1,220 research outputs found
Information actors beyond modernity and coloniality in times of climate change:A comparative design ethnography on the making of monitors for sustainable futures in Curaçao and Amsterdam, between 2019-2022
In his dissertation, Mr. Goilo developed a cutting-edge theoretical framework for an Anthropology of Information. This study compares information in the context of modernity in Amsterdam and coloniality in Curaçao through the making process of monitors and develops five ways to understand how information can act towards sustainable futures. The research also discusses how the two contexts, that is modernity and coloniality, have been in informational symbiosis for centuries which is producing negative informational side effects within the age of the Anthropocene. By exploring the modernity-coloniality symbiosis of information, the author explains how scholars, policymakers, and data-analysts can act through historical and structural roots of contemporary global inequities related to the production and distribution of information. Ultimately, the five theses propose conditions towards the collective production of knowledge towards a more sustainable planet
Multidisciplinary perspectives on Artificial Intelligence and the law
This open access book presents an interdisciplinary, multi-authored, edited collection of chapters on Artificial Intelligence (‘AI’) and the Law. AI technology has come to play a central role in the modern data economy. Through a combination of increased computing power, the growing availability of data and the advancement of algorithms, AI has now become an umbrella term for some of the most transformational technological breakthroughs of this age. The importance of AI stems from both the opportunities that it offers and the challenges that it entails. While AI applications hold the promise of economic growth and efficiency gains, they also create significant risks and uncertainty. The potential and perils of AI have thus come to dominate modern discussions of technology and ethics – and although AI was initially allowed to largely develop without guidelines or rules, few would deny that the law is set to play a fundamental role in shaping the future of AI. As the debate over AI is far from over, the need for rigorous analysis has never been greater. This book thus brings together contributors from different fields and backgrounds to explore how the law might provide answers to some of the most pressing questions raised by AI. An outcome of the Católica Research Centre for the Future of Law and its interdisciplinary working group on Law and Artificial Intelligence, it includes contributions by leading scholars in the fields of technology, ethics and the law.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Improving patient safety by learning from near misses – insights from safety-critical industries
Background
Patients are at risk of being harmed by the very processes meant to help them. To improve patient safety, healthcare organisations attempt to identify the factors that contribute to incidents and take action to optimise conditions to minimise repeats. However, improvements in patient safety have not matched those observed in other safety-critical industries.
One difference between healthcare and other safety-critical industries may be how they learn from near misses when seeking to make safety improvements. Near misses are incidents that almost happened, but for an interruption in the sequence of events. Management of near misses includes their identification, reporting and investigation, and the learning that results. Safety theory suggests that acting on near misses will lead to actions to help prevent incidents. However, evidence also suggests that healthcare has yet to embrace the learning potential that patient safety near misses offer.
The aims of this research, in support of this thesis, were to explore how best healthcare can learn from patient safety near misses to improve patient safety, and to identify what guidance non-healthcare safety-critical industries, which have implemented effective near-miss management systems, can offer healthcare. As this research progressed the aims were updated to include consideration of whether healthcare should seek to learn from patient safety near misses.
Methods
This research took a mixed-methods approach augmented by scoping reviews of the healthcare (study 1) and non-healthcare safety-critical industry (study 3) literature. A qualitative case study (study 2) was undertaken to explore the management of patient safety near misses in the English National Health Service. Seventeen interviews were undertaken with patient safety leads across acute hospitals, ambulance trusts, mental health trusts, primary care, and national bodies. A questionnaire was also used to help access the views of frontline staff.
A grounded theory (study 4) was used to develop a set of principles, based on learning from non-healthcare safety-critical industries, around how best near misses can be managed. Thirty-five interviews were undertaken across aviation, maritime, and rail, with nuclear later added as per the theoretical sampling.
Results
The scoping reviews contributed 125 healthcare and 108 non-healthcare safety-critical industry academic articles, published internationally between 2000 and 2022, to the evidence gained from the qualitative case study and grounded theory. Safety cultures and maturity with safety management processes were found to vary in and across the different industries, and there was a reluctance for healthcare to learn about safety and near misses from other industries.
Healthcare has yet to establish effective processes to manage patient safety near misses. There is an absence of evidence that learning has led to improvements in patient safety. The definition of a patient safety near miss varies, and organisations focus their efforts on reporting and investigating incidents, with limited attention to patient safety near misses. In non-healthcare safety-critical industries, near-miss management is more established, but process maturity varies in and across industries. Near misses are often defined specifically for an industry, but there is limited evidence that learning from them has improved safety. Information about near misses are commonly aggregated and may contribute to company and industry safety management systems.
Exploration of the definition of a patient safety near miss led to the identification of the features of a near miss. The features have not been previously defined in the manner presented in this thesis. A patient safety near miss is context-specific and complex, involves interruptions, highlights system vulnerabilities, and is delineated from an incident by whether events reach a patient.
Across healthcare and non-healthcare safety-critical industries the impact of learning from near misses is often assumed or extrapolated based on the common cause hypothesis. The hypothesis is regularly cited in safety literature and is used as the basis for justifying a focus on patient safety near misses. However, the validity of the hypothesis has been questioned and has not been validated for different patient safety near miss and incident types.
Conclusions
The research findings challenge long-held beliefs that learning from patient safety near misses will lead to improvements in patient safety. These beliefs are based on traditional safety theory that is unlikely to now be valid in the complexity of modern-day systems where incidents are the result of multiple factors and can emerge without apparent warning. Further research is required to understand the relationship between learning from patient safety near misses and patient safety, and whether the common cause hypothesis is valid for different types of healthcare safety event.
While there are questions about the value of learning directly from patient safety near misses, the contribution of near misses to safety management systems in non-healthcare safety-critical industries looks to be beneficial for safety improvement. Safety management systems have yet to be implemented in the National Health Service and future research should look to understand how best this may be achieved and their value. In the meantime, patient safety near misses may help healthcare’s understanding of systems and their optimisation to create barriers to incidents and build resilience. This research offers an evidence-based definition of a patient safety near miss and describes principles to support identification, reporting, prioritisation, investigation, aggregation, learning, and action to help improve patient safety
Chatbots for Modelling, Modelling of Chatbots
Tesis Doctoral inédita leÃda en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Departamento de IngenierÃa Informática. Fecha de Lectura: 28-03-202
The Host-Microbiota Axis in Chronic Wound Healing
Chronic, non-healing skin wounds represent a substantial area of unmet clinical need, leading to debilitating morbidity and mortality in affected individuals. Due to their high prevalence and recurrence, chronic wounds pose a significant economic burden. Wound infection is a major component of healing pathology, with up to 70% of wound-associated lower limb amputations preceded by infection. Despite this, the wound microbiome remains poorly understood. Studies outlined in this thesis aimed to characterise the wound microbiome and explore the complex interactions that occur in the wound environment. Wound samples were analysed using a novel long-read nanopore sequencing-based approach that delivers quantitative species-level taxonomic identification. Clinical wound specimens were collected at both the point of lower-extremity amputation and via a pilot clinical trial evaluating extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) for wound healing. Combining microbial community composition, host tissue transcriptional (RNAseq) profiling, with clinical parameters has provided new insight into healing pathology. Specific commensal and pathogenic organisms appear mechanistically linked to healing, eliciting unique host response signatures. Patient- and site-specific shifts in microbial abundance and communitycomposition were observed in individuals with chronic wounds versus healthy skin. Transcriptional profiling (RNAseq) of the wound tissue revealed important insight into functional elements of the host-microbe interaction. Finally, ESWT was shown to confer beneficial effects on both cellular and microbial aspects of healing. High-resolution long-read sequencing offers clinically important genomic insights, including rapid wide-spectrum pathogen identification and antimicrobial resistance profiling, which are not possible using current culture-based diagnostic approaches. Thus, data presented in this thesis provides important new insight into complex host-microbe interactions within the wound microbiome, providing new and exciting future avenues for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to wound management
Computer Vision and Architectural History at Eye Level:Mixed Methods for Linking Research in the Humanities and in Information Technology
Information on the history of architecture is embedded in our daily surroundings, in vernacular and heritage buildings and in physical objects, photographs and plans. Historians study these tangible and intangible artefacts and the communities that built and used them. Thus valuableinsights are gained into the past and the present as they also provide a foundation for designing the future. Given that our understanding of the past is limited by the inadequate availability of data, the article demonstrates that advanced computer tools can help gain more and well-linked data from the past. Computer vision can make a decisive contribution to the identification of image content in historical photographs. This application is particularly interesting for architectural history, where visual sources play an essential role in understanding the built environment of the past, yet lack of reliable metadata often hinders the use of materials. The automated recognition contributes to making a variety of image sources usable forresearch.<br/
Exhibiting the Past
With respect to public issues, history matters. With the worldwide interest for historical issues related with gender, religion, race, nation, and identity, public history is becoming the strongest branch of academic history. This volume brings together the contributions from historians of education about their engagement with public history, ranging from musealisation and alternative ways of exhibiting to new ways of storytelling
Climate Justice and Participatory Research: Building Climate-Resilient Commons
Climate catastrophe throws into stark relief the extreme, life-threatening inequalities that affect millions of lives worldwide. The poorest and most marginalized, who are least responsible for the consumption and emissions that create climate change, are the first and hardest impacted, and the least able to protect themselves. Climate justice is simultaneously a movement, an academic field, an organizing principle, and a political demand. Building climate justice is a matter of life and death.
Climate Justice and Participatory Research offers ideas and inspiration for climate justice through the creation of research, knowledge, and livelihood commons and community-based climate resilience. It brings together articulations of the what, why, and how of climate justice through the voices of energetic and motivated scholar-activists who are building alliances across Latin America, Africa, and Canada. Exemplifying socio-ecological transformation through equitable public engagement, these scholars, climate activists, community educators, and teachers come together to share their stories of participatory research and collective action.
Grounded in experience and processes that are currently underway, Climate Justice and Participatory Research explores the value of common assets, collective action, environmental protection, and equitable partnerships between local community experts and academic allies. It demonstrates the negative effects of climate-related actions that run roughshod over local communities’ interests and wellbeing, and acknowledges the myriad challenges of participatory research. This is a work committed to the practical work of transforming socio-economies from situations of vulnerability to collective wellbeing
Especificación del modelo de habilidades, motivación y oportunidades (AMO) como multiplicativo o aditivo y comprobación de su validez en su aplicación a las prácticas de alta implicación de recursos humanos enfocadas a la mejora continua
Tesis por compendio[ES] El objetivo principal de la presente tesis es dilucidar los aspectos del modelo de habilidades, motivación y oportunidades (modelo AMO) que permitan determinar la relación que existe entre las prácticas de RRHH y la mejora de los resultados a nivel organizacional o individual. El objetivo se vehicula a través de preguntas de investigación especÃficas. Además, a través de métodos estadÃsticos evaluamos el alcance y difusión de los sistemas de alta implicación en el contexto laboral español, que posee unas particularidades especÃficas. Finalmente, investigamos qué modelo de interacción predice mejor la satisfacción laboral a nivel individual, el sumativo o el multiplicativo, lo cual constituye una de las grandes cuestiones no resueltas hasta la fecha.
De nuestra investigación se desprende que el modelo AMO proporciona una estructura apropiada para explorar la relación entre la gestión de RRHH y los resultados a distintos niveles. Muchas investigaciones articulan sus análisis en base a las agrupaciones de prácticas planteadas por el modelo, y numerosos estudios confirman los efectos positivos de los sistemas de alta implicación. Sin embargo, no existe un consenso claro que permita generalizar los resultados y establecer una metodologÃa única. De acuerdo con nuestra investigación, existen dos razones. En primer lugar, hay una gran variedad de enfoques metodológicos, que conducen a resultados muy diversos. Por otro lado, el modelo AMO se integra en un sistema de relaciones complejo, donde además de los mecanismos que moderan las relaciones internas de los sistemas de RRHH y los resultados, operan otros factores organizacionales, personales y externos. Puesto que existen múltiples realidades, definir polÃticas que garanticen un modelo de gestión único que se adapte a cualquier situación es complejo. Sin embargo, las evidencias demostradas en la literatura juegan sin duda un papel relevante a la hora de tomar decisiones.
Con respecto a la difusión y grado de uso de los sistemas de RRHH en el contexto español, nuestros resultados indican que existe poca influencia de incentivos económicos basados en el rendimiento, quizás debido a la rigidez de la legislación laboral. Los modelos planteados, relacionados con la aplicación formal de sistemas de alta implicación tampoco predicen en gran medida los resultados individuales, aunque sà apuntan a que la categorÃa de habilidades, y en menor medida la de oportunidades tienen un efecto mayor sobre la satisfacción laboral. Sin embargo, observamos que muchos empleados tienen percepciones positivas en relación con la capacidad de participación, el trabajo en equipo, el intercambio de información, o la formación en el puesto de trabajo, que podrÃan no estar vinculadas con el diseño y la implantación formal de sistemas de RRHH. En este sentido, algunos estudios evidencian las diferencias entre España y otros paÃses de referencia en relación con la utilización de prácticas de alta implicación.
Esta tesis ofrece diversas contribuciones. En primer lugar, realizamos una sÃntesis exhaustiva de las caracterÃsticas del modelo AMO y sus implicaciones teóricas y prácticas, y señalamos los aspectos que dificultan la generalización de resultados. En segundo lugar, analizamos el grado de uso de los sistemas de alta implicación en el contexto español, señalando las posibles carencias. Nuestras conclusiones pueden fomentar el desarrollo de medidas para incrementar la participación de los empleados, asà como para romper las barreras que ralentizan la implantación de los sistemas de alta implicación. Por último, evaluamos la validez de los enfoques sumativo y multiplicativo del modelo para predecir la satisfacción laboral. Contribuimos de este modo al creciente interés por las percepciones de los empleados y los resultados a nivel individual, asà como a la conveniencia de explorar enfoques distintos al aditivo para confirmar las supuestas sinergias de los sistemas de alta implicación.[CA] L'objectiu principal de la present tesi és dilucidar els aspectes del model d'habilitats, motivació i oportunitats (model AMO) que permeten determinar la relació que existeix entre les prà ctiques de RRHH i la millora dels resultats a nivell organitzacional o individual. L'objectiu es vehicula a través de preguntes d'investigació especÃfiques. A més, a través de mètodes estadÃstics avaluem l'abast i difusió dels sistemes d'alta implicació en el context laboral espanyol, que posseeix unes particularitats especÃfiques. Finalment, investiguem quin model d'interacció prediu millor la satisfacció laboral a nivell individual, el sumatiu o el multiplicador, la qual cosa constitueix una de les grans qüestions no resoltes fins hui.
De la nostra investigació es desprén que el model AMO proporciona una estructura apropiada per a explorar la relació entre la gestió de RRHH i els resultats a diferents nivells. Moltes investigacions articulen les seues anà lisis sobre la base de les agrupacions de prà ctiques plantejades pel model, i nombrosos estudis confirmen els efectes positius dels sistemes d'alta implicació. No obstant això, no existeix un consens clar que permeta generalitzar els resultats i establir una metodologia única. D'acord amb la nostra investigació, existeixen dues raons. En primer lloc, hi ha una gran varietat d'enfocaments metodològics, que condueixen a resultats molt diversos. D'altra banda, el model AMO s'integra en un sistema de relacions complex, on a més dels mecanismes que moderen les relacions internes dels sistemes de RRHH i els resultats, operen altres factors organitzacionals, personals i externs. Com que existeixen múltiples realitats, definir polÃtiques que garantisquen un model de gestió únic que s'adapte a qualsevol situació és complex. No obstant això, les evidències demostrades en la literatura juguen sens dubte un paper rellevant a l'hora de prendre decisions.
Respecte a la difusió i grau d'ús dels sistemes de RRHH en el context espanyol, observem diversos aspectes. Els nostres resultats indiquen que existeix poca influència d'incentius econòmics basats en el rendiment, potser a causa de la rigidesa de la legislació laboral. Els models plantejats, relacionats amb l'aplicació formal de sistemes d'alta implicació tampoc prediuen en gran manera els resultats individuals, encara que sà que apunten al fet que la categoria d'habilitats, i en menor mesura la d'oportunitats tenen un efecte major sobre la satisfacció laboral. No obstant això, observem que molts empleats tenen percepcions positives en relació amb la capacitat de participació, el treball en equip, l'intercanvi d'informació, o la formació en el lloc de treball, que podrien no estar vinculades amb el disseny i la implantació formal de sistemes de RRHH. En aquest sentit, alguns estudis evidencien les diferències entre Espanya i altres països de referència en relació amb la utilització de prà ctiques d'alta implicació.
Aquesta tesi ofereix diverses contribucions. En primer lloc, realitzem una sÃntesi exhaustiva de les caracterÃstiques del model AMO i les seues implicacions teòriques i prà ctiques, i assenyalem els aspectes que dificulten la generalització de resultats. En segon lloc, analitzem el grau d'ús dels sistemes d'alta implicació en el context espanyol, assenyalant les possibles mancances. Les nostres conclusions poden fomentar el desenvolupament de mesures per a incrementar la participació dels empleats, aixà com per a trencar les barreres que alenteixen la implantació dels sistemes d'alta implicació. Finalment, avaluem la validesa dels enfocaments sumatiu i multiplicador del model per a predir la satisfacció laboral. Contribuïm d'aquesta manera al creixent interés per les percepcions dels empleats i els resultats a nivell individual, aixà com a la conveniència d'explorar enfocaments diferents a l'additiu per a confirmar les suposades sinergies dels sistemes d'alta implicació.[EN] The main objective of this thesis is to elucidate the aspects of the abilities, motivation, and opportunities model (AMO model) that allow determining the relationship between HR practices and organizational or individual results improvement. The objective is conveyed through specific research questions. In addition, we assess the scope of high-involvement work systems (HIWS) in the Spanish labour context, which has specific particularities. Finally, we compare the predictive capacity of the summative and multiplicative approaches at the individual level, which is one of the unresolved questions to date.
Our research shows that the AMO model provides an appropriate structure for exploring the relationship between HR management and outcomes at different levels. Many studies articulate their analyses based on the groupings of practices proposed by the model, and numerous studies confirm the positive effects of HIWS. However, there is no clear consensus to generalize the results and establish a single methodology. According to our research, there are two main reasons. First, there is a wide range of methodological approaches, which lead to very mixed results. On the other hand, the AMO model is integrated into a complex system of relationships, where in addition to the mechanisms that moderate the internal relationships of HR systems and the results, other organizational, personal, and external factors that shape these relationships operate. Since there are multiple realities, defining policies guaranteeing a single management model that adapts to any situation is complex. However, the evidence demonstrated in the HR literature undoubtedly plays an important role when making decisions.
We observe several facets regarding the use of HR systems in the Spanish context. Our results indicate little influence of performance-based incentives, perhaps due to the rigidity of labour legislation. Concerning the formal implementation of HIWS, our proposed models do not predict, to a large extent, variations in job satisfaction, although abilities and opportunities categories have greater effects than motivation. Nevertheless, many employees have positive perceptions regarding engagement, teamwork, information sharing, or on-the-job training, which may not be linked to the formal implementation of HR systems. In this sense, some studies show differences between Spain and other reference countries concerning the use of HIWP.
This thesis offers several contributions. First, we offer an exhaustive synthesis of the AMO model features and its theoretical and practical implications, and we point out the aspects that hinder the generalization of results. In-depth knowledge of the model acts as a guide for future research. Secondly, we analyse the degree of use of HIWS in the Spanish context, pointing out the possible shortcomings. Our conclusions may promote the development of policies to increase employee autonomy and participation, job satisfaction, and competitiveness, as well as to break down the institutional and cultural barriers that slow the implementation of HIWS. Finally, we assess the validity of the model's summative and multiplicative approaches to predicting job satisfaction. We thus contribute to the growing interest in employee perceptions and outcomes at the individual level and the desirability of exploring approaches other than additive to confirm the supposed synergies of HIWS.MartÃnez Tomás, J. (2022). Especificación del modelo de habilidades, motivación y oportunidades (AMO) como multiplicativo o aditivo y comprobación de su validez en su aplicación a las prácticas de alta implicación de recursos humanos enfocadas a la mejora continua [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/191463Compendi
- …