Assessing An Economics Programme: Hansen Proficiencies, ePortfolio, and Undergraduate Research

Numerous sources calling for more accountability in higher education are putting increased pressure on many economics departments to develop assessment plans. This paper discusses a set of principles for programmatic assessment gleaned from the assessment literature, while highlighting one US economic department's journey to develop an assessment of student learning outcomes based on Hansen's proficiencies. We explain the curriculum reforms that culminate with independent undergraduate research as suggested by the highest level of Hansen's proficiencies. We describe ePortfolios which showcase student abilities and integrate evidence of student learning across the curriculum. For departments without direct guidance from accreditation boards or other agencies, we put forth a process of forming programmatic assessment in economics.

Causes of Corruption:History, Geography, and Government

Corruption, which remains a serious problem in many countries, has prompted considerable research in recent years. This paper adds to the extant literature with insights on factors influencing corrupt activity. Using cross-country data for about 100 nations, the roles of national history, geography, and government are examined to see how they affect conditions for corruption, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The innovative aspects of this research include use of a wide set of historical, geographical, and governmental determinants of corruption, as well as detailed assessment of several previously considered determinants. The main issues addressed are the effects of the size and scope of government on the incidence of corruption across countries, and the significance of historical and geographic factors in corruption. Regarding the first question, the authors find the size and scope of government can significantly affect corruption. On the second, it is shown that historical institutional inertia in older countries and new rent-seeking opportunities in younger nations can encourage corruption, while certain geographic factors can mitigate corruption. The paper ends with discussion aimed at the policymaker.corruption; bribery; government size; government scope; rent-seeking; history; geography

A genome-wide survey of segmental duplications that mediate common human genetic variation of chromosomal architecture.

Recent studies have identified a small number of genomic rearrangements that occur frequently in the general population. Bioinformatics tools are now available for systematic genome-wide surveys of higher-order structures predisposing to such common variations in genomic architecture. Segmental duplications (SDs) constitute up to 5 per cent of the genome and play an important role in generating additional rearrangements and in disease aetiology. We conducted a genome-wide database search for a form of SD, palindromic segmental duplications (PSDs), which consist of paired, inverted duplications, and which predispose to inversions, duplications and deletions. The survey was complemented by a search for SDs in tandem orientation (TSDs) that can mediate duplications and deletions but not inversions. We found more than 230 distinct loci with higher-order genomic structure that can mediate genomic variation, of these about 180 contained a PSD. A number of these sites were previously identified as harbouring common inversions or as being associated with specific genomic diseases characterised by duplication, deletions or inversions. Most of the regions, however, were previously unidentified; their characterisation should identify further common rearrangements and may indicate localisations for additional genomic disorders. The widespread distribution of complex chromosomal architecture suggests a potentially high degree of plasticity of the human genome and could uncover another level of genetic variation within human populations

Robust Determinants of the Shadow Economy: An International Comparison

To synthesize the literature on determinants of the shadow economy, this paper uses three cross-national shadow economy measures and employs numerous determinants over hundreds of model combinations to identify robust determinants of the shadow economy and address modeling uncertainty. We find that bureaucratic complexity is more significant than monetary severity in driving shadow activity. The incentives of new shadow entrepreneurs are somewhat different. A one standard deviation increase in tax complexity increases overall shadow economy by over ten percent of the mean. In contrast, a similar increase in business startup costs increases new informal entrepreneurs by almost more than double

Non-Universal Gaugino Masses, CDMS, and the LHC

We consider the possibility that the recently reported events at the CDMS-II direct dark matter detection experiment are the result of coherent scattering of supersymmetric neutralinos. In such a scenario we argue that non-universal soft supersymmetry breaking gaugino masses are favored with a resulting lightest neutralino with significant Higgsino and wino components. We discuss the accompanying signals which must be seen at liquid-xenon direct detection experiments and indirect detection experiments if such a supersymmetric interpretation is to be maintained. We illustrate the possible consequences for early discovery channels at the LHC via a set of benchmark points designed to give rise to an observed event rate comparable to the reported CDMS-II data.Comment: Typos corrected and references adde

A Physical Theory of the Competition that Allows HIV to Escape from the Immune System

Competition within the immune system may degrade immune control of viral infections. We formalize the evolution that occurs in both HIV-1 and the immune system quasispecies. Inclusion of competition in the immune system leads to a novel balance between the immune response and HIV-1, in which the eventual outcome is HIV-1 escape rather than control. The analytical model reproduces the three stages of HIV-1 infection. We propose a vaccine regimen that may be able to reduce competition between T cells, potentially eliminating the third stage of HIV-1.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

COMMUNITY ECONOMICS: A SIMULATION MODEL FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNERS

Community/Rural/Urban Development,

PAN AIR: A computer program for predicting subsonic or supersonic linear potential flows about arbitrary configurations using a higher order panel method. Volume 4: Maintenance document (version 3.0)

The Maintenance Document Version 3.0 is a guide to the PAN AIR software system, a system which computes the subsonic or supersonic linear potential flow about a body of nearly arbitrary shape, using a higher order panel method. The document describes the overall system and each program module of the system. Sufficient detail is given for program maintenance, updating, and modification. It is assumed that the reader is familiar with programming and CRAY computer systems. The PAN AIR system was written in FORTRAN 4 language except for a few CAL language subroutines which exist in the PAN AIR library. Structured programming techniques were used to provide code documentation and maintainability. The operating systems accommodated are COS 1.11, COS 1.12, COS 1.13, and COS 1.14 on the CRAY 1S, 1M, and X-MP computing systems. The system is comprised of a data base management system, a program library, an execution control module, and nine separate FORTRAN technical modules. Each module calculates part of the posed PAN AIR problem. The data base manager is used to communicate between modules and within modules. The technical modules must be run in a prescribed fashion for each PAN AIR problem. In order to ease the problem of supplying the many JCL cards required to execute the modules, a set of CRAY procedures (PAPROCS) was created to automatically supply most of the JCL cards. Most of this document has not changed for Version 3.0. It now, however, strictly applies only to PAN AIR version 3.0. The major changes are: (1) additional sections covering the new FDP module (which calculates streamlines and offbody points); (2) a complete rewrite of the section on the MAG module; and (3) strict applicability to CRAY computing systems