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Research roundup at MSU-Bozeman- Mapping Maine – Leaders and knowledge – The guzzle puzzle – Safe riding

Mapping Maine

Sea kayaks and shoulder harnesses were helpful when Lesley Berry mapped three spots along the coast of Maine. The December MSU graduate was part of a team that used integrated precision digital mapping techniques to document granite intrusions in Casco Bay, Maine. They wanted the maps to be precise enough for structural analysis. They wanted the maps to be compatible with soil and tide lines, large granite bodies or vegetation that might be photographed digitally from the air. The researchers used kayaks to carry their gear to coastal areas that weren’t easily accessible by land. They used shoulder harnesses to hold their laptop computers in place while out in the field. Berry presented the project this spring to approximately 500 scientists who gathered in Nova Scotia.

Leaders and knowledge

Companies that manage knowledge effectively have a competitive edge, according to some scholars. But how do leaders manage knowledge? In a paper to be published in the Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, Scott Bryant of MSU said three processes are involved, and leaders are important in each one. The processes are creating, sharing and exploiting knowledge. Transformational leadership (shown by inspiring, visionary and intellectually stimulating leaders) may be more effective at creating and sharing knowledge at the individual and group levels. Transactional leadership (evident in leaders who create systems and structures to meet goals and reward individuals who meet goals) is more effective at exploiting knowledge at the organizational level.

The guzzle puzzle

How do government policies like alcohol taxes and drunk driving penalties affect alcohol abuse? Doug Young, an MSU-Bozeman economist, and co-investigator Agnieszka Bielinska-Kwapisz are taking apart the complicated puzzle of how policies influence alcohol use and abuse. They hope their findings will help policy-makers. So far, Young says it’s still a puzzle, but individual alcohol consumption is down 20 percent in 20 years, the proportion of auto fatalities involving alcohol is down by a quarter, and deaths from cirrhosis of the liver are down a third. Simple awareness may be a large part of what is going on, says Young, but education, stricter penalties, a higher drinking age and stiffer enforcement are all important. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, a branch of the National Institutes of Health, funded their study.

Safe riding

All-terrain vehicles have a poor safety record, especially among children riding adult-sized vehicles. Manufacturers agreed more than a decade ago to stop making the three-wheeled type and to concentrate on voluntary safety training for parents and children buying the four-wheelers. But accidents and deaths haven’t declined, and now the Consumer Product Safety Commission is considering banning ATVs altogether for children under 16. Is there an example elsewhere among risk-inherent activities–such as skiing and snowmobiling–where safety campaigns targeting parents and children have worked? If so, could they be used for ATVs? Kirk Astroth, 4-H youth development specialist, and Jeff Linkenbach of the Montana Social Norms Project, have looked through nearly 10 years of data to find out. In a nutshell, no one strategy seems to work, Astroth said, so a variety of approaches may be necessary. The project is funded by the National 4-H Council.

Contact: Annette Trinity-Stevens, (406) 994-5607 or [email protected]

http://www.montana.edu/commserv/csnews/nwview.php?article=919

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