Method-related Factors Research Articles

Factors Influencing Attenuating Skill Decay in High-Risk Industries: A Scoping Review

The infrequent use of skills relevant in non-routine situations in highly automated and high-risk industries is a major safety issue. The infrequent use of skills can lead to skill decay. Research on skill decay has a long history, but not much is known about the relevant factors and refresher interventions to attenuate skill decay in highly automated environments. In the present study, a scoping review was conducted to determine whether the well-known factors in skill decay research are also relevant for complex cognitive skill decay and to identify refresher interventions that are deemed effective for attenuating decay. A scoping review aims at identifying, summarizing, and mapping the body of literature on a given topic. Searches in electronic databases, including PsycArticles, PsyINFO, and Psyndex, via EBSCOhost and Web of Science and Google Scholar were conducted, and documents were analyzed regarding the research question, which resulted in n = 58 studies. The findings demonstrate the relevance of task characteristics and method-related (cognitive-based, behavioral-based training) and person-related factors (e.g., cognitive ability, experience, motivation) to mitigate decay. Additionally, the results demonstrate that minor refresher interventions are effective at attenuating complex cognitive skill decay. Implications for industry and training providers that aim to implement training and refresher interventions to attenuate skill decay in high-risk industries are provided. Researchers may use the information about the influences of person- and method-related factors, task characteristics, and refresher interventions presented in this scoping review as a starting point to conduct further empirical research by taking skill acquisition, retention, and transfer into account.

The patient's agenda: nurses’ experience of learning and using guided self‐determination

Health care has seen a shift towards person-centred care to encompass the entirety of a person's needs and preferences, but research is sparse on healthcare professionals learning and using person-centred care. To investigate nurses' experiences of learning and using the person-centred method guided self-determination (GSD) in three different gynaecological settings and to determine whether, and potentially, how new tasks introduced by the GSD method influence their professional identity. A qualitative interview study conducted between January 2019 and January 2020. We conducted 16 semi-structured interviews with nurses educated in using GSD. Applying inductive and deductive reasoning, we analysed the interviews using thematic analysis. The study was registered with the Danish Data Protection Agency (file no.: VD-2018-445, I-Suite no.: 6700). The analysis generated three main themes with two subthemes each: (a) prerequisites and barriers to learning and using GSD in terms of personal factors and organisational and method-related factors; (b) new knowledge and understanding of illness with the subthemes expanded understanding of illness and a different relationship; and (c) nursing undergoing change with the subthemes, a new role and a professional self shaped through interaction with other professions. Although other professionals may have either supported or challenged the use of GSD, most nurses indicated that it supplemented their professional role and identity as they gained new knowledge about person-centred challenges and felt more confident. When introducing GSD in nursing, the organisation must not only consider individual characteristics, multidisciplinary collaboration and communication but also plan individual education and supervision. This is necessary because all these factors affect how a new professional role is constructed and adopted, not to mention how it influences the nurses' perception of their professional identity and use of GSD. Establishing a helpful person-centred environment must also be considered.

Assessment of delay and cost-overrun in federal road construction project in Abuja

Poor road infrastructure in Nigeria is a significant challenge, just like poverty, insecurity, and unemployment. The construction of road in the country is characterized by numerous challenges throughout the project life cycle. Some of these challenges are project delay and cost overrun, corruption and fraud, faulty contractual process among others. Objectives of this study are to identify factors influencing delays and cost overruns in road construction project, to rank these factors base on their impacts and importance, and to suggest conservative ways to address the future challenges that can result from delays and cost overruns of future road construction projects. The research instruments include in-depth literature review, fieldwork, questionnaire administration, and interview. Inferential statistics such as Relative importance index (RII) and Mean Value techniques were used to analyze collected data. The result of the study identified factors influencing delays and cost overruns in road construction projects as; man related, money-related, machine-related, material related, environmental-related, and method related factors. Analysis using RII and MV ranked man and money related as the highest factors for delay and cost overrun respectively. Hence, the research recommends that the Government should create an enabling environment, making suitable policy for the construction company to operate.

On the mechanism of automated fizzy extraction

Fizzy extraction (FE) facilitates analysis of volatile solutes by promoting their transfer from the liquid to the gas phase. A carrier gas is dissolved in the sample under moderate pressure (Δp ≈ 150 kPa), followed by an abrupt decompression, what leads to effervescence. The released gaseous analytes are directed to an on-line detector due to a small pressure difference. FE is advantageous in chemical analysis because the volatile species are released in a short time interval, allowing for pulsed injection, and leading to high signal-to-noise ratios. To shed light on the mechanism of FE, we have investigated various factors that could potentially contribute to the extraction efficiency, including: instrument-related factors, method-related factors, sample-related factors, and analyte-related factors. In particular, we have evaluated the properties of volatile solutes, which make them amenable to FE. The results suggest that the organic solutes may diffuse to the bubble lumen, especially in the presence of salt. The high signal intensities in FE coupled with mass spectrometry are partly due to the high sample introduction rate (upon decompression) to a mass-sensitive detector. However, the analytes with different properties (molecular weight, polarity) reveal distinct temporal profiles, pointing to the effect of bubble exposure to the sample matrix. A sufficient extraction time (~12 s) is required to extract less volatile solutes. The results presented in this report can help analysts to predict the occurrence of matrix effects when analyzing real samples. They also provide a basis for increasing extraction efficiency to detect low-abundance analytes.

A Meta-Analysis of Job Insecurity and Employee Performance: Testing Temporal Aspects, Rating Source, Welfare Regime, and Union Density as Moderators.

Previous research has shown that job insecurity is linked to a range of performance outcomes, but the number of studies exploring this relationship is still limited and the results are somewhat mixed. The first aim of this study was to meta-analytically investigate how job insecurity is related to task performance, contextual performance, counterproductive work behavior, creativity, and safety compliance. The second aim was to test two method-related factors (cross-sectional vs. longitudinal associations and self- vs. supervisor-ratings of performance) and two macro-level indicators of social protection (social welfare regime and union density) as moderators of these associations. The results show that job insecurity was generally associated with impaired employee performance. These findings were generally similar both cross-sectionally and longitudinally and irrespective of rater. Overall, the associations between job insecurity and negative performance outcomes were weaker in welfare regimes characterized by strong social protection, whereas the results concerning union density produced mixed results. A majority of the findings confirmed the negative associations between job insecurity and types of employee performance, but future research is needed to elaborate on the effects of temporal aspects, differences between ratings sources, and further indicators of social protection in different cultural settings in the context of job insecurity.

Fecal calprotectin: beyond intestinal organic diseases.

Fecal calprotectin (FC) is a calcium-binding protein with antimicrobic, imunomodulatory and antiproliferative properties that is mainly found in the cytoplasm of neutrophil granulocytes. During the last decades, FC became an increasingly useful tool both for gastroenterologists and for general practitioners for distinguishing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) from irritable bowel syndrome. FC correlates with clinical scoring systems and endoscopic lesions in IBD and is considered a reliable biomarker for the prediction of clinical relapse or remission. However, FC elevation could be observed also in other gastrointestinal pathological conditions including infective colitis, microscopic colitis, eosinophilic colitis, adenomas and colorectal cancer. In addition, there are several non-pathological conditions that can lead to altered FC values. In this review, we aimed to point out individual, environmental and method-related factors that can affect FC measurement and thus its clinical interpretation.

Improving productivity of road surfacing operations using value stream mapping and discrete event simulation

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the integration of discrete event simulation (DES) and value stream mapping (VSM) to enhance the productivity of road surfacing operations by achieving high production rates and minimum road closure times. Highway infrastructure is one of the most valuable assets owned by the public sector. The success of national and local economies as well as quality of life of the general public depend on the efficient operations of highways. Ensuring smooth traffic operations requires maintenance and improvements of the highest standard.Design/methodology/approachResearch approach involved the use of primary data collected from direct observation, interviews, review of archival records and productivity databases. Based on this, process maps and value stream maps were developed which were subsequently used to produce discrete event simulation models for the exploration of different optimisation scenarios.FindingsThis research highlights the synergistic relationship between VSM and DES in driving innovation in construction processes. Identified factors that affect roadworks process productivity include machine, manpower, material, information, environment and method-related factors. A DES model is presented to optimise the process and increase the production rates. A hybrid DES-VSM approach ensures an integrated approach to process optimisation.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is an application of hybrid version of previously published DES-VSM framework in the manufacturing sector. The present study has extended and tested its applicability within road surfacing operations. The different what-if scenarios presented in this paper might not be applicable to other parts of the world owing to various constraints. The study has focused on addressing the waste production inherent in pavement laying process. Even though external variables could possibly influence pavement process, those were ignored to allow for in-depth focus on the process under consideration.Practical implicationsRoad users are one of the most important stakeholders that will benefit from the positive implications of this study. Private resurfacing companies and transport departments can optimise their overall process and style of working by comparing their end-to-end process and work plans with the ones mentioned in this paper. It will boost the productivity of equipment like planners, pavers and other machines used for resurfacing operations.Originality/valueExisting approaches to process modelling such as VSM and process diagrams are constrained by their effectiveness in the analysis of dynamic and complex processes. This study presents a DES-based approach to validate targeted improvements of the current state of road surfacing processes and in exploration of different optimisation scenarios.

An Observational Study of Suicide Death in Homeless and Precariously Housed People in Toronto.

Homelessness has been identified as an important risk factor for suicide death, but there is limited research characterising homeless people who die by suicide. The goal of this study is to identify personal, clinical, and suicide method-related factors that distinguish homeless and precariously housed people who die from suicide from those who are not homeless at the time of suicide. Coroner records were reviewed for all suicide deaths in Toronto from 1998 to 2012. Data abstracted included housing status as well as other demographics, clinical variables such as the presence of mental illness, and suicide method. Of 3319 suicide deaths, 60 (1.8%) were homeless and 230 (6.9%) were precariously housed. Homeless and precariously housed people were each younger than nonhomeless people ( P < 0.0001). Compared with nonhomeless, homeless people were more likely to be male and less likely to be married, to have interpersonal conflict, or to leave a suicide note. Homeless people and precariously housed were more likely to have died by fall/jump than nonhomeless people (62%, 57%, and 29%, respectively). Homeless and precariously housed people are overrepresented among suicide deaths in a large urban center and differ demographically, clinically, and in their suicide method from nonhomeless people who die by suicide. Targeted suicide prevention strategies should aim to address factors specific to homeless people.

HER2 testing in gastric cancer diagnosis: Insights on variables influencing HER2-positivity from a large, multicenter, observational study in Germany.

15 Background: HER2 testing is routine for metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer (mGC/GEJC). Differing HER2-positivity rates are considered to be potential indicators of inter- and intra-laboratory deviations in testing quality. The influence of patient-, sample-, or method-related factors on HER2-positivity has not been assessed systematically. Methods: This observational, prospective study collected routine HER2 test result, patient- and tumor-related factors, sample source, and testing method data to identify factors influencing HER2-positivity rates in mGC/GEJC. Influencing factors were identified using stepwise multiple logistic regression and a statistical model was developed to predict probability of HER2-positivity. Institutes with deviations in HER2-positivity rates were identified by comparing 95% confidence intervals (CI) of documented and predicted rates. Results: From Jan 2013 to Dec 2015, data were collected from 2761 mGC/mGEJC routine diagnostic specimens at 50 pathology institutes in Germany. Final analyses included 2033 specimens with HER2 test results (1554 mGC and 479 mGEJC cases). Overall HER2-positivity rates across centers was 19.8% for mGC and 30.5% for mGEJC. Lauren classification showed the highest correlation with HER2-positivity, followed by HER2 testing rate, tumor location, type of sample (resection vs biopsy), and testing method (immunohistochemistry vs fluorescence in situ hybridization) (all P &lt; .05). Four institutes were identified with predicted HER2-positivity rates outside the 95% CI of the documented rate. Conclusions: This is the first study to report on multifactorial parameters that impact HER2-positivity rates in routine mGC/GEJC diagnostics. Results suggest that effective assessment of HER2 testing quality based on positivity rates should consider tumor characteristics, testing rate, type of specimen, and testing method, as they affect HER2-positivity. As therapy options for HER2-positive mGC/GEJC continue to evolve, reliably identifying the right patients is key.

Factors Associated With 12-Month Discontinuation Among Contraceptive Pill, Patch, and Ring Users

To examine factors associated with discontinuation of the oral contraceptive pill (OCP), patch, and ring. We included 1,452 female participants from the Contraceptive CHOICE Project who selected the OCP, patch, or ring and completed 12 months of follow-up for this analysis. We defined discontinuation as stopping the contraceptive method for longer than 1 month during a follow-up survey. Participants who stopped their method as a result of pregnancy or to attempt pregnancy or who were lost to follow-up were censored. We examined demographic, behavioral, and method-related factors in the Cox proportional hazard models. Patch users had a higher 1-year discontinuation rate (58%) than OCP (47%; P=.03) and ring users (49%; P=.02). Women were more likely to discontinue the OCP, patch, or ring if they were black (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.44), no longer married (adjusted HR 1.83, 95% CI 1.27-2.65), or received public assistance (adjusted HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.08-1.57). Women who reported difficulty obtaining the method were more than twice as likely to discontinue (adjusted HR 2.43, 95% CI 1.81-3.27). Women who were certain they would continue despite side effects (adjusted HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.43-0.77) were less likely to discontinue. Despite selecting their method and obtaining it at no cost, almost half of OCP and ring users and a majority of patch users discontinued their method by 12 months. Experiencing difficulty obtaining the method contributes to high rates of discontinuation. II.

Barriers to Sustained Use of Contraception in Nepal: Quality of Care, Socioeconomic Status, and Method-Related Factors

Owing to previously limited data availability, low contraceptive prevalence, and predominance of permanent method use in Nepal, there have been few studies of contraceptive-use dynamics. The aim of this article is to examine contraceptive use dynamics in Nepal in light of the country's ongoing fertility transition and change in contraceptive method-mix. Drawing on the 2003 Contraceptive Acceptance and Use Patterns Survey of Nepal and the quality-of-care framework, a proportional hazards model is used to explore contraceptive discontinuation of injections and pills. Results show that source of method from non-government services, high level of information given, one-to-one counseling, satisfaction with services, and shorter travel time to source are associated with lower odds of discontinuation. Despite the experience of side effects, women in Nepal are highly motivated to regulate their fertility. Results suggest detailed information given to users can have significant influence on continuation of methods rather than merely providing information on alternative methods and group counseling.

Emotion and culture: A meta-analysis

A meta-analysis of 190 cross-cultural emotion studies, published between 1967 and 2000, was performed to examine (1) to what extent reported cross-cultural differences in emotion variables could be regarded as valid (substantive factors) or as method-related (statistical artefacts, cultural bias), and (2) which country characteristics could explain valid cross-cultural differences in emotion. The relative contribution of substantive and method-related factors at sample, study, and country level was investigated and country-level explanations for differences in emotions were tested. Results indicate that a correction for statistical artefacts and method-related factors reduced the observed cross-cultural effect sizes considerably. After controlling for valence (positive vs. negative emotions) and kind of study (self-report vs. recognition studies), the remaining cross-cultural variance was associated with subsistence mode, political system, values, and religiosity. Values explained more variance than did ecological or sociopolitical variables. It was concluded that both method-related factors (13.8% of variance explained) and culture-level factors (27.9% of variance explained) underlie observed cross-cultural differences.

Examination of the validity of auditory traits and tests.

In an unaided context, and in spite of obvious conceptual differences, direction and distance hearing, soft sounds hearing, and speech understanding in noise hearing are so strongly interrelated that accurate measures of a listener's particular abilities on one of these traits would be difficult to obtain, given prior knowledge of performance on at least one of the others. The tests that are commonly used to estimate a listener's hearing performance do not provide sufficiently accurate and unbiased information. Most auditory tests are heavily influenced by method-related factors that are not impacted by the trait expected to be measured by the test. Method-related variance in test scores is not related to the trait of interest, but might still provide useful information about the person being tested. If a tester must use a set of tests with small amounts of trait variance, he/she can obtain better estimates of a person's performance on the trait by: including tests that use very different measurement methods (e.g., psychophysical, self-report, and significant-other report) converting the scores from these tests into the same metric (e.g., standardized scores) and combining the scores into an overall score. Although this is informally done in most clinical situations, formal procedures and norms should be developed. In clinical trials, outcome measures with large amounts of method variance are less likely to identify treatment options that are indeed beneficial. Method variance is systematic (i.e., an individual's bias associated with a measurement method can be expected to be stable over time and consistently different from people with other method biases. Because of this, the method variance component of a person's test score cannot be expected to average out over repeated samples, nor can it be expected to be changed by a treatment designed to change performance on a trait. Observable differences between treatments are reduced by method variance in outcome measures. Acknowledgments The author thanks Robyn Cox and Will Shadish for their consultation and assistance with this project, and Ruth Bentler, Martyn Hyde, and an anonymous reviewer for their helpful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. Chris Bentler and Jason Ruyle also deserve recognition for their help entering the simulation study data.

The Swedish Knee Arthroplasty Register 1975-1997: an update with special emphasis on 41,223 knees operated on in 1988-1997.

From 1975, when the Swedish Knee Arthroplasty Register (SKAR) started, until the end of 1997, 57,533 primary arthroplasties and revisions have been registered. Recently, the register underwent a comprehensive validation and update regarding revisions. We now report on general demographic and epidemiological data for the whole period and on the survivorship of arthroplasties performed in Sweden during 1988-1997. During this 10-year period, 41,223 primary knee arthroplasties were performed on 34,877 patients. We found, as in our earlier reports, that survivorship was affected by patient-, time-, implant- and method-related factors but, apart from an overall higher cumulative revision rate, general conclusions reported from the register in recent years appeared to be unaffected.

Full-information item bi-factor analysis

A plausibles-factor solution for many types of psychological and educational tests is one that exhibits a general factor ands − 1 group or method related factors. The bi-factor solution results from the constraint that each item has a nonzero loading on the primary dimension and at most one of thes − 1 group factors. This paper derives a bi-factor item-response model for binary response data. In marginal maximum likelihood estimation of item parameters, the bi-factor restriction leads to a major simplification of likelihood equations and (a) permits analysis of models with large numbers of group factors; (b) permits conditional dependence within identified subsets of items; and (c) provides more parsimonious factor solutions than an unrestricted full-information item factor analysis in some cases.

Compliance with Contraceptive Regimens

Current level of knowledge about compliance with contraceptive regimens is discussed. Contraceptive regimens are unique when compared with other medical therapy because 1) of their prophylactic nature rather than curative 2) of a feeling of ambivalence relating to pregnancy 3) a choice must be made among methods 4) choice is affected by sexual partners and social mores and 5) a continued motivation is essential (which may cover 10 or more years). Measuring contraceptive compliance is difficult since one must rely on client reporting. 2 methods of indirect measurement are extrapolation from data on breakthrough bleeding during use of oral contraceptives and extrapolation and estimation of the probability of conception form a single unprotected coitus. The clients purpose in using a contraceptive her educational status and her psychological orientation to sex and contraception are factors which influence compliance. Means of administration timing of contraceptive regimen (threat to spontainity) side effects and the type of instruction and support by the physician are method-related factors which affect compliance. It was concluded that more knowledge of noncompliance would make possible more realistic advances in the development of a drug or device that would allow some margin for irregularity of use.