Investments in solid waste management : opportunities for environmental improvement

This paper presents the findings of a brief evaluation of World Bank experience in municipal solid waste management (MSWM) and recommends approaches to improving future Bank performance in this subsector. The paper is presented in four chapters. Chapter I describes the methodology by which the MSWM investments were reviewed and presents definitions and discussion of the benefits of MSWM to the environment and urban productivity in developing countries. Chapter II presents the overall results relating to to the Bank's total lending for solid waste management, including the findings of the Regional evaluation of MSWM lending. Chapter III examines the findings related to the design and implementation of the Bank's MSWM components and discusses such issues as the size and scope of investments, borrowing levels, cost recovery, and private sector participation. Finally, chapter IV presents recommendations for improving the design and execution of future MSWM projects or components. Annexes to the paper include a series of tables containg summary data on MSWM components in Bank projects and eight individual case studies highlighting specific MSWM projects or components in selected countries.Urban Solid Waste Management,Sanitation and Sewerage,TF030632-DANISH CTF - FY05 (DAC PART COUNTRIES GNP PER CAPITA BELOW USD 2,500/AL,Waste Disposal&Utilization,Energy and Environment

Characterization of a SAS3 Homolog in the Human Pathogenic Yeast Cryptococcus Neoformans

Undergraduate Basi

Navigating And Negotiating Identity In The Black Gay Mecca: Educational And Institutional Influences That Positively Impact The Life Histories Of Black Gay Male Youth In Atlanta

Sexual minority people face a heterosexist society in which they are legally and socially marginalized. Additionally, Black people face a society where racist attitudes and laws persist, one in which they are dehumanized as other in relation to Whites. Furthermore, being a Black male means confronting a system where, beginning in elementary school, one is frequently deemed deficient or deviant and penalized by racist practices and policies. Very few studies have examined how Black gay males come to understand their intersecting racial and sexual identities or how they navigate and negotiate life in a White heterosexist society. This dissertation outlines the current state of sexual minority youth with a focus on Black gay males and suggests that more must be done to understand the lived experiences of this community within and beyond the schoolhouse, especially in a city such as Atlanta, which is known as a Black gay mecca and where the Black sexual minority community is visible. It is important to examine how a range of institutional forces, working in tandem with and sometimes against racism and heterosexism, challenge as well as assist Black gay males in forming their identities. The purpose of the study was to gather the life histories of five young Black sexual minority males aged 19-24 in metro-Atlanta. I utilized critical race theory and quare theory, which critique endemic racism and heteronormativity, as a lens to understand their life histories within a larger societal context. By probing how numerous social institutions have influenced young Black male identity formation, including schools, peers, family, church, community-based LGBTQ organizations, and social media, this study presents life histories in a way that provides a more holistic picture of this community. Due to the paucity of research focused on how young Black gay males are productively navigating through life, this study offers a distinct contribution by placing their histories front and center in an attempt to provide a counterstory to deficit-based perspectives. From the participants’ life histories, five factors were found to shape identity formation while navigating the above institutions: racial shelving (bracketing race in majority-Black environments to contend with sexual identity issues); thick skin (increasing ability to face and conquer challenges based on negotiation of past challenges); self-determination (taking the initiative to seek information and relationships to learn about sexual identity, including use of social media); defying/transcending stereotypes (refusing to conform to dominant narratives about Black gay males); and experiential evolution (understanding that experience translates into growth and self-affirmation). All of these factors address the ways in which the participants have come to understand, negotiate, accept, and even embrace their intersecting identities. Additionally, findings are useful because the participants’ life histories have set a foundation for how educators and sexual majority youth can better understand a population facing a racist and heterosexist society and enable new policy interventions to be imagined. Four proposals, which emanate from participants\u27 life experiences, are presented for schools to undertake: incorporating Black gay activists and community members into school culture, providing professional development for teachers on race and heterosexism, developing a comprehensive sex-education curriculum that includes gay students, and implementing a “Who Cares” campaign to mediate peer pressure to conform

The relationship between the perceived level of contribution of virtual team members and their energization source as described by Jung\u27s typology

The increasing use of virtual teams as a result of advances in technology has altered the manner in which team members communicate and interact (Holton, 2001). The media-rich faceto- face team environment has frequently given way to asynchronous communication, using tools such as emails and discussion threads (Ohler, 2004). This study focused on the role of personality type in the emerging academic asynchronous environment; specifically, it explored the relationship between the Jungian dimension of energization (introversion vs. extroversion) of a team member and the perceived level of contribution of that team member to a team in an academic asynchronous virtual environment. The sample for this study included 144 university students who were participating in several courses that required virtual team activities. Respondents completed both an online personality survey similar to that of a Myer Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI), as well as an online teammate contribution questionnaire based on McGrath’s (1964) measures of team efficiency. The null hypothesis that no relationship exists between energization source and perceived virtual team contribution was tested. Nine of the 14 questions that addressed individual contribution to the team were correlated with energization at the ³ 95% confidence (£ 0.05 significance) level. When the individual rating items were grouped consistent with the McGrath (1964) team contribution model, a £ 0.05 significance level correlation was found with two of the three groupings. The null hypothesis was thus rejected, and it was concluded that at the university level, there was a significant relationship between Jung’s energization dimension of personality scale and perceived contribution to a virtual team. It was also concluded that at the university level, a relationship between an individual’s levels of introversion vs. extroversion likely impacts the vi manner in which a team member communicates and contributes in a virtual team environment. This conclusion suggested that future virtual team leaders and team members should be aware of, and give consideration to, the levels of introversion vs. extroversion of their teammates because this is an aspect of personality that may influence how team members communicate most effectively

The Use of Different Embryos in Studying the Development of Man

The early development of man (embryology) is generally taught with the use of embryos of different animals. Human embryos are seldom used. This is true in the medical, graduate and undergraduate curricula. The primary reason for this utilitarian approach is simply because human embryos are generally not obtainable in numbers sufficient for the wide distribution necessary for all colleges and universities. Another reason is that fairly good substitutes are available to exhibit the early embryological stages of development of man. Some of these substitutes are embryos of the chick, frog and pig

PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF THE PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF THE "HARDINESS-RESILIENCE GAUGE" IN AN UNDERGRADUATE SAMPLE

The purpose of the study was to examine the psychometric properties of a new hardiness scale, the Hardiness-Resilience Gauge (HRG). Data were collected from 280 Greek undergraduates, studying in a social science department. Data analyses included the examination of factorial validity, internal consistency, and correlation with external criteria. Results supported a hierarchical model with three factors (commitment, control, and challenge) nested under the higher-order construct of hardiness. Moderate to high reliability coefficients were reported for the total HRG scale (α = .89) and for the three subscales, commitment (α=.86), control (α=.75), and challenge (α=.72). Moreover, HRG’s concurrent and predictive validity was supported. These findings provide support for the appropriateness of the scale in Greek undergraduates, suggesting that HRG may be a useful measure of psychological hardiness. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed

Live-Sky GNSS Signal Processing using a Dual-Polarized Antenna Array for Multipath Mitigation

Excerpt: Multipath results from reflections of Global navigation satellite signals (GNSS) signals arriving at a receiver that are delayed with respect to the desired line-of-sight (LOS) signals. The delayed signals distort the received LOS signals, thereby causing pseudorange and carrier phase measurement errors. Traditional multipath mitigation techniques include antenna gain pattern shaping (primarily to reduce ground multipath) and correlator gating techniques (such as narrow correlator and double-delta correlator [1])

Human Adaptability for Deep Space Missions: An Exploratory Study

The present qualitative study conducts in-depth interviews with astronauts and other subject matter experts in order to shed light on human adaptability in extreme environments. Deep space travel will entail a range of highly stressful conditions to which astronauts must adapt. Feelings of isolation will be increased, as the space traveler is farther from Earth for longer periods of time. Daily life will take place in small and confined areas, for durations extending into years. The dangers of the extreme environment of space are ever-present, and failure of critical equipment or components can lead to death. Astronauts will need to function more autonomously, with diminished support from Earth. It is thus important to select and train future astronauts who are able to adapt to such extreme and variable conditions and continue to function effectively. Subject matter experts identify the central adaptive challenges faced by crewmembers, and what are the key individual attributes associated with human adaptability. Results also point to organizational factors, as well as several coping and resource strategies that can be applied to improve human adaptability to extreme environments and missions. These results can be used to inform selection and training programs, as well as the design of space vehicles, systems, and habitats in order to enhance astronaut adaptive task performance