An alternative perspective on biofeedback efficacy studies: A reply to Steiner and Dince

Clinical applications of biofeedback have proliferated and considerable lore surrounding the application of these techniques has evolved. Many assertions about the effectiveness of biofeedback training are based on findings of the least well-controlled studies, while many of the better controlled studies have failed to show that biofeedback directly mediates target symptoms or is superior to other treatments. Steiner and Dince (1981) suggest that the failure of these controlled studies is primarily attributable to methodological deficiencies. We believe that the question of whether or not there is a specific effect of biofeedback training is still frequently confused with the question of whether or not the treatment package as a whole has therapeutic value. Biofeedback is often therapeutic; however, evidence is often lacking that its effectiveness is due to biofeedback-trained changes in a target physiological process.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44088/1/10484_2005_Article_BF00998755.pd

Law in social work education: reviewing the evidence on teaching, learning and assessment

This paper presents the findings from a systemic review of knowledge relating to current practice in the teaching, learning and assessment of law in social work education. The research comprised an internationally conducted systematic review of the literature, together with a survey of current education practice in the four countries of the UK. Two consultation events sought the views of a range of stakeholders, including the perspectives of service users and carers. Set in the context of debates about the relationship between law and social work practice, this paper identifies the common themes emerging from the review and offers an analysis of key findings, together with priorities for future directions in education practice

BENEFITS ANALYSIS OF AN AIR TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENT CAPABILITY

Air Traffic Management in the U.S. can logically be divided into two major components: (1) air traffic control (ATC) ensures pairwise separation of proximate aircraft, and (2) traffic flow management (TFM) seeks a general balance between demand and capacity for airspace and airport resources. A set of new capabilities for TFM is in the process of being developed, for deployment in the 2009-2014 timeframe. In this paper, we describe an analysis of the benefits of one capability – a capability called Automated Airborne Congestion Resolution (AACR). AACR is a capability that allows TFM staff to model, and then implement, alternatives for flight rerouting and take-off time delays when there are airspace constraints, i.e., reduced airspace sector capacity, typically because of severe weather. Our benefits analysis compares today’s approach with the proposed 2015 approach in which AACR provides automation support to augment and enhance human decision-making. Today’s approach is mostly manual – TFM staff plan and coordinate alternate routing as possible under conditions of the disorder and pressure-to-act associated with severe weather impacting airspace. The future approach relies more on a computed solution – AACR generates 1 DeArmon/Stalnaker Katkin/McKinney scores of reroutes, each with a spectrum of plausible take-off delays. The AACR approach can exploit scarce airspace resources when they are at a premium. In the paper, we present a comparative analysis of the current vs. future scenarios, with quantitative results