The Battle of Deer Creek Crossing: A Case Study of Rhetorical Exigence and Environmental Controversy

THE BATTLE OF DEER CREEK CROSSING:A Case Study of Rhetorical Exigence and Environmental RhetoricMichael John Bannon, PhDUniversity of Pittsburgh, 2006 This dissertation is a case study that analyzes rhetorical tactics and strategies surrounding the environmental public argument over the fate of Deer Creek Crossing, a proposed commercial development in Western Pennsylvania's Allegheny River valley within three miles of the birthplace of pioneering environmentalist Rachel Carson. Drawing predominantly from primary sources, it contributes to our understanding of how lengthy rhetorical processes evolve and what influences them. The study shows that the analysis of context as manifested in the rhetorical situation and analyzed through a rhetorical history framework can clarify both singular events and prolonged argumentative processes by uncovering aspects of those events and processes which may be less apparent in a more narrowly focused study of individual rhetorical artifacts. The opening chapter provides necessary background and lays out the theoretical foundation supporting the analysis of the Deer Creek Crossing controversy. Chapter two analyzes the use and misuse of public forums, including the press, in governmental decision-making associated with the Deer Creek Crossing case. Chapter three investigates the adaptation of arguments and changes in tone in response to exigencies and constraints arising from the denial of the first permit application. Chapter four reconstructs the rhetorical decision-making process that led to the deployment of Rachel Carson's name, analyzes the argumentation arising in opposition, and examines the fight for scientific authority. Chapter five evaluates the decision-making processes of regulatory agencies charged with approving environmental permits, as well as the intricate and highly structured legal processes that dominated courtrooms, in which the last and most decisive actions were undertaken. Chapter six explores the implications of the Deer Creek Crossing case for environmental rhetoric and for the effect of particular strategies and tactics on environmental public argument from the perspective of environmental activists, of developers, and for rhetorical scholarship

Improving child protection : a systematic review of training and procedural interventions

Aim: To synthesise published evidence regarding the effectiveness of training and procedural interventions aimed at improving the identification and management of child abuse and neglect by health professionals. Methods: Systematic review for the period 1994 to 2005 of studies that evaluated child protection training and procedural interventions. Main outcome measures were learning achievement, attitudinal change, and clinical behaviour. Results: Seven papers that examined the effectiveness of procedural interventions and 15 papers that evaluated training programmes met the inclusion criteria. Critical appraisal showed that evaluation of interventions was on the whole poor. It was found that certain procedural interventions (such as the use of checklists and structured forms) can result in improved recording of important clinical information and may also alert clinical staff to the possibility of abuse. While a variety of innovative training programmes were identified, there was an absence of rigorous evaluation of their impact. However a small number of onegroup pre- and post-studies suggest improvements in a range of attitudes necessary for successful engagement in the child protection process. Conclusion: Current evidence supports the use of procedural changes that improve the documentation of suspected child maltreatment and that enhance professional awareness. The lack of an evidence based approach to the implementation of child protection training may restrict the ability of all health professionals to fulfil their role in the child protection process. Formal evaluation of a variety of models for the delivery of this training is urgently needed with subsequent dissemination of results that highlight those found to be most effective

Supreme Court Term Limits: A Path to a More Accountable High Court

Today's Supreme Court has assumed a degree of power and importance that would have been unrecognizable in the founding era. A recent cascade of ethics scandals has laid bare a system in which justices wield tremendous power for decades with little accountability while the Court's rulings are increasingly unmoored from democratic values and the principle of judicial restraint. For all these reasons, there are growing calls for reform. One of the most popular options would also be among the most transformative: establishing 18-year terms and regularized appointments for justices.This paper explains how such a reform would work, why it would bolster the Court's legitimacy, and how to transition from the current system. It also discusses how the core elements of this reform could be adopted by statute, consistent with the Constitution, by establishing the role of "senior justice.

Maximising Value of Electrical Networks for Wave Energy Converter Arrays

Currently there are the beginnings of a commercial wave energy industry and the ultimate ambition will be to deploy Wave Energy Converters (WECs) in arrays, or wave farms, in a similar fashion to offshore wind. These arrays will require electrical networks to collect and export the generated electrical power to shore and onto the electrical grid. For large scale wind farms the inter-array and export electrical networks can represent more than 20% of the project’s capital expenditure. Submarine power cables account for a large proportion of this cost. The same is expected to be the same for WEC arrays. This paper investigates strategies to reduce the cost of WEC array electrical networks by maximising the value of the network. The paper explores the possibility of underrating and dynamically rating the electrical array and export cable systems for WEC arrays in order to assess the cost savings that can be made. This paper will also look at a simulated WEC array power output time series. The aim is to establish whether the electrical equipment, particularly submarine cables, will operate outside its design parameters if under-rated based on maximum continuous current. This paper also investigates the WEC capacity factor effect on the overall economics of the array electrical system. It is concluded that cost savings could be made in the electrical network by utilising one, or a combination of, the outlined strategies. Understanding the potential benefits and applications of these strategies will assist in delivering cost effective WEC arrays in the future

Anatomic considerations for central venous cannulation

Central venous cannulation is a commonly performed procedure which facilitates resuscitation, nutritional support, and long-term vascular access. Mechanical complications most often occur during insertion and are intimately related to the anatomic relationship of the central veins. Working knowledge of surface and deep anatomy minimizes complications. Use of surface anatomic landmarks to orient the deep course of cannulating needle tracts appropriately comprises the crux of complication avoidance. The authors describe use of surface landmarks to facilitate safe placement of internal jugular, subclavian, and femoral venous catheters. The role of real-time sonography as a safety-enhancing adjunct is reviewed

Resource-induced voltage flicker for wave energy converters – assessment tools

For wave energy converters, the input resource has a typical period of 5–20 s depending on the site location and dominant seastates. Wave energy converters generally produce mechanical power twice per wave cycle and therefore depending on the storage available, the electrical power output has half the period of the input resource. These regular power changes induce a voltage change at the point of connection (POC) which is proportional to the amplitude of the power change and at the same frequency. Therefore the coupling of the input resource to the output power of a wave energy converter will cause voltage flicker at the POC, which may exceed the permitted limits under specific conditions. This study establishes the nature of the flicker issue from wave energy converters. Some practical tools for the evaluation of flicker from a device are introduced. These tools are suitable for early stage flicker assessment to assist in the design process only. They are not meant of substitutes for existing codes and standards which are outlined in this study. This study concludes that wave energy converters may exceed flicker emission limits as a result of the coupling of the resource to the output power, and this may be particularly severe when connected to weak grids. Some potential strategies for overcoming this problem are presented also

Herbert Marcuse, Subjectivity and how Eco-Narrative can Provide New Pathways of Education

My project examines how Herbert Marcuse’s notion of subjectivity can create a space in narrative fiction to read the relationship between humanity and the environment with an ecocritical lens. I then advocate for a reimagining of narrative fiction’s role in environmental education, and discuss how these understandings can be turned into praxis. The two texts I explore are Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o A Grain of Wheat and The Lamp at Noon by Sinclair Ross. These texts present two different yet related narrative stories in which people collide with the natural world, and in this relationship there are significant opportunities to expand our own understanding of environmental subjectivity. I delve into the space where humanity and nature meet, and what it means to consider nature as the other, independently of humanity’s wants and desires. Marcuse provides a theoretical yet active perspective of radical subjectivity, and this allows these narratives to inform on how to build a more equitable relationship with the environment

The Transcription Factor NURR1 Exerts Concentration-Dependent Effects on Target Genes Mediating Distinct Biological Processes

The transcription factor NURR1 plays a pivotal role in the development and maintenance of neurotransmitter phenotype in midbrain dopamine neurons. Conversely, decreased NURR1 expression is associated with a number of dopamine-related CNS disorders, including Parkinson’s disease and drug addiction. In order to better understand the nature of NURR1-responsive genes and their potential roles in dopamine neuron differentiation and survival, we used a human neural cellular background (SK-N-AS cells) in which to generate a number of stable clonal lines with graded NURR1 gene expression that approximated that seen in DA cell-rich human substantia nigra. Gene expression profiling data from these NURR1-expressing clonal lines were validated by quantitative RT-PCR and subjected to bioinformatic analyses. The present study identified a large number of NURR1-responsive genes and demonstrated the potential importance of concentration-dependent NURR1 effects in the differential regulation of distinct NURR1 target genes and biological pathways. These data support the promise of NURR1-based CNS therapeutics for the neuroprotection and/or functional restoration of DA neurons

Authors' Response

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/97166/1/jfo12080.pd