Everything Rises and Falls on Leadership: An Assessment of Undergraduate Leadership Development Programs at the University of Arkansas - Fayetteville

Today\u27s students are the leaders of tomorrow, and their ability to lead in the 21st century will be critical to the sustainability of life, and the nation\u27s ability to prosper will depend on the quality of leadership demonstrated at all levels of society. Student leadership development in institutions of higher education has never been more vital than it is today. In order to provide society with excellent and effective leadership that will be capable of handling unprecedented domestic and global economic and medical crises, as well as properly managing technological advancements, institutions of higher education must invest in the development of effective leadership as part of the overall undergraduate educational experience. The purpose for conducting the study was to identify what leadership development opportunities are presented to undergraduate students at the University of Arkansas--Fayetteville (UAF) through student affairs and to assess these current leadership development program offerings. Designed as an assessment, the study investigated and evaluated undergraduate student leadership development initiatives at UAF to determine if the institution is achieving the desired undergraduate leadership development outcomes and if current undergraduate leadership development programs can be identified as being of quality. The study revealed critical findings that suggested that UAF is not providing sufficient and adequate leadership programs specific to leadership development. Current leadership initiatives through the division of student affairs had a great reliance on the promotion of student activity involvement and not much emphasis on process-oriented programs for leadership education, which leads to leadership training and ultimately to leadership development founded on research-based curricula and research-grounded continuous program development

PROPERTY Pawnbrokers: Provide Comprehensive Legislation Regulating Loans on Motor Vehicle Titles

The Act makes extensive changes in the manner in which a pawnbroker may offer loans to individuals who pledge the title of their motor vehicle as security. The most significant provisions of the Act set new limits on the amount of interest which may be charged on a pawnbroker loan and require pawnbrokers to provide individuals seeking such loans with detailed disclosure settlements. The Act further revises the Georgia Code sections dealing with the leasing of motor vehicles pledged for loans, limitations on the duration of pawn transactions, the amount of storage fees which a pawnbroker may charge, the amount of repossession fees which a pawnbroker may charge for pledged motor vehicles, and the holding periods after such repossession. The Act also imposes certain advertising requirements on pawnbrokers and revises the Code sections concerning liens of pawnbrokers on property which is pledged to them in return for loans by providing a grace period related to the enforcement of such liens

PROPERTY Pawnbrokers: Provide Comprehensive Legislation Regulating Loans on Motor Vehicle Titles

The Act makes extensive changes in the manner in which a pawnbroker may offer loans to individuals who pledge the title of their motor vehicle as security. The most significant provisions of the Act set new limits on the amount of interest which may be charged on a pawnbroker loan and require pawnbrokers to provide individuals seeking such loans with detailed disclosure settlements. The Act further revises the Georgia Code sections dealing with the leasing of motor vehicles pledged for loans, limitations on the duration of pawn transactions, the amount of storage fees which a pawnbroker may charge, the amount of repossession fees which a pawnbroker may charge for pledged motor vehicles, and the holding periods after such repossession. The Act also imposes certain advertising requirements on pawnbrokers and revises the Code sections concerning liens of pawnbrokers on property which is pledged to them in return for loans by providing a grace period related to the enforcement of such liens

Barriers to the Development of SME's in the Australian Construction Industry

Small and medium sized companies (SMEs) operating in the construction industry in regionalareas of Australia often struggle to compete against city-based companies for constructionwork. This paper identifies the barriers that confront SMEs in areas outsidemajor cities, specifically in regional areas of Victoria (Australia) where local firms oftencompete unsuccessfully against large Melbourne-based organisations. The authors alsolook at the possibility of using e-commerce solutions to give regional SMEs greater competitivenessas well as considering possible policy initiatives that may assist these companiesto be more successful in tendering against city-based competition

The Ottawa ankle rules for the use of diagnostic X-ray in after hours medical centres in New Zealand

Aims: The aims of this study were to measure baseline use of Ottawa ankle rules (OAR), validate the OAR and, if appropriate, explore the impact of implementing the Rules on X-ray rates in a primary care, after hours medical centre setting. Methods: General practitioners (GPs) were surveyed to find their awareness of ankle injury guidelines. Data concerning diagnosis and X-ray utilisation were collected prospectively for patients presenting with ankle injuries to two after hours medical centres. The OAR were applied retrospectively, and the sensitivity and specificity of the OAR were compared with GPs’ clinical judgement in ordering X-rays. The outcome measures were X-ray utilisation and diagnosis of fracture. Results: Awareness of the OAR was low. The sensitivity of the OAR for diagnosis of fractures was 100% (95% CI: 75.3 – 100) and the specificity was 47% (95% CI: 40.5 – 54.5). The sensitivity of GPs’ clinical judgement was 100% (95% CI: 75.3 – 100) and the specificity was 37% (95% CI: 30.2 – 44.2). Implementing the OAR would reduce X-ray utilisation by 16% (95% CI: approx 10.8 – 21.3). Conclusions: The OAR are valid in a New Zealand primary care setting. Further implementation of the rules would result in some reduction of X-rays ordered for ankle injuries, but less than the reduction found in previous studies.Accident Compensation Corporation of New ZealandOtago Universit

A key to selected rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) based on mitochondrial DNA restriction fragment analysis

Larval and juvenile rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) are difficult to identify using morphological characters. We developed a key based on sizes of restriction endonuclease fragments of the NADH dehydrogenase-3 and -4 (ND3/ND4) and 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA (12S/16S) mitochondrial regions. The key makes use of variation in the ND3/ND4 region. Restriction endonuclease Dde I variation can corroborate identifications, as can 12S/16S variation. The key, based on 71 species, includes most North American taxa, several Asian species, and Sebastolobus alascanus and Helicolenus hilgendorfi that are closely related to rockfishes. Fifty-eight of 71 rockfish species in our database can be distinguished unequivocally, using one to five restriction enzymes; identities of the remaining species are narrowed to small groups: 1) S. polyspinis, S. crameri, and S. ciliatus or variabilis (the two species could not be distinguished and were considered as a single species) ; 2) S. chlorostictus, S. eos, and S. rosenblatti; 3) S. entomelas and S. mystinus; 4)S. emphaeus, S. variegatus, and S. wilsoni; and 5) S. carnatus and S. chrysomelas

Psychological adjustment of men with prostate cancer: A review of the literature

OBJECTIVE: Prostate cancer (PCA) is the most common malignancy and a major cause of death in men but, importantly, a substantial proportion will live for several years following diagnosis. However, they face the prospect of experiencing symptoms, side-effects of treatment and diminished quality of life. The patient's psychological adjustment is particularly complex, given the potential trajectory of the disease, from the point of diagnosis, with its immediate impact, to the phase of palliative care, with its attendant issue of facing mortality. Since a comprehensive review of the literature on psychological adjustment of men with PCA has not yet been done, we have documented relevant research, integrated findings and drawn conclusions, where possible, in order to map out clinical and research implications. METHOD: We searched 5 databases for the period 1994 - July 2006, during which most of the work in the field has been done. RESULTS: We found few studies of substance among the 60 we examined to draw conclusions about psychological adjustment to prostate cancer and its treatment. This is in marked contrast to the picture in breast cancer. While some patterns have emerged, many gaps remain to be filled. DISCUSSION: Aspects of methodology need attention, particularly longitudinal, prospective designs, incorporation of control groups and the use of valid and reliable measures. There is scope for qualitative studies as a complement to quantitative research