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S&P 500 index option pricing inefficiency surrounding U.S. Federal Reserve meetings and economic uncertainty
No full textMany researchers such as Galai (1977) have showed that option markets experience periods of inefficiency. Other researchers such as Gemmill (1991) have shown that these periods of inefficiency occur surrounding uncertain events like political elections. Federal Reserve policy meetings occur roughly every six weeks and frequently have uncertain outcomes over potential policy changes. This study uses option data between February 11th, 2005 and December 31st, 2011 to conduct multiple OLS regressions and robustness teststo determine if Federal Reserve meetings and economic uncertainty increase pricing inefficiency in option markets. Results show a statistically significant, although not economically significant,
positive relationship between option market inefficiency, Federal Reserve meetings and economic uncertainty
Excited state intramolecular proton transfer reactions in polyaryl bisphenols
No full textElectronic excitation of phenols can produce a significant increase in acidity, causing the phenolic proton to transfer to basic sites on the same molecule in a reaction called an excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT). This work involves the investigation of the photochemistry of polyaryls containing two hydroxyl groups.
1,4-di(o-hydroxyphenyl)naphthalene (29) and 2-phenylresorcinol (31) were prepared using a methodology involving Suzuki coupling and demethylation, and were obtained in crude yields of 65% and 59%, respectively. Photochemical studies, including UV-Vis spectroscopy, product studies, and fluorescence spectroscopy, were performed on bisphenols p-di(o-hydroxyphenyl)benzene (28), 29, and 31. Phenol28 underwent ESIPT and reverse proton transfer (RPT) inefficiently (Φ< .01),
as indicated by deuterium incorporation on the central aromatic ring.In addition, a competing side reaction was observed which gave unidentified products. ESIPT and electrocyclicring closure (ERC) took place on irradiation of 29, and the reaction proceeded cleanly with no side products. The cyclized photoproduct appeared to undergo aromatization on exposure to air. Phenol 31 underwent ESIPT and RPT which gave efficient deuterium incorporation (Φ= 0.25) at the 2'-position.
The results suggest that placement of two electron-donating phenolic hydroxyl groups on the same 'donor' ring leads to an enhancement of ESIPT reaction efficiency, whereas placement of these two hydroxyl groups opposite to one another on different rings leads to reduced ESIPT efficiency. This is consistent with a reaction mechanism that involves substantial excited state charge transfer prior to the proton transfer step
Textual analysis of Apple's entrepreneurial orientation
No full textBuilding on the study of sentiment and text within accounting and finance, this thesis uses the word list approach to observe the signaling of an organization's entrepreneurial orientation in its official annual reports (10-K filings). An entrepreneurial orientation as described by Gregory G. Dess and George Lumpkin (1996) is a compilation of the organization's strategic view of value creation amongst all organizational components such as leadership and culture. While
significant research has been completed to observe the sentiments of negative and positive words within business communication, there has yet to be a similar examination of the underlying factors of the organization, such as an entrepreneurial orientation (EO), that would influence an organization's financial performance. With the modification of a pre-developed software to include the entrepreneurial orientation word list developed by Short, Broberg, Cogliser & Brigham (2010), this study was applied to a single longitudinal case of Apple Inc. Upon analysis of Apple's annual reports from 2001 to 2018, words that indicate the existence of an entrepreneurial orientation were discovered. Only 3 of 5 dimensions of EO were represented within Apple's annual reports: innovativeness, risk-taking, and competitive
aggressiveness. There was also considerable variation in the number of words found over time. This thesis provides three plausible explanations for the fluctuations over time: (1) some changes in performance may be properly explained by the
company's EO, (2) some increases in EO language may be a rhetorical technique to reinforce investor confidence, and (3) some shifts in EO language may be driven by changes in authorship, such as the shift from Steve Job's to Tim Cook's leadership at Apple. This thesis also recommends future research directions for this new type of analysis
Risk perception and preparedness as a product of training and experience: a study of hikers and climbers in Canada's "Outdoor Recreation Capital"
No full textOutdoor recreation is becoming an increasingly popular pastime amongst Canadians. As more people flock to the outdoors, it is statistically inevitable that more people will also face adverse situations that they may or may not be prepared for. Current research supports the concept that more experienced
participants will be better suited to deal with these risks, but none so far have investigated the specific influence of education on preparedness.The purpose of this thesis was to explore how perceptions of risk and dimensions of experience influenced an individual's level of preparedness while out hiking or
climbing. As the self-proclaimed "Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada, Squamish, B.C. provided the perfect location for this research. Through in-situ surveys, this study found that increases in both perceived risk and experience, including education, lead to increases in preparedness
Temporal changes in reproductive rate in coyotes (Canis latrans) in Nova Scotia during an incentive program
No full textCommon management strategies for introduced wildlife are often directed toward targeted removal but attempts in eradication or reduction frequently fail. A general assumption has been that reproductive rate will increase with removal
pressure. I quantified reproductive rate in coyotes (Canis latrans) using placental scar counts to determine if an incentive program from 2010 to 2015 and post-incentive from 2016 to 2018 affected fecundity. I also examined associations between placental scars, age, and mass. Analyses were run including all females, excluding juveniles, or excluding non-breeders.
Finally, I examined age structure by year for females and males. Reproductive tracts were collected from 1647 females from 2010 to 2018. Lower canine teeth were extracted for age analyses. Unexpectedly, placental scar counts decreased over time if I included all females or if I excluded juveniles but increased when I excluded non-breeders. This result generally
is contrary to previous assumptions and suggests population density may not have decreased from the incentive program. Older and heavier females had more placental scars but my results for older females did not suggest senescence, possibly because tooth pulp ratios do not precisely reflect actual ages. Age structure was inconsistent among years forfemales, but consistent for males. A higher percentage of juvenile malesin my data compared to adults may be due to higher dispersal rates or could represent actual age ratios in Nova Scotia populations but there is no clear explanation for differences between females and males in age structure; this requires further investigation
A university's community engagement ethos: working towards reciprocal processes and public purposes through community service-learning
No full textThe purpose of this doctoral research was to understand undergraduate community service-learning within long-term community-university partnerships (CSL/CUPs), and their potential for community-valued development outcomes. This article-based dissertation involved three distinct, yet interrelated studies. The first study analyzed the means through which current CSL literature incorporated community voice, the conditions that foster successful CSL from the community partners' perspectives, and the impacts of CSL on community. The second study explored the processes and characteristics of three successful CSL/CUPs. From this study a conceptual model was developed, depicting the processes and key characteristics of CSL/CUPs that are committed to community-valued development outcomes. The third study focused on university readiness to advance community-engagement scholarship. This article explored the paradoxes of supporting a democratic community engagement culture within a neoliberal institutional construct. The concluding chapter of this dissertation connects the three studies by discussing the overall contributions of the doctoral research, the macro-limitations, and future implications
Animal passage project: monitoring small-bodied fishes movement through a culvert using traps, tags, and antennas
No full textThe construction of highways near or through fish habitat can potentially have an impact on local fish populations by obstructing movement. Culverts are regularly used around the world to facilitate fish movement. The main objective of this study (2013–2016) was to determine if small-bodied fishes moved through a culvert that was installed to provide passage following highway construction over a stream. Visual Implant Alpha (VI-Alpha) and Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT)
tags were used to tag Brook Trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, Creek Chub, Semotilus atromaculatus, Blacknose Dace, Rhinichthys atratulus, and White Sucker, Catostomus commersonii. Traditional trapping methods (eel and minnow traps) and antennas
(antenna arrays and backpack reader) were used to analyze fish recaptures and movement. PIT tags were effective; a 69.8%
recapture rate. Fishes were most often recaptured once using eel and minnow traps, but some individuals were detected more often using antennas. Antenna arrays had a total of 27,560 hits but only detected Blacknose Dace and White Sucker. The backpack reader had a total of 53 detections and was successful in detecting Blacknose Dace, Creek Chub, and White Sucker. Fishes caught in eel or minnow traps crossed through the culvert a maximum of 7 times; however, antenna arrays
detected up to 71 crossings by Blacknose Dace. The findings of this study have the potential to improve transportation planning by providing necessary information on small-bodied fishes movement and use of monitoring methods
Development and validation of a scale that measures recollected caregiver sensitivity
No full textCaregiver sensitivity is an essential component of healthy development. Experiences of sensitive caregiving in childhood are associated with better psychological and physical well-being in adulthood. The goal of the current research was to validate a new, retrospective measure of subjective experiences of caregiver sensitivity called the Recollected Caregiver Sensitivity Scale (RCSS). In Study 1, a pilot version of the RCSS was given to a 373-participant sample of undergraduate students and assessed using a Principal Components Analysis, bivariate correlations, and regression analyses. All items strongly loaded onto at least one of two core components, suggesting that none of the items needed to be eliminated. Almost all scales measuring theoretically related constructs were significantly correlated with the RCSS in the ways expected. The RCSS also predicted well-being over and above a self-report measure of attachment. In Study 2, a Confirmatory Factor Analysis was conducted, and construct validity and discriminant validity were assessed using web-based data collection from a diverse sample from across Canada. The CFA identified a 3-factor model that was a good fit for the data. The RCSS also significantly correlated with other measures of well-being in the ways expected; the exception was one measure that was worded to emphasize more prosocial behaviours, which are theoretically linked to caregiver sensitivity. The RCSS also predicted well-being over and above a known attachment measure as well as another measure of recollected caregiver sensitivity. Overall, the results from Studies 1 and 2 indicate that the RCSS is a promising new measure of caregiver sensitivity
Identifying fungal associations of the endangered plant Crocanthemum canadense (L.) Britt. (Cistaceae) in Nova Scotia
No full textCrocanthemum canadense (L.) Britt. (Cistaceae) is a small, herbaceous plant that is critically imperiled in Nova Scotia. Habitat loss and an insect pest, Mompha capella (Momphidae), are contributing to population decline. The role of fungal
associations in C. canadense populations is unknown, and thus the primary goal of this research was to identify fungal symbionts to aid in propagation and conservation strategies. Fungi were isolated from the roots, stems, and leaves of C.
canadense plants collected throughout six sites at 14 Wing Canadian Forces Base Greenwood, Nova Scotia. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) were observed using root staining and microscopic techniques to determine percent root colonization. Site 3 had the highest average A MF colonization rate (53%; n = 3). Using ITS rDNA barcoding, 43 fungal species were identified from roots, 14 from leaves, 6 from upper stems, and 11 from lower stems. Six ascomycete fungi occurred in more than half of the study sites and colonized more than a third of the plants sampled. These included Pyrenophora tetrarrhenae colonizing 89% of plants which was isolated from above-ground tissues, Arcopilus aureus (56%; from all
tissue types), Pilidium concavum (50%; from roots, leaves, and lower stems), Phialocephala cf. fortinii (44%; from roots and lower stems), Apiognomonia cf. hystrix (39%; from all tissue types), and Sphaeronaemella fragariae (39%; only from leaves).
Apiognomonia cf. hystrix and P. tetrarrhenae were present in C. canadense tissue at all six sites. This research provides
the first report of the fungal relationships potentially influencing endangered Nova Scotia C. canadense populations and could be used to enhance the success of future plant propagation and conservation efforts
The take-away: a gender-based assessment of the NS Liberal Government's public sector policy change
No full textThe objective of this thesis was to examine how the Nova Scotia Liberal Government's economic and labour policies undervalue work traditionally done by women through the Government's treatment of public sector unions. Since the Liberal Government came into power in 2013, they governed on a mandate that
prioritized balanced budgets, and have passed legislation that either limited the ability for workers to strike—for example, by deeming them essential—or by curtailing their bargaining power by placing a cap on wage increases.
In order to determine the impact of the NS Government's economic and labour policies, this thesis examined three case studies. The first being Bill 37, or the "Essential Health and Community Services Act." The second case analyzed Bill 148, the "Public Services Sustainability Act," and the third and final case study analyzed an amendment made by the McNeil Government to an Act titled the "Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act."
In reviewing these case studies, I have found that a gender-based analysis of economic and labour policy is necessary. Because even when the impacts are inadvertent, without focusing on the gendered impact of policy, governments run the risk of negatively affecting women. And without critically examining the priorities of government—such as the need to balance budgets by cutting the public sector—we may inadvertently uphold patriarchal structures of the political economy