The New Zealand Jury

In New Zealand, the recent history of the jury has been one of fairly steady decline. This is particularly so of the civil jury, which has become virtually extinct with little realistic prospect of revival

Performance Attributions: Pure Theory Meets Messy Reality

This article is the winner of The Best Research Paper Presented by a Practicing Real Estate Professional manuscript prize [sponsored by the American Real Estate Society Foundation (ARESF)] presented at the 2001 American Real Estate Society Annual Meeting. The popularity of performance attribution in the publicly-traded equities arena may soon spill over to real estate markets. With that in mind, this study analyzes the practical and statistical problem that may arise when real estate managers apply this technique to their portfolios. The study involves three data sets: a portfolio of publicly-traded REITs, a single-client separate account and a multi-client private REIT. The findings indicate that there is no clear distinction between stock selection and sector allocation in any of the data sets (i.e., the portfolio impact of the manager’s sector allocation and asset selection decisions are, on average, indistinguishable). Also, for the publicly-traded REIT portfolio (the only data set with sufficient sample size), the monthly returns attributed to stock selection versus sector allocation do not display significant serial persistence (i.e., the manager cannot consistently attribute the portfolio returns to either the stock selection or sector allocation decision).

UMaine, Egyptian Students to Discuss Iraq Conflict

To help them gain a better understanding of the causes and potential consequences of a U.S.-Iraq confrontation, a dozen University of Maine students will discuss the issue with their counterparts from the American University in Cairo on Dec. 9, [2002] beginning at 12 p.m. The students will discuss Middle Eastern issues – with a focus on the situation in Iraq – via a livevideoconference hook-up in the Soderberg Center in Jenness Hall. The discussion will also be broadcast to the university’s Hutchinson Center in Belfast

UK community health visiting: challenges faced during lean implementation

This paper presents an overview of the challenges and potential of lean implementation for the health visiting service in England and examines the rhetoric and the reality of the situation. It is coauthored by academic researchers and senior service providers so as to embrace the multidimensional issues impacting on this subject. If lean thinking is to be implemented in relation to health visiting, it is important to understand how it is likely to be viewed by practitioners and line managers in settings where it is used. In order to contextualize the discussion, an introduction to the roles, systems, and structures of health visiting are provided. The literature on what lean implementation is, what it means, and in particular the application and potential of the approach to primary care and public health services is reviewed. The process and findings from a focus group convened within a large primary care organization in the National Health Service during their lean implementation is reported. The paper concludes that it is important for staff at all levels to see a clear link between strategic aims and objectives and the planning processes operated by providers and commissioners. It appears that the successful introduction of lean thinking should focus more on productive working and thereby reducing waste. This has the potential to refresh workforce models to ensure that health visiting and other practitioners liberate the use of their specialist knowledge and skills. In a context of enhanced partnership working, the stage is then set for providers to add value to the whole system and together improve service user outcomes

Code of Election Ethics Served a Purpose, Co-Creator Says

While half the state\u27s voters went to the polls Tuesday, many did so with reluctance, voicing their displeasure at a campaign season marred by attack ads and heated rhetoric. With one of the nastiest Maine elections in memory just ended, it may not seem like the state\u27s Code of Election Ethics made much of a difference. Although the code did not stop candidates from attacking their opponents, the document, signed by all those running for federal office and the Blaine House, gave the public and the media a means to question tactics they found unacceptable

Students With Hidden Disabilities’ Perceptions of Online versus On-Campus Education, and Disability Support Services

A focus on widening access and participation in Higher Education has resulted in increased numbers of tertiary students with hidden disabilities in recent decades, globally. While academic supports at an institutional level are available for this student population, issues are reported with them consistently, which often leads to their non-utilisation. This is one possible explanation for why these students experience inequitable academic circumstances compared to their peers concerning lower grades and welfare levels, and higher withdrawal and failure rates. There is a paucity of research available on adequate accommodations that support the academic success of students with hidden disabilities in Higher Education. In addition, few studies focus on how alternative tools such as online learning methods could be of use. This study addresses these gaps in the literature. Quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed in the form of an online questionnaire and in-depth, semi-structured follow-on interviews to explore how to support students with hidden disabilities in Higher Education from their perspectives. The form was completed by 22 respondents with different conditions, of whom 2 were in a control group. In addition, the interviews were conducted online with two students who had several different conditions, diagnostic statuses, and disability registration statuses. Questions centred on perceptions of online learning tools, on-campus classes, and disability support services, through the lens of academic compatibility, hidden- disability compatibility, and welfare. Analysis of the results leads to the conclusion that the most suitable curriculum for students with hidden disabilities is flexible, and affords them online and on-campus learning options in addition to accommodations. It is recommended that staff in third-level institutions receive more training concerning how best to accommodate this student population, and, in addition, designated online learning staff with specialist training could be employed

National Tribal Gaming Official to Speak at UMaine

A proposal by two Maine Indian tribes to build a $650 million casino in the southern part of the state has generated a lot of controversy. Casino advocates say gaming monies will enable the tribes to become self-sufficient while also boosting state revenues. Opponents, on the other hand, say such a facility would lead to increased crime in the area, take employees away from area businesses, and cost the state millions to treat people with gambling addiction problems. Governor Angus King even went so far as to say casinos would take money from the pockets of local people and create a “Sodom-by-the-Sea.

The Patentability of Maori Traditional Medicine and the Morality Exclusion in the Patents Act 1953

Many indigenous peoples, including Maori, are offended by third parties 'appropriating' their traditional knowledge by means of intellectual property rights, such as patents. The author first surveys international debate about indigenous intellectual property rights in connection with the patenting of traditional indigenous medicine. The author examines the role of morality in New Zealand patent law and how this fits in with New Zealand's international obligations under the World Trade Organisation's TRIPs agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity. The author examines whether the patenting of Maori traditional medicine can be prevented under the morality exclusion in the Patents Act 1953 and outlines five arguments which might be used to justify various levels of intervention in the patenting process in order to protect Maori control over their traditional knowledge

Changes in the polar vortex: Effects on Antarctic total ozone observations at various stations

October mean total column ozone data from four Antarctic stations form the basis for understanding the evolution of the ozone hole since 1960. While these stations show similar emergence of the ozone hole from 1960 to 1980, the records are divergent in the last two decades. The effects of long-term changes in vortex shape and location are considered by gridding the measurements by equivalent latitude. A clear eastward shift of the mean position of the vortex in October with time is revealed, which changes the fraction of ozone measurements taken inside/outside the vortex for stations in the vortex collar region. After including only those measurements made inside the vortex, ozone behavior in the last two decades at the four stations is very similar. This suggests that dynamical influence must be considered when interpreting and intercomparing ozone measurements from Antarctic stations for detecting ozone recovery and ozone-related changes in Antarctic climate