Different Levels Of Control Research Articles

The concept of control from the perspective of social work clients

Social work can be seen as an ambivalent profession, the mission of which is to provide people with assistance as well as exercise a degree of control over them. Although dealing with the area of control in terms of human rights violations entails some risks, the field appears to be less conceptualized in the literature than the provision of aid. The present article attempts to address this deficit from the point of view of social work clients, with its aim being to present a hypothesis concerning what conceptions of control can be found within clients as well as to define the key aspects of these individual concepts. A qualitative content analysis of foreign and Czech professional sources was undertaken to achieve the goal.Three concepts regarding clients’ perception of control have been found, all of which have been found to have an inclusive logical relationship to each other. The article presents a hypothesis of three different levels of control perception – from the broadest concept of control (such as unsolicited or even unwanted social worker behaviours), through a narrower concept of control (such as a limited freedom of choice), and finally towards a specific concept of control as the mandated use of a service.If the given hypothesis is confirmed in the research, it might also be useful to consider the relationships among the different levels of control in terms of their exclusivity (i.e. whether clients fall into one or more categories) or the variability among levels which depend on diverse factors. This implies the question of what variables are involved and how they correlate with the individual levels of perceived control. Given that the present thesis was created in the field of social work as a practical profession, the question emerges as to the application level of the presented findings, an aspect which is dealt with briefly in the paper's conclusion.

The effects of slit-like confinement on flow-induced polymer deformation.

This paper is broadly concerned with the dynamics of a polymer confined to a rectangular slit of width D and deformed by a planar elongational flow of strength γ̇. It is interested, more specifically, in the nature of the coil-stretch transition that such polymers undergo when the flow strength γ̇ is varied, and in the degree to which this transition is affected by the presence of restrictive boundaries. These issues are explored within the framework of a finitely extensible Rouse model that includes pre-averaged surface-mediated hydrodynamic interactions. Calculations of the chain's steady-state fractional extension x using this model suggest that different modes of relaxation (which are characterized by an integer p) exert different levels of control on the coil-stretch transition. In particular, the location of the transition (as identified from the graph of x versus the Weissenberg number Wi, a dimensionless parameter defined by the product of γ̇ and the time constant τp of a relaxation mode p) is found to vary with the choice of τp. In particular, when τ1 is used in the definition of Wi, the x vs. Wi data for different D lie on a single curve, but when τ3 is used instead (with τ3 > τ1) the corresponding data lie on distinct curves. These findings are in close qualitative agreement with a number of experimental results on confinement effects on DNA stretching in electric fields. Similar D-dependent trends are seen in our calculated force vs. Wi data, but force vs. x data are essentially D-independent and lie on a single curve.

Factors influencing warfarin control in Australia and Singapore

IntroductionWarfarin is widely used for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Variations in warfarin control, as measured by time in therapeutic range (TTR), have been reported across different regions and ethnicities, particularly between Western and Asian countries. However, there is limited data on comparative factors influencing warfarin control in Caucasian and Asian patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine warfarin control and potential factors influencing this in patients with NVAF in Australia and Singapore. MethodsRetrospective data was collected for patients receiving warfarin for January to June 2014 in Australia and Singapore. TTR was calculated for individuals with mean patient TTR used for analysis. Possible influential factors on TTR were analysed including age, gender, concurrent co-morbidities, and concurrent medication. ResultsThe mean TTR was significantly higher in Australia (82%) than Singapore (58%). At both sites, chronic kidney disease significantly lowered this TTR. Further factors influencing control were anaemia and age<60years in Australia, and vascular disease, CHA2DS2-VASc score of 6, and concurrent platelet inhibitor therapy in Singapore. DiscussionWarfarin control was significantly higher in Australia compared to Singapore, however chronic kidney disease reduced control at both sites. The different levels of control in these two countries, together with patient factors further reducing control may impact on anticoagulant choice in these countries with better outcomes from warfarin in Australia compared to Singapore.

The meaning of risk-taking – key concepts and dimensions

Dealing with and taking risks are central issues of current societies which had been characterised by heightened debates and conflicts about risk (Beck, Giddens). Even though there is good knowledge available, policies and strategies to reduce people’s risk-taking are often less successful than expected. Experts are puzzled about common people not following good advice presuming people’s lack of understanding. While this might be true in many cases a growing body of research shows, rather than being merely ignorant or misinformed, people often have good knowledge when taking risks. A growing body of research provides knowledge about the complexities, dynamics and contradictions of people’s risk-taking. However, there have been little attempts to systematise this body of knowledge. This article contributes to such an enterprise. It suggests distinguishing between different motives for risk-taking, different levels of control and a number of ways how reflexivity about risk is rooted in the social realm. It also explores how risk-taking is part of developing and protecting a valued identity. The article concludes, across different domains there is good evidence for how structural and cultural forces combine and shape risk-taking while people take risks to develop a valued identity and to protect it. Advancing expert’s understanding of risk-taking and change people’s risk-taking require considering and approaching the larger social contexts and individual risk practices in everyday life.

Altered Motor Unit Discharge Coherence in Paretic Muscles of Stroke Survivors.

After a cerebral stroke, a series of changes at the supraspinal and spinal nervous system can alter the control of muscle activation, leading to persistent motor impairment. However, the relative contribution of these different levels of the nervous system to impaired muscle activation is not well understood. The coherence of motor unit (MU) spike trains is considered to partly reflect activities of higher level control, with different frequency band representing different levels of control. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to quantify the different sources of contribution to altered muscle activation. We examined the coherence of MU spike trains decomposed from surface electromyogram (sEMG) of the first dorsal interosseous muscle on both paretic and contralateral sides of 14 hemispheric stroke survivors. sEMG was obtained over a range of force contraction levels at 40, 50, and 60% of maximum voluntary contraction. Our results showed that MU coherence increased significantly in delta (1–4 Hz), alpha (8–12 Hz), and beta (15–30 Hz) bands on the affected side compared with the contralateral side, but was maintained at the same level in the gamma (30–60 Hz) band. In addition, no significant alteration was observed across medium–high force levels (40–60%). These results indicated that the common synaptic input to motor neurons increased on the paretic side, and the increased common input can originate from changes at multiple levels, including spinal and supraspinal levels following a stroke. All these changes can contribute to impaired activation of affected muscles in stroke survivors. Our findings also provide evidence regarding the different origins of impaired muscle activation poststroke.

Control Strategies for Drug Product Continuous Direct Compression—State of Control, Product Collection Strategies, and Startup/Shutdown Operations for the Production of Clinical Trial Materials and Commercial Products

Continuous manufacturing (CM) has emerged in the pharmaceutical industry as a paradigm shift with significant advantages related to cost, efficiency, flexibility, and higher assurance of quality. The inherent differences from batch processes justify examining the CM control strategy more holistically. This article describes the current thinking for the control and implementation of CM, using the example of a direct compression process and taking into consideration the ICH Q10 definition of “state of control” and process validation requirements. Statistical process control using control charts, sources of variation, process capability, and process performance is explained as a useful concept that can help assess the impact of variation within a batch and indicates if a process is in state of control. The potential for time-variant nature of startup and shutdown with CM is discussed to assure product quality while minimizing waste as well as different options for detection and isolation of non-conforming materials due to process upsets. While different levels of control are possible with CM, an appropriate balance between process control and end product testing is needed depending on the level of process understanding at the different stages of development from the production of clinical supplies through commercialization.

Design and Implementation of Distributed Autonomous Coordinators for Cooperative Multi-Robot Systems

The paper presents a systematic method of the design of cooperative task planning and execution for complex robotic systems using multiple robots. Because individual robots can autonomously execute their dedicated tasks, in cooperative multi-robot systems, robotic activities should be designed as discrete event driven asynchronous, concurrent processes. Further, since robotic activities are hierarchically defined, control requirements should be specified in a proper and consistent manner on different levels of control abstraction. In this paper, Petri nets are adopted as a specification tool for task planning and execution by multiple robots. Based on place/transition Petri nets, control conditions for inter-robot cooperation with synchronized interaction are represented, and control rules to achieve distributed autonomous coordinated activities with synchronous and asynchronous communication are proposed. An implementation of net based control software on hierarchical and distributed architecture is presented for an example multi-robot cell, where the higher-level controller executes a global net model of task plan representing cooperative behaviors performed by the robots, and the parallel activities of the individual robots are synchronized through the transmission of requests and the reception of status between the associated lower-level local controllers.

Analysis of submarine steering: effects of cognitive and perceptual–motor requirements on the mental workload and performance of helmsmen

The purpose of the study is to model manual submarine steering and its effects on helmsmen in terms of performance and mental workload. This activity is first formalized according to (a) cognitive requirements, by identifying different levels of control, and (b) perceptual–motor requirements, by analysing the directional compatibility of control–display design. An experiment is then carried out on a simulator designed by a world leader in military naval shipbuilding. This experiment follows a unique scenario including two driving situations with different levels of cognitive requirements (approach and stabilization phases). It is achieved by two groups, each carrying out a perceptual– motor task on a specific steering control–display configuration proposed by the naval shipbuilder (one with a standard numeric display and one with a new visual–spatial representation, both tasks controlled by the same joystick). The findings of this study show that the cognitive requirements during the stabilization phase with high propulsion speed produce increased mental workload, and the perceptual– motor requirements also produce increased mental workload when a direction-of-motion stereotype is violated (upward–forward relationship).

I will follow (when I need to)

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate if the personality trait of desire for control over others (DFCO) matters to team leadership and performance, and how commitment to the leader mediates this relationship. Furthermore, the authors study whether intergroup competition moderates this indirect relationship.Design/methodology/approach– The authors test hypotheses for mediation and moderation using a sample of 78 groups and their leaders. Commitment to the leader and intergroup competition were measured at the team member level, while DFCO and team performance was rated by the team leader. Bootstrapping was used to assess the significance of the (conditional) indirect effects.Findings– The results show that leader’s DFCO does not relate to team performance through commitment to the leader. Leader’s DFCO only relates negatively to team performance through commitment to the leader when the team operates in a context with little or moderate intergroup competition. In a highly competitive environment, however, leader’s DFCO does little damage to team performance.Originality/value– This research is the first study to focus on DFCO as a personality trait of a group leader. In doing so, it adds to the continuing debate about leader personality and context, as well as the ongoing study on how subordinates respond to different levels of control over decisions in groups.

ChemInform Abstract: Control of Biogenic Nanocrystal Formation in Biomineralization

AbstractReview: 109 refs.

Alternative Mechanisms Guiding Salespersons’ Ambidextrous Product Selling

Ambidextrous product‐selling strategies, in which companies’ salespeople concurrently pursue the sale of existing and new products, are hard to implement. Previous studies have addressed this issue for relatively simple consumer settings with the manager in close proximity to the salespersons and focusing on different levels of control and autonomy to resolve this issue. However, little is known about how field salespeople can be influenced to pursue such dual goals proactively for more complex business‐to‐business products. In this study, the authors distinguish between salespeople's proactive selling behaviour for new and existing products, and study the impact of two alternative mechanisms: a situational mechanism (i.e. perceived manager product‐selling ambidexterity) and a structural mechanism (i.e. salesperson organizational identification). Using a time‐lagged, multisource data set from a large ambidextrous company, the authors demonstrate that both mechanisms contribute to salespeople's proactive selling of new and existing products, but also act as each other's substitutes. The results suggest two most likely strategies for salespeople to obtain overall sales targets: focusing on existing product selling; or acting ambidextrously. The latter approach offers the benefits of better achieving ambidextrous company sales goals and of greater performance stability, and is thus preferred.

Control of Biogenic Nanocrystal Formation in Biomineralization

AbstractMany organisms build crystals with almost complete control over all aspects of crystal formation, from nucleation to growth, from composition to polymorphic structure, and from morphology to size. In biomineralization, the control is fundamentally always exerted at the level of nanometers, because the building blocks themselves are at the nanoscale. We have chosen to describe in some detail four biological systems that produce nanoscale crystals using different mineralization pathways, different levels of control, and have different functions. These four cases are: bone crystal composites; guanine nanocrystal reflectors; magnetotactic bacteria with single domain magnets; and coccoliths, whose functions have yet to be identified. This is followed by a discussion aimed at identifying possible specific and/or common underlying principles involved in nanocrystal formation in biology.

The Application of an Extended Hierarchy Theory in Understanding Complex Organizational Situations: The Case of FIReControl

Hierarchy theory is a fundamental systems approach that offers rich perspectives in understanding the flow of matter and information between different levels of control. This paper offers an extended view of hierarchy theory, which can be used to illuminate complex organizational environments. Firstly, the characteristics of a hierarchy are explored, and the flow of information and resources, the perception of space and time and changing purposes and perspectives are explored. Secondly, the importance of networks, nodes and hubs is examined as a necessary element of understanding hierarchies. Thirdly, the properties of boundaries, which act as filters both maintaining the hierarchy and enabling effective organizations, are discussed. A context for exploring the application of extended hierarchical theory is provided in an exploration of a large‐scale information technology failure in the UK government. The failure of FIReControl, a project which was to provide a nationwide system to manage disasters and terrorist attacks, is explored using the range of extended hierarchy theory concepts. The paper offers an iterative process for applying extended hierarchy theory and calls for a greater attention in systems research to boundaries, filters and networks. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

A multi-level control architecture for the bionic handling assistant

The bionic handling assistant is one of the largest soft continuum robots and very special in being a pneumatically operated platform that is able to bend, stretch, and grasp in all directions. It nevertheless shares many challenges with smaller continuum and other soft robots such as parallel actuation, complex movement dynamics, slow pneumatic actuation, non-stationary behavior, and a lack of analytic models. To master the control of this challenging robot, we argue for a tight integration of standard analytic tools, simulation, control, and state-of-the-art machine learning into an overall architecture that can serve as blueprint for control design also beyond the BHA. To this aim, we show how to integrate specific modes of operation and different levels of control in a synergistic manner, which is enabled by using modern paradigms of software architecture and middleware. We thereby achieve an architecture with unique overall control abilities for a soft continuum robot that allow for flexible experimentation toward compliant user-interaction, grasping, and online learning of internal models.

Job Structure and Organizational Burnout: A Study of Public School Bus Drivers, Bus Aides, Mechanics, and Clerical Workers

This study examines the relationship between job structure and the different dimensions of job burnout. The study has two related empirical components. First, the authors administered Karasek's job control inventory to workers across four occupational categories at multiple sites in one organization to explore how different positions in a single organization vary systematically in terms of job demands and decision latitude. This analysis confirms that different occupational groups are distinguished by different levels of control and job latitude. In the second phase of analysis the authors relate these differences to distinct submeasures of Maslach, Jackson, and Leiter's organizational burnout inventory, finding that individuals in distinct occupational categories experience different forms of burnout. These results suggest the need to address the conditions of specific occupations in organizational development efforts to mitigate the risk of worker burnout and its associated costs.

Influence of motivation on control hierarchy in the human frontal cortex.

The frontal cortex mediates cognitive control and motivation to shape human behavior. It is generally observed that medial frontal areas are involved in motivational aspects of behavior, whereas lateral frontal regions are involved in cognitive control. Recent models of cognitive control suggest a rostro-caudal gradient in lateral frontal regions, such that progressively more rostral (anterior) regions process more complex aspects of cognitive control. How motivation influences such a control hierarchy is still under debate. Although some researchers argue that both systems work in parallel, others argue in favor of an interaction between motivation and cognitive control. In the latter case it is yet unclear how motivation would affect the different levels of the control hierarchy. This was investigated in the present functional MRI study applying different levels of cognitive control under different motivational states (low vs high reward anticipation). Three levels of cognitive control were tested by varying rule complexity: stimulus-response mapping (low-level), flexible task updating (mid-level), and sustained cue-task associations (high-level). We found an interaction between levels of cognitive control and motivation in medial and lateral frontal subregions. Specifically, flexible updating (mid-level of control) showed the strongest beneficial effect of reward and only this level exhibited functional coupling between dopamine-rich midbrain regions and the lateral frontal cortex. These findings suggest that motivation differentially affects the levels of a control hierarchy, influencing recruitment of frontal cortical control regions depending on specific task demands.

Modeling and Control of a Wave Energy Farm Including Energy Storage for Power Quality Enhancement: the Bimep Case Study

This paper presents a complete wave-to-wire approach to the modeling of wave energy farms. It captures all the main peculiarities of such applications, from the variability of sea waves to the issues related to the grid integration of a multi-MW wave farm, including the hydrodynamic modeling of wave energy converters (WECs). The paper specifically discusses the different levels of control of a wave farm and their integration and coordination. These are crucial to meet the power quality requirements at the point of common coupling (PCC) and ensure the efficiency of the power transfer from the waves to the main electric grid. A specific real-time technique for the centralized control of a wave farm is also proposed, which is exemplified with reference to the PCC voltage control in the real test case of bimep. Critical cases of weaker grids are also considered to extend the validity of the analysis.

Preventable Coronary Heart Disease Events from Control of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in US Adults With Diabetes (Projections from Utilizing the UKPDS Risk Engine)

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) carries significant risks for coronary heart disease (CHD). We examined the potential US population impact of single and composite risk factor control. Among US adults with diagnosed T2DM aged≥30 years in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007 to 2012, we assessed CHD events preventable using the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study CHD risk engine. We examined in all those not at goal the impact of statistical control of smoking, glycated hemoglobin, systolic blood pressure, and total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, according to the predefined criteria setting risk factors at different levels of control representing (1) "All to Goal," (2) at "Nominal Control," or (3) at "Aggressive Control." Preventable CHD events represented the difference between the number of events estimated from the control of these risk factors versus current levels of the risk factors. Of 606 men (representing 6.2 million) and 603 women (6.3 million) with DM and no previous CHD, 1.3 million men and 0.7 million women would develop a CHD event within 10 years if left uncontrolled. Controlling all risk factors to goal was projected to prevent 35% and 45% of CHD events in men and women, respectively. Nominal risk factor control was projected to prevent 36% and 38% and aggressive control 51% and 61% of CHD events, respectively. In conclusion, a significant proportion of CHD events in adults with T2DM could be prevented from composite control of risk factors often not at goal.

A universal setup for active control of a single-photon detector

The influence of bright light on a single-photon detector has been described in a number of recent publications. The impact on quantum key distribution (QKD) is important, and several hacking experiments have been tailored to fully control single-photon detectors. Special attention has been given to avoid introducing further errors into a QKD system. We describe the design and technical details of an apparatus which allows to attack a quantum-cryptographic connection. This device is capable of controlling free-space and fiber-based systems and of minimizing unwanted clicks in the system. With different control diagrams, we are able to achieve a different level of control. The control was initially targeted to the systems using BB84 protocol, with polarization encoding and basis switching using beamsplitters, but could be extended to other types of systems. We further outline how to characterize the quality of active control of single-photon detectors.

Hydrogel scaffolds as in vitro models to study fibroblast activation in wound healing and disease.

Wound healing results from complex signaling between cells and their environment in response to injury. Fibroblasts residing within the extracellular matrix (ECM) of various connective tissues are critical for matrix synthesis and repair. Upon injury or chronic insult, these cells activate into wound-healing cells, called myofibroblasts, and repair the damaged tissue through enzyme and protein secretion. However, misregulation and persistence of myofibroblasts can lead to uncontrolled accumulation of matrix proteins, tissue stiffening, and ultimately disease. Extracellular cues are important regulators of fibroblast activation and have been implicated in their persistence. Hydrogel-based culture models have emerged as useful tools to examine fibroblast response to ECM cues presented during these complex processes. In this Mini-Review, we will provide an overview of these model systems, which are built upon naturally-derived or synthetic materials, and mimic relevant biophysical and biochemical properties of the native ECM with different levels of control. Additionally, we will discuss the application of these hydrogel-based systems for the examination of fibroblast function and fate, including adhesion, migration, and activation, as well as approaches for mimicking both static and temporal aspects of extracellular environments. Specifically, we will highlight hydrogels that have been used to investigate the effects of matrix rigidity, protein binding, and cytokine signaling on fibroblast activation. Last, we will describe future directions for the design of hydrogels to develop improved synthetic models that mimic the complex extracellular environment.