Building on other studies and reports, we describe an educational laboratory exercise in which students analyze the movement of the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila, using free ...video-capture and image-analysis software (ImageJ), along with a relatively inexpensive ($45–70) digital microscope camera that is USB 2.0 compatible. Specifically, students record Tetrahymena activity under different control and test conditions, and they later use ImageJ to analyze the movement patterns. While this technique is demonstrated to show how methanol affects Tetrahymena behavior, students can use the approach to examine activity under a variety of circumstances, enabling them to conduct their own inquiry-based experiments in lab or as part of a larger independent research project.
We assess the presence of herding by considering the lead-lag relationship of sovereign ratings assigned by the three main rating agencies at the individual country level. Given that different rating ...agencies may have different levels of expertise (reputation) for different countries it is not obvious that the lead-lag relationship is homogeneous across countries. We therefore conduct poolability tests within this context to assess this assumption and find evidence of heterogeneity. This leads us to conduct country-by-country time-series tests to assess the lead-lag relationship among agencies. To our knowledge we are the first to do this and thereby extend the literature on herding among rating agencies' sovereign assignments. We also consider changes in the lead-lag relationship through time by splitting the sample into pre-crisis and crisis periods to assess the extent to which any herding is intentional and our results indicate some degree of heterogeneity through time. To the extent that there is herding we find that it is generally towards Standard and Poor's ratings confirming our expectations given that this agency is regarded as possessing the greatest reputational capital. However, our results do not support the expectation that Fitch is a follower for more (a leader for less) countries than Moody's.
•We assess the presence of herding for sovereign ratings.•We apply poolability tests to assess the homogeneity assumption.•Our results indicate some degree of heterogeneity through time.•Herding is generally towards Standard and Poor's ratings.
An Inexpensive, Open-Source Mini-Centrifuge Warejoncas, Zachary; Stewart, Chris; Giannini, John
The American biology teacher,
2018-August, 20180801, 2018-08-01, Letnik:
80, Številka:
6
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The centrifuge is an important piece of equipment for any biology lab, necessary for a wide variety of experiments. Cost, however, often prevents the use of centrifuges in many teaching labs, greatly ...limiting educational experiences for students. As a result, we describe how to construct a “homemade” single-speed mini-centrifuge using inexpensive parts easily acquired online or at hardware or other stores (e.g., a 4.7-quart plastic bowl and lid, standard computer cooling fan, AC/DC adapter, electrical wire, etc.). We further used this design and a commercial mini-centrifuge to pellet 1-mL samples of Tetrahymena thermophila, and we found that the two performed comparably. Finally, because our plans and the materials needed to build this device are all open source, we call our design the OPN Minifuge, and we hope that it will help to expand the scope of experiments that students can run in introductory and upper-level biology teaching labs.
Educators have observed that university and college students have been exhibiting behaviors that are consistent with academic entitlement. There is however a dearth of research surrounding social ...work students. The current study assesses whether social work students exhibit academically entitled behaviors as compared to other disciplines and whether there are age, gender or academic level differences. Results from the Academic Entitlement Questionnaire (AEQ) indicate that overall, that students in this study have low levels of academic entitlement. It was found however that younger students had higher levels of academic entitlement than the older students. Implications for social work education are discussed.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
BFBNIB, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
This paper examines shock and volatility spill-over effects from crude oil prices to Ghana's exchange rate and stock market. We employ multivariate GARCH BEKK and TBEKK models using monthly data from ...January 1991 to December 2015. We address two main issues. First, whether oil price movements affect Ghana's exchange rate and stock market. There are very few previous papers that consider the impact of such volatility spill-overs for Ghana and we are the first to do so in a four-variable system of equations. Second, whether any oil price effects depend on the treatment of oil prices as exogenous or endogenous. We are the first to consider specifications that treat crude oil price spill-over effects as exogenous. We find that oil prices have significant spill-over effects on the exchange rate. This result is unaffected by the treatment of oil prices as exogenous or endogenous. However, the relationship between oil prices and Ghana's stock market depends on whether the oil price is exogenous or endogenous. The implication of these results is that internationally diversified portfolio investors in Ghana should use hedging strategies such as currency forwards, futures, and options to protect their investments from exchange rate risk emanating from oil price shocks.
One issue raised by the Brookings Report: Health Care Providers' Conscience and Patient Needs: The Quest for Balance, was the role of personal conscience in moral conflicts. Conscience, as so ...defined, is heavily influenced by personal philosophical beliefs and values. Social Work has historically, proposed values as a both a means of professional definition and to differentiate itself from other helping professions. Several significant issues, however, create problems for utilizing specific values as a true core feature of the social work profession. One possible solution is the implementation of an organizing principle; specifically social justice. There is ample evidence for the utilization of social justice as such a principle or value, from both the social work literature and the philosophical study of justice. By incorporating a broad conception of social justice it becomes possible for many perspectives and dimensions of social justice to be applied in specific situations and still maintain a cohesive, comprehensive understanding of the social work profession that remains true to its historical foundations.
Although research generally supports a relationship between certain personality dimensions and empathy, there is relatively little empirical information directly examining the relationship between ...spirituality and empathy. This study sought to explore the relationship of spirituality to empathy, while including relevant personality dimensions. Multidimensional measures of spirituality (Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale) and personality (Big Five Inventory) were used with a sample of both students and practitioners. Students included both undergraduate and graduate social work students from four universities. Practitioners included both social workers and nurses from a local hospital. Results demonstrated that only one spirituality dimension (Spiritual Perspective) was correlated with empathy. While this Spiritual Perspective dimension was not a significant predictor in a regression model, the interaction term of Spiritual Perspective and Agreeableness (personality) was significant in predicting empathy.
While negative attitudes within the social work community toward clients struggling with addiction may not be ubiquitous, there is evidence that such attitudes remain problematic. Interestingly, ...while extant research suggests social workers may demonstrate low empathy toward clients with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs), there is very little research available concerning factors that may be involved with these adverse attitudes. This study explored the relationship between spirituality, religiosity and attitudes toward clients with SUDs utilizing a sample of social work students and practitioners from two unique geographical locations. Results demonstrated that dimensions of spirituality, including religiosity, have some predictive potential for attitudes toward addiction. Further, the direction can be either positive or negative.
Abstract
Income inequality and house prices have risen sharply in developed countries during 1975–2010. In line with theoretical models, we argue that this co-movement is no coincidence, but that ...inequality has driven up house prices on the grounds that it raises the aggregate demand for housing. Our results suggest that absolute inequality and house prices in most Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries were positively correlated and cointegrated, whereas relative inequality and mean income were not significant long-run determinants. This finding indicates that the surge in OECD house prices in part can be explained by a top-income-induced increase in housing demand, and that it is important to consider the interaction of rising mean income and its relative distribution when studying potential correlates of house prices. Moreover, our results confirm previous findings that the short-term real interest rate also is an important correlate of house prices.
This article examines whether the consumption-income ratio is stationary in 50 African countries. We use the residual augmented least squares (RALS-LM) unit root test that allows for structural ...breaks. The empirical evidence shows that the consumption income ratio is stationary around structural breaks in most (44 out of 50) African countries. This is consistent with the predictions of most economic theories. The general finding of mean reversion implies that (policy) shocks are likely to have only temporary effects on the consumption-income ratio in most African countries .
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