Digital Commons Network^™

The Consumption-Oriented Capital Asset Pricing Model In The Nigerian Stock Exchange, Abidemi C. Adegboye

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

In this study, the Consumption-oriented Capital Asset Pricing Model (CCAPM) is tested for Nigeria by considering returns on investments in the Nigerian Stock Exchange market and other financial assets for the period 1993: Q1 to 2016:Q4. Three tests are conducted. The first test examines forecast performance of excess returns for the selected portfolios in predicting future consumption; the second test estimates the consumption betas for the set of assets using two alternative formulations of the CCAPM; and the third test included consumption growth variable in a multifactor risk analysis to compare with the basic CAPM formulations. The empirical results indicates …

An Assessment Of The Impact Of Banking Reforms On Economic Growth And Bank Performance In Nigeria, Matthew O. Gidigbi

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This study assesses the impact of banking reforms on banks’ performance and economic growth for the period 1981 to 2015 by fitting an ANOVA model into Stepwise Regression. Using dummy variables to isolate reform periods, results show that banking reforms contribute positively to economic growth, especially in the period 1999 to 2004. Also, banking reforms are found to contribute negatively to banks’ performance, following the 1993 reforms. The study confirms that banking system reforms in Nigeria have dual impact on the economy and banks’ performance. The banking reforms are capable of promoting growth in the economy. Thus, the study recommends …

The Social Justice Role Of School Librarians, Stephanie A. Burdic

Student Work

This study builds on Rioux’s 2010 social justice metatheory in the library sciences as it looks at the practices of school librarians in the areas of collection development, policies, and instructional practices. The mixed methods study demonstrates that school librarians act as agents of social justice in the collection of materials based on diversity, inclusion, vantage points, and international viewpoints. The policies of unrestricted access to library materials, access to digital and print formats, critical reflection, school library as a safe haven, advocating for the freedom to read, and facilitating students to read a variety of materials were also examined. …

Middle School Common Grading Expectations And Teacher Perceptions Of Grading Pedagogy, Jennifer Carson

Student Work

Grades in schools can be subjective in nature. Yet, grading remains a key piece in the American education system. Beliefs around grading practices are deeply held and can vary from teacher to teacher. This study aims to explore how teachers arrive at their own grading practices and to analyze teachers’ perceptions of implementing common grading expectations at one middle school in the Midwest. The implementation was grounded in research surrounding ethical change leadership. In year two of implementation, certified staff responded to a survey of Likert scale and open-ended questions providing feedback on implementing common grading expectations. The medians of …

Factors That Influence Middle School Mathematics Teachers’ Willingness To Collaborate With School Librarians, Stephanie L. Schnabel

Student Work

Collaboration between school libraries and classroom teachers can have a powerful impact on student learning. School librarians routinely collaborate with English language arts and social studies curriculum and less frequently with areas in STEM education. This research examines middle school mathematics teachers’ extent of or willingness to collaborate with the school librarian in one large urban Midwestern school district. This quantitative descriptive study sought to answer the question “What factors influence middle school mathematics teachers’ extent or willingness to collaborate with school librarian?” This research looks at, from the middle school mathematics teacher’s perception, the roles and responsibilities of the …

A Complete Coverage Algorithm For 3d Structural Inspection Using An Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Venkat Ramana Reddy Garlapati

Student Work

This thesis presents a novel algorithm for complete coverage of three-dimensional structures to address the problem of autonomous structural inspection using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The proposed approach uses a technique of cellular decomposition based on Morse decomposition to decompose the 3D target structure into 2D coverable faces that are subsequently connected using a graph-based representation. We then use graph traversal techniques such as the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) to generate a flight coverage path through the decomposed faces for a UAV to completely cover the target structure, while reducing the coverage time and distance. To test the validity …

The Prairie Naturalist: The Journal Of The Great Plains Natural Science Society

The Prairie Naturalist

TABLE OF CONTENTS

45 EDITOR’S NOTE

RESEARCH ARTICLES

48 Avian Diversity, Abundance, and Nest Success among Managed Prairies and Agricultural Plots in Oklahoma and Texas Phillip J. Leonard, Douglas R. Wood, and Wayne E. Meyer

57 Severe Drought Impacts Female Pheasant Physiology in Southwest Nebraska Jessica A. Laskowski, Gwen C. Bachman, and Joseph J. Fontaine

66 Field Discrimination of Prairie Deer Mice and White-footed Mice using Morphological Characteristics Jacob L. Berl, Kelton M. Verble, Elizabeth A. Flaherty, and Robert K. Swihart

NOTES

72 Range Extension of the Virgina Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) in North Dakota Lisa L. Walsh

76 Prairie Falcon …

Book Reviews: Raptors Of Mexico And Central America. William S. Clark And N. John Schmitt., Jack Jack Eitniear

The Prairie Naturalist

Whether a raptor is cryptically perched in the shadows or is viewed only as a silhouette soaring in the clouds below the glaring midday sun, raptor identification can be challenging. If you are observing raptors in the North Temperate Zone, several guides (e.g., Clark and Wheeler 2001 Dunne et al.2012) will aid you with such identifications, but few resources exist for visitors south of this zone. So, if you are interested in identifying the 69 species of diurnal raptors found in Mexico and Central America, the recently released Raptors of Mexico and Central America by William S. Clark and N. …

The Great Plains Natural Science Society

The Prairie Naturalist

The Great Plains Natural Science Society, formerly the North Dakota Natural Science Society, was founded in 1967 and seeks to promote interest in and understanding of natural history in the Great Plains, to encourage the conservation of natural resources, and to provide communication among individuals, institutions, and organizations of like interests. The GPNSS actively promotes the study of natural history of the Great Plains region, including geology, plants, birds, mammals, fish, insects, and other forms of life. Together with local, state, and national conservation organizations, the GPNSS fosters natural resource conservation and preservation of outstanding natural areas. The GPNSS publishes …

Prairie Falcon Depredation Attempts On A Greater Prairie-Chicken Lek In South-Central Nebraska, Andrew J. Caven, Joshua D. Wiese, William R. Wallauer

The Prairie Naturalist

Little information exists concerning Prairie falcons’ (Falco mexicanus; PRFA) seasonal movements, habitat use, and diet outside of the breeding season; this is especially true in the eastern portion of its wintering and migratory range (Steenhof 1998, Sharpe et al. 2001, Steenhof et al. 2005). Prairie falcons prey on ground squirrels (Spermophilus spp.), prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.), wood rats (Neotoma spp.), and other rodents during the breeding season (Bond 1936, 1942, MacLaren et al. 1988, Steenhof 1998, Steenhof et al. 1999, Johnsgard 2013). They utilize avian prey regionally as well, including western meadowlarks (Sturnella neglecta …

Evaluation Of Current Emergency Department Fall Risk Assessment Tools: Is An Emergency Department Specific Fall Risk Assessment Tool Needed?, Carrie A. Brown

Nursing Masters

Problem: The ability to accurately and quickly identify patients at high risk for falls at the point of entry into the emergency department is the most important step in fall prevention and avoiding harm. Using an inpatient falls risk assessment tool is not adequately identifying patients at risk in the emergency department setting. Multiple factors contribute to falls and are not included in the risk assessment tool. The purpose of the study was to determine if the false risk assessment tool used in the Emergency Department (ED) adequately identifies a patient at risk for falling.

Methods: This study …

Analysis Of Waiting Time For Filing Prescriptions In Hospital Pharmacy, Ulfa Fauzia, Elsa P Setiawati, Emma S Surahman

Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research

Patient waiting time for healthcare services is identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the key measurements of a responsive health system. Waiting time for filing prescription can influence patient satisfaction on hospital pharmacy service. This study was conducted to analyze current condition of waiting time for filing precription and related parameters. This study was prospective cross-sectional study conducted for 10 days at a hospital pharmacy, in Indramayu, Indonesia. Data regarding distribution of patients flow was obtained. Statistical analysis was performed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov. We observed that this hospital uses single queue channel-single phase model in three counters, …

Predictor Of Diabetes: Correlation Between Leucine Concentration And Insulin Resistance, Chyntia R. Wijaya, Indriyanti R. Sukmana, Jutti Levita

Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research

Leucine catabolism changes among people with central obesity. This condition can lead to metabolic pathway disorder and increased mTORC-1 activation. Downstream signal of mTORC-1 is p70S6K1, which causes phosphorylation of insulin-1 receptor substrate (IRC-1). This study was performed to evaluate correlation between leucine concentration and insulin resistance (IR). This study was a prospective cross-sectional study, involving two groups; control and obese group. General characteristics and blood sample were taken from each subject. Leucin and Homeostasis Model Assesment (HOMA)-IR, as the marker of insulin resistance, were evaluated. The result indicated a significant positive correlation between leucine concentration and insulin resistance value …

Baptism, Susan K. Wood

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

This chapter surveys commonalities and divergences with regard to the theology and practice of baptism that are reflected in the World Council of Churches convergence document on Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry, and considers in particular the Anabaptist, Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Orthodox, Quaker, and Reformed traditions. Major topics treated include: the role of faith with regard to baptism, interconnections between baptism, faith, and justification; the relationship between baptism and patterns of initiation in various traditions; and elements of the ancient catechumenate in contemporary rites. The chapter argues that in the expansive theology of baptism in the catechumenal tradition baptism is …

Report To The Governor And The Chairmen Of The House Committee On Agriculture, Chesapeake And Natural Resources And The Senate Committee On Agriculture, Conservation And Natural Resources, Pursuant To House Bill 1774, Commonwealth Center For Recurrent Flooding Resiliency

Virginia Coastal Policy Center

This report was required by House Bill 1774 (2017), in which the General Assembly requested that the Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency convene a workgroup to study the administration of the Commonwealth’s current stormwater management program, as well as the potential treatment and use of water in roadside ditches in rural, Tidewater Virginia localities.

Under the Virginia Stormwater Management Act, the Department of Environmental Quality administers stormwater management requirements for any localities that opt out of becoming a Virginia Stormwater Management Program authority, but only for land disturbances of one acre or more that are covered by the Virginia …

Continuing Professional Education For Licensed Accountants In Tennessee, Brian J. Lucas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Accounting is a professional occupation that is continually evolving and requires a dedication to continuing education to meet the legal demands of new regulations and to maintain professional competency. Continuing Professional Education (CPE) is required by state boards for certified public accountants (CPA) to meet these requirements and to maintain professional competence. CPAs are responsible for complying with all applicable CPE requirements, rules, and regulations of state boards of accountancy, as well as those of other professional organizations.

The purpose of this study was to determine the opinions of CPAs about the current requirements for CPE and to determine their …

Effects Of The Motivaider And Self-Monitoring To Increase On-Task Behavior For Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Naif Almutairi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The following study compared the use of the MotivAider as a self-monitoring tactile device between an elementary age student with ADHD and his teacher to increase ontask behavior. The design of this study was an alternating treatments design, which helped to determine the more effective condition. The results of this study indicated that the use of the MotivAider by the student was more effective than the use of the device by the teacher.

Approachability Of Nursing Clinical Instructors: Psychometric Assessment Of A Scale Development, Angela Collier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Approachability of nursing clinical instructors is largely unknown and misunderstood, yet critical for millennial students which currently comprise 82% of nursing students (National League for Nursing, 2014). Nursing education consists of both a didactic and a clinical component. Clinical education is dynamic and allows the student an experiential learning opportunity. Therefore, clinical nursing educators are vitally important. Approachability has been identified in many studies as a leading characteristic of an effective instructor. Although the importance of approachability of the instructor is established, currently no scale exists to measure this concept. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity …

December 2017 Commencement Program, Bowling Green State University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Genetic Diversity Of Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys Kempii) Sea Turtles On South Padre Island, Texas, Hilary R. Frandsen

Theses and Dissertations

In 2010, researchers observed an abrupt decline in nesting numbers of the Kemp’s ridley following 35 years of positive growth. In wake of this halt, and subsequent lowered nesting averages, evaluation of the genetic diversity of remaining individuals is relevant to investigate the plausibility of a genetic bottleneck, and determine the reproductive stability of the Kemp’s ridley.

Here, I evaluate the genetic diversity within a sampling of the Kemp’s ridleys on South Padre Island using two methods: targeting the mitochondrial control region and targeting the complete mitochondrial genome. Opportunistic samples were donated from juvenile ridleys on the East coast, and …

Foxo3 Regulation Of Stem Cell Markers Oct4 And Sox2 In Pten-Null Glioblastomas, Eduardo Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

The PI3K pathway controls many cellular processes such as cell growth, survival, metabolism, apoptosis, and differentiation. Canonically, PI3K activates AKT leading to subsequent nuclear exportation of FOXO transcription factors. Dysregulation of the PI3K pathway is a hallmark in many cancers and often is attributable to a null mutation in PTEN. PTEN is a phosphatase that reverses the reactions catalyzed by PI3K. Loss of PTEN leads to constitutive inactivation of tumor suppressor FOXO proteins. However, there is increasing evidence that FOXO may still reside and promote transcriptional activity in the nucleus despite high PI3K output within certain advance cancers and …

Development Of An Innovative Observational Astronomy Class For High School Students In Collaboration With The University Of Texas/Rio Grande Valley, Alan W. Hendrick

Theses and Dissertations

The vision presented by the National Academy of Science Standards is for all students to spend more time ‘doing’ science in order to develop science literacy and be better prepared not only for college but also in understanding and participation in global current events. A course in observational Astronomy is just that, an opportunity for student to “do ‘science by collaborating with actual scientists in real research. The course follows a path in which students learn foundational knowledge and apply this knowledge to complete a successful celestial observation, interpreting the results by making inferences and predictions. This paper begins with …

Numerical Cognition In Action: Hand Trajectories Reveal Effects Of Early Musical Training On Numerical Processing In Spanish-English Bilingual Musicians, Daniel Arturo Pizaña

Theses and Dissertations

The mouse-tracking study examined whether early musical experience leads to changes of inhibitory control in numerical processing for bilingual speakers, as has not investigated in previous studies. Twenty-eight Spanish-English bilingual students completed two Stroop-like numerical and physical size judgment tasks via a mouse-tracking paradigm. Results showed that response times were slower during both incongruent and neutral trials for bilinguals who had received early musical training (before age 13) when compared to bilinguals who had received late musical training (after age 13) across tasks. Furthermore, hand trajectories revealed that a spatial attraction toward the incorrect response was more pronounced in bilinguals …

Variables Relevant To Self-Efficacy: Mexican-American High School Students With Specific Learning Disabilities, Matilde Barrera Alaniz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to ascertain if a relationship exists between self-efficacy and grade point average (GPA), age, gender, language proficiency, socioeconomic status, and failed grade levels during school career among Mexican-American high school students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) residing along the southwestern state of the Mexican border. Moreover, to learn if a relationship exists between motivation and the above variables. This study also observed if a relationship between motivation as measured by the Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-A) (i.e., external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, and intrinsic motivation) and GPA existed; it also observed the correlation between …

Anaesthetic Management Of Supratentorial Tumor Craniotomy Using Awake-Throughout Approach, Faraz Shafiq, Fahad Salim, Ather Enam, Jai Parkash, Mohammad Faheem

Department of Anaesthesia

The authors are reporting an anaesthetic management of patient presenting with left parietal lobe space occupying lesion and scheduled for Awake-craniotomy. Awake-throughout approach using scalp block was planned. Among techniques reported for keeping patient awake during the surgery, this one is really underutilized. The successful conduct requires thorough preoperative assessment and psychological preparation. We used powerpoint presentation as a preoperative teaching tool. The anatomical landmark technique was used to institute scalp block, where individual nerves were targeted bilaterally. Patient remained stable throughout and participated actively in intraoperative neurological monitoring. Postoperative period showed remarkable recovery, better pain control, and shorter length …

Variability Of Mycorrhizal Colonization Amongst Varieties Of Coffea Arabica In Monteverde, Costa Rica, December 2017, Mckenzie Sime

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Mycorrhizae are a kind of fungus that forms symbiotic relationships with plants. They help plants deal with environmental stressors such as drought and disease. Almost all plants have this symbiosis with mycorrhizae, coffee being included in this group. Coffea arabica, a species of coffee, is grown in tropical regions and multiple varieties have been developed to increase the productivity of the plants. However, tropical regions, like Monteverde, Costa Rica where this study was conducted, are going to be some of the hardest areas hit by climate change. Plants are going to be depending more and more on their mycorrhizae as …

Medicinal Herbs And Mosquitoes: A Study Of Plant-Based Insect Repellents, December 2017, Miguel Alejandro Ochoa

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Mosquito-borne illnesses present a great threat to human health, and result in millions of cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths annually. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of extracted essential oils from three neotropical plants traditionally used in Costa Rican folk medicine as mosquito repellents. I extracted the essential oils of Siparuna decipiens (Monimiaceae), Gliricidia sepium (Fabaceae), and Neuroloena lobata (Asteraceae) via simple steam distillation. The extracted oils were then examined and compared to a negative control in the field on live volunteers, focusing on the mosquitoes in the Monteverde Zone, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica. After a total …

Measuring Eq Of Chinese Accounting Students, Michael D. Akers, Don E. Giacomino, Sin Li, Joseph Wall

Accounting Faculty Research and Publications

While prior literature has examined the EQ of accounting students and Chinese business student limited research has examined both. This paper examines the self-reported emotional intelligence scores of accounting majors, undergraduate and graduate, at a Chinese university and compares these scores with their parents’ assessment. Our findings suggest that Chinese accounting students have high EQ. Further, the parents’ perceptions of EQ is significant in the determination of the EQ score. This finding is consistent with Goleman’s (1998) comments and has implications for any organization that uses an emotional intelligence instrument as part of the evaluation process.

Statutory Interpretation After Hively: Where Will The Seventh Circuit Go?, Douglas O. Smith

Accounting Faculty Research and Publications

Fifty years ago, when Title VII was passed, no one thought that sexual orientation discrimination was unlawful sex discrimination. The Seventh Circuit’s decision to re-interpret Title VII challenges traditional approaches to statutory interpretation that should put Seventh Circuit litigants on notice of future uncertainty.

Due Process Abroad, Nathan S. Chapman

Northwestern University Law Review

Defining the scope of the Constitution’s application outside U.S. territory is more important than ever. In February, the Supreme Court heard oral argument about whether the Constitution applies when a U.S. officer shoots a Mexican teenager across the border. At the same time, federal courts across the country scrambled to evaluate the constitutionality of an Executive Order that, among other things, deprived immigrants of their right to reenter the United States. Yet the extraterritorial reach of the Due Process Clause—the broadest constitutional limit on the government’s authority to deprive persons of “life, liberty, or property”—remains obscure.

Up to now, scholars …