A comparison of the CAR and DAGAR spatial random effects models with an application to diabetics rate estimation in Belgium

When hierarchically modelling an epidemiological phenomenon on a finite collection of sites in space, one must always take a latent spatial effect into account in order to capture the correlation structure that links the phenomenon to the territory. In this work, we compare two autoregressive spatial models that can be used for this purpose: the classical CAR model and the more recent DAGAR model. Differently from the former, the latter has a desirable property: its ρ parameter can be naturally interpreted as the average neighbor pair correlation and, in addition, this parameter can be directly estimated when the effect is modelled using a DAGAR rather than a CAR structure. As an application, we model the diabetics rate in Belgium in 2014 and show the adequacy of these models in predicting the response variable when no covariates are available

A Statistical Approach to the Alignment of fMRI Data

Multi-subject functional Magnetic Resonance Image studies are critical. The anatomical and functional structure varies across subjects, so the image alignment is necessary. We define a probabilistic model to describe functional alignment. Imposing a prior distribution, as the matrix Fisher Von Mises distribution, of the orthogonal transformation parameter, the anatomical information is embedded in the estimation of the parameters, i.e., penalizing the combination of spatially distant voxels. Real applications show an improvement in the classification and interpretability of the results compared to various functional alignment methods

Decent working time: New trends, new issues.

Includes selected papers from the 9th International Symposium on Working Time, Paris (2004), looking at the increasing use of results-based employment relationships for managers and professionals, and the increasing fragmentation of time to more closely tailor staffing needs to customer requirements (e.g., short-hours, part-time work). Moreover, as operating/opening hours rapidly expand toward a 24-hour and 7-day economy, the book considers how this has resulted in a growing diversification, decentralization, and individualization of working hours, as well as an increasing tension between enterprises' business requirements and workers' needs and preferences regarding their hours. It addresses issues such as increasing employment insecurity and instability, time-related social inequalities, particularly in relation to gender, workers' ability to balance their paid work with their personal lives, and the synchronization of working hours with social times, such as community activities. In addition, the book offers suggestions on how policy-makers, academics, and the social partners can together help further develop effective policies for advancing "decent working timeRéduction du temps de travail; Aménagement du temps de travail; Horaires de travail; Labor laws and legislation; Developed countries; Trend; Arrangement of working time; Flexible hours of work; Hours of work;

The politics of skill building in a global age

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 2009.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 352-380).National skills systems have historically imposed significant constraints on production strategies. This dissertation investigates the impact of the home economy skill base on firms' off-shoring and out-sourcing decisions, asking: how are globalization pressures mediated and shaped by politically constructed institutions? Chapters One and Two review the literatures on 'varieties of capitalism' and national skill profiles, examining the relationship between skills and production strategies in the US (general skills and Fordism), Germany (industry-specific skills and diversified quality production) and Italy (tacit skills and industrial district production). Despite considerable differences, politicians and business leaders in all three countries have embraced remarkably similar skill-building rhetoric. The dissertation then examines globalization as a de-stabilizing agent for skill-building systems, focusing on the textiles and apparel industries. Chapter Three argues that domestic education and training institutions in the United States facilitated offshoring, and that upgrades in management skills were rarely accompanied by more robustly skilled workers on the production floor. Chapter Four argues that recent changes in Italian industry structure attempted to ensure a steady supply of a vital input -workers with lots of tacit skill - but an over-reliance on tacit knowledge could ultimately undermine competitiveness in the industry. Chapter Five finds that Germany's edge in production, rooted on strong, industry-based skills institutions , gave firms a clear advantage in the period of intense globalization. But given recent transfer of skills from German firms to Central European suppliers, how enduring Germany's skills advantage will be remains unclear. Chapter Six examines the impact of new, global technologies on national skill-building systems, looking at the advent of information technology skill certifications. Despite important national variations in adoption, IT skill certificates came to define skill sets at the international level, underscoring the importance of a new set of global, often for profit actors in previously domestic arena of training and education. Chapter Seven concludes with a discussion of the skills workers and employers need to be competitive in the global economy, arguing that reform of formal education institutions may be necessary but insufficient. Policy makers and employers would do well to focus more attention on fostering tacit skills.by Sara Jane McCaffrey.Ph.D

Full Proceedings, 2018

Full conference proceedings for the 2018 International Building Physics Association Conference hosted at Syracuse University

Front-Line Physicians' Satisfaction with Information Systems in Hospitals

Day-to-day operations management in hospital units is difficult due to continuously varying situations, several actors involved and a vast number of information systems in use. The aim of this study was to describe front-line physicians' satisfaction with existing information systems needed to support the day-to-day operations management in hospitals. A cross-sectional survey was used and data chosen with stratified random sampling were collected in nine hospitals. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The response rate was 65 % (n = 111). The physicians reported that information systems support their decision making to some extent, but they do not improve access to information nor are they tailored for physicians. The respondents also reported that they need to use several information systems to support decision making and that they would prefer one information system to access important information. Improved information access would better support physicians' decision making and has the potential to improve the quality of decisions and speed up the decision making process.Peer reviewe