Tail Behavior of the Failure Rate Functions of Mixtures

The tail behavior of the failure rate of mixtures of lifetime distributions is studied. A typical result is that if the failure rate of the strongest component of the mixture decreases to a limit, then the failure rate of the mixture decreases to the same limit. For a class of distributions containing the gamma distributions this result can be improved in the sense that the behavior of the failure rate of the mixture asymptotically mirrors that of the strongest component in whether it decreases or increases to a limit. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Tobacco Advertising

If advocates of bans on tobacco advertising had their complete way, most would prohibit this product outright. But this is not (yet) politically feasible. Instead, they have focussed their efforts on restricting information flows about this product. They rely on the doctrine that free speech rights apply only indirectly, if at all, to such matters of commerce. In this paper several arguments in behalf of bans on tobacco advertising are considered, and all are found invalid. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Droit aux congés et conciliation entre travail et vie familiale dans les pays développés: pourquoi les travailleurs des Etats‐Unis sont perdants

A partir d'un indice synthétique des dispositions réglementaires sur les congés annuels et familiaux en Europe occidentale, aux Etats‐Unis, au Canada, en Australie, au Japon et en Corée, les auteurs classent ces pays quant au soutien à l'équilibre entre travail et famille. Les Etats‐Unis arrivent derniers: les employeurs ne sont pas tenus d'accorder des congés annuels, et les salariés ne peuvent prendre plus de douze semaines de congés par an pour raisons familiales. Ces normes comparativement basses s'expliqueraient par une conception fondée sur le libre marché et un postulat d'égalité de rapport de forces entre employeur et salarié. Vision qui n'est pleinement partagée par aucune des autres démocraties examinées.     

CMHS/CSAT Collaborative Demonstration Program for Homeless Individuals1

The Collaborative Demonstration Program for Homeless Individuals is providing an opportunity for several community agencies in the United States to explore innovative intervention and treatment strategies to address the needs of homeless people with co-occurring (mental illness and substance abuse) disorders. This cooperative agreement, funded jointly by the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), is a $3 million project supporting programs in various community     

Examining Outpatient Treatment Dropout in Adolescents: A Literature Review

This literature review explores the research to date on adolescent mental health treatment drop out. As many as one in five adolescents in the United States has been diagnosed with an Axis-I psychiatric disorder. Adolescents with Axis-I psychiatric disorders face significant short- and long-term consequences if they do not obtain mental health treatment. However, treatment dropout research has focused on child and adult populations with little focus on the unique issues that are likely to impact adolescents. The theoretical underpinnings for understanding adolescent mental health treatment are explored in relation to adolescent psychological development and the therapeutic alliance. The review concludes with suggestions for future research to extend our understanding of adolescent treatment drop out.     

What makes a developmental network state durable?

As dynamic collaborations between networks of specialists have become more central to developing cutting-edge innovations, designing and sustaining innovation policies that foster them has become an increasingly central concern. This article reviews the characteristics of the “developmental network” or “neo-developmental” states that have been shown to foster innovations at the technological horizon. It then analyzes the US case to suggest why some developmental network approaches to governance have proven relatively durable, while others have not. We conclude with a discussion of what can – and cannot – be learned from the US case, and suggest the importance of comparative work on the sustainability of effective innovation-centered approaches to governance.