An Alphabetical metamorphosis

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Cardiac Changes During an Attention-Demanding Task in Mentally Retarded Adults

The relationship between physiological response patterns and intellectual deficiencies was investigated by examining heart rate changes during a sustained attention-demanding task with institutionalized mentally retarded adults classified into three different I.Q. levels. The task consisted of simple motor responses made to a visual display within which was hidden the stimulus cue of Santa Claus. The findings indicated that changes in the within-trial heart rate response were significantly different between groups. Consistent with previous research on retarded adolescents, the retarded adults in the present study were characterized by a significant increase in heart rate variability upon stimulus onset. However, the high I.Q. group (X I.Q.=61) and the middle I.Q. group (X I.Q.=48) displayed significantly less variability in heart rate within the trials than did the low I.Q. group (X I.Q.=36) who remained well above their base rates. Moreover, measures of latency indicated that the high I.Q. group responded significantly faster to the stimulus cues than did the other two groups. The present findings are discussed in terms of viewing peripheral deficits as manifestations of central nervous system deficits paralleling I.Q

Terminating Addiction Naturally: Post-Addict Identity and the Avoidance of Treatment

This paper examines the characteristics of alcoholics and drug addicts who terminate their addictions without the benefit of treatment. Using what is commonly referred to as natural recovery processes, respondents terminated their addictions without formal treatment or self-help group assistance. Data for this study are based on in-depth interviews with 25 alcoholics and drug addicts who were identified through snowball sampling techniques. First, we examine the postaddict identities of our respondents to see how they view themselves in relation to their addictive past. Next, we explore the reasons respondents gave for avoiding treatment and self-help groups. We then examine the factors in our respondents\u27 lives that promoted natural recovery. Finally, this paper concludes with a discussion of the relevance of our findings to clinical treatment and social policy

EXAMINING STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AMONG STATE SPECIAL EDUCATION AGENCIES IN THE RESULTS DRIVEN ACCOUNTABILITY PROCESS

This qualitative study is designed to investigate how state special education agencies (SEAs) implement the policy tool of engaging stakeholders to respond to the federal expectations of improving results for students with disabilities through their State Systemic Improvement Plans (SSIPs). The traditional top-down, authoritarian roles of SEAs have not adequately met the stakeholder policy expectations at the local level. With federal policy pressuring SEAs to deliver on local education outcomes, stakeholder engagement has become an operation reporting expectation in SSIPs. Both federal policy and the engagement and collaboration literature informed this study. This deductive qualitative research study employed thematic analysis to extract key concepts from SSIPs to dissect stakeholder engagement used by 50 SEAs. The findings revealed SEA’s use of influence, representation, communication, directionality and supports to involve stakeholders in the development of the SSIPs. SEAs engaged a breadth of stakeholders by providing a context for the work, informing and teaching skills for more effective engagement, and offering guidance and making the work more manageable for the stakeholders. A state leadership structure for stakeholder engagement emerged from this investigation. The framework incorporates: (a) a breadth of stakeholders that are both representative and authentic, (b) a means of support that encourages, maintains and sustains stakeholder understanding of and engagement in the work, and (c) lateral and collaborative interactions for the creation of ideas and decisions that allow for genuine and influential stakeholder voices

An Analysis of the Technical and Economic Potential for Mid-Scale Distributed Wind

This report examines the status, restrainers, drivers, and estimated development potential of mid-scale (10 kW to 5000 kW) distributed wind projects. This segment of the wind market has not enjoyed the same growth that central-station wind has experienced. The purpose of this report is to analyze why, and to assess the market potential for this technology under current market and policy conditions. As discussed in section 2, one of the most significant barriers to the development of distributed wind is a general scarcity of turbine choices and turbine inventory available for purchase. Most turbine manufacturers have scaled back their involvement in the mid-scale market segments in favor of larger turbines suitable for large, central-station wind farms. Those distributed-scale turbines that are available are often relatively expensive (on a $/kW basis), hard to order in single units or small lots, and suffer from long delivery delays. Section 3 discusses various other factors—both positive and negative—that affect the viability of distributed wind. In addition to the product scarcity described in section 2, distributed wind is challenged by relatively poor productivity (compared with more modern large turbines), siting issues, burdensome interconnection rules, aesthetic concerns, and fragmented state rules regarding net metering. Several other factors favor distributed wind: areas of high and rising retail electricity prices, increasingly favorable public policies, and greater community interest in the environmental and economic benefits of renewable energy. As examined in section 4, the study evaluated the economic potential for distributed wind in the contiguous United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. The analysis began with a GIS screening process to eliminate areas that are technically impractical for distributed wind. Sites were eliminated in areas where: • Elevation was too high; • Slope was too steep; • Population density was too great; • Wind Power Class was less than 2; and • Areas legally excluded from wind-power development, such as national parks. After screening out ineligible sites, more than 3.6 million surviving sites were evaluated to determine whether distributed wind would be financially feasible. Certain customer types were excluded from the study, such as agricultural, construction companies, and military facilities, because they lacked data necessary for the analysis. The financial model considered: • Wind resources; • Wholesale and retail power prices; • Renewable Energy Credit (REC) prices; • Customer type (community wind, commercial, industrial, or public facility); • Project size; • Turbine technical and financial characteristics; • Onsite and offsite energy use; and • Incentives. The results varied significantly by customer class. Overall, the study showed that 67,100 out of the 3,611,655 sites/areas that were analyzed for economic viability yielded a positive net present value under current market conditions and policies and including all applicable state and federal incentives. To assess the potential of new technology, two virtual wind turbines—the NREL 250 and NREL 500—were included in the analysis. These virtual turbines were compared to existing 250 kW and 500 kW turbines. Overall, the study showed that 204,677 sites analyzed had positive net present values with the virtual turbines compared with 10,407 economically successful projects with existing 250 kW and 500 kW turbines. These numbers do not include the application of capped state and federal incentives. The following crucial changes could expand distributed wind development into the future. • Improvements in technology; • Reductions in cost; • Greater productivity at lower wind speeds; and • Greater policy support