Concentrating on the Worst Performers

There is a substantial variation in the quality of operators of nuclear power plants, and it is therefore widely believed that regulatory attention is best directed at the worst performers. What is not immediately apparent is a strategy for the optimal allocation of regulatory resources. We study a simple model for this problem, and find that, under reasonable assumptions, the optimal allocation does indeed behave as expected. The proper degree of unbalance, however, depends upon the effectiveness of regulation itself and on the variation among performers, ineffective regulation leading to more concentration on the bottom of the list and a net reduction in attention to the top. Not surprisingly, the optimal strategy is to press toward parity in risk, even if it means allowing some plants to become riskier. This strategy leads to a minimized net probability of accident anywhere.     

A Health Risk Benchmark for the Neurologic Effects of Styrene: Comparison with NOAEL/LOAEL Approach

Benchmark dose (BMD) analysis was used to estimate an inhalation benchmark concentration for styrene neurotoxicity. Quantal data on neuropsychologic test results from styrene-exposed workers [Mutti et al. (1984). American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 5, 275-286] were used to quantify neurotoxicity, defined as the percent of tested workers who responded abnormally to > or = 1, > or = 2, or > or = 3 out of a battery of eight tests. Exposure was based on previously published results on mean urinary mandelic- and phenylglyoxylic acid levels in the workers, converted to air styrene levels (15, 44, 74, or 115 ppm). Nonstyrene-exposed workers from the same region served as a control group. Maximum-likelihood estimates (MLEs) and BMDs at 5 and 10% response levels of the exposed population were obtained from log-normal analysis of the quantal data. The highest MLE was 9 ppm (BMD = 4 ppm) styrene and represents abnormal responses to > or = 3 tests by 10% of the exposed population. The most health-protective MLE was 2 ppm styrene (BMD = 0.3 ppm) and represents abnormal responses to > or = 1 test by 5% of the exposed population. A no observed adverse effect level/lowest observed adverse effect level (NOAEL/LOAEL) analysis of the same quantal data showed workers in all styrene exposure groups responded abnormally to > or = 1, > or = 2, or > or = 3 tests, compared to controls, and the LOAEL was 15 ppm. A comparison of the BMD and NOAEL/LOAEL analyses suggests that at air styrene levels below the LOAEL, a segment of the worker population may be adversely affected. The benchmark approach will be useful for styrene noncancer risk assessment purposes by providing a more accurate estimate of potential risk that should, in turn, help to reduce the uncertainty that is a common problem in setting exposure levels.     

"BY PUBLIC OPINION I MEAN"--

"Where all people talk on the same subject, they should be agreedabout the vocabulary with which they discuss it: or, at anyrate, they should be aware that they are not agreed."     

Teaching Note—Challenges in the Classroom on LGBTQ Topics and Christianity in Social Work

This article provides guidance in facilitating the development of culturally sensitive skills for working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) populations that take into account power and privilege. Social work faculty and students have an ethical obligation to be competent and aware of privilege. When working with LGBTQ populations, this means addressing personal and social values and beliefs about gender and sexuality. Faculty may not feel prepared to address the influence of Christianity, the dominant religion in the United States, on social forces affecting LGBTQ populations and on social workers’ religious feelings when working with these individuals. This article describes pedagogical techniques and provides guidance for developing faculty and student competence and awareness when working with LGBTQ populations.     

Protecting Children and Young People from Tobacco‐Related Harm: A Review

Tobacco use continues to be a serious public health issue. Although declining in middle‐ to high‐income countries, smoking rates are often higher in disadvantaged communities and vulnerable groups. Knowledge about tobacco‐related harm also tends to be incomplete. To date, legislation has focused on public domains, but the pressure to protect children in the home and other private spaces is fast becoming a focal point for potential legislation and intervention. Negotiating the boundary between privacy and protection is likely to become a matter of professional concern.     

Choice of Social Work as a Career: Possible Influences

Abstract

Little is known about why students choose social work for a career. Certain life events in the family of origin may exert a compelling influence, though other factors are certainly involved. This study examines the influence of selected life events and such factors as prior employment, volunteering, and influential persons via a survey of 415 social work students and a comparison group of 203 nonsocial work students. Social work students were more likely to report problems such as alcoholism and emotional illness within their families of origin and to attribute these experiences to their choice of career.