increases in state employment. The overall economic impact of alcohol tax increases cannot be fully assessed without accounting for the job gains resulting from additional tax revenues. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimating the short run effects of South Africa's Employment Tax Incentive on youth employment probabilities using a difference-in-differences approach

OpenAIRE

Vimal Ranchhod; Arden Finn

2014-01-01

What effect did the introduction of the Employment Tax Incentive (ETI) have on youth employment probabilities in South Africa in the short run? The ETI came into effect on the 1st of January 2014. Its purpose is to stimulate youth employment levels and ease the challenges that many youth experience in finding their first jobs. Under the ETI, firms that employ youth are eligible to claim a deduction from their taxes due, for the portion of their wage bill that is paid to certain groups of yout...

The distributional effects of employer and individual health insurance mandates.

Science.gov (United States)

Holahan, J; Winterbottom, C; Zedlewski, S

This paper assesses the impact of different kinds of employer and individual mandates on the cost to individuals, business, and government. We also examine the distribution of health care expenditures across individuals in different income groups, assuming that individuals ultimately bear the cost of employer payments through lower wages and the cost of government payments through tax contributions. A major conclusion is that net benefits to lower income individuals improve under all alternatives to the current system with relatively small increases in payments by individuals in any income group. Additionally, while employer mandates reduce individuals' direct payments, individual mandates can have lower costs to the government and better distributional outcomes. A 50% employer mandate also has many desirable features.

Annual report to the Working Group on Technology, Growth, and Employment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-04-01

A meeting of the Working Group on High Energy Physics was convened in Brussels, Belgium, in July 1984, and impaneled new groups of technical experts to report on long-term planning, technical collaborations, and the identification of administrative obstacles experienced within the Summit countries that impede international collaboration. The charges to these three new groups are contained in this report under the section on the Brussels meeting. The reports prepared by the technical experts were then reviewed at the January 1985 meeting at Cadarache, France, and the results are contained in this report under the section on the Cadarache meeting. The Summit Working Group on High Energy Physics believes progress is being made toward cooperation among the Summit countries in the exploration of scientific and technological development upon which the Summit Heads of State and Government declared at Versailles revitalization and growth of the world economy will depend - to a large extent. At Cadarache, the Group found that, since its establishment, international collaboration has increased in the use of present accelerators and in the planning for future accelerators. The Group also found that there are specific areas of technology in which near-term research cooperation is possible. Finally, the Group identified administrative regulations that hamper effective international collaboration in science and technology and that could be revised or eliminated through coordinated, high level Summit action. The major accomplishment of the Working Group thus far has been the creation of a forum for discussions on collaboration in a major field of science by seven industrialized countries. The Group recommends the continuation of its review of long-term plans for major facilities on an intergovernmental basis

Effectiveness of individual placement and support supported employment for young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Gary R; Drake, Robert E; Campbell, Kikuko

2016-08-01

The individual placement and support (IPS) model of supported employment was first developed in community mental health centres for adults with severe mental illness. While IPS is an established evidence-based practice in this broad population, evidence on its effectiveness focused specifically on young adults has been limited. The current study aimed to address this gap. To investigate the effects of IPS on young adults, the authors conducted a secondary analysis on a pooled sample of 109 unemployed young adults (under age 30) from four randomized controlled trials employing a common research protocol that included a standardized measurement battery and rigorous fidelity monitoring. Researchers assessed these participants over 18 months on nine competitive employment outcome measures. On all measures, the IPS group had significantly better employment outcomes. Overall, 40 (82%) of IPS participants obtained employment during follow-up compared with 25 (42%) of control participants, χ(2) = 17.9, P < .001. IPS participants averaged 25.0 weeks of employment, compared with 7.0 weeks for control participants, t = 4.50, P < .001. The current analysis supports a small number of previous studies in showing that IPS is highly effective in helping young adults with severe mental illness to attain competitive employment. When young adults acquire competitive jobs and initiate a path towards normal adult roles, they may avoid the cycle of disability and psychiatric patient roles that are demeaning and demoralizing. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Estimation of group means when adjusting for covariates in generalized linear models.

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Yongming; Luo, Junxiang

2015-01-01

Generalized linear models are commonly used to analyze categorical data such as binary, count, and ordinal outcomes. Adjusting for important prognostic factors or baseline covariates in generalized linear models may improve the estimation efficiency. The model-based mean for a treatment group produced by most software packages estimates the response at the mean covariate, not the mean response for this treatment group for the studied population. Although this is not an issue for linear models, the model-based group mean estimates in generalized linear models could be seriously biased for the true group means. We propose a new method to estimate the group mean consistently with the corresponding variance estimation. Simulation showed the proposed method produces an unbiased estimator for the group means and provided the correct coverage probability. The proposed method was applied to analyze hypoglycemia data from clinical trials in diabetes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Analysis of the glow curve of SrB 4O 7:Dy compounds employing the GOT model

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega, F.; Molina, P.; Santiago, M.; Spano, F.; Lester, M.; Caselli, E.

2006-02-01

The glow curve of SrB 4O 7:Dy phosphors has been analysed with the general one trap model (GOT). To solve the differential equation describing the GOT model a novel algorithm has been employed, which reduces significantly the deconvolution time with respect to the time required by usual integration algorithms, such as the Runge-Kutta method.

Analysis of the glow curve of SrB4O7:Dy compounds employing the GOT model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ortega, F.; Molina, P.; Santiago, M.; Spano, F.; Lester, M.; Caselli, E.

2006-01-01

The glow curve of SrB 4 O 7 :Dy phosphors has been analysed with the general one trap model (GOT). To solve the differential equation describing the GOT model a novel algorithm has been employed, which reduces significantly the deconvolution time with respect to the time required by usual integration algorithms, such as the Runge-Kutta method

Access to Employment: People with Disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Pierce, Patricia A.

1990-01-01

Reports the findings of Lou Harris and Associates (1987) on what employers are doing to employ people with disabilities and what their experiences with disabled employees have been. Presents strategies that provide a model for addressing the needs of the disabled population and provide them with opportunities. (JS)

The Future of Digital Music Services in Three Stereotypes; How Focus Groups of End Users See the New Business Models

OpenAIRE

Bookholt, Erik; Spil, Antonius A.M.; Katsma, Christiaan

2013-01-01

“I am just a stereotype” sang Terry Hall in 1980. Ariola records took them in and made the band The Specials a world success. How will that process go in 2014? Will they put it on You Tube for free? Do they need a record company? Will they have less or more fans, earn less or more money? Focus group interviews with 90 people between the ages of 15 and 25 were successfully employed to create 20 new business models for the digital music industry. Analysis with grounded theory revealed that a ne...

BULGARIAN EMPLOYMENT POLICY: PRIORITIES AND DIRECTIONS 2017

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ekaterina Arabska

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Development of labor market and employment policy in Bulgaria in contemporary dynamic conditions of social and economic life is in close relation to the European policies and programs and the needs of creating conditions for raising the level of employability of some special target groups on the labor market determined as the most vulnerable and needing particular measures of support. Current study makes analyses of priorities and directions in Bulgarian national employment policy for 2017 as set into the National action plan on employment considering a number of strategic and legislative documents on both national and European level. The general conclusions are focused on the systematization of actions and the importance of social dialogue.

Modelling animal group fission using social network dynamics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cédric Sueur

Full Text Available Group life involves both advantages and disadvantages, meaning that individuals have to compromise between their nutritional needs and their social links. When a compromise is impossible, the group splits in order to reduce conflict of interests and favour positive social interactions between its members. In this study we built a dynamic model of social networks to represent a succession of temporary fissions involving a change in social relations that could potentially lead to irreversible group fission (i.e. no more group fusion. This is the first study that assesses how a social network changes according to group fission-fusion dynamics. We built a model that was based on different parameters: the group size, the influence of nutritional needs compared to social needs, and the changes in the social network after a temporary fission. The results obtained from this theoretical data indicate how the percentage of social relation transfer, the number of individuals and the relative importance of nutritional requirements and social links influence the average number of days before irreversible fission occurs. The greater the nutritional needs and the higher the transfer of social relations during temporary fission, the fewer days will be observed before an irreversible fission. It is crucial to bridge the gap between the individual and the population level if we hope to understand how simple, local interactions may drive ecological systems.

Modeling Mixed Groups of Humans and Robots with Reflexive Game Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Tarasenko, Sergey

The Reflexive Game Theory is based on decision-making principles similar to the ones used by humans. This theory considers groups of subjects and allows to predict which action from the set each subject in the group will choose. It is possible to influence subject's decision in a way that he will make a particular choice. The purpose of this study is to illustrate how robots can refrain humans from risky actions. To determine the risky actions, the Asimov's Three Laws of robotics are employed. By fusing the RGT's power to convince humans on the mental level with Asimov's Laws' safety, we illustrate how robots in the mixed groups of humans and robots can influence on human subjects in order to refrain humans from risky actions. We suggest that this fusion has a potential to device human-like motor behaving and looking robots with the human-like decision-making algorithms.

Model describing the effect of employment of the United States military in a complex emergency.

Science.gov (United States)

MacMillan, Donald S

2005-01-01

The end of the Cold War vastly altered the worldwide political landscape. With the loss of a main competitor, the United States (US) military has had to adapt its strategic, operational, and tactical doctrines to an ever-increasing variety of non-traditional missions, including humanitarian operations. Complex emergencies (CEs) are defined in this paper from a political and military perspective, various factors that contribute to their development are described, and issues resulting from the employment of US military forces are discussed. A model was developed to illustrate the course of a humanitarian emergency and the potential impact of a military response. The US intervention in Haiti, Northern Iraq, Kosovo, Somalia, Bosnia, and Rwanda serve as examples. A CE develops when there is civil conflict, loss of national governmental authority, a mass population movement, and massive economic failure, each leading to a general decline in food security. The military can alleviate a CE in four ways: (1) provide security for relief efforts; (2) enforce negotiated settlements; (3) provide security for non-combatants; and/or (4) employ logistical capabilities. The model incorporates Norton and Miskel's taxonomy of identifying failing states and helps illustrate the factors that lead to a CE. The model can be used to determine if and when military intervention will have the greatest impact. The model demonstrates that early military intervention and mission assignment within the core competencies of the forces can reverse the course of a CE. Further study will be needed to verify the model.

Work activities and musculoskeletal discomforts amongst active older Albertans on alternative employment trajectories.

Science.gov (United States)

Doan, Jon B; Copeland, Jennifer L; Brown, Lesley A; Newman, Jeff T; Hudson, D Shane

2014-01-01

Bridge employment (scheduled paid work after retirement age) may promote successful aging and continued health, as work can be an important component of daily physical activity. Appropriate work demands for older adults are neither well-established nor well-applied, however, and excessive loading or increased perceptions of discomfort may negate the health benefits of work activity. This study examined work status and musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD) amongst older Albertans. 1044 Albertans aged 55 years and older participating in an organized 'Games' received a research package. Enclosed in the package were an introductory letter, a return envelope, and modified versions of validated questionnaires examining leisure and work activities, activity frequency, and perceptions of musculoskeletal health. 228 respondents were classified into one of three employment trajectory groups: fully retired, fully employed, or bridge employed. Groups differed in age, and both employed groups more frequently reported MSDs in all body areas. Bridge employed reported increased 'occasional' frequency of musculoskeletal injury risk factors, while both groups reported similar overall ratings of work-related exertion. The increased MSDs reported by bridge employed adults may be the result of irregularity of work activity and soft tissue loading. Detailed examination of work demands and musculoskeletal injuries amongst bridge employed adults could help define safer levels for less regular work activity.

The effectiveness of skills training for improving outcomes in supported employment.

Science.gov (United States)

Mueser, Kim T; Aalto, Steve; Becker, Deborah R; Ogden, John S; Wolfe, Rosemarie S; Schiavo, Diane; Wallace, Charles J; Xie, Haiyi

2005-10-01

This study evaluated whether a supplementary skills training program improved work outcomes for clients enrolled in supported employment programs. Thirty-five recently employed clients with severe mental illness who were receiving supported employment services at a free-standing agency were randomly assigned to participate in either the workplace fundamentals program, a skills training program designed to make work more "successful and satisfying," or treatment as usual. Knowledge of workplace fundamentals (for example, identifying workplace stressors, problem solving, and improving job performance) was assessed at baseline and at nine months; employment outcomes and use of additional vocational services were tracked for 18 months. Clients in the workplace fundamentals group (N=17) improved more in knowledge of workplace fundamentals than those in the control group (N=18) at the nine-month follow-up, but the two groups did not differ in the number of hours or days worked, salary earned, or receipt of additional vocational services over the 18-month period. In general, clients in this study had higher educational levels and better employment outcomes than clients in most previous studies of supported employment, making it difficult to detect possible effects of the skills training intervention on work. Supplementary skills training did not improve work outcomes for clients who were receiving supported employment.

Employability of mentally ill persons in India: A self-report-based population study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chellamuthu Ramasubramanian

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The employment status of mentally ill patients is a reflection of their productivity, control of illness besides providing therapeutic benefits and integration into mainstream society. Owing to the associated stigma, self-reporting of mental illness (SRMI often is rare. Census exercise of India in 2011 provides an insight of SRMI and employment status of such people. This study was undertaken to consider the role of gender, age group, and place on the employment status of SRMI. Methodology: Frequency of SRMI, age group, gender, and employment status was gathered from Indian 2011 census sources. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were employed. P≤ 0.05 was taken as significant. Results: Majority (68.6% of the SRMI people resides in rural areas, in the economically productive age group of 15–59 years (75.88% and often males (57.51%. Of the SRMI as reported in the data, 78.62% were not employed while 2.4% of them were currently employed. The employability frequency distributions of SMRIs were statistically different in terms of area, age group, and gender with significance. Discussion: Although the mental illness data of 2011 census was rejected by mental health professionals citing discrepancy and underestimating of the prevalence of mental illness, it provides a robust estimate of the employability, self-reporting tendency of mental illness. The association of the factors provides a unique insight into SRMIs in India. Conclusion: Understanding the interplay of factors may yield robust estimates and clues for policy framers to formulate employment-related policies for employment opportunities for mentally ill patients.

The Influence of psychological-sociological factors on self-employment

OpenAIRE

Remeikienė, Rita; Startienė, Gražina; Vasauskaitė, Jovita

2011-01-01

The article deals with the influence of psychological-sociological factors on a self-employed person, which is little explored in business literature. Analysis of scientific literature revealed that the psychological-sociological factors of self-employment can be divided into groups based on certain personal characteristics and individual psychological states, and the influence of psychological-sociological factors of self-employment is threefold: positive, negative, and unclear (both positiv...

Evaluating Employability Skills: Employer and Student Perceptions

Science.gov (United States)

Saunders, Venetia; Zuzel, Katherine

2010-01-01

Graduate employability is a key issue for Higher Education. In this two-part study student employability skills have been evaluated from the perspective of sandwich students and graduates in biomolecular science, and their employers. A strong correlation was found between employer and sandwich student/graduate perceptions of the relative…

Smoker-free workplace policies: developing a model of public health consequences of workplace policies barring employment to smokers.

Science.gov (United States)

Houle, B; Siegel, M

2009-02-01

A marked shift in tobacco-related workplace health promotion intervention involves the adoption of policies barring employment to smokers. We discuss the potential public health consequences of these policies on those affected-smokers, their families, the surrounding community and society at large. We find a lack of published evidence evaluating the effectiveness and consequences of these policies. By developing a model of policy effects, we outline possible unintended consequences. With such large gaps in the evidence base and the potential for deleterious consequences, we argue for increased discussion about the use of smoker-free employment policies as a public health intervention and for increased engagement of employers by the public health community in worksite health promotion.

The Achieving Success Everyday Group Counseling Model: Implications for Professional School Counselors

Science.gov (United States)

Steen, Sam; Henfield, Malik S.; Booker, Beverly

2014-01-01

This article presents the Achieving Success Everyday (ASE) group counseling model, which is designed to help school counselors integrate students' academic and personal-social development into their group work. We first describe this group model in detail and then offer one case example of a middle school counselor using the ASE model to conduct a…

Competence and Employment Forum: Linking HRD and HRM

Science.gov (United States)

Siikaniemi, Lena

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to find a model for the individual employee, the employer, the supervisors and the personnel at HR to manage organizational and individual changes. The objective of the model is to manage the changes in parallel with the competence (HRD) and employment (HRM) aspects. Design/methodology/approach: The research…

Network governance of active employment policy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damgaard, Bodil; Torfing, Jacob

2010-01-01

The recent reform of the Danish governance system in the field of active employment policy has been subject to fierce criticism, as many commentators fear that it is the beginning of the end of the Danish Model of active stakeholder involvement. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data, ......, the tight metagovernance of the LECs does not seem to straightjacket the LECs as there is a considerable scope for local policy making which makes it worthwhile for the social partners to participate in the local networks.......The recent reform of the Danish governance system in the field of active employment policy has been subject to fierce criticism, as many commentators fear that it is the beginning of the end of the Danish Model of active stakeholder involvement. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data......, this study aims to analyse the impact of the governance reform by assessing the initial experiences with the Local Employment Councils (LECs). The analysis shows that the LECs are relatively well-functioning and contribute to an effective and democratic governance of local employment policy. Furthermore...

Global Prospects for Full Employment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivo Šlaus

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The recent international financial crisis highlights the crucial role of employment in human welfare and social stability. Access to remunerative employment opportunities is essential for economic security in a market-based economic system. As the rise of democracy compelled nations to extend the voting right to all citizens, employment must be recognized as a fundamental human right. In total defiance of conventional wisdom, since 1950 job growth has outpaced the explosive growth of population, the rapid adoption of labor-saving technologies, the manifold expansion of world trade, and the dramatic shift from manual labor to white collar work. In an increasingly globalized labor market, current nation-centric theories and models of employment need to be replaced with a human-centered global perspective complemented by new indicators that recognize the central and essential contribution of employment to human economic welfare. Employment and economy are subsets of society and their growth is driven by the more fundamental process of social development. A vast array of unmet social needs combined with an enormous reservoir of underutilized social resources – technological, scientific, educational, organizational, cultural and psychological – can be harnessed to dramatically expand employment opportunities and achieve full employment on a global basis. This paper examines the theoretical basis, policy issues and strategies required to eradicate unemployment nationally and globally.

Women's Employment Transitions and Changes in Psychological Distress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilk, Piotr

2001-01-01

Full Text Available EnglishThe effect of employment on women's psychological well being has become animportant issue in the sociology of mental health. Although work-for-pay is thought to have an overallpostiive impact on women's psychological well being, not all women equally experience this positiveeffect. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of transitions in employment status onchanges in psychological distress among women in two types of family setting: lone parent families andmarried couple families (including common-law unions. Using a framework which combines a longitudinaldesign with a structural equation modelling multigroup analysis, the current study indicates clearlythat the employment transitions and employment stability have no uniform effect on the mental healthof all mothers. Specifically, transition into employment offers a significant reduction in feelings ofdistress only among married mothers. Single mothers, in contrast are found to experience a significantincrease in the level of distress when they move out of employment. The results of this study point tosome advantages of longitudinal research designs over cross-section designs.FrenchL'effet de l'emploi sur le bien-être psychologique des femmes est devenu unequestion importante en sociologie de santé mentale. Bien que le travail payé aitun impact positif global sur le bien-être psychologique des femmes, pas toutesles femmes éprouvent également cet effet positif. L'objectif de cette étude estd'évaluer l'effet des transitions dans le statut d'emploi sur des changements de ladétresse psychologique parmi des femmes dans deux types de famille: famillesà un seul parent et familles à couple mariés (y compris les mariages de fait. Enutilisant un cadre qui combine une analyse longitudinale avec une équationstructurale modelant plusieurs groupes, l'étude actuelle indique clairement queles transitions d'emploi et la stabilité d'emploi n'ont pas un effet uniforme sur lasant

Understanding Group/Party Affiliation Using Social Networks and Agent-Based Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Kenyth

2012-01-01

The dynamics of group affiliation and group dispersion is a concept that is most often studied in order for political candidates to better understand the most efficient way to conduct their campaigns. While political campaigning in the United States is a very hot topic that most politicians analyze and study, the concept of group/party affiliation presents its own area of study that producers very interesting results. One tool for examining party affiliation on a large scale is agent-based modeling (ABM), a paradigm in the modeling and simulation (M&S) field perfectly suited for aggregating individual behaviors to observe large swaths of a population. For this study agent based modeling was used in order to look at a community of agents and determine what factors can affect the group/party affiliation patterns that are present. In the agent-based model that was used for this experiment many factors were present but two main factors were used to determine the results. The results of this study show that it is possible to use agent-based modeling to explore group/party affiliation and construct a model that can mimic real world events. More importantly, the model in the study allows for the results found in a smaller community to be translated into larger experiments to determine if the results will remain present on a much larger scale.

Employment Impact of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Lisa M.; Wada, Roy; Persky, Joseph J.; Chaloupka, Frank J.

2014-01-01

Objectives. We assessed the impact of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes on net employment. Methods. We used a macroeconomic simulation model to assess the employment impact of a 20% SSB tax accounting for changes in SSB demand, substitution to non-SSBs, income effects, and government expenditures of tax revenues for Illinois and California in 2012. Results. We found increased employment of 4406 jobs in Illinois and 6654 jobs in California, representing a respective 0.06% and 0.03% change in employment. Declines in employment within the beverage industry occurred but were offset by new employment in nonbeverage industry and government sectors. Conclusions. SSB taxes do not have a negative impact on state-level employment, and industry claims of regional job losses are overstated and may mislead lawmakers and constituents. PMID:24524492

Does self-employment really raise job satisfaction? Adaptation and anticipation effects on self-employment and general job changes

OpenAIRE

Hanglberger, Dominik; Merz, Joachim

2015-01-01

Empirical analyses using cross-sectional and panel data found significantly higher levels of job satisfaction for the self-employed than for employees. We argue that by neglecting anticipation and adaptation effects estimates in previous studies might be misleading. To test this, we specify models accounting for anticipation and adaptation to self-employment and general job changes. In contrast to recent literature we find no specific long-term effect of self-employment on job satisfaction. A...

Factors affecting the employability in people with epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wo, Monica Chen Mun; Lim, Kheng Seang; Choo, Wan Yuen; Tan, Chong Tin

2016-12-01

People with epilepsy (PWE) are negatively prejudiced in their ability to work. This study aimed to examine demographic, clinical and psychological factors associated with employability in PWE. This study recruited epilepsy patients from a neurology clinic in Malaysia. Employability was measured using employment ratio, with a ratio ≥90% (ER90) classified as high employability. Basic demographic data such as age, gender, marital status, religion, education level and household income was collected. Clinical measures consisted of age of seizure onset, seizure frequency, type of epilepsy, aura, polytherapy, nocturnal seizures and seizure control. Psychological measures included Work Self-Determination Index (WSDI), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Of 146 PWE, 64.4% had high employability. The participants were predominantly female (52%), Chinese (50.7%), single (50%), having tertiary education (55.5%) and focal epilepsy (72.6%). Clinically, only type of epilepsy was significantly correlated to employability of PWE. Employability of PWE was associated with ability to work (indicated by education level, work performance affected by seizures, ability to travel independently and ability to cope with stress at work) and family overprotection. The high employability group was found to have lower self-perceived stigma (ESS), higher self-determined motivation (WSDI), self-esteem (SES) and perceived social support (MSPSS), than the low employability group. Logistic regression analysis showed that tertiary education level (AOR 3.42, CI: 1.46-8.00), higher self-determination (WSDI, AOR 1.09, CI: 1.012-1.17), lower family overprotection (AOR 0.76, CI: 0.61-0.95), and generalised epilepsy (AOR 4.17, CI: 1.37-12.70) were significant predictors for higher employability in PWE. Ability to work (education level), clinical factor (type of epilepsy) and psychological factor (self-determined motivation and family

A structural econometric model of family valuation and choice of employer-sponsored health insurance in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanness, David J

2003-09-01

This paper estimates a fully structural unitary household model of employment and health insurance decisions for dual wage-earner families with children in the United States, using data from the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey. Families choose hours of work and the breakdown of compensation between cash wages and health insurance benefits for each wage earner in order to maximize expected utility under uncertain need for medical care. Heterogeneous demand for the employer-sponsored health insurance is thus generated directly from variations in health status and earning potential. The paper concludes by discussing the benefits of using structural models for simulating welfare effects of insurance reform relative to the costly assumptions that must be imposed for identification. Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Discriminative latent models for recognizing contextual group activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Tian; Wang, Yang; Yang, Weilong; Robinovitch, Stephen N; Mori, Greg

2012-08-01

In this paper, we go beyond recognizing the actions of individuals and focus on group activities. This is motivated from the observation that human actions are rarely performed in isolation; the contextual information of what other people in the scene are doing provides a useful cue for understanding high-level activities. We propose a novel framework for recognizing group activities which jointly captures the group activity, the individual person actions, and the interactions among them. Two types of contextual information, group-person interaction and person-person interaction, are explored in a latent variable framework. In particular, we propose three different approaches to model the person-person interaction. One approach is to explore the structures of person-person interaction. Differently from most of the previous latent structured models, which assume a predefined structure for the hidden layer, e.g., a tree structure, we treat the structure of the hidden layer as a latent variable and implicitly infer it during learning and inference. The second approach explores person-person interaction in the feature level. We introduce a new feature representation called the action context (AC) descriptor. The AC descriptor encodes information about not only the action of an individual person in the video, but also the behavior of other people nearby. The third approach combines the above two. Our experimental results demonstrate the benefit of using contextual information for disambiguating group activities.

An Evaluation of a Behaviorally Based Social Skills Group for Individuals Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Leaf, Justin B.; Leaf, Jeremy A.; Milne, Christine; Taubman, Mitchell; Oppenheim-Leaf, Misty; Torres, Norma; Townley-Cochran, Donna; Leaf, Ronald; McEachin, John; Yoder, Paul

2017-01-01

In this study we evaluated a social skills group which employed a progressive applied behavior analysis model for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. A randomized control trial was utilized; eight participants were randomly assigned to a treatment group and seven participants were randomly assigned to a waitlist control group. The…

Large Scale Management of Physicists Personal Analysis Data Without Employing User and Group Quotas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norman, A.; Diesbug, M.; Gheith, M.; Illingworth, R.; Lyon, A.; Mengel, M.

2015-01-01

The ability of modern HEP experiments to acquire and process unprecedented amounts of data and simulation have lead to an explosion in the volume of information that individual scientists deal with on a daily basis. Explosion has resulted in a need for individuals to generate and keep large personal analysis data sets which represent the skimmed portions of official data collections, pertaining to their specific analysis. While a significant reduction in size compared to the original data, these personal analysis and simulation sets can be many terabytes or 10s of TB in size and consist of 10s of thousands of files. When this personal data is aggregated across the many physicists in a single analysis group or experiment it can represent data volumes on par or exceeding the official production samples which require special data handling techniques to deal with effectively.In this paper we explore the changes to the Fermilab computing infrastructure and computing models which have been developed to allow experimenters to effectively manage their personal analysis data and other data that falls outside of the typically centrally managed production chains. In particular we describe the models and tools that are being used to provide the modern neutrino experiments like NOvA with storage resources that are sufficient to meet their analysis needs, without imposing specific quotas on users or groups of users. We discuss the storage mechanisms and the caching algorithms that are being used as well as the toolkits are have been developed to allow the users to easily operate with terascale+ datasets. (paper)

Exploring the Impact of Students' Learning Approach on Collaborative Group Modeling of Blood Circulation

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Shinyoung; Kang, Eunhee; Kim, Heui-Baik

2015-01-01

This study aimed to explore the effect on group dynamics of statements associated with deep learning approaches (DLA) and their contribution to cognitive collaboration and model development during group modeling of blood circulation. A group was selected for an in-depth analysis of collaborative group modeling. This group constructed a model in a…

Employer-driven consumerism: integrating health into the business model.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Michael; Checkley, Joseph

2006-01-01

Consumer-driven health care is a misnomer. Notwithstanding the enormous role the individual consumer has to play in reshaping the U.S. health care delivery system, this article will focus on the employer as the key driver of change and innovation in the consumerism revolution. American Standard provides a case study of how one major employer has evaluated health care in the context of its business and aggressively integrated consumerism and health into the core of its business. Other companies will appropriately execute consumerism strategies in a fashion consistent with their own needs, culture, resources and populations. However, the principles supporting those strategies will be very much consistent.

A model of interaction between anticorruption authority and corruption groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neverova, Elena G.; Malafeyef, Oleg A.

2015-01-01

The paper provides a model of interaction between anticorruption unit and corruption groups. The main policy functions of the anticorruption unit involve reducing corrupt practices in some entities through an optimal approach to resource allocation and effective anticorruption policy. We develop a model based on Markov decision-making process and use Howard’s policy-improvement algorithm for solving an optimal decision strategy. We examine the assumption that corruption groups retaliate against the anticorruption authority to protect themselves. This model was implemented through stochastic game

A model of interaction between anticorruption authority and corruption groups

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neverova, Elena G.; Malafeyef, Oleg A. [Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 35, Universitetskii prospekt, Petrodvorets, 198504 Email:elenaneverowa@gmail.com, malafeyevoa@mail.ru (Russian Federation)

2015-03-10

The paper provides a model of interaction between anticorruption unit and corruption groups. The main policy functions of the anticorruption unit involve reducing corrupt practices in some entities through an optimal approach to resource allocation and effective anticorruption policy. We develop a model based on Markov decision-making process and use Howard’s policy-improvement algorithm for solving an optimal decision strategy. We examine the assumption that corruption groups retaliate against the anticorruption authority to protect themselves. This model was implemented through stochastic game.

Evaluation of a Multiple Mediator Model of the Relationship between Core Self-Evaluations and Job Satisfaction in Employed Individuals with Disabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Smedema, Susan Miller; Kesselmayer, Rachel Friefeld; Peterson, Lauren

2018-01-01

Purpose: To test a meditation model of the relationship between core self-evaluations (CSE) and job satisfaction in employed individuals with disabilities. Method: A quantitative descriptive design using Hayes's (2012) PROCESS macro for SPSS and multiple regression analysis. Two-hundred fifty-nine employed persons with disabilities were recruited…

Advancing intercultural competency: Canadian engineering employers' experiences with immigrant engineers

Science.gov (United States)

Friesen, Marcia; Ingram, Sandra

2013-05-01

This paper explores Canadian engineering employers' perceptions of and experiences with internationally educated engineers (recent immigrants to Canada) employed in their organisations for varying lengths of time. Qualitative data were collected from employers using focus group methodology. Findings reflected employers' observations of culturally different behaviours and characteristics in their internationally educated employees, employers' reactions to cultural differences ranging from negative attributions to tolerance, and the implementation of largely ad hoc intra-organisational strategies for managing cultural differences in employer-employee relationships. Findings exposed the lack of corporate intercultural competency in the Canadian engineering profession. Equity and gatekeeping implications are discussed.

Student Employment as a Model for Experiential Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Fede, Jacquelyn H.; Gorman, Kathleen S.; Cimini, Maria E.

2018-01-01

Background: Evidence suggests experiential learning promotes the development of a range of transferrable skills including communication, responsibility, and social skills. However, many students are unable to participate in internships or other common forms of experiential education because they need to work for pay. University employment has been…

The bigger the worse? A comparative study of the welfare state and employment commitment

OpenAIRE

van der Wel, Kjetil A.; Halvorsen, Knut

2014-01-01

This article investigates how welfare generosity and active labour market policies relate to employment commitment. As social policy is increasingly directed towards stimulating employment in broader sections of society, this article particularly studies employment commitment among groups with traditionally weaker bonds to the labour market. This is also theoretically interesting because the employment commitment in these groups may be more affected by the welfare context than is the employme...

The positive group affect spiral : a dynamic model of the emergence of positive affective similarity in work groups

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Walter, F.; Bruch, H.

This conceptual paper seeks to clarify the process of the emergence of positive collective affect. Specifically, it develops a dynamic model of the emergence of positive affective similarity in work groups. It is suggested that positive group affective similarity and within-group relationship

Postsecondary Employment Experiences Among Young Adults With an Autism Spectrum Disorder RH: Employment in Young Adults With Autism

Science.gov (United States)

Roux, Anne M.; Shattuck, Paul T.; Cooper, Benjamin P.; Anderson, Kristy A.; Wagner, Mary; Narendorf, Sarah C.

2013-01-01

Objective We examined postsecondary employment experiences of young adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and compared these outcomes with those of young adults with different disabilities. Method Data were from Wave 5 of the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS2), a nationally representative survey of young adults who had received special education services during high school. We examined the prevalence of ever having had—and currently having—a paid job at 21–25 years of age. We analyzed rates of full employment, wages earned, number of jobs held since high school, and job types. Results About half (53.4%) of young adults with an ASD had ever worked for pay outside the home since leaving high school, the lowest rate among disability groups. Young adults with an ASD earned an average of $8.10 per hour, significantly lower than average wages for young adults in the comparison groups, and held jobs that clustered within fewer occupational types. Odds of ever having had a paid job were higher for those who were older, from higher-income households, and with better conversational abilities or functional skills. Conclusions Findings of worse employment outcomes for young adults with an ASD suggest this population is experiencing particular difficulty in successfully transitioning into employment. Research is needed to determine strategies for improving outcomes as these young adults transition into adulthood. PMID:23972695

Joining the Dots: Theoretically Connecting the Vona du Toit Model of Creative Ability (VdTMoCA) with Supported Employment

OpenAIRE

de Bruyn, Marna; Wright, Jon

2017-01-01

The Vona du Toit Model of Creative Ability (VdTMoCA) presents a framework for understanding client motivation and action in occupational therapy, emphasising the relationship between motivation and action. Similarly, motivation to work is regarded as the primary and in some instances, the only eligibility criterion for inclusion in supported employment services. This commentary explores the potential theoretical link between the VdTMoCA and supported employment, primarily applied to the South...

On renormalization group flow in matrix model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, H.B.

1992-10-01

The renormalization group flow recently found by Brezin and Zinn-Justin by integrating out redundant entries of the (N+1)x(N+1) Hermitian random matrix is studied. By introducing explicitly the RG flow parameter, and adding suitable counter terms to the matrix potential of the one matrix model, we deduce some interesting properties of the RG trajectories. In particular, the string equation for the general massive model interpolating between the UV and IR fixed points turns out to be a consequence of RG flow. An ambiguity in the UV region of the RG trajectory is remarked to be related to the large order behaviour of the one matrix model. (author). 7 refs

Group size, grooming and fission in primates: a modeling approach based on group structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Sueur, Cédric; Deneubourg, Jean-Louis; Petit, Odile; Couzin, Iain D

2011-03-21

In social animals, fission is a common mode of group proliferation and dispersion and may be affected by genetic or other social factors. Sociality implies preserving relationships between group members. An increase in group size and/or in competition for food within the group can result in decrease certain social interactions between members, and the group may split irreversibly as a consequence. One individual may try to maintain bonds with a maximum of group members in order to keep group cohesion, i.e. proximity and stable relationships. However, this strategy needs time and time is often limited. In addition, previous studies have shown that whatever the group size, an individual interacts only with certain grooming partners. There, we develop a computational model to assess how dynamics of group cohesion are related to group size and to the structure of grooming relationships. Groups' sizes after simulated fission are compared to observed sizes of 40 groups of primates. Results showed that the relationship between grooming time and group size is dependent on how each individual attributes grooming time to its social partners, i.e. grooming a few number of preferred partners or grooming equally or not all partners. The number of partners seemed to be more important for the group cohesion than the grooming time itself. This structural constraint has important consequences on group sociality, as it gives the possibility of competition for grooming partners, attraction for high-ranking individuals as found in primates' groups. It could, however, also have implications when considering the cognitive capacities of primates. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modelling comonotonic group-life under dependent decrement causes

OpenAIRE

Wang, Dabuxilatu

2011-01-01

Comonotonicity had been a extreme case of dependency between random variables. This article consider an extension of single life model under multiple dependent decrement causes to the case of comonotonic group-life.

EnviroAtlas - Employment Activity in the Conterminous U.S. Web Service

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This EnviroAtlas web service includes maps that illustrate job activity in each census block group. Employment diversity, employment density, and proximity of...

An employee total health management-based survey of Iowa employers.

Science.gov (United States)

Merchant, James A; Lind, David P; Kelly, Kevin M; Hall, Jennifer L

2013-12-01

To implement an Employee Total Health Management (ETHM) model-based questionnaire and provide estimates of model program elements among a statewide sample of Iowa employers. Survey a stratified random sample of Iowa employers, and characterize and estimate employer participation in ETHM program elements. Iowa employers are implementing less than 30% of all 12 components of ETHM, with the exception of occupational safety and health (46.6%) and workers' compensation insurance coverage (89.2%), but intend modest expansion of all components in the coming year. The ETHM questionnaire-based survey provides estimates of progress Iowa employers are making toward implementing components of Total Worker Health programs.

Standard model group: Survival of the fittest

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, H. B.; Brene, N.

1983-09-01

The essential content of this paper is related to random dynamics. We speculate that the world seen through a sub-Planck-scale microscope has a lattice structure and that the dynamics on this lattice is almost completely random, except for the requirement that the random (plaquette) action is invariant under some "world (gauge) group". We see that the randomness may lead to spontaneous symmetry breakdown in the vacuum (spontaneous collapse) without explicit appeal to any scalar field associated with the usual Higgs mechanism. We further argue that the subgroup which survives as the end product of a possible chain of collapses is likely to have certain properties; the most important is that it has a topologically connected center. The standard group, i.e. the group of the gauge theory which combines the Salam-Weinberg model with QCD, has this property.

Standard model group: survival of the fittest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nielsen, H.B.; Brene, N.

1983-01-01

Th essential content of this paper is related to random dynamics. We speculate that the world seen through a sub-Planck-scale microscope has a lattice structure and that the dynamics on this lattice is almost completely random, except for the requirement that the random (plaquette) action is invariant under some ''world (gauge) group''. We see that the randomness may lead to spontaneous symmetry breakdown in the vacuum (spontaneous collapse) without explicit appeal to any scalar field associated with the usual Higgs mechanism. We further argue that the subgroup which survives as the end product of a possible chain of collapse is likely to have certain properties; the most important is that it has a topologically connected center. The standard group, i.e. the group of the gauge theory which combines the Salam-Weinberg model with QCD, has this property. (orig.)

The Therapeutic Utility of Employment in Treating Drug Addiction: Science to Application.

Science.gov (United States)

Silverman, Kenneth; Holtyn, August F; Morrison, Reed

2016-06-01

Research on a model Therapeutic Workplace has allowed for evaluation of the use of employment in the treatment of drug addiction. Under the Therapeutic Workplace intervention, adults with histories of drug addiction are hired and paid to work. To promote drug abstinence or adherence to addiction medications, participants are required to provide drug-free urine samples or take prescribed addiction medications, respectively, to gain access to the workplace and/or to maintain their maximum rate of pay. Research has shown that the Therapeutic Workplace intervention is effective in promoting and maintaining abstinence from heroin, cocaine and alcohol and in promoting adherence to naltrexone. Three models could be used to implement and maintain employment-based reinforcement in the treatment of drug addiction: A Social Business model, a Cooperative Employer model, and a Wage Supplement model. Under all models, participants initiate abstinence in a training and abstinence initiation phase (Phase 1). Under the Social Business model, Phase 1 graduates are hired as employees in a social business and required to maintain abstinence to maintain employment and/or maximum pay. Under the Cooperative Employer model, cooperating community employers hire graduates of Phase 1 and require them to maintain abstinence to maintain employment and/or maximum pay. Under the Wage Supplement Model, graduates of Phase 1 are offered abstinence-contingent wage supplements if they maintain competitive employment in a community job. Given the severity and persistence of the problem of drug addiction and the lack of treatments that can produce lasting effects, continued development of the Therapeutic Workplace is warranted.

Pressing Issues of Disability Employment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shabunova Aleksandra Anatol’evna

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Disability employment is a major tool for creating inclusive society. In Russia, the main obstacles to employment of the disabled are imperfect statutory measures aimed at improving competitiveness of this population group in the labor market; low prestige of jobs for people with disabilities; the employers’ unwillingness to hire disabled people. The purpose of this study is to determine the barriers disabled people face on the labor market and to justify the expedience of investing public funds in activities aimed at promoting disabled employment. Works of Russian and foreign authors, national statistics, results of sociological surveys of the population and people with disabilities conducted on the territory of the Vologda Oblast in 2013–2015 represent the information base of the study. The article reviews the impact of employment quotas for the disabled; in particular, it has been established that the number of the employed under such quotas during the period from 2008 to 2014 has declined. Based on the results of domestic research the authors have determined the reasons underlying lack of effectiveness of this social policy tool. One of the problems of promoting disability employment is training and re-training of the disabled. According to official statistics, only 38% of the employed disabled who live in a city are employed in the area of their specialty. At the same time, the results of research h of Russian authors show that training of an expert (even with consideration of their health capacities pays off within 4 years. Using the example of the Vologda Oblast, the authors show that annual tax revenues in employment of the disabled to jobs with wages close to the regional average may reach 33 million rubles. They also estimate the approximate regional cost of workplace equipment for the disabled. Finally, the authors propose a list of key courses of action on increasing competitiveness of the disabled in the labor market

Molecular structure based property modeling: Development/ improvement of property models through a systematic property-data-model analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hukkerikar, Amol Shivajirao; Sarup, Bent; Sin, Gürkan

2013-01-01

models. To make the property-data-model analysis fast and efficient, an approach based on the “molecular structure similarity criteria” to identify molecules (mono-functional, bi-functional, etc.) containing specified set of structural parameters (that is, groups) is employed. The method has been applied...

Where do inmmigrants fare worse? Modeling workplace wage gap variation with longitudinal employer-employee data.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomaskovic-Devey, Donald; Hällsten, Martin; Avent-Holt, Dustin

2015-01-01

The authors propose a strategy for observing and explaining workplace variance in categorically linked inequalities. Using Swedish economy-wide linked employer-employee panel data, the authors examine variation in workplace wage inequalities between native Swedes and non-Western immigrants. Consistent with relational inequality theory, the authors' findings are that immigrant-native wage gaps vary dramatically across workplaces, even net of strong human capital controls. The authors also find that, net of observed and fixed-effect controls for individual traits, workplace immigrant-native wage gaps decline with increased workplace immigrant employment and managerial representation and increase when job segregation rises. These results are stronger in high-inequality workplaces and for white-collar employees: contexts in which one expects status-based claims on organizational resources, the central causal mechanism identified by relational inequality theory, to be stronger. The authors conclude that workplace variation in the non-Western immigrant-native wage gaps is contingent on organizational variationin the relative power of groups and the institutional context in which that power is exercised.

Employment effects of the extended use of renewable energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pfaffenberger, W.

1997-01-01

Any investment has a positive effect on employment: setting up an investment object involves a number of jobs. But in national economic terms, investments into renewable energies have an employment effect only if the investments are viewed within the context of the energy system as a whole. A global scenario for extending the use of renewable energies as it is outlined by the group 2010 is expected to have a positive effect on employment. Employment effects in connection with renewable energies are inferior to those associated with investments that are economical ex ante, such as many investments for enhancing energy efficiency. (orig./RHM)

Employer health insurance offerings and employee enrollment decisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Polsky, Daniel; Stein, Rebecca; Nicholson, Sean; Bundorf, M Kate

2005-10-01

To determine how the characteristics of the health benefits offered by employers affect worker insurance coverage decisions. The 1996-1997 and the 1998-1999 rounds of the nationally representative Community Tracking Study Household Survey. We use multinomial logistic regression to analyze the choice between own-employer coverage, alternative source coverage, and no coverage among employees offered health insurance by their employer. The key explanatory variables are the types of health plans offered and the net premium offered. The models include controls for personal, health plan, and job characteristics. When an employer offers only a health maintenance organization married employees are more likely to decline coverage from their employer and take-up another offer (odds ratio (OR)=1.27, phealth plan coverage an employer offers affects whether its employees take-up insurance, but has a smaller effect on overall coverage rates for workers and their families because of the availability of alternative sources of coverage. Relative to offering only a non-HMO plan, employers offering only an HMO may reduce take-up among those with alternative sources of coverage, but increase take-up among those who would otherwise go uninsured. By modeling the possibility of take-up through the health insurance offers from the employer of the spouse, the decline in coverage rates from higher net premiums is less than previous estimates.

People into Employment: supporting people with disabilities and carers into work.

Science.gov (United States)

Arksey, Hilary

2003-05-01

Carers and people with disabilities are two disadvantaged groups at risk of social exclusion. Work is an important route to social inclusion, but carers and people with disabilities are under-represented in the work force. The present paper reports key findings from a new study that evaluated People into Employment (PIE), a pilot employment project in the north-east of England designed to support people with disabilities, carers and former carers in gaining mainstream work. The study aimed to identify what clients, partner agencies and employers perceived to be PIE's most important services, its strengths and areas where there was scope for further development. The study collected quantitative and qualitative data at the mid-point and at the end of the project through two questionnaire surveys, and interviews with PIE clients, the project development officer, partner agencies and employers. Drawing on the 'pathway model', the findings show that PIE's interventions included mobilising, matching, mediating and supporting activities. Key ingredients in PIE's success include: tailor-made job-search activities and training; adjusting the pace at which people move towards sustained employment; recognising and responding to the differing needs of people with disabilities, carers and former carers; confidence boosting; accompanying clients to job interviews; good job matching; and ongoing practical and emotional support for both clients and employers. Rudimentary calculations suggest that the cost per job to the project is less than the cost per job for large national projects. Overall, these findings illustrate how access to employment via flexible job-search services geared up to the local labour market can successfully promote social inclusion for carers and people with disabilities.

Effects of sustained abstinence among treated substance-abusing homeless persons on housing and employment.

Science.gov (United States)

Milby, Jesse B; Schumacher, Joseph E; Wallace, Dennis; Vuchinich, Rudy; Mennemeyer, Stephen T; Kertesz, Stefan G

2010-05-01

We examined whether cocaine-dependent homeless persons had stable housing and were employed 6, 12, and 18 months after they entered a randomized controlled trial comparing 2 treatments. One group (n = 103) received abstinence-contingent housing, vocational training, and work; another group (n = 103) received the same intervention plus cognitive behavioral day treatment. We examined baseline and early treatment variables for association with long-term housing and employment. Although the enhanced-treatment group achieved better abstinence rates, the groups did not differ in long-term housing and employment stability. However, consecutive weeks of abstinence during treatment (and to a lesser extent, older age and male gender) predicted long-term housing and employment stability after adjustment for baseline differences in employment, housing, and treatment. Our data showed a relationship of abstinence with housing stability. Contrasting these results with the increasingly popular Housing First interventions reveals important gaps in our knowledge to be addressed in future research.

Language, Employment, and Settlement: Temporary Meat Workers in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Piller, Ingrid; Lising, Loy

2014-01-01

Australia is one of the world's largest beef exporters. However, meat processing jobs are widely considered undesirable and are increasingly filled with employer-sponsored migrant workers on temporary long-stay visas. Against this background, our paper explores the role of language in the employment and migration trajectories of a group of meat…

5 CFR 6601.102 - Prior approval for outside employment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... approval for outside employment. (a) Before engaging in any outside employment with a prohibited source... (including the name of the person, group or other organization for whom the work is to be performed), and a... activity, and, if so, how much. (b) Approval shall be granted only upon determination that the outside...

Group clinics for young adults with diabetes in an ethnically diverse, socioeconomically deprived setting (TOGETHER study): protocol for a realist review, co-design and mixed methods, participatory evaluation of a new care model.

Science.gov (United States)

Papoutsi, Chrysanthi; Hargreaves, Dougal; Colligan, Grainne; Hagell, Ann; Patel, Anita; Campbell-Richards, Desirée; Viner, Russell M; Vijayaraghavan, Shanti; Marshall, Martin; Greenhalgh, Trisha; Finer, Sarah

2017-06-21

Young adults with diabetes often report dissatisfaction with care and have poor diabetes-related health outcomes. As diabetes prevalence continues to rise, group-based care could provide a sustainable alternative to traditional one-to-one consultations, by engaging young people through life stage-, context- and culturally-sensitive approaches. In this study, we will co-design and evaluate a group-based care model for young adults with diabetes and complex health and social needs in socioeconomically deprived areas. This participatory study will include three phases. In phase 1, we will carry out a realist review to synthesise the literature on group-based care for young adults with diabetes. This theory-driven understanding will provide the basis for phase 2, where we will draw on experience-based co-design methodologies to develop a new, group-based care model for young adults (aged researcher-in-residence approach to implement and evaluate the co-designed group clinic model and compare with traditional care. We will employ qualitative (observations in clinics, patient and staff interviews and document analysis) and quantitative methods (eg, biological markers, patient enablement instrument and diabetes distress scale), including a cost analysis. National Health Service ethics approval has been granted (reference 17/NI/0019). The project will directly inform service redesign to better meet the needs of young adults with diabetes in socioeconomically deprived areas and may guide a possible cluster-randomised trial, powered to clinical and cost-effectiveness outcomes. Findings from this study may be transferable to other long-term conditions and/or age groups. Project outputs will include briefing statements, summaries and academic papers, tailored for different audiences, including people living with diabetes, clinicians, policy makers and strategic decision makers. PROSPERO (CRD42017058726). © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the

JobTIPS: A Transition to Employment Program for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Strickland, Dorothy C.; Coles, Claire D.; Southern, Louise B.

2013-01-01

This study evaluated the effectiveness of an Internet accessed training program that included Theory of Mind-based guidance, video models, visual supports, and virtual reality practice sessions in teaching appropriate job interview skills to individuals with high functioning ASD. In a randomized study, twenty two youth, ages 16 to 19, were evaluated during two employment interviews. Half received a training intervention following the initial interview and the half who served as a contrast group did not. Their performance pre and post intervention was assessed by four independent raters using a scale that included evaluation of both Content and Delivery. Results suggest that youth who completed the JobTIPS employment program demonstrated significantly more effective verbal content skills than those who did not. PMID:23494559

Research on the Mode of University-Enterprise Cooperation to Promote Engineering Students' Employment

Science.gov (United States)

Hui, Yan; Lihua, Sun

2018-06-01

The employment of university students has become a hot issue of concern to the whole society. Promoting the employment of university students is a top priority for higher education institutions. University-enterprise cooperation is an important trend in the development of modern higher education. It is also an important channel for promoting the employment of university students, especially for engineering students. Through an in-depth analysis of the status quo of employment of university graduates, this paper proposes four modes of university-enterprise cooperation to promote university graduates' employment: The post-employment cooperation model, the professional internship cooperation model, the second classroom expansion cooperation model and the enterprise-oriented recruitment model, and further proposed the countermeasures to strengthen the cooperation between university and enterprise in order to promote the employment of university students.

Transformation of renormalization groups in 2N-component fermion hierarchical model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stepanov, R.G.

2006-01-01

The 2N-component fermion model on the hierarchical lattice is studied. The explicit formulae for renormalization groups transformation in the space of coefficients setting the Grassmannian-significant density of the free measure are presented. The inverse transformation of the renormalization group is calculated. The definition of immovable points of renormalization groups is reduced to solving the set of algebraic equations. The interesting connection between renormalization group transformations in boson and fermion hierarchical models is found out. It is shown that one transformation is obtained from other one by the substitution of N on -N [ru

A New Concept of Full Employment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Delsen, L.W.M.

1997-01-01

The target of full employment depends upon the goals regarding labour force participation rates, the length of the work week and frictional unemployment. Although nearly all social groups agree that stronger economic growth would contribute most to solving the unemployment problem, the prospects for

EMPLOYER CHOICES IN EAP DESIGN AND WORKSITE SERVICES.

Science.gov (United States)

McCann, Bernard; Azzone, Vanessa; Merrick, Elizabeth L; Hiatt, Deirdre; Hodgkin, Dominic; Horgan, Constance M

2010-01-01

In today's complex private healthcare market, employers have varied preferences for particular features of behavioral health products such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). Factors which may influence these preferences include: establishment size, type of organization, industry, workplace substance abuse regulations, and structure of health insurance benefits. This study of 103 large employer purchasers from a single managed behavioral healthcare organization investigated the impact of such variables on the EAP features that employers select to provide to workers and their families. Our findings indicate that for this group of employers, preferences for the type and delivery mode of EAP counseling services are fairly universal, while number of sessions provided and choices for EAP-provided worksite activities are much more varied, and may be more reflective of the diverse characteristics, organizational missions and workplace culture found among larger employers in the US.

Differences in sickness absence between self-employed and employed doctors: a cross-sectional study on national sample of Norwegian doctors in 2010

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Doctors have a low prevalence of sickness absence. Employment status is a determinant in the multifactorial background of sickness absence. The effect of doctors’ employment status on sickness absence is unexplored. The study compares the number of sickness absence days during the last 12 months and the impact of employment status, psychosocial work stress, self-rated health and demographics on sickness absence between self-employed practitioners and employed hospital doctors in Norway. Methods The study population consisted of a representative sample of 521 employed interns and consultants and 313 self-employed GPs and private practice specialists in Norway, who received postal questionnaires in 2010. The questionnaires contained items on sickness absence days during the last 12 months, employment status, demographics, self-rated health, professional autonomy and psychosocial work stress. Results 84% (95% CI 80 to 88%) of self-employed and 60% (95% CI 55 to 64%) of employed doctors reported no absence at all last year. In three multivariate logistic regression models with sickness absence as response variable, employment category was a highly significant predictor for absence vs. no absence, 1 to 3 days of absence vs. no absence and 4 to 99 days of absence vs. no absence), while in a model with 100 or more days of absence vs. no absence, there was no difference between employment categories, suggesting that serious chronic disease or injury is less dependent on employment category. Average or poor self-rated health and low professional autonomy, were also significant predictors of sickness absence, while psychosocial work stress, age and gender were not. Conclusion Self-employed GPs and private practice specialist reported lower sickness absence than employed hospital doctors. Differences in sickness compensation, and organisational and individual factors may to a certain extent explain this finding. PMID:24885230

Standard model group: survival of the fittest

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nielsen, H.B. (Niels Bohr Inst., Copenhagen (Denmark); Nordisk Inst. for Teoretisk Atomfysik, Copenhagen (Denmark)); Brene, N. (Niels Bohr Inst., Copenhagen (Denmark))

1983-09-19

The essential content of this paper is related to random dynamics. We speculate that the world seen through a sub-Planck-scale microscope has a lattice structure and that the dynamics on this lattice is almost completely random, except for the requirement that the random (plaquette) action is invariant under some ''world (gauge) group''. We see that the randomness may lead to spontaneous symmetry breakdown in the vacuum (spontaneous collapse) without explicit appeal to any scalar field associated with the usual Higgs mechanism. We further argue that the subgroup which survives as the end product of a possible chain of collapse is likely to have certain properties; the most important is that it has a topologically connected center. The standard group, i.e. the group of the gauge theory which combines the Salam-Weinberg model with QCD, has this property.

Standard model group survival of the fittest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nielsen, H.B.; Brene, N.

1983-02-01

The essential content of this note is related to random dynamics. The authors speculate that the world seen through a sub Planck scale microscope has a lattice structure and that the dynamics on this lattice is almost completely random, except for the requirement that the random (plaquette) action is invariant under some ''world (gauge) group''. It is seen that the randomness may lead to spontaneous symmetry breakdown in the vacuum (spontaneous collapse) without explicit appeal to any scalar field associated with the usual Higgs mechanism. It is further argued that the subgroup which survives as the end product of a possible chain of collapses is likely to have certain properties; the most important is that it has a topologically connected center. The standard group, i.e. the group of the gauge theory which combines the Salam-Weinberg model with QCD, has this property. (Auth.)

An Employee Total Health Management–Based Survey of Iowa Employers

Science.gov (United States)

Merchant, James A.; Lind, David P.; Kelly, Kevin M.; Hall, Jennifer L.

2015-01-01

Objective To implement an Employee Total Health Management (ETHM) model-based questionnaire and provide estimates of model program elements among a statewide sample of Iowa employers. Methods Survey a stratified random sample of Iowa employers, characterize and estimate employer participation in ETHM program elements Results Iowa employers are implementing under 30% of all 12 components of ETHM, with the exception of occupational safety and health (46.6%) and worker compensation insurance coverage (89.2%), but intend modest expansion of all components in the coming year. Conclusions The Employee Total Health Management questionnaire-based survey provides estimates of progress Iowa employers are making toward implementing components of total worker health programs. PMID:24284757

A model parent group for enhancing aggressive children's social competence in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ming-Hui

2009-07-01

This paper presents a semi-structured psychoeducational model of group work for parents of aggressive children based on concepts of co-parenting and bidirectionality. The group was developed for enhancing five Taiwanese aggressive children's social competence by promoting positive interactions within family. Topics covered in the group included identifying parenting styles, forming parental alliances, fostering parent-child mutual initiations/mutual compliances, establishing parent-child co-regulation, and responding to aggressive children's negative emotions. Pre- and post-group comparisons suggested the effectiveness of the group model.

Model parameters for representative wetland plant functional groups

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Amber S.; Kiniry, James R.; Mushet, David M.; Smith, Loren M.; McMurry, Scott T.; Attebury, Kelly; Lang, Megan; McCarty, Gregory W.; Shaffer, Jill A.; Effland, William R.; Johnson, Mari-Vaughn V.

2017-01-01

Wetlands provide a wide variety of ecosystem services including water quality remediation, biodiversity refugia, groundwater recharge, and floodwater storage. Realistic estimation of ecosystem service benefits associated with wetlands requires reasonable simulation of the hydrology of each site and realistic simulation of the upland and wetland plant growth cycles. Objectives of this study were to quantify leaf area index (LAI), light extinction coefficient (k), and plant nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) concentrations in natural stands of representative plant species for some major plant functional groups in the United States. Functional groups in this study were based on these parameters and plant growth types to enable process-based modeling. We collected data at four locations representing some of the main wetland regions of the United States. At each site, we collected on-the-ground measurements of fraction of light intercepted, LAI, and dry matter within the 2013–2015 growing seasons. Maximum LAI and k variables showed noticeable variations among sites and years, while overall averages and functional group averages give useful estimates for multisite simulation modeling. Variation within each species gives an indication of what can be expected in such natural ecosystems. For P and K, the concentrations from highest to lowest were spikerush (Eleocharis macrostachya), reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), smartweed (Polygonum spp.), cattail (Typha spp.), and hardstem bulrush (Schoenoplectus acutus). Spikerush had the highest N concentration, followed by smartweed, bulrush, reed canary grass, and then cattail. These parameters will be useful for the actual wetland species measured and for the wetland plant functional groups they represent. These parameters and the associated process-based models offer promise as valuable tools for evaluating environmental benefits of wetlands and for evaluating impacts of various agronomic practices in

Renormalisation group improved leptogenesis in family symmetry models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, Iain K.; King, Stephen F.; Luhn, Christoph

2012-01-01

We study renormalisation group (RG) corrections relevant for leptogenesis in the case of family symmetry models such as the Altarelli-Feruglio A 4 model of tri-bimaximal lepton mixing or its extension to tri-maximal mixing. Such corrections are particularly relevant since in large classes of family symmetry models, to leading order, the CP violating parameters of leptogenesis would be identically zero at the family symmetry breaking scale, due to the form dominance property. We find that RG corrections violate form dominance and enable such models to yield viable leptogenesis at the scale of right-handed neutrino masses. More generally, the results of this paper show that RG corrections to leptogenesis cannot be ignored for any family symmetry model involving sizeable neutrino and τ Yukawa couplings.

The Employer Perspective on Sustainable Employability in the Construction Industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tonnon, Susanne C; van der Veen, Rozan; Westerman, Marjan J; Robroek, Suzan J W; van der Ploeg, Hidde P; Van Der Beek, Allard J.; Proper, Karin I.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the measures employers in the construction industry take to promote sustainable employability, the barriers and facilitators that influence implementation and employer needs. METHODS: Questionnaire among 499 employers and interviews with 17 employers. RESULTS: Employers

Report on US-DOE/OHER Task Group on modelling and scaling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mewhinney, J.A.; Griffith, W.C.

1989-01-01

In early 1986, the DOE/OHER Task Group on Modeling and Scaling was formed. Membership on the Task Group is drawn from staff of several laboratories funded by the United States Department of Energy, Office of Health and Environmental Research. The primary goal of the Task Group is to promote cooperation among the laboratories in analysing mammalian radiobiology studies with emphasis on studies that used beagle dogs in linespan experiments. To assist in defining the status of modelling and scaling in animal data, the Task Group served as the programme committee for the 26th Hanford Life Sciences symposium entitled Modeling for Scaling to Man held in October 1987. This symposium had over 60 oral presentations describing current research in dosimetric, pharmacokinetic, and dose-response modelling and scaling of results from animal studies to humans. A summary of the highlights of this symposium is presented. The Task Group also is in the process of developing recommendations for analyses of results obtained from dog lifespan studies. The goal is to provide as many comparisons as possible between these studies and to scale the results to humans to strengthen limited epidemiological data on exposures of humans to radiation. Several methods are discussed. (author)

EnviroAtlas - Percentage of Working Age Population Who Are Employed by Block Group for the Conterminous United States

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This EnviroAtlas dataset shows the employment rate, or the percent of the population aged 16-64 who have worked in the past 12 months. The employment rate is a...

Who opts for self-employment after retirement? A longitudinal study in the Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

van Solinge, Hanna

2014-09-01

Self-employment among older age groups is rising. A better understanding of the role of self-employment in extending the working lives of individuals is, therefore, relevant from a policy perspective. By bridging the gap in the literature on work/retirement decision-making and entrepreneurship, the present study examines the factors associated with entry into self-employment post-retirement, after a worker has left a regular salaried position. This decision is modelled as a choice between full retirement and prolonged labour force participation, in the form of either a typical wage-providing job or self-employment. Data were derived from the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute Work and Retirement Panel, an ongoing longitudinal survey of older workers (50 years and over) employed by three private sector organisations and employed as civil servants in the Netherlands. These data were then analysed using multinomial logistic regression analysis. The results of this study show that the decision to pursue self-employment is primarily taken by retirees with relatively high levels of financial and human capital (wealth and educational attainment), those possessing entrepreneurial attitudes (high self-efficacy scores) and those who perceive their retirements to be completely involuntary. The results lend support to self-employment being selected as a postretirement path through opportunity rather than out of necessity. The fact that the retirements of the studied population were generally quite early, while not considered involuntary also suggests that the timing of the decision to retire may be driven by the emergence of new (business) opportunities.

A Comparative Study of GDSS (Group Decision Support System) Use: Empirical Evidence and Model Design

Science.gov (United States)

1987-09-01

i’ackground iniormation * Too ’ttle informacion was supplied to make a good decision. I wouldn h ,ire anyone based on :he information given. The group...education level, a low literacy level, and a strongly nationalistic regime. The government has ruled that the company must employ Brazilians in all posts

The Costs and Benefits of Employing an Adult with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Jacob

Full Text Available Despite an ambition from adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD to be employed, there are limited opportunities for competitive employment for this group. Employment is not only an entitlement enjoyed by others in society, but employing adults with ASD also has economic benefits by decreasing lost productivity and resource costs for this group. Few studies have explored the cost-benefit ratio for employing adults with ASD and even fewer have taken the viewpoint of the employer, particularly applying this situation to ASD. Until such study occurs, employers may continue to be reluctant to employ adults from this group.This review aimed to examine the costs, benefits and the cost-benefit ratio of employing adults with ASD, from a societal perspective and from the perspective of employers.Eight databases were searched for scientific studies within defined inclusion criteria. These databases included CINAHL Plus, Cochrane Library, Emerald, Ovid Medline, ProQuest, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science.Enhancing the opportunities for adults with ASD to join the workforce is beneficial from a societal perspective, not only from an inclusiveness viewpoint, but also from a strict economic standpoint. Providing supported employment services for adults with ASD does not only cut the cost compared with providing standard care, it also results in better outcomes for adults with ASD. Despite the fact that ASD was the most expensive group to provide vocational rehabilitation services for, adults with ASD have a strong chance of becoming employed once appropriate measures are in place. Hence, rehabilitation services could be considered as a worthwhile investment. The current systematic review uncovered the fact that very few studies have examined the benefits, the costs and the cost-benefit ratio of employing an adult with ASD from the perspective of employers indicating a need for this topic to be further explored.

The relationship between absenteeism and employer-sponsored ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Establishing on- site employer-sponsored child-care facilities is an example of such ..... The sample size and characteristics of each of the groups are presented in Table 1. Table 1: ...... 'A qualitative and quantitative review of antecedents.

Three dimensional modeling of laterally loaded pile groups resting in sand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amr Farouk Elhakim

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Many structures often carry lateral loads due to earth pressure, wind, earthquakes, wave action and ship impact. The accurate predictions of the load–displacement response of the pile group as well as the straining actions are needed for a safe and economic design. Most research focused on the behavior of laterally loaded single piles though piles are most frequently used in groups. Soil is modeled as an elastic-perfectly plastic model using the Mohr–Coulomb constitutive model. The three-dimensional Plaxis model is validated using load–displacement results from centrifuge tests of laterally loaded piles embedded in sand. This study utilizes three dimensional finite element modeling to better understand the main parameters that affect the response of laterally loaded pile groups (2 × 2 and 3 × 3 pile configurations including sand relative density, pile spacing (s = 2.5 D, 5 D and 8 D and pile location within the group. The fixity of the pile head affects its load–displacement under lateral loading. Typically, the pile head may be unrestrained (free head as the pile head is allowed to rotate, or restrained (fixed head condition where no pile head rotation is permitted. The analyses were performed for both free and fixed head conditions.

[Self-employed and small business owners diagnosed with cancer: effect on entrepreneurial survival].

Science.gov (United States)

Ha-Vinh, Philippe; Régnard, Pierre; Huiart, Laetitia; Sauze, Laurent; Eisinger, François

2015-01-01

When self-employed andsmall business owners are diagnosed with cancer what is the effect on their small-firm survival duration? Data Sources: secondary data for 3,587 subjects, 18-65 years, working when diagnosed with cancer in 1995-2009 and a comparison group of 27,688 subjects matched for gender, age and occupation. Study design: a comprehensive population-based longitudinal study. A Cox model described time to failures of small businesses and terminations ofself-employment. Data Collection Methods: extraction from the statutory mandatory self-employed social security scheme database. Findings were that age, cancer prognosis and very intense physical workload occupation were independent predictors of enterprise failure for cancer-exposed subjects. Compared with unexposed subjects, their global hazard ratio was 1.59 (95% CI = 1.50 - 1.70). However, the difference atfiveyears after cancer diagnosis became non-significant: hazard ratio 1.11 (95% CI = 0.95 - 1.30). These findings demonstrate that beyond 5 years of maintenance of activity, the economic cost of cancer supported by very small businesses and self-employed is not important. However, support is required to pass through these first 5 years. The authors describe the various possible aids that could be implemented.

Pre-Employment Course: A Partnership for Success?

Science.gov (United States)

Pepper, Ian K.; McGrath, Ruth

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the benefits of pre-employment education and training and its impact on the students' choice of career paths. It focuses on a programme delivered in partnership between Teesside University and a North East Police Force, and provides a model for future pre-employment education and training.…

Calculating the renormalisation group equations of a SUSY model with Susyno

Science.gov (United States)

Fonseca, Renato M.

2012-10-01

Susyno is a Mathematica package dedicated to the computation of the 2-loop renormalisation group equations of a supersymmetric model based on any gauge group (the only exception being multiple U(1) groups) and for any field content. Program summary Program title: Susyno Catalogue identifier: AEMX_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEMX_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 30829 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 650170 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Mathematica 7 or higher. Computer: All systems that Mathematica 7+ is available for (PC, Mac). Operating system: Any platform supporting Mathematica 7+ (Windows, Linux, Mac OS). Classification: 4.2, 5, 11.1. Nature of problem: Calculating the renormalisation group equations of a supersymmetric model involves using long and complicated general formulae [1, 2]. In addition, to apply them it is necessary to know the Lagrangian in its full form. Building the complete Lagrangian of models with small representations of SU(2) and SU(3) might be easy but in the general case of arbitrary representations of an arbitrary gauge group, this task can be hard, lengthy and error prone. Solution method: The Susyno package uses group theoretical functions to calculate the super-potential and the soft-SUSY-breaking Lagrangian of a supersymmetric model, and calculates the two-loop RGEs of the model using the general equations of [1, 2]. Susyno works for models based on any representation(s) of any gauge group (the only exception being multiple U(1) groups). Restrictions: As the program is based on the formalism of [1, 2], it shares its limitations. Running time can also be a significant restriction, in particular for models with many fields. Unusual features

Computational social dynamic modeling of group recruitment.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berry, Nina M.; Lee, Marinna; Pickett, Marc; Turnley, Jessica Glicken (Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM); Smrcka, Julianne D. (Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM); Ko, Teresa H.; Moy, Timothy David (Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM); Wu, Benjamin C.

2004-01-01

The Seldon software toolkit combines concepts from agent-based modeling and social science to create a computationally social dynamic model for group recruitment. The underlying recruitment model is based on a unique three-level hybrid agent-based architecture that contains simple agents (level one), abstract agents (level two), and cognitive agents (level three). This uniqueness of this architecture begins with abstract agents that permit the model to include social concepts (gang) or institutional concepts (school) into a typical software simulation environment. The future addition of cognitive agents to the recruitment model will provide a unique entity that does not exist in any agent-based modeling toolkits to date. We use social networks to provide an integrated mesh within and between the different levels. This Java based toolkit is used to analyze different social concepts based on initialization input from the user. The input alters a set of parameters used to influence the values associated with the simple agents, abstract agents, and the interactions (simple agent-simple agent or simple agent-abstract agent) between these entities. The results of phase-1 Seldon toolkit provide insight into how certain social concepts apply to different scenario development for inner city gang recruitment.

Leisure activities are linked to mental health benefits by providing time structure: comparing employed, unemployed and homemakers.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodman, William K; Geiger, Ashley M; Wolf, Jutta M

2017-01-01

Unemployment has consistently been linked to negative mental health outcomes, emphasising the need to characterise the underlying mechanisms. The current study aimed at testing whether compared with other employment groups, fewer leisure activities observed in unemployment may contribute to elevated risk for negative mental health via loss of time structure. Depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression), leisure activities (exercise, self-focused, social), and time structure (Time Structure Questionnaire (TSQ)) were assessed cross-sectionally in 406 participants (unemployed=155, employed=140, homemakers=111) recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk. Controlling for gender and age, structural equation modelling revealed time structure partially (employed, homemakers) and fully (unemployed) mediated the relationship between leisure activities and depressive symptoms. With the exception of differential effects for structured routines, all other TSQ factors (sense of purpose, present orientation, effective organisation and persistence) contributed significantly to all models. These findings support the idea that especially for the unemployed, leisure activities impose their mental health benefits through increasing individuals' perception of spending their time effectively. Social leisure activities that provide a sense of daily structure may thereby be a particularly promising low-cost intervention to improve mental health in this population. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Hidden Markov models for the activity profile of terrorist groups

OpenAIRE

Raghavan, Vasanthan; Galstyan, Aram; Tartakovsky, Alexander G.

2012-01-01

The main focus of this work is on developing models for the activity profile of a terrorist group, detecting sudden spurts and downfalls in this profile, and, in general, tracking it over a period of time. Toward this goal, a $d$-state hidden Markov model (HMM) that captures the latent states underlying the dynamics of the group and thus its activity profile is developed. The simplest setting of $d=2$ corresponds to the case where the dynamics are coarsely quantized as Active and Inactive, re...

Effect of working hours and precarious employment on depressive symptoms in South Korean employees: a longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Woorim; Park, Eun-Cheol; Lee, Tae-Hoon; Kim, Tae Hyun

2016-12-01

Long working hours and precarious employment are relatively common in South Korea. Since both can impact on mental health, this study examined their independent and combined effects on depressive symptoms of employees. Data were from the Korean Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS), 2010-2013. A total of 2733 full-time employees without depressive symptoms were analysed. Hierarchical logistic regression models were used to investigate the effect of the number of working hours per week (eg, 35-40 hours, 41-52 hours, 53-68 hours, and >68 hours) and employment status (permanent vs precarious employment) on depressive symptoms, measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) 11 scale. Compared with individuals working 35-40 hours/week, employees working above 68 hours (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.34) had higher odds of depressive symptoms after full adjustment. Similarly, precarious employees (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.75) showed worse mental health than permanent employees. In the combined effect model, employees in precarious employment who worked above 68 hours/week (OR, 2.03 95% CI 1.08 to 3.83) exhibited the highest odds of depressive symptoms compared with permanent employees working 35 to 40 hours/week. Long work hours and precarious employment status were associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms. The findings highlight the importance of monitoring and addressing the vulnerable groups of employees to reduce the mental health burden of economically active individuals. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

The changing face of public sector employment 1999–2009

OpenAIRE

David Matthews

2010-01-01

SUMMARYThis article presents an analysis of public sector employment (PSE) and makes comparisons with the private sector, using data from the Labour Force Survey and Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. It looks at the nature of employment in the public sector before discussing the characteristics that differentiate people employed in both the public and private sector, comparing proportions of public and private sector workers in different groups: by sex, age, ethnicity, disability, working ...

Is Self-Employment Really a Bad Experience? The Effects of Previous Self-Employment on Subsequent Wage-Employment Wages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaiser, Ulrich; Malchow-Møller, Nikolaj

2011-01-01

of self-employment is associated with lower hourly wages compared to workers who were consecutively wage-employed. We also show, however, that this effect disappears—and even becomes positive in some settings—for formerly self-employed who find dependent employment in the same sector as their self......-employment sector. Hence, the on average negative effect of self-employment is rather caused by sector switching than by the self-employment experience per se. Moreover, formerly self-employed who either enjoyed a high income or hired at least one worker during their self-employment spell receive wages...... in subsequent dependent employment that are at least as high as for individuals who have been consecutively wage-employed....

Staffs' and managers' perceptions of how and when discrete event simulation modelling can be used as a decision support in quality improvement: a focus group discussion study at two hospital settings in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Hvitfeldt-Forsberg, Helena; Mazzocato, Pamela; Glaser, Daniel; Keller, Christina; Unbeck, Maria

2017-06-06

To explore healthcare staffs' and managers' perceptions of how and when discrete event simulation modelling can be used as a decision support in improvement efforts. Two focus group discussions were performed. Two settings were included: a rheumatology department and an orthopaedic section both situated in Sweden. Healthcare staff and managers (n=13) from the two settings. Two workshops were performed, one at each setting. Workshops were initiated by a short introduction to simulation modelling. Results from the respective simulation model were then presented and discussed in the following focus group discussion. Categories from the content analysis are presented according to the following research questions: how and when simulation modelling can assist healthcare improvement? Regarding how, the participants mentioned that simulation modelling could act as a tool for support and a way to visualise problems, potential solutions and their effects. Regarding when, simulation modelling could be used both locally and by management, as well as a pedagogical tool to develop and test innovative ideas and to involve everyone in the improvement work. Its potential as an information and communication tool and as an instrument for pedagogic work within healthcare improvement render a broader application and value of simulation modelling than previously reported. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Atmospheric and dispersion modeling in areas of highly complex terrain employing a four-dimensional data assimilation technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fast, J.D.; O'Steen, B.L.

1994-01-01

The results of this study indicate that the current data assimilation technique can have a positive impact on the mesoscale flow fields; however, care must be taken in its application to grids of relatively fine horizontal resolution. Continuous FDDA is a useful tool in producing high-resolution mesoscale analysis fields that can be used to (1) create a better initial conditions for mesoscale atmospheric models and (2) drive transport models for dispersion studies. While RAMS is capable of predicting the qualitative flow during this evening, additional experiments need to be performed to improve the prognostic forecasts made by RAMS and refine the FDDA procedure so that the overall errors are reduced even further. Despite the fact that a great deal of computational time is necessary in executing RAMS and LPDM in the configuration employed in this study, recent advances in workstations is making applications such as this more practical. As the speed of these machines increase in the next few years, it will become feasible to employ prognostic, three-dimensional mesoscale/transport models to routinely predict atmospheric dispersion of pollutants, even to highly complex terrain. For example, the version of RAMS in this study could be run in a ''nowcasting'' model that would continually assimilate local and regional observations as soon as they become available. The atmospheric physics in the model would be used to determine the wind field where no observations are available. The three-dimensional flow fields could be used as dynamic initial conditions for a model forecast. The output from this type of modeling system will have to be compared to existing diagnostic, mass-consistent models to determine whether the wind field and dispersion forecasts are significantly improved

Graphs of groups on surfaces interactions and models

CERN Document Server

White, AT

2001-01-01

The book, suitable as both an introductory reference and as a text book in the rapidly growing field of topological graph theory, models both maps (as in map-coloring problems) and groups by means of graph imbeddings on sufaces. Automorphism groups of both graphs and maps are studied. In addition connections are made to other areas of mathematics, such as hypergraphs, block designs, finite geometries, and finite fields. There are chapters on the emerging subfields of enumerative topological graph theory and random topological graph theory, as well as a chapter on the composition of English

Influence Factor of Tertiary Students’ Employability Awareness Adjust Industry 4.0

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Chun-Mei Chou

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This study aims to analyze the correlation (N=621 among tertiary students’ career planning, erecruiting adoption acceptance, and employability awareness in Taiwan. Tertiary students’ perceived career planning includes four factors, namely, self-appraisal, job expectancy, goal selection, and problem solving. E-recruiting adoption acceptance includes four factors, namely, playfulness, ease of use, effectiveness, and usefulness. Employability awareness includes four factors, namely, personal adaptability, employability ambition, career identity, and labour market. Participants responded to a 5-point Likert-type scale for each factor. Analysis was conducted using the structural equation modeling (SEM, and a good model fit was found for both the measurement and structural models. Research findings demonstrate that tertiary students’ career planning significantly and directly influences employability awareness. Career planning significantly and indirectly influences employability awareness by e-recruiting adoption acceptance. Tertiary students’ career planning and e-recruiting adoption acceptance fit the influence model and empirical data of employability awareness. Implications of this study, including the value of student self-assessment of their skills and utility of the e-recruiting to underpin personal career development planning and inform graduate recruitment processes, are discussed and recommendations made.

ATTITUDES AND OPINIONS OF EMPLOYERS, EMPLOYEES AND PARENTS ABOUT THE EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH AUTISM IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tanja STANKOVA

2010-11-01

Full Text Available The right to work is one of the fundamental human rights in all developed countries around the world. The employment, actually the right to work of persons with disability is the final phase of the long and complex process of their rehabilitation that affects the possibility of their integration in the community.The main objective of this research is to investigate the possibility of employment of people with autism, based on the attitudes and opinions of employers, employees and parents of the children with autism.The basic tasks of this research are: to determine whether the employers would employ a person with autism; weather employers and the employees know what autism is; weather according to employers and employees people with autism are able to perform their job duties in complete and weather the parents of children with autism would like their child to be employed.We conducted this research in a period of 3 months and included 130 respondents. Obtained data were collected, grouped, tabled and processed with standard statistical program Microsoft Office Excel 2003, applying χ2 tests and Fisher's Exact test. Statistical important difference was at the level of p<0.05.From the analysis and the interpretation of the results, we concluded that in the Republic of Macedonia do not exist positive atmosphere, for employment of the persons with autism, the employers do not want to employ a person with autism. The professionals must engage more deeply in this problematic in order to achieve a complete integration of the people with autism in the society.

A friendly Maple module for one and two group reactor model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baptista, Camila O.; Pavan, Guilherme A.; Braga, Kelmo L.; Silva, Marcelo V.; Pereira, P.G.S.; Werner, Rodrigo; Antunes, Valdir; Vellozo, Sergio O.

2015-01-01

The well known two energy groups core reactor design model is revisited. A simple and friendly Maple module was built to cover the steps calculations of a plate reactor in five situations: 1. one group bare reactor, 2. two groups bare reactor, 3. one group reflected reactor, 4. 1-1/2 groups reflected reactor and 5. two groups reflected reactor. The results show the convergent path of critical size, as it should be. (author)

A friendly Maple module for one and two group reactor model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baptista, Camila O.; Pavan, Guilherme A.; Braga, Kelmo L.; Silva, Marcelo V.; Pereira, P.G.S.; Werner, Rodrigo; Antunes, Valdir; Vellozo, Sergio O., E-mail: camila.oliv.baptista@gmail.com, E-mail: pavanguilherme@gmail.com, E-mail: kelmo.lins@gmail.com, E-mail: marcelovilelasilva@gmail.com, E-mail: rodrigowerner@hotmail.com, E-mail: neutron201566@yahoo.com, E-mail: vellozo@ime.eb.br [Instituto Militar de Engenharia (IME), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia Nuclear

2015-07-01

The well known two energy groups core reactor design model is revisited. A simple and friendly Maple module was built to cover the steps calculations of a plate reactor in five situations: 1. one group bare reactor, 2. two groups bare reactor, 3. one group reflected reactor, 4. 1-1/2 groups reflected reactor and 5. two groups reflected reactor. The results show the convergent path of critical size, as it should be. (author)

Loop groups, the Luttinger model, anyons, and Sutherland systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langmann, E.; Carey, A.L.

1998-01-01

We discuss the representation theory of loop groups and examples of how it is used in physics. These examples include the construction and solution of the Luttinger model and other 1 + 1-dimensional interacting quantum field theories, the construction of anyon field operators on the circle, and the '2 nd quantization' of the Sutherland model using anyons

Modeling the Role of Networks and Individual Differences in Inter-Group Violence.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Isakov

Full Text Available There is significant heterogeneity within and between populations in their propensity to engage in conflict. Most research has neglected the role of within-group effects in social networks in contributing to between-group violence and focused instead on the precursors and consequences of violence, or on the role of between-group ties. Here, we explore the role of individual variation and of network structure within a population in promoting and inhibiting group violence towards other populations. Motivated by ethnographic observations of collective behavior in a small-scale society, we describe a model with differentiated roles for individuals embedded within friendship networks. Using a simple model based on voting-like dynamics, we explore several strategies for influencing group-level behavior. When we consider changing population level attitude changes and introducing control nodes separately, we find that a particularly effective control strategy relies on exploiting network degree. We also suggest refinements to our model such as tracking fine-grained information spread dynamics that can lead to further enrichment in using evolutionary game theory models for sociological phenomena.

Uncertainty dimensions of information behaviour in a group based problem solving context

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hyldegård, Jette

2009-01-01

This paper presents a study of uncertainty dimensions of information behaviour in a group based problem solving context. After a presentation of the cognitive uncertainty dimension underlying Kuhlthau's ISP-model, uncertainty factors associated with personality, the work task situation and social...... members' experiences of uncertainty differ from the individual information seeker in Kuhlthau's ISP-model, and how this experience may be related to personal, work task and social factors. A number of methods have been employed to collect data on each group member during the assignment process......: a demographic survey, a personality test, 3 process surveys, 3 diaries and 3 interviews. It was found that group members' experiences of uncertainty did not correspond with the ISP-model in that other factors beyond the mere information searching process seemed to intermingle with the complex process...

Fossil record of stem groups employed in evaluating the chronogram of insects (Arthropoda: Hexapoda)

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yan-hui; Engel, Michael S.; Rafael, José A.; Wu, Hao-yang; Rédei, Dávid; Xie, Qiang; Wang, Gang; Liu, Xiao-guang; Bu, Wen-jun

2016-01-01

Insecta s. str. (=Ectognatha), comprise the largest and most diversified group of living organisms, accounting for roughly half of the biodiversity on Earth. Understanding insect relationships and the specific time intervals for their episodes of radiation and extinction are critical to any comprehensive perspective on evolutionary events. Although some deeper nodes have been resolved congruently, the complete evolution of insects has remained obscure due to the lack of direct fossil evidence. Besides, various evolutionary phases of insects and the corresponding driving forces of diversification remain to be recognized. In this study, a comprehensive sample of all insect orders was used to reconstruct their phylogenetic relationships and estimate deep divergences. The phylogenetic relationships of insect orders were congruently recovered by Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analyses. A complete timescale of divergences based on an uncorrelated log-normal relaxed clock model was established among all lineages of winged insects. The inferred timescale for various nodes are congruent with major historical events including the increase of atmospheric oxygen in the Late Silurian and earliest Devonian, the radiation of vascular plants in the Devonian, and with the available fossil record of the stem groups to various insect lineages in the Devonian and Carboniferous. PMID:27958352

Brain MRI lesions and atrophy are associated with employment status in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tauhid, Shahamat; Chu, Renxin; Sasane, Rahul; Glanz, Bonnie I; Neema, Mohit; Miller, Jennifer R; Kim, Gloria; Signorovitch, James E; Healy, Brian C; Chitnis, Tanuja; Weiner, Howard L; Bakshi, Rohit

2015-11-01

Multiple sclerosis (MS) commonly affects occupational function. We investigated the link between brain MRI and employment status. Patients with MS (n = 100) completed a Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) (general health version) survey measuring employment status, absenteeism, presenteeism, and overall work and daily activity impairment. Patients "working for pay" were considered employed; "temporarily not working but looking for work," "not working or looking for work due to age," and "not working or looking for work due to disability" were considered not employed. Brain MRI T1 hypointense (T1LV) and T2 hyperintense (T2LV) lesion volumes were quantified. To assess lesional destructive capability, we calculated each subject's ratio of T1LV to T2LV (T1/T2). Normalized brain parenchymal volume (BPV) assessed brain atrophy. The mean (SD) age was 45.5 (9.7) years; disease duration was 12.1 (8.1) years; 75 % were women, 76 % were relapsing-remitting, and 76 % were employed. T1LV, T1/T2, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores, and activity impairment were lower and BPV was higher in the employed vs. not employed group (Wilcoxon tests, p 0.05). In multivariable logistic regression modeling, adjusting for age, sex, and disease duration, higher T1LV predicted a lower chance of employment (p 0.05). We report a link between brain atrophy and lesions, particularly lesions with destructive potential, to MS employment status.

Improving work outcomes of dysthymia (persistent depressive disorder) in an employed population.

Science.gov (United States)

Adler, David A; Lerner, Debra; Visco, Zachary L; Greenhill, Annabel; Chang, Hong; Cymerman, Elina; Azocar, Francisca; Rogers, William H

2015-01-01

To test the effectiveness of a work-focused intervention (WFI) on the work outcomes of employed adults with dysthymia. This subgroup analysis from a randomized controlled trial compares an initial sample of 167 employees (age: ≥45 years), screened for dysthymia using the PC-SAD without current major depressive disorder randomized to WFI (n=85) or usual care (UC) (n=82). Study sites included 19 employers and five additional organizations. Telephone-based WFI counseling (eight, twice monthly 50-min sessions) provided work coaching and modification, care coordination and cognitive behavioral therapy. Adjusted mixed effects models compared the WFI vs. UC group preintervention to 4-month postintervention change in at-work limitations measured by the Work Limitations Questionnaire. Secondary outcome analysis compared the change in self-reported absences and depression symptom severity (Patient Health Questionnaire PHQ-9 scores). Work productivity loss scores improved 43.0% in the WFI group vs. 4.8% in UC (difference in change: P<.001). Absence days declined by 58.3% in WFI vs. 0.0% in UC (difference in change: P=.09). Mean PHQ-9 depression symptom severity declined 44.2% in WFI vs. 5.3% in UC (difference in change: P<.001). At 4 months, the WFI was more effective than UC on two of the three outcomes. It could be an important mental and functional health improvement resource for the employed dysthymic population. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fear of racism, employment and expected organizational racism: their association with health.

Science.gov (United States)

Bécares, Laia; Stafford, Mai; Nazroo, James

2009-10-01

Racism has been argued to be a focal element of larger societal inequalities which generate ethnic health disparities. Despite suggestions that socio-demographic characteristics of the victim may influence the impact of racism on health, little is known in the United Kingdom about how self-reported experiences of racism vary by socio-demographic characteristics, whether racism contributes to ethnic differences in health and whether there is a differential association between racism and health for certain socio-demographic groups. Multilevel logistic regression models were conducted using data from the 2005 Citizenship Survey to identify the demographic characteristics associated with reporting experienced racism; explore the association between health, racism and its contribution to ethnic inequalities in health; and explore the moderating role that gender, age, ethnicity and socio-economic position (SEP) have in the relationship between racism and health. Females were significantly more likely to report fear of racial and religious attacks, but reported lower odds of experiencing employment and expected organizational discrimination. A trend was observed for decreasing employment discrimination as SEP decreased. A reverse association was found for SEP and expected organizational discrimination, where people in the lowest employment categories reported lower odds of experiencing discrimination. This study highlights variations in the types of racial discrimination most commonly reported across different socio-demographic characteristics. Despite substantial differences in the experience of racial discrimination, the detrimental impact of racism on health was the same across socio-demographic groups.

Therapeutic Enactment: Integrating Individual and Group Counseling Models for Change

Science.gov (United States)

Westwood, Marvin J.; Keats, Patrice A.; Wilensky, Patricia

2003-01-01

The purpose of this article is to introduce the reader to a group-based therapy model known as therapeutic enactment. A description of this multimodal change model is provided by outlining the relevant background information, key concepts related to specific change processes, and the differences in this model compared to earlier psychodrama…

Classification of finite reparametrization symmetry groups in the three-Higgs-doublet model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanov, Igor P.; Vdovin, E.

2013-01-01

Symmetries play a crucial role in electroweak symmetry breaking models with non-minimal Higgs content. Within each class of these models, it is desirable to know which symmetry groups can be implemented via the scalar sector. In N-Higgs-doublet models, this classification problem was solved only for N=2 doublets. Very recently, we suggested a method to classify all realizable finite symmetry groups of Higgs-family transformations in the three-Higgs-doublet model (3HDM). Here, we present this classification in all detail together with an introduction to the theory of solvable groups, which play the key role in our derivation. We also consider generalized-CP symmetries, and discuss the interplay between Higgs-family symmetries and CP-conservation. In particular, we prove that presence of the Z 4 symmetry guarantees the explicit CP-conservation of the potential. This work completes classification of finite reparametrization symmetry groups in 3HDM. (orig.)

Previous Employment and Job Satisfaction Conditions: The Case of Regional Administration

Science.gov (United States)

Amalia, Myronaki; Nikolaos, Antonakas

2009-08-01

In the present work we study the different dimensions of satisfaction and the way of constitution of satisfaction of an important sample of the employees in the Regional administration of Crete and in their connection with the variable of the previous employment. We found statistically important differences for the components of satisfaction from the life, collaboration in and outside from the department, in the social satisfaction and the variable of the years in the service (labour group with satisfaction than the other previous employment groups. In the other hand the group with many years in the service presents bigger satisfaction than the other groups. Finally, is important to note that the sample present some interesting characteristics.

The respiratory tract deposition model proposed by the ICRP Task Group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

James, A.C.; Briant, J.K.; Stahlhofen, W.; Rudolf, G.; Gehr, P.

1990-11-01

The Task Group has developed a new model of the deposition of inhaled aerosols in each anatomical region of the respiratory tract. The model is used to evaluate the fraction of airborne activity that is deposited in respiratory regions having distinct retention characteristics and clearance pathways: the anterior nares, the extrathoracic airways of the naso- and oropharynx and larynx, the bronchi, the bronchioles, and the alveolated airways of the lung. Drawn from experimental data on total and regional deposition in human subjects, the model is based on extrapolation of these data by means of a detailed theoretical model of aerosol transport and deposition within the lung. The Task Group model applies to all practical conditions, and for aerosol particles and vapors from atomic size up to very coarse aerosols with an activity median aerodynamic diameter of 100 μm. The model is designed to predict regional deposition in different subjects, including adults of either sex, children of various ages, and infants, and also to account for anatomical differences among Caucasian and non-Caucasian subjects. The Task Group model represents aerosol inhalability and regional deposition in different subjects by algebraic expressions of aerosol size, breathing rates, standard lung volumes, and scaling factors for airway dimensions. 35 refs., 13 figs., 2 tabs

Modeling Bottom-Up Visual Attention Using Dihedral Group D4 §

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Puneet Sharma

2016-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper, first, we briefly describe the dihedral group D 4 that serves as the basis for calculating saliency in our proposed model. Second, our saliency model makes two major changes in a latest state-of-the-art model known as group-based asymmetry. First, based on the properties of the dihedral group D 4 , we simplify the asymmetry calculations associated with the measurement of saliency. This results is an algorithm that reduces the number of calculations by at least half that makes it the fastest among the six best algorithms used in this research article. Second, in order to maximize the information across different chromatic and multi-resolution features, the color image space is de-correlated. We evaluate our algorithm against 10 state-of-the-art saliency models. Our results show that by using optimal parameters for a given dataset, our proposed model can outperform the best saliency algorithm in the literature. However, as the differences among the (few best saliency models are small, we would like to suggest that our proposed model is among the best and the fastest among the best. Finally, as a part of future work, we suggest that our proposed approach on saliency can be extended to include three-dimensional image data.

Employability Skills Assessment: Measuring Work Ethic for Research and Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Park, HwaChoon; Hill, Roger B.

2016-01-01

The Employability Skills Assessment (ESA) was developed by Hill (1995) to provide an alternative measure of work ethic needed for success in employment. This study tested goodness-of-fit for a model used to interpret ESA results. The model had three factors: interpersonal skills, initiative, and dependability. Confirmatory factor analysis results…

Family employment and child socioemotional behaviour: longitudinal findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hope, Steven; Pearce, Anna; Whitehead, Margaret; Law, Catherine

2014-10-01

Levels of paid employment in two parent and lone parent families have increased in the UK but evidence of its impact on child socioemotional behaviour is limited and inconsistent. We conducted a longitudinal analysis using the first four sweeps of the Millennium Cohort Study (9 months, 3 years, 5 years and 7 years) to investigate the influence of family employment trajectories in the early years on socioemotional behaviour at 7 years, unadjusted and adjusted for covariates. In addition, mothers' employment was investigated separately. Children from families where no parent was employed for one or more sweeps were at a greater risk of socioemotional problem behaviour compared with those where a parent was continuously employed, even after adjustment for covariates. Children of mothers who were non-employed for one or more sweeps were at greater risk of problem behaviour compared with mothers who were employed at all sweeps. Adjustment for covariates fully attenuated the excess risk for children whose mothers had moved into employment by the time they were 7 years. In contrast, the elevated risk associated with continuous non-employment and a single transition out of employment was attenuated after adjustment for early covariates, fathers' employment, household income and mothers' psychological distress at 7 years, but remained significant. Family and mothers' employment were associated with a lower risk of problem behaviour for children in middle childhood, in part explained by sociodemographic characteristics of families and the apparent psychological and socioeconomic benefits of employment. Results for mothers' transitions in or out of the labour market suggest that child problem behaviour is influenced by current status, over and above diverse earlier experiences of employment and non-employment. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Employer Brand Opens up for a Gender Process Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hans Lundkvist

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Regardless of a long tradition of legislation, policymaking and practical achievements, the issues ofgender equality and of the segregated labor market still remain a matter of concern in Sweden. Thispaper describes a collaborative process between a research project and an engineering enterprise.It describes the point of departure, based on the concept of employer brand, of a long-term changeprocess and the different phases and activities during an intensive period 2009. The collaborationaimed to develop innovative methods, and to apply them in order to achieve increased genderawareness, and thereby to be able to retain and attract the best labor for tomorrow. Differentapproaches and methods as analogies, anecdotes, and pictures were used to nourish the process.Findings showed that the interactive process contributed to increased awareness. During the processthe enterprise became more conscious of the potential of being a gender equal employer

Graduate Employability: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Employers' Perceptions

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Yuzhuo

2013-01-01

This study provides a conceptual framework for understanding what employers think about the value of graduates with similar educational credentials in the workplace (their employability), using insights from the new institutionalism. In this framework, the development of employers' beliefs about graduates' employability is broken into a number of…

Jobs and kids: Female employment and fertility in China

OpenAIRE

Fang, Hai; Eggleston, Karen N.; Rizzo, John A.; Zeckhauser, Richard J.

2013-01-01

Data on 2,355 married women from the 2006 China Health and Nutrition Survey are used to study how female employment affects fertility in China. China has deep concerns with both population size and female employment, so the relationship between the two should be better understood. Causality flows in both directions. A conceptual model shows how employment prospects affect fertility. Then a well-validated instrumental variable isolates this effect. Female employment reduces a married woman’s...

Employing Discourse: Universities and Graduate "Employability"

Science.gov (United States)

Boden, Rebecca; Nedeva, Maria

2010-01-01

What constitutes graduate employability is discursively framed. In this paper we argue that whilst universities in the UK have long had an involvement in producing useful and productive citizens, the ongoing neoliberalisation of higher education has engendered a discursive shift in definitions of employability. Traditionally, universities regarded…

Thermal conductivity of group-IV semiconductors from a kinetic-collective model.

Science.gov (United States)

de Tomas, C; Cantarero, A; Lopeandia, A F; Alvarez, F X

2014-09-08

The thermal conductivity of group-IV semiconductors (silicon, germanium, diamond and grey tin) with several isotopic compositions has been calculated from a kinetic-collective model. From this approach, significantly different to Callaway-like models in its physical interpretation, the thermal conductivity expression accounts for a transition from a kinetic (individual phonon transport) to a collective (hydrodynamic phonon transport) behaviour of the phonon field. Within the model, we confirm the theoretical proportionality between the phonon-phonon relaxation times of the group-IV semiconductors. This proportionality depends on some materials properties and it allows us to predict the thermal conductivity of the whole group of materials without the need to fit each material individually. The predictions on thermal conductivities are in good agreement with experimental data over a wide temperature range.

Thermal conductivity of group-IV semiconductors from a kinetic-collective model

Science.gov (United States)

de Tomas, C.; Cantarero, A.; Lopeandia, A. F.; Alvarez, F. X.

2014-01-01

The thermal conductivity of group-IV semiconductors (silicon, germanium, diamond and grey tin) with several isotopic compositions has been calculated from a kinetic-collective model. From this approach, significantly different to Callaway-like models in its physical interpretation, the thermal conductivity expression accounts for a transition from a kinetic (individual phonon transport) to a collective (hydrodynamic phonon transport) behaviour of the phonon field. Within the model, we confirm the theoretical proportionality between the phonon–phonon relaxation times of the group-IV semiconductors. This proportionality depends on some materials properties and it allows us to predict the thermal conductivity of the whole group of materials without the need to fit each material individually. The predictions on thermal conductivities are in good agreement with experimental data over a wide temperature range. PMID:25197256

Re-engineering pre-employment check-up systems: a model for improving health services.

Science.gov (United States)

Rateb, Said Abdel Hakim; El Nouman, Azza Abdel Razek; Rateb, Moshira Abdel Hakim; Asar, Mohamed Naguib; El Amin, Ayman Mohammed; Gad, Saad abdel Aziz; Mohamed, Mohamed Salah Eldin

2011-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to develop a model for improving health services provided by the pre-employment medical fitness check-up system affiliated to Egypt's Health Insurance Organization (HIO). Operations research, notably system re-engineering, is used in six randomly selected centers and findings before and after re-engineering are compared. The re-engineering model follows a systems approach, focusing on three areas: structure, process and outcome. The model is based on six main components: electronic booking, standardized check-up processes, protected medical documents, advanced archiving through an electronic content management (ECM) system, infrastructure development, and capacity building. The model originates mainly from customer needs and expectations. The centers' monthly customer flow increased significantly after re-engineering. The mean time spent per customer cycle improved after re-engineering--18.3 +/- 5.5 minutes as compared to 48.8 +/- 14.5 minutes before. Appointment delay was also significantly decreased from an average 18 to 6.2 days. Both beneficiaries and service providers were significantly more satisfied with the services after re-engineering. The model proves that re-engineering program costs are exceeded by increased revenue. Re-engineering in this study involved multiple structure and process elements. The literature review did not reveal similar re-engineering healthcare packages. Therefore, each element was compared separately. This model is highly recommended for improving service effectiveness and efficiency. This research is the first in Egypt to apply the re-engineering approach to public health systems. Developing user-friendly models for service improvement is an added value.

An Automatic User Grouping Model for a Group Recommender System in Location-Based Social Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elahe Khazaei

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Spatial group recommendation refers to suggesting places to a given set of users. In a group recommender system, members of a group should have similar preferences in order to increase the level of satisfaction. Location-based social networks (LBSNs provide rich content, such as user interactions and location/event descriptions, which can be leveraged for group recommendations. In this paper, an automatic user grouping model is introduced that obtains information about users and their preferences through an LBSN. The preferences of the users, proximity of the places the users have visited in terms of spatial range, users’ free days, and the social relationships among users are extracted automatically from location histories and users’ profiles in the LBSN. These factors are combined to determine the similarities among users. The users are partitioned into groups based on these similarities. Group size is the key to coordinating group members and enhancing their satisfaction. Therefore, a modified k-medoids method is developed to cluster users into groups with specific sizes. To evaluate the efficiency of the proposed method, its mean intra-cluster distance and its distribution of cluster sizes are compared to those of general clustering algorithms. The results reveal that the proposed method compares favourably with general clustering approaches, such as k-medoids and spectral clustering, in separating users into groups of a specific size with a lower mean intra-cluster distance.

Group contribution modelling for the prediction of safety-related and environmental properties

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frutiger, Jerome; Abildskov, Jens; Sin, Gürkan

warming potential and ozone depletion potential. Process safety studies and environmental assessments rely on accurate property data. Safety data such as flammability limits, heat of combustion or auto ignition temperature play an important role in quantifying the risk of fire and explosions among others......We present a new set of property prediction models based on group contributions to predict major safety-related and environmental properties for organic compounds. The predicted list of properties includes lower and upper flammability limits, heat of combustion, auto ignition temperature, global...... models like group contribution (GC) models can estimate data. However, the estimation needs to be accurate, reliable and as little time-consuming as possible so that the models can be used on the fly. In this study the Marrero and Gani group contribution (MR GC) method has been used to develop the models...

Employment Status and Mental Health: Mediating Roles of Social Support and Coping Strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Perreault, Michel; Touré, El Hadj; Perreault, Nicole; Caron, Jean

2017-09-01

Although it has been established that unemployment and underemployment increase distress and depression, the psychological mechanisms involved are not very clear. This study examines the roles of social support and coping strategies as mediators of the association between employment status and mental health, as well as gender and age differences as moderators. Residents from the epidemiological catchment area of south-west Montreal responded to a randomized household survey for adults in 2009. A follow-up was conducted based on participants' employment status 2 and 4 years later. ANOVAs tests were computed with SPSS to evaluate group differences, and structural equation modeling was performed with AMOS to test mediation effects. At baseline, among participants between 18 and 64 years old (n = 2325), 14.3 % were unemployed/not studying, 14.4 % worked part-time, and 56.5 % worked full-time. Employment status was found to significantly affect depression among those under 45 years old (chi-square = 23.4, p employment with depression, which was fully mediated by social support, less coping with drugs/medication, and less distress. A negative association with full-time employment was also noted with distress, which was partially mediated by increased social support, coping with alcohol, and less coping with drugs/medication. The total indirect effect suggests that full-time employees generally have more resources and do not tend to use avoidance strategies like coping with drugs/medication, resulting in less distress (β = -0.05; p employment, namely full-time employment, in communities.

Does Maternal Employment Influence Poor Children's Social Development?

Science.gov (United States)

Fuller, Bruce; Caspary, Gretchen; Kagan, Sharon Lynn; Gauthier, Christiane; Hnang, Danny Shih-Cheng; Carroll, Judith; McCarthy, Jan

2002-01-01

This study examined the relation between young children's social development and maternal employment among women who entered welfare-to-work programs. Structural equation models provided evidence that indicators of economic security, such as food security and job quality indicators, but not recent employment per se, operated through parenting…

Will Large DSO-Managed Group Practices Be the Predominant Setting for Oral Health Care by 2025? Two Viewpoints: Viewpoint 1: Large DSO-Managed Group Practices Will Be the Setting in Which the Majority of Oral Health Care Is Delivered by 2025 and Viewpoint 2: Increases in DSO-Managed Group Practices Will Be Offset by Models Allowing Dentists to Retain the Independence and Freedom of a Traditional Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, James R; Dodge, William W; Findley, John S; Young, Stephen K; Horn, Bruce D; Kalkwarf, Kenneth L; Martin, Max M; Winder, Ronald L

2015-05-01

This Point/Counterpoint article discusses the transformation of dental practice from the traditional solo/small-group (partnership) model of the 1900s to large Dental Support Organizations (DSO) that support affiliated dental practices by providing nonclinical functions such as, but not limited to, accounting, human resources, marketing, and legal and practice management. Many feel that DSO-managed group practices (DMGPs) with employed providers will become the setting in which the majority of oral health care will be delivered in the future. Viewpoint 1 asserts that the traditional dental practice patterns of the past are shifting as many younger dentists gravitate toward employed positions in large group practices or the public sector. Although educational debt is relevant in predicting graduates' practice choices, other variables such as gender, race, and work-life balance play critical roles as well. Societal characteristics demonstrated by aging Gen Xers and those in the Millennial generation blend seamlessly with the opportunities DMGPs offer their employees. Viewpoint 2 contends the traditional model of dental care delivery-allowing entrepreneurial practitioners to make decisions in an autonomous setting-is changing but not to the degree nor as rapidly as Viewpoint 1 professes. Millennials entering the dental profession, with characteristics universally attributed to their generation, see value in the independence and flexibility that a traditional practice allows. Although DMGPs provide dentists one option for practice, several alternative delivery models offer current dentists and future dental school graduates many of the advantages of DMGPs while allowing them to maintain the independence and freedom a traditional practice provides.

Employment outcome and predictors of competitive employment at 2-year follow-up of a vocational rehabilitation programme for individuals with schizophrenia in a high-income welfare society.

Science.gov (United States)

Evensen, Stig; Ueland, Torill; Lystad, June Ullevoldsæter; Bull, Helen; Klungsøyr, Ole; Martinsen, Egil W; Falkum, Erik

2017-04-01

Employment is an important part of recovery for individuals with schizophrenia. The employment rate for this group is as low as 10% in Norway, and major system related barriers to employment are evident. This study reports the competitive employment outcome at 2-year follow-up of a vocational rehabilitation study augmented with cognitive remediation (CR) or elements from cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. It also investigates if global functioning, self-esteem, and depression at baseline predicts employment outcome, and if change in these variables during the intervention period is associated with employment outcome. One hundred and forty-eight participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders in six Norwegian counties received 10 months vocational rehabilitation augmented with either CBT (n = 84) or CR (n = 64). Both competitive and sheltered workplaces were used. Participants were assessed at baseline, at the end of the intervention period, and at 2-year follow-up. At 2-year follow-up, 21.2% had obtained competitive employment. A further 25.3% had work placements in competitive workplaces. Significant improvements were found in global functioning, self-esteem, and depression during the intervention period, but no significant differences between the two intervention groups. High baseline global functioning and self-esteem, as well as positive change in these variables during the intervention period, were significantly associated with higher competitive employment outcome at 2-year follow-up. The results add to existing evidence that competitive employment is attainable for individuals with schizophrenia. High global functioning and self-esteem were strongly associated with competitive employment outcome.

Working Group 1: Software System Design and Implementation for Environmental Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

ISCMEM Working Group One Presentation, presentation with the purpose of fostering the exchange of information about environmental modeling tools, modeling frameworks, and environmental monitoring databases.

Group Process as Drama.

Science.gov (United States)

McLeod, John

1984-01-01

Suggests that drama, as well as training or therapy, may be employed as a useful research and practice paradigm in working with small groups. The implications of this view for group development as a whole, and for member and leader participation, are explored. (JAC)

Musical taste, employment, education, and global region.

Science.gov (United States)

North, Adrian C; Davidson, Jane W

2013-10-01

Sociologists have argued that musical taste should vary between social groups, but have not considered whether the effect extends beyond taste into uses of music and also emotional reactions to music. Moreover, previous research has ignored the culture in which participants are located. The present research employed a large sample from five post-industrial global regions and showed that musical taste differed between regions but not according to education and employment; and that there were three-way interactions between education, employment, and region in the uses to which participants put music and also their typical emotional reactions. In addition to providing partial support for existing sociological theory, the findings highlight the potential of culture as a variable in future quantitative research on taste. © 2013 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

Pile group program for full material modeling and progressive failure.

Science.gov (United States)

2008-12-01

Strain wedge (SW) model formulation has been used, in previous work, to evaluate the response of a single pile or a group of piles (including its : pile cap) in layered soils to lateral loading. The SW model approach provides appropriate prediction f...

Are fashion models a group at risk for eating disorders and substance abuse?

Science.gov (United States)

Santonastaso, Paolo; Mondini, Silvia; Favaro, Angela

2002-01-01

Few studies to date have investigated whether in fact the prevalence of eating disorders (ED) and/or use of illicit drugs is higher among models than among other groups of females. A group of 63 professional fashion models of various nationalities were studied by means of self-reported questionnaires. They were compared with a control group of 126 female subjects recruited from the general population. Fashion models weigh significantly less than controls, but only a small percentage of them uses unhealthy methods to control their weight. The current frequency of full-syndrome ED did not differ between the groups, but partial-syndrome ED were significantly more common among fashion models than among controls. Current substance use or alcohol abuse was reported by 35% of fashion models and 12% of controls. Our findings suggest that fashion models are more at risk for partial ED and use of illicit drugs than females in the general population. Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel

What is special about the group of the standard model?

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, H. B.; Brene, N.

1989-06-01

The standard model is based on the algebra of U 1×SU 2×SU 3. The systematics of charges of the fundamental fermions seems to suggest the importance of a particular group having this algebra, viz. S(U 2×U 3). This group is distinguished from all other connected compact non semisimple groups with dimensionality up to 12 by a characteristic property: it is very “skew”. By this we mean that the group has relatively few “generalised outer automorphisms”. One may speculate about physical reasons for this fact.

What is special about the group of the standard model?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nielsen, H.B.; Brene, N.

1989-03-01

The standard model is based on the algebra of U 1 xSU 2 xSU 3 . The systematics of charges of the fundamental fermions seems to suggest the importance of a particular group having this algebra, viz. S(U 2 xU 3 ). This group is distinguished from all other connected compact non semisimple groups with dimensionality up to 12 by a characteristic property: it is very 'skew'. By this we mean that the group has relatively few 'generalised outer automorphisms'. One may speculate about physical reasons for this fact. (orig.)

Return to work among self-employed cancer survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Torp, Steffen; Syse, Jonn; Paraponaris, Alain; Gudbergsson, Sævar

2017-04-01

The aim of this study is to investigate whether salaried and self-employed workers differ regarding factors relevant for return to work after being diagnosed with cancer. The possible mediators of an effect of self-employment on work ability were also investigated. A total of 1115 cancer survivors (1027 salaried and 88 self-employed) of common invasive cancer types who were in work at the time of diagnosis completed a mailed questionnaire 15-39 months after diagnosis. Twenty-four percent of self-employed cancer survivors reported that they had not returned to work at the time of the survey, and 18 % of those who were salaried had not. While 9 % of the self-employed had received disability or early retirement pension, only 5 % had received such a pension among salaried employees. Compared with the salaried workers, the self-employed people reported significantly more often reduced work hours (P self-employment on total work ability seems to be mediated by reduced work hours and a negative cancer-related financial change. Compared with salaried, self-employed workers in Norway, they seem to struggle with work after cancer. This may be because the two groups have different work tasks and because self-employed people have lower social support at work and less legal support from the Working Environment Act and public health insurance. Self-employed people with cancer should be informed about the work-related challenges they may encounter and be advised to seek practical help from social workers who know about the legal rights of self-employed people.

Using the Social Enterprise Intervention (SEI) and Individual Placement and Support (IPS) models to improve employment and clinical outcomes of homeless youth with mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferguson, Kristin M

2013-09-01

Prior research reveals high unemployment rates among homeless youth. The literature offers many examples of using evidence-informed and evidence-based supported employment models with vulnerable populations to assist them in obtaining and maintaining employment and concurrently addressing mental health challenges. However, there are few examples to date of these models with homeless youth with mental illness. The purpose of this article was thus to describe a methodology for establishing a university-agency research partnership to design, implement, evaluate, and replicate evidence-informed and evidence-based interventions with homeless youth with mental illness to enhance their employment, mental health, and functional outcomes. Data from two studies are used to illustrate the relationship between vocational skill-building/employment and mental health among homeless youth. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of conducting community-based participatory employment and clinical intervention research. The author highlights the opportunities and tensions associated with this approach.

Renormalization group analysis of a simple hierarchical fermion model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dorlas, T.C.

1991-01-01

A simple hierarchical fermion model is constructed which gives rise to an exact renormalization transformation in a 2-dimensional parameter space. The behaviour of this transformation is studied. It has two hyperbolic fixed points for which the existence of a global critical line is proven. The asymptotic behaviour of the transformation is used to prove the existence of the thermodynamic limit in a certain domain in parameter space. Also the existence of a continuum limit for these theories is investigated using information about the asymptotic renormalization behaviour. It turns out that the 'trivial' fixed point gives rise to a two-parameter family of continuum limits corresponding to that part of parameter space where the renormalization trajectories originate at this fixed point. Although the model is not very realistic it serves as a simple example of the appliclation of the renormalization group to proving the existence of the thermodynamic limit and the continuum limit of lattice models. Moreover, it illustrates possible complications that can arise in global renormalization group behaviour, and that might also be present in other models where no global analysis of the renormalization transformation has yet been achieved. (orig.)

Effectiveness of Facebook Based Learning to Enhance Creativity among Islamic Studies Students by Employing Isman Instructional Design Model

Science.gov (United States)

Alias, Norlidah; Siraj, Saedah; Daud, Mohd Khairul Azman Md; Hussin, Zaharah

2013-01-01

The study examines the effectiveness of Facebook based learning to enhance creativity among Islamic Studies students in the secondary educational setting in Malaysia. It describes the design process by employing the Isman Instructional Design Model. A quantitative study was carried out using experimental method and background survey. The…

Immigrants' Propensity to Self-Employment: Evidence from Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Peter S.

2001-01-01

Uses Canada's Longitudinal Immigration Data Base to highlight patterns of self-employment in various entry cohorts of immigrants between 1980-95 and develop a model to predict immigrants' propensity to self-employment. Overall, arrival in better economic years, longer residence in Canada, higher educational levels, older age, and being selected…

Theoretical study of chlordecone and surface groups interaction in an activated carbon model under acidic and neutral conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Gamboa-Carballo, Juan José; Melchor-Rodríguez, Kenia; Hernández-Valdés, Daniel; Enriquez-Victorero, Carlos; Montero-Alejo, Ana Lilian; Gaspard, Sarra; Jáuregui-Haza, Ulises Javier

2016-04-01

Activated carbons (ACs) are widely used in the purification of drinking water without almost any knowledge about the adsorption mechanisms of the persistent organic pollutants. Chlordecone (CLD, Kepone) is an organochlorinated synthetic compound that has been used mainly as agricultural insecticide. CLD has been identified and listed as a persistent organic pollutant by the Stockholm Convention. The selection of the best suited AC for this type of contaminants is mainly an empirical and costly process. A theoretical study of the influence of AC surface groups (SGs) on CLD adsorption is done in order to help understanding the process. This may provide a first selection criteria for the preparation of AC with suitable surface properties. A model of AC consisting of a seven membered ring graphene sheet (coronene) with a functional group on the edge was used to evaluate the influence of the SGs over the adsorption. Multiple Minima Hypersurface methodology (MMH) coupled with PM7 semiempirical Hamiltonian was employed in order to study the interactions of the chlordecone with SGs (hydroxyl and carboxyl) at acidic and neutral pH and different hydration conditions. Selected structures were re-optimized using CAM-B3LYP to achieve a well-defined electron density to characterize the interactions by the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules approach. The deprotonated form of surface carboxyl and hydroxyl groups of AC models show the strongest interactions, suggesting a chemical adsorption. An increase in carboxylic SGs content is proposed to enhance CLD adsorption onto AC at neutral pH conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Employment, Family Union, and Childbearing Decisions in Great Britain

OpenAIRE

Arnstein Aassve; Simon Burgess; Matt Dickson; Carol Propper

2004-01-01

The paper investigates the relationship between work and family life in Britain. Using appropriate statistical techniques we estimate a five-equation model, which includes birth events, union formation, union dissolution, employment and non-employment events. The model allows for unobserved heterogeneity that is correlated across all five equations. We use information from the British Household Panel Survey, including the retrospective histories concerning work, union, and child bearing, to e...

The microscopic structure and group theory of the interacting boson model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lipkin, H.J.

1980-01-01

The chains of groups used in calssifying states of the IBM are compared with the chains used in a composite model with j = 3/2 fermion pairs. Many similarities are found, along with differences due to Pauli principle effects in continuum fermion pairs. The classifications are shown to be characterized by several different seniority numbers, which are physically similar but formally different in the two cases because fermion pair and boson pair states used to define seniority in each model correspond to single bosons and four-fermion clusters, respectively, in the other model. The SO(6) and SO(5) groups which define boson pair seniorities in the boson sextet model are isomorphic, respectively, to SU(4) and Sp(4) which have simple physical interpretations in fermion quartet models. (orig.)

How children with special health care needs affect the employment decisions of low-income parents.

Science.gov (United States)

Loprest, Pamela; Davidoff, Amy

2004-09-01

To better understand the impact of having a child with special health care needs (CSHCN), on low-income parents' employment decisions. Using data from the 1999 and 2000 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), we estimate multivariate statistical regressions (logit and tobit models) to estimate the relationship between having a CSHCN and the likelihood of employment and hours of employment for a sample-of low-income single parents. Controlling for differences in demographic and family characteristics, we find no significant association between having a CSHCN and the probability of work or the number of hours worked among low-income single-parent families. Separate analysis of different dimensions of special health care needs shows that parents of children with activity limitations are significantly less likely to work and work fewer hours. This result does not hold true for the group of children defined based on elevated or special service use, or for the group of children with specific chronic conditions. These results indicate that only a specific subset of children with special needs present difficulties for low-income parents' work. This suggests that policies to help low-income single parents of children with disabilities move into work should target this specific subset of children with special health care needs.

Employer-sponsored long-term care insurance: best practices for increasing sponsorship.

Science.gov (United States)

Pincus, J

2000-04-01

Behind the enthusiasm of policymakers for long-term care (LTC) insurance is the belief that increased ownership of private LTC insurance will reduce the government's future liability for financing the nation's LTC needs, currently projected by the Congressional Budget Office to increase by 2.6 percent annually between 2000 and 2040. Some observers say that sustained economic growth could keep these increased expenditures at the same share of total GDP; others argue that current federal expenditure trends will become unsustainable without large tax increases. The potential of the employer-sponsored group LTC market to stave off a national LTC financing crisis has recently started to receive popular notice in the news media. However, for the potential of the group LTC market to be realized, there must be widespread employer sponsorship of group LTC plans and significant participation levels among eligible employees in these plans. The present analysis of industry data estimates the LTC plan sponsorship rate for all U.S. employers with 10 or more employees at 0.2 percent. The sponsorship rate among large employers is significantly higher (8.7 percent). The greatest growth opportunities are projected to lie in the smaller employer market, because it is enormous and virtually untapped. Nonsponsors cite a variety of barriers to employer sponsorship of LTC plans. For many nonsponsors, the most important obstacles are the intrinsic characteristics of their work forces: employees are too young, transient, part-time, and/or low-income to be suitable for LTC insurance. For many others, lack of awareness and low priority are the primary obstacles. Because group LTC insurance has been widely available for only 10 years, many benefits managers view it as "too new and untested." Prior to the passage of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), in August 1996, the tax treatment of long-term care insurance premiums was unclear because Congress had not

Focus Group Guide

Science.gov (United States)

2017-07-01

home for the arrival of school- aged children. TIP: Do not conduct focus groups in a command conference room in the command group area. Doing so...organizational effectiveness and equal opportunity/equal employment opportunity/fair treatment and sexual assault and response factors (which are listed on the... Sexual Harassment (C) Sex Harassment Retaliation (D) Discrimination - Sex (E) Discrimination - Race (F) Discrimination - Disability (G

Gender and Acceptance of E-Learning: A Multi-Group Analysis Based on a Structural Equation Model among College Students in Chile and Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramírez-Correa, Patricio E; Arenas-Gaitán, Jorge; Rondán-Cataluña, F Javier

2015-01-01

The scope of this study was to evaluate whether the adoption of e-learning in two universities, and in particular, the relationship between the perception of external control and perceived ease of use, is different because of gender differences. The study was carried out with participating students in two different universities, one in Chile and one in Spain. The Technology Acceptance Model was used as a theoretical framework for the study. A multi-group analysis method in partial least squares was employed to relate differences between groups. The four main conclusions of the study are: (1) a version of the Technology Acceptance Model has been successfully used to explain the process of adoption of e-learning at an undergraduate level of study; (2) the finding of a strong and significant relationship between perception of external control and perception of ease of use of the e-learning platform; (3) a significant relationship between perceived enjoyment and perceived ease of use and between results demonstrability and perceived usefulness is found; (4) the study indicates a few statistically significant differences between males and females when adopting an e-learning platform, according to the tested model.

Gender and Acceptance of E-Learning: A Multi-Group Analysis Based on a Structural Equation Model among College Students in Chile and Spain

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

The scope of this study was to evaluate whether the adoption of e-learning in two universities, and in particular, the relationship between the perception of external control and perceived ease of use, is different because of gender differences. The study was carried out with participating students in two different universities, one in Chile and one in Spain. The Technology Acceptance Model was used as a theoretical framework for the study. A multi-group analysis method in partial least squares was employed to relate differences between groups. The four main conclusions of the study are: (1) a version of the Technology Acceptance Model has been successfully used to explain the process of adoption of e-learning at an undergraduate level of study; (2) the finding of a strong and significant relationship between perception of external control and perception of ease of use of the e-learning platform; (3) a significant relationship between perceived enjoyment and perceived ease of use and between results demonstrability and perceived usefulness is found; (4) the study indicates a few statistically significant differences between males and females when adopting an e-learning platform, according to the tested model. PMID:26465895

Employing Model-Based Reasoning in Interdisciplinary Research Teams: Evidence-Based Practices for Integrating Knowledge Across Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Pennington, D. D.; Vincent, S.

2017-12-01

The NSF-funded project "Employing Model-Based Reasoning in Socio-Environmental Synthesis (EMBeRS)" has developed a generic model for exchanging knowledge across disciplines that is based on findings from the cognitive, learning, social, and organizational sciences addressing teamwork in complex problem solving situations. Two ten-day summer workshops for PhD students from large, NSF-funded interdisciplinary projects working on a variety of water issues were conducted in 2016 and 2017, testing the model by collecting a variety of data, including surveys, interviews, audio/video recordings, material artifacts and documents, and photographs. This presentation will introduce the EMBeRS model, the design of workshop activities based on the model, and results from surveys and interviews with the participating students. Findings suggest that this approach is very effective for developing a shared, integrated research vision across disciplines, compared with activities typically provided by most large research projects, and that students believe the skills developed in the EMBeRS workshops are unique and highly desireable.

Maternal employment and childhood overweight in low- and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Oddo, Vanessa M; Mueller, Noel T; Pollack, Keshia M; Surkan, Pamela J; Bleich, Sara N; Jones-Smith, Jessica C

2017-10-01

To investigate the association between maternal employment and childhood overweight in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Design/Setting We utilized cross-sectional data from forty-five Demographic and Health Surveys from 2010 to 2016 (n 268 763). Mothers were categorized as formally employed, informally employed or non-employed. We used country-specific logistic regression models to investigate the association between maternal employment and childhood overweight (BMI Z-score>2) and assessed heterogeneity in the association by maternal education with the inclusion of an interaction term. We used meta-analysis to pool the associations across countries. Sensitivity analyses included modelling BMI Z-score and normal weight (weight-for-age Z-score≥-2 to employment was associated with childhood overweight. However, children of employed mothers, compared with children of non-employed mothers, had higher BMI Z-score and higher odds of normal weight. In countries where the association varied by education, children of formally employed women with high education, compared with children of non-employed women with high education, had higher odds of overweight (pooled OR=1·2; 95 % CI 1·0, 1·4). We find no clear association between employment and child overweight. However, maternal employment is associated with a modestly higher BMI Z-score and normal weight, suggesting that employment is currently associated with beneficial effects on children's weight status in most LMIC.

Investigating the LGBTQ Responsive Model for Supervision of Group Work

Science.gov (United States)

Luke, Melissa; Goodrich, Kristopher M.

2013-01-01

This article reports an investigation of the LGBTQ Responsive Model for Supervision of Group Work, a trans-theoretical supervisory framework to address the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) persons (Goodrich & Luke, 2011). Findings partially supported applicability of the LGBTQ Responsive Model for Supervision…

Mental illness and employment discrimination.

Science.gov (United States)

Stuart, Heather

2006-09-01

Work is a major determinant of mental health and a socially integrating force. To be excluded from the workforce creates material deprivation, erodes self-confidence, creates a sense of isolation and marginalization and is a key risk factor for mental disability. This review summarizes recent evidence pertaining to employment-related stigma and discrimination experienced by people with mental disabilities. A broad understanding of the stigmatization process is adopted, which includes cognitive, attitudinal, behavioural and structural disadvantages. Stigma is both a proximate and a distal cause of employment inequity for people with a mental disability who experience direct discrimination because of prejudicial attitudes from employers and workmates and indirect discrimination owing to historical patterns of disadvantage, structural disincentives against competitive employment and generalized policy neglect. Against this background, modern mental health rehabilitation models and legislative philosophies, which focus on citizenship rights and full social participation, are to be welcomed. Yet, recent findings demonstrate that the legislation remains vulnerable to the very prejudicial attitudes they are intended to abate. Research conducted during the past year continues to highlight multiple attitudinal and structural barriers that prevent people with mental disabilities from becoming active participants in the competitive labour market.

75 FR 49527 - Caps Visual Communications, LLC; Black Dot Group; Formerly Known as Caps Group Acquisition, LLC...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-13

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-74,195] Caps Visual Communications, LLC; Black Dot Group; Formerly Known as Caps Group Acquisition, LLC Chicago, IL; Amended... of Caps Visual Communications, LLC, Black Dot Group, formerly known as Caps Group Acquisition, LLC...

Monte Carlo electron-transport calculations for clinical beams using energy grouping

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teng, S P; Anderson, D W; Lindstrom, D G

1986-01-01

A Monte Carlo program has been utilized to study the penetration of broad electron beams into a water phantom. The MORSE-E code, originally developed for neutron and photon transport, was chosen for adaptation to electrons because of its versatility. The electron energy degradation model employed logarithmic spacing of electron energy groups and included effects of elastic scattering, inelastic-moderate-energy-loss-processes and inelastic-large-energy-loss-processes (catastrophic). Energy straggling and angular deflections were modeled from group to group, using the Moeller cross section for energy loss, and Goudsmit-Saunderson theory to describe angular deflections. The resulting energy- and electron-deposition distributions in depth were obtained at 10 and 20 MeV and are compared with ETRAN results and broad beam experimental data from clinical accelerators.

Transferable tight-binding model for strained group IV and III-V materials and heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Yaohua; Povolotskyi, Michael; Kubis, Tillmann; Boykin, Timothy B.; Klimeck, Gerhard

2016-07-01

It is critical to capture the effect due to strain and material interface for device level transistor modeling. We introduce a transferable s p3d5s* tight-binding model with nearest-neighbor interactions for arbitrarily strained group IV and III-V materials. The tight-binding model is parametrized with respect to hybrid functional (HSE06) calculations for varieties of strained systems. The tight-binding calculations of ultrasmall superlattices formed by group IV and group III-V materials show good agreement with the corresponding HSE06 calculations. The application of the tight-binding model to superlattices demonstrates that the transferable tight-binding model with nearest-neighbor interactions can be obtained for group IV and III-V materials.

Predicting employment status and subjective quality of life in patients with schizophrenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haruo Fujino

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Although impaired social functioning, particularly poor employment status, is a cardinal feature of patients with schizophrenia and leads to decreased quality of life (QOL, few studies have addressed the relationship between these two clinical issues. The aim of this study was to determine whether employment status predicts subjective QOL and to evaluate a model in which functional capacity mediates the relationship between general cognitive performance and employment status. Ninety-three patients with schizophrenia were administered a comprehensive battery of cognitive tests, the UCSD Performance-based Skills Assessment-Brief version (UPSA-B, the Social Functioning Scale (SFS, and the Subjective Quality of Life Scale (SQLS. First, we evaluated a model for predicting the employment/occupation subscale score of the SFS using path analysis, and the model fitted well (χ2 (4 = 3.6, p = 0.46; CFI = 1.0; RMSEA < 0.001, with 90% CIs: 0–0.152. Employment status was predicted by negative symptoms and functional capacity, which was in turn predicted by general cognitive performance. Second, we added subjective QOL to this model. In a final path model, QOL was predicted by negative symptoms and employment status. This model also satisfied good fit criteria (χ2 (7 = 10.3, p = 0.17; CFI = 0.987; RMSEA = 0.072, with 90% CIs: 0–0.159. The UPSA-B and SFS scores were moderately correlated with most measures of cognitive performance. These results support the notion that better employment status enhances subjective QOL in patients with schizophrenia.

A Project Team Analysis Using Tuckman's Model of Small-Group Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Natvig, Deborah; Stark, Nancy L

2016-12-01

Concerns about equitable workloads for nursing faculty have been well documented, yet a standardized system for workload management does not exist. A project team was challenged to establish an academic workload management system when two dissimilar universities were consolidated. Tuckman's model of small-group development was used as the framework for the analysis of processes and effectiveness of a workload project team. Agendas, notes, and meeting minutes were used as the primary sources of information. Analysis revealed the challenges the team encountered. Utilization of a team charter was an effective tool in guiding the team to become a highly productive group. Lessons learned from the analysis are discussed. Guiding a diverse group into a highly productive team is complex. The use of Tuckman's model of small-group development provided a systematic mechanism to review and understand group processes and tasks. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(12):675-681.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

Occupational health of self-employed women workers. Experiences from community based studies of the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA).

Science.gov (United States)

Chatterjee, M

1993-02-01

The Self-Employed Workers' Association (SEWA) has conducted 4 longitudinal, community-based studies to survey the occupational health of self-employed women in Ahmedabad and Indore, India. It included the workers in all stages of research. SEWA staff examined women in readymade garment, bidi, agarbatti, and masala fields. Since SEWA did not use control groups, they could not establish cause and effect relationships. Masala workers had the highest illiteracy rate (66%). At least 50% of all workers (89% of readymade garment workers) worked 8-12 hours/day. Daily wages of most workers did not exceed Rs.10, confirming their low poverty level. The most common occupational health problem while working was pain in the limbs for bidi (63%) and readymade garment workers (80%). They also experienced back pain and headaches. After work, back pain was common among agarbatti (73%) and masala (39%) workers. Masala workers also suffered from blisters and calluses (51%) and burning sensation (45%), particularly in their hands. Gynecological problems (e.g., early periods, white discharge, and burning sensation while urinating) and abdominal pain were common in all 4 groups. These results demonstrated a need for further research on occupational health and gynecological diseases; health facilities to adjust services to meet self-employed workers needs; provision of safe and subsidized tools, safety equipment, benefits (e.g., sick leave and child care), and health insurance; and health education. SEWA recommends that self-employed workers receive identity cards, the government enforce minimum wage laws and regulate working hours, and workers are provided basic amenities (e.g., potable water and sanitation).

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES OF THE HEARING IMPAIRED IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY: GENDER ANALYSIS

OpenAIRE

Yusoff, Norhayati Mat; Zahari, Mohd Salehuddin Mohd; Ahmad, Zamri; Isa, Nina Farisha; Ghani, Fatimah Abd

2013-01-01

The increasing participating rates of disable youth in hospitality higher career educationcan clearly be seen in many countries including Malaysia. This group has been identified as a key equity group for several years on the basis of their overall participating level, progression rates and the employments outcomes they achieve after completion their special education. This study empirically compares the barriers and constraints of employment among the young male and female hearing impaired g...

Group Approach to the Quantization of Non-Abelian Stueckelberg Models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aldaya, V; Lopez-Ruiz, F F; Calixto, M

2011-01-01

The quantum field theory of Non-Linear Sigma Models on coadjoint orbits of a semi-simple group G are formulated in the framework of a Group Approach to Quantization. In this scheme, partial-trace Lagrangians are recovered from two-cocycles defined on the infinite-dimensional group of sections of the jet-gauge group J 1 (G). This construction is extended to the entire physical system coupled to Yang-Mills fields, thus constituting an algebraic formulation of the Non-Abelian Stueckelgerg formalism devoid of the unitarity/renormalizability obstruction that this theory finds in the standard Lagrangian formalism under canonical quantization.

Group Approach to the Quantization of Non-Abelian Stueckelberg Models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aldaya, V; Lopez-Ruiz, F F [Instituto de Astrofisica de AndalucIa (IAA-CSIC), Apartado Postal 3004, 18080 Granada (Spain); Calixto, M, E-mail: valdaya@iaa.es, E-mail: Manuel.Calixto@upct.es, E-mail: flopez@iaa.es [Departamento de Matematica Aplicada y Estadistica, Universidad Politecnica de Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII 56, 30203 Cartagena (Spain)

2011-03-01

The quantum field theory of Non-Linear Sigma Models on coadjoint orbits of a semi-simple group G are formulated in the framework of a Group Approach to Quantization. In this scheme, partial-trace Lagrangians are recovered from two-cocycles defined on the infinite-dimensional group of sections of the jet-gauge group J{sup 1} (G). This construction is extended to the entire physical system coupled to Yang-Mills fields, thus constituting an algebraic formulation of the Non-Abelian Stueckelgerg formalism devoid of the unitarity/renormalizability obstruction that this theory finds in the standard Lagrangian formalism under canonical quantization.

75 FR 3168 - Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program-Self-Employment

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-20

... Employment Program--Self-Employment AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This document amends the vocational rehabilitation and employment regulations of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) concerning self-employment for individuals with qualifying disabilities. We are making...

What's up with the self-employed? A cross-national perspective on the self-employed's work-related mental well-being.

Science.gov (United States)

Gevaert, Jessie; Moortel, Deborah De; Wilkens, Mathijn; Vanroelen, Christophe

2018-04-01

Although many governments actively stimulate self-employment, their work-related mental well-being remains understudied. The aim of current study is to investigate the mental well-being of different types of self-employed, testing whether mental well-being differences among self-employed are explained by the presence of work characteristics that are in accordance with the ideal-typical image of the "successful entrepreneur" (e.g. creativity, willingness to take risks, innovativeness, high intrinsic motivation, skilfulness and the ability of recognizing opportunities). Moreover, we investigate the relation of country-level "entrepreneurial climate" and the individual mental well-being of self-employed. For this purpose, data from the European Working Conditions Survey, round 6 (2015) was analysed, including 5448 cases, originating from the 28 EU-member states. Multilevel random intercepts modelling was used to investigate associations of both individual- and country-level characteristics with mental well-being. We found that motivation, the ability to recognize opportunities, and finding it easy to be self-employed positively influences the mental well-being of self-employed. Respondents with these characteristics are often medium-big employers, while farmers, dependent freelancers and own account workers generally have less of these features and tend to have lower levels of mental well-being. At the country-level, positive entrepreneurship perception relates to more advantageous mental health scores in self-employed. These results implicate that policies promoting self-employment should be (more) concerned with the work-related characteristics of (future) self-employed.

Improved NN-GM(1,1 for Postgraduates’ Employment Confidence Index Forecasting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lu Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Postgraduates’ employment confidence index (ECI forecasting can help the university to predict the future trend of postgraduates’ employment. However, the common forecast method based on the grey model (GM has unsatisfactory performance to a certain extent. In order to forecast postgraduates’ ECI efficiently, this paper discusses a novel hybrid forecast model using limited raw samples. Different from previous work, the residual modified GM(1,1 model is combined with the improved neural network (NN in this work. In particullar, the hybrid model reduces the residue of the standard GM(1,1 model as well as accelerating the convergence rate of the standard NN. After numerical studies, the illustrative results are provided to demonstrate the forecast performance of the proposed model. In addition, some strategies for improving the postgraduates’ employment confidence have been discussed.

Transferable tight binding model for strained group IV and III-V heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Yaohua; Povolotskyi, Micheal; Kubis, Tillmann; Boykin, Timothy; Klimeck, Gerhard

Modern semiconductor devices have reached critical device dimensions in the range of several nanometers. For reliable prediction of device performance, it is critical to have a numerical efficient model that are transferable to material interfaces. In this work, we present an empirical tight binding (ETB) model with transferable parameters for strained IV and III-V group semiconductors. The ETB model is numerically highly efficient as it make use of an orthogonal sp3d5s* basis set with nearest neighbor inter-atomic interactions. The ETB parameters are generated from HSE06 hybrid functional calculations. Band structures of strained group IV and III-V materials by ETB model are in good agreement with corresponding HSE06 calculations. Furthermore, the ETB model is applied to strained superlattices which consist of group IV and III-V elements. The ETB model turns out to be transferable to nano-scale hetero-structure. The ETB band structures agree with the corresponding HSE06 results in the whole Brillouin zone. The ETB band gaps of superlattices with common cations or common anions have discrepancies within 0.05eV.

77 FR 47669 - Employment and Training Administration

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-09

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration TA-W-81,446, Wellpoint, Inc., NE Enrollment and Billing Division, Including On-Site Leased Workers From Aerotek, Kelly Services and Populus Group, North Haven, CT; TA-W-81,446A, Wellpoint, Inc., NE Enrollment and Billing Division, Including On...

Employment specialist competencies for supported employment programs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Corbière, M.; Brouwers, E.P.M.; Lanctôt, N.; van Weeghel, J.

2014-01-01

Purpose Supported employment (SE) programs are evidence-based programs offered to people with severe mental illness to facilitate obtaining and keeping competitive work. However, significant variations in individuals’ vocational success may be partly explained by differences in their employment

Explorations in combining cognitive models of individuals and system dynamics models of groups.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Backus, George A.

2008-07-01

This report documents a demonstration model of interacting insurgent leadership, military leadership, government leadership, and societal dynamics under a variety of interventions. The primary focus of the work is the portrayal of a token societal model that responds to leadership activities. The model also includes a linkage between leadership and society that implicitly represents the leadership subordinates as they directly interact with the population. The societal model is meant to demonstrate the efficacy and viability of using System Dynamics (SD) methods to simulate populations and that these can then connect to cognitive models depicting individuals. SD models typically focus on average behavior and thus have limited applicability to describe small groups or individuals. On the other hand, cognitive models readily describe individual behavior but can become cumbersome when used to describe populations. Realistic security situations are invariably a mix of individual and population dynamics. Therefore, the ability to tie SD models to cognitive models provides a critical capability that would be otherwise be unavailable.

Opting Out and Leaning In: The Life Course Employment Profiles of Early Baby Boom Women in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Manglano, Javier

2015-12-01

Most literature on female employment focuses on the intersection between women's labor supply and family events such as marriage, divorce, or childbearing. Even when using longitudinal data and methods, most studies estimate average net effects over time and assume homogeneity among women. Less is known about diversity in women's cumulative work patterns over the long run. Using group-based trajectory analysis, I model the employment trajectories of early Baby Boom women in the United States from ages 20 to 54. I find that women in this cohort can be classified in four ideal-type groups: those who were consistently detached from the labor force (21 %), those who gradually increased their market attachment (27 %), those who worked intensely in young adulthood but dropped out of the workforce after midlife (13 %), and those who were steadily employed across midlife (40 %). I then explore a variety of traits associated with membership in each of these groups. I find that (1) the timing of family events (marriage, fertility) helps to distinguish between groups with weak or strong attachment to the labor force in early adulthood; (2) external constraints (workplace discrimination, husband's opposition to wife's work, ill health) explain membership in groups that experienced work trajectory reversals; and (3) individual preferences influence labor supply across women's life course. This analysis reveals a high degree of complexity in women's lifetime working patterns, highlighting the need to understand women's labor supply as a fluid process.

Does the interpersonal model apply across eating disorder diagnostic groups? A structural equation modeling approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivanova, Iryna V; Tasca, Giorgio A; Proulx, Geneviève; Bissada, Hany

2015-11-01

Interpersonal model has been validated with binge-eating disorder (BED), but it is not yet known if the model applies across a range of eating disorders (ED). The goal of this study was to investigate the validity of the interpersonal model in anorexia nervosa (restricting type; ANR and binge-eating/purge type; ANBP), bulimia nervosa (BN), BED, and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). Data from a cross-sectional sample of 1459 treatment-seeking women diagnosed with ANR, ANBP, BN, BED and EDNOS were examined for indirect effects of interpersonal problems on ED psychopathology mediated through negative affect. Findings from structural equation modeling demonstrated the mediating role of negative affect in four of the five diagnostic groups. There were significant, medium to large (.239, .558), indirect effects in the ANR, BN, BED and EDNOS groups but not in the ANBP group. The results of the first reverse model of interpersonal problems as a mediator between negative affect and ED psychopathology were nonsignificant, suggesting the specificity of these hypothesized paths. However, in the second reverse model ED psychopathology was related to interpersonal problems indirectly through negative affect. This is the first study to find support for the interpersonal model of ED in a clinical sample of women with diverse ED diagnoses, though there may be a reciprocal relationship between ED psychopathology and relationship problems through negative affect. Negative affect partially explains the relationship between interpersonal problems and ED psychopathology in women diagnosed with ANR, BN, BED and EDNOS. Interpersonal psychotherapies for ED may be addressing the underlying interpersonal-affective difficulties, thereby reducing ED psychopathology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Breastfeeding and employment: an assessment of employer attitudes.

Science.gov (United States)

Libbus, M Kay; Bullock, Linda F C

2002-08-01

Both research and anecdotal reports suggest that maternal employment is associated with failure to initiate breastfeeding and early breastfeeding attrition. The objective of this study was to describe the experience with and attitudes toward breastfeeding of a sample of employers in a small Midwestern city in the United States. Based on an analysis of 85 mail-out questionnaires, we found that less than half of the employers had personal experience with breastfeeding. A large percentage of the sample, however, indicated that they would be willing to facilitate women who wished to breastfeed or express milk in the workplace. However, these employers also stated that they saw little value to their business of supporting breastfeeding in the work environment. Thus, enhancement of breastfeeding opportunity in the work environment may come as a result of public and employer education but, more likely, will require some type of directive from official sources.

The Beyond the Standard Model Working Group: Summary Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rizzo, Thomas G.

2002-08-08

Various theoretical aspects of physics beyond the Standard Model at hadron colliders are discussed. Our focus will be on those issues that most immediately impact the projects pursued as part of the BSM group at this meeting.

A Creative Therapies Model for the Group Supervision of Counsellors.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkins, Paul

1995-01-01

Sets forth a model of group supervision, drawing on a creative therapies approach which provides an effective way of delivering process issues, conceptualization issues, and personalization issues. The model makes particular use of techniques drawn from art therapy and from psychodrama, and should be applicable to therapists of many orientations.…

Computer-aided polymer design using group contribution plus property models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Satyanarayana, Kavitha Chelakara; Abildskov, Jens; Gani, Rafiqul

2009-01-01

. Polymer repeat unit property prediction models are required to calculate the properties of the generated repeat units. A systematic framework incorporating recently developed group contribution plus (GC(+)) models and an extended CAMD technique to include design of polymer repeat units is highlighted...... in this paper. The advantage of a GC(+) model in CAMD applications is that a very large number of polymer structures can be considered even though some of the group parameters may not be available. A number of case studies involving different polymer design problems have been solved through the developed......The preliminary step for polymer product design is to identify the basic repeat unit structure of the polymer that matches the target properties. Computer-aided molecular design (CAMD) approaches can be applied for generating the polymer repeat unit structures that match the required constraints...

The association between employee obesity and employer costs: evidence from a panel of U.S. employers.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Nuys, Karen; Globe, Denise; Ng-Mak, Daisy; Cheung, Hoiwan; Sullivan, Jeff; Goldman, Dana

2014-01-01

To estimate the employer costs associated with employee obesity. The study used cross-sectional analysis of employee health-risk assessment, disability, workers' compensation, and medical claims data from 2006 to 2008. The study took place in the United States from 2006 to 2008. A panel database with 29,699 employees drawn from a panel of employers and observed for 3 years each (N = 89,097) was used. Workdays lost owing to illness and disability; the cost of medical, short-term disability, and workers' compensation claims; and employees' adjusted body mass indices (BMI) were measured. We model the number and probability of workdays lost from illness, short-term disability, and workers' compensation events; short-term disability and workers' compensation payments; and health care spending as a function of BMI. We estimate spline regression models and fit results using a third-degree fractional polynomial. Probability of disability, workers' compensation claims, and number of days missed owing to any cause increase with BMI above 25, as do total employer costs. The probability of a short-term disability claim increases faster for employees with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or diabetes. Normal weight employees cost on average $3830 per year in covered medical, sick day, short-term disability, and workers' compensation claims combined; morbidly obese employees cost more than twice that amount, or $8067, in 2011 dollars. Obesity is associated with large employer costs from direct health care and insurance claims and indirect costs from lost productivity owing to workdays lost because of illness and disability.

Power and Vision: Group-Process Models Evolving from Social-Change Movements.

Science.gov (United States)

Morrow, Susan L.; Hawxhurst, Donna M.

1988-01-01

Explores evolution of group process in social change movements, including the evolution of the new left, the cooperative movement,and the women's liberation movement. Proposes a group-process model that encourages people to share power and live their visions. (Author/NB)

Employability development in Higher Education institutions: a tourism student perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N Wakelin-Theron

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Tourism is the world‟s largest and fastest-growing industry. The South African tourism industry (TI contributes to the creation of employment (National Department of Tourism (NDT 2011, and the development and growth of the country's economy. Yet, the South African TI experiences a critical skills shortage. This results from the fact that many tourism graduates do not possess the skills required by the world of work. Put another way, tourism graduates are not adequately prepared for absorption in the tourism industry. This, in turn, prevents them from participating effectively in the tourism industry. As Fallows and Steven (2000 put it, the knowledge of an academic subject is no longer enough in today's challenging work environment; as such, it is important for graduates to develop skills that will increase their chances of finding employment. In light of the above, it is imperative for higher educational institutions to include the development of employability skills in their tourism-related programmes. Hence, it becomes essential to explore ways in which higher education institutions could respond more effectively to the needs and expectations of the tourism industry in order to reduce youth unemployment in South Africa. In this regard, focus group interviews constitute the most suitable qualitative research technique to elicit valuable information on employability development, from multiple student perspectives. In other words, focus groups allow for open, flexible, and democratic discussions. The researcher took the necessary precautions to ensure the high quality and trustworthiness of the focus group interviews. By getting students together, to discuss their experiences and opinions, the researcher obtained valuable and insightful information on the development of tourism students‟ employability attributes.

Employer Health and Productivity Roadmap™ strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Parkinson, Michael D

2013-12-01

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Total Worker Health™ Program defines essential elements of an integrated health protection and health promotion model to improve the health, safety, and performance of employers and employees. The lack of a clear strategy to address the core drivers of poor health, excessive medical costs, and lost productivity has deterred a comprehensive, integrated, and proactive approach to meet these challenges. The Employer Health and Productivity Roadmap™, comprising six interrelated and integrated core elements, creates a framework of shared accountability for both employers and their health and productivity partners to implement and monitor actionable measures that improve health, maximize productivity, and reduce excessive costs. The strategy is most effective when linked to a financially incentivized health management program or consumer-directed health plan insurance benefit design.

Extending a model of precarious employment: A qualitative study of immigrant workers in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Porthé, Victoria; Ahonen, Emily; Vázquez, M Luisa; Pope, Catherine; Agudelo, Andrés Alonso; García, Ana M; Amable, Marcelo; Benavides, Fernando G; Benach, Joan

2010-04-01

Since the 1980s, changes in the labor market have modified power relations between capital and labor, leading to greater levels of precarious employment among workers. Globalization has led to a growth in migration, as people leave their countries in search of work. We aimed to describe the dimensions of precarious employment for immigrant workers in Spain. Qualitative study using analytic induction. Criterion sampling was used to recruit 129 immigrant workers in Spain with documented and undocumented administrative status. Data quality was ensured by triangulation. Immigrant workers reported that precarious employment is characterized by high job instability, a lack of power for negotiating employment conditions, and defenselessness against high labor demands. They described insufficient wages, long working hours, limited social benefits, and difficulty in exercising their rights. Undocumented workers reported greater defenselessness and worse employment conditions. This study allowed us to describe the dimensions of precarious employment in immigrant workers. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Employer Attitudes towards the Work Inclusion of People with Disability

Science.gov (United States)

Nota, Laura; Santilli, Sara; Ginevra, Maria C.; Soresi, Salvatore

2014-01-01

Background: This study examines the importance of work in life of people with disability and then focuses on employer attitudes towards these people. In the light of Stone and Colella's model, the study examines the employer attitudes and the role of variables such as type of disability, employer experience in the hiring of persons with…

Searching for a Job on the Contemporary Labour Market: The Role of Dispositional Employability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jasmina Tomas

2017-03-01

Full Text Available By acknowledging the uncertainty and unpredictability of the job search process in an unemployment setting, the present study explored the predictive strength of dispositional employability in job search behaviours. Dispositional employability has been recognized as a potentially important personal resource that promotes job opportunities. However, it has rarely been assessed in an unemployment setting to date. According to recent employability models that differentiate between distal (i.e., personal strengths and proximal (e.g., perceived employability determinants of behaviour on the labour market, we hypoth- esized that: (i dispositional employability relates positively to job search intensity and (ii perception of one’s employment possibilities (i.e., perceived employability serves as an explanatory mechanism of this relationship. The hypothesized structural model was tested among a heterogeneous sample of 533 unemployed persons in Croatia. The results of structural equation modelling provided support for our hypotheses: dispositional employability related positively to job search intensity via perceived employ- ability. Accordingly, nurturing dispositional employability may be beneficial for unemployed persons as it relates positively to engagement in job search behaviour.

Maternal employment and childhood overweight in Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Sophie-Charlotte

2016-12-01

A widespread finding among studies from the US and the UK is that maternal employment is correlated with an increased risk of child overweight, even in a causal manner, whereas studies from other countries obtain less conclusive results. As evidence for Germany is still scarce, the purpose of this study is to identify the effect of maternal employment on childhood overweight in Germany using two sets of representative micro data. We further explore potential underlying mechanisms that might explain this relationship. In order to address the selection into maternal full-time employment, we use an instrumental variable strategy exploiting the number of younger siblings in the household as an instrument. While the OLS models suggest that maternal full-time employment is related to a 5 percentage point higher probability of the child to be overweight, IV estimates indicate a 25 percentage points higher overweight probability due to maternal full-time employment. Exploring various possible pathways, we find that maternal full-time employment promotes unhealthy dietary and activity behavior which might explain the positive effect of maternal employment on child overweight to some extent. Although there are limitations to our IV approach, several sensitivity analyses confirm the robustness of our findings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recruiting nurses through social media: Effects on employer brand and attractiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Carpentier, Marieke; Van Hoye, Greet; Stockman, Sara; Schollaert, Eveline; Van Theemsche, Bart; Jacobs, Gerd

2017-11-01

To investigate whether and how nurses' exposure to a hospital's profile on social media affects their perceptions of the hospital's brand and attractiveness as an employer. Since in many places across the globe hospitals are struggling with nursing shortages, competition is rising to be perceived as an attractive employer by this target group. Organizations are increasingly using social media for recruitment, however, little is known about its effects on potential applicants' perceptions of the organization as an employer. We thus examine whether these effects occur and rely on the media richness theory to explain the mechanisms at play. A between-subjects experimental design was applied. Three conditions were used: a control group, one condition that required visiting the Facebook page of a hospital and one condition that required visiting the LinkedIn page. The focal organization was an existing Belgian hospital which had a LinkedIn and a Facebook page. An online questionnaire was sent to nursing students and employed nurses over 5 months in 2015-2016. Nurses' exposure to the hospital's Facebook or LinkedIn page had a significant positive effect on a majority of the employer brand dimensions, both instrumental and symbolic. In addition, nurses who visited the Facebook page felt more attracted to working at the hospital. Most of these effects were mediated by social presence. Nurses' perceptions of employers can be positively influenced by seeing a hospital's social media page. Hospitals can thus employ social media to improve their employer brand image and attractiveness. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Uncertainties in modeling low-energy neutrino-induced reactions on iron-group nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paar, N.; Vretenar, D.; Suzuki, T.; Honma, M.; Marketin, T.

2011-01-01

Charged-current neutrino-nucleus cross sections for 54,56 Fe and 58,60 Ni are calculated and compared using frameworks based on relativistic and Skyrme energy-density functionals and on the shell model. The current theoretical uncertainties in modeling neutrino-nucleus cross sections are assessed in relation to the predicted Gamow-Teller transition strength and available data, to multipole decomposition of the cross sections, and to cross sections averaged over the Michel flux and Fermi-Dirac distribution. By employing different microscopic approaches and models, the decay-at-rest (DAR) neutrino- 56 Fe cross section and its theoretical uncertainty are estimated to be th =(258±57)x10 -42 cm 2 , in very good agreement with the experimental value exp =(256±108±43)x10 -42 cm 2 .

What is special about the group of the standard model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nielsen, H.B.; Brene, N.

1989-06-15

The standard model is based on the algebra of U/sub 1/xSU/sub 2/xSU/sub 3/. The systematics of charges of the fundamental fermions seems to suggest the importance of a particular group having this algebra, viz. S(U/sub 2/xU/sub 3/). This group is distinguished from all other connected compact non semisimple groups with dimensionality up to 12 by a characteristic property: it is very ''skew''. By this we mean that the group has relatively few ''generalised outer automorphisms''. One may speculate about physical reasons for this fact. (orig.).

Demography-based adaptive network model reproduces the spatial organization of human linguistic groups

Science.gov (United States)

Capitán, José A.; Manrubia, Susanna

2015-12-01

The distribution of human linguistic groups presents a number of interesting and nontrivial patterns. The distributions of the number of speakers per language and the area each group covers follow log-normal distributions, while population and area fulfill an allometric relationship. The topology of networks of spatial contacts between different linguistic groups has been recently characterized, showing atypical properties of the degree distribution and clustering, among others. Human demography, spatial conflicts, and the construction of networks of contacts between linguistic groups are mutually dependent processes. Here we introduce an adaptive network model that takes all of them into account and successfully reproduces, using only four model parameters, not only those features of linguistic groups already described in the literature, but also correlations between demographic and topological properties uncovered in this work. Besides their relevance when modeling and understanding processes related to human biogeography, our adaptive network model admits a number of generalizations that broaden its scope and make it suitable to represent interactions between agents based on population dynamics and competition for space.

The Effect of Environmental Regulation on Employment in Resource-Based Areas of China-An Empirical Research Based on the Mediating Effect Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Wenbin; Wang, Hui; Ying, Huihui

2017-12-19

While environmental pollution is becoming more and more serious, many countries are adopting policies to control pollution. At the same time, the environmental regulation will inevitably affect economic and social development, especially employment growth. The environmental regulation will not only affect the scale of employment directly, but it will also have indirect effects by stimulating upgrades in the industrial structure and in technological innovation. This paper examines the impact of environmental regulation on employment, using a mediating model based on the data from five typical resource-based provinces in China from 2000 to 2015. The estimation is performed based on the system GMM (Generalized Method of Moments) estimator. The results show that the implementation of environmental regulation in resource-based areas has both a direct effect and a mediating effect on employment. These findings provide policy implications for these resource-based areas to promote the coordinating development between the environment and employment.

Tracking Maneuvering Group Target with Extension Predicted and Best Model Augmentation Method Adapted

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linhai Gan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The random matrix (RM method is widely applied for group target tracking. The assumption that the group extension keeps invariant in conventional RM method is not yet valid, as the orientation of the group varies rapidly while it is maneuvering; thus, a new approach with group extension predicted is derived here. To match the group maneuvering, a best model augmentation (BMA method is introduced. The existing BMA method uses a fixed basic model set, which may lead to a poor performance when it could not ensure basic coverage of true motion modes. Here, a maneuvering group target tracking algorithm is proposed, where the group extension prediction and the BMA adaption are exploited. The performance of the proposed algorithm will be illustrated by simulation.

A differential-geometric approach to generalized linear models with grouped predictors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Augugliaro, Luigi; Mineo, Angelo M.; Wit, Ernst C.

We propose an extension of the differential-geometric least angle regression method to perform sparse group inference in a generalized linear model. An efficient algorithm is proposed to compute the solution curve. The proposed group differential-geometric least angle regression method has important

To eat and not be eaten: modelling resources and safety in multi-species animal groups.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Umesh Srinivasan

Full Text Available Using mixed-species bird flocks as an example, we model the payoffs for two types of species from participating in multi-species animal groups. Salliers feed on mobile prey, are good sentinels and do not affect prey capture rates of gleaners; gleaners feed on prey on substrates and can enhance the prey capture rate of salliers by flushing prey, but are poor sentinels. These functional types are known from various animal taxa that form multi-species associations. We model costs and benefits of joining groups for a wide range of group compositions under varying abundances of two types of prey-prey on substrates and mobile prey. Our model predicts that gleaners and salliers show a conflict of interest in multi-species groups, because gleaners benefit from increasing numbers of salliers in the group, whereas salliers benefit from increasing gleaner numbers. The model also predicts that the limits to size and variability in composition of multi-species groups are driven by the relative abundance of different types of prey, independent of predation pressure. Our model emphasises resources as a primary driver of temporal and spatial group dynamics, rather than reproductive activity or predation per se, which have hitherto been thought to explain patterns of multi-species group formation and cohesion. The qualitative predictions of the model are supported by empirical patterns from both terrestrial and marine multi-species groups, suggesting that similar mechanisms might underlie group dynamics in a range of taxa. The model also makes novel predictions about group dynamics that can be tested using variation across space and time.

Cost-effectiveness of supported employment adapted for people with affective disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Sanjib; Bejerholm, Ulrika; Gerdtham, Ulf-G; Jarl, Johan

2018-04-01

The individual enabling and support (IES) model was effective in gaining competitive employment for people with affective disorders compared with traditional vocational rehabilitation (TVR) services in a randomized controlled trial in a Swedish setting. The object of this study is to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis of IES comparing to TVR. We considered the costs of intervention and productivity gain due to increased competitive employment. We estimated quality of life using EuroQol 5 Dimension (EQ-5D) and Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life (MANSA) scale. EQ-5D was translated into quality-adjusted life-years (QALY), using the UK, Danish, and Swedish tariffs. We performed the analysis from a societal perspective with a one-year timeframe. The cost of IES was €7247 lower per person per year (2014 prices) compared to TVR. There were no significant differences in QALY improvement within or between groups. However, quality of life measured by the MANSA scale significantly improved over the study period in IES. Besides the small sample size, details on the intervention costs for both IES and TVR group were unavailable and had to be obtained from external sources. Implementation of IES for people with affective disorders is most likely cost-saving and is potentially even dominating TVR, although a larger trial is required to establish this.

Examination of employment in the atomic energy field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, J.G.

1978-02-01

This study, which focuses on the years 1968--1975, singles out important employment trends in the atomic energy field and develops causal explanations for these trends. The study also provides a descriptive profile of employment in the field. Employment in the atomic energy field has grown from 138,519 in 1963 to 197,466 in 1975, an annual rate of 3.0 percent. The deployment of scientists, engineers, and technicians in the government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) sector changed little from 1968 to 1975. Private sector deployment altered considerably, with a large increase. Within the scientist group, the GOCO sector employment by field has changed little from 1968 to 1975. Private sector scientists have seen considerable alteration of their employment. There has been little change in the employment shares of engineering fields in the GOCO sector for the 1968 to 1975 period. Private sector engineers have seen much greater change, with civil engineers increasing their share 6% to 11%. Of all GOCO technicians, physical science technicians have increased their employment share from 12% to 17%. Of all private sector technicians, draftsmen have increased their share from 29% to 37% and reactor operators from 4% to 7%. Total employment in the field is shifting toward smaller firms. Employment by region has changed considerably in the private sector from 1968 to 1975. GOCO regional employment has also changed. The percentage of scientists and engineers involved in research and development has declined from 68% in 1968 to 39% in 1975. Three private sector industrial segments--reactor design and manufacturing, nuclear facilities design and engineering, and operation and maintenance of reactors--have experienced tremendous growth from 1968 to 1975. 8 figures, 32 tables

Improving low-wage, midsized employers' health promotion practices: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Hannon, Peggy A; Harris, Jeffrey R; Sopher, Carrie J; Kuniyuki, Alan; Ghosh, Donetta L; Henderson, Shelly; Martin, Diane P; Weaver, Marcia R; Williams, Barbara; Albano, Denise L; Meischke, Hendrika; Diehr, Paula; Lichiello, Patricia; Hammerback, Kristen E; Parks, Malcolm R; Forehand, Mark

2012-08-01

The Guide to Community Preventive Services (Community Guide) offers evidence-based intervention strategies to prevent chronic disease. The American Cancer Society (ACS) and the University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center co-developed ACS Workplace Solutions (WPS) to improve workplaces' implementation of Community Guide strategies. To test the effectiveness of WPS for midsized employers in low-wage industries. Two-arm RCT; workplaces were randomized to receive WPS during the study (intervention group) or at the end of the study (delayed control group). Forty-eight midsized employers (100-999 workers) in King County WA. WPS provides employers one-on-one consulting with an ACS interventionist via three meetings at the workplace. The interventionist recommends best practices to adopt based on the workplace's current practices, provides implementation toolkits for the best practices the employer chooses to adopt, conducts a follow-up visit at 6 months, and provides technical assistance. Employers' implementation of 16 best practices (in the categories of insurance benefits, health-related policies, programs, tracking, and health communications) at baseline (June 2007-June 2008) and 15-month follow-up (October 2008-December 2009). Data were analyzed in 2010-2011. Intervention employers demonstrated greater improvement from baseline than control employers in two of the five best-practice categories; implementing policies (baseline scores: 39% program, 43% control; follow-up scores: 49% program, 45% control; p=0.013) and communications (baseline scores: 42% program, 44% control; follow-up scores: 76% program, 55% control; p=0.007). Total best-practice implementation improvement did not differ between study groups (baseline scores: 32% intervention, 37% control; follow-up scores: 39% intervention, 42% control; p=0.328). WPS improved employers' health-related policies and communications but did not improve insurance benefits design, programs, or tracking. Many

Understanding Employee Awareness of Health Care Quality Information: How Can Employers Benefit?

Science.gov (United States)

Abraham, Jean; Feldman, Roger; Carlin, Caroline

2004-01-01

Objective To analyze the factors associated with employee awareness of employer-disseminated quality information on providers. Data Sources Primary data were collected in 2002 on a stratified, random sample of 1,365 employees in 16 firms that are members of the Buyers Health Care Action Group (BHCAG) located in the Minneapolis–St. Paul region. An employer survey was also conducted to assess how employers communicated the quality information to employees. Study Design In 2001, BHCAG sponsored two programs for reporting provider quality. We specify employee awareness of the quality information to depend on factors that influence the benefits and costs of search. Factors influencing the benefits include age, sex, provider satisfaction, health status, job tenure, and Twin Cities tenure. Factors influencing search costs include employee income, education, and employer communication strategies. We estimate the model using bivariate probit analysis. Data Collection Employee data were collected by phone survey. Principal Findings Overall, the level of quality information awareness is low. However, employer communication strategies such as distributing booklets to all employees or making them available on request have a large effect on the probability of quality information awareness. Employee education and utilization of providers' services are also positively related to awareness. Conclusions This study is one of the first to investigate employee awareness of provider quality information. Given the direct implications for medical outcomes, one might anticipate higher rates of awareness regarding provider quality, relative to plan quality. However, we do not find empirical evidence to support this assertion. PMID:15533188

Change in employment status of 5-year cancer survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Torp, Steffen; Nielsen, Roy A; Fosså, Sophie D; Gudbergsson, Saevar B; Dahl, Alv A

2013-02-01

To follow the employment status of 5-year cancer survivors for 5 years after diagnosis with their first lifetime invasive cancer and to identify socio-demographic, work-related and cancer-related predictors of employment status after 5 years. This prospective registry study concerned all 3278 people in Norway (18-61 years old) diagnosed with their first lifetime invasive cancer in 1999 and alive in 2004 and a cancer-free control group (n = 6368) matched by sex, age, educational level and employment status in 1998. The employment rate among male cancer survivors declined steadily every year, from 94% the year before diagnosis (1998) to 77% 5 years after diagnosis (2004). This change did not differ significantly from that of male controls. The employment rate of female survivors also declined steadily, from 87% (1998) to 69% (2004). This decline was greater than that among female controls, and in 2004 survivors had a significantly lower employment rate. For both men and women, the significant pre-diagnosis predictors of being employed in 2004 concerned higher socio-economic position. For both sexes, lung cancer survivors had the highest decline in employment rate, and male skin cancer survivors had a lower decline in employment rate than controls. Socio-demographic and work-related factors explained more of the variance in employment status than did cancer diagnosis. The employment rate among 5-year cancer survivors did not change significantly except for female survivors. Low socio-economic position is a risk factor for decline in employment rate and should be focused on to prevent cancer-related inequity.

Jobs and Kids: Female Employment and Fertility in Rural China

OpenAIRE

Hai Fang; Karen N. Eggleston; John A. Rizzo; Richard J. Zeckhauser

2010-01-01

Data on 2,355 married women from the 2006 China Health and Nutrition Survey are used to study how female employment affects fertility in China. China has deep concerns with both population size and female employment, so the relationship between the two should be better understood. Causality flows in both directions. A conceptual model shows how employment prospects affect fertility. Then a well-validated instrumental variable isolates this effect. Female employment reduces a married woman's p...

Employment Change and Business Prospects in Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kosovka Đ Ognjenovic

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to examine whether some previous knowledge about business prospects affects companies’ decisions about new employment in Serbia. In order to investigate this assumption a set of firm level data for 2012 is used. Following the theoretical approach that put an employer in a position to make various decisions about employment within the company, the trichotomous logit model is employed for the estimation of outcomes of possible companies’ decisions with respect to a set of independent variables. We find that the level of employment in the year that precedes companies’ decisions and relative changes in the number of employees in two successive years, as well as age and size of the company to some extent, affect companies’ decisions about new employment. The most important finding of our research is that the companies that experienced fluctuations in the number of employees and upgraded their business opportunities in the previous period hesitate to make decisions on the engagement of new workers, whereas those companies that lost some business opportunities rather decide to downsize the total number of employees.

One-velocity neutron diffusion calculations based on a two-group reactor model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bingulac, S; Radanovic, L; Lazarevic, B; Matausek, M; Pop-Jordanov, J [Boris Kidric Institute of Nuclear Sciences, Vinca, Belgrade (Yugoslavia)

1965-07-01

Many processes in reactor physics are described by the energy dependent neutron diffusion equations which for many practical purposes can often be reduced to one-dimensional two-group equations. Though such two-group models are satisfactory from the standpoint of accuracy, they require rather extensive computations which are usually iterative and involve the use of digital computers. In many applications, however, and particularly in dynamic analyses, where the studies are performed on analogue computers, it is preferable to avoid iterative calculations. The usual practice in such situations is to resort to one group models, which allow the solution to be expressed analytically. However, the loss in accuracy is rather great particularly when several media of different properties are involved. This paper describes a procedure by which the solution of the two-group neutron diffusion. equations can be expressed analytically in the form which, from the computational standpoint, is as simple as the one-group model, but retains the accuracy of the two-group treatment. In describing the procedure, the case of a multi-region nuclear reactor of cylindrical geometry is treated, but the method applied and the results obtained are of more general application. Another approach in approximate solution of diffusion equations, suggested by Galanin is applicable only in special ideal cases.

Voices From The Field: Developing Employability Skills for Archaeological Students Through the Experimentation and the Pedagogy of Problem Based Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gaynor Wood

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Graduate employment statistics are receiving considerable attention in UK universities. This paper looks at how a wide range of employability attributes can be developed with students, through the innovative use of the Problem Based Learning (PBL approach. The case study discussed here involves a group of archaeology students from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN and their task of reconstructing and firing a small, early medieval clamp kiln. The employability skills and attributes that the students felt they had developed from this experience are discussed, with reference to Yorke’s USEM model of employability. Thanks are due to Get Your Wellies Outdoor Learning Centre, Preston, Lancashire for the use of their site, and to James Claydon, Bernard and Pat Fleming, Brian Joynes, Josh Pugh, Dan Scully, Mike Woods for their involvement in the experiment

Temporary Employment and Perceived Employability: Mediation by Impression Management

Science.gov (United States)

De Cuyper, Nele; De Witte, Hans

2010-01-01

Perceived employability (PE) has been advanced as the upcoming resource for career development, particularly for temporary workers. The question is how temporary workers become employable. Our hypothesis is that temporary workers more than permanent workers use impression management to become employable, both on the internal and the external labor…

Toward real-time diffuse optical tomography: accelerating light propagation modeling employing parallel computing on GPU and CPU

Science.gov (United States)

Doulgerakis, Matthaios; Eggebrecht, Adam; Wojtkiewicz, Stanislaw; Culver, Joseph; Dehghani, Hamid

2017-12-01

Parameter recovery in diffuse optical tomography is a computationally expensive algorithm, especially when used for large and complex volumes, as in the case of human brain functional imaging. The modeling of light propagation, also known as the forward problem, is the computational bottleneck of the recovery algorithm, whereby the lack of a real-time solution is impeding practical and clinical applications. The objective of this work is the acceleration of the forward model, within a diffusion approximation-based finite-element modeling framework, employing parallelization to expedite the calculation of light propagation in realistic adult head models. The proposed methodology is applicable for modeling both continuous wave and frequency-domain systems with the results demonstrating a 10-fold speed increase when GPU architectures are available, while maintaining high accuracy. It is shown that, for a very high-resolution finite-element model of the adult human head with ˜600,000 nodes, consisting of heterogeneous layers, light propagation can be calculated at ˜0.25 s/excitation source.

Impact of building technology, state and community programs on United States employment and wage income

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scott, M.J.; Hostick, D.J.; Elliott, D.B.; Schultz, R.W.

1998-04-01

As part of measuring the impact of government programs on improving the energy efficiency of the nation's building stock, the Department of Energy Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs (BTS) is interested in assessing the economic impacts of its portfolio of programs, specifically the potential impact on national employment and income. This assessment is being done for the first time in FY99 as a supplement to the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA--formerly, Quality Metrics) estimates of primary energy savings and environmental and direct financial benefits of the BTS programs. The programmatic needs of BTS suggest that a simple, flexible, user-friendly method is needed to derive national employment and income impacts of individual BTS programs. Therefore, BTS funded Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to develop a special-purpose version of the Impact Analysis for Planning (IMPLAN) national input-output model (Minnesota IMPLAN Group, Inc. 1997) specifically to estimate the employment and income effects of building energy technologies. The special-purpose version of the IMPLAN model used in this study is called ImBuild. Extensive documentation and a user's guide are provided in Scott et al. (1998). Compared with simple economic multiplier approaches, such as the published multipliers from the Department of Commerce Regional Input-Output Modeling System (RIMS 2), ImBuild allows for more complete and automated analysis of the economic impacts of energy efficiency investments in buildings. ImBuild is also easier to use than existing macroeconomic simulation models. In this report, the authors use the ImBuild model to calculate the impact of all 32 BTS programs reported in the BTS GPRA Metrics Estimates, FY99 Budget Request, December 19, 1997

Supported Employment for Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Preliminary Data

Science.gov (United States)

Wehman, Paul; Lau, Stephanie; Molinelli, Alissa; Brooke, Valerie; Thompson, Katie; Moore, Chandler; West, Michael

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of supported employment in securing and maintaining competitive employment for people with autism spectrum disorder, a group that has typically been found to be underemployed or unemployed. This prospective study followed and collected data on 33 individuals with autism spectrum disorder as they…

Consequences of Partner Incarceration for Women's Employment.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruns, Angela

2017-10-01

Research has documented the limited opportunities men have to earn income while in prison and the barriers to securing employment and decent wages upon release. However, little research has considered the relationship between men's incarceration and the employment of the women in their lives. Economic theory suggests that family members of incarcerated individuals may attempt to smooth income fluctuation resulting from incarceration by increasing their labor supply. This study used data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study ( N = 3,780) to investigate how men's incarceration is associated with the number of hours their female partners work as well as variation in this association. Results showed that, on average, women's hours of work were not significantly impacted by the incarceration of their partners. However, there was a positive relationship between partner incarceration and employment among more advantaged groups of women (e.g., married women, white women).

Factors associated with persons with disability employment in India: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Naraharisetti, Ramya; Castro, Marcia C

2016-10-07

Over twenty million persons with disability in India are increasingly being offered poverty alleviation strategies, including employment programs. This study employs a spatial analytic approach to identify correlates of employment among persons with disability in India, considering sight, speech, hearing, movement, and mental disabilities. Based on 2001 Census data, this study utilizes linear regression and spatial autoregressive models to identify factors associated with the proportion employed among persons with disability at the district level. Models stratified by rural and urban areas were also considered. Spatial autoregressive models revealed that different factors contribute to employment of persons with disability in rural and urban areas. In rural areas, having mental disability decreased the likelihood of employment, while being female and having movement, or sight impairment (compared to other disabilities) increased the likelihood of employment. In urban areas, being female and illiterate decreased the likelihood of employment but having sight, mental and movement impairment (compared to other disabilities) increased the likelihood of employment. Poverty alleviation programs designed for persons with disability in India should account for differences in employment by disability types and should be spatially targeted. Since persons with disability in rural and urban areas have different factors contributing to their employment, it is vital that government and service-planning organizations account for these differences when creating programs aimed at livelihood development.

Reviewing the Role of Stakeholders in Operational Research: Opportunities for Group Model Building

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gooyert, V. de; Rouwette, E.A.J.A.; Kranenburg, H.L. van

2013-01-01

Stakeholders have always received much attention in system dynamics, especially in the group model building tradition, which emphasizes the deep involvement of a client group in building a system dynamics model. In organizations, stakeholders are gaining more and more attention by managers who try

Discrepant Stakeholder Perspectives on Graduate Employability Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Kinash, Shelley; Crane, Linda; Judd, Madelaine-Marie; Knight, Cecily

2016-01-01

A literature review identified 12 strategies that have been empirically linked to improvements in graduate employability. A survey methodology was used to investigate self-reported use and/or perspectives on these strategies among four stakeholder groups. The following questions were asked: to students--What strategies are you using to improve…