Digital Commons Network^™

On The Development Of Residential Property Price Indices For Nigeria, Olowofeso E. Olorunsola, Abiodun S. Bada, Mohammed A. Bamanga

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This work focuses on the development of house price indices for Nigeria, and the estimates of the Nigerian Residential Property Price Indices on housing characteristics are presented. Four main methods of index construction were considered, these are hedonic regression, repeat-sales, stratification and central price tendency methods. It was discovered that econometric methods like hedonic and repeat sales were constraints in constructing residential property price indices for Nigeria by the nature of the data available. Hence, the central price tendency and the sale-based stratification methods which are internationally used measures were applied to the available zonal-level dataset from a survey of …

Quality Statistics In Banking Reforms For National Transformation, Sarah O. Alade

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This paper outlines the important role of statistics in aiding proper planning and achievement of sustainable economic development. The paper elaborates the importance of investing in quality and reliable statistics for policy design and implementation and stresses the vital role statistical information play in effective operation in both private and public sector in every economy. The role of quality, reliable and timely information to a well-functioning financial system and as a guide to monetary policy making is illustrated in the paper. The paper credits accurate statistical information to the success of the Nigerian banking sector reform. However, it suggests that …

Connecting Children To Nature: A Multiple Case Study Of Nature Center Preschools, Patti Ensel Bailie

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

Environmental degradation, childhood obesity, and aggression of youth are societal problems that appear unconnected. However, their cause (and possible solution) may be linked to a common experience – the amount and quality of time spent in the natural world. Environment based education, significant life experience research, and studies involving urban youth and green spaces have shown that children’s experiences in the natural world have a positive effect on their attitudes, behaviors, and environmental awareness. Nature center based preschools are one approach for connecting children and nature, but little is known about the quality and consistency of their practices. This study …

The Relationship Of Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports (Pbis) On Co-Located Urban High Schools Infractions, Suspensions, School Progress Grade And The School Environment, Carolyn M. Tyson

Education Doctoral

The responsibility for school administrators to provide a safe school environment demonstrates institutional accountability under the regulations of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Students who violate the safety component of the public school discipline code face suspensions and expulsions. On average, students spend more than 16 million hours a year serving suspensions. This quantitative study examined the effect of Sugai’s three-tiered Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework on co-located urban high schools. The study analyzed the relationship of the PBIS framework on the number of infractions, number of suspensions, …

Effects Of D-Galactose Treatment And Moderate Exercise On Spatial Memory In Rats, Amanda R. Austin

Dissertations

Cognitive decline is a process frequently associated with aging. Physical exercise appears to counteract cognitive decline, specifically spatial abilities, and decreases the effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) associated with aging. In addition, brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) are well recognized as chemical mediators of the neurophysiological benefits of exercise.

In order to study the impact of exercise on spatial memory and neurotrophic factors, this study utilized an animal model of accelerated aging involving chronic d-galactose administration. Specifically, previous research indicates daily injections of d-galactose for 6-10 weeks may increase ROS in mice and …

An Evaluation Of Social Capital's Effect On Depression Among Adolescents, Ezechukwu Awgu

Dissertations

Mental illness has been described as a “global burden of disease,” and depression accounts for a large part of the burden (Aslund, Starrin, Nilsson, 2010). In 2009, 35.7 percent of the adolescent population in the United States who reported past-year symptoms of a major depressive episode, for example, feelings of sadness, discouragement, loss of feelings of self-worth, and loss of interest in social activities, also used illicit drugs including marijuana, inhalants, hallucinogens, cocaine, heroin, and prescription-type psychotherapeutics for non-medical purposes (SAMHSA, 2009, APA, 1994). Additionally, substance abuse due to alcoholism was among the major causes of death for adolescents aged …

Identifying In-School Predictors Of Postsecondary Success For Students With Hearing Impairments, Jennifer Lynn Coyle

Dissertations

Students with hearing impairments are historically a low incidence disability group. Gaps in knowledge of evidence-based practices for implementing transition education and services for this population is limited, primarily as a function of the size of the population; they have not received much attention from the educational research community. Students with hearing impairments often experience more successful outcomes in postsecondary education and employment than other disability groups, but less than those without a disability; however, we know little of the specific educational experiences associated with such success. In contrast, a body of work on predictors of post-school success for students …

Rule-Based Precise Localization Services In Mobile Environments, Mohammed Elbes

Dissertations

In recent years there has been great interest in the positioning of people and assets in indoor and outdoor environments. Many systems were constructed to accomplish this. The application of these systems depends on the environment and the precision required for localization. The Global Positioning System (GPS) cannot be used for a precise indoor localization due to the attenuation and scattering of the signals. For indoor environments, other technologies like Wireless LAN, laser, camera images and motion sensors are used in precise localization. GPS can be used in outdoor environments but if localization accuracy is a critical requirement, other technologies …

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Descriptive Study, Erica Jex Gergely

Dissertations

The current study seeks to examine the program operations and treatment practices of individuals and organizations providing equine-assisted therapy services nationwide. Currently, there are several hundred programs across the United States that utilize equine-assisted therapy to treat common mental health problems in children, adolescents, and adults. Not all equine therapy programs function under the same theoretical model and therefore do not deliver treatment services using equivalent principles or techniques. In addition, program policies, procedures, and ethical guidelines of each provider vary. To date, there exists a paucity of research regarding equine-assisted therapy including both qualitative and quantitative data.

The present …

Using Box-Jenkins Modeling Techniques To Forecast Future Disease Burden And Identify Disease Aberrations In Public Health Surveillance Report, Larry C. Garrett

Dissertations

The analysis of public health surveillance data to identify departures from historical patterns of disease is required to facilitate the timely identification of potential outbreaks. Using the Box-Jenkins forecasting model, this study examines the potential to predict future disease burden based upon the historical record within local public health jurisdictions. Box-Jenkins forecasting was developed as a direct result of forecast problems in the business, economic, and control-engineering applications, yet it has not been systematically examined for use with public heath surveillance data.

Box-Jenkins forecast models are constructed by stratifying 84,029 disease reports from the State of Utah by year (n …

Experiences Of Suburban And Rural High School Principals Who Have Attained Longevity In The Position: A Qualitative Study, Peggy A. Mathis

Dissertations

Today’s school leaders face many challenges. There is a renewed need to look at principal’s job satisfaction and longevity given recent trends in burnout, increased accountability, and a shortage of qualified candidates. There are conflicting demands on high school principals’ time and capacity. These leaders still have the traditional responsibilities of ensuring a safe environment, managing a budget, and maintaining discipline. Higher expectations for student success have brought with them an increase in school program expectations (DiPaola & Tschannen-Moran, 2003).

The job of the principal has changed throughout the years (DiPaola & Tschannen-Moran, 2003; White-Smith & White, 2009). The shift …

Examining The Role Of Research Mentoring In Predicting Research Self-Efficacy Among Minority Professional Psychology Doctoral Students, Donald Edward Knight

Dissertations

The involvement of racial/ethnic minority doctoral students in the conduct of psychological research is of significance in meeting the mental health challenges of an increasingly diverse US population. However, scant empirical evidence exists regarding the mentored research experiences and resulting increases or decreases in confidence these students encounter in conducting research. The purpose of this study is to examine predictors [i.e., Research Mentoring Experiences (RME), perceptions of the Research Training Environment (RTE), and Interest in Research (IRQ)] of research self-efficacy among a sample of racial/ethnic minority PhD students in APA-accredited clinical and counseling psychology programs. The study is guided by …

Behavior Based Sales: A Study Of Behavioral Techniques For Sales Performance Improvement, Peder Henrik Seglund

Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of a behavior-based sales training package on sales performance for the sales divisions of two different organizations located in separate cities in the Midwestern United States. The independent variable was a package that included: behavior-based sales training; feedback; and reinforcement. The primary dependent variable was sales performance results, which is a measure of the participants’ closing percentage. Secondary dependent variables included income, participant attendance at sales meetings, participant satisfaction, and changes in knowledge (at site 2 only).

The intervention package was implemented at each site over a course of …

Traditional And Market-Based Financial Intermediaries: Three Essays Examining Their Risk Behavior, Delisting Behavior, And Reactions To Economic Policy Uncertainty, Marc S. Schaffer

Dissertations

In the wake of our country’s greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression, the need to better understand the risks and behaviors associated with financial intermediaries has become apparent. In particular, the literature distinguishes between traditional or depository-based financial intermediaries and their market-based or non-depository counterparts. This dissertation focuses on understanding the behavioral differences across these two groups by examining their equity-based risk differences, their stock market delisting differences, and lastly how these firms react to economic policy uncertainty.

The first essay uses an equity-based approach to quantify the average firm-level risk that is associated with these intermediary groups. While …

End Of The Line: Tracking The Commodity Chain Of The Electronic Waste Industry, Jacquelynn A. Doyon

Dissertations

This study examines the transfer of electronic waste (e-waste) from core to peripheral nations, specifically coastal nations in Africa. The theoretical perspective marries green criminology with world systems theory in examining the ways in which marginalized populations bear the burden of hazardous waste disposal across the globe. The study is comparative, looking at legislation in the United States as well as international legislation and enforcement, and also employs case study methodology, contrasting e-waste disposal in Nigeria and Ghana. The final intent of this research is to determine whether or not the violation of national and/or international legislation regarding the transfer …

The Voices, Views, And Experiences Of 13 Nonresident African American Fathers, David Asbery

Education Doctoral

This qualitative study focused on how nonresident African American fathers maintain their role as fathers while dealing with the stereotypes, myths, and ambiguities associated with nonresident fatherhood. In addition, this study explored some of the cultural challenges specific to the experience of the nonresident African American father. The qualitative inquiry research explored the nonresident African American father’s experience through interviews with 13 nonresident African American fathers to gain insight about their perspectives on being a nonresident African American father. For this study, six open-ended questions were selected from the research literature. The aim of this study was to fill a …

Mir-786 Regulation Of A Fatty-Acid Elongase Contributes To Rhythmic Calcium-Wave Initiation In C. Elegans, Benedict J. Kemp, Erik Allman, Lois Immerman, Megan Mohnen, Maureen A. Peters, Keith Nerhke, Allison L. Abbott

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Background: Rhythmic behaviors are ubiquitous phenomena in animals. In C. elegans, defecation is an ultradian rhythmic behavior: every ∼50 s a calcium wave initiating in the posterior intestinal cells triggers the defecation motor program that comprises three sequential muscle contractions. Oscillatory calcium signaling is central to the periodicity of defecation. The posteriormost intestinal cells function as the pacemaker for this rhythmic behavior, although it is unclear how the supremacy of these cells for calcium-wave initiation is controlled.

Results: We describe how the loss of the mir-240/786 microRNA cluster, which results in arrhythmic defecation, causes ectopic intestinal calcium-wave initiation. mir-240/786 expression …

Development Of Food Guide Pyramid For Individuals With Achondroplasia, Kathryn Elizabeth Lamb

Theses

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF KATHRYN E. LAMB, for the Master of Science degree in Food and Nutrition, presented on Tuesday, November 22, 2011, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale TITLE: DEVELOPMENT OF FOOD GUIDE PYRAMID FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH ACHONDROPLASIA MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Sara Long Roth Previous studies have developed food guide pyramids for different populations. However, no study has developed a food guide pyramid for individuals with achondroplasia. This study used the USDA's food guide pyramid, RDA/DRI, and 2010 Dietary Guidelines to develop a food guide pyramid for individuals with achondroplasia. Although food guide pyramids for different populations exist, …

The Belfry, Taylor Brown, Paul Cheezem, Richard Cox, Elizabeth Moeri

Master of Real Estate Development

No abstract provided.

Keynote Address By Sanusi L. Sanusi, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

Economic and Financial Review

Keynote address by the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi at the 2012 Executive Seminar jointly organized by the Research and Human Resource Departments of the CBN titled "Macro-Prudential Framework and Financial System Stability in Nigeria".

Macro-Prudential Policies And Financial Stability: A Theoretical Background, Yusuf B. Duniya

Economic and Financial Review

The paper is organized as follows: section two and three contains conceptual issues and theoretical perspectives, respectively, while section four looked at complementarity and differences between macro-prudential and micro-prudential regulation. Thereafter, section five reviewed objectives and rationale for macro-prudential regulation vis-Ã -vis its institutional framework and scope. Section six looked at instruments of macro-prudential regulation and the implication of the new Basel III, while section seven focused on institutional and governance structure as key elements of macro-prudential regulation. The paper further gave a general insight on how macro-prudential policy framework should be structured in section eight and later concluded in …

An Examination Of Technology And Its Influence On Reading In Struggling Students And An Autoethnography Of A Preservice Teacher, Megan Campanile

HIM 1990-2015

Educators have never had the possibility of incorporating technology into the classroom like they do today. Although technology can have its difficulties, it can truly help the development of reading for struggling students. Reading research is providing more and more clarity about how to use technology effectively within our school communities to support and enhance the academic performance of today's students (i.e. Gallagher, 2009; Isazadeh, 2004; Rice, 2011). A review of studies conducted by the CEO Forum (2001)emphasizes: "technology can have the greatest impact when integrated into the curriculum to achieve clear, measurable educational objectives." This meaning that with the …

The Relationship Between Automatic Negative Thoughts And Depression Among A Sample Of University Of Nizwa Students, Basim Mohammad Aldahadha, Suad Mohamed Sulaiman

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the automatic thoughts and depression in light of gender, specialization, level of study, achievement and hours of internet-usage. The sample of this study consisted of 329 (101 males and 228 females). Two instruments were used to collect the data: the Automatic Thought Questionnaire (ATQ) and the Beck Depression Inventory- second edition. (BDI-II). The results showed a positive correlation between depression and ATQ (r = 0.8, p. < 0.001). There was a negative correlation between ATQ and depression among non-depressed students (r = -0.78, p < 0.001). There were significant differences between male and female students (p < 0.05) in favor of females in ATQ. There were significant differences between the levels of achievement in favor of students with excellent GPA. The results also showed that there were no significant differences (p 0.05) that related to other variables.

Annual Financial Report 2012, University Of Montana--Missoula

University of Montana Annual Financial Reports, 1918-2012

University of Montana annual financial report for fiscal year ending June 30, 2012.

Activation Of Alcohols Toward Nucleophilic Substitution: Conversion Of Alcohols To Alkyl Halides, Amani Atiyalla Abdugadar

Master's Theses

The conversion of alcohols into alkyl halides is one of the most important reactions in organic chemistry. Development of new methodology is still desirable in academic research. Unfortunately, the hydroxyl group of the alcohol is relatively difficult to replace under normal conditions. That necessitates the conversion of alcohols to a more activated functionality before nucleophilic substitution becomes viable. Under vigorous conditions, the replacement is straightforward. Procedures for the generation of halides from alcohols have been extensively examined, e.g., using HX or Mitsunobu inversion. However, these methods require time, strong acid, or catalysis to proceed. These classical methods suffer from issues …

Vertical Distributions Of Carbonite Lithologies, Bedding Features, And Macrofossils In The Broken Rib Member Of The Upper Devonian Dyer Formation Near Monument Lake, Garfield County, Colorado, Sharon Sadle

Master's Theses

The Broken Rib Member of the Upper Devonian Dyer Formation is a series of fossiliferous limestone beds deposited during the Famennian stage of the Late Devonian. The limestone units are well-exposed near Monument Lake in the White River National Forest of west-central Colorado, where they weather into a series of step-like, laterally continuous surfaces. A graphic log, recorded in the field, reveals that lithologies vary from carbonate mudstones to wackestones and reflect the fluctuating water depth associated with a transgressing and regressing sea. The fossil assemblages consist of well-preserved, identifiable brachiopods, bryozoans, pelmatozoans, and other minor taxa that occur in …

The Process Of Keeping Creative Expression And Artistic Freedom Unencumbered And Uncensored: A Study Of Student Actors In The Musical [Title Of Show], Mathew B. Hagmeier

Master's Theses

Creativity and the ability to freely devise and express are human capacities recognized to be highly important in today’s world. Yet, while many champion these qualities, modern society continually makes achieving them a laborious process, riddled with the pressure of success and commercial marketability. Two years of researching and devising educational methodologies surrounding the use of theatre as a tool for the development of students’ unbridled creativity, expression, and self-efficacy have led me to ask the following questions of this process: Can students achieve authentic creative self-expression inside the confines of portraying a pre-written character? How does one freely express …

Evaluating E-Portfolio Using By Learning Stages: A Case Study In An Interdisciplinary Program, Ellis S.J. Fu, Jeff J.S. Huang, Stephen J.H. Yang, Anna Y.Q. Huang

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This study conducts an investigation of posts in the e-portfolio platform of the program: “The interdisciplinary training program for talented college students in science.” Participants in this program were supposed to show their learning portfolios on this platform. Among the 2150 registered students, we randomly selected 126 students who have made at least 3 posts to become the target sample. By identifying the learning stages and posting styles shown by their posts, we find that students are mostly in the surface learning stages and weak in completing their learning portfolios. The results suggest that more strategies should be learned in …

Effects Of A Chronic Increase In Plasma Corticosterone On The Brooding Behavior Of The Prairie Skink, Plestiodon Septentrionalis , Alexander James Anton

Student Work

The effects of chronic corticosterone (CORT) increases on the maternal behavior of the Prairie Skink, Plestiodon septentrionalis were studied in the laboratory during the summer of 2012. It was hypothesized that chronic increases in plasma CORT would result in decreased maternal effort and higher egg mortality, with similar results to analogous studies in birds. Plasma CORT was elevated using a non-invasive, exogenous treatment and behaviors were observed using video recordings. CORT treatments significantly reduced the amount of time spent tightly coiled around eggs in experimental individuals, and significantly decreased the amount of time experimental females spend in contact with their …

The Client Who Lost Despite Winning And The Client Who Won Despite Losing: Reflections On Starting A New Immigration Clinic., Aaron S. Haas

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract Forthcoming.