How Should Congress Respond to McDonnell?

Discussion of question of whether McDonnell was essentially right or wrong. Should Congress act to change the McDonnell rule? Should the Supreme Court reconsider it? What would be an alternative or a better way, if there is one, to approach the question of public corruption prosecution

Tweeting, Texting, and Facebook Postings: Stirring the Pot with Social Media to Make Drama - Case Study and Participant Observation

This study of adolescent social drama is located at the intersection of research on adolescent peer relationships, group behaviors, youth culture, and mediated communication. An emergent construct, drama has been conceptualized as social interactions characterized by overreaction, exaggeration, excessive emotionality, prolongation, inclusion of extraneous individuals, inflated importance, and temporary relevance. This case study and participant observation involve a 15-year-old, white, middle class female and her mother. The purpose was two-fold: To determine if the events described map on to existing understandings of drama and to develop emergent themes and hypotheses through grounded theory analysis and ethnographic observation that might expand knowledge of drama. Findings suggest that this case reflects current understandings of drama. Emergent themes suggest that drama may also involve highly emotional group experiences and that while drama may be temporary and short-lived, it may also create a backdrop for additional problematic events

Evolutionary Dynamics At Two Loci Of The Human Genome As Assessed By Examination Of Nucleotide Sequence Diversity And Organization

Accurate and comprehensive measurement of the extent and pattern of nucleotide diversity is necessary to refine theories on the dynamics of evolution. It is possible to determine the sequence of any genomic region for numerous individuals using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and associated techniques of DNA sequence analysis. The two regions of the human genome examined in this study were the third exon of the highly conserved (two major alleles) alcohol dehydrogenase, Adh2 locus and the second exon of the highly polymorphic (26 alleles) human leukocyte antigen, HLA-DQ{dollar}\beta{dollar}1 gene. Sequence information was determined from 25 individuals from Southwestern Ontario and 26 Dogrib individuals from the Northwest Territories of Canada. The Southwestern Ontario population is heterogeneous in ancestry and predominantly European while the Dogrib population is homogeneous and of Asian ancestry. Intra-allelic nucleotide diversity was characterized at two regions of the genome in two different human populations using PCR with direct sequencing and chaos representation of sequence organization.;No intra-allelic variation was observed in the 39,000 nucleotides examined for both exons. There was no evidence for higher substitution rates for highly polymorphic loci. The maintenance of a large number of alleles at the HLA-DQ{dollar}\beta{dollar}1 locus in populations is attributed to selective forces, in particular heterozygote advantage, while admixture and stochastic forces such as founder effects, and bottlenecks could account for observed population-specific allele frequencies at the two loci. Nucleotide diversity was nonrandom and influenced by nearest-neighbor nucleotide associations. Dinucleotide representation also accounted for the major features of the global organization in DNA sequences. Analysis of 56 large sequences from 10 species, 28 mitochondrial DNAs and 31 viral genomes identified, for the first time, that the global structure of DNA is under selective constraints that are genome-type specific and related to an as yet unknown force(s) or factor(s).;Selection plays a predominant role in determining the gene-specific variability and genome-type specific sequentiality of DNA. Thus, the evolution of the DNA sequence of a gene or genome should be viewed in the dual context of the constraints on its specific function and the genome-type specific global organization

MS

thesisThe purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between health consumer knowledge and the health focus of early adolescents. Forty-four seventh grade students completed pre- and posttest in coordination with the presentation of a health consumer teaching unit designed by the investigator. Scores were calculated regarding health consumer knowledge, medicine/drug attitudes, health locus of control and sources of health information. The scores were subjected to analysis using t-tests and Pearson's R correlations. A relationship between health consumer knowledge and health focus was nonconclusive. Findings regarding drug/medicine attitudes were highly significant. A need to initiate teach to avert over-the-counter drug abuse/misuse was recognized. The complex interplay of varying cognitive, affective and behavior components affecting health focus were acknowledge. The role of nurse in presenting health consumer information to assist clients toward self-responsibility and compliance in health care was emphasized

Diverse Voices of Leadership: Different Rhythms and Emerging Harmonies

In our current research literature leaders have been identified through traditional sampling techniques; techniques in which individuals are selected by positions, reputation, and organizational success. The background assumptions for these techniques include that of leadership as a top-down phenomenon, under the purview of CEOs and presidents. Articulated by these sampling techniques is a voice of leadership that is based within the American individualistic culture, a voice from leaders who are white, older, and men. The purpose of this study was to explore whether there are different voices of leadership which are not presently reflected in the leadership literature. Fifteen individuals were interviewed and asked to relate their leadership life story. These individuals were selected based on diversity in gender, age, position, ethnicity, culture, race, and experience. The author found that there are multiple voices of leadership which are not presently reflected in the current literature. These diverse voices of leadership represent a way of thinking about leadership within socio-centered cultures and from a care perspective

Working with ethnic-minority families: Evaluating the need for cross-cultural training within Riverside County Child Protective Services

This work examined social workers at the Riverside County Child Protective Services and their need for cross-cultural training specifically when working with ethnic minority families

Leadership, Communication and Religiosity in Higher Education Administration: Distinctions That Make a Difference

This project investigated the communicative and religious components of transformational leadership and job satisfaction in the context of higher education. Specifically, 224 CAO members of the Council of Independent Colleges completed a survey assessing their own leadership style, communication behavior, and religiosity. A stepwise multiple regression procedure revealed seven significant predictors of transformational leadership. The most important variables included attentiveness, openness, role negotiation, and intrinsic religious orientation. Additionally, a t-test compared a subset of CAOs from institutions affiliated with the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities with CAOs in non-affiliated institutions. Results revealed statistically significant differences in attentiveness, information support, exercise of transformational leadership, and religious identity, practice, and orientation. Lastly, a second stepwise regression procedure revealed five significant predictors of CAO job satisfaction including availability of emotional support, level of commitment to the job, and amount of religious activity. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications for conducting higher education administration in ways that best reflect religious ideals

Patients' request for and emergency physicians' prescription of antimicrobial prophylaxis for anthrax during the 2001 bioterrorism-related outbreak

BACKGROUND: Inappropriate use of antibiotics by individuals worried about biological agent exposures during bioterrorism events is an important public health concern. However, little is documented about the extent to which individuals with self-identified risk of anthrax exposure approached physicians for antimicrobial prophylaxis during the 2001 bioterrorism attacks in the United States. METHODS: We conducted a telephone survey of randomly selected members of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians to assess patients' request for and emergency physicians' prescription of antimicrobial agents during the 2001 anthrax attacks. RESULTS: Ninety-seven physicians completed the survey. Sixty-four (66%) respondents had received requests from patients for anthrax prophylaxis; 16 (25%) of these physicians prescribed antibiotics to a total of 23 patients. Ten physicians prescribed ciprofloxacin while 8 physicians prescribed doxycycline. CONCLUSION: During the 2001 bioterrorist attacks, the majority of the emergency physicians we surveyed encountered patients who requested anthrax prophylaxis. Public fears may lead to a high demand for antibiotic prophylaxis during bioterrorism events. Elucidation of the relationship between public health response to outbreaks and outcomes would yield insights to ease burden on frontline clinicians and guide strategies to control inappropriate antibiotic allocation during bioterrorist events