Environmental Barriers and Functional Outcomes in Patients with Schizophrenia in Taiwan: The Capacity-Performance Discrepancy

Environmental factors are crucial determinants of disability in schizophrenic patients. Using data from the 2014–2018 Certification of Disability and Care Needs dataset, we identified 3882 adult patients (46.78% females; age, 51.01 ± 13.9 years) with schizophrenia. We found that patients with severe schizophrenia had lower capacity and performance than those with moderate schizophrenia. The chances of having an access barrier to environmental chapter 1 (e1) products and technology in moderate schizophrenic patients and in severe schizophrenic patients were 29.5% and 37.8%, respectively. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that the performance score was related to accessibility barriers in the categories described in e1, with adequate fitness of models in category e110 for personal consumption, e115 for personal usage in daily living activities, and e120 for personal outdoor and indoor mobility and transportation. Furthermore, the capacity-performance discrepancy was higher in moderate schizophrenic patients with accessibility barriers in the e110, e115, and e120 categories than that in moderate schizophrenic patients without accessibility barriers. However, severe schizophrenic patients with category e120 accessibility barriers were prone to a lower discrepancy, with institutional care a potentially decreasing factor. In conclusion, providing an e1 barrier-free environment is necessary for patients with schizophrenia to decrease their disability.

Performance Aspirations and Corporate Tax Avoidance

The current study examines whether performance discrepancy from the aspiration level affects corporate tax avoidance. Prior studies show that performance discrepancies from the aspiration level significantly affect firms' behavior; thus, it is important to examine whether such discrepancies affect corporate tax avoidance. Based on the behavioral theory of the firm (BTOF), this study posits that firms performing below the aspiration levels avoid more taxes in the subsequent period than other firms. Empirical findings using data from a sample of U.S. firms for the period covering 1993-2016 support the hypothesis. The findings also show that, while there is a difference among firms meeting or beating the aspiration level, there is no statistically significant difference in tax avoidance level among firms performing short of their aspiration level. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing additional evidence extending the scope of literature in BTOF and tax avoidance areas.

Closing the gap: an assessment of mixed-method data collection techniques in post occupancy evaluation

Demand for energy efficient buildings has supported an increase in predictive performance modeling. However, operation of buildings can often be different than predictive models, creating a collective performance discrepancy referred to as the “performance gap”. Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) can close this gap by evaluating performance, and contrasting operational data to design intention. This POE demonstrates an identifiable performance gap in a practical case study on one high-performance building. Findings suggest the case building is not meeting anticipated energy consumption with a higher than predicted energy use intensity (EUI). Additional findings indicate a leaky building enclosure, significant thermal bridging, unrealistic simulation assumptions, acoustic disturbances, and occupant thermal comfort satisfaction. This POE demonstrates that mixed-method data collection provides more information than singular analyses when attempting to identify a performance gap. It is demonstrated that qualitative data collection techniques explain quantitative findings in analysis, informing understanding of performance gap causation.

Closing the gap: an assessment of mixed-method data collection techniques in post occupancy evaluation

Demand for energy efficient buildings has supported an increase in predictive performance modeling. However, operation of buildings can often be different than predictive models, creating a collective performance discrepancy referred to as the “performance gap”. Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) can close this gap by evaluating performance, and contrasting operational data to design intention. This POE demonstrates an identifiable performance gap in a practical case study on one high-performance building. Findings suggest the case building is not meeting anticipated energy consumption with a higher than predicted energy use intensity (EUI). Additional findings indicate a leaky building enclosure, significant thermal bridging, unrealistic simulation assumptions, acoustic disturbances, and occupant thermal comfort satisfaction. This POE demonstrates that mixed-method data collection provides more information than singular analyses when attempting to identify a performance gap. It is demonstrated that qualitative data collection techniques explain quantitative findings in analysis, informing understanding of performance gap causation.

308 Sleep Quality Predicts Discrepancy between Objective and Self-Ratings of Performance in Cadets during U.S Army ROTC Advanced Camp

Introduction U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Advanced Camp (AC) is a month-long capstone course that evaluates Cadet leadership. Although the relationship between sleep and objective performance is well established, less is known about how sleep may impact self-perception of performance, especially in the military context. This study examined the impact of habitual sleep on self-expected and objective AC performance. Methods 577 Cadets (age 22.22 ± 2.74; 74.36% male) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) at baseline to measure subjective sleep quality (Global; higher scores indicate poorer sleep quality) and total sleep time (TST) in the month before training. Self-expected AC performance was captured by asking Cadets to estimate what their final performance score would be and objective performance was determined from summary scores from Instructors. Performance discrepancy was calculated as the difference between Cadet’s expected and objective scores. Regression models assessed the predictive utility of habitual TST and Global on performance. Results Ordinal regressions showed that as Global increased, expected AC score also decreased with an OR of .684 (95% CI, -.694 to -.064), Wald χ2(1) = 5.56, p = .018. Further, Global independently predicted performance discrepancies, where the odds of a difference existing between a Cadet’s self-expected and their objective performance was .895 less likely for those with increasing Global (p = .028). Together TST and Global predicted discrepancy magnitude between Cadet self-expected and objective performance, F(2, 349) = 2.99, p = .05, with Global as a independent predictor p < .05. Independent findings related to TST were varied and warrant further testing. Conclusion Cadets with poorer sleep quality prior to AC self-expected to perform worse and had discrepancies between their self-expected and objective performance when compared to those with higher sleep quality. TST enhanced the predictive power of Global when predicting magnitude of performance discrepancy. Therefore future research examining Global, while accounting for TST, is warranted to better understand how sleep may influence self-expectations of military performance. Support (if any) Support for this study came from the Military Operational Medicine Research Program of the United States Army Medical search and Development Command.

True-false analysis reveals inherent flaws in multiple true-false tests

Background: Multiple true-false tests (MTF), a component of our assessment system, have consistently generated low scores and many failures. This was attributed to the negative marking scheme. However, no study was conducted to explore the issue further. Item analysis revealed that students omitted false options more frequently and answered them wrongly more frequently than true options. The aim of this study was to determine the performance discrepancy between true and false options of MTF tests and the reasons for such discrepancy and the poor performance of MTF in general.Methods: The student performance of past 7 years of year-3 medicine end-of-posting examinations was analysed. The item analysis reports of 23 MTF tests were used to determine the significance of the differences in omission rates, correct-answer rates and the discrimination index of true and false options.Results: There were statistically significant differences in the omission rates, correct-answer rates and discrimination index values of true and false options. This study revealed that the false options consistently let down student performance. Although negative marking could be partly blamed for the situation, no justification could be found for the use of false options to test knowledge.Conclusions: Some publications endorse MTF, but many highlight its drawbacks. The use of false options in MTF was seen as an inherent defect in this instrument. As viable alternatives like VSAQ and Constructed Response Tests are in the horizon, we conclude that MTF ought to be discarded as an assessment instrument.

A behavioral theory of patent application rhythm

Purpose Previous studies employing the behavioral theory of the firm have not explicitly taken the roles of decision makers and corporate governance into consideration. The purpose of this paper is to fill in this gap by integrating CEO overconfidence and discretion into the performance feedback mechanism. Design/methodology/approach Financial data were collected from 1,730 Chinese listed companies in the period 2011–2015. Firm-level patent application data were collected for 1988–2015 to measure firm patent application rhythm. Hypothesis testing relied on the fixed effect panel data model. Findings There is a positive relationship between performance discrepancy and a firm’s patent application rhythm. CEO overconfidence will weaken this positive relationship. The negative moderating effect of CEO overconfidence will be less pronounced when CEO discretion is high. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is the first empirical study that investigates the roles of CEO overconfidence and discretion in shaping the performance feedback mechanism.

Redesign and Performance Analysis of Medium Flow Coefficient Centrifugal Compressor

In-house design/analysis program is used in this study to redesign and predict the entire performance of an existing centrifugal compressor. The centrifugal compressor experimental data from a cooperative company is validated first with the 3D CFD simulation for a single passage flow. The validation shows an acceptable performance discrepancy between experimental data and CFD for the existing impeller. Then, a redesign procedure by the in-house program is carried out to get more efficient impeller based on the experimental data. This redesigned impeller is re-implemented in the CFD simulation to be compared with in-house program analysis data. The validation shows a good performance comparison between CFD and in-house program for the redesigned impeller. Moreover, this procedure succeeds to improve the redesigned stage efficiency and work coefficient with 6.79%, and 10.55% compared to the experimental impeller, respectively.