Lucerne Herbicides (Tolerance)

To determine the phytotoxicity of various herbicides on established Lucerne pasture and their efficacy on the various weed species present

The Unfinished Business of Mutual Fund Reform

The need for further mutual fund reform remains in two major areas. First, there is a need for greater and more effective disclosure of fund charges and greater transparency in the manner in which funds operate. While it is probably overly optimistic to expect that this will make a dramatic difference in investors\u27 preferences for one fund over another, at least it will make it possible for the investor who does care about costs and conflicts of interest to determine how efficiently a particular fund is managed vis-a-vis its competitors. A generation ago, funds with a front end sales load averaging 6% was the norm. Due to increasing publicity and competitive pressures, the no-load fund has replaced the load fund as the norm in the fund industry. Also, the increasing popularity of index funds and ETFs, while still not a majority of fund sales, shows that there are, in fact, investors who are sensitive to the importance of mutual fund expenses and sales charges as an important component of a fund\u27s long-term relative performance. Further education and disclosure, through both the financial press and fund prospectuses, should increase the pressure on funds to operate efficiently and in furtherance of the fiduciary duty which they owe to their investors. Second, in order to protect less sophisticated investors from being sold unsuitable funds with high fees and mediocre performance, the need exists for the strengthening of fiduciary duties owed by fund managers and financial advisors to ensure that they put investors\u27 interests ahead of their own. With the defined contribution retirement plan rapidly becoming the primary vehicle for retirement savings for millions of individuals, the need for strong and effective mutual fund regulation now is more compelling than it has ever been

Does physical disability truly create impairment in adjustment to college life?

This research utilized a mixed methods design to explore the differences between students with and without disabilities in perceived social support, coping style, self efficacy, and college adjustment. In addition, the influence of athletic participation on the above variables was examined in the sub-sample of students with disabilities. Neither survey nor interview results supported any differences between students with disabilities and students without disabilities on the study variables. Results suggested that discrepancies in college outcome variables (i.e. matriculation and persistence) were not a result of differences in disability status, but are the result of differences in adjustment, perceived social support, self-efficacy, and coping style. Quantitative results found the strongest correlations between self-efficacy, coping style, and adjustment factors. Qualitatively, students reporting more adjustment difficulties perceived more challenges within the week, fewer factors that lent to stress management, and more factors that added to the experience of stress. A more active coping style, the use of refraining techniques, and perception of shared social reality support were associated with fewer adjustment difficulties. Interview results also suggested participation in athletics for students with disabilities provided several incentives, such as academic motivation, increased self-efficacy, and campus integration that could lend to adjustment

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy : Gender, Sexism, and Just World Beliefs as Predictors of Juror Decisions

Mock jurors (N = 200) read descriptions of a mock civil case involving an adult survivor of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy who is suing his/her abuser for monetary/psychological damages. Jurors individually decided perceived percent of responsibility of defendant, award to plaintiff pre- and post-group deliberations, and as a mock jury, in groups of 5 to 10. Jurors and juries assigned greater percent of culpability to female defendants than male defendants. Individual jurors awarded more n1oney to plaintiffs abused by female defendants than male defendants. Low Modem Sexism Scale (MSS) scorers attributed greater percentage of responsibility to defendants and awarded plaintiff more money than high scorers. There was no significant difference in award to male or female plaintiffs; however, greater percent of culpability was assigned to defendants who abused plaintiff longer (i.e., 19 years vs. 10 years). Low Belief in Just World (BJW) scorers individually attributed greater percent of responsibility to defendant and awarded more money to plaintiff than high scorers. Gender of defendant, just world, and sexist attitudes appeared to play important roles in jurors\u27 decisions in cases involving adults who were child victims

The Quality of Our Water: Emerging Contaminants Effect on Human Health

In a world that uses plastics in almost every aspect of life, microplastics have become an emerging concern in the context of human health. Known to have cytotoxic effects on life, these particles have been detected in our water systems, including both wastewater treatment plants, and drinking water treatment plants. Additionally, the proliferation of heavy metals is an ongoing issue in modern water infrastructure. Thus, the goal of this paper is to explore the effects of microplastics and heavy metals on our health, how they infiltrate the water supply, how we can mitigate their proliferation, and obstacles in implementing change in our infrastructure. Although the full effects of microplastics on humans are not yet known, it is clear they pose a risk, as they have been linked to genotoxicity, inflammation, cytotoxicity, and more. The effects of heavy metal exposure are well known to cause health problems in humans. The use of membrane bioreactors, magnetic-based separation, and point-of-use devices can help mitigate their infiltration into the human body, and governmental efforts are necessary to implement the changes needed in our infrastructure to deal with this pollution