Development and Consideration of Global Policies for Managing the Future Risks of Poliovirus Outbreaks: Insights and Lessons Learned Through Modeling

The success of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative promises to bring large benefits, including sustained improvements in quality of life (i.e., cases of paralytic disease and deaths avoided) and costs saved from cessation of vaccination. Obtaining and maintaining these benefits requires that policymakers manage the transition from the current massive use of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) to a world without OPV and free of the risks of potential future reintroductions of live polioviruses. This article describes the analytical journey that began in 2001 with a retrospective case study on polio risk management and led to development of dynamic integrated risk, economic, and decision analysis tools to inform global policies for managing the risks of polio. This analytical journey has provided several key insights and lessons learned that will be useful to future analysts involved in similar complex decision-making processes.     

Mental load and work stress as two types of energy mobilization

A conceptual framework is presented in which mental load and stress are regarded as two distinct biobehavioural states in the work environment that differ in energy mobilization, mood and coping strategy. The framework combines two types of theory that are based on human performance research using laboratory tasks on the one hand and applied research in the work environment on the other. A high workload is regarded as an important but not a critical factor in the development of stress symptoms. Even under unfavourable conditions it is possible to work intensively and to be highly activated without feelings of strain or psychosomatic complaints. In contrast, working conditions that provide few possibilities for control and little social support or are associated with reduced well-being and increased health risks. The two states differ in activation, coping style and mood. A proper distinction is important not only for theory building but also for the reconstruction of the work environment. It may lead to recommendations that aim to enhance the work efficiency of employees while reducing the probability that stress responses will occur.     

Environmental assessment in forestry: the initial experience

This study analyses the effectiveness of the European Community's Environmental Assessment Directive of 1985 in its application in the U.K. forestry sector. It assesses the applicability of the regulations in the provision of the public and private outputs of forestry. The environmental assessment regulation may contribute to the provision of the optimal amount of these public and private goods in theory, but it is concluded that, in common with initial results of the environmental assessment process in other sectors, the regulations do not make this contribution in practice in the forestry sector. The main deficiencies of the environmental statements examined were the failure to identify the significant potential impacts; to present alternative project sites and design features; and the erroneous measure of particular externalities. The environmental assessment process was also found to be unsatisfactory in the lack of public accessibility and consultation. The need for revision of the process in the forestry sector is highlighted.     

Portfolio assessment in a collaborative program evaluation: the reliability and validity of a family literacy portfolio

Evaluations increasingly use open-ended assessments, such as portfolios, to gather information about program impact. Portfolios, however, present challenges in achieving acceptable levels of reliability and often lack evidence to support validity. This article describes the components of a portfolio assessment system developed in a collaborative evaluation of a family literacy program. Staff of a family literacy program and two evaluators collaborated to develop the assessment and the tools that frame the review of the portfolios. Rubrics, exemplar portfolios, portfolio logs, and lists of ‘look-fors’ were developed to guide raters in the scoring and to improve the reliability of scores and validity of decisions about the program. Inter-rater reliability for the portfolio assessment was 0.79 for holistic scores and 0.74 for analytic scores. With respect to validity, holistic and analytic scores correlated with criterion measures from 0.50 to 0.59, providing initial evidence of a common construct.     

Best monotone M‐estimators

The author shows how to find M‐estimators of location whose generating function is monotone and which are optimal or close to optimal. It is easy to identify a consistent sequence of estimators in this class. In addition, it contains simple and efficient approximations in cases where the likelihood function is difficult to obtain. In some neighbourhoods of the normal distribution, the loss of efficiency due to the approximation is quite small. Optimal monotone M‐estimators can also be determined in cases when the underlying distribution is known only up to a certain neighbourhood. The author considers the e‐contamination model and an extension thereof that allows the distributions to be arbitrary outside compact intervals. His results also have implications for distributions with monotone score functions. The author illustrates his methodology using Student and stable distributions.     

DIFFICULT JOURNAL ARTICLE REJECTIONS AMONG PROLIFIC FAMILY THERAPISTS: A QUALITATIVE CRITICAL INCIDENT STUDY

This qualitative cirtical incident study examines the reactions and coping strategies of prolific family therapy scholars to difficult journal article rejections. Participants provide suggestions for ways to increase the likelihood of publication and to decrease the negative effects of journal article rejection. We discuss the implications of this investigations for the socialization of young professionals, the improvement of the journal review process, and the study of professional issues in family therapy.     

REVIEWS

Proffessional Books:-Walter, J. L., & Peller, J. E. (1992). Becoming solution-focused in brief therapy.
Proffessional Books:-Nelson, T. S., & trepper, T. S. (Eds.). (1993). 101 interventions in family therapy .
Proffessional Books:-Imber-Black, E. (Ed.). (1993). Secrets in families and family therapy .
Proffessional Books:-Hanks, R. S., Matocha, L., & Sussman, M. B. (Eds.). (1992). Publishing in journals on the family .
Proffessional Books:-Shapiro, C. H. (1993). When part of the self is lost: Helping clients heal after sexual and reproductive losses .
Self-Help Books:-Smith, S. L. (1993). Making peace with your adult children: A guide to family healing .
Self-Help Books:-Gilbert, R. M. (1992). Extraordinary relationships: A new way of thinking about human interactions .
Audio And Videotapereviews:- Working with Couples in Conflict . (1992). (Audiotape of a workshop of a workshop by Susan M. Heitler).
Audio And Videotape Reviews:- Couples and Communication (1992). (Videotape for teaching communication skills to couples).