The purpose of the present study was to determine the achievement levels and expressed attitudes and feelings, five years later in 1972, of a group of students who learned to read in grade one in 1966-1967, using i.t.a. in comparison to a group who learned to read using T.O.Four areas of achievement, namely Reading Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, Spelling, and Mathematics were tested by use of selected sub-sections of the California Achievement Test. A questionnaire was developed to determine the attitudes and feelings of students toward first grade reading experiences and their present attitudes and feelings toward reading in 1972.A Lorge-Thorndike Intelligence Test administered during the first grade was used as the entry level for the analysis of co-variance. Analysis of variance and covariance were the statistical techniques used to determine the differences between the groups that might be attributed to sex, method, or sex by method interaction.The student sample for the study consisted of 143 pupils from the Marion Community Schools, located in Marion, Indiana. The method of instruction of 67 of the pupils hadbeen i.t.a. in first grade while 76 pupils in the same schools had instruction with T.U. materials. The students have been exposed to various materials in the five years since their initial learning experiences, with random grouping of those who were initially presented i.t.a. or T.O.Data were analyzed to test the null hypotheses:There are no differences in levels of achievement of pupils who learned to read using i.t.a. and those using T.O. on either of the four dependent measures attributable to the following,1. sex2. method3. sex by method. interactionThe computed F ratios were not significant between sexes, methods, or sex by method interaction for reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, spelling, and mathematics, therefore the null hypotheses could not be rejected, for these areas of achievement.There are no differences in levels of achievement of pupils who learned to read using i.t.a. and those using T.O. on either of the four dependent measures with the entry level as a co-variant attributable to the following,1. sex2. method3. sex by method interactionThe computed F ratios were not significant between methods or sex by method interaction for reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, spelling, and mathematics when the entry level was used as a co-variant. The computed F ratios were not significant between sexes for reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, and mathematics when the entry level was used as a co-variant. The computed F ratio was significant between sex for spelling when the entry level was used as a co-variant. The co-variant, entry level, was significant. The null hypotheses could not be rejected for differences between methods or sex by method interaction for reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, spelling, and mathematics when the entry level was used as a co-variant. The null hypotheses could not be rejected for differences between sexes for reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, and mathematics with the entry level as a co-variant. The null hypotheses for differences between sexes must be rejected for spelling with the entry level as a co-variant because significant differences were found.Data were analyzed to test the null hypotheses:There is no difference in attitude toward beginning reading learning as revealed by a questionnaire between pupils in the group who learned to read using i.t.a. and those using T.O. for,1. the total group2. the boys3. the girlsOnly slight differences were found in the responses to the part of the questionnaire concerning reading attitudes and feelings about learning to read. Therefore the null hypotheses could not be rejected.Data were analyzed to test the null hypotheses: There is no difference in attitude toward reading as revealed by a questionnaire between pupils in the group who learned to read using i.t.a. and those using T.O. for, 1. the total group2. the boys3. the girlsNo consistent differences in attitudes and feelings were revealed in answers to the part of the questionnaire concerning attitudes and feelings about reading at the present time (1972). Therefore the null hypotheses could not be rejected.For the pupils in this study it seems tenable to conclude that little difference exists in the achievement levels of reading, spelling, and mathematics between the group of students who learned to read using i.t.a. and the group who learned to read using T.O. after five years of study beyond the initial reading learning experiences.Likewise, little difference exists in the expressed attitudes and feelings of these groups.Spelling achievement levels were significantly different between sexes with the entry level as a co-variant. Girls then scored higher than boys regardless of the method.The entry level, a first grade intelligence test score, was significant for each area of achievement. Therefore it seems tenable to conclude that intelligence, as measured by this instrument, played an important part in the achievement of both groups. Students scoring higher on the intellectual measure also scored higher on achievement tests regardless of the method and students scoring poorer on the intellectual measure also scored poorer on the achievement test regardless of the method.

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The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two methods of teaching reading in second grade upon children who had learned to read in first grade through the Initial Teaching Alphabet (i.t.a.) medium. The two methods employed were: basal reading and individualized reading procedures. In addition, an interest inventory was administered to assess attitude and interest of the 1972-73 second grade pupils toward reading. The vital role reading plays in enabling students to reach their maximum potential gave this problem significance.

Temporal and wavelet characteristics of initial breakdown pulses are meticulously studied especially during the earliest moment of lightning events. Any possible features during the earliest moment that may exist which lead to either negative cloud-to-ground (CG), positive cloud-to-ground, cloud or isolated breakdown flashes in Sweden are investigated. Moreover, the occurrence of narrow bipolar pulses (NBPs) as part of a CG event that has been recorded from tropical thunderstorms are also included in the investigation. Electric field signatures selected from a collection of waveforms recorded using fast electric field broadband antenna system installed in Uppsala, Sweden and Skudai, South Malaysia are then carefully analyzed in order to observe any similarities or/and differences of their features. Temporal analysis reveals that there are significant distinctions within the first 1 ms among different types of lightning flashes. It is found that a negative CG flash tends to radiate pulses more frequently than other flashes and a cloud flash tends to radiate shorter pulses than other flashes but less frequently when compared to negative CG and isolated breakdown flashes. Perhaps, the ionization process during the earliest moment of negative CG flashes is more rapid than other discharges. Using a wavelet transformation, it can be suggested that the first electric field pulse of both negative CG and cloud flashes experiences a more rapid and extensive ionization process compared to positive CG and isolated breakdown flashes. Further temporal analysis on NBPs found to occur as part of CG flashes show the disparity of the normalized electric field amplitude between the NBPs prior to and after the first return stroke. This indicates that the NBPs intensities were influenced by the return stroke events and they occurred in the same thundercloud. The similarity between the temporal characteristics of NBPs as part of CG flashes and isolated NBPs suggests that their breakdown mechanisms might be similar.

An experimental method (the two-dose-rate method) for the correction of general recombination losses in liquid ionization chambers has been developed and employed in experiments with different liquids and radiation qualities. The method is based on a disassociation of initial and general recombination, since an ionized liquid is simultaneously affected by both of these processes. The two-dose-rate method has been compared to an existing method for general recombination correction for liquid ionization chambers, and has been found to be the most robust method presently available. The soundness of modelling general recombination in liquids on existing theory for gases has been evaluated, and experiments indicate that the process of general recombination is similar in a gas and a liquid. It is thus reasonable to employ theory for gases in the two-dose-rate method to achieve experimental corrections for general recombination in liquids. There are uncertainties in the disassociation of initial and general recombination in the two-dose-rate method for low applied voltages, where initial recombination has been found to cause deviating results for different liquids and radiation qualities. Sensitivity to ambient electric fields has been identified in the microLion liquid ionization chamber (PTW, Germany). Experimental data may thus be perturbed if measurements are conducted in the presence of ambient electric fields, and the sensitivity has been found to increase with an increase in the applied voltage. This can prove to be experimentally limiting since general recombination may be too severe for accurate corrections if the applied voltage is low.

There are two opposing views on the role of regulation of financial markets examined in the academic literature. There is a large body of evidence that suggests that the efficiency of capital markets in North America is in large part due to investors’ confidence in the regulatory system. However, the optimal level of regulation is debatable. We investigate several aspects of the regulation of capital markets by exploring effects of changes in listing requirements on exchanges on the quality of firms undertaking initial public offerings and the quality of firms that choose to go public via a reverse merger mechanism. In addition, we show that additional regulation and/or disclosure of trading activies of informed investors in tender offers may be warranted. We show that a gradual increase in listing requirements fails to prevent low quality firms from gaining access to public capital markets. Yet, differences in listing rules on uppers and lower tiers of exchanges create a dual listing regime, which allows higher quality firms to differentiate themselves. We observe migration of most of the reverse merger transactions to the over-the-counter market due to changes in the regulatory environment in 2001. We conclude that regulatory changes had broad negative effects on the reverse mergers market as these pushed reverse merger firms to a less regulated and more opaque marketplace. Separately, we examine the timing of reverse mergers. Our results suggest that two types of reverse mergers follow different timing patterns: private firms go public through merger with financially distressed firms when IPO windows are closed, whereas reverse takeovers in which the participating public company is a going concern are pro-cyclical to aggregate merger waves. Finally, we analyze tender offers over the period from 1993 through 2006 and establish a link between non-public information and informed investors’ strategic behaviour. Our findings call in question the effectiveness of disclosure mechanisms of trading by informed investors. We also note that uninformed traders can use market microstructure tools to expand their information set, thus increasing the speed of incorporation of new information into stock prices and increasing market efficiency. / Finance

This research examines the relationship of initial public offer (IPO) underpricing and intrinsic value in the Australian fixed-price setting. The first stage of the research contains a review of major underpricing theories (asymmetric information, institutional explanations and theories of ownership and control) and relates these theories to the Australian institutional setting. A baseline model of underpricing is developed from analysis of Australian empirical IPO literature. The second stage of the research is the disaggregation of underpricing into mispricing (MP) and misvaluation (MV) components. MP captures the extent of the issuer‟s influence on underpricing and is measured as the difference between the intrinsic value of an IPO share and its offer price. MV captures the extent of investors‟ influence on underpricing and is measured as the difference between the intrinsic value of an IPO share and its market price at listing.Mispricing is modelled with issuer-related variables that have hypothesised associations with offer price. Results show a proxy for IPO market sentiment and the size of the IPO relative to industry median market capitalisation make significant contributions to the explanation of mispricing. Misvaluation is modelled with investor characteristics that have hypothesised associations with market price. A proxy for general market sentiment and the level of mispricing make significant contributions to the explanation of misvaluation. The third stage of the research integrates results from the disaggregation of underpricing with the baseline model.Several conclusions can be drawn from the results. First, with respect to mispricing, issuers incorporate their knowledge of current IPO market conditions when establishing offer price, with more positive mispricing observed during hot IPO markets. Further, issuers taking relatively larger companies public tend to overprice their issues. This result persists even after controlling for potential scale effects. Second, with respect to misvaluation, overpriced issues (i.e. positive mispricing) are also overvalued by the market. This result provides an indication that price is not a suitable proxy for value. Third, prior Australian research [Cotter, Goyen & Hegarty (2005) and How, Lam & Yeo (2007)] reports a negative association for mispricing and underpricing. Consistent with US results (Zheng, 2007), no relationship isobserved for this sample. Overall, the results from this research indicate that investor-related factors are the primary drivers of underpricing.This research makes eight major contributions to the body of knowledge. The first is the novel approach of disaggregating underpricing into mispricing and misvaluation components. Second, mispricing is modelled and it is demonstrated that previously hypothesised issuer-related factors do not explain mispricing. Third, misvaluation is modelled, providing some interesting insights into the role of market sentiment in the underpricing context. Fourth, the relationships of mispricing, misvaluation and underpricing are investigated. Fifth, the Australian institutional setting is compared to that of the US and implications for future research are identified. Sixth, the baseline model of underpricing consolidates variables developed from prior Australian literature, providing a yardstick for comparison in future underpricing research. Seventh, evidence shows issuers exploit high market sentiment with positive mispricing in the fixed-price setting. The final major contribution relates to the role of institutional investors in the fixed-price setting. Contributions to the IPO literature on ownership and control, signalling, asymmetric information theories of ex ante uncertainty and agency theory are also made with tests of key variables in the mispricing and misvaluation models. Finally, evidence on the role of institutional investors in the fixed-price setting and on the role of demand (informed and total) sheds light on the underpricing puzzle.

Thesis (M.S)--Ohio University, March, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 44-45)

Thesis (Ph.D)--Mathematics, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2010. / Committee Chair: Pan, Ronghua; Committee Member: Chow, Shui-Nee; Committee Member: Dieci, Luca; Committee Member: Gangbo, Wilfrid; Committee Member: Yeung, Pui-Kuen. Part of the SMARTech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Dept. of Mathematics, Faculty of Natural Sciences))--University of the Western Cape, 2009. / Bibliography: leaves 180-195.