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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references. / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / xiv, 177 leaves, bound ill., maps 29 cm

培養學生自我學習的能力是大學教育的重要目標，為了支援教學研究，大學圖書館常設有教授指定參考書的服務。在圖書館有限的經費與空間限制下，指定參考書可以保障學生使用課堂所需資料的權利、減少學生的負擔，並方便學生使用。本研究的目的是為了瞭解台灣地區大學院校圖書館中，館員對於教授指定參考書的看法、各校的設置情形、管理方式以及實施上的困難，並尋求最佳的管理方式。 本研究採用問卷調查法，調查對象為台灣地區96個大學院校圖書館，問卷回收率達94.79 ％，其中有效問卷計89份。在回收的問卷中，有69個(約77.5 ％)的圖書館表示目前有提供此項服務。 研究結果顯示，幾乎所有受訪館員，對於指定參考書支援教學的基本功能都抱持高度的肯定。一般而言，由於借閱期限和使用地點的限制，而影響到其他讀者的權利是指定參考書最大的缺點。指定參考書多沒有一個獨立的存放區域，而是最常被放置在參考室或流通區，由參考館員或流通館員兼管。指定參考資料的類型趨於多樣化，不再限於館藏內的紙本書籍。此外，國內大學圖書館對於著作權的保護不夠完善，沒有制定與指定參考書服務相關的影印政策，且在重製資料前並未徵求著作權人同意。多數的圖書館也缺乏定期的統計和評鑑。圖書館在提供此項服務時，最常遭遇的困難則為教師的參與意願不高。 針對調查結果，本研究建議指定參考書的規劃應與館藏發展政策相互配合，方能更適切的滿足學生需求。國內應成立著作權仲介團體，並訂定適合我國國情的非營利教育機構合理使用規範，供圖書館作為提供指定參考書服務時的依循。未來教授指定參考書要朝向電子化的方向努力，提昇使用的便捷性。圖書館應定期進行指定考書服務的統計、評鑑，以做有效的規劃與預測。向教師宣導指定參考書之意義及重要性，並加強教學過程與圖書館資源的密切配合，以教學圖書館的概念培養學生自我學習的能力。 / Reserve services have existed in libraries for many years. They provide special access to a limited number of materials. Photocopied articles , library books and non-library items such as instructor-owned book are often placed on reserve to support class assignments or supplemental course reading. This thesis describes the current status of the reserve service in the college and university libraries in Taiwan based on responses to questionnaires sent to the directors of such libraries. The survey was conducted in March 1999. The questionnaires were sent to ninety-six college and university libraries , and ninety-one institutions participated. The questionnaire had six main components : (1)librarian opinion about reserve service, (2)whether the library provide reserve service, (3)management of reserve collection, (4)copyright protective policy, (5)automation, and (6)difficulties.

Master of Arts / Department of Geography / Lisa M. Harrington / The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was established by the Food Security Act of 1985 for the purpose of retiring environmentally sensitive cropland for a period of ten to fifteen years. The initial focus of the program was to reduce on-site soil erosion and excess crop production, however the program benefits were later expanded to include water quality and wildlife habitat among others. The overall success of the CRP has been questioned due to the occurrence of slippage. The term ‘slippage’ as it relates to the CRP occurs when producers plant newly cultivated land or fallow acres, offsetting acreage that is retired through enrollment in the reserve program. The goal of this study is to measure the degree to which slippage has affected the CRP within the state of Kansas; and to analyze the relationship between agricultural commodity output prices and input cost with respect to county level slippage rates. Annual slippage calculations for all one-hundred and five counties within Kansas for the period of 1995-2005 reveal significant spatial disparity, with the vast majority of slippage occurring in the western two-thirds of the state. Annual fluctuations in slippage rates varied both regionally and at the county level. Maximum annual slippage was seen in the northwest, with slippage rates in excess of 100 percent; thus the CRP was entirely ineffective in regards to reducing overall land in production. Minimums were located primarily in the southeast and included slippage values below zero percent; indicating a reduction in acreage beyond that of the CRP. To analyze the relationship between agricultural commodity output prices and input costs with CRP slippage, a multivariate regression model was used. The regression analysis ultimately showed a significant lack of fit within the model, indicating the need for additional predictor variables in order to account for variations in CRP slippage rates. Although the model does indicate the presence of a minor relationship between the selected variables of agricultural commodity output prices and input costs with CRP slippage rates, further analysis is needed to identify additional county level variables impacting slippage.

Mot bakgrund av de senaste decenniernas konjunktursvängningar i världsekonomin konstaterades det i Sverige att det fanns ett behov av att kunna möta dessa svängningar. Detta resulterade i den lagändring av Kommunallagen och Lagen om kommunal redovisning som erbjöd kommuner möjligheten till att införa en resultatutjämningsreserv i redovisningen. Denna resultatutjämningsreserv utgör ett periodiseringsverktyg där medel kan reserveras i goda tider för att sedan utnyttjas i sämre. Lagändringen är frivillig att anamma och har skapat en viss flexibilitet i kommunernas redovisning. Då kommuner har olika förutsättningar kan detta leda till att motiven till ställningstagandet kring ett införande av en resultatutjämningsreserv skiljer sig mellan kommuner. Uppsatsens syfte är att undersöka motiven till varför de valda kommunerna väljer att införa eller inte väljer att införa en resultatutjämningsreserv i redovisningen. Genom detta ämnar uppsatsen klargöra om motiven skiljer sig beroende på ekonomiska och demografiska omständigheter. En dokumentstudie genomfördes med syftet att kartlägga alla Sveriges 290 kommuners beslut rörande en resultatutjämningsreserv. Därefter valdes 40 kommuner ut till en faktorstudie för att kartlägga ekonomiska och demografiska omständigheter hos kommunerna. I ett sista skede av empiriinsamlingen intervjuades 20 av dessa 40 kommuner för att erhålla förståelse för motiven till att införa eller att inte införa en resultatutjämningsreserv. Studien visar på att kommuner som infört en resultatutjämningsreserv har samma motiv till detta som lagstiftarens intention, att möta konjunktur- svängningar. De kommuner som inte infört en resultatutjämningsreserv uppger mer spridda motiv. Motivet till att inte införa en resultatutjämningsreserv uppges vara att den leder till en inlåsning av egna medel eller att kommunen anser det onödig då kommunen har egna sätt att hantera konjunktursvängningars inverkan på ekonomin. Kommuner med mindre bra ekonomi uppger att motivet till att inte införa en resultatutjämningsreserv är att man i första hand behöver konsolidera ekonomin innan en sådan reserv kan bli aktuellt. Utifrån denna studie går det inte att se att större kommuner generellt har infört en resultatutjämningsreserv, vilket talar emot studien som Falkman et al genomfört om att större kommuner i större utsträckning anammar nya redovisningsregler. Denna avvikelse från teorin kan förklaras av frivilligheten i lagstiftningen samt den ickeexisterande praxis och rekommendationer gällande en resultat- utjämningsreserv. / Due to the last decades’ fluctuations in the world economy, it was pointed out that municipalities in Sweden needed a way to handle these fluctuations. This resulted in a change in the law of municipalities which made it possible for municipalities to implement a regulatory reserve in the accounting. This regulatory reserve is an accrual tool where funds can be reserved in good times in order to be used in worse. This legislative change has brought flexibility in to the accounting of the municipalities. Because of the different conditions in the municipalities, the motives to implement this voluntary regulatory reserve can differ among them. The study aims to examine the reasons why the chosen municipalities choose to implement or not to implement a regulatory reserve in their accounting. Through this, the study intends to clarify if the motives differ among the municipalities due to economic and demographic circumstances. A document analysis was carried out with the purpose to visualize all the municipalities of Sweden, regarding their decision to implement or not implement a regulatory reserve. After that, 40 municipalities were selected to be a part of a factor analysis in order to understand the economic and demographic circumstances in the municipalities. In a final stage of the empirical data collection, 20 of these 40 municipalities were interviewed to obtain information about the motives to implement or not to implement a regulatory reserve. The study shows that municipalities that have implemented a regulatory reserve have the same motives as the intention of the law, to meet economic fluctuations. The municipalities that haven’t implemented a regulatory reserve declare more varying motives. The motives to not implement a regulatory reserve are for instance that it leads to a locked-in effect of equity or that the municipalities can handle the fluctuations in the economy by themselves. Municipalities with less good economy declare that the motive to not implement a regulatory reserve is that they primarily focus is to consolidate their economy before it is possible to create a reserve. According to this study, it is not possible to say that bigger municipalities have implemented a regulatory reserve, which not is in accordance with the study done by Falkman et al that states that bigger municipalities tend to embrace new accounting rules. This deviation from this theory can be explained by the voluntary attribute of the law and also the non- existing practice and recommendation about a regulatory reserve.

This thesis examines a number of issues related to central bank international reserves holdings and foreign exchange intervention. We study the long run determinants of reserves within the context of the post Bretton Woods dirty float period. It is argued that traditional approaches fail to take account of central bank attempts to influence the real exchange rate by foreign exchange intervention. Additionally, we update previous research by employing recent developments in the non-stationary timeseries and panel data literature. In particular, we utilise the Johansen VAR technology and recent innovations in panel cointegration, to assess the long-run determinants of reserves and short-run dynamics. By jointly modelling the UK reserve holdings and the monetary sector we consider the domestic economy impact of reserve changes, the stability of narrow money demand and whether monetary disequilibria effect reserves as suggested by the Monetary Approach to the Balance of Payments. The effects of daily US and German foreign exchange intervention on exchange rate volatility are also studied. We find evidence consistent with other research that US intervention reduces volatility and extend these results to bilateral rates not previously considered. Moreover, we find evidence in favour of the distinction between unilateral and concerted intervention and of the existence of policy externalities, underlining the importance of international policy coordination.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / This study examines the Reserve Non-Prior Service Accession (NPS) program, the effects of the current training process for Reserve readiness, and the effects of proposals to extend the initial active duty training period. In particular, the thesis examines the effects of the extended training programs on recruiting using data derived from a web-based survey of NPS Reservists. Multivariate logistic regression models are used to examine the effects of personal demographic characteristics on an individual's likelihood to enlist in the NPS program for a 28-day or a 77-day active duty training period. Separate models are used for each program and include a model with the Delayed Entry Program (DEP) as an option, and a model without it. Respondents report that they would have been slightly less inclined to enlist under the 28-day options whereas under the 77-day options respondents indicated that they would have been much less inclined to enlist. FY03 cost data is used to conduct the cost-effectiveness analysis, and indicates that the 28-day option would save an estimated $2.8 million, and decrease NPS personnel training time by 5 months. The 77-day option would cost an estimated additional $46.1 million and decrease NPS personnel training time by 21 months. Based on the analysis of this thesis, it is recommended that the current NPS accession program be phased out and the 77-day with DEP training alternative be implemented. Additionally, the recruiting focus should shift to target high school senior and recent graduates. / Lieutenant Commander, United States Naval Reserve

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Christine Wilson / For five generations, Lauver Family Farms has been founded upon faith, family, and farming near Rockwell City, IA. It is these core principles and beliefs that drive everyday actions through conservation minded decisions, community involvement, and a passion for the land. Presently, the farm is operated by Grandfather Don Lauver, Father Kevin Lauver, and sons Andrew and Jacob Lauver. The Lauver Family Farm was originally purchased in 1942 by Joseph Gordon, who at his peak held 700 acres in his name. In 1945 Glen and Viola Lauver purchased what is now Lauver Family Farms, located on the Des Moines Lobe land region of Iowa. The Des Moines Lobe is a glacial lobe encompassing rich, heavy soils with high organic matter, requiring dredge ditches and tiling in many areas. Through a commitment to conservation, corn and soybean acres are rotated annually. With regard to corn cultivation and planting practices, soybean stubble is field cultivated once, followed by planting. On soybean ground, the corn stalks are disk ripped, and then field cultivated twice before planting soybeans. The goal is to minimize trips through the field by exhibiting these conservation tillage practices. If land has much slope or erosion potential, then it is only disked and then planted. Currently, the farm is comprised of 400 acres of row crops and 50 acres of wetland, 30 acres on the Home Farm and 20 acres on the Obye Farm, enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program in 2002. Kevin and Don Lauver, the primary decision makers, requested an analysis of the environmental and economic impact of the Conservation Reserve Program on the farm. By taking acres out of production for at least 10 to 15 years that perennially drown due to often wet soil conditions, they will be able to utilize the Conservation Reserve Program as a risk management tool. Now, Lauver Family Farms is faced with a decision to determine if a 10 or 15 year enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program has the greatest economic and environmental return, since the current enrollment expires in 2016. Procedures and methods were established to meet the purpose of this thesis to determine which option was the most profitable long-term for the operation. The purpose includes evaluating the sources of data relevant to Lauver Family Farms decision by utilizing decision tools to make a collective decision on the future of the farmland and opportunity costs analyzed. Lauver Family Farms’ objective for this project was to determine how the Conservation Reserve Program provides a return on the investment of the decision to re-enroll, or even enroll more acres in the program. This analysis will be used each time an enrollment decision must be made, and will be of significant importance as sons Andrew and Jacob Lauver make management decisions in the years to come.

Master of Science / Department of Agricultural Economics / Mykel Taylor / Because Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts take land out of production for at least ten years, when deciding to enroll a parcel of land, a landowner must weigh the opportunity costs of hindering production flexibility against a guaranteed constant annual return. This thesis discusses whether having a CRP contract on a parcel of land in any way effects the value of that parcel. This is accomplished through the use of a hedonic model using data from 1998-2014 on Kansas agricultural land transactions. Results show that unlike in previous literature, while the effect of CRP is typically negative, it can become positive depending on the state of market factors at the time of the transaction.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Environmental Sciences) Johannesburg, South Africa 7 February 2013 / In 2004 Molemane Eye Nature Reserve was stocked with 46 disease-free buffalo with the intention of generating sustainable revenues for the Reserve. However, the buffalo’s poor population growth rate and poor body condition during the dry seasons led to management reducing the buffalo population to 21 animals in 2010. The buffalo’s poor performance has drawn the attention to the potential nutritional limitations of the forage available during the dry season and to the importance of key resource areas. I examined the nutritional content of the buffalo forage using faecal analyses as proxy for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), expecting a nutritional stress towards the latter part of the dry season. Data from the GPS/GSM collar on one of the buffalo cows was used to determine the dry season vegetation type selection and to identify key resource areas. A comparison of veld conditions was also done on the lowland vegetation types on Molemane Eye Nature Reserve and an adjacent property (Eye Area), which was earmarked for incorporation, to determine whether veld restoration work was required prior incorporation. It was established that the extended period of poor forage quality during the 2010 dry season was an important limiting factor for the buffalo as the forage quality dropped below the buffalo minimum nutritional requirements (Nf < 1.52 %, Pf < 2 %). A faecal sampling during early 2011 indicated that the nutritional stress period may last as long as 5 months (April to August). The buffalo did not select the vegetation types in proportional to their availability and narrowed their selection as the dry season progressed, preferring those containing woody elements. Of the 8 vegetation types indentified as key resource areas for buffalo during the dry season, the Eye Area holds 4 and contributes less than 5% to the key resource area already available on Molemane Eye Nature Reserve. The overall veld condition of the two areas was similar and no veld restoration work was deemed necessary. Although the incorporation of the Eye Area will shorten the distance between water and forage areas and have some nutritional benefits for buffalo in the dry season, mineral supplementation will be necessary for these valuable animals to become more productive and contribute to the economic objectives of Molemane Eye Nature Reserve.