Generic Factors Research Articles

Fitness to Stand Trial in New Zealand: Different Factors Associated with Fitness to Stand Trial Between Mentally Disordered and Intellectually Disabled Defendants in the New Zealand Criminal Justice System

Individuals on trial for an offence are expected to contribute to their own defence via liaison with their defence team and be able to participate meaningfully in the court process. Defendants who are unable to do so are deemed unfit to stand trial. The factors associated with fitness to stand trial within the New Zealand criminal justice system have not been closely examined. This study compared sociodemographic, offence-related, clinical and court-related factors associated with fitness to stand trial for 200 mentally disordered and intellectually disabled (ID) defendants assessed for the New Zealand Courts. The study found generic sociodemographic, offence-related and clinical factors were not significantly associated with fitness to stand trial. By contrast, court-related factors such as previous assessment of fitness to stand trial and previous finding of unfitness, and clinical factors such as previous diagnosis of ID and low cognitive functioning were significantly associated with unfitness to stand trial. Court liaison nurses' concerns about the defendant's ability to communicate and comprehend appeared to be reliable indicators of unfitness, suggesting that this may be a useful initial screen of eligibility before more formal assessment of competency and intelligence.

Semi-analytic approach to the System8 method for efficiency determination with generic correlation factors

Methods using data as input constraints are often used in the determination of the performance of selection cuts. Usually they require solving a system of equations where the parameters of interest are a part of the set of unknowns. This paper discusses several aspects of such a method to determine selection efficiency. An analytical solution of the system of eight non-linear equations is developed up to a single polynomial equation and finally a semi-analytic solution that can be easily implemented is obtained. A realistic test is performed using random data to illustrate the utility of the method and its application to the determination of distribution shapes.

Research into cases of slips, collisions and other movement disturbances occurring in work situations in a hospital environment

Slips, collisions and other accidental movement disturbances are very common in work situations and occur in every occupational activity sector. Research into these accidents was conducted at a hospital, based on analysing collectively and in-depth cases of accidents involving movement disturbance. This revealed accident factors of various types as closely associated with the physical environment and task performed as with the work organisation. These factors were categorised under the heading of generic factors and the difference between a situation not causing an accident and a situation causing an accident was characterised for Occupational Accidents with Movement Disturbance (OAMD). Our results provided confirmation of the importance of extracting recurrent scenarios for OAMD in each activity sector and of progressing, from a methodological standpoint, in building these types of scenarios. The concept of “circumstantial hazard” introduced to model the OAMD proved to be wholly relevant in cases of accidents occurring in a hospital environment.

Extracting recurrent scenarios from narrative texts using a Bayesian network: Application to serious occupational accidents with movement disturbance

A probabilistic approach has been developed to extract recurrent serious Occupational Accident with Movement Disturbance (OAMD) scenarios from narrative texts within a prevention framework. Relevant data extracted from 143 accounts was initially coded as logical combinations of generic accident factors. A Bayesian Network (BN)-based model was then built for OAMDs using these data and expert knowledge. A data clustering process was subsequently performed to group the OAMDs into similar classes from generic factor occurrence and pattern standpoints. Finally, the Most Probable Explanation (MPE) was evaluated and identified as the associated recurrent scenario for each class. Using this approach, 8 scenarios were extracted to describe 143 OAMDs in the construction and metallurgy sectors. Their recurrent nature is discussed.Probable generic factor combinations provide a fair representation of particularly serious OAMDs, as described in narrative texts. This work represents a real contribution to raising company awareness of the variety of circumstances, in which these accidents occur, to progressing in the prevention of such accidents and to developing an analysis framework dedicated to this kind of accident.

Exploring technology diffusion in emerging markets – the role of public policy for wind energy

This study challenges the implicit assumption of homogeneity in national institutional contexts made in past studies of (renewable) energy policy. We propose that institutional differences matter by focusing on several technology-specific and generic policy factors that can foster technology diffusion through private sector activity. More specifically, we explore perceptions of early adopters in emerging economy contexts using wind park project developers as an example. By applying a parsimonious method for our questionnaire as well as qualitative data we make several contributions: Methodologically, we introduce Maximum Difference Scaling to the energy policy domain. Empirically, we identify several public influences on private investment, and assess their relative importance. This leads to new insights challenging findings from industrialized economies; we identified additional institutional barriers to diffusion, hence, the requirement of a combination of technology-specific and generic policy measures.

Building a better bacillus: the emergence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The genus Mycobacterium is comprised of more than 150 species that reside in a wide variety of habitats. Most mycobacteria are environmental organisms that are either not associated with disease or are opportunistic pathogens that cause non-transmissible disease in immunocompromised individuals. In contrast, a small number of species, such as the tubercle bacillus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, are host-adapted pathogens for which there is no known environmental reservoir. In recent years, gene disruption studies using the host-adapted pathogen have uncovered a number of “virulence factors,” yet genomic data indicate that many of these elements are present in non-pathogenic mycobacteria. This suggests that much of the genetic make-up that enables virulence in the host-adapted pathogen is already present in environmental members of the genus. In addition to these generic factors, we hypothesize that molecules elaborated exclusively by professional pathogens may be particularly implicated in the ability of M. tuberculosis to infect, persist, and cause transmissible pathology in its host species, Homo sapiens. One approach to identify these molecules is to employ comparative analysis of mycobacterial genomes, to define evolutionary events such as horizontal gene transfer (HGT) that contributed M. tuberculosis-specific genetic elements. Independent studies have now revealed the presence of HGT genes in the M. tuberculosis genome and their role in the pathogenesis of disease is the subject of ongoing investigations. Here we review these studies, focusing on the hypothesized role played by HGT loci in the emergence of M. tuberculosis from a related environmental species into a highly specialized human-adapted pathogen.

Organizational design and pricing capabilities for superior firm performance

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to test the relationship between organizational antecedents, pricing capabilities, and firm performance.Design/methodology/approach– Quantitative survey of 748 managers from mostly large companies globally.Findings– It was found that the following five key organizational resources (the 5 Cs) – center-led price management, organizational confidence, championing behaviors, organizational change capacity, and pricing capabilities – positively influence firm performance. Furthermore, it was found that center-led price management, organizational change capacity, and championing behaviors act as important antecedents to pricing capabilities and, except for the former, to organizational confidence. The authors also examine interaction and mediation effects.Originality/value– The results thus suggest that generic organizational factors – namely center-led price management – as well as highly idiosyncratic firm, specific capabilities – namely organizational confidence, championing behaviors by top management, organizational change capacity, and pricing capabilities – are key requirements to increase firm performance via pricing.

A simplified method for reliability- and integrity-based design of engineering systems and its application to offshore mooring systems

This paper presents a simplified method for the reliability- and the integrity-based optimal design of engineering systems and its application to offshore mooring systems. The design of structural systems is transitioning from the conventional methods, which are based on factors of safety, to more advanced methods, which require calculation of the failure probability of the designed system for each project. Using factors of safety to account for the uncertainties in the capacity (strength) or demands can lead to systems with different reliabilities. This is because the number and arrangement of components in each system and the correlation of their responses could be different, which could affect the system reliability. The generic factors of safety that are specified at the component level do not account for such differences. Still, using factors of safety, as a measure of system safety, is preferred by many engineers because of the simplicity in their application. The aim of this paper is to provide a simplified method for design of engineering systems that directly involves the system annual failure probability as a measure of system safety, concerning system strength limit state. In this method, using results of conventional deterministic analysis, the optimality factors for an integrity-based optimal design are used instead of generic safety factors to assure the system safety. The optimality factors, which estimate the necessary change in average component capacities, are computed especially for each component and a target system annual probability of system failure using regression models that estimate the effect of short and long term extreme events on structural response. Because in practice, it is convenient to use the return period as a measure to quantify the likelihood of extreme events, the regression model in this paper is a relationship between the component demands and the annual probability density function corresponding to every return period. This method accounts for the uncertainties in the environmental loads and structural capacities, and identifies the target mean capacity of each component for maximizing its integrity and meeting the reliability requirement. In addition, because various failure modes in a structural system can lead to different consequences (including damage costs), a method is introduced to compute optimality factors for designated failure modes. By calculating the probability of system failure, this method can be used for risk-based decision-making that considers the failure costs and consequences. The proposed method can also be used on existing structures to identify the riskiest components as part of inspection and improvement planning. The proposed method is discussed and illustrated considering offshore mooring systems. However, the method is general and applicable also to other engineering systems. In the case study of this paper, the method is first used to quantify the reliability of a mooring system, then this design is revised to meet the DNV recommended annual probability of failure and for maximizing system integrity as well as for a designated failure mode in which the anchor chains are the first components to fail in the system.

The development and preliminary evaluation of a thinking skills programme for adults with learning disabilities at risk of offending

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to outline and evaluate the development of a thinking skills programme for adults with learning disabilities at risk of offending.Design/methodology/approach– The programme was evaluated over three years using self-report clinical measures related to treatment targets and feedback from participants.Findings– Results showed a statistically significant improvement in general empathy (t=1.800, df=15,p=<0.05) and perspective taking (t=1.898, df=15,p=<0.05). Improvement in impulsivity and locus of control was not significant. Feedback from service users was positive.Practical implications– Findings suggest that thinking skills programmes can be of benefit to adults with learning disabilities at risk of offending.Originality/value– There is a need to provide opportunities for adults with learning disabilities to address generic deficits and factors supporting offending behaviour and to increase readiness for offence-specific treatment.

Planning innovation orientation in public research and development organizations: Using a combined Delphi and Analytic Hierarchy Process approach

Planning innovation orientation in public research and development (R&D) organizations presents a number of challenges exacerbated by continuous changes in citizens' social aspirations. These challenges are further amplified by the unstable and complex socio-cultural and socio-organizational characteristics of any developing economy. The paper explores and devises an adapted orientation for future innovation using a combined Delphi and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach, applied to a developing country, i.e. Thailand. A set of generic influencing factors for innovation management in public R&D, emerged from a non-country specific review, are refined by a three-round Delphi consultation involving experts from various Thai national research centers. These factors were further utilized to establish an AHP-based model applied to a Thai public R&D organization to investigate impacts of three hypothesized innovation orientations: “knowledge”, “societal” and “commercial”. The AHP-based model reveals that the “commercial orientation” has the highest impact score on innovation factors. However, a sensitivity analysis is conducted as a result of which a suggestion is made to increase the priority of collaboration-related factors to improve the impact of the “societal orientation”. The findings from the combined Delphi and AHP approach have a generic dimension that can be adapted and tested in other contexts.

Consensus-based clinical practice recommendations for the examination and management of falls in patients with Parkinson's disease

Falls in Parkinson's disease (PD) are common and frequently devastating. Falls prevention is an urgent priority, but there is no accepted program that specifically addresses the risk profile in PD. Therefore, we aimed to provide consensus-based clinical practice recommendations that systematically address potential fall risk factors in PD. We developed an overview of both generic (age-related) and PD-specific factors. For each factor, we specified: best method of ascertainment; disciplines that should be involved in assessment and treatment; and which interventions could be engaged. Using a web-based tool, we asked 27 clinically active professionals from multiple relevant disciplines to evaluate this overview. The revised version was subsequently reviewed by 12 experts. Risk factors and their associated interventions were included in the final set of recommendations when at least 66% of reviewing experts agreed. These recommendations included 31 risk factors. Nearly all required a multidisciplinary team approach, usually involving a neurologist and PD-nurse specialist. Finally, the expert panel proposed to first identify the specific fall type and to tailor screening and treatment accordingly. A routine evaluation of all risk factors remains reserved for high-risk patients without prior falls, or for patients with seemingly unexplained falls. In conclusion, this project produced a set of consensus-based clinical practice recommendations for the examination and management of falls in PD. These may be used in two ways: for pragmatic use in current clinical practice, pending further evidence; and as the active intervention in clinical trials, aiming to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of large scale implementation.

Policy implementation lessons from six road pricing cases

The implementation of road pricing has been limited worldwide despite the notion that road pricing is generally considered to be a potentially effective measure to reduce externalities, in particular traffic congestion. By means of a content analysis of 106 scientific papers, this paper aims to identify and compare the detailed set of implementation factors for the four implemented road pricing cases of Singapore, London, Stockholm and the Norwegian cities, and the two not implemented cases of Hong Kong and Edinburgh. Policy implementation lessons are formulated to aid local and national authorities considering the implementation of road pricing. In contrast to other studies, this paper identifies a broad set of implementation factors for each empirical case (an average of 36). The cases have six generic implementation factors in common, the most prominent being political and public support. However, the generic factors only account for on average 27% of all the implementation factors listed. Consequently, authorities aiming to implement road pricing also need to take many case specific factors into account in the implementation process. Furthermore, the six cases show that policy implementation will only be successful when many factors positively contribute to the process which explains why it is such a precarious endeavour.

Direct control of cultural events as a means of leveraging the sustainable attractiveness of the territory? Analysis of the managerial conditions for success

One of the problems inherent to management within today’s devolved public authorities is the far-reaching change in their modes of action ( Divay and Mazouz, 2008 ). We observe in particular an ever-greater integration of cultural policies and actions in their strategies, prompted by the territories’ desire to secure their sustainable attractiveness. To achieve this strategic objective, an increasing number of territories are opting for the organization of events, particularly cultural, that are considered to be medium-term goals. This ambition to become a festive city boasting a rich programme of events marks a change in territorial management that is moving more and more towards project management and at the same time raises questions about the definition of the strategy around the event and its implementation within the organization and within the territory. The case of the ‘Picasso-Aix 2009’ season makes it possible here, through a unique and exemplary case study, to consider the managerial conditions that make it possible to maximize the potential of the cultural event as a means of leveraging the sustainable attractiveness of the territory.Points for practitionersThis research highlights the risks of an ‘eventization’ of culture and territories and raises questions about the methods used to manage a cultural event at the intercommunal level (elements relating to the territorial strategy) that is produced under the direct control of the intercommunal departments (elements relating to internal management methods). More than a monograph to shed light on the issue, this article proposes a toolkit of generic key success factors on which practitioners can draw to build their portfolio of cultural events at territorial level and touches on strategic development as well as project management and stakeholders.

Sustainability of improvements in access to outpatient specialist care in the Netherlands

To improve access to specialist outpatient clinics without adding capacity, Dutch hospitals applied the concept of 'Advanced Access'. Our aim was to determine whether initial improvements are sustained for three years and to identify the factors that influence sustainability. Qualitative case studies in 14 outpatient specialist clinics. Access measurements at the start, finish and three years after the project were compared. Analysis of sustained and new interventions. Interviews with 52 practitioners, analysed with the constant comparative method to identify general factors that influence sustainability. Eleven out of 14 clinics were able to sustain or improve their reduced delays; two did not and for one it is uncertain. The clinics maintained the majority of the interventions and all introduced new interventions. Three generic factors emerged that influenced their ability to sustain the results: increased responsiveness to better match supply and demand; clinical leadership and incentives; and a shared belief that they can and should control access together. Reduction of delays in access can be sustained if the way of thinking and the planning system becomes demand driven and flexible and if care providers experience benefits. Unlike previous studies, senior management support and formal training was not relevant though clinical leadership and informal socialization was. Making multidisciplinary teams responsible for improvement appears to be vital.

Implementation of the care programme approach across health and social services for dual diagnosis clients

Care for clients with mental health problems and concurrent intellectual disability (dual diagnosis) is currently expected to be provided through the care programme approach (CPA), an approach to provide care to people with mental health problems in secondary mental health services. When CPA was originally introduced into UK mental health services in the 1990s, its implementation was slow and problematic, being hampered in part by problems occurring at a strategic level as health and social service organizations attempted to integrate complex systems. This article reports on a study of a more recent attempt to implement CPA for dual diagnosis clients in one mental health foundation trust, aiming to gauge progress and identify factors at the strategic level that were helping or hindering progress this time round. The study took place in a mental health National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust in a large English city, which was implementing a joint mental health and intellectual disability CPA policy across five of its constituent boroughs. Semi-structured interviews with key informants at Trust and borough levels focused on the Trust's overall strategy for implementing CPA and on how it was being put into practice at the front line. Documentary analysis and the administration of the Partnership Assessment Tool were also undertaken. Data were analysed using a framework approach. Progress in implementing CPA varied but overall was extremely limited in all the boroughs. The study identified six key contextual challenges that significantly hindered the implementation progress. These included organizational complexity; arrangements for governance and accountability; competing priorities; financial constraints; high staff turnover and complex information and IT systems. The only element of policy linked to CPA that had been widely taken up was the Greenlight Framework and Audit Toolkit (GLTK). The fact that the toolkit had targets and penalties associated with its implementation appeared to have given it priority. None of the contextual challenges identified in this study were specifically related to CPA as a policy or to the needs and circumstances of dual diagnosis clients. Nevertheless, they inhibited the types of organizational change and partnership working that implementing CPA for a client group of this kind required. Unless these more generic factors are acknowledged and addressed when introducing policies such as CPA, the chances of effective implementation will inevitably be compromised.

Success factors and barriers in re-use of electrical and electronic equipment

This paper aims to identify specific and generic success factors and barriers in the re-use of electrical and electronic equipment for a variety of different operating models. The scope of the study is information and communication technologies (ICT) and large household appliances. Success factors and barriers for re-use were identified through the conducting of semi-structured interviews with 28 case study partners representing the different models. A list of generic success factors and barriers was identified. From this generic list, the re-use success factors and barriers were ranked by the interviewees with regards to their importance. On the one hand, the difficulty in accessing sufficient volumes of good quality used equipment and the lack of legislations, which support, incentivize and – if necessary – enforce this access, were identified as most impactful barriers. On the other hand, the control and securing of product and process quality were ranked as most important success factors. Re-use organisations, which adhere to good re-use practices, differentiate themselves through quality guarantee from non-compliant, informal competitors. Moreover, proven quality strengthens confidence in re-use of important stakeholders like suppliers, customers, authorities and the general public. Differences in reuse barriers and success factors were also explored for varying geographical regions, product category and operating models.

Physical and Psychosocial Factors Associated With Physical Activity in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

ObjectivesTo assess physical activity and sitting time in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to investigate which physical and psychosocial factors are associated with physical activity and sitting time. DesignCross-sectional study. SettingPatients were recruited at outpatient clinics of general hospitals and from general practitioners. ParticipantsPatients (N=113) with mild to very severe COPD. InterventionsNot applicable. Main Outcome MeasuresPhysical activity and sitting time were measured with a triaxial accelerometer (24h/d). ResultsMean locomotion time per 24 hours was 6.8% (range, 0.7%–20.4%). Elevated physical activity was independently associated with higher self-efficacy, higher functional exercise capacity, and lower lung hyperinflation. Decreased physical activity was strongest in more severe stages of COPD, in which the patients were mainly limited by physical disease-specific factors (higher lung hyperinflation, worse dyspnea severity, worse leg muscle function, and oxygen use). In less severe patients, physical activity was independently associated with more generic factors (higher self-efficacy and the spring/summer season). Sitting time did not differ between severity stages, and longer sitting time in the total group was independently associated with more positive perception of treatment control, less autonomous motivation to exercise, not using sleep medication, and oxygen use. ConclusionsBoth physical and psychosocial factors were associated with physical activity in patients with COPD. The factors associated with physical activity differed between disease severity stages, raising the question of whether physical activity enhancement programs should differ as well. Sitting time should be investigated further.

Personal documentation on a social network site: Facebook, a collection of moments from your life?

Social networking on the Web has become very popular in recent years. Used by more than 950 million people worldwide, Facebook is one of the most popular of these services. One interesting aspect of Facebook is that users can converse through various formats, including wall posts, photographs, Web links, music, and video clips of stories and interests surrounding their daily lives. This phenomenon raises an important question for archivists in regard to personal history on the Web: What are the new ways that contemporary people document their life stories? This study looks at Facebook activities from the perspectives of personal documentation. Using an online survey, this study investigates how Facebook content presents users themselves and their everyday stories, whether they perceive their activities of using Facebook as personal documentation, and what factors influence such activities. The findings of this study show the current status of Facebook usage. Facebook content indeed indicates information of self-presentation and personal documentation of everyday lives of users. Attitudes about and activeness on Facebook are the major factors that influence self-presentation and personal documentation activities on Facebook. Generic external factors, such as personal archiving in general, do not show strong associations with personal documentation activities as factors. Based on this understanding, we discuss the roles of information professionals and cultural heritage institutions in dealing with a new type of personal record on the Web.

International collaboration clusters in Africa

Recent discussion about the increase in international research collaboration suggests a comprehensive global network centred around a group of core countries and driven by generic socio-economic factors where the global system influences all national and institutional outcomes. In counterpoint, we demonstrate that the collaboration pattern for countries in Africa is far from universal. Instead, it exhibits layers of internal clusters and external links that are explained not by monotypic global influences but by regional geography and, perhaps even more strongly, by history, culture and language. Analysis of these bottom-up, subjective, human factors is required in order to provide the fuller explanation useful for policy and management purposes.

Impact of Risk on Design-Build Selection for Highway Design and Construction Projects

AbstractThe design-build (DB) project delivery method continues to grow as a viable alternative delivery method for highway projects. The primary reason for selecting DB delivery is to take advantage of the time savings inherent in the process. However, because of low levels of design at the time of contract awards, DB contracts often carry more risks and uncertainties than other contracts, which makes the decision to select DB delivery complex. Applying risk analysis strategies and tools to the delivery selection process will help decision makers evaluate and select the DB delivery method consistently and defensibly. This paper examines 39 generic risk factors related to the DB delivery selection process. These risks were identified through previous research and risk analysis workshops on transportation projects worth more than $10 billion. To explore how these risks impact DB delivery selection, a questionnaire was developed to collect data from a national cross section of professionals with an average ...