This study explored the formative learning cycle's ability to increase student confidence to create quality homework. Student from a socio-economically diverse school district in Western Pennsylvania reported their confidence levels on homework production on two surveys. The first survey provided a rapid response at the end of lessons taught using the formative learning cycle. The second survey was completed at the end of the study window. The results from these surveys indicate a positive correlation between the formative learning cycle's ability to increase self-regulation processes to confidently produce quality homework. / School of Education; / Educational Studies (General Education) / EdD; / Dissertation;

Conventional financial theory has played an important – and yet largely unexamined – role in shaping how we regulate modern financial markets. This thesis explores the influence of conventional financial theory on the regulation of over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives markets in the U.S. and U.K. prior to the global financial crisis. More specifically, it explores how conventional financial theory failed to adequately account for both the complexity of OTC derivatives markets and the nature and pace of financial innovation and, ultimately, how these blind spots became reflected in a ‘non-interventionist’ approach toward their regulation now widely viewed as suboptimal. This thesis yields three important contributions to the scholarly and public policy debates surrounding the regulation of modern financial markets. First, it articulates a more robust theoretical framework for understanding complexity, financial innovation, and the relationship between these powerful market dynamics. This, in turn, facilitates an examination of the implications of complexity and financial innovation in terms of the ongoing debates respecting the optimal source, form and scope of financial regulation. It also facilitates an examination of both the shortcomings of the pre-crisis regulatory regimes governing OTC derivatives markets and, looking forward, the prospective strengths and weaknesses of embryonic post-crisis reforms. Finally, and more broadly, this thesis enhances our understanding of the relationship between the important insights of financial theory and how we conceptualize and pursue the objectives of financial regulation.

Serotonin (5-HT) plays an important role as both a neurotransmitter and animmune modulator. The serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) clears the extracellular space of 5-HT, which decreases the effects of 5-HT on target cells. This study demonstrated that the RAW264.7 macrophage cell line expresses SERT function, measured by assays of 3H-5HT uptake. The 5-HT uptake in RAW264.7 macrophages was more than 10-fold that of peritoneal macrophages, indicating that these cells are an excellent model for studying regulation of the SERT. Activation of macrophages with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) increased SERT activity in a time- and concentration-dependent manner and Western blots indicate that the increase in activity is partially due to LPS-induced increases in total SERT protein. Both unstimulated and LPS-stimulated activity was inhibited by the specific SERT inhibitor fluoxetine (IC50= 5-8 nM) and was reduced by the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10. Changes in extracellular concentrations of interleukin-lβ and tumor necrosis factor-α did not affect SERT activity.

This thesis examines the current situation on the electricity market in the Czech Republic. A particular emphasis is put on the regulation of distribution system operators (DSOs). The Czech regulator applies only general efficiency factors for all incumbents, and the efficiency of the incumbents is not taken into account in the regulatory formula. In many countries, the regulators apply benchmarking methods to assess the efficiency of operators. This thesis analyses the current regulatory formula in international comparison and considers the application of benchmarking methods to the regulation of DSOs. The first part provides a description of the theoretical approach to the regulation of network industries, relevant legal norms, the current situation on the Czech electricity market and practices of the regulatory bodies in selected European states. The second, empirical, part presents an international benchmarking study based on data of 15 regional DSOs including two Czech operators. The study examines the application of yardstick methods using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and stochastic frontier analysis (SFA). Based on our results, we find that the cost efficiency of each of the Czech DSOs is different. This suggests that introducing individual efficiency factors in the fourth regulatory...

Student Number : 0108509M - MA research report - School of Social Sciences - Faculty of Humanities / This research report begins with a brief review of mercenary history before the twentieth century, followed by chapters on mercenaries and PMCs in post-independence Africa and the use of PMCs by strong states (particularly the United States in Iraq). The fourth section analyses relevant international, regional and national laws, focussing on South African legislation. The final chapter considers pressing questions such as the use of PMCs by the United Nations and the case for banning all PMCs, explores the South African connection, and makes the case for a less hostile, more pragmatic South African approach to PMCs.

Thesis advisor: Matteo Iacoviello / This thesis focuses on investment, regulation and labor market frictions. The first paper is motivated by lumpiness of investment activity at the plant level. Investment episodes at firm level happen in lumps, period of great activity and periods of inaction. Previous research has suggested that, in a general equilibrium framework, accounting for such microeconomic behavior is irrelevant for explaining aggregate investment (Thomas (2002)). This paper re-evaluates previous findings in a two-sector economy, where non-convex costs of capital adjustment apply to each sector. Calibrating the model to be consistent with microeconomic evidence, I find that lumpy investment is relevant for the business cycle. Through limited intersectoral mobility of capital, non-convex capital adjustment costs impact the relative price of investment generating a synchronization of investment decisions at sectoral level. As a result, aggregate investment is amplified relative to neoclassical benchmarks in response to an aggregate productivity shock. In a one-sector model this mechanism is absent, since intersectoral capital mobility is perfect and the relative price of investment is independent from non-convex capital adjustment costs. In an empirical investigation of the model using 2-digit SIC industry data, I find evidence that sectoral measures of capital distribution forecast aggregate investment. The second paper investigates the effect of product market liberalization on employment and considers possible interactions between policies and institutions in product and labor markets. Using panel data for OECD countries over the period 1980-2002, we present evidence that product market deregulation is more effective at the margin when labor market regulation is high. The data also suggest that product market deregulation promotes labor market deregulation. These results are consistent with the basic predictions of a standard bargaining model, such as Blanchard and Giavazzi (2003), extended to allow for a richer specification of the fall back position of the union. In the third paper, we start from evidence that most countries in the Euro Area are characterized by high product (PMR) and labor market (LMR) regulation. We then study long and short to medium run macroeconomic effects of reforming PMR and LMR by developing a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model featuring endogenous producers entry and labor market frictions. We show that lowering PMR would increase steady state employment, wages and GDP but aggregate consumption would drop in the aftermath of the reform. Deregulating labor markets presents a less significant intertemporal trade off. Lower unemployment benefits would increase employment and GDP but reduce wages both in the short and long run. Smaller firing costs would trigger a positive effect on producers entry on impact, but employment and GDP would be negatively affected as time passes by. Regulation has also consequences for the business cycles properties of the economy. Lower barriers to entry and smaller unemployment benefits tend to smooth out aggregate fluctuations, while firing costs have a reverse effect. With a counterfactual exercise, we show that if the Euro Area would deregulate both product and labor markets at the US level it would adjust differently to aggregate shocks. A more flexible Euro Area would be more responsive to exogenous disturbances and the reversion to the steady state would be quicker. Our findings point out that concerns about the negative effect of strict regulation for the speed of recovery from downturns could be well placed, consistently with the idea that the European economy might be dynamically sclerotic. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Economics.

O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar uma análise dos aspectos regulatórios e de comercialização sob a visão da sustentabilidade, com foco na questão de como a participação crescente das fontes consideradas incentivadas na matriz elétrica brasileira pode proporcionar benefícios energéticos e de redução nas emissões de gases de efeito estufa, contemplando possíveis aperfeiçoamentos regulatórios que possam vir a ser definidos pelas instituições do setor elétrico que detém essa competência. Destaca-se a seqüência de fatos que contribuíram para a ampliação da oferta das fontes alternativas (FA\'s), sublinhando: (i) a criação do Programa de Incentivo às FA\'s (PROINFA); (ii) o regramento para a comercialização de Energia Incentivada; (iii) o Mecanismo de Realocação de Energia (MRE); (iv) facilidades para compra de Geração Distribuída pelas distribuidoras, mitigar o risco de variação de mercado; (v) Leilões de Fontes Alternativas e (vii) Leilões de Energia de Reserva (LER). Nesse âmbito de análise, inclui-se uma aferição de risco de comercialização da Energia Incentivada e de como esse risco pode ser mitigado através de hedge contratual entre fontes incentivadas. Para avaliar e qualificar a sinergia entre energia eólica e da biomassa, que tem perfil de produção complementar às Pequenas Centrais Hidrelétricas (PCH\'s), foram realizadas simulações de análise de complementariedade de geração para identificar a melhor estratégia de contratação de energia, a fim de buscar a máxima receita líquida possível, atendendo restrições de risco. Finalmente, são apresentadas propostas de alterações regulatórias e comerciais que estão sendo discutidas no setor e que ainda não estão aprovadas, porém são consideradas relevantes e impactantes no que diz respeito à energia incentivada, destacando-se a possibilidade de cessão de energia excedente pelos consumidores livres e especiais; a criação de penalidades por alavancagem; a proposta de criação do Comercializador varejista; e dos certificados de energia (CEE\'s). / This work is aiming at to present an analysis of the regulatory aspects and commercialization, under sustainability point of view, focusing with special emphazis the question on how the increasing of incentivized sources participation in the Brazilian energy matrix can provide energy benefits and reduction of greenhouse emissions, considering possible regulatory improvements that may be defined by the adequate institutions of the Brazilian electrical sector (BES). Highlighting the sequence of events that contributed to increase the expansion of alternative sources (FA\'s), it should be worthwhile to stress: (i) the creation of the Incentive Program for FA\'s (PROINFA); (ii) the rules for the commercialization of the Energy with Incentive; (iii) the Energy Reallocation Mechanism (MRE); (iv) facilities for the purchase of Distributed Generation by distributors having the purpose of mitigating the market risk represented by the exposure to the short term market price (Market Cleasing Price); (v) Energy Auctions of Alternative sources (vii) Energy Auctions Reserve (LER). The context of the analysis carried out includes the assessment of commercialization risk affecting FA\'s and how this risk can be mitigated through of \"hedge\" contracts between different FA\'s. To evaluating and qualify the synergy between Wind and biomass plants, which has production with complementary profile to the Small Hydro Power (PCH\'s), simulations were performed to identify the best strategy to energy contracting, considering the objective of maximum profit under riskconstraints. Finally, some proposals of commercial and regulatory changes are presented, being important to emphasize that the quoted proposals are now in a discussion process in the BES, meaning that they are not approved yet. However, it is relevant to consider these news possibilities, as they impact the economic feasibility of incentivized energy, highlighting the possibility of to sell eventual surplus in the short term marketby free consumer; the creation of penalties for leverage; the creation of an agent focused on small free consumers (special consumers) commercialization, and energy certificates (CEE\'s).

Thesis advisor: Michelle Meyer / Prokaryotic ribosomes are key to cell viability and an important area of study in model bacterial organisms. Some ribosomal proteins negatively regulate their own synthesis and that of the polycistronic operons they occur within. If levels of an autoregulatory ribosomal protein are higher than necessary for normal ribosome assembly, it binds to the 5’-untranslated region of its own mRNA transcript, preventing further translation of itself and any other proteins on its operon. We and others have shown bacteria growth defects when overexpressing ribosomal proteins (e.g. L20 and S6:S18); therefore, we hypothesized that an overabundance of autoregulatory proteins would negatively affect cell fitness due to decreased expression of the operon gene products, many of which are essential components of the ribosome. The regulation of ribosomal proteins is best described in E. coli, so we decided to use it as a model organism to investigate how overexpression of specific ribosomal proteins would affect cell growth. We examined the effects of overexpressing ribosomal proteins S15, S20, S2, S6:S18, S8, L20, L10, S1, L25, L7 and L1 on cell growth. We find the most severe growth defect in response to L20 overexpression. We performed rescue experiments for L20, L10, and S6:S18 by synthetically overexpressing the entire operon rather than just the regulatory protein. We find that this rescues the fitness of S6:S18 overexpression slightly, and L20 and L10 overexpression to a high degree. We also examined whether homologs of L20, L10, and S7 from B. subtilis and T. thermophilus induce the same changes in growth to deduce the regulatory interrelationships between different bacterial phyla. Bacillus L20 and L10 overexpression both showed drastic fitness defects. As our arsenal of effective antibiotics dwindles, our results suggest that targeting the ribosomal protein operons may be an effective area for pharmaceutical development. / Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2017. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Arts and Sciences Honors Program. / Discipline: Biology.

Obesity is a prevalent problem in modern society, which requires the upmost attention in the biomedical sciences. A leading cause of obesity related diseases is due to overeating, especially in industrialized countries. Leptin is the hormone that is secreted by fat cells responsible for communicating body nutritional status to the brain. Leptin interacts with other bodily systems such as the cognitive, digestive, neuronal, and endocrine systems. Leptin acts mainly on the Ob-Rb receptor in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus and largely suppresses food intake and increases energy expenditure by activating Proopiomelanocortin and Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (anorexigenic signals) neurons and by suppressing Neuropeptide Y and Agouti-related peptide (orexigenic signals) neurons, among other chemical signaling pathways. In both rodent and human studies, exogenous leptin administration resulted in elevated plasma leptin concentrations. When researchers tried to use leptin for weight reducing medical treatments in humans, the results show difficulty in establishing clinical efficacy. However, for diseases such as congenital leptin deficiency, obesity related leptin resistance, and lipodystrophy, medical treatments involving exogenous leptin have been relatively successful. The goal of this thesis is to give readers an understanding of leptin’s role in regulating appetite and the different leptin associated diseases. Leptin’s role is still continuing to be developed and more research is needed to fully utilize leptin for therapeutic benefit.

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