Estimation and asymptotic covariance matrix for stochastic volatility models

In this paper we compute the asymptotic variance-covariance matrix of the method of moments estimators for the canonical Stochastic Volatility model. Our procedure is based on a linearization of the initial process via the log-squared transformation of Breidt and Carriquiry (Modelling and prediction, honoring Seymour Geisel. Springer, Berlin, 1996). Knowledge of the asymptotic variance-covariance matrix of the method of moments estimators offers a concrete possibility for the use of the classical testing procedures. The resulting asymptotic standard errors are then compared with those proposed in the literature applying different parameter estimates. Applications on simulated data support our results. Finally, we present empirical applications on the daily returns of Euro-US dollar and Yen-US dollar exchange rates.     

The relationship between faculty diversity and graduation rates in higher education

This study examines the relationship between faculty racial/ethnic diversity and graduation rates of undergraduate students, in particular those from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority populations. Using IPEDS data, the researchers calculated a Diversity Score for each institution. Findings suggest U.S. faculty diversity is lower than in the U.S. national population. Overall graduation rates for underrepresented minority students of all races/ethnicities are positively affected by increased diversity of their faculty.     

Methods of evaluating child welfare in Indian country: an illustration

The poor quality and quantity of data collected in tribal communities today reflects a lack of true community participation and commitment. This is especially problematic for evaluation studies, in which the needs and desires of the community should be the central focus. This challenge can be met by emphasizing indigenous methods and voice. The authors provide an illustration of how to do this.     

Nonverbal Auditory Cues Allow Relationship Quality to be Inferred During Conversations

Journal of Nonverbal Behavior - The claim that nonverbal cues provide more information than the linguistic content of a conversational exchange (the Mehrabian Conjecture) has been widely cited and...     

What We Talk About When We Talk About Journal Club: Scholarly Communication Advocacy and Public Access to Federally Funded Research

The past decade has seen attempts by librarians and their allies to respond to inefficiencies in the market for scholarly journals and introduce infrastructure to support open solutions. Recently these efforts have contributed to success at the national level, first with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's 2013 policy memorandum on Expanding Public Access to the Results of Federally Funded Research and in 2014 with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which incorporates the substance of the memorandum into law. This column provides a review of efforts by librarians to advocate for open scholarship, describes the federal actions that will expand public access to research, and concludes with a discussion of next steps in this evolving effort.     

Streaming Film: How to Serve Our Users

Streaming video is an integral part of the curriculum for many academic courses. While faculty may have used DVDs in the classroom, the increase in online course instruction and the expectations of students comfortable with using streaming video in their personal lives has led to instructors making more requests of librarians to supply films—both instructional and feature—through streaming. Staff at the University Libraries of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) responded to this need as they worked across departments to create efficient workflows, worked with distributors and conducted a pilot project to learn more about the current streaming film environment, established policies, offered technical support, and shared information with faculty by a variety of means.     

Are Population and Land Use Changes Perceived as Threats to Sense of Place in the New West? A Multilevel Modeling Approach

The Intermountain West's rapid changes in population growth and land use may be welcome to some, but others perceive such changes as threats to sense of place. The objective of this study is to assess whether New West and Old West contextual variables predict how agricultural landowners view threats to agricultural lifestyles and sense of place. We analyze survey data collected from 2,270 agricultural landowners in Colorado and Wyoming utilizing a multilevel regression model (MLM). We posit that this analytical approach is effective for evaluating hierarchal New West or Old West economic configurations that may otherwise be difficult to observe. Our study specifically examines whether population pressures threaten agricultural lifestyles in the amenity‐based New West or in Old West economic regimes with proclivity toward large‐scale agricultural production. Our results show that landowners in farming‐dependent counties and in high‐amenity areas express greater concern than other landowners surveyed about increases in population growth that could threaten an agricultural way of life. Furthermore, we demonstrate that these perceptions relate to whether individuals reside in New West or Old West counties. In summary, some of the contextual variables of New West and Old West economic structures predict whether individuals perceive population growth and land use changes as threats to sense of place.