Student Perceptions and Learning Outcomes: Evidence from the Education Testing Service (ETS) Major Field Test in Business

We examine course evaluation data from the core finance course and analyze how these data relate to performance on the finance portion of the Educational Testing Service Major Field Test in Business (ETS). We find that gender, SAT scores, GPA and concentration all have significant impacts on student performance. We also find that student perceptions of teaching and of how much knowledge they gained do not relate to the finance ETS score. Finally, we find that students who feel challenged in their finance core course do significantly better on the finance portion of the exam. This result is robust to different data partitions

Reference Pricing of Pharmaceuticals for Medicare: Evidence from Germany, the Netherlands and New Zealand

This paper describes three prototypical systems of therapeutic reference pricing (RP) for pharmaceuticals -- Germany, the Netherlands, and New Zealand -- and examines their effects on the availability of new drugs, reimbursement levels, manufacturer prices and out-of-pocket surcharges to patients. RP for pharmaceuticals is not simply analogous to a defined contribution approach to subsidizing insurance coverage. Although a major purpose of RP is to stimulate competition, theory suggests that this is unlikely and this is confirmed by the empirical evidence. Other effects of RP differ across countries in predictable ways, reflecting each country's system design and other cost control policies. New Zealand's RP system has reduced reimbursement and limited the availability of new drugs, particularly more expensive drugs. Compared to these three countries, if RP were applied in the US, it would likely have a more negative effect on prices of on-patent products, due to the more competitive US generic market, and a more negative effect on R&D and on the future supply of new drugs, due to the much larger US share of global pharmaceutical sales.

How Lawyers Think -- Clarence Morris

Review of "How Lawyers Think" by Clarence Morri

Do Physical Self-Efficacy and Physical Self-Concept Mediate the Relationship Between Past Sports Participation, Past Gym Grades and Physical Activity Across the Life-Span?

Retrospective studies have shown that the formation of habits, both health and activity related, during childhood is vital to carrying those habits into adulthood (Azevedo, Araujo & Hallal, 2007; Barnekow-Bergkvist et al. 1996; Nelson, Gordon-Larsen, Adair, & Popkin, 2005; Telama et al. 1997; Telama, Yang, Viikari, Valimaki, Wanne & Raitakari, 2005). These studies demonstrate that passive participation in an activity is not sufficient; rather organized participation, such as being part of a team, is necessary for continuation of a physical activity later in life. In addition, researchers have found that sound physical and strong academic educations are also important in promoting and sustaining a physically active lifestyle. In general, the education process trains ndividuals to stick to routines (physical education) and follow through with commitments (academic education) (Barnekow-Bergkvist et al. 1996

The Inflation-Hedging Properties of Risk Assets: The Case of REITs

This study examines the inflation-hedging abilities of REITs over the period 1972:2-1992:12 to determine whether REITs act as a hedge against expected and/or unexpected inflation. The time period used in this study is substantially longer than in earlier studies. A model of real estate returns is derived that has components for expected and unexpected returns and allows for variation in the real return on risky assets. The results indicate that REITs provide some hedging capability against expected inflation, but act as perverse hedges against unexpected inflation. These results are robust with respect to time period studied, measure of expected inflation and proxy for the market portfolio, indicating that the apparent perverse hedging property of real estate investments is not due to methodological problems.

Roger B. Taney, Jacksonian Jurist by Charles W. Smith, Jr.

Review of "Roger B. Taney, Jacksonian Jurist" by Charles W. Smith, Jr

Wheelchair-based game design for older adults

Few leisure activities are accessible to institutionalized older adults using wheelchairs; in consequence, they experience lower levels of perceived health than able-bodied peers. Video games have been shown to be an engaging leisure activity for older adults. In our work, we address the design of wheelchair-accessible motion-based games. We present KINECTWheels, a toolkit designed to integrate wheelchair movements into motion-based games, and Cupcake Heaven, a wheelchair-based video game designed for older adults using wheelchairs. Results of two studies show that KINECTWheels can be applied to make motion-based games wheelchair-accessible, and that wheelchair-based games engage older adults. Through the application of the wheelchair as an enabling technology in play, our work has the potential of encouraging older adults to develop a positive relationship with their wheelchair. Copyright 2013 ACM

Biomechanical and Proprioceptive Differences during Drop Landings between Dancers and Non-dancers

International Journal of Exercise Science 6(4) : 289-299, 2013. The focus of this research was to determine if female dancers have differing kinematic and kinetic characteristics when landing from three heights (0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 m) both with and without vision compared to non-dancers. It was hypothesized that dancers would show differing kinematic and kinetic patterns of control due to their increased proprioceptive awareness. Eight collegiate dancers and seven collegiate controls who were neither dancers nor collegiate jumping athletes volunteered for this study. Sagittal plane lower limb joint angles were measured at 100 Hz prior to landing through stability with a high-speed camera, and peak vertical ground reaction forces relative to body weight were recorded with an indwelling force plate. Results indicated biomechanical differences across height and vision conditions, as well as between groups. Kinetic results showed a significant height effect with respect to vertical ground reaction forces. From the 0.8 m drop, both dancers and non-dancers produced significantly greater ground reaction forces when landing without vision compared to when they landed with vision. No significant kinetic differences were found between groups. Kinematic results revealed a significant height effect for the hip and knee angles across groups and vision conditions, meaning that as drop height increased, the participants demonstrated greater range of motion in their hip and knee joints. Dancers and non-dancers responded differently when dropping from 0.8 m without vision. Dancers significantly increased hip flexion compared to landing with vision, while non-dancers tended to stiffen up and reduced hip flexion. These findings suggest that dancers utilize proprioceptive input more effectively as they adopted a hip strategy (flexion of the hips) to maintain stability. Training dancers without vision may impact dance instruction and reduce the risk of injuries when landing

Mesozoic–Tertiary exhumation history of the Altai Mountains, northern Xinjiang, China: New constraints from apatite fission track data

This study uses apatite fission track (FT) analysis to constrain the exhumation history of bedrock samples collected from the Altai Mountains in northern Xinjiang, China. Samples were collected as transects across the main structures related to Palaeozoic crustal accretion events. FT results and modeling identify three stages in sample cooling history spanning the Mesozoic and Tertiary. Stage one records rapid cooling to the low temperature part of the fission track partial annealing zone circa 70 ± 10 °C. Stage two, records a period of relative stability with little if any cooling taking place between 75 and 25–20 Ma suggesting the Altai region had been reduced to an area of low relief. Support for this can be found in the adjacent Junngar Basin that received little if any sediment during this interval. Final stage cooling took place in the Miocene at an accelerated rate bringing the sampled rocks to the Earth's surface. This last stage, linked to the far field effects of the Himalayan collision, most likely generated the surface uplift and relief that define the present-day Altai Mountains