AGAPE-ET: A Methodology for Human Error Analysis of Emergency Tasks

This article introduces a human error analysis or human reliability analysis methodology, AGAPE-ET (A Guidance And Procedure for Human Error Analysis for Emergency Tasks), for analyzing emergency tasks in nuclear power plants. The AGAPE-ET method is based on a simplified cognitive model and a set of performance-influencing factors (PIFs). At each cognitive function, error-causing factors (ECF) or error-likely situations have been identified considering the characteristics of the performance of each cognitive function and the influencing mechanism of the PIFs on the cognitive function. Then, a human error analysis procedure based on the error analysis factors is organized to cue or guide the analyst in conducting the human error analysis. The method can be characterized by the structured identification of weak points of the task required to be performed and by the efficient analysis process such that the analyst has only to carry out the analysis with the necessary cognitive functions. Through the application, AGAPE-ET showed its usefulness, which effectively identifies the vulnerabilities with respect to cognitive performance as well as task execution, and that helps the analyst directly draw specific error reduction measures through the analysis.     

Modified regression coefficient analysis for repeated binary measurements

Myers & Broyles (2000a, 2000b) illustrate that regression coefficient analysis (RCA) is a viable alternative to a generalized estimating equation (GEE) in the analysis of correlated binomial data. Since the regression coefficients (b i ' s ) may have different precisions, we modify RCA by weighting b i ' s by the inverses of their variances for statistical optimality. We perform the simulation study to evaluate the performance of RCA, modified RCA and GEE in terms of empirical type I errors and empirical powers of the regression coefficients in repeated binary measurement designs with and without dropouts. Two thousand data sets are generated using autoregressive (AR(1)) and compound symmetry (CS) correlation structures. We compare the type I errors and powers of RCA, modified RCA and GEE for the analysis of repeated binary measurement data as affected by different dropout mechanisms such as random dropouts and treatment dependent dropouts.     

Suicidality among homeless people: Testing the mediating effects of self-efficacy and depression

ABSTRACT

This cross-sectional study examined the mediating effect of PTSD on suicide ideation and suicide attempt through two mediators, self-efficacy and depression, among homeless adults. We recruited a non-random, purposive sample of 156 homeless adults from seven homeless people shelters in Kansas. SEM results suggest that self-efficacy and depression were significant mediators between PTSD and suicide ideation, but not between PTSD and suicide attempt. This study’s findings can be used to identify risk factors associated with suicidal behaviors that can be used to design service programs aimed at preventing suicidal ideation and attempt among people who are homeless.     

The longitudinal effects of parental monitoring and self-control on depression in Korean adolescents: A multivariate latent growth approach

The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal effects of parental monitoring and self-control on depression. To address this purpose, this study investigated the interrelationships among depression, perceived parental monitoring, and self-control—as well as their developmental changes from the eighth to the twelfth grades—by repeated assessment of 3449 Korean adolescents. The data from Korea Youth Panel Survey (KYPS) of the eighth graders who were followed for five years were analyzed using latent growth modeling. The univariate latent growth models showed that adolescents experience an increase in both parental monitoring and self-control but a decline in depression over the five years. In addition, the multivariate latent growth model suggested that the initial level of parental monitoring had significant effects, both directly and indirectly through self-control, on the initial level of depression. The linear changes in parental monitoring were associated with the linear changes in self-control; likewise, the linear changes in self-control were related to those in depression. These results imply that parental monitoring and self-control need to be emphasized as a strategy in order to prevent or alleviate adolescents' depression.     

Family group decision making: Measuring fidelity to practice principles in public child welfare

This study describes the development and validation of a short, self-administered fidelity measure used to capture the perspectives of a range of individuals participating in a family group decision making conference. Exploratory factor analyses suggested either a two or a three factor solution. Findings from confirmatory factor analysis supported a three factor model that includes sets of practices yielding: (1) Productive Decision Making; (2) Family Group Inclusion; and (3) Professional Supportiveness. These results provide direction to public child welfare practitioners and policymakers about the importance and the feasibility of attending to multiple perspectives in assessing program delivery.     

“Outnumbered yet still on top,but for how long?” Theorizing about men working in the feminized field of public relations

The under-researched phenomenon of men working in the feminized field of public relations is investigated using the theory of gendered organizations and feminist and masculinity studies lenses. Survey, interview, and focus group findings illuminate the field's gender paradox wherein men report negative effects of gender-minority status at entry- and mid-levels and worry about a future when women will replace them at public relations’ highest management levels.     

The Clash between Social Policy and Traditional Values: Unmet Welfare Needs Sustained by the Culture of Familism in South Korea

Drawing from a wider study of the ideas of poverty and inequality in South Korea, this paper reports on the lived experiences of disadvantaged South Koreans and their relationship to the National Basic Livelihood Security System (NBLSS), a flagship social assistance program aimed at addressing poverty and inequality. Utilizing a cultural approach to understanding and analysing policy responses to poverty, the impact of familism in the application of the NBLSS safety net is examined. Research data is presented through the testimonies, obtained through qualitative research interviews, of disadvantaged research participants and those who work with them, as well as policy‐makers' perspectives, revealing key flaws in the current NBLSS policy objectives. It is clearly evident that, by clinging to outdated Confucian conceptualizations of familial piety as a justification for highly selectivist access to what is no more than a subsistence level of financial support for poor people, the proposition of a poverty safety net is compromised and is widely missing its aim of reducing poverty and inequality in contemporary South Korea.     

A reference model for collaborative design in mould industry

The mould industry is an indispensable foundation for mass production by manufacturer and influences the time to market of new product. It is difficult to integrate the new product development processes and information systems among the mould companies which are mainly small and medium enterprises. The design chain operations reference-model (DCOR) provides a well-recognised methodology to standardise the management process for a product development project and enables the integration for mould industry. The DCOR focuses on a primary and preliminary product development process and is necessary to extend the detail templates for the industrial requirements. Hence, the purpose of this research is to develop an approach that extends the DCOR to the mould industry. The framework of the developed model, which is called the design chain operations reference-model for the mould industry, is adopted for a case mould company for a feasibility discussion.     

Approximation algorithms for connected facility location problems

We study Connected Facility Location problems. We are given a connected graph G=(V,E) with nonnegative edge cost c _e for each edge e∈E, a set of clients D⊆V such that each client j∈D has positive demand d _j and a set of facilities F⊆V each has nonnegative opening cost f _i and capacity to serve all client demands. The objective is to open a subset of facilities, say , to assign each client j∈D to exactly one open facility i(j) and to connect all open facilities by a Steiner tree T such that the cost is minimized for a given input parameter M≥1. We propose a LP-rounding based 8.29 approximation algorithm which improves the previous bound 8.55 (Swamy and Kumar in Algorithmica, 40:245–269, 2004). We also consider the problem when opening cost of all facilities are equal. In this case we give a 7.0 approximation algorithm.     

Simplified Maximum Likelihood Inference Based on the Likelihood Decomposition for Missing Data

In this paper, we propose an estimation method when sample data are incomplete. We decompose the likelihood according to missing patterns and combine the estimators based on each likelihood weighting by the Fisher information ratio. This approach provides a simple way of estimating parameters, especially for non‐monotone missing data. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate this method.