Differences In Violations Research Articles

Lung SBRT credentialing in the Canadian OCOG-LUSTRE randomized trial

PurposeTo report on the Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) credentialing experience during the Phase III Ontario Clinical Oncology Group (OCOG) LUSTRE trial for stage I non-small cell lung cancer. MethodsThree credentialing requirements were required in this process: (a) An institutional technical survey; (b) IROC (Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core) thoracic phantom end-to-end test; and (c) Contouring and completion of standardized test cases using SBRT for one central and one peripheral lung cancer, compared against the host institution as the standard. The main hypotheses were that unacceptable variation would exist particularly in OAR definition across all centres, and that institutions with limited experience in SBRT would be more likely to violate per-protocol guidelines. ResultsFifteen Canadian centres participated of which 8 were new, and 7 were previously established (≥2 years SBRT experience), and all successfully completed surveys and IROC phantom testing. Of 30 SBRT test plans, 10 required replanning due to major deviations, with no differences in violations between new and established centres (p = 0.61). Mean contouring errors were highest for brachial plexus in the central (C) case (12.55 ± 6.62 mm), and vessels in the peripheral (P) case (13.01 ± 12.55 mm), with the proximal bronchial tree (PBT) (2.82 ± 0.78 C, 3.27 ± 1.06 P) as another variable structure. Mean dice coefficients were lowest for plexus (0.37 ± 0.2 C, 0.37 ± 0.14 P), PBT (0.77 ± 0.06 C, 0.75 ± 0.09 P), vessels (0.69 ± 0.29 C, 0.64 ± 0.31 P), and esophagus (0.74 ± 0.04 C, 0.76 ± 0.04 P). All plans passed per-protocol planning target volume (PTV) coverage and maximum/volumetric organs-at-risk constraints, although variations existed in dose gradients within and outside the target. ConclusionsClear differences exist in both contouring and planning with lung SBRT, regardless of centre experience. Such an exercise is important for studies that rely on high precision radiotherapy, and to ensure that implications on trial quality and outcomes are as optimal as possible.

A cross-cultural view of destructive leadership and followers’ task performance

Despite continued scholarly and practitioner interest in destructive leadership, we have an incomplete understanding of why, how, and the extent to which destructive leaders affect their followers’ task performance differently across the various societal contexts in which this relationship is embedded. We remedy this problem by drawing from 69 independent samples of empirical data (k = 69, N = 19,692) to generate a meta-analytic data set that enables us to build and test implicit leadership theory predictions about why GLOBE’s cultural value dimensions moderate the relationship between destructive leadership and followers’ task performance across countries. We extend implicit leadership theory to explain why salient violations of followers’ expectations for leadership behaviors exacerbate or attenuate the relationship between destructive leadership and followers’ task performance. The results demonstrate that GLOBE’s cultural value dimensions meaningfully predict the relationship between destructive leadership and followers’ task performance, especially uncertainty avoidance, power distance, gender egalitarianism, human orientation, and performance orientation cultural value dimensions. Our examination of cross-national differences in violations of implicit leadership theory expectations generates theoretical, empirical, and practical contributions for research and practice.

The Impact of Ambiguity-induced Error in Offender Decision-making: Evidence from the Field

Objectives: To invoke behavioral economics theories of ambiguity in the context of offender decision-making, and to test the impact of ambiguity in punishment certainty on offender decisions. Methods: We leverage a quasi-experimental condition among a sample of drunk driving arrestees that are tested for alcohol use and subject to mandatory brief incarceration for a violation. The treatment condition relaxes a zero-tolerance alcohol rule, thereby introducing design-based ambiguity surrounding the certainty of punishment. We use Mahalanobis matching and propensity score weighting methods to estimate the impact of ambiguity on violations. We then interrogate this finding with complementary sensitivity analyses. Results: When facing the ambiguity condition participants are 27–28 percentage points (84–93 percent) more likely to violate program conditions after 30 days of supervision. We demonstrate that a statistical difference in violations due to ambiguity is still detectible at 90 and 180 days of supervision. These results are robust to alternative specifications and falsification tests. Conclusions: This study is the first to examine the impact of ambiguity on criminal justice program compliance using a quasi-experiment from the field. We further demonstrate the unintended costs to persons under supervision and jurisdictions of laxity in program design, which are applicable across criminal justice domains.

Gender and Community Supervision: Examining Differences in Violations, Sanctions, and Recidivism Outcomes

While correctional scholarship emphasizes the importance of addressing dynamic risk factors in changing behavior, a debate continues on the role of gendered effects relating to such factors and supervision strategies. This study advances the debate and approach to violators by examining factors that reduce recidivism among technical violators. Using a large purposive sample of people on supervision, this study assesses differences between men and women in violating behavior, the sanctions used, and subsequent responses. To isolate effects of gender, we employ propensity score modeling coupled with a doubly robust design. Findings suggest that while some gendered differences exist, effect sizes are generally small and suggest responses to violators may be best focused on dynamic factors generally, rather than gender specific.

Violations of Grice’s conversational conventions as humour in Irish and American television comedies

Scripts of two popular television shows, the American show ‘The Simpsons’ and the Irish show ‘Father Ted,’ were assessed in the context of Grice’s (1975) conventions of conversational coherence. Episodes with similar subject matter were compared. Grice’s conventions are appropriate parameters for comparison given that much humour is based on conversational misunderstandings. Chi-squared tests revealed significant differences between the two shows in violations of the conventions of ‘Matter’ and ‘Relation’, but no differences in violations categorized as ‘Quality’ or ‘Other’. Specifically, the Irish show contained more violations of the convention of Quality than did the American show, whereas the opposite was true with regard to the convention of Manner. Implications of such analyses of contrived humour for the understanding of language comprehension are discussed.

Morfological and functional features of placentas in minor women

Relevance. An in-depth study of the state of feto-placental complex, the characteristics of its reactions in response to hypoxia on the background of juvenile immaturity of minors can help to identify the main directions of the prevention of certain complications of pregnancy and childbirth among minors in the first place — placental insufficiency, preeclampsia, fetal hypoxia. Purpose of the study was to explore features of the histological structure of placentas and expression of HIF-1α and VEGF-A markers in placentas in minors.Materials and methods. 74 placentas from minors were investigated by histological methods. The comparison group consisted of 25 placentas from healthy women the average reproductive age (20-30 years). The immunohistochemical study was performed in 35 placentas from minors who were divided into groups according to age and the presence or absence of chronic placental insufficiency. To study vascular status of villous tree of placentas were used the monoclonal antibodies of the vascular endothelial growth factor VEGF-A (Clone UG1; 1 : 50, Dako), to assess hypoxia in placenta were used the monoclonal antibodies of hypoxia — inducible factor HIF-1α (H1 alpha 67; 1 : 100, GRTP (Abcam).Results. It was revealed that the placenta in minors is characterized by hypertrophy (559,5 ± 10,5 g vs. 478,7 ± 12,9 g), it is pathologically immature (33,8% vs. 7,0%), there is significantly greater frequency of chronic placental insufficiency in minors (33,8% versus 4,0%) with significantly lower severity of compensatory-adaptive reactions (86,5% vs. 100%). It is shown increased expression of hypoxia — inducible factor (HIF-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) in placentas of minor women with chronic placental insufficiency, compared with placentas of minor women without chronic placental insufficiency.Conclusion. Chronic placental insufficiency at the time of birth, detectable more frequently in minor patients can make a difference in violation of adaptive mechanisms and quality of life of children in the postnatal period. Increased expression of HIF-1α and VEGF-A in the placentas of minor women with chronic placental insufficiency reflects activation of angiogenesis in response to intrauterine fetal hypoxia in chronic placental insufficiency.

Women’s Wage Theft

In this study, the authors identify and analyze a distinct and understudied source of gender inequality: gender differences in violations of wage-related workplace laws. The authors find that women have significantly higher rates of minimum wage and overtime violations than men and also lose more of their earnings to wage theft than men. In the case of minimum wage violations, the authors also find that nativity and immigration status strongly mediate this gender difference. Multivariate analysis suggests that demand-side characteristics—occupation and measures of nonstandard work and informality—account for more of the gender difference in minimum wage violations than do worker characteristics.

Comparison Between Gearshift And Drill Techniques For Pedicle Screw Placement By Resident Surgeons.

Various techniques have been described for pedicle screw placement with established clinical and radiological success. Suboptimal screw trajectories can compromise bony purchase and, worse yet, cause neurological and vascular injuries. Thus, it is of paramount importance to achieve maximum accuracy of screw placement. Our objective is to evaluate the accuracy of pedicle screw placement in the thoracolumbar spine by resident surgeons. Two popular techniques, gearshift versus drill, were compared. This is a a cadaveric surgical technique comparison study. Six resident surgeons instrumented the spine from T1 to S1 using both gearshift and drill techniques. Each pedicle was randomly assigned to either of the techniques. Pedicle screws were placed freehand without radiographic guidance. Violations (medial, lateral, anterior, superior and inferior) were recorded by studying the computerized tomographic scans of instrumented cadavers by blinded observers. Critical perforations were defined as greater than 2mm breach of the pedicle wall. A total of 100 vertebrae (200 pedicles) were instrumented in the six cadavers. 103 pedicles were breached (51.5% of total pedicles). Lateral violations were the most encountered (65% of violations, 67 total, 48 critical, 19 noncritical) followed by medial (24%, 25 total, 13 critical, 12 noncritical), and the rest were anterior (3%), superior (4%) and inferior (4%). There was no overall difference in violations comparing the gearshift technique (49.5%, 51 total, 37 critical, 14 noncritical) with drill technique (50.5%, 52 total, 33 critical, 19 noncritical). Analyzing the breaches at individual vertebra indicated most violations at T6 (11), T5 (10), followed by T3 (9) and T4 (9), decreasing towards the lumbosacral vertebrae. The results of this study suggest that the gearshift and drill techniques for placement of pedicle screws in the thoracolumbar spine fare similarly with regards to risk of breach when applied by resident surgeons.

Unionism and Employer Discrimination: Analysis of 8(a)(3) Violations

Summary and ConclusionsThe choice model of firm violations of section 8(a)(3) of the NLRA specified here was tested for the period 1972–1979 using a sample of firms from the New York and American Stock Exchange. The results show that previous violations of this section of the Act, relative per cent of union organization, and changes in firm employment are statistically significant determinants of the marginal benefits of violations. These findings generally support union officials' claims that the penalties in the Act are not strong deterrents to management violations and may be considered a relatively low cost of doing business. However, assertions by union officials that product market factors are important in firm decisions to violate the Act are not supported. In addition, the results do not support NLRB officials' belief that firms that commit violations are not likely to commit them again.The fact that there are no significant differences in violations by firms in our sample as a result of product market variables or industry implies that ethical considerations may be a factor in choosing to violate the Act. Since current penalties are low, and past violations are significant in determining current violators, an increase in penalties may reduce violations by those who do not consider the ethical implications of the Act. If the intent of the current NLRA is to reduce the coercion of employees by employers, an amendment to increase the economic costs to employers seems indicated.