Optimising Alcohol Interlock Program Performance

Benefit programmes protect individuals against loss of income and provide unemployed individuals the possibility of finding a better match between their qualifications and job vacancies. This positive aspect of inducing workers to achieve better job matches has been shown to increase economic efficiency (Acemoglu & Shimer, 1999; Marimon & Zilibotti, 1999). However, unemployment benefits may also distort incentives by subsidizing long and unproductive job searches. In fact, the generosity of unemployment benefits is generally considered the main factor by which benefit systems affect unemployment. From a societal point of view, therefore, the optimal unemployment benefit system will balance considerations for protection with those for distortion (Feldstein, 2005; Mortensen, 1987). Theory suggests that putting a limit on benefit duration will tend to accelerate job search from the beginning of the unemployment spell and thereby shorten unemployment duration (Pissarides, 2000). Thus, generosity of benefits is determined not only by the amount paid but also by the duration of benefit entitlement. In the US, replacement rates1 are low and duration is short compared to benefit systems in most European countries. In 2005 the maximum duration of unemployment insurance entitlement among OECD countries 2 was shortest in the US at 6 months 3 and longest in Denmark, Norway, Portugal, the Netherlands, France, Finland and Spain, varying between 23 and 48 months (OECD, 2007). At the same time, the gross initial replacement rate was around 50% in the US, while varying between 62% and 90% in the aforementioned European countries. The lower level of generosity of benefits in the US compared to Europe is consistent with the observation of higher levels of active searches and a greater willingness to accept inferior jobs by unemployed workers in the US compared to Europe (Layard, Nickell & Jackman, 2005). As a consequence European policy-makers may be tempted to reduce the generosity of unemployment systems in order to reduce high unemployment levels4. While lowering the replacement rate may be politically intractable (indeed, examples of reductions of benefit rates and amounts are rare), the length of the unemployment benefit entitlement period is often used as a political instrument to improve work incentives for the unemployed. In Spain, for example, the benefit period was altered in 1992, in Slovenia in 1998, in Norway in 1997, in the UK in 1996, in Denmark in 1996, 1998 and 1999, and, more recently, in the Czech Republic in 2004, in Hungary and Portugal in 2006, and in Denmark again in 2010. The important public policy question is whether a more generous unemployment benefit system is causally related to higher unemployment rates. As pointed out in Card and Riddell (1993), there can be several complementary explanations for high unemployment rates, including differences in the fraction of nonworking time that is reported as unemployment (particularly among individuals with very low levels of labour supply), and differences in the overall distributions of working and nonworking time. Recent research on the effect of extended duration of unemployment insurance benefits in the US shows that benefit extensions raised the unemployment rate, but at least half of the effect is attributable to reduced labour force exit among the unemployed rather than to the changes in reemployment rates that are of greater policy concern (Rothstein, 2011). This review will focus on the effect on job finding rates of reducing the maximum duration of entitlement of unemployment benefits, and secondarily on the effects on the quality of these jobs. The intervention of interest is reduction in the maximum duration of entitlement of any kind of unemployment benefit with a known expiration date. The benefits may be unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, or they may be unemployment assistance (UA)/social assistance (SA) benefits as long as they have a known expiration date. In the majority of OECD countries, the UI benefit has a time-limit. In fact, only Belgium has an unlimited UI period. In other countries, the maximum duration varies between 6 months (as for example in the UK and the US) and 36 months (in Iceland). In most OECD countries, a secondary benefit is available for those who have exhausted regular UI benefits. This is known as SA benefits. Unlike UI benefits, SA benefits are generally means-tested without any necessary connection to past employment; they pay a lower level of benefit and are indefinite. We know of only one example of a SA benefit with a time limit: the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) which is available in the US. The federal government requires states to impose between 2- or 5-year limits on TANF (Gustafson & Levine, 1997). In a minority of OECD countries, UA benefits are paid after exhaustion of UI benefits. Like SA benefits, they are generally means-tested, pay a lower level of benefits and, excepting Hungary, Portugal and Sweden, are indefinite. Unemployment benefits with an indefinite time limit or non-financial benefits will be excluded from this review. Search theory offers an explanation for how this intervention might work. According to search theory, one can derive a relationship between the job-finding rate and the parameters of the benefit system, in particular the maximum benefit duration and the replacement rate (Mortensen, 1977). This relationship is driven by adjustments in search effort and reservation wages. The reservation wage is the minimum wage at which the unemployed are willing to accept a job. Forward-looking unemployed workers chose their current search effort and reservation wage in order to maximize the sum of the utility flow realized during the current period, plus the expected discounted future utility flow given that an optimal strategy will be pursued in every future period. The current search effort and reservation wage are thus affected by the future level of benefits. When the benefit period expires, the unemployed person experiences a potentially large drop in income. As the time of benefit exhaustion approaches, the value to that person of remaining unemployed falls, implying a higher search effort and/or a fall in the reservation wage, leading to a higher exit rate out of unemployment (Mortensen, 1977). This non-stationarity implies that unemployed individuals with different lengths of benefit entitlement have different optimal paths of reservation wage and search effort over time (van den Berg 1990). A shorter entitlement period gives the unemployed individual a stronger incentive to quickly gain employment in order to avoid the drop in income after the exhaustion date. How strong the incentive is depends on the magnitude of the income drop. If no secondary benefit is available for those who have exhausted their current benefit, the incentive to gain employment will be stronger. If an increased job finding rate is mainly driven by lowering the reservation wage, a lower job match quality is to be expected, for example, in the form of lower wages and/or lower re-employment duration. A number of factors may have an impact on the magnitude of the expected increase in the job finding rate. In general, the overall labour market conditions (i.e. the vacancy rate5 and, in particular, the unemployment rate) have an impact on the availability of and competition for jobs. If the vacancy rate is high (i.e. the number of vacancies is high in relation to job seekers) we would expect a bigger effect on job finding rates than if the vacancy rate is low. We would further expect a lower effect if the unemployment rate is high, regardless of the vacancy rate. If the vacancy rate is low coincident with a high unemployment rate, competition for available jobs is likely to be high. If the vacancy rate is high coincident with a high unemployment rate, it suggests mismatch in the labour market (i.e., the process by which vacant jobs and job seekers meet is not efficient) (Filges & Larsen, 2000; Pissarides, 2000). Whether compulsory participation in active labour market programmes is part of the unemployment system may also have an impact on the effect of maximum duration of entitlement. The compulsory aspect of activation may provide an incentive for unemployed individuals to look for and return to work prior to programme participation; the so called threat effect. Filges and Hansen (2015) summarize the available evidence on the threat effect of active labour market programmes and report a significant threat effect of compulsory participation in active labour market programmes. Further, actual participation in active labour market programmes may improve some of the participants' qualifications, thus helping them to find a job. Alternatively, active labour market programmes may have negative stigmatization and signalling effects to employers. Programmes associated with participants having poor employment prospect may carry a stigma. Because of asymmetric information, employers do not know the productivity of new workers, some of whom they might hire from the pool of the unemployed. Prospective employers might then perceive participants in such programmes as low productivity workers or workers with tenuous labour market attachment (Kluve et al. 1999; Kluve et al., 2007). A recent systematic review by Filges et al. (2015) investigated the effect of participating in active labour market programmes and found that there is a significant positive effect, although small, of participating in active labour market programmes. The effect reported in Filges et al. (2015) is however a pure post-programme effect of active labour market programmes; it refers to the period after participation in a programme. The net effect of active labour market programme participation on job-finding rates is, however, composed of two separate effects: a lock-in effect and a post-programme effect. The lock-in effect refers to the period of participation in a programme. During this period, job-search intensity may be lowered because there is less time to search for a job, and participants may want to complete an on-going skill-enhancing activity; hence the lock-in effect. The combination of the two effects, lock-in and post-programme, consequently determines the net effects of active labour market programme participation on unemployment duration. These additional effects on the search behaviour and employment prospects when compulsory participation in active labour market programmes is part of the unemployment system may dampen the observed effects of maximum duration of entitlement on job finding rates. Finally, the type of unemployment benefit may have an impact on the effect on the job finding rate. As mentioned above, some countries employ two systems to provide benefits to unemployed individuals: an unemployment insurance system for individuals who typically have a strong labour market attachment (UI benefits) and a social welfare system for individuals who often have other problems in addition to unemployment (SA or UA benefits). The effect size in social welfare systems offering unemployment benefits with a known expiration date is, due to the participants' lower labour market attachment, expected to be less than the effect size in unemployment insurance systems with a known expiration date. In order to reduce high unemployment levels, policy-makers may wish to reduce the generosity of the unemployment system either in amount (the replacement rate) or in maximum potential duration. The positive correlation between unemployment benefit generosity in terms of the replacement rate and unemployment duration is well established at the empirical level (Layard et al., 2005). However, it may be politically intractable to lower the replacement rate, and there are indeed strong efficiency and equity arguments for having a reasonable value of unemployment benefits (Acemoglu & Shimer, 1999; Marimon & Zilibotti, 1999). Search theory suggests that an increase in unemployment benefit generosity, in terms of maximum duration of benefit entitlement, has a negative impact on the job search activities of the unemployed increasing their unemployment duration. There is clear evidence that the prospect of exhaustion of benefits results in a significantly increased incentive for finding work, although the effect is small (Filges et al., 2013). Hence, shortening the benefit eligibility period may reduce the share of long and unproductive job searches somewhat. The conclusion in Filges et al. (2013) however leaves unanswered the question of by how much reducing the maximum unemployment benefit entitlement will decrease unemployment duration. There are many empirical papers on the effect of maximum benefit entitlement on unemployed individuals (Caliendo, Tatsiramos and Uhlendoff 2009; Bennmarker, Carling & Holmlund, 2007; Ham & Rea, 1987; Hunt, 1995; Katz & Meyer, 1990 and Lalive & Zweimüller, 2004), but the empirical research has not been summarized in a systematic review to obtain a clearer picture of the available evidence on the employment effect of reducing maximum duration of benefit entitlement. One paper provides a review of the literature on how incentives in unemployment insurance can be improved (Fredriksson and Holmlund 2006). However, it is not a systematic review and, furthermore, the authors do not make the important distinction between exits to employment and exits to other destinations such as such as other kinds of benefits or out of the labour force. Distinguishing between destinations is vital. As shown in Card, Chetty and Weber (2007), the exit rate from registered unemployment increases over 10 times more than the rate of re-employment at the expiration of benefits. The difference between the two measures arises because many individuals leave the unemployment register immediately after their benefits expire without returning to work. There is a great deal of political interest in optimizing the unemployment benefit system so it balances the protection and distortion dimensions. The political interest is to reduce the unemployment level, to prevent exploitation of the unemployment benefit system and at the same time protect the unemployed individuals from the consequences of involuntary unemployment. It is therefore of great importance to establish the effect of reducing maximum duration of unemployment benefit entitlement on employment probabilities. The purpose of this review is to systematically uncover relevant studies in the literature that measure the effects of shortening the maximum duration of unemployment benefit entitlement on job finding rates, and to synthesize the effects in a transparent manner. As a secondary objective we will, where possible, investigate the extent to which the effects differ among different groups of unemployed such as high/low educated or men/women, and further explore from which point in the unemployment spell do unemployed individuals react to the length of benefit entitlement. The title for this systematic review was approved in The Campbell Collaboration on 9. October 2012. Study designs that use a well-defined control group are eligible. The main control or comparison condition is no change in maximum duration of benefit entitlement. Non-randomized studies, where the reduction in maximum duration of benefit entitlement has occurred in the course of usual decisions outside the researcher's control must demonstrate pre-treatment group equivalence via matching, statistical controls, or evidence of equivalence on key risk variables (e.g., labour market conditions) and participant characteristics. These factors are outlined in section ‘Assessment of risk of bias in included studies’ under the subheading of Confounding, and the methodological appropriateness of the included studies will be assessed according to the risk of bias model outlined in section ‘Assessment of risk of bias in included studies’. Studies of the effect of reducing unemployment benefit entitlement typically are estimated on data collected from administrative registers or by questionnaires. Studies that use different data sources for treatment and control groups will not be eligible. Only studies that use individual micro-data are eligible. Studies that rely on regional or national time series data are not eligible, even though micro-econometric estimates of individual effects merely provide partial information about the full impact of shortening the maximum duration of benefit entitlement (Calmfors, 1994; Calmfors, 1995). We will include studies irrespective of their publication status, and their electronic availability. We will include unemployed individuals who receive some sort of time limited benefit during their unemployment spell. The International Labour Office (ILO) definition of an unemployed individual is a person, male or female, aged 15-74, without a job who is available for work and either has searched for work in the past four weeks or is available to start work within two weeks and/or is waiting to start a job already obtained (ILO, 1990); however, different countries may apply different definitions of an unemployed individual, see for example Statistics Denmark (2009). We will include participants receiving all types of unemployment benefits with a known exhaustion date. The only restriction is that the benefits must be related to being unemployed. We will therefore exclude individuals who only receive other types of benefits not related to being unemployed. We will include all unemployed participants regardless of age, gender, etc. who receive some sort of time limited benefit during their unemployment spell. The intervention is reduction in the maximum duration of entitlement of any kind of unemployment benefits. The benefits may be unemployment insurance (UI) benefits or they may be unemployment assistance (UA)/social assistance (SA). The only requirement is that the benefit must have a known expiration date. The UI benefit usually has a known time-limit whereas UA and SA usually are indefinite. Unemployment benefits with an indefinite time limit or non-financial benefits will be excluded from this review. The objective is to determine whether reducing the maximum entitlement to unemployment benefits motivates unemployed individuals to find a job more quickly. Distinguishing between destinations is therefore vital. The primary outcome is exits to employment. Studies only looking at exits to other destinations such as other types of social benefits or non-employment and studies who do not distinguish between destinations are not eligible. We will consider secondary outcomes in terms of the impact that reducing the maximum duration of entitlement of benefit has on the duration of re-employment and on income. This will the done in order to obtain a clearer picture of the effect that reducing the maximum entitlement of unemployment benefit has on the quality of the job. If the duration of re-employment or the wage is low, this could indicate that reducing entitlement forces unemployed individuals to find jobs that do not match their qualifications and therefore they may return to unemployment quickly. Outcomes measured as hazard ratios may be reported as an overall effect on the hazard ratio, or may be reported separate for various unemployment duration intervals. All time points reported will be considered. All types of settings are eligible. Relevant studies will be identified through electronic searches of bibliographic databases, research networks, government policy databanks and internet search engines. No language or date restrictions are applied in the searches6. An example of the search strategy for Business Source Elite is listed in Appendix 1.4. The strategy will be modified for the different databases. We will report full details of the modifications in the completed review. Additional searches will be made by means of Google (including Google Scholar) and we will check the first 150 hits. OpenSIGLE will be used to search for European grey literature (http://opensigle.inist.fr/). Copies of relevant documents will be made and we will record the exact URL and date of access for each relevant document. Websites of the following private independent research institutes and economic networks will be searched: IZA -- Institute of the Study of Labor (www.iza.org) CEPR -- Centre for Economic Policy Research (www.cepr.org) NBER -- National Bureau of Economic Research (www.nber.org) MDRC -- the Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation -- (www.mdrc.org) CESifo -- the cooperation between CES (Center for Economic Studies) and IFO (Institute for Economic Research) -- (www.cesifo-group.de/portal/page/portal/ifoHome) are all covered via IDEAS. In addition we will look into the following sites: Danish Economic Councils (www.dors.dk) OECD - the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (www.oecd.org) IMF - The International Monetary Fund (www.imf.org) AIECE - Association of European Conjuncture Institutes (www.aiece.org) ESRC - Economic Social Research Council (www.esrc.ac.uk) Copenhagen Economics (www.copenhageneconomics.com) SSRN -- Social Science Research Network (www.ssrn.com) will also be searched to uncover potential preprint discussion papers. Unpublished theses and dissertations will be searched through the databases: Theses and dissertations and Theses Canada. Copies of relevant documents from Internet-based sources will be made. We will record the exact URL and date of of included studies and of relevant will be of Labor and will be searched for the and the available of of included studies and relevant will be searched for potential new with national and will be considered to and on-going We expect that a of the studies we will have been without of there is no for in labour market This among other from some of of participants due to about of The in these studies without of participants is the of the effect. studies use in benefit or changes of the maximum entitlement period. A policy is to the maximum benefit period when labour market conditions are expected to studies use this policy to the effect on unemployment duration & Rea, 1987; Hunt, and Katz & Meyer, 1990). It is however to rely on such a as these changes any other policy If the of the change are not for it will of the effect will be due to the labour market conditions that to the change in entitlement in the first A more recent & Zweimüller, extended benefit entitlement in and four different in order to the effect of extended benefit entitlement from the impact of labour The extended benefit entitlement was to the labour market problems in and for of The was therefore limited to job seekers aged or in for a limited time period (the after implying that there may be many workers who are to different for time and they different of where no are consider the policy of extended benefit entitlement as thereby to the when it can be that the individuals are not to during the observation period Lalive & Zweimüller, for further The same of apply to all changes to the maximum entitlement period. example the by and of the unemployment insurance system in The reduced the maximum duration of benefits, by half for most groups of the effect, they a strategy and the of employment and after the for those affected with the job finding for those who not avoid bias due to of the from employment to they only consider data for the period of 2 months and 2 months after the The authors further that it is a as the in potential benefit duration to the of the labour market and furthermore, potential benefit duration for different groups of unemployed. In Tatsiramos & the is on a The strategy on a in the maximum duration of unemployment benefits at the of in unemployed who are the with unemployed the gives a measure of the effect of maximum duration of benefits. is the in Lalive on a in the potential benefit duration at and in We will into the of of the studies to determine to whether individuals in groups (i.e. whether individuals may have whether there treatment groups and whether several studies are on the same data included in this review will be for in the of and the of as statistical can when they are When have been we will effect estimates and their & 2011). In where have not applied that control for effects, we will the correlation & and Studies with intervention groups with different individuals will be included in this review. avoid problems with between effect we will apply & However, studies that this around studies included in the data et al., If this number be we will use a effect size (the in order to avoid between effect This provides an of the effect size but the effects applied when effect are better in terms of than do effects 2007). However, of when effect are included are less often than If is not (e.g., the and/or control groups include the same only one intervention group will be and compared to the control group to avoid The of which to include will be on risk of bias We will the that we to have the least risk of bias bias and in of the data will be In some several studies may have used the same of data or some studies may have used only a of a used in We will review all such studies, but in the we will only include one of the effect from each of This will be done to avoid between the (i.e. the estimates of the in the The of which to include will be on risk of bias of the We will the from the that we to have the least risk of bias If two studies are to have the same risk of bias and one of the studies a of a used in or studies, we will include the the full of When the results are measured at time each outcome at each time point will be in a separate with other studies at a time As a these will be according to length of unemployment duration as to less than 6 6 months to more than However, the studies provide for an of relevant and duration for the of we will the the of review two review will first and to exclude studies that are Studies considered by at least one or studies there is in

Evaluation of a program to motivate impaired driving offenders to install ignition interlocks

It is the wish of every stakeholder to see to it that development programs are successful and beneficial to the intended community. Literature shows that successful development programs must provide opportunities for the intended program beneficiaries to effectively participate in the programs. This implies that program beneficiaries ought to be seen as stakeholders in the program and not as recipients of final program results. This is a community engagement thinking deeply rooted in the stakeholder theory. Hence, by taking into account the importance of community participation in development programs, this study explored community participation methods that were being employed in four different categorized programs and how such methods were influencing effective participation in such programs in Tanzania. These programs were categorized as Locally Funded, Government Funded, Donor Funded and Joint Funded development programs. A combined sample size of 316 participants from all the four programs was employed. Collected data were analyzed through the within-case analysis and the comparative analysis approaches. Results of the study revealed that methods used in Government funded programs were not effective enough in promoting effective community participation when compared to methods used in the other three examined programs. As such, the study concluded by emphasizing on the need to improve on the participation methods used in Government funded programs.

Alcohol interlocks and prevention of drunk-driving recidivism

The study aims at evaluating participation of the Farmer Group Association (Gapoktan) members and factors affecting their participation in the food community Distribution institution program (Penguatan- LDPM). It also examines the impact of the members’ participation on the effectivesness of Gapoktan involvement in the program. The study was conducted in Bogor, West Java. It used mixed methods: qualitative and quantitative. Sampling consisted of 91 respondents and 15 informants. The samplingtechniques used were proportionate strati ed random sampling and purposive techniques, respectively. The results showed that the level of members’ participation in the program was low. Factors that signi cantly affected their participation included age, income, motivation, and intensity of socializationthe activity received. In terms of target achievement, members’ participation has a positive impact on the effectiveness of the association.

ObjectiveOlder adults with vision impairment experience high rates of mental health problems, but very few access psychological support. We investigated community and stakeholder perspectives of the barriers and facilitators to participation in mental well-being programs for older adults with vision impairment.MethodsAdults aged ≥ 50 years with vision impairment (community) were recruited from the client database, and low vision rehabilitation (LVR) professionals (stakeholders) from staff of a LVR provider. Participants completed one-on-one semi-structured interviews, which were designed and analyzed using behavior change theory.ResultsTwenty-nine participants were interviewed; 16 community members and 13 stakeholders. Both groups cited mental health problems as a major concern, with many stakeholders reporting the grief and distress associated with vision loss experienced by their clients as having a negative impact on their mental and physical health. Major barriers to participation in mental well-being programs included a lack of awareness and difficulties accessing such programs, with stakeholders adding that their clients’ lack of insight into their own mental health problems may reduce motivation to participate. Facilitators to participation in programs included the appeal of social interaction and inspirational speakers. An appropriate intervention could overcome these barriers, or enhance participation through education, persuasion, incentivisation, modeling, environmental restructuring, training, and enablement.ConclusionsWhile barriers were discussed more than facilitators to participation, there was general support for mental well-being programs. This study provides guidance from stakeholders for the development of mental well-being programs to address mental health problems in the growing number of older adults with vision impairment.

Telemedicine has been shown to improve the outcome of heart failure (HF) patients in addition to medical and device therapy. We investigate the effectiveness of a comprehensive telehealth programme in patients with recent hospitalisation for HF on subsequent HF hospitalisations and mortality compared to usual care in a real-world setting. The telehealth programme consists of daily remote telemonitoring of HF signs/symptoms and regular individualised telecoaching sessions. Between January 2018 and September 2020, 119,715 patients of a German health insurer were hospitalised for HF and were eligible for participation in the programme. Finally, 6065 HF patients at high risk for re-hospitalisation were enroled. Participants were retrospectively compared to a propensity score matched usual care group (n = 6065). Median follow-up was 442 days (IQR 309–681). Data from the health insurer was used to evaluate outcomes. After one year, the number of hospitalisations for HF (17.9 vs. 21.8 per 100 patient years, p < 0.001), all-cause hospitalisations (129.0 vs. 133.2 per 100 patient years, p = 0.015), and the respective days spent in hospital (2.0 vs. 2.6 days per year, p < 0.001, and 12.0 vs. 13.4, p < 0.001, respectively) were significantly lower in the telehealth than in the usual care group. Moreover, participation in the telehealth programme was related to a significant reduction in all-cause mortality compared to usual care (5.8 vs. 11.0 %, p < 0.001). In a real-life setting of ambulatory HF patients at high risk for re-hospitalisation, participation in a comprehensive telehealth programme was related to a reduction of HF hospitalisations and all-cause mortality compared to usual care.

The emergence of micro frontend architectures has revolutionized the way organizations approach frontend application development, enabling distributed teams to work independently while maintaining system consistency. However, performance optimization in these distributed systems presents unique challenges that differ significantly from traditional monolithic approaches. This study examines performance strategies for micro frontend-based applications through a comprehensive analysis of 30 applications across six key performance metrics. The research reveals significant performance variations across micro frontend implementations, with bundle sizes ranging from 345KB to 550KB and API response times ranging from 155ms to 300ms. Our analysis demonstrates strong correlations between optimization strategies and application performance, particularly highlighting the critical role of lazy loading implementations. Applications achieving lazy loading rates above 50% consistently outperformed those below 40%, with performance score improvements of up to 37 points. The study uses XGBoost regression models to predict key performance metrics, identifying challenges in CPU usage prediction due to overfitting concerns, while achieving exceptional accuracy for bundle size prediction (R² = 0.9647).The performance patterns indicate that successful micro frontend applications require integrated optimization across multiple dimensions, including composition strategies, dependency management, and inter-service communication protocols. The research identifies threshold values for optimal performance, including maintaining bundle sizes below 400KB and implementing aggressive lazy loading strategies. These findings provide actionable insights for development teams working with micro frontend architectures, providing data-driven guidance for architectural decisions and performance strategies in distributed frontend systems.Objective: This study examines performance optimization in micro-frontend-based applications. It analyzes 30 settings across six key metrics, focusing on bundle size, lazy loading, CPU utilization, and response times. The research highlights optimization constraints and a predictive model to guide architectural decisions for scalable, efficient distributed frontends using XGBoost regression.

Described an intervention program designed to prepare elementary school (K-8) eighth-grade students for their transition to high school the following year. Participants in the study were 145, predominantly Hispanic, inner-city public school adolescents. The experimental group received an augmented condition, consisting of Education and Peer Support Components. The control group received a minimal condition consisting of only the Education Component. While no group effects were observed, time effects indicated experimental and control students' improved perceptions of school readiness, but deteriorated perceptions of support from both home and school and diminished grade-point averages and attendance. Time effects also revealed variable changes in school perceptions. Findings are discussed in terms of a developmental perspective of the school transition process. Implications for high school transition programming with the target population and directions for future research are also addressed.

This thesis presents the first comprehensive evaluation of the Dutch Alcohol Ignition Interlock Program (DAIIP), introduced in 2011 to reduce driving under the influence (DUI) and alcohol-related traffic casualties. Alcohol ignition interlocks are internationally used as part of Alcohol Ignition Interlock Programs (AIIPs) and prevent impaired driving by requiring a negative breath test before a vehicle can start. The Dutch DAIIP targeted moderately severe DUI offenders and combined mandatory interlock installation for a minimum of two years with an intensive Monitoring &amp; Support program, including breath-test monitoring, individualized feedback, and educational components aimed at sustained behavioral change. Despite its promising design, the DAIIP was discontinued in 2016 due to legal concerns related to proportionality and the principle of ne bis in idem, rather than because of demonstrated ineffectiveness. Consequently, the program was terminated before its impact could be adequately evaluated, despite the continued prevalence of alcohol-related traffic incidents and growing political and public support for its reinstatement. Against this background, the central aim of this thesis was to assess the effectiveness of the DAIIP in reducing DUI recidivism and to provide empirical evidence to support evidence-informed policymaking. Four research questions were central to the study: (1) the extent to which judicial records can be used to study DUI recidivism; (2) the effectiveness of the DAIIP in reducing short-term recidivism during interlock use; (3) its effectiveness in reducing long-term recidivism after program completion; and (4) whether effects vary across offender subgroups. Methodologically, the thesis used judicial data from the Dutch Offenders Index, supplemented with licensing authority data. Following an initial assessment of the strengths and limitations of judicial records, three large-scale, population-level retrospective cohort studies were conducted using rigorous quasi-experimental designs. Although underreporting is a major issue, judicial data can still be valuable for criminological research. These records provide a comprehensive view of offenders formally held accountable for their risky behavior and can be used in the context of comparative recidivism research to evaluate the effectiveness of measures designed to prevent repeat offenses among known offenders. The evaluation of short-term effects showed that DUI recidivism among DAIIP participants during the interlock period was extremely rare, whereas recidivism among offenders who opted for a five-year license suspension was approximately ten times higher. This highlights the strong incapacitating effect of the interlock device and aligns with international evidence showing that technological prevention is more effective than sanctions relying on voluntary compliance. Importantly, the thesis also found evidence of sustained behavioral change. DAIIP participants exhibited significantly lower long-term DUI recidivism rates than comparable offenders who received only criminal sanctions, corresponding to a relative reduction of more than 50%. This suggests that the combination of technological enforcement and the Monitoring &amp; Support program contributed not only to short-term prevention but also to lasting behavioral change, contrasting with earlier studies reporting limited post-program effects. Subgroup analyses indicated that the DAIIP was effective across most offender groups, including men and women, novice and experienced drivers, and individuals with varying criminal histories. However, no significant benefits were observed for early-onset offenders whose first justice system contact occurred before age 16, suggesting that this high-risk group may require more comprehensive interventions beyond alcohol- and traffic-focused measures. In conclusion, this thesis provides robust empirical evidence that the DAIIP effectively reduces DUI recidivism during and after participation, though not uniformly across all subgroups. It strengthens the program’s legitimacy, contributes to the international AIIP literature, and offers policy recommendations to address proportionality concerns while preserving the core elements essential to improving road safety in the Netherlands.

A study of the SME Technology Roadmapping Program to strengthen the R&D planning capability of Korean SMEs

The Chronic Disease Self-Management (CDSM) strategy for Aboriginal patients on Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, was designed to develop and trial new program tools and processes for goal setting, behaviour change and self-management for Aboriginal people with diabetes. The project was established as a one-year demonstration project to test and trial a range of CDSM processes and procedures within Aboriginal communities and not as a formal research project. Over a one-year period, 60 Aboriginal people with type-2 diabetes in two remote regional centres participated in the pilot program. This represents around 25% of the known Aboriginal diabetic population in these sites. The project included training for four Aboriginal Health Workers in goal setting and self-management strategies in preparation for them to run the program. Patients completed a Diabetes Assessment Tool, a Quality of Life Questionnaire (SF12), the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WASAS) at 0, 6 and 12 months. The evaluation tools were assessed and revised by consumers and health professionals during the trial to determine the most functional and acceptable processes for Aboriginal patients. Some limited biomedical data were also recorded although this was not the principal purpose of the project. Initial results from the COAG coordinated care trial in Eyre suggest that goal setting and monitoring processes, when modified to be culturally inclusive of Aboriginal people, can be effective strategies for improving self-management skills and health-related behaviours of patients with chronic illness. The CDSM pilot study in Aboriginal communities has led to further refinement of the tools and processes used in chronic illness self-management programs for Aboriginal people and to greater acceptance of these processes in the communities involved. Participation in a diabetes self-management program run by Aboriginal Health Workers assists patients to identify and understand their health problems and develop condition management goals and patient-centred solutions that can lead to improved health and wellbeing for participants. While the development of self-management tools and strategies led to some early indications of improvements in patient participation and resultant health outcomes, the pilot program and the refinement of new assessment tools used to assist this process has been the significant outcome of the project. The CDSM process described here is a valuable strategy for educating and supporting people with chronic conditions and in gaining their participation in programs designed to improve the way they manage their illness. Such work, and the subsequent health outcome research planned for rural regions, will contribute to the development of more comprehensive CDSM programs for Aboriginal communities generally.

This article reviewed and evaluated literature on the various community-based home health programs and their effectiveness at preventing hospital admissions in adults. The research question addressed is as follows: Do community-based home health programs decrease hospital admissions in adult patients with chronic disease? The primary practice setting evaluated in this review of the literature was community-based home health programs. In this literature review, a seven-step review method was utilized to assess the evidence. Three electronic databases were used to conduct the initial search inquiry: CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) Plus with Full Text, Medline, and PsycINFO. The search parameters include research from 2006 through 2016, English-language studies, and research published in peer-reviewed journals. The following search terms were used in multiple combinations: community-based health programs, chronic disease, and home. The primary sample population assessed was older adults with chronic disease. The research identified three common themes that influenced quality-of-life outcomes and health care utilization in participants of a community-based home health program. These themes were encouragement and emotional support, home visits, and multidisciplinary coordination of care. Additional concepts of depression and educational reinforcement were also noted. This literature review indicates that community-based home health programs are a viable solution to providing cost-effective health care to the adult population with chronic diseases. Community-based home health programs have been shown to have a positive impact on the quality of life and a decrease in health care utilization, including emergency department and primary care practitioner visits and hospital admissions, for adults with chronic disease.

Anyone of any age can be a victim of a traffic accident as a pedestrian, but the vast majority of the victims are older adults. Therefore, in this study, we examined the effectiveness of a case study on a traffic safety pedestrian education program for the community-dwelling older adults to examine the effectiveness of an education program for preventing traffic accidents. The participants in the program were 891 adults, all of them were members of senior welfare centers located in their residential area. The effectiveness of the program was assessed by comparing changes before and after program participation in four domains; traffic safety knowledge, traffic sign knowledge, traffic safety behavior, and subjective traffic safety competence. The findings showed that the educational program had a positive effect in all of four domains. Comparing the characteristics of the participants, the effect was more pronounced for women, people with low education or living standards, and the older. Based on the findings, the study advocates that the safe walking education programs should be continuously implemented to enhance the traffic safety capabilities of the older adults. The researchers also recommend tailoring education and behavior-based training to the specific characteristics of each older adult.

A great deal of programming has been developed to prevent sexual assault (SA) among adolescents. Few studies examine programming implementation among minority groups and present information about program acceptability among participants and community stakeholders. The purpose of the current study was to examine the acceptability of implementing an empowerment SA self-defense program for adolescent girls on an Indian reservation. Data for the study came from posttest surveys of Native American adolescent girls who participated in an SA prevention program (N = 102) and interviews with community stakeholders, including program participants (N = 18). Results showed that acceptability was high among program participants and community stakeholders. Program participants noted that they liked the program overall and liked components of the programming. Participants noted that they disliked pressure to participate, program length, and missing class. Among community stakeholders, all expressed an overall positive impression of the program, felt that the program had a positive impact on program participants, and appreciated that girls learned to use refusal skills. Community stakeholders provided several programming improvement ideas such as incorporating culturally specific content into the program for future implementation. These findings can be used by other researchers, schools, and practitioners implementing prevention programs with Native American girls.