Stabilization of behaviours

In this paper we characterize the set of all restrictions on the behaviour of a plant that shape the characteristic polynomial of the closed-loop system. These control laws include both classical feedback laws and singular feedback laws. One of the results is the behavioural version of the Youla-Jabr-Bongiorno-Kucera-parameterization of all stabilizing control laws for a given plant. We also study robust stability, deriving the real and complex stability radius for systems described in kernel representation. Finally we characterize the set of all control laws that make the stability radius greater than or equal to some desired leve

Children’s Challenging Behaviour: Teachers’ Understanding and Intervention

Challenging behaviours are observable behaviours that can affect the environment and often have a negative influence in the child and those around. The concept of challenging behavior (CD) refers to behavior difficulties or problems that can be shown be children, teenagers or adults. This concept appears to characterize the behavior as a challenge instead of labeling people as a problem. From this point of view, challenging behaviours are seen through the view of development psychology, and perceived as developmental struggles or delays in social, emotional and academic areas. The causes for challenging behaviours are diverse, resulting from genetic vulnerabilities and environmental stress The probable causes for disruptive and challenging behaviours can be explained through an ecological approach, based on Bronfenbrenner’s findings (1979). Challenging behaviours fulfill a function or purpose and are kept by the individual as long as they show themselves to be a successful adaptation to the environment. The pattern for challenging behaviours changes considerably according to the considered target characteristics and the age of individuals. Individuals with challenging behaviours are not all alike. We should focus on the behaviours’ target characteristics because they describe the behaviours to change

Understanding inter-organizational decision coordination

This article develops a theoretical framework to investigate the interaction and coordination of decision-making processes in a supply chain with multiple and inter-dependent suppliers and customers. Design/Methodology/Approach: Three longitudinal case studies on the decision coordination processes between a European toy supplier and three retailers. Findings: The case studies found different mental models, decision-making behaviours, coordination behaviours and ordering behaviours even though the toy supplier and the three retailers observed quite the same material flow behaviours. The study found explanations for these diverse behaviours by analyzing the mental models and decision-making behaviours of each involved party. Originality/value: The findings explain the conditions which lead to undesirable mental models and decision-making behaviours which affect the coordination of decisions among supply chain members

Teachers' perspectives of gender differences in the social behaviours of preschool children : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand

The present research study explored early childhood teachers’ perspectives about social behaviours and gender in young children, in particular the way in which children’s gender related to teachers’ reports of the prevalence of, perspectives about, and strategies used in response to children’s social behaviours. The specific social behaviours examined within this study were prosocial behaviours, social leadership, social dominance, and aggressive behaviours. This study was designed within an interpretivist and pragmatic epistemology, and used a mixed methods online survey to investigate teachers’ perspectives. The online survey was comprised of four sections: demographics; defining social behaviours and their traits; social behaviour scenarios; and gender and Te Whāriki. To allow investigation of differential responses related to gender, two versions of the survey were created where the gender of the child portrayed in the social behaviour scenarios differed across survey versions. The gendered scenarios were used to gather data on whether there was a difference in teachers’ perspectives about and the teaching strategies used for children’s social behaviours based on the gender of the children involved. The majority of the responses to the survey indicated that the teachers identified there to be little difference in the display of social behaviours in young children based on children’s gender. However, the two social behaviours which were reported by the teachers as having the most differences based on gender were social leadership and aggression. The teachers’ strategies identified in the findings showed that there was some difference in teaching strategies used based on the children’s gender, specifically in the areas of social dominance and aggression. The findings provide a snapshot of the way in which teachers define and interpret social behaviours, and suggest that gender plays a limited, but still potentially significant role in the teaching practices they chose to adopt in a variety of scenarios. The teacher’s acknowledged the importance of ensuring gender equity in their practices, but findings suggest that further support may be needed to aid in the delivery of equitable practices

Child Externalising and Internalising Behaviour in the First Year of School: The Role of Parenting in a Low SES Population

Successful transition and adjustment to school life is critical for a child's future success. To ease this transition a child needs to arrive equipped with the necessary skills for school. The extent of a child’s behavioural problems is one indicator of his or her level of adjustment and school readiness. A factor which is consistently associated with such behaviours is parenting practices. This study examined the role of maternal parenting behaviours on externalising and internalising behaviours displayed by children in their first year of schooling. As children living in low socioeconomic status (SES) families are at risk of both adverse parenting behaviours and childhood behavioural difficulties, the study focuses on a low SES cohort. Mothers (n = 197) reported parenting behaviours using the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ; Robinson, Mandelco, Olsen, & Hart, 2001). Teachers (n = 21) rated children on how frequently they engaged in fifteen behaviours. These behaviours were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis, eliciting two externalising behaviour factors (aggressive and defiant; hyperactive and inattentive) and one internalising behaviour factor. Bivariate analyses revealed that authoritarian parenting is associated with aggressive and defiant behaviours and that permissive parenting and maternal education is associated with hyperactive and inattentive behaviours. Only the latter result remains significant in the multivariate analysis. Finally, no relationships were found between parenting practices and child internalising behaviours. Parenting behaviours explained a small proportion of the variance in child externalising behaviours, highlighting the need to educate parents in effective parenting practices.

Development of a behavioural assessment system for achievement motivation in soccer matches

The aim of present investigation was to develop the behavioural instrument for measuring the achievement motivation in sport matches. According to 5-stage behavioural measurement system, the instrument was established and was applied for Iran national soccer team among three matches. The results have revealed the good validity, intra-rater, and inter-rater reliabilities for measuring motivational behaviours in sport contexts. In addition, the repeated measure analysis of variance has shown the applicability of new instrument for studying the association of achievement behaviours with successful performance, through significant differences between achievement behaviours in different matches with varied outcomes (p<.05).It seems the developed instrument is applicable for coaches to discriminate achievement behaviours of players during the match and select their strategy and players’ substitutions according to their trends and behaviours for success

Expert consensus regarding drivers of antimicrobial stewardship in companion animal veterinary practice: a Delphi study

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global challenge facing both human and animal healthcare professionals; an effective response to this threat requires a ‘One-Health’ approach to antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) to preserve important antibiotics for urgent clinical need. However, understanding of barriers and enablers to effective AMS behaviour in companion animal veterinary practice is currently limited. We conducted a Delphi study of 16 nationally recognised experts from UK-based veterinary policymakers, university academics and leaders of professional bodies. This Delphi study sought to identify veterinary behaviours which experts believe contribute to AMR and form vital aspects of AMS. Analysis of Delphi findings indicated a perceived hierarchy of behaviours, the most influential being antibiotic prescribing behaviours and interactions with clients. Other veterinary behaviours perceived as being important related to interactions with veterinary colleagues; infection control practices; and the use of diagnostic tests to confirm infection. Key barriers and enablers to AMS within each of these behavioural domains were identified. Specific interventions to address important barriers and enablers are recommended. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to establish expert consensus at a national level about which ‘behaviours’ (aspects of veterinarian practice) should be targeted in relation to AMR and AMS in companion animal veterinary practice

Development and Psychometric Analysis of The Patient Perceptions of Patient-Empowering Nurse Behaviours Scale (PPPNBS)

Aim To (1) develop and psychometrically test the Patient Perceptions of Patient-Empowering Nurse Behaviours Scale, which measures patient perceptions of empowering nurse behaviours during hospitalization; and (2) refine to a shorter, more useful form, for measurement in clinical settings. Background Although patient empowerment has been promoted as a way to engage patients in chronic illness care, there is not a measure reported by patients as recipients of empowering nurse behaviours during hospitalization. Design Psychometric evaluation of construct and predictive validity, reliability and item reduction. Method Data gathered during hospitalization and six weeks postdischarge between April 2012 - August 2014 were used to determine the validity and reliability of the long and short-form Patient Perceptions of Patient-Empowering Nurse Behaviours Scale in a sample of 395 chronically ill medical and surgical adult patients. Results The long and short-form Patient Perceptions of Patient-Empowering Nurse Behaviours Scale demonstrated strong reliability and convergent validity with pre-discharge 13-item Patient Activation Measure scores. Both forms of the Patient Perceptions of Patient-Empowering Nurse Behaviours Scale predicted postdischarge 13-item Patient Activation Measure scores and the long-form predicted physical health status. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated improved model fit for the short-form instrument when compared with the long-form fit. The short-form Patient Perceptions of Patient-Empowering Nurse Behaviours Scale explained 98% of the variance of the long-form Patient Perceptions of Patient-Empowering Nurse Behaviours Scale. Conclusion The results provide evidence supporting reliability and validity of both forms. While the scales measure patient reports and not direct observation of empowering nurse behaviours, incorporating patients\u27 experiences as recipients of care is necessary to validate the contribution of nursing care to patients\u27 engagement in chronic illness management

Growing Acts of Indiscipline in Ghanaian Schools: Perception of Students and Teachers at Abuakwa South Municipality

Indiscipline in schools has attracted the attention of many people and has eventually become the focus of discussions on many platforms. The purpose of the study was to find out the perceptions of teachers and students at the Abuakwa South Municipality of Ghana on student indiscipline behaviours. The study employed the descriptive survey and the approach was concurrent mixed method, involving bothquantitative and qualitative paradigms. Purposive and simple random sampling methods were used to obtaina sample size of five hundred and thirty (530) respondents. The main instruments used for the study were questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide. Data was analysed using inferential statistics and content analysis. Findings from the study revealed that; there was no perceptual difference between students and teachers views on acts that constitute disciplinary behaviours. Additional, there were differences in thestudents and teachers perceptions of the influences of peer pressure on students’ disciplinary behaviours. Itwas recommended among others that peer counselling sessions should be organized periodically among students for them to be aware of acceptable behaviours in the school system and how they can maintain desirable behaviours

A polynomial approach to the realization of J-lossless behaviours

In this paper, a class of behaviours known as J-lossless behaviours is introduced, where J is a symmetric two-variable polynomial matrix. For a certain J, it is shown that the resulting set of J-lossless behaviours are SISO behaviours such that for each of such behaviours, there exists a quadratic differential form which is positive for nonzero trajectories of the behaviour and whose derivative is equal to the product of the input variable and the derivative of the output variable. Earlier, Van der Schaft and Oeloff had considered a specific form of realization for such behaviours that plays an important role in their model reduction procedure. In our paper, we give a method of computation of a state space realization from a transfer function of such a behaviour in the same form as considered by Van der Schaft and Oeloff, using polynomial algebraic methods. Apart from being useful in enlarging the scope of the model reduction procedure of Van der Schaft and Oeloff, we show that our method of realization also has application in the synthesis of lossless mechanical systems with given transfer functions using springs and masses