An Analysis Of Florida Public Community College Foundations\u27 Performance Measures From 2002-2004

The focus of this research was to examine the performance of Florida public community college foundations from 2002-2004 using performance ratios. The findings from this study may assist community college foundation leaders to better understand the performance of their own organizations, compare this performance to other similar organizations, establish relative performance standards, and influence the strategic initiatives to improve an existing foundation. This study was designed to research the financial performance measurement ratios for the 28 public community college foundations in Florida. Ex post facto data that were publicly available were utilized to acquire the information needed for the statistical analyses; therefore, the population was comprised of all 28 Florida community college foundations. Data were collected from each institution\u27s Form 990. A total of 27 ratios were calculated by year for 2002, 2003, and 2004 and were categorized into 6 areas: (a) measures of fiscal performance, (b) measures of fundraising efficiency, (c) measures of public support, (d) measures of adequacy of resources to support mission, (e) measures of use of resources to support mission, and (f) measures of investment performance and concentration. The study included benchmarking data in the form of descriptive statistics for these ratios and comprehensive analysis. In addition, three repeated measures analysis of variance models were computed to determine if the contributions and grants, fundraising expense, and program service expense ratios varied over time. There were no mean differences over time during the three-year period from 2002 to 2004

Sustainable trade in pre-colonial Asante

Practically, the entire area of modern day Ghana was once dominated by the Asante Empire. How did such a vast empire come into existence? This empire was able to consolidate the multiple ethnic groups within the region into one unified nation. Who were some of these ethnic groups and how were they brought into the empire? The strength of the Asante’s economy was extremely important to the longevity of their civilization. Their economic strength enabled them to procure funding which they utilized to build an army, to build trade networks, and to increase their reputation within the region. How did they build their economic strength within the region and how did their reputation help to safeguard them from hostile powers? The Asante influenced West African history by manipulating the pattern of trade within the region. The coastline of Ghana was coined, “The Gold Coast” due to the prominence of gold trading activities. However, this was by no means the only trade asset which the Asante possessed. Therefore, what were their other main trade commodities and with whom did the Asante engage in trade? Also, it is important to understand why trade was an important force in the establishment of the Asante’s economic power and how they came to monopolize various trading networks. Then the question of how the Asante lost this economic power will also be explored. Before answering these inquiries, an ethnic profile of the Akan of whom the Asante evolved, must first be undertaken

Structure-activity relationships of PAI-1 inhibitors

The inhibition of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is anticipated to increase our understanding of various human ailments with which high levels of PAI-1 have been associated, including diabetes, stroke, and atherosclerosis. Previous accounts have reported the synthesis of inhibitors that bind to PAI-1 with a low affinity, inhibit the serpin plasma protein antithrombin III, and/or fail to inhibit PAI-1 when vitronectin, a cofactor of PAI-1 is present. The synthesis of small-molecule inhibitors of PAI-1 that improve upon these properties has been the main goal of this research. Research efforts focused on examining changes in inhibitor potency based on the manipulation of the inhibitors’ architecture, with particular attention paid to the number and positioning of multiple polyphenolic groups. The refinement of these synthesized moieties into selective and highly active species has been achieved

An Evaluation of Purebred Bull Pricing: Implications for Beef Herd Management

The selection of herd bulls is important in determining profitability of commercial ranchers and cow-calf operators as well as purebred producers. In this research, the key attributes of bulls – based on visual, performance, and ultrasound data – are valued using a traditional hedonic pricing model. The data are collected from the annual bull test trial and sale at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The results suggest that buyers at the SIUC Beef Evaluation Station are willing to pay more for bull characteristics associated with calving ease and weaning weights. For instance bulls with a combination of both lower birth weight Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) and high yearling weight EPDs than average can command premiums of over $1,150 per head or 67 percent above the average sale price. Farm managers can use this information in the selection of herd bulls while purebred operators can attempt to select for the most valuable traits.Livestock Production/Industries,

El poder de los medios en los escándalos políticos : la fuerza simbólica de la noticia icono

En la cobertura de los sucesos políticos, los medios de comunicación proyectan unos enfoques que median la realidad, pues transfieren determinados marcos interpretativos. Esto sucede de manera particular en la cobertura de los escándalos políticos, debido al capital simbólico que para los políticos significa su buena reputación. El presente artículo analiza la cobertura de los casos de corrupción política de España y Gran Bretaña en la década de 1990. Atendiendo de manera específica a la noticia icono como una forma de enfoque (frame) sugerida por Bennett, y mediante el análisis de contenido cualitativo y cuantitativo, esta investigación estudia la presencia y la acción de noticias icono en España y en el Reino Unido. La investigación muestra que la cobertura utilizó noticias icono en forma de palabras vívidas, que se reprodujeron de manera extensa en los medios, de manera que llegaron a funcionar como elementos simbólicos, encapsulando, de forma condensada, toda una historia, hasta llegar a convertirse en algo emblemático de una etapa política. El análisis permite concluir que el poder que los medios tienen en la cobertura de los escándalos políticos no viene determinado tanto por la acción del periodismo de investigación, como también y fundamentalmente por el marco interpretativo que los medios transfieren en su cobertura.In covering politics the media project certain perspectives through the mediation of reality in the context of specific interpretative frameworks. This particularly occurs in the coverage of political scandal because of the symbolic capital represented by politicians' good reputation. This article analyses cases of political corruption in Spain and Britain in the 1990s. Employing the notion of news icon suggested by Bennett as a form of frame, and throughout qualitative and quantitative content analysis, this research examines the presence and action of news icons in Britain and Spain. The study shows that press coverage used news icons in the form of vivid word phrases, which were reproduced and maintained beyond the time of the news events being reported. They functioned as symbolic devices encapsulating in a condensed way a whole story, becoming emblematic and evocative of a whole political period. The research concludes that the power of the press lies not so much in the action of investigative journalism but also more fundamentally in the interpretative framework which the media employ to report events

The Role of the Media and Primary Care in the Dissemination of Evidence-Based Parenting and Family Support Interventions.

This article examines the role of a population strategy targeting the media and professionals in primary care services as part of a comprehensive parenting and family support system to improve the health status and well-being of children

Evaluating a telehealth intervention for urinalysis monitoring in children with neurogenic bladder

Telehealth as a community-monitoring project within children’s urology care is an innovative development. There is limited evidence of the inclusion of staff and parents in the early-stage development and later adoption of telehealth initiatives within routine urological nursing care or families’ management of their child’s bladder. The aim was to explore the experiences of key stakeholders (parents, clinicians, and technical experts) of the proof of concept telehealth intervention in terms of remote community-based urinalysis monitoring by parents of their child’s urine. A concurrent mixed-methods research design used soft systems methodology tools to inform data collection and analysis following interviews, observation, and e-surveys with stakeholders. Findings showed that the parents adopted aspects of the telehealth intervention (urinalysis) but were less engaged with the voiding diary and weighing. The parents gained confidence in decision-making and identified that the intervention reduced delays in their child receiving appropriate treatment, decreased the time burden, and improved engagement with general practitioners. Managing the additional workload was a challenge for the clinical team. Parental empowerment and self-efficacy were clear outcomes from the intervention. Parents exercised their confidence and control and were selective about which aspects of the intervention they perceived as having credibility and which they valued

Dissemination of evidence-based parenting and family support strategies: Learning from the Triple P-Positive Parenting Program system approach

This paper discusses the evidence for parenting skills training and behavioral family intervention (BFI), and the need for early intervention and prevention programs. It presents a conceptual framework for a comprehensive multilevel parenting and family support strategy for reducing the prevalence of parenting difficulties and other family risk factors associated with child maltreatment and the development of behavioral and emotional problems in children and adolescents. The framework for the system of intervention known as the Triple P - Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) is described. Also discussed are issues in the dissemination of evidence-based psychological interventions. A dissemination approach is presented which is based on a systems-contextual perspective that views practitioner uptake as being influenced by a range of program design, training, quality maintenance, organizational and motivational variables. Our experience in the widespread dissemination and implementation of Triple P at a population-level are shared and recommendations and future directions for dissemination of evidence-based preventive family interventions are noted. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Shaking Up Traditional Training With Lynda.com

Supporting the diverse technology training needs on campus while resources continue to dwindle is a challenge many of us continue to tackle. Institutions from small liberal arts campuses to large research universities are providing individualized training and application support 24/7 by subscribing to the lynda.com Online Training Library(r) and marketing the service to various combinations of faculty, staff and students. As a supplemental service on most of our campuses, lynda.com has allowed us to extend support to those unable to attend live lab-based training, those who want advanced level training, those who want training on specialized applications, and those who want to learn applications that are not in high demand. The service also provides cost effective professional development opportunities for everyone on campus, from our own trainers and technology staff who are developing new workshops, learning new software versions or picking up new areas of expertise from project management to programming, to administrative and support staff who are trying to improve their skills in an ever-tighter economic environment. On this panel discussion, you will hear about different licensing approaches, ways of raising awareness about lynda.com on our campuses, lessons learned through implementation, reporting capabilities, and advice we would give for other campuses looking to offer this service