Introducing the Privacy Aspect to Systems Thinking Assessment Method

Systems thinking is a valuable skill that may be required for an individual to be promoted in the business arena to managerial or leading positions. Thus, assessing systems thinking skills is an essential transaction for decision makers in the organization as a preceding step to the promotion decision. One of the well-known and validated tools for this task is a questionnaire. However, because some of the questions invade the employee or candidate’s privacy, the answer may be biased. In this paper, we consider this potential bias, a phenomenon that is becoming more and more significant as privacy concerns and awareness continuously increase in the modern digital world. We propose a formal methodology to optimize the questionnaire based on the privacy sensitivity of each question, thereby providing a more reliable assessment. We conducted an empirical study (n = 142) and showed that a systems skills questionnaire can be enhanced. This research makes a significant contribution to improving the systems skills assessment process in particular, and lays the foundations for improving the evaluation of other skills or traits.

Introducing the Privacy Aspect to Systems Thinking Assessment Method

Systems thinking is a valuable skill that may be required for an individual to be promoted in the business arena to managerial or leading positions. Thus, assessing systems thinking skills is an essential transaction for decision-makers in the organization as a preceding step to the promotion decision. One of the well-known and validated tools for this task is a questionnaire. However, because some of the questions invade the employee / candidate’s privacy, the answer may be biased. In this paper, we consider this potential bias, a phenomenon that is becoming more and more significant as privacy concerns and awareness continuously increase in the modern digital world. We propose a formal methodology to optimize the questionnaire based on the privacy sensitivity of each question, thereby providing a more reliable assessment. We conducted an empirical study (n=142), and showed that a systems skills questionnaire can be enhanced. This research has a significant contribution to improving the systems skills assessment process in particular, and also lays the foundations for improving the evaluation of other skills / traits.

210 - Palliative Care in Dementia

Introduction:Extreme neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) can be a heavy burden for nursing home (NH)-residents, relatives and caregivers. When conventional treatments are ineffective or have intolerable side effects, extreme NPS can be considered refractory. In these situations, continuous palliative sedation (CPS) is sometimes administered. We explored the trajectory leading to CPS and its application in NH-residents with dementia and refractory NPS.Methods:A qualitative interview study was performed in 2017. Relatives, elderly care physicians and other staff members involved with three NH-residents with dementia and extreme refractory NPS who received CPS were interviewed. These NH-residents lived on dementia special care units of three NHs in the Netherlands. We used consecutive sampling to select participants. Medical files were studied. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. Transcriptions were analyzed with thematic analysis, including directed content analysis.Results:Nine in-depth interviews with fourteen participants were held. Analysis resulted in five main themes with several subthemes reflecting phases of the trajectory leading to CPS and the CPS application itself, a sixth main theme concerned evaluations thereof. According to the first theme (run-up), the suffering of the NH-resident was described as unbearable/an inner struggle. Participants still had hope for improvement. Concerning the second theme (turning point), hope was lost, participants were convinced they had tried everything and experienced feelings of powerlessness and failure. Regarding theme three (considering CPS), intermittent sedation was applied in all three cases and peer consultation was employed. Honoring the wish of the NH-resident and therapeutic uncertainties, among others, were important subthemes. According to theme four (decision to start CPS), in each case one specific aspect was a decisive trigger for administering CPS. Concerning theme five (applying CPS) feelings of relief were experienced after starting with CPS.Conclusions:The trajectory leading up to CPS in NH-residents with dementia and extreme refractory NPS was complex and burdensome, but the application led to relief and contentment of all those involved. We recommend to include external consultation in the decision process and to apply intermittent sedation as a preceding step when CPS is considered.

A Modified Approach to Fitting Relative Importance Networks

Relative importance networks have played an important role in network psychometrics because they enable researchers to examine directional relationships among items. Most researchers have estimated the network edge weights using a well-established measure of general dominance for multiple regression and we recommend continuation of this practice. However, we recommend a modified approach that uses best-subsets regression as a preceding step to select an appropriate subset of predictors for each item. The benefits of this modified approach include: (1) a principled approach to edge selection for the relative importance network that reduces overfitting, (2) greater explained variation for scale items in comparison to the cutting of complete graphs (3) a signed network is possible if desired, and (4) potential generalization for logistic regression in the case of binary measurements. We describe and demonstrate the proposed approach and discuss its strengths and limitations.

Two criteria in Fermat infinite descent method

A method infinite descent is traditionally used to proof the Fermat’s theorem for the special case of exponent n=4. At each step, the method sequentially generates a new Fermat’s equation with one of the term being smaller than that in the preceding step. After a finite number of steps the term becomes less than one and this is taken as criterion of the insolvency of the original Fermat’s equation. We show that the power of factor 2, in even parameter of Pythagoras’ equation solution used in the proof, decreases by one at each step of the descent. As a result we arrive at an unsolvable equation. This is the second criterion for the descent method. Which of the two criteria is reached first depends on the parameters of the initial Pythagorean solutions chosen for the analysis.

DEVELOPMENT OF A ROBUST IMAGE MOSAICKING METHOD FOR SMALL UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE

In this paper, a tie-point based image mosaicking method considering imaging characteristics of small UAVs is proposed. Small UAVs can be characterized to have unstable flight trajectory and lower flight height. The proposed method considers the imaging characteristics in image transformation estimation and image blending process. For image transformation estimation, an optimal transformation model is variably applied by using tie-point area ratio. The optimal tie-point area ratio was about 0.3. Mosaicking error was largely decreased by using this tie-point area ratio. For image blending, a composite area minimization is introduced as a preceding step of image resampling. Composite areas of individual images were minimized by analyzing image overlaps between adjacent images. The proposed method was evaluated over flat area and urban area with highly overlapping multi-strip and inconsistently overlapping strip. Experiment results showed that the proposed method can reliably generate mosaics not only from UAV images acquired in good environment but also from extreme environment.

The critical phase for visual control of human walking over complex terrain

To walk efficiently over complex terrain, humans must use vision to tailor their gait to the upcoming ground surface without interfering with the exploitation of passive mechanical forces. We propose that walkers use visual information to initialize the mechanical state of the body before the beginning of each step so the resulting ballistic trajectory of the walker’s center-of-mass will facilitate stepping on target footholds. Using a precision stepping task and synchronizing target visibility to the gait cycle, we empirically validated two predictions derived from this strategy: (1) Walkers must have information about upcoming footholds during the second half of the preceding step, and (2) foot placement is guided by information about the position of the target foothold relative to the preceding base of support. We conclude that active and passive modes of control work synergistically to allow walkers to negotiate complex terrain with efficiency, stability, and precision.

Description Of Alloy Layer Formation On A Cast Steel Substrate

A description of alloy layer formation on a steel substrate is presented. Two types of formation are considered: diffusion of carbon and chromium into the solid from the pad in the direction of the cast steel within the FeCrC (grains) and diffusion in a layer of liquid chromium cast iron formed in a preceding step. The influence of silicon in the pad on the pad’s transformation into the liquid is also examined. Solidus and liquidus temperatures of high carbon ferrochromium are determined. The larger the content of Si is used in the experiment, the lower the solidus temperature of the FeCrC alloy is observed. This results from the higher intensity of the elements’ diffusion and faster formation of the liquid.