Frequent Violations Research Articles

Factors causing aberrant driving behaviors: A model of problem drivers in China

ABSTRACTThe motive of this study was to investigate the aberrant driving behaviors of “problem drivers” who had more violations and accidents, measure the characteristics of them, and explore the factors that make them problem drivers. A questionnaire that measures driving behaviors, driving attitudes, driving skills, and personality characteristics was implemented via the Internet, to problem drivers (frequent violations or more accidents) and safe drivers (fewer violations or accidents). A logistic regression model was employed to explore what kinds of drivers had more traffic violations or accidents. Results showed that age and frequency of driving were significantly correlated with their violations and accidents. Problem drivers have poor driving skills and tend to drive faster, which leading to more violations. Attitudes toward bicycle riding also had a significant effect on Chinese drivers' driving behaviors. However, the two groups did not show significant differences on personality characteristics. The results suggested that attitude and driving skill were significant factors that influence penalty points and accidents of drivers in China. This research can provide guidance in driving behavior modification and traffic safety education. Behaviors of drivers in China may become safer if their skills can be improved and their attitudes toward traffic safety are changed.

AVERAGE SPEED ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM EFFICIENCY ASSESSMENT MODEL

Accidents are one of the leading cause of death all over the world. Speed has been identified as a factor in road accidents, influencing both the risk of accidents and the severity of the accidents. However, speeding is one of the most frequent violations of traffic rules by the road users. Many results of studies showed that the implementation of speed cameras significantly reduced the vehicle speed and the number of accidents near camera sites. One issue regarding speed enforcement by a speed camera is that a reduction in speed is obtained only on a short section of a road. The results of scientific research analysis suggest that this issue can be overcome by the employment of average speed enforcement system (hereafter system), which is a relatively new approach to traffic law enforcement. Until now, Lithuania had no methodology for selecting road sections to be installed with the system. The purpose of this paper is to develop a model for the assessment of safety impact of the system and to perform economic estimation of a system of Lithuanian main road sections selected under this model. The analysis of international practice helped to develop this model, which joins accident indicators, road and traffic parameters. A cost-benefit analysis of the system, implemented on main road sections and selected by suggested model, shows a high level of payback. The implementation of the system would pay back in one year of service.

Reaching vulnerable populations: lessons from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Since its inception in 2002--in partnership with civil society, donors, governments, people affected by the target diseases and the private sector --the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has supported and championed country ownership of programmes that, together, have saved over 20 million lives. (1) While substantial progress has been made, attempts to achieve target 3.3 of the sustainable development goals--i.e. to end epidemics of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), malaria, neglected tropical diseases and tuberculosis by 2030--are being hampered because services are failing to reach vulnerable and excluded populations. This failure reflects the many deep-seated gender-related, human-rights-related, cultural, financial, political and social barriers that such populations face. Approaches that address the differences between diseases and between affected communities--while strengthening health systems--need to be developed, especially as countries become less reliant on donor funds. The Global Fund has a responsibility to use its resources to achieve the greatest possible impact while ensuring the rights of those it serves are respected and promoted. This paper discusses how, in order to achieve these goals, the Global Fund has changed its approaches since 2002 and developed a new strategy for 2017-2022. Defining vulnerability Decades of efforts to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis have shown that a business-as-usual approach leaves many of the most vulnerable people behind. The Global Fund has always emphasized the need to reach key and vulnerable populations but initially provided little guidance on how to define and identify them. Country-level efforts supported by the Global Fund between 2002 and 2012 were often directed towards general population groups and, perhaps, failed to focus adequately on those who were most vulnerable. (2) From 2013, the Global Fund began to develop context-based definitions that enabled countries to identify key and vulnerable populations for each targeted disease and for each epidemiological context (Box 1). Box 1. Definitions of key and vulnerable populations In 2016, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria3 defined key and vulnerable populations as follows: Key populations: Epidemiologlcally, the group faces increased risk, vulnerability and/or burden to at least one of the three diseases--due to biological, socioeconomic and structural factors. Access to relevant services is significantly lower for the group than for the rest of the population. Dedicated efforts and strategic investments are required to expand coverage, equity and accessibility. The group faces frequent human rights violations, systematic disenfranchisement, social and economic marginalization and/or criminalization, increasing vulnerability and risk and reducing access to services. Vulnerable populations: People whose situations or contexts make them especially vulnerable, or who experience inequality, prejudice, marginalization and limits on their social, economic, cultural and other rights. Encouraging investments Since 2013, the Global Fund has also updated its policies and procedures to enhance the effectiveness and scale of programmes targeted at vulnerable groups. The Global Fund considers community voices to be a critical component of grant design. While the Global Fund has always required countries to establish country coordinating mechanisms that included community representation, the associated guidelines were revised in 2013 to ensure that women and key populations had a voice. Since then, any country funding requests have had to be based on a broad nationwide dialogue that included all vulnerable groups. The participation of key and vulnerable populations was bolstered by the Global Fund's special initiative on community, human rights and gender. This provided communications outreach to community and civil society groups, dedicated technical support and long-term capacity building--with a particular focus on key and vulnerable populations. …

That note sounds wrong! Age-related effects in processing of musical expectation

Part of musical understanding and enjoyment stems from the ability to accurately predict what note (or one of a small set of notes) is likely to follow after hearing the first part of a melody. Selective violation of expectations can add to aesthetic response but radical or frequent violations are likely to be disliked or not comprehended. In this study we investigated whether a lifetime of exposure to music among untrained older adults would enhance their reaction to unexpected endings of unfamiliar melodies. Older and younger adults listened to melodies that had expected or unexpected ending notes, according to Western music theory. Ratings of goodness-of-fit were similar in the groups, as was ERP response to the note onset (N1). However, in later time windows (P200 and Late Positive Component), the amplitude of a response to unexpected and expected endings was both larger in older adults, corresponding to greater sensitivity, and more widespread in locus, consistent with a dedifferentiation pattern. Lateralization patterns also differed. We conclude that older adults refine their understanding of this important aspect of music throughout life, with the ability supported by changing patterns of neural activity.

POST-WAR EVERYDAY LIFE OF CHILDREN IN ORPHANAGES

The article discusses the features of the everyday life of children in orphanages in 1945-1953. The author reflects on the reasons for the increase in the number of orphans in the postwar period. Emphasizing the interest of state to this issue and proactive public involvement in the patronage. As based on the analysis of archive documents, the author notes the hardships of children’s life and housing. The author demonstrates the inspection reports and anomalies in orphanages, which makes it possible to draw conclusions about the understanding of «norm» and role model notions in children’s institutions. The problems connected with teachers are investigated and special, attention is paid to the education of pupils at children's homes. The author examines the level of education and the situation of success in various orphanages. Concerning the daily life in pupils of children's homes, the article shows peculiarities of children’s diet. Frequent violations and thefts in institutions are highlighted. Considering this issue, the author emphasizes the difficulties encountered in the lives of children due to the presence of diseases on that they suffered. The question of the medical condition of children of the post-war era is analyzed. The author also pays attention to the daily routine in the orphanage. The role of the pioneer organization in the life of a group of children.

FROM DIGITIZED SCIENCE TO DIGITIZED SOCIETY

Introduction. Along with other innovations, in recent years, scientometric methods for measurement of scientists’ and research teams’ results in the scientific sphere have been widely adopted. The Russian practice of application of those methods to determine the degree of academics’ performance isn't unambiguous and eventually can have negative, destructive consequences for domestic science. In this regard, this very burning issue is required for urgent thorough public discussion by scientific community. The aim of the article is a critical analysis of the topical problems of science reform in the light of the law “On the Russian Academy of Sciences, the reorganization of state academies of sciences and amendments to certain legislative acts of theRussian Federation” (№ 253-RF, 27 September, 2013). Also, the author notes the importance of methods for evaluating the effectiveness of scholarly endeavor. Results and scientific novelty. On the example of the system of digital indicators operating in the Russian Academy of Education, formed on the basis of the requirements of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation and Federal Agency of Scientific Organizations, it is shown that it is impossible to evaluate the scientific result objectively. It is clearly proved that the indicators used, primarily the number of publications and the citation index, in modern conditions give distorted landmarks, become a brake on science, reduce its ability to self-development. The image of scientists and whole institutions is formed on false indicators. Academic and many scientific journals have acquired a commercial nature; there is no real evaluative analysis of the manuscripts, which have been submitted into the editorial office; there is no selection according to relevance and significance of the submitted material. Real examples, provided in the article, demonstrate frequent violations of ethical principles when forming authorial collectives of publications of scholarly journals; as a consequence, artificial increase of citation indexes and x-index. In addition, the formalized digitized indicators become the basis for automatic, “fair”, according to officials, distribution of resources and material rewards for scientific research. It is highlighted that digitization of science and quantitative indicators based on grant financing can not replace basic funding of science. Grants become a task not for research, but for the result formulated by the official, on loyalty to the state management. The policy of nationalization and administration of science has led to a prolonged confrontation between the academies and the authorities. In the long term, it is possible to transfer the digitized principles of science management to the management of society as a whole. Practical significance. The author puts forward a number of recommendations and suggestions how to objectify the evaluation system of scientific research effectiveness. That would, however, require substantial restructuring of the scientific sphere itself, its denationalization and return to the principle “science should be managed by scientists”. Thus, science funding must not be focused on the basis of digitized indicators. It is necessary to withdraw the status “Higher Attestation Commission of the RF” (VAK RF) from all commercial journals, to remove state academies from their founders.

Fine and Coarse Aerosol at Rio de Janeiro prior to the Olympic Games: Chemical Composition and Source Apportionment

During the period from June 2012 to June 2013, the concentrations and chemical composition of PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 (particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less and between 2.5 and 10 μm, respectively) were monitored at four sampling points in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area, and two of the points were in close proximity to the 2016 Olympic Games facilities with a total of 122 samples at each sampling point. At all four sampling stations, the annual mean value of PM10 was above the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guideline, although frequent violations of the 24 h guideline were observed at only two of the points, Duque de Caxias and Taquara. On the other hand, PM2.5 concentrations at the four sampling points met both the annual and 24 h WHO PM2.5 air quality guidelines. The vehicular contribution to PM2.5 ranged from 48 to 70%, with a mean value of 59 ± 9%. Considering that the Brazilian market already has fuel quality that is comparable to international standards (gasoline S50 and diesel S10), further air quality improvements are expected with investments in a public transport network, urban mobility programs and fleet renewal, which are considered a legacy of the 2016 Olympic Games.

El presente y el futuro del Derecho Natural: una conversación con Robert P. George

This article presents an unpublished interview with Professor Robert P. George (Princeton University, USA) with the aim of reaching out to scholars from non-Anglo-Saxon countries in order to offer a comprehensive view of the main issues currently being debated by legal and political scholars from a non-continental viewpoint. The text shows how a significant number of Anglo-Saxon scholars have recovered the discredited notion of natural law, through the so-called “New School of Natural Law”. With this new approach to natural law, George presents a clear defense of rights and institutions currently confronted by the tyranny of “the politically correct”. One powerful aspect of this new School includes the elaboration of arguments and counter-arguments to one’s own position. In this way, George invites his participant –whether in the classroom or through his dialectical works– to think for him or herself without fear of questioning even one’s deepest ideas and convictions. As a consequence of this thought process, one is able to receive new lights and, thus, rectify and reach a more complete truth. If, on the contrary, one has unsupported explanations or reasonings with logical fallacies, the method will strengthen one’s personal ideas, which must always be presented with the openness of those who do not consider themselves infallible. The main topic of this article is a detailed analysis of the natural law, as understood by the “New School of Natural Law”, in which George is inscribed as one of its main protagonists. It also presents the criticisms of which this New School is frequently the object. It should be therefore an enlightening text for jurists and philosophers interested in knowing first¬hand the principles of this School, still not widespread in the continental tradition. Another aspect of interest is the exposition of the methodology that, according to George, should guide Constitutional Interpretation. For jurists not fully internalized in the tradition of Anglo-Saxon Common Law, his explanation of how judges should proceed when resolving different cases is insightful. The judges must be limited, says George, to the role that the Constitution has assigned to them: to apply the law as is. Thus, Given the frequent tendency for judges to indirectly become legislators, he warns that this mode of proceeding presupposes frequent violations of the Constitution that they have sworn to defend. Another topic extensively argued is the role of religion in public life. Although George prefers to make use of rational arguments in his defense of values (among them the protection of human life in all its instances, marriage as the union of a man and a woman open to life, or the defense of freedom, etc.), he makes it clear that religion has the right to participate in public life by contributing its knowledge and values in favor of the socio-political common good as many important figures have done in the history of United States. Hence, George does not advocate neutrality in the public sphere, nor does he support the opposite extreme: a “sacred public square”. He supports a society that is not only “civil” but also “civilized”, that is to say, a society in which every citizen can manifest his words and/or his ideas and beliefs in an ambiance of mutual respect. Such a society believes that every citizen not only has the right to think, to believe and to live according to his views, but also is able to give reasons for them, whether from a secular or religious perspective.

Observing entrainment mixing, photochemical ozone production, and regional methane emissions by aircraft using a simple mixed-layer framework

Abstract. In situ flight data from two distinct campaigns during winter and summer seasons in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) of California are used to calculate boundary-layer entrainment rates, ozone photochemical production rates, and regional methane emissions. Flights near Fresno, California, in January and February 2013 were conducted in concert with the NASA DISCOVER-AQ project. The second campaign (ArvinO3), consisting of 11 days of flights spanning June through September 2013 and 2014, focused on the southern end of the SJV between Bakersfield and the small town of Arvin, California – a region notorious for frequent violations of ozone air quality standards. Entrainment velocities, the parameterized rates at which free tropospheric air is incorporated into the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), are estimated from a detailed budget of the inversion base height. During the winter campaign near Fresno, we find an average midday entrainment velocity of 1.5 cm s−1, and a maximum of 2.4 cm s−1. The entrainment velocities derived during the summer months near Bakersfield averaged 3 cm s−1 (ranging from 0.9 to 6.5 cm s−1), consistent with stronger surface heating in the summer months. Using published data on boundary-layer heights we find that entrainment rates across the Central Valley of California have a bimodal annual distribution peaking in spring and fall when the lower tropospheric stability (LTS) is changing most rapidly.Applying the entrainment velocities to a simple mixed-layer model of three other scalars (O3, CH4, and H2O), we solve for ozone photochemical production rates and find wintertime ozone production (2.8 ± 0.7 ppb h−1) to be about one-third as large as in the summer months (8.2 ± 3.1 ppb h−1). Moreover, the summertime ozone production rates observed above Bakersfield–Arvin exhibit an inverse relationship to a proxy for the volatile organic compound (VOC) : NOx ratio (aircraft [CH4] divided by surface [NO2]), consistent with a NOx-limited photochemical environment. A similar budget closure approach is used to derive the regional emissions of methane, yielding 100 (±100) Gg yr−1 for the winter near Fresno and 170 (±125) Gg yr−1 in the summer around Bakersfield. These estimates are 3.6 and 2.4 times larger, respectively, than current state inventories suggest. Finally, by performing a boundary-layer budget for water vapor, surface evapotranspiration rates appear to be consistently ∼ 55 % of the reference values reported by the California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) for nearby weather stations.

The role of measurement uncertainty in the conformity assessment of the chemical composition of feeds

Official feed inspection has been directly related to the dispersion of the measures achieved by control laboratories, which can be due to several analytical techniques, calculation models and estimation approaches. The present study aims to demonstrate the importance of calculating the measurement uncertainty (MU) in the analysis of the chemical composition of several feedingstuffs, in order to avoid making wrong decisions due to incomplete measures. Samples of feedingstuffs (n=690), collected from 321 establishments, were analyzed. Complete measurements were compared to the labeling information declared by the processor. Animal feeds and mineral mixtures were the most frequent non-compliant samples and, among them, crude protein (n=94), calcium (n=50) and phosphorus (n=40) were the most frequent violations. Method performance was assessed in terms of in-house precision and recovery and by international proficiency testing. MU was calculated by using a bottom-up approach, combined with random effects inherited from the performance evaluation. A top-down approach based on the interlaboratory deviation was also carried out. The MU values calculated by the combined bottom-up approach were mostly lower than those calculated by interlaboratory experimental data. This latter approach overestimated the MU in most results, becoming inadequate. Titrimetric and spectrometric methods presented the higher and the lower MU among all techniques, respectively. A detailed study of the MU plays a key role in the conformity assessment of feedingstuffs, because the use of complete measures avoided 314 wrong decisions taking and prevented the disposal of approximately 1,000,007tons of animal feed.

Association Between Resident Perceptions of Patient Safety and Duty Hour Violations

Residents are often required to balance whether to adhere to duty hour policies or violate them to care for patients and obtain educational experiences. Little is known about why residents violate duty hour policies and whether there is a relationship between how often residents violate duty hours and concerns about patient safety. Our objective was to assess the association between resident duty hour violations and resident concerns about patient safety. We analyzed survey data collected from surgery residents who completed the 2015 American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination, excluding those in the Flexible Policy arm of the Flexibility in Duty Hour Requirements for Surgical Trainees (FIRST) trial. Perceptions of how duty hour restrictions affect patient safety were dichotomized as either "positive/neutral" or "negative." Resident duty hour violations in a typical month were separated as "frequently" (≥3 times) or "infrequently" (<3 times). Rates were compared and regression models were used to examine the association between negative perceptions and duty hour violations, adjusting for resident and program-level covariates. Overall, 25.3% of trainees under current policies perceived that current ACGME duty hour policies negatively affected patient safety. This negative perception increased with PGY level (PGY1: 18.5%, PGY2 to 3: 22.6%, PGY4 to 5: 32.0%; p < 0.001). Residents with negative perceptions more often reported frequent duty violations (positive/neutral: 20.0% vs negative: 32.7%; p < 0.001). After adjustment for covariates, a negative perception of how duty hour policies affect patient safety was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of frequent duty hour violations among all trainees grouped together (odds ratio [OR]=1.89; 95% CI, 1.60-2.22), and separately for interns (OR= 2.59; 95% CI, 1.70-3.93), junior (OR=1.62; 95% CI 1.22-2.16), and senior residents (OR= 1.99; 95% CI, 1.54-2.58). Trainees who reported perceiving negative effects of duty hour policies on patient safety were more likely to report frequent duty hour violations.

Investigating the motivational factors influencing drivers intentions to unsafe driving behaviours: Speeding and overtaking violations

Achieving road safety depends on driver attitudes and behaviours in handling the vehicle on roads. The availability of good road, improvement of vehicle designs and drivers experience lead to reduction in crashes but not prevention of crashes. The study aims to predict the drivers’ intentions towards speeding and overtaking violations when under the influence of motivational factors using belief measure of TPB and DBQ variables. To achieve this, questionnaires were randomly administered to a sample of Ghanaian drivers (N=354) who held valid driving licenses. This study applied regression techniques. The result shows that the components of TPB and DBQ variables were able to predict drivers’ intentions towards speeding and overtaking violations. The study further shows that components of TPB made larger contributions to the prediction of divers’ intentions to speeding and overtaking than the DBQ. Further analysis revealed that, in the prediction of drivers’ intentions, speeding attitude was the most frequent violations compared to overtaking. The drivers tend to involved in overtaking violations when they perceived the driving motivations would enhance the performance of the behaviour. Additionally, control belief has been the strongest predictor of drivers’ intentions under the influence of motivations to speeding and overtaking violations. It appeared that the drivers who intended to involve in speeding and overtaking violations had strong beliefs in the factors and are more likely to violate based on their beliefs. The practical implications of the findings for the development of interventions to promote road safety and positive changes are also discussed.

Risk drivers pose to themselves and other drivers by violating traffic rules

ABSTRACTObjective: Violation of traffic rules is a major contributing factor in both crashes and fatalities in the United States. This study aims at quantifying risk that drivers pose to themselves and other drivers by violating traffic rules.Method: Crash data from 2010 to 2013 were gathered for the state of North Carolina. Descriptive analysis was carried out to identify frequent traffic violations and who were committing the traffic violations that resulted in crashes. A multinomial logit model was then developed to examine the relation between different traffic violations and driver injury severity. Additionally, odds ratios were estimated to identify the likelihood (probability) of severe or moderate injury to the driver and other drivers due to a driver violating a traffic rule that led to a crash.Results: Exceeding the speed limit is more likely to result in severe injury compared to disregarding traffic signals. However, going the wrong way is more likely to result in severe injury to other drivers when compared to any other traffic violation. Driving under the influence of alcohol is 2 times more likely to result in severe injury than driving under the influence of drugs. These 2 traffic violations by a driver are almost equally likely to result in severe injury to other drivers.Conclusions: Drivers often perceive that violating traffic rules will not result in a crash or severe injury. However, the results from this study show that a majority of the traffic violations lead to severe injury to the violator as well as to other drivers. The findings from this study serve as documented evidence to educate drivers about the risk they pose to themselves and to other drivers by violating traffic rules and encourage the adaptation of safe driving behavior in order to contribute toward reaching the “zero traffic deaths” vision. They also help make policy changes pertaining to penalty points and fines for violating a traffic rule.

PP.01.08] EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF HYPERTENSION INTERNATIONAL PROTOCOL 2010 FOR THE VALIDATION OF BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORS

Objective: The reliability of blood pressure (BP) monitors is a prerequisite for the accurate evaluation of hypertension. Validation protocols have been developed to evaluate the accuracy of BP monitors, and the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol (ESH-IP) is the most widely used worldwide. A review of published validation studies using the revised ESH-IP 2010 (ESH-IP2) was performed, to identify possible violations, divergences and adaptations. Design and method: Published validation studies that used the ESH-IP2 from its publication (2010) until the end of 2015 were identified. All aspects of the protocol procedure were scrutinized using a standard checklist. Results: 147 validation studies were identified: 92 (63%) used the ESH-IP, 22 (15%) the British Hypertension Society Protocol, 26 (18%) the US AAMI and/or ISO protocol, and 18 (12%) did not follow an established protocol (some studies used two protocols). Of the 92 ESH-IP studies 54 (59%) used the ESH-IP2. The number of ESH-IP2 studies published per year were 7/3/9/16/19 for years 2011/12/13/14/15 respectively. 52 studies reported a ‘pass’ result (96.3%). 93% of the studies tested oscillometric devices, 78% upper-arm devices, 20% clinic, 6% ambulatory and 89% home monitors (some for more than one function). Four studies (7%) included special populations (children, renal disease patients, intensive care unit patients). The ESH-IP2 was adapted for specific device type or population in 5 studies. Protocol violations were identified in 17 studies (some two or more violations), involving sample size, recruitment criteria, simultaneous measurements, or combined use of ESH-IP1 and ESH-IP2 criteria. Most frequent violations were diastolic BP distribution range (19% of studies), BP recruitment range (15%), participants’ age (6%). One study with ESH-IP2 criteria indicating ‘fail’ concluded ‘pass’. Detailed information on cuffs use, and on recruitment and distribution BP ranges was omitted in 29 studies (54%). Conclusions: Five years after its publication, the revised ESH-IP2 remains the preferred protocol for device validation. Protocol violations occur in one third of the studies, suggesting that a more strict standardization of the validation procedure and reporting is necessary. The peer review process of scientific journals often misses important deficiencies of validation studies.

Understanding the role of sleep quality and sleep duration in commercial driving safety

IntroductionLong-haul truck drivers in the United States suffer disproportionately high injury rates. Sleep is a critical factor in these outcomes, contributing to fatigue and degrading multiple aspects of safety-relevant performance. Both sleep duration and sleep quality are often compromised among truck drivers; however, much of the efforts to combat fatigue focus on sleep duration rather than sleep quality. Thus, the current study has two objectives: (1) to determine the degree to which sleep impacts safety-relevant performance among long-haul truck drivers; and (2) to evaluate workday and non-workday sleep quality and duration as predictors of drivers’ safety-relevant performance. Materials and methodsA non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional design was employed to collect survey and biometric data from 260 long-haul truck drivers. The Trucker Sleep Disorders Survey was developed to assess sleep duration and quality, the impact of sleep on job performance and accident risk, and other relevant work organization characteristics. Descriptive statistics assessed work organization variables, sleep duration and quality, and frequency of engaging in safety-relevant performance while sleepy. Linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate relationships between sleep duration, sleep quality, and work organization variables with safety composite variables. ResultsDrivers reported long work hours, with over 70% of drivers working more than 11h daily. Drivers also reported a large number of miles driven per week, with an average of 2,812.61 miles per week, and frequent violations of hours-of-service rules, with 43.8% of drivers “sometimes to always” violating the “14-h rule.” Sleep duration was longer, and sleep quality was better, on non-workdays compared on workdays. Drivers frequently operated motor vehicles while sleepy, and sleepiness impacted several aspects of safety-relevant performance. Sleep quality was better associated with driving while sleepy and with job performance and concentration than sleep duration. Sleep duration was better associated with accidents and accident risk than sleep quality. DiscussionSleep quality appears to be better associated with safety-relevant performance among long-haul truck drivers than sleep duration. Comprehensive and multilevel efforts are needed to meaningfully address sleep quality among drivers.

Distinct neuronal patterns of positive and negative moral processing in psychopathy.

Psychopathy is a disorder characterized by severe and frequent moral violations in multiple domains of life. Numerous studies have shown psychopathy-related limbic brain abnormalities during moral processing; however, these studies only examined negatively valenced moral stimuli. Here, we aimed to replicate prior psychopathy research on negative moral judgments and to extend this work by examining psychopathy-related abnormalities in the processing of controversial moral stimuli and positive moral processing. Incarcerated adult males (N = 245) completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging protocol on a mobile imaging system stationed at the prison. Psychopathy was assessed using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). Participants were then shown words describing three types of moral stimuli: wrong (e.g., stealing), not wrong (e.g., charity), and controversial (e.g., euthanasia). Participants rated each stimulus as either wrong or not wrong. PCL-R total scores were correlated with not wrong behavioral responses to wrong moral stimuli, and were inversely related to hemodynamic activity in the anterior cingulate cortex in the contrast of wrong > not wrong. In the controversial > noncontroversial comparison, psychopathy was inversely associated with activity in the temporal parietal junction and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These results indicate that psychopathy-related abnormalities are observed during the processing of complex, negative, and positive moral stimuli.

Automated survey of 8000 plan checks at eight facilities.

To identify policy and system related weaknesses in treatment planning and plan check work-flows. The authors' web deployed plan check automation solution, PlanCheck, which works with all major planning and record and verify systems (demonstrated here for mosaiq only), allows them to compute violation rates for a large number of plan checks across many facilities without requiring the manual data entry involved with incident filings. Workflows and failure modes are heavily influenced by the type of record and verify system used. Rather than tackle multiple record and verify systems at once, the authors restricted the present survey to mosaiq facilities. Violations were investigated by sending inquiries to physicists running the program. Frequent violations included inadequate tracking in the record and verify system of total and prescription doses. Infrequent violations included incorrect setting of patient orientation in the record and verify system. Peaks in the distribution, over facilities, of violation frequencies pointed to suboptimal policies at some of these facilities. Correspondence with physicists often revealed incomplete knowledge of settings at their facility necessary to perform thorough plan checks. The survey leads to the identification of specific and important policy and system deficiencies that include: suboptimal timing of initial plan checks, lack of communication or agreement on conventions surrounding prescription definitions, and lack of automation in the transfer of some parameters.

Male drivers speed choice in Iran in relation to driver and front passenger characteristics

Exceeding the speed limit is one of the most frequent traffic violations. Hence, many studies have investigated the factors affecting drivers’ choice of speed. To this end and with the cooperation of traffic police of the “Isfahan” province, and by residing in the freeways and multilane highways of this province, during several days the vehicles’ speed were measured, vehicles were stopped and the questionnaires were filled out. The number of occupants, the overall relationship between the occupants, gender, age and the relationship between the front-right occupant and the driver are the studied variables. The results of the statistical chi-squared test indicate that there is a significant relationship between the speed chosen by the driver, as the dependent variable, and variables related to the car occupants as independent variables. By increasing the number of occupants the speed chosen by the driver decreases. When the occupants are a family, and also when the front-right occupant is a close relative of the driver, the speed decreases. When the front-right occupant is a woman or has a big difference of age with the driver, the speed chosen by the driver decreases. This study showed that in addition to the common external controls, such as police surveillance and speed control cameras, occupants of the vehicles have an acceptable potential in making the drivers choose an appropriate speed.

Human Food Safety Implications of Variation in Food Animal Drug Metabolism.

Violative drug residues in animal-derived foods are a global food safety concern. The use of a fixed main metabolite to parent drug (M/D) ratio determined in healthy animals to establish drug tolerances and withdrawal times in diseased animals results in frequent residue violations in food-producing animals. We created a general physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for representative drugs (ceftiofur, enrofloxacin, flunixin, and sulfamethazine) in cattle and swine based on extensive published literature. Simulation results showed that the M/D ratio was not a fixed value, but a time-dependent range. Disease changed M/D ratios substantially and extended withdrawal times; these effects exhibited drug- and species-specificity. These results challenge the interpretation of violative residues based on the use of the M/D ratio to establish tolerances for metabolized drugs.

The Circadian System: A Regulatory Feedback Network of Periphery and Brain.

Circadian rhythms are generated by the autonomous circadian clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), and clock genes that are present in all tissues. The SCN times these peripheral clocks, as well as behavioral and physiological processes. Recent studies show that frequent violations of conditions set by our biological clock, such as shift work, jet lag, sleep deprivation, or simply eating at the wrong time of the day, may have deleterious effects on health. This infringement, also known as circadian desynchronization, is associated with chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and psychiatric disorders. In this review, we will evaluate evidence that these diseases stem from the need of the SCN for peripheral feedback to fine-tune its output and adjust physiological processes to the requirements of the moment. This feedback can vary from neuronal or hormonal signals from the liver to changes in blood pressure. Desynchronization renders the circadian network dysfunctional, resulting in a breakdown of many functions driven by the SCN, disrupting core clock rhythms in the periphery and disorganizing cellular processes that are normally driven by the synchrony between behavior and peripheral signals with neuronal and humoral output of the hypothalamus. Consequently, we propose that the loss of synchrony between the different elements of this circadian network as may occur during shiftwork and jet lag is the reason for the occurrence of health problems.