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2011

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Articles 12631 - 12660 of 13781

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Empirical Comparison Of Extreme Value Theory Vis-À-Vis Other Methods Of Var Estimation Using Asean+3 Exchange Rates, Cesar C. Rufino, Emmanuel G. De Guia Jan 2011

Empirical Comparison Of Extreme Value Theory Vis-À-Vis Other Methods Of Var Estimation Using Asean+3 Exchange Rates, Cesar C. Rufino, Emmanuel G. De Guia

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This study applies Extreme Value Theory in calculating Value-at-Risk (VaR) of portfolios consisting of foreign exchange exposures of ASEAN+3 countries. This paper addresses the issue that traditional VaR models assume normality of the return distribution. Empirical evidence confirms the stylized facts that financial asset returns are typically negatively skewed and fat-tailed. Moreover, risk management concerns itself with the distribution of the tails, or events in the extremes of the distribution. Estimation of magnitude and the likelihood of extreme events should be given greater attention than central tendency characteristics. Thus, this paper proposes the application of Extreme Value Theory in computing …


Correlates Of Poverty: Evidence From The Community-Based Monitoring System (Cbms) Data, Rechel G. Arcilla, Frumencio F. Co, Shirlee R. Ocampo Jan 2011

Correlates Of Poverty: Evidence From The Community-Based Monitoring System (Cbms) Data, Rechel G. Arcilla, Frumencio F. Co, Shirlee R. Ocampo

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This study identified correlates of poverty for Pasay City and Mogpog, Marinduque representing an urban and a rural area in the Philippines, respectively, by utilizing the 2005 census data from its Community-Based Monitoring System. Regression models with the arcsine of the square root of barangay level poverty incidence as dependent variable were investigated which allowed the identification of the correlates of poverty at the barangay level. Results showed that the significant correlates of barangay poverty incidence were average household size, proportion of households whose housing units/lot are not owned and proportion of households who own telephone/cellphone. Furthermore, lower poverty incidences …


The Geographic Profiling Of Poverty And Accessibility: The Case Of Two Provinces In The Philippines, Alexis M. Fillone, Nicanor Roxas Jr., Cristela G. Dakila Jan 2011

The Geographic Profiling Of Poverty And Accessibility: The Case Of Two Provinces In The Philippines, Alexis M. Fillone, Nicanor Roxas Jr., Cristela G. Dakila

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This study attempts to relate the poverty problem in the Philippines using spatial accessibility measures. Spatial accessibility is the ease with which one could avail of the social services and economic opportunities laid in geographic space to the individual. Using the provinces of Eastern Samar and Siquijor Island as case studies, a Social Composite Index (SCI) value for the household was derived from the 13+1 CBMS core indicators of poverty, which represents the unmet needs of the household and which was then aggregated at the barangay level. The spatial accessibility values were estimated by measuring how each barangay, specifically households, …


Audit Committee Observation/Recommendations Versus Practices As A Compliance Of Corporate Governance In India, Debabrata Chatterjee Jan 2011

Audit Committee Observation/Recommendations Versus Practices As A Compliance Of Corporate Governance In India, Debabrata Chatterjee

DLSU Business & Economics Review

The series of accounting scandals have intensified pressure from stakeholders and regulators on the audit committees to do the jobs for which they are hired. Though most companies have audit committees, their role has been limited due to the lack of expertise and time. An active audit committee is important because it indicate the commitment to the issues of interest because of the reports it release about the activities undertaken during the financial year and the efforts made to ensure adequate internal control. Audit committees must be given the role to approve and review audit fees, thus neutralizing the bias …


Empirical Analysis Of Impact Of Capital Market Development On Nigeria’S Economic Growth (1981 – 2008) (Case Study: Nigerian Stock Exchange), Rowland T. Obiakor, Andy T. Okwu Jan 2011

Empirical Analysis Of Impact Of Capital Market Development On Nigeria’S Economic Growth (1981 – 2008) (Case Study: Nigerian Stock Exchange), Rowland T. Obiakor, Andy T. Okwu

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This study empirically examined the impact of capital market development on economic growth in Nigeria for the period 1981-2008. The major tool we employed for empirical analysis is a multiple regression analysis model specified on the basis of hypothesized functional relationship between capital market development and economic growth. For capital market development indicators, we considered ratios of value of shares traded, market capitalization, gross capital formation and foreign private investment, to gross domestic product, as explanatory variables, while we used growth rate of gross domestic product as the dependent variable. We introduced an error correction term to capture the flexibility …


Differences In Depression Levels Among Tenors, Baritones, And Basses, Rhiannon Jane Talbot Jan 2011

Differences In Depression Levels Among Tenors, Baritones, And Basses, Rhiannon Jane Talbot

Honors Program Theses

Music and speech are closely related to one another. Both have specific elements, such as average fundamental frequency, pitch variation, and speed, to accurately communicate emotion. Some emotions have characteristic speech patterns; in the case of sadness, a low mean fundamental frequency, slow speed of speech, and minimal pitch variation are common. Both music and speech also utilize physical metaphors (up/down, high/low, etc.) to express positivity and negativity. The study was intended to determine whether male vocal register correlated with levels of depressive symptoms. Specifically, tenors were expected to have lower levels of depression than baritones and basses. Participants (16 …


Music Videos As Social Commentary: A Sociological Analysis Of Lady Gaga, Jacob Allen Everett Rudy Jan 2011

Music Videos As Social Commentary: A Sociological Analysis Of Lady Gaga, Jacob Allen Everett Rudy

Honors Program Theses

Since the television channel Music Television (MTV) aired its first music video on August 1, 1981, music videos have come to serve as vehicles for music artists from all genres. Using these productions as a way to simultaneously promote a song and a particular artist has proven to be successful means with which to build a career in the American music industry. However, as with all cultural artifacts, music videos contain much more information than simply visual interpretation of songs. They are rich in sources with which sociologists can further understand social norms and institutions. Through the analysis of music …


Sacred Stones For Sacred Structures: An Examination Of Patterns In The Temples And Twin Complexes At Tikal And Palenque, Meredith Mae Hild Jan 2011

Sacred Stones For Sacred Structures: An Examination Of Patterns In The Temples And Twin Complexes At Tikal And Palenque, Meredith Mae Hild

Honors Program Theses

Extensive work in uncovering and reconstructing Classic Maya temples has been completed while the importance of Maya studies has increased during the past centuries. Little has been done, however, in the interpretation of certain Maya structures within the context of Maya thought. That context includes an understanding of the Maya interpretation of their place within the cosmos, an aspect of Maya culture that dictated every individual's daily actions. Researchers have tended to focus on architectural analyses that describe the dimensions and building materials of temples and other monumental structures. This leads to interpretations that are lacking in cultural significance. While …


Violent Crime And Drug Use: The Relationship Between Drugs And Types Of Crime, Richard William Fortney Jan 2011

Violent Crime And Drug Use: The Relationship Between Drugs And Types Of Crime, Richard William Fortney

Honors Program Theses

Previous research shows us that there is a relationship between drugs and crime (Chaiken and Chaiken 1990; Dawkins 1997; Goldstein 1985; Harrison and Gfroerer 1992; Inciardi and Pottieger 1994; French, McGeary, Chitwood, McCoy, Inciardi, and McBride 2000). This paper seeks to determine whether there is a relationship between the types of drugs an individual uses and the types of crimes that they commit. There have been studies that researched similar relationships, such as French et al 2000, but they did not look at the differences in types of drugs used by individuals. Instead, they focused on simply finding a relationship …


Raising Good Soviets: Media Depictions Of Soviet Life And Upbringing Under Khrushchev, Chelsea Miller Jan 2011

Raising Good Soviets: Media Depictions Of Soviet Life And Upbringing Under Khrushchev, Chelsea Miller

Honors Program Theses

Policies on education and upbringing affected almost every individual in the Soviet Union, from the youngest child to the oldest pensioner. These policies reflected the current ideological path of the party and the need to train the children to accomplish the country’s goals. On a more personal level, these policies helped the children evolve into successful adults able to easily enter the workforce. When the public saw that these policies were not being enforced or implemented, they expressed their dissatisfaction. These individuals were able to safely voice their criticisms by pointing out the educational system’s failures within the ideological framework …


Beliefs, Concerns, And Methods Of Parents Raising Children Bilingually: A Study Of Hispanic Iowa Mothers Attempting To Maintain Heritage Language In Their Children, Briana Vera Jan 2011

Beliefs, Concerns, And Methods Of Parents Raising Children Bilingually: A Study Of Hispanic Iowa Mothers Attempting To Maintain Heritage Language In Their Children, Briana Vera

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of my thesis was to discover more about parents who are raising their children to be English-Spanish bilingual, particularly their beliefs, concerns, and methods regarding this issue. I focused specifically on mothers in Iowa whose native language was Spanish and who had at least one child in the household between the ages of four and sixteen. A point of interest I focused on were the beliefs, concerns, and methods these mothers have and use to maintain their children‟s heritage language (Spanish) as the community language (English) becomes more prominent in their children‟s lives. This information is important for …


Digit Ratios, Baron-Cohen's Reading The Minds In The Eyes And Dart-Throwing Task, Betul Zora Jan 2011

Digit Ratios, Baron-Cohen's Reading The Minds In The Eyes And Dart-Throwing Task, Betul Zora

Honors Program Theses

There is evidence that high prenatal testosterone and the ratio of the index finger to the ring finger are correlated. There is also evidence that male-typical finger ratios correlate positively with male-typical tasks such as targeting and negatively correlated with female-typical tasks. This study examines the correlation between the digit ratio and the dart throwing task and also the digit ratio and Baron-Cohen’s Reading the Mind in the Eyes test. A different digit ratio, the ratio of the index finger and the ring finger to the pinky is also collected and correlated with both of the other tests. Sometime during …


Effects Of Sexual Assault Education On College Students' Rape-Supportive Attitudes, Jessica Ann Ueland Jan 2011

Effects Of Sexual Assault Education On College Students' Rape-Supportive Attitudes, Jessica Ann Ueland

Honors Program Theses

Few studies have measured the effectiveness of sexual assault programming is in decreasing acceptance of rape myths. This study examined two research questions. First, would students in a class that included a sexual assault education component be more likely to demonstrate a change in degree of rape myth acceptance than students who were not in a class that included sexual assault education? Second, within the treatment group, would males demonstrate a larger change in rape myth acceptance than females? At the end of the course, the treatment group showed a significant decrease in rape myth acceptance; there was not a …


Rational Decision-Making In The Face Of Uncertainty: An Experiment In Jeopardy!, Trevor Boeckmann Jan 2011

Rational Decision-Making In The Face Of Uncertainty: An Experiment In Jeopardy!, Trevor Boeckmann

Honors Program Theses

This paper examines the quiz show "Jeopardy!." In the game, players accumulate points then wager them in a final round on a single question. My study finds an empirically-best wagering system for these players, then calculates the benefit of using this system through additional games that would be won with the correct bet. My regression model then finds the determinants of empirically-best (EB) betters. The results show players tend to act too aggressively. Half of non-first place players wager incorrectly and nearly 90% of those non- EB wagers are too large. The regression shows players are most likely to make …


Spatial And Interannual Variability Of Dissolved Organic Matter In The Kolyma River, East Siberia, Observed Using Satellite Imagery, Claire G. Griffin, Karen E. Frey, John Rogan, Robert M. Holmes Jan 2011

Spatial And Interannual Variability Of Dissolved Organic Matter In The Kolyma River, East Siberia, Observed Using Satellite Imagery, Claire G. Griffin, Karen E. Frey, John Rogan, Robert M. Holmes

Geography

The Kolyma River basin in northeastern Siberia, the sixth largest river basin draining to the Arctic Ocean, contains vast reserves of carbon in Pleistocene-aged permafrost soils. Permafrost degradation, as a result of climate change, may cause shifts in riverine biogeochemistry as this old source of organic matter is exposed. Satellite remote sensing offers an opportunity to complement and extrapolate field sampling of dissolved organic matter in this expansive and remote region. We develop empirically based algorithms that estimate chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the Kolyma River and its major tributaries in the vicinity of …


The Foster Care And Adoption Process Through The Eyes Of Prospective Parents, Nancy Hocking Berger Jan 2011

The Foster Care And Adoption Process Through The Eyes Of Prospective Parents, Nancy Hocking Berger

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Every year, thousands of children wait in the Michigan foster care system for a permanent family. Families that express interest in foster care or adoption encounter a complicated and complex child welfare system. In the end, the majority of families that express interest do no progress to fostering or adopting (Katz, Wilson & Green, 2005). There are potential barriers at every step of the process that can impact a family's progress towards providing a home and a family for a waiting child (McRoy, 2007). This study seeks to answer the question: Once interest has been expressed, what are the reasons …


Girls Group Survey On Adolescent Substance Use/Abuse, Heather Messina Jan 2011

Girls Group Survey On Adolescent Substance Use/Abuse, Heather Messina

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This research study focuses on adolescent substance abuse prevention. By involving a convenience sample of African American high school girls from an Ann Arbor nonprofit organization names, "Girls Group", a survey asked about their involvement in the after school program, their exposure to alcohol and drug use, influence, attitudes, coping skill and drinking context. A prevention-based educational workshop will later be designed and customized in response to the data from this survey. A cross-cultural comparison of the prevention of substance abuse in youth was approached by interviewing a substance abuse prevention specialist from Savannah-la-mar, Jamaica who conducts similar prevention workshops …


Maintaining Relationships: Facebook's Affect On Long-Distance Friendships, Steven-Paul Lapid Jan 2011

Maintaining Relationships: Facebook's Affect On Long-Distance Friendships, Steven-Paul Lapid

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Technological advancements in media have made it easier to maintain relationships over long distances. Social networking interfaces and websites such as Facebook have changed the way people communicate in geographically separated relationships. However, is this new technology improving or hindering communication and the maintenance of these relationships? In this exploratory study, self reports of FAcebook users and nonusers are analyzed to examine the effect social networking technology has on relational maintenance and satisfaction. Participants reported their general use of Facebook and reported the quality of their relationships with long-distant acquaintances. This report provides new research opportunities in this growing field …


Ongoing Studies In Rio Grande Valley History, Milo Kearney, Anthony K. Knopp, Antonio Zavaleta Jan 2011

Ongoing Studies In Rio Grande Valley History, Milo Kearney, Anthony K. Knopp, Antonio Zavaleta

Studies in Rio Grande Valley Regional History Series

Chupacabras, a poem / Milo Kearney -- The Texas Center for Border and Transnational Studies / Antonio Zavaleta with help from others -- History Through World War I : Comparative freedom in the borderlands: fugitive slaves in Texas and Mexico from the age of enlightenment through the U.S. Civil War / Francis X. Galan and Joseph Leon -- Contraband trade in Matamoros and its impact on the northern Mexican economy during the 1820s / Melisa Galvan -- Preparando los festejos para la inauguración del Ferrocarril a Monterrey / Andres F. Cuellar -- Adolf F. Dittman and Brownsville's first motion picture …


Foreign Language Houses: Identities In Transition, Jennifer Brown, Dan Dewey, Rob A. Martinsen, Wendy Baker Jan 2011

Foreign Language Houses: Identities In Transition, Jennifer Brown, Dan Dewey, Rob A. Martinsen, Wendy Baker

Faculty Publications

This study examined the lived experience of students participating in foreign language houses to improve their skills in Russian, French, or Japanese. American students residing in apartments with other language learners and a nativespeaking resident facilitator were required to speak with one another exclusively in the target language and participate in activities such as preparing and eating dinner together. Data sources for the study included interviews, observations, and video recordings. The data, which were analyzed qualitatively, revealed that the central experience of living in the foreign language house was the creation of a livable community and that use of the …


Theorizing Practice In Economic Geography: Foundations, Challenges, And Possibilities, Andrew Jones, James T. Murphy Jan 2011

Theorizing Practice In Economic Geography: Foundations, Challenges, And Possibilities, Andrew Jones, James T. Murphy

Geography

Over the last decade or so there has been an identifiable shift in the interests of many economic geographers towards a concern with practices: stabilized, routinized, or improvised social actions that constitute and reproduce economic space, and through and within which socioeconomic actors and communities embed knowledge, organize production activities, and interpret and derive meaning from the world. Although this shift has gained significant momentum its general theoretical significance remains somewhat unclear and the concept is vulnerable to criticisms that it is incoherent, too 'micro-scale' in emphasis, unable to provide valid links between everyday practices and higher-order phenomena (eg, institutions, …


Detection Of The Timing And Duration Of Snowmelt In The Hindu Kush-Himalaya Using Quikscat, 2000-2008, Prajjwal K. Panday, Karen E. Frey, Bardan Ghimire Jan 2011

Detection Of The Timing And Duration Of Snowmelt In The Hindu Kush-Himalaya Using Quikscat, 2000-2008, Prajjwal K. Panday, Karen E. Frey, Bardan Ghimire

Geography

The Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region holds the largest mass of ice in Central Asia and is highly vulnerable to global climate change, experiencing significant warming (0.21 ± 0.08 °C/decade) over the past few decades. Accurate monitoring of the timing and duration of snowmelt across the HKH region is important, as this region is expected to experience further warming in response to increased greenhouse gas forcing. Despite the many advantages and applications of satellite-derived radar scatterometer data shown for capturing ice and snow melt dynamics at high latitudes, similar comprehensive freeze/thaw detection studies at lower latitudes (including the HKH region) are …


The West Africa-Latin America Drug Trafficking Epidemic; An Institutional Analysis, Madi Ceesay Jan 2011

The West Africa-Latin America Drug Trafficking Epidemic; An Institutional Analysis, Madi Ceesay

Dissertations and Theses

"West Africa, like any other region in the world, has had to swallow its fair share of modern-day political, economic and social dilemmas. One phenomenon that has had huge negative implications on the political, economic and social spheres of almost every country on the face of the earth is the production, trafficking, marketing and consumption of illicit drugs. The countries in West Africa have not been spared of the negative consequences of illicit drugs. While some countries have an illicit drug production problem, others have a consumption problem. The countries in West Africa have an illicit drug trafficking problem. The …


Neofunctionalism Vs Liberal Intergovernmentalism; The Creation Of The European Stability Mechanism And The Limits Of Political Theory, Holger Scheidt Jan 2011

Neofunctionalism Vs Liberal Intergovernmentalism; The Creation Of The European Stability Mechanism And The Limits Of Political Theory, Holger Scheidt

Dissertations and Theses

"The aim of this study is to determine the expanatory and predictive value of the two predominant schools of thought on state integration, namely neofunctionalism and liberal intergovernmentalism, of supranationalist or state-centric theory, with respect to the creation of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and the ""Pact for the Euro"" on March 25, 2011 in Brussels. After a 14-month long period of great controversy among the supranational agentsof the European Commission and the representatives of member states of the Economic and Monatery Union (EMU) during 2010, the European Council established a permanent mechanism, which is supposed to grant the stability …


Sexual Gender-Based Violence In The Democratic Republic Of Congo, James Aldworth Jan 2011

Sexual Gender-Based Violence In The Democratic Republic Of Congo, James Aldworth

Dissertations and Theses

"This thesis explores the issue of Sexual Gender-Based Violence in the Democratic of Congo, focusing specifically on the Eastern region of the country. An analysis of the United Nations peacekeeping operation forms a large part the study because the operation remains the most significant multilateral attempt to protect Congolese civilians from sexual violence and other human rights abuses. The objective of the thesis is to highlight the issue of Sexual Gender-Based Violence, describe the background to the continued violence in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and offer an explanation of the causal factors behind the sexual crimes …


Evaluation Of Species Distribution Model Algorithms For Fine-Scale Container-Breeding Mosquito Risk Prediction, C. Khatchikian, Florencia Sangermano, D. Kendell, T. Livdahl Jan 2011

Evaluation Of Species Distribution Model Algorithms For Fine-Scale Container-Breeding Mosquito Risk Prediction, C. Khatchikian, Florencia Sangermano, D. Kendell, T. Livdahl

Geography

The present work evaluates the use of species distribution model (SDM) algorithms to classify high densities of small container-breeding Aedes mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) on a fine scale in the Bermuda Islands. Weekly ovitrap data collected by the Department of Health, Bermuda for the years 2006 and 2007 were used for the models. The models evaluated included the algorithms Bioclim, Domain, GARP (genetic algorithm for rule-set prediction), logistic regression and MaxEnt (maximum entropy). Models were evaluated according to performance and robustness. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate each model's performance, and robustness was assessed according …


The Modern Day Gold Rush ; Private Military Corporations, Deirdre Kornhiser Jan 2011

The Modern Day Gold Rush ; Private Military Corporations, Deirdre Kornhiser

Dissertations and Theses

Since wars have existed, there have been soldiers for hire. As the state evolved, originating during the peace of Westphalia, and matured, the definition and the business of mercenarism have gone through many mutations. Today, and particularly since the 1970s, mercenaries have banded together, incorporating themselves as private military firms, some of which are units of multinational corporations. Private Military Corporations (PMCs) offer expertise ranging from construction to logistics but a number of contractors have been accused of human rights violations, particularly in the current theatres of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The theme of this thesis is that PMCs …


Private Sector Engagement For Poverty Reduction;The Experience Of Undp And Lessons For G-20, Fareeda Ehthesham Jan 2011

Private Sector Engagement For Poverty Reduction;The Experience Of Undp And Lessons For G-20, Fareeda Ehthesham

Dissertations and Theses

"The Group of Twenty countries has recently adopted its first development plan called the “Seoul Development Consensus for Shared Growth” with an unprecedented focus on inclusive development and increased participation from the private sector. The statement from the heads of state of the G-20 group calls for ""financial inclusion"", ""private investment and job creation"" and trade, among other required steps toward economic development and achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The traditional approach to development has been through development assistance and aid flowing from developed to developing nations. This approach has had some successes, but with the large numbers of people …


Climate Torts And Ecocide In The Context Of Proposals For An International Environmental Court, Patrick Foster Jan 2011

Climate Torts And Ecocide In The Context Of Proposals For An International Environmental Court, Patrick Foster

Dissertations and Theses

"This thesis is an exploration of two questions that are neither novel nor lacking in exploration: Is an International Environmental Court (IEC) needed? Is such a court feasible? Proposals for an IEC have a rich history, are well founded and numerous. On the issue of necessity, this thesis attempts to pull together historical and current information on two distinct areas of international environmental law and use these analyses to contextualize the need for an international environmental tribunal. Arguments for and against an IEC are presented within a discussion of environmental diplomacy. This thesis begins with a legal discussion of potential …


The Legal And Political Foundations Of Kosovo's Independence, Mensur Deva Jan 2011

The Legal And Political Foundations Of Kosovo's Independence, Mensur Deva

Dissertations and Theses

The case of Kosovo's independence raised concern regarding setting a precedence for other pro self-determination movements in the world. The critical question is if the Kosovo case actually sets a precedent for these movements or if it is a unique case due to its sui generis situation. This paper is an attempt to analyze the legality and the legitimate right of Kosovo to become an independent state. The study examines the phenomenon of the creation of new states in the world, looking at historical events such as decolonization and the dissolution of communist countries in Eastern Europe. In addition, I …