bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ulysses' reason, nobody's fault
Authors: Papastephanou Marianna
Published: April 2009

Drawing on notions of alienation, reification and rationalization in their book Dialectic of Enlightenment, Adorno and Horkheimer explored the phenomenon of reason as such concerning the subject and the species, and diagnosed the pathologies of occidental societies. Reason provides the means for a vulnerable being to subordinate nature and serve its desire for self-preservation. However, this reason is instrumental since it objectifies the world and reifies other beings in order to render them manipulable. It is a subjective reason because it promotes the subject's own ends and aims at the subject's survival at the expense of the individual's inner world of unconscious desires and instincts and the reconciliation of human beings with the external world. The myth of Ulysses is magnificantly interpreted by Horkheimer and Adorno along such anthropological lines. As I see it, this anthropology inexorably connects the advent of civilization with the reifying power of reason from the start. Against the early Frankfurt School anthropological explanation of reason, I defend the distinction between communicative and strategic rationality that presupposes a different anthropology from the Freudian one that informed the Dialectic of Enlightenment.
Sexual identity, identification and difference
Authors: Glynos Jason
Published: April 2009

This essay focuses on an issue arising from within an anti-essentialist perspective on sexual identity: how is it possible to explain the political impetus inhering in a category such as ‘woman’ without having recourse to a set of positive properties that would somehow fix her identity in advance? I examine how a particular theoretical outlook, social post-modernism, attempts to address this issue, and argue that, ultimately, social postmodernism generates its own impasse which I call social foundationalism – an impasse which is structurally similar to biological foundationalism. I invoke discourse-theoretic concepts to introduce the psychoanalytic categories of master signifier and symbolic identification. This is done in order to suggest how Lacanian psychoanalysis permits us to theorize sexual difference in a way that avoids both biological foundationalism and social foundationalism.
Peirce and politics
Authors: Ward Roger
Published: April 2009

Charles Sanders Peirce, a profound philosopher and logician, mortgaged the result of his enquiry on the future possibility of a community of inquirers. Peirce was not a democrat, nor a believer in the trustworthiness of common opinion, yet his agapistic metaphysics makes the incorporation of individual inquirers into the scientific community a pragmatic necessity. In this paper I attempt to bring out Peirce’s political dimension, which is embedded in his logic and his treatment of time. I suggest that at the core of Peirce’s community is a polis dependent on pragmatic temporality, a time within time that is not ordered by the facticity of the past, the immediacy of the present, or the ‘would be’ of the future. I conclude that politics is a philosophical limit for Peirce’s semiotic metaphysic, revealing the depth of his existential and philosophical problem of the freedom of the self in light of secondness, or brute experience. I suggest that this kind of treatment is necessary for a recovery of American idealism in the ongoing discussion of politics and democracy.
Israel's ‘constitutional revolution’
Authors: Yonah Yossi
Published: April 2009

In the early 1990s Israel underwent a so-called constitutional revolution. According to the champions of this revolution, Israel has essentially become, as a result of this momentous event, a constitutional democracy, upholding individual freedom and liberties and allowing for judicial review of parliamentary legislation. Despite the congratulatory rhetoric, it is generally agreed upon that the constitution is still in need of some essential supplements before Israel can qualify as a fully constitutional democracy. The main question addressed in this paper is the following: is it ‘reasonable’ that Israel take the further necessary steps that qualify it as a fully constitutional democracy? The doubts raised in this regard stem from the very concerns that lead political philosophers (mainly Rawls) to stress the unique value of liberal democracy. As they argue, liberal democracy provides deeply divided societies with the best means to secure their legitimacy and political stability. Israel's political realities, I argue, defy this claim. Moreover, Israel's political realities may also carry a valuable lesson to other states, even to seemingly robust liberal democracies. It is not the purpose of the paper, of course, to argue that Israel's existing rule of government should be embraced by other states – far from that. Israel should undergo some radical changes so that it can protect the rights and interests of all its citizens. Yet, to achieve this purpose, it should transcend, I will argue, liberal democracy. As matters stand, simply strengthening its liberal character, Israel's political system may be exposed to a growing challenge to its legitimacy and stability. It should, therefore, reject liberal democracy and especially the principle of neutrality that is intimately connected with a liberal rule of government and embrace, instead, the ideal of multicultural democracy. This ideal, I argue, is better equipped to answer the need of deeply divided societies to secure their legitimacy and stability.
Two refoundation projects of democracy in contemporary French philosophy
Authors: Labelle Gilles
Published: April 2009

In this paper I examine two theories of democracy that can be found in contemporary French philosophy. Both Cornelius Castoriadis and Jacques Rancière offer a critique of modern democracy with the purpose of refounding it. The ‘refoundation narratives’ they propose are both based on an account of the origins of democracy in ancient Greece. According to Castoriadis, ancient democracy is grounded in a ‘magma’ of ‘social imaginary significations’ in which ‘autonomy’ is considered the correct response to Being defined as an insurmountable ‘Chaos’. On the contrary, modern democracy defines Being as a determinacy and consequently fails to grasp the notion of autonomy. According to Rancière, the origins of democracy are to be found in the invasion of the public space by ‘those without a part’ who consequently have no title to govern. The problem with the ‘domesticated’ modern democracy is that it denies the existence of Otherness; that is, of non-citizens excluded from the public space. Therefore it appears incapable of letting the ‘dis-agreement’ manifest itself and consequently incapable of transforming the ‘police’ order. After examining the meaning of both theories, I attempt to elucidate the difficulties encountered by each author in the attainment of his goal, which is that of refounding modern democracy.
The structure of hip consumerism
Authors: Health Joseph
Published: April 2009

Critics of mass culture often identify 1950s-style status competition as one of the central forces driving consumerism. Thomas Frank has challenged this view, arguing that countercultural rebellion now provides the primary source of consumerism in our society, and that ‘cool’ has become its central ideological expression. This paper provides a rearticulation and defense of Frank's thesis, first identifying consumerism as a type of collective action problem, then showing how the ‘hip consumer’ is one who adopts a free-rider strategy in this context.
Derrida and the promise of community
Authors: Burns Lawrence
Published: April 2009

This paper offers a critique of Derrida's deconstruction of the promise on the grounds that it does not adequately account for the ethical constitution of the promise in the pragmatic context of face-to-face dialogue. Instead, Derrida focuses on the way in which the promise opens the horizon of interpretation or readability for an indefinite community of readers. Derrida's view is explicated at length, drawing on Limited Inc, Le monolinguisme de l’autre: ou, la prosthèse d’origine, and ‘Avances’, the Preface to Serge Margel's Le tombeau du dieu artisan. Paul Ricoeur's interpretation of the promise as an attestation of my availability to the other person is presented as a more justifiable grounding of ethics.
Charles Taylor’s Nietzschean predicament
Authors: Redhead Mark
Published: April 2009

In this article, I discuss Charles Taylor’s reading of Nietzsche. Taylor argues that Nietzsche presents a challenge on the ‘deepest level’ because, on Taylor’s reading, Nietzsche forces us to consider whether or not our ‘continuing allegiance to standards of justice and benevolence’ goes against our inner nature. I argue that this purported Nietzschean challenge is more self-revealing of Taylor than it is foreboding, as it brings to light the tension between the open and pluralistic content of Taylor’s faith, and the epistemological grounding of it, which a more well-rounded appreciation of Nietzsche could help to alleviate
Political rationalism and democracy in France in the 18th and 19th centuries
Authors: Rosanvallon Pierre
Published: April 2009

In France there is a way of thinking about freedom that often impedes its realization. To understand this question first a fundamental contradiction of the tension between political rationalism and popular sovereignty is examined. The terms of this contradiction are presented along with the ways in which this tension manifested itself in France during the Revolution of the 19th Century. This is also shown by contrasting the French approach to producing the law-state with English liberalism which relies on a balance of powers. The French case shows that there is a way, other than representative government, to think about protective rule: the establishment of a good, rational authority based on science.
Triple contingency
Authors: Strydom Piet
Published: April 2009

This paper seeks to show that the proposition of 'double contin gency' introduced by Parsons and defended by Luhmann and Habermas is insufficient under the conditions of contemporary communication societies. In the latter context, the increasing differentiation and organization of communication processes eventuated in the recognition of the epistemic authority of the public, which in turn compels us to conceptualize a new level of contingency. A first step is therefore taken to capture the role of the public in communication societies theoretically by what may be called 'triple contingency'. Since the process of the definition of reality and its outcome, to which the response of the public is central, is best seen in constructivist terms, attention is also paid to relevant methodological and epistemological questions.
Foucault and the contemporary scene
Authors: Ewald François
Published: April 2009

What relevance does Foucault have, more than a decade after his death? Foucault was a sort of philosophical journalist - continually concerned with what is happening in the present. And it is here that we find one of the guiding threads of Foucault’s ethics: we must be constantly vigilant in ensuring that the present does not become a mere repetition of the past. Philosophy must produce events that can act to disrupt this repetition. This is the task of judgment, confronted by the question of power. We can recognize four points on which Foucault has continuing relevance. First, Foucault diagnosed the end of revolution, the consequences of which we are now living. Further, Foucault’s work on truth-telling and norms and measures, the heart of the question of justice, is still significant. Foucault’s work on medicine, and in particular ancient Greek medicine, will also play a critical role if we are to successfully navigate the myriad problems posed by a new form of medicine, genetic medicine - a medicine of predispositions rather than therapy, similar to the medicine practiced by the Greeks. Fourth and finally, Foucault has a continuing relevance for problems of decision-making, responsibility and care. We can think about responsibility, for Foucault, through the question of care - and thus will avoid reducing responsibility to a merely juridical notion.
Simmel and Weber as idealtypical founders of sociology
Authors: Vandenberghe Frédéric
Published: April 2009

Max Weber and George Simmel are considered as ideal-typical founders of sociology. Whereas Simmel pleaded for a large conception of sociology, which would include the epistemological and metaphysical issues as well, Max Weber explicitly excluded philosophical questions from the domain of sociology. A philosophical reading of Max Weber’s sociology, which uncovers his philosophy in the margins of his sociological texts, shows, however, that his sociology is predicated on a disenchanted Weltanschauung, a decisionistic ideology and a nominalist epistemology.
Drug Abuse Treatment Training in Peru
Authors: Johnson Knowlton W. , Young Linda C. , Suresh Geetha , Berbaum Michael L.
Published: April 2009

A social policy experiment is presented that was conducted from 1997 to 2000 in a setting with a high level of readiness for implementing a randomized experiment of therapeutic community (TC) drug treatment training in Peru. Seventy-six drug abuse treatment organizations were randomly assigned into three groups, and data were collected at multiple assessment periods. Staff and directors in organizations assigned to the training groups participated in either 6-week basic training or 8-week basic plus booster training sessions, which were theoretically grounded. Small- to medium-size positive effects were found on increased staff empowerment to use actual tools and principles from the training; medium and large positive effects were found on the implementation of TC methods with fidelity after the training. A follow-up with the funding and training organizations 1 year later showed use of the evaluation results in decision making in both organizations.
Indiscriminate Data Aggregations in Meta-Analysis
Authors: Lopez-Lee David
Published: April 2009

Whether you are a policy maker or social scientist, you are slowly being drowned in a sea of often inconsistent research data. Proponents of meta-analysis claim that such data can be objectively and usefully summarized for you. The author notes how the assumptions of the meta-analytic model preclude the synthesis of experimental data (which has a clear cause-and-effect logic) with quasi-experimental and/or nonexperimental data (both of which lack such clarity). Yet in the author’s review of 64 recent meta-analytic articles, 11 were found to improperly make such aggregations. Why? The author shows how the guidance provided by the leading proponents of meta-analysis either blurs the distinction or is misleading.
Empirically Based Conversion Factors for Calculating Couple-Years of Protection
Authors: Stover John , Bertrand Jane T. , Shelton James D.
Published: April 2009

Couple-years of protection (CYP) is one of several commonly used indicators to assess international family planning efforts. It has been the subject of much debate, relating in part to the specific conversion factors used to translate the quantity of the respective contraceptive methods distributed to a single measure of protection. This article outlines a comprehensive effort to revisit those conversion factors based on the best available empirical evidence. In most instances, the analysis supports previously established standard conversion factors. However, there are two notable departures. Fewer condoms and spermicides are recommended for each CYP (120 vs. 150), primarily because coital frequency among condom users is lower than previously assumed. Furthermore, for sterilization, the authors recommend the use of country or region-specific conversion factors. Every program evaluation indicator has strengths and weaknesses, and the best program evaluation efforts use a variety of indicators. If CYP is used to evaluate programs, however, the authors believe that the conversion factors presented reflect the best available evidence.
The Relative Costs and Benefits of Telephone Interviews Versus Self-Administered Diaries for Daily Data Collection
Authors: Hoppe Marilyn J. , Gillmore Mary Rogers , Valadez Danny L. , Civic Diane , Hartway Jane , Morrison Diane M.
Published: April 2009

This article compares two methods of collecting daily data: self-administered diaries and telephone interviews. Study participants included 44 men and 56 women between the ages of 16 and 35 who participated in a larger study of drinking, drug use, and sexual activity. Participants were randomly assigned to either the written diary or the telephone interview conditions; question wording and format were identical in both conditions. Daily data were collected for a period of 8 weeks. Results indicate that although telephone interviews resulted in slightly more missed days of data collection, they generally yielded less item-level missing data, produced cleaner data and therefore were less costly to process, and were as palatable to participants as self-administered diaries. Except for reports of drinking and vegetable consumption, telephone and diary conditions did not differ in the amount of behavior reported; more drinking and vegetable consumption were reported with telephone interviews, however. Telephone interviews also imposed considerably higher overall personnel costs.
Civil Remedies and Drug Control
Authors: Mazerolle Lorraine Green , Price James F. , Roehl Jan
Published: April 2009

This study evaluates the impact of a civil remedy program (Beat Health) on drug and disorder problems under experimental field trial conditions. Using calls for service data, the authors find statistically significant differences between the control and experimental groups, when drug problem calls prior to the start of the intervention were compared to drug calls during a 12-month follow-up period. The Beat Health sites, especially the residential sites, improved relative to the control sites. By contrast, the control treatment (patrol response) led to significant increases in drug problems, particularly at the commercial properties included in this study. The authors also examined the spatial influences of the Beat Health and patrol responses in catchment areas surrounding each of the 100 study sites. The results show some improvement in the experimental residential sites. The authors found, however, a possible displacement of drug problems in and around both the commercial experimental and control sites. They show that the displacement effect is most notable in the commercial control sites.
Health Outcomes of Elementary School Students in New Brunswick
Authors: Ma Xin
Published: April 2009

With data from the New Brunswick School Climate Study (N = 6,883 students from 147 schools), this study examined individual differences in and school effects on health outcomes of students. Results of hierarchical linear modeling showed that females reported experiencing more physical health problems, eating less healthy food, and doing fewer exercises than males. Students of high socioeconomic status (SES) reported eating more healthy food and doing more exercises than students of low SES. Native students reported experiencing more physical health problems and eating less healthy food than nonnative students. Students of single parents reported eating more healthy food and exercising more than students of both parents. Schools showed effects on health outcomes over and above the effects of students. Students in schools with high SES and positive disciplinary climate reported fewer physical and mental health problems. Students in large schools reported less healthy food intake and fewer physical exercises.
Computer-Mediated Focus Groups
Authors: Walston Jill T. , Lissitz Robert W.
Published: April 2009

This article discusses the feasibility and effectiveness of computer-mediated (CM) focus groups. The study describes technological and practical considerations the authors learned from conducting such groups and reports on a comparison of the reactions of CM and face-to-face (FTF) participants in focus groups discussing academic dishonesty. The results suggest that the CM environment, in comparison to FTF, may lessen members' concern about what the moderator thinks of them and discourage participants from withholding embarrassing information. The article concludes with a list of suggestions for this technique and a discussion of the potential advantages and limitations associated with CM focus groups.
Benefit-Cost Analysis of Residential and Outpatient Addiction Treatment in the State of Washington
Authors: French Michael T. , Salomé Helena J. , Krupski Antoinette , Mckay James R. , Donovan Dennis M. , Mclellan A. Thomas , Durell Jack
Published: April 2009

A benefit-cost analysis of full continuum (FC) and partial continuum (PC) care was conducted on a sample of substance abusers from the State of Washington. Economic benefits were derived from client self-reported information at treatment entry and at 9 months postadmission using an augmented version of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI). Average (i.e., per client) economic benefits of treatment from baseline to follow-up for both FC and PC were statistically significant for most variables and in the aggregate. The overall difference in average economic benefit between FC and PC was positive ($8,053) and statistically significant, favoring FC over PC. The average cost of treatment amounted to $2,530 for FC and $1,138 for PC (p < .01). Average net benefits were estimated to be $17,833 (9.70) for FC and $11,173 (23.33) for PC, with values showing statistical significance (p < .05). Results strongly indicate that both treatment options generated positive and significant net benefits to society.
State-Level Treatment Outcome Studies Using Administrative Databases
Authors: Alterman Arthur I. , Langenbucher James , Morrison Randall L.
Published: April 2009

State substance dependence administrative databases contain both administrative and clinical information on large numbers of patients collected over extended time periods. Access to other state databases—employment, criminal behavior, and Medicaid—has also been achieved in some instances. Such data could prove an important source for the evaluation of long-term treatment outcomes and their determinants. This selected review describes and evaluates the treatment outcome and cost-related findings of the most advanced studies using these databases. A number of these studies have shown that completion of substance dependence treatment is associated with reduced societal costs. Some of these studies have focused on significant subpopulations of patients, including pregnant women and adolescents. A shortcoming of the findings of most of these studies concerns their use of noncompleter or nonrandomly collected comparison groups. The utility of these databases can be enhanced by coupling them with clinical research treatment outcome evaluation approaches.
The Validity of Self-Reported Cost Events by Substance Abusers
Authors: Langenbucher James , Merrill Jeffrey
Published: April 2009

The following review considers data on the validity of self-reports in addict populations, and then it discusses (a) the types of cost-related questions and the assumptions underlying them that are useful to the evaluation of addictions treatment, (b) both internal and external sources of invalidity, (c) the limits on cost-related information that is gathered from administrative databases, (d) methods for assessing measure validity, and (e) the means for improving the validity of self-reports of cost events. With some important exceptions, addicts provide valid data about both medical and criminal cost events. Skilled socioeconomic researchers able to monetarize these events should be able to produce significant cost of illness, cost offset, cost-benefit, and cost-effectiveness research using self-report data.
Gatekeepers and Sentinels
Authors: Smith Robert B.
Published: April 2009

Evaluations assessing precertification by nurse gatekeepers and onsite monitoring by nurse sentinels report inconclusive unique effects of these programs on the utilization, expense, and appropriateness of inpatient medical care. By applying the fixed- and random-effects paradigm of meta-analysis, this article consolidates the results of all relevant quasi-experiments conducted by an evaluation group of a large private insurer from 1986 to 1990. It determines the difference in effect between the target and comparison groups, reports this effect and its statistical range, and determines the pooled effect and its range. The random effects indicate that precertification will reduce admissions, and onsite, concurrent review will reduce length of stay, bed days, and inpatient ancillary expense. The precertification and onsite programs may reduce negative iatrogenic effects, thereby enhancing the patients' well-being. If applied to privately insured populations who are still served on a fee-for-service basis, the gatekeeper and sentinel effects of these programs may reduce utilization and expense; however, inference of these results to Medicare fee-for-service care remains problematical.
Benchmarking to the World's Best in Mathematics
Authors: Phelps Richard P.
Published: April 2009

This article describes the education quality control systems (for mathematics) used by those countries that performed best on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Enforced quality control measures are defined as “decision points”—where adherence to the curriculum and instruction system can be reinforced. Most decision points involve stakes for the student, teacher, or school. They involve potential consequences for failure to adhere to the system and to follow the program at a reasonable pace. Generally, countries with more decision points perform better on the TIMSS. When the number of decision points and TIMSS test scores are adjusted for country wealth, the relationship between the degree of (enforced) quality control and student achievement appears to be positive and exponential. Conclusion: The more (enforced) quality control measures employed in an education system, the greater is students' academic achievement.
An Evaluation of Analysis Options for the One-Group-Per-Condition Design
Authors: Varnell Sherri P. , Murray David M. , Baker William L.
Published: April 2009

This article addresses the analytic problems associated with a design in which one identifiable group is allocated to each treatment condition and members of those groups are measured to assess the intervention. Such designs are often called quasi-experiments if the groups are not randomized to conditions and group-randomized trials if the groups are randomized. They present special problems, and previous reports have argued against their use in efficacy or effectiveness trials. Even so, this design still appears with surprising frequency. This article presents the results from a new simulation study that underscores the analytic problems associated with this design.
The School-Police Partnership
Authors: White Michael D. , Fyfe James J. , Campbell Suzanne P. , Goldkamp John S.
Published: April 2009

A substantial amount of research has established that truancy is a consistent at-risk indicator of future criminality. This article studies the experiences of 178 juveniles targeted by the Truant Recovery Program, a collaborative and nonpunitive school-law enforcement effort, and considers questions regarding its impact through examination of juvenile justice and school information in the years before and after the truancy sweep. In particular, the article suggests that intensive cooperative efforts between school and police may be effective in identifying troubled youth and raises questions about appropriate school and justice system responses for children who demonstrate at-risk behavior.
Assessing the Effects of a School-Based Intervention on Unscheduled School Transfers During Elementary School
Authors: Fleming Charles B. , Harachi Tracy W. , Catalano Richard F. , Haggerty Kevin P. , Abbott Robert D.
Published: April 2009

Raising Healthy Children is a cluster-randomized study of a school-based intervention aimed at preventing problem behaviors among children recruited into the project in the first or second grade of elementary school. Multilevel analysis was used to compare students in intervention and control schools with respect to whether they transferred out of their original schools. Students in intervention schools were less likely to transfer within the first 5 years of the project. A multilevel discrete-time survival model that included both time-varying and contextual variables revealed that the difference in hazard of transfer was greatest in the earlier years of the project.
The Effect of Active Parental Consent On the Ability to Generalize the Results of an Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Prevention Trial to Rural Adolescents
Authors: Henry Kimberly L. , Smith Edward A. , Hopkins Abigail M.
Published: April 2009

The authors report the effect of active parental consent on sample bias among rural seventh graders participating in a drug abuse prevention trial. Students obtaining active consent from their parents to complete the survey were of higher academic standing, missed fewer days of school, and were less likely to participate in the special education program at their school as compared to students who did not return a parental consent form. However, students with consent were not significantly different from students whose parents actively declined. The sample obtained under active parental consent represents students less at risk for problem behaviors than would have been obtained under passive consent procedures.
Sampling Procedures and Survey Methodologies for the 1996 Survey with Comparisons to Earlier National Roadside Surveys
Authors: Lestina Diane C. , Greene Michael , Voas Robert B. , Wells Joann
Published: April 2009

This article describes the multistage sampling system employed in the 1996 national roadside survey and compares it to the sampling methods employed in the two prior surveys in 1973 and 1986. Also described are the data collection procedures at the selected sites, the breath-test devices used to collect blood alcohol concentration (BAC) data, and the methods used to impute BAC values where breath-test measures were not obtained. Overall, almost twice as many (6,298 in 1996 compared to 3,698 in 1973 and 3,043 in 1986) drivers were interviewed in the most recent national survey as in the previous efforts. The procedures implemented in the three surveys are sufficiently similar to permit comparison of these surveys conducted at 10-year intervals.
Sequential Assignment and Treatment-As-Usual
Authors: Staines Graham L. , Mckendrick Karen , Perlis Theresa , Sacks Stanley , De Leon George
Published: April 2009

Psychosocial treatment research studies encounter obstacles to random assignment (RA). Used together, two procedures offer an alternative to the standard RA design. First, sequential assignment (SA) may create less opposition from administration, staff, and clients. SA operates on the principle that limited bed availability, a common treatment consideration in the field, determines assignment of clients to conditions. Second, treatment-as-usual (TAU) represents an alternative type of control condition. Some clients on the waiting list will, before a slot opens up and they enter an experimental condition, be absorbed into the existing treatment system, in which the amount and type of treatment they receive can vary widely. Substituting SA and TAU for the standard RA design may introduce methodological impurities including certain limited biases.
Outcome Evaluation of an Advocacy Program to Promote Early Childhood Education for Israeli Arabs
Authors: Savaya Riki , Waysman Mark
Published: April 2009

This article reports the results of an evaluation of the SHATIL early childhood education (ECE) project, a coalition-based advocacy initiative that aimed to achieve three main outcomes in Arab towns throughout Israel: growth in preschool enrollment rates, growth in number of preschool classes administered by local councils, and growth in number of certified preschool teachers working in the Arab sector. The study employed a quasi-experimental, repeated measures design. Outcomes were assessed via collection of archival data pertaining to each of the past 10 years in 45 Arab towns. This allowed for comparison of trends over time in the 5 years before project commencement with those in the 5 years since the project was launched. Findings indicated that the project was successful in recruiting its target population (the most needy towns) and that the desired changes in fact did occur, particularly in the target towns. Moreover, the authors were able to conclude, with a relatively high degree of confidence, that the project played a causal role in achieving these outcomes.
Understanding Decisions about Child Maltreatment
Authors: Rossi Peter H. , Schuerman John , Budde Stephen
Published: April 2009

To understand how decisions are made in abuse/neglect cases by the child welfare system, the authors asked child welfare experts and protective service line workers to make decisions about actual child abuse and neglect cases on the basis of written summaries of the cases. Respondents included 27 experts and 103 line workers. Regression analyses found that workers and experts emphasized the same case characteristics in making their decisions, but the decisions were not well structured in the sense that they were not well predicted by case characteristics. Individual experts and workers varied widely in the decisions they made on identical cases. The authors conclude that decision making in the child protective system is inconsistent, with errors of two kinds: failing to remove children from their families when that is called for and removing children when it is unnecessary. Progress must be made in developing decision-making criteria that are consistent, preserve family integrity, and promote the well-being of children.
Testing the effectiveness of a tactile signal to deliver navigation information while the participant's attention is otherwise engaged
Authors: Gustafson-Pearce Olinkha , Billett Eric , Cecelja Franjo
Published: April 2009

This article reports on a pilot study conducted with sighted and visually impaired participants, which sought to determine how effective a vibro-tactile interface would be in eliciting a physical response from a human user, if the user's conscious attention were diverted by a complex audio/verbal task.
From novice to expert: an investigation into the professional development of Rehabilitation Workers through a study of practice in technical rehabilitation interventions
Authors: Dodgson Andrew , Mccall Steve
Published: April 2009

Using the five-stage model of skill acquisition originally proposed by Dreyfus and Dreyfus (1986), this study investigates the professional development of Rehabilitation Workers (RWs) in the UK through analysis of their practice in training people with a vision impairment in the area of orientation and mobility. From interviews with RWs a clearer picture has emerged of the lack of professional development opportunities and the access to the knowledge of others required to facilitate progression from Novice to Expert in this specialized profession.
Technical Assistance in Special Education
Authors: Fixsen Dean L. , Blase Karen A.
Published: April 2009

This article describes the brief history of attention to children with special needs and provides a summary of the future of the field, based in large part on the articles published in the current special issue of this journal (Vol. 29, No. 1).
Studies on the evaluation of municipal waste management systems
Authors: Hasome Hisashi , Tachio Koichi , Yokota Isamu , Nitta Yoshitaka
Published: April 2009

The municipal waste disposal system is at a turning point now, because full-scale efforts are demanded to approach the goal of ‘the construction of a waste-recycling society’. An attempt was made to evaluate municipal solid waste management systems with easier indexes in the model area. This study includes two evaluation systems. One evaluation system (case 1) is based on the analysis of waste management costs. Different waste disposal systems can be easily evaluated by comparing the waste disposal costs associated with them. However, it seems risky to rate cities only by the results of an analysis of the waste disposal cost data, since the municipalities build, acquire or expand facilities independently from one another. The associated costs are not summed in a uniform way by all municipalities and for other reasons. The other evaluation system (case 2) is based on the ‘amenity and comfort ranking of cities’ (Keizai 1998). Judgment by one evaluation index alone for a waste disposal system seems risky since the data in that case are insufficient for proper evaluation of a city. Hence, it is desirable to use two or more indices representative of a future ideal system.

The results of the study demonstrated that Toyo Keizai’s method of ‘amenity and comfort ranking of cities’ is better than the method of comparing solid waste management costs.
Permeability of lime-activated pulverised fuel ash to metal-containing permeants
Authors: Awe Yewande , Cheeseman Chris , Sollars Chris
Published: April 2009

Lime-activated pulverised fuel ash (PFA) has been leach tested under a range of pH conditions and the permeability of compacted samples determined using distilled water and aqueous solutions of Ca2+, Zn2+, Cd2+ and Mg2+. Although permeabilities were relatively high when tested with distilled water (>1x10-7m/s), permeation with 0.05M metal solutions resulted in rapid reductions in permeability to less than 1x10-10m/s. Leachate and permeant solution analysis shows that metal ion release from samples is low. The reduction in permeability is believed to be due to pore sealing resulting primarily from metal hydroxide precipitation and results in a metal concentration gradient across the sample thickness. Lime-activated PFA therefore acts as both a chemical and physical barrier to metal ion migration and has the potential to form low permeability barriers.
Attenuation of landfill leachate by clay liner materials in laboratory columns: 2. Behaviour of inorganic contaminants
Authors: Thornton Steven F. , Lerner David N. , Tellam John H.
Published: April 2009

The chemical attenuation of inorganic contaminants in methanogenic landfill leachate, spiked with heavy metals (Cd, Cd, Ni and Zn), by two UK clay liner materials was compared in laboratory columns over 15 months. Ammonium was attenuated by ion-exchange but this attenuation was finite and when exhausted, NH4 passed through the liners at concentrations found in the leachate. The breakthrough behaviour of NH4 could be described by a simple distribution coefficient. Heavy metals were attenuated by sorption and precipitation of metal sulphide and carbonate compounds near the top of the liner.

Adequate SO4 and CaCO3 in the liner is necessary to ensure the long term retention of heavy metals, and pH buffering agents added to stabilise reactive metal fractions should be admixed with the liner. Some metals may not be chemically attenuated by clay liners due to the formation of stable complexes with organic and/or colloidal fractions in leachate. Flushing of the liners with oxygenated water after leachate caused mobilisation of attenuated contaminants. Sorbed NH4 was released by the liners but groundwater loadings were manageable. Re-oxidation of metal sulphides under these conditions resulted in the release of heavy metals from the liners when the pH buffering capacity was poor.

Contaminant attenuation by the clay liners was similar and the attenuation of NH4 and heavy metals could be predicted from the geochemical properties of the liner using simple tests. A conceptual model of clay liner performance is presented. Chemical attenuation of inorganic pollutants can be included in containment liner design to produce a dual reactive-passive barrier for landfills.
Urban solid waste generation and disposal in Mexico: a case study
Authors: Buenrostro Otoniel , Bocco Gerardo , Bernache Gerardo
Published: April 2009

The adequate management of municipal solid waste in developing countries is difficult because of the scarcity of studies about their composition. This paper analyses the composition of urban solid waste (USW) in the city of Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.

Residential and non-residential waste sources were sampled, and a structured interview was made to evaluate the socioeconomic characteristics of the studied area. Also, to determine the seasonal patterns of solid waste generation and the efficiency level of the collection service, quantification of solid waste deposited in the dumping ground was measured.

Our results show that the recorded amount of SW deposited in the municipal dumping-ground is less than the estimated amount of SW generated; for this reason, the former amount is not recommended as an unbiased indicator for planning public waste collection services. It is essential that dumping-grounds are permanently monitored and that the incoming waste be weighed in order to have a more efficient record of USW deposited in the dumping-ground per day; these data are fundamental for developing adequate managing strategies.
Review of Expert System (ES), Geographic Information System (GIS), Decision Support System (DSS), and their applications in landfill design and management
Authors: Lukasheh Awni F. , Droste Ronald L. , Warith Mostafa A.
Published: April 2009

This paper provides the reader with a brief discussion on Expert System (ES), Geographic Information System (GIS), and Environmental Decision Support System (EDSS) technologies and their applications in environmental engineering in general and in landfill design and management in specific. It also brings into attention the benefits of integrating ESs and GISs together with simulation models (SM) in a decision support systems (DSS) framework to solve complex environmental problems, facilitated by the new advancements of computer technologies (both in hardware and software). Examples of such integration are provided to reflect how such a system can improve landfill design and management. Finally, the discussion concludes with the fact that although solving landfill design problems could greatly benefit from such a combination of technologies, there have been no attempts to combine ES, GIS, and SM for the comprehensive evaluation of landfill design and performance.
A simple model for the distribution and fate of organic chemicals in a landfill: MOCLA
Authors: Kjeldsen Peter , Christensen Thomas H.
Published: April 2009

A simple mathematical model (MOCLA: Model for Organic Chemicals in Landfills) is presented, describing the distribution of organic chemicals between leachate, gas and solid waste. The model also predicts the fate of the chemicals in terms of emissions with leachate and landfill gas and in terms of degradation and transformation in the landfill. Local equilibrium is assumed for the distribution of the chemicals in the landfill as expressed by Henry’s Law for the leachate-gas interface, and by the linear partition coefficient based on the waste solid organic carbon content for the waste-leachate interface. Degradation of the chemicals is expressed as a first order reaction. Annual specific leachate and gas generation data in combination with data on landfill area and volume allow for prediction of main emission routes. Model simulations involving two landfill scenarios for a number of chemicals with different physico-chemical characteristics indicate that volatilisation is a likely route for some chemicals (e.g. vinyl chloride, and some of the freons), while other chemicals (e.g. phenol, lower chlorinated aliphatic compounds) more likely will appear as dissolved in the leachate. However, many chemicals will be strongly associated with the solid waste (e.g. dichlorobenzene, naphthalene, and higher Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), and the pool available will be able to supply the landfill gas and leachate with organic trace components for decades unless these are degraded in the landfill. The model suggests that, in addition to the physico-chemical characteristics of the organic chemical, the presence of free phases of organic chemicals and the degradability of the chemicals are the main factors controlling the fate and emissions of organic chemicals in the landfill environment.
A systematic study of cement/PFA chemical stabilisation/solidification process for the treatment of heavy metal waste
Authors: Poon C. S. , Lio K. W. , Tang C. I.
Published: April 2009

The aim of this study is to systematically quantify the physical and chemical properties of the cement based solidified/stabilised heavy metal waste with increasing replacement of cement by PFA. Bulk density and unconfined compressive strength are measured as the physical parameters. The equilibrium extraction tests, sequential chemical tests and dynamic leaching tests are reported as chemical characteristics. The results showed PFA-blended cement-based waste forms have higher porosity and lower strength than the pure cement-based waste forms at experimental curing time. The lower alkalinities of the PFA-blended cement-based waste forms, however, lead to higher leach rates of heavy metals when the waste is exposed to an acidic medium.
A solid waste audit and directions for waste reduction at the University of British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Felder Melissa A. J. , Petrell Royann J. , Duff Sheldon J. B.
Published: April 2009

A novel design for a solid waste audit was developed and applied to the University of British Columbia, Canada, in 1998. This audit was designed to determine the characteristics of the residual solid waste generated by the campus and provide directions for waste reduction. The methodology was constructed to address complications in solid waste sampling, including spatial and temporal variation in waste, extrapolation from the study area, and study validation. Accounting for spatial effects decreased the variation in calculating total waste loads. Additionally, collecting information on user flow provided a means to decrease daily variation in solid waste and allow extrapolation over time and space. The total annual waste estimated from the experimental design was compared to documented values and was found to differ by –18%. The majority of this discrepancy was likely attributable to the unauthorized disposal of construction and demolition waste. Several options were proposed to address waste minimization goals. These included: enhancing the current recycling program, source reduction of plastic materials, and/or diverting organic material to composting (maximum diversion: ~320, ~270, and ~1510 t yr–1, respectively). The greatest diversion by weight would be accomplished through the diversion of organic material, as it was estimated to comprise 70% of the projected waste stream. The audit methodology designed is most appropriate for facilities/regions that have a separate collection system for seasonal wastes and have a means for tracking user flow.
Mathematical modelling of landfill gas migration in MSW sanitary landfills
Authors: Martín Santiago , MarañóN Elena , Sastre Herminio
Published: April 2009

The laws that govern the displacement of landfill gas in a sanitary landfill are analysed. Subsequently, a 2-D finite difference flow model of a fluid in a steady state in a porous medium with infinite sources of landfill gas is proposed. The fact that landfill gas is continuously generated throughout the entire mass of the landfill differentiates this model from others extensively described in the literature and used in a variety of different applications, such as oil recovery, groundwater flow, etc. Preliminary results are then presented of the application of the model. Finally, the results obtained employing data from the literature and experimental assays carried out at the La Zoreda sanitary landfill (Asturias, Spain) are discussed and future lines of research are proposed.