Deliberate Deviations Research Articles

Risk Management in Public Procurement Process

Public procurement represents an important part of the current economy reality. Throughout the procurement process, due to the effect of the interaction among the components of the public procurement system, certain actions with significant negative effects on its optimal operation may occur. Risks may turn into certainty either because of a simple error in the development and administration of the procurement process, or because of a deliberate deviation from the existing legal provisions. Therefore, there is an imperative for the implementation of certain risk-avoiding measures, as well as of measures aiming to reduce their negative effects in case of their occurrence.

Enhancement of Repositioning Tolerance by Directionally Controlled Shift Selectivity of Speckle-Multiplexed Holograms

A method for directional control of shift selectivities of speckle-multiplexed holograms with a diffuser whose diffusion angle varies with the diffusion direction is proposed to enhance the tolerance of recorded holograms to repositioning error in holographic storage. The directional dependence and controllability of shift selectivities of holograms are experimentally investigated using various diffusers. By retrieving 50 speckle-multiplexed holograms with deliberate deviations from the original recording position and by measuring bit error rate, it is also confirmed that the tolerance to repositioning error is improved.

Young novice driver subtypes: Relationship to driving violations, errors and lapses

The present study aimed to identify, in a large Italian sample of young, novice drivers, specific subtypes of drivers on the basis of combinations of self-reported personality traits (i.e., driving anger, anxiety, angry hostility, excitement-seeking, altruism, normlessness and driving locus of control) and to evaluate their high-risk driving behaviors not only in terms of traffic rule violations and risk-taking behaviors, but also in terms of driving errors and lapses as measured by the Manchester Driver Behavior Questionnaire. Participants were 1008 high school students between the ages of 18 and 23 years, with valid driver's licenses. On the basis of a cluster analysis of the personality variables, three easily interpretable driver subgroups were identified (risky drivers, worried drivers and careful drivers) that differed on self-reported accident involvement, attitudes toward traffic safety and risk perception, as well as on driving violations, errors, and lapses. The inclusion of internal and external driving locus of control, variables not previously considered in similar cluster studies, provided a relevant contribution to the final cluster solution. Further, the use of the Driving Behavior Questionnaire permitted the differentiation between deliberate deviations from safe driving practices and mistakes due to misjudgments or lapses in attention. This distinction was critical for understanding the behavior of each of the three identified subgroups of drivers, and for planning interventions to promote safe driving.

The Criminal Justice System and Health Care

As the editors of The Criminal Justice System and Health Care point out (p. 4), the intersection between criminal law and medicine has been somewhat neglected in the academic literature (p. 33). The theme is an important one, and this volume covers some interesting ground. Three main areas are examined: the criminalisation of medical misadventure; medical behaviour which potentially shortens life; and disease transmission. The first four chapters on the criminalisation of medical misadventure link together well, giving the reader a well-rounded picture of the debate over the use of gross negligence manslaughter against individual health care professionals, and the question whether a subjective recklessness standard should be preferred (Brazier and Allen, Quick) and the possible alternatives to an individual-focused approach (Quick, Allen). The use of language deserves a preliminary mention. Quick notes that ‘language usage may be an important factor in shaping responses’ to medical misadventure (p. 33). For example, Merry uses ‘accidental’ rather than ‘negligent’ when describing cases of iatrogenic harm (p. 83). A distinction has been drawn in the literature between errors and violations, as described by Merry and McCall Smith: Errors are characteristically never deliberate. Violations … must be defined in the context of accepted rules, norms or principles, and constitute a deliberate deviation from them. They are not inevitably reprehensible, and indeed may be motivated by the best of intentions, yet they do involve choice – there is in a violation a clear volitional component. Violations are therefore always avoidable, although factors within the system or organisation may at times make it very difficult in practice to avoid them. Errors, by contrast, are unintentional and cannot be avoided simply through the exercise of choice.1

Der lange Schatten der Vergangenheit: Erinnerungskultur und Geschichtspolitik by Aleida Assmann

MLR, 103.2, 2oo8 6oi level ofmediation in the reconstruction of the past (Anabel Aliaga-Buchenau, Katja Garloff, Ben Hutchinson). None of them, however, deals explicitly with aspects of intermediality. The final section on questions of history and trauma is the strongest of the book. Karin Bauer examines Sebald's adaptation ofBenjamin's and Nietzsche's concepts of history and his rejection of anyMessianic or utopian potential they might contain, ar guing thatconcepts such as the 'good European' or thefianeur fail towork in relation toAusterlitz. JanCeuppens offers an insightful examination of the ethical dimen sion of the respectful distance thenarratormaintains fromhis characters and objects, which leaves him constantly negotiating between a factualwritten discourse which adheres to a 'Bilderverbot' and a visualizing of individual fates.David Darby's ex cellent essay contrasts Fontane's, Benjamin's, and Sebald's projects of (re)integrating memories by inscribing them in the spatial order of landscapes bywalking, a project which is seen to fail in the disintegrating landscape of Sebald's Die Ringe des Saturn. Peter Fritzsche and Mark Ilsemann explore very convincingly the unresolved ten sions in Sebald's writing between nature and history, the generic and theparticular, melancholy and trauma, between continuous human catastrophes and theHolocaust as the finalchapter of history. Susanne Vees-Gulani and Christina Szentivanyi both address the central quest inSebald's text togain access to an event one has not lived through, but whose repercussions have nevertheless shaped one's life,by applying concepts of postmemory and trauma. A few contributions echo the reverential tone of the foreword,others pay only fleetingattention toSebald. Mark McCulloh's intro duction makes a valuable point indrawing attention to the twofoldnature of Sebald's ceuvre in its 'tandem existence' in theEnglish and German languages. Since Sebald is by now ubiquitous not only inGerman Departments but also inEnglish orHolocaust Studies, contexts inwhich theEnglish translations are often not treated as such, it seems appropriate to remind scholars of thedifferences between theoriginal German texts and theirEnglish translations as well as of some deliberate deviations made in these transitions from one to the other. The transcript of an interviewwith Sebald conducted byMichael Zeeman is an interestingbonus; an indexwould have been an evenmore useful addition to an otherwise very illuminating collection of essays. BIRKBECK, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SILKE ARNOLD-DE SIMINE Der lange Schatten der Vergangenheit: Erinnerungskultur und Geschichtspolitik. By ALEIDA ASSMANN. Munich: Beck. 2oo6. 520 pp. ?19.90. ISBN 978-3-406 54962-5. The request that a line should be drawn under Germany's critical engagement with itsNational Socialist past is as old asGermany's post-war memory politics. In recent years, theSchlussstrichdebatte has been accompanied by a public discourse onGerman wartime suffering which pitches private war memories against thepolitically correct discourse of contrition. The contemporary triumph of the private over the political indicates a reconfiguration ofGerman collective and cultural memory that requires detailed critical attention. This isprecisely theproject ofAleidaAssmann's latest study, which offersa careful analysis of the multiple transformations ofGerman cultural memory and its memory politics since the early I990s. Setting cultural memory in dialogue with the ques tion of a specifically German politics of remembrance, the study is divided into two parts. Part i elaborates Assmann's earlier work by differentiating theHalbwachsian notion of collective memory in fourways: she now distinguishes between individual memory, thememory of the social group, thememory of thepolitical collective (na tionalmemory), and, finally,cultural memory. For example, individual memory is 602 Reviews a dynamic medium of processing our experiences on the basis of 'ich' and 'mich' memories (pp. 1I9-24); it isnevertheless contingent on the social memory of families and generations. Assmann argues that thenotion of collective memory has taken the place of thecritique of ideologies andmyths thatdominated humanities debates in the I960s and I970S. The new focus on collective memory reflects the basic insight that human beings are socially constituted and thus dependent on images and collective symbols as carriers of identity. In thisway, Assmann brackets off thenotion of 'false consciousness' in favour of the critical analysis of all the symbols and images that define our changing cultural horizons. Assmann details her theoretical road-map further through the analysis of a range of topoi thathave dominated memory debates...

Pension fund investments and the valuation of liabilities under conditional indexation

This paper reviews the investment policy of collective pension plans. We focus on funds with a collective Defined Contribution character. We suggest two reasons to invest in equities: the lack of a well-developed market in index-linked bonds, and deliberate deviations from the Defined Benefit nature of the plan. Furthermore, this paper assesses the value of limited or conditional indexation options found in many plans.

Atomic-scale imaging of nanoengineered oxygen vacancy profiles in SrTiO3.

At the heart of modern oxide chemistry lies the recognition that beneficial (as well as deleterious) materials properties can be obtained by deliberate deviations of oxygen atom occupancy from the ideal stoichiometry. Conversely, the capability to control and confine oxygen vacancies will be important to realize the full potential of perovskite ferroelectric materials, varistors and field-effect devices. In transition metal oxides, oxygen vacancies are generally electron donors, and in strontium titanate (SrTiO3) thin films, oxygen vacancies (unlike impurity dopants) are particularly important because they tend to retain high carrier mobilities, even at high carrier densities. Here we report the successful fabrication, using a pulsed laser deposition technique, of SrTiO3 superlattice films with oxygen doping profiles that exhibit subnanometre abruptness. We profile the vacancy concentrations on an atomic scale using annular-dark-field electron microscopy and core-level spectroscopy, and demonstrate absolute detection sensitivities of one to four oxygen vacancies. Our findings open a pathway to the microscopic study of individual vacancies and their clustering, not only in oxides, but in crystalline materials more generally.

Contributors to Human Errors and Breaches in National Security Applications

Los Alamos National Laboratory has recognized that security infractions are often the consequence of various types of human errors (e.g., mistakes, lapses, slips) and/or breaches (i.e., deliberate deviations from policies or required procedures with no intention to bring about an adverse security consequence) and therefore has established an error reduction program based in part on the techniques used to mitigate hazard and accident potentials. One cornerstone of this program, definition of the situational and personal factors that increase the likelihood of employee errors and breaches, is detailed here. This information can be used retrospectively (as in accident investigations) to support and guide inquiries into security incidents or prospectively (as in hazard assessments) to guide efforts to reduce the likelihood of error/incident occurrence. Both approaches provide the foundation for targeted interventions to reduce the influence of these factors and for the formation of subsequent “lessons learned.” Overall security is enhanced not only by reducing the inadvertent releases of classified information but also by reducing the security and safeguards resources devoted to them, thereby allowing these resources to be concentrated on acts of malevolence.

Cell line provenance.

Cultured cell lines have become an extremely valuable resource, both in academic research and in industrial biotechnology. However, their value is frequently compromised by misidentification and undetected microbial contamination. As detailed elsewhere in this volume, the technology, both simple and sophisticated, is available to remedy the problems of misidentification and contamination, given the will to apply it. Combined with proper records of the origin and history of the cell line, assays for authentication and contamination contribute to the provenance of the cell line. Detailed records should start from the initiation or receipt of the cell line, and should incorporate data on the donor as well as the tissue from which the cell line was derived, should continue with details of maintenance, and include any accidental as well as deliberate deviations from normal maintenance. Records should also contain details of authentication and regular checks for contamination. With this information, preferably stored in a database, and suitable backed up, the provenance of the cell line so created makes the cell line a much more valuable resource, fit for validation in industrial applications and more likely to provide reproducible experimental results when disseminated for research in other laboratories.

Not working to rule: Understanding procedural violations at work

This paper begins by presenting a brief synopsis of the literature regarding the relationship between rule violations and accidents. The paper goes on to report a study of UK railway shunters' motives for rule violations. Violations are defined as behaviours that involve deliberate deviations from the written rules. Preliminary investigation elicited the motives to be included in the main questionnaire survey which required 36 shunters to rate the importance of various motives for violating. Generally, violations were perceived to be the result of a well-intentioned desire to get the job done. Together with previous analysis of shunting accidents, observations of, and discussions with shunters in the workplace, the results of this study were used to develop a classification of violations which includes situational, exceptional and routine violations. Erroneous behaviours that also involved deviations from rules were recorded as a separate category, namely unintentional violations. The results of the study, together with the findings of other research in this area, are used to describe a model for the investigation of violating behaviour in an organizational setting. This model depicts the factors that promote violations at work and, as such, may aid managers and health and safety practitioners to develop appropriate preventative measures.

EQUILIBRIA IN NON‐COOPERATIVE GAMES II: DEVIATIONS BASED REFINEMENTS OF NASH EQUILIBRIUM

ABSTRACTIn any Nash equilibrium no player will unilaterally deviate. However, many games have multiple Nash equilibria. In this paper, we survey some refinements of Nash equilibria based on the hypothesis that any player may consider a deliberate deviation from a Nash equilibrium vector while expecting other players to respond optimally to this deviation. The concepts studied here differ in the expectations players have about other players' responses to a deviation. This sort of deviations philosophy is predicated on the thought process of players. Therefore, the validity of a particular equilibrium concept to an economic model may depend upon the relevance of the thought process implied by the concept.

Corporate Risk Manager's Contribution to Profit: Comment

A recent paper by Marshall W. Reavis I treats a subject of considerable interest to practicing risk managers, many insurance professors, and some insurance agents. Few would argue that the area of risk management is not worthy of further study. Mr. Reavis' paper, however, adds little, if any to the current body of knowledge. It is questionable, therefore, whether it should have been published for this particular body of readers. The essence and most of the specific aspects of the article have appeared in previous issues of this Journal, several text books and compilation of readings, and journals in related fields.2 This leads to the rather obvious impression that Mr. Reavis did not undertake a careful survey of the literature prior to writing his paper. Further evidence of this is found in his omission and apparent confusion on some generally accepted points which are discussed subsequently. Authors should document a deliberate deviation from commonly accepted thought or the reliance on

A study of the explicit distribution of radiation in interstitial implanations. I. A method of calculation with an automatic digital computer.

HomeRadiologyVol. 78, No. 6 PreviousNext ArticlesA Study of the Explicit Distribution of Radiation in Interstitial ImplantationsI. A Method of Calculation with an Automatic Digital Computer1Marilyn Stovall, Robert J. ShalekMarilyn Stovall, Robert J. ShalekMarilyn StovallRobert J. ShalekPublished Online:Jun 1 1962https://doi.org/10.1148/78.6.950MoreSectionsPDF ToolsImage ViewerAdd to favoritesCiteTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked In AbstractIn interstitial radiation therapy, the calculation of the explicit dose distribution throughout an implant is so laborious that it is rarely done by manual methods except for model cases.Systems have been developed which permit the calculation of a single dose rate that is taken as representative of a radium implant. The two methods in common use are the Quimby system (1) and the Paterson-Parker system (2). Both require that the needles be implanted to form standard geometrical patterns with the radium distributed according to the “;rules”; of the system. Ideal geometry, however, is seldom possible in practice; indeed, in some cases there is a deliberate deviation from rigid geometry in order to fit the anatomy or the disease. In any case, only one dose rate is given for an arrangement of needles about which there is a complex radiation distribution. As a result, the radiotherapist often must make decisions based on inadequate knowledge of the dose delivered from an interstitial implant.The advent of the automatic electronic computer has made possible a new approach to the dosimetry of interstitial needle implants. With a large digital computer it is feasible to calculate the dose to thousands of points and to plot automatically the isodose patterns in planes through the implant for individual patients (3). The method to be described here requires a small amount of human effort and a modest amount of machine time on an IBM 709 computer. In this paper the method of calculation will be discussed. The application of the method to more than 100 cases and the resulting analysis have been presented in an earlier issue of this journal (4). A subsequent paper will reexamine the interstitial dosimetry systems, the meaning of the dose thus derived, and deviations resulting from imperfect implant geometry.METHODThe logic of the machine calculation is much the same as would be utilized for a manual calculation. The dose contributed by each needle to the grid of points in chosen planes is summed at each point and points of equal dose are allowed to define isodose curves.Implants which can be calculated by the computer method are those composed of an array of approximately parallel needles, with or without perpendicular crossing needles. Cross-sectional views of the implant are obtained by one of several methods: transverse tomography (5), perpendicular-section technic (6), or three-dimensional reconstruction (7). The use of the latter two methods has been explained (8). These cross-sectional cuts are the planes of calculation and should be perpendicular to the average direction of the vertical needles.Input data on punched cards specify locations and types of needles in the implant. In a given plane of calculation the points locating the vertical needles are placed on a coordinate system, the position of each needle determined by an x and y. If there are crossing needles, projections of the ends are located in the plane of calculation.The IBM 709 computer utilizes approximately 29,000 storage locations and six tape units for this calculation. To make the problem amenable to calculation, the needle is divided equally into four parts by five planes, as shown in Figure 1. In preliminary calculations for each plane, two-dimensional tables of the dose rates for each type of radium needle in stock were calculated to points on a 1.0 mm. grid by a numerical evaluation of the Sievert integral (9), thus making full allowance for oblique filtration of the gamma rays in the case of the needle. The tables developed in this manner are stored on magnetic tape and made available for transfer to the core memory of the computer as needed.Article HistoryPublished in print: June 1962 FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited ByMedical Physics, Vol. 43, No. 7Medical Physics, Vol. 35, No. 10Acta Radiologica: Oncology, Vol. 19, No. 1Acta Radiologica: Therapy, Physics, Biology, Vol. 13, No. 1Computer Programs in Biomedicine, Vol. 2, No. 3The computation of dosage in interstitial and intracavitary radiation therapyJournal of Chronic Diseases, Vol. 19, No. 4Journal of Chronic Diseases, Vol. 19, No. 4The British Journal of Radiology, Vol. 39, No. 458Acta Radiologica: Therapy, Physics, Biology, Vol. 4, No. 4Physics in Medicine and Biology, Vol. 9, No. 4Biomedizinische Technik/Biomedical Engineering, Vol. 9, No. 1-4Acta Radiologica: Therapy, Physics, Biology, Vol. 1, No. 4Recommended Articles RSNA Education Exhibits RSNA Case Collection Vol. 78, No. 6 Metrics Altmetric Score PDF download

A study of the explicit distribution of radiation in interstitial implantations. II. Correlation with clinical results in squamous-cell carcinomas of the anterior two-thirds of tongue and floor of mouth.

excerpt In interstitial radiation therapy, the calculation of the explicit dose distribution throughout an implant is so laborious that it is rarely done by manual methods except for model cases. Systems have been developed which permit the calculation of a single dose rate that is taken as representative of a radium implant. The two methods in common use are the Quimby system (1) and the Paterson-Parker system (2). Both require that the needles be implanted to form standard geometrical patterns with the radium distributed according to the “;rules”; of the system. Ideal geometry, however, is seldom possible in practice; indeed, in some cases there is a deliberate deviation from rigid geometry in order to fit the anatomy or the disease. In any case, only one dose rate is given for an arrangement of needles about which there is a complex radiation distribution. As a result, the radiotherapist often must make decisions based on inadequate knowledge of the dose delivered from an interstitial implant. The adve...