Optimal Hedge Ratios for Corn Marketing in Eastern South Dakota

In the past, few South Dakota agricultural producers have made use of the futures market to manage their risk exposure. According to a survey, conducted in 1970, only eleven percent of South Dakota producers used futures contracts and five percent used options to market their grain (Shane). The need for producers to become more market-oriented has increased with the passage of the 1996 Freedom to Farm Act. The Freedom to Farm Act gives producers increased flexibility to adjust production based on market incentives. Prices are expected to become more volatile due to changing market conditions over the next few years. Consequently, the farming business is expected to become more competitive, and managing exposure to risk will be critical to farm survival. Research has shown that a hedge can be effective without the futures position being equal to the cash position. The typical negative correlation between price and yield creates a \u27natural hedge\u27 which allows a producer to manage risk exposure without hedging one hundred percent of expected production (McKinnon 1967 and Grant 1989). The percentage of expected production that should be hedged, known as the hedge ratio, has been debated in the literature. Two different approaches have been taken by researchers. With the first approach, researchers estimate the optimal hedge ratio that results in minimum revenue variance. The second approach focuses on maximizing utility which depends on the level of expected revenues as well as revenue variance. Optimal hedge ratios are computed by taking into consideration the variance of yields, futures market prices, and local spot prices as well as the correlations among these factors. Different simplifying assumptions by different researchers have led to alternative approaches for computing optimal hedge ratios. The objective of this study was to determine optimal hedge ratios for corn producers in eastern South Dakota. Optimal hedge ratios were determined, under various assumptions, at regional and county levels. The findings of this study can be used by producers to determine appropriate levels of hedge application based on local conditions. Findings will also reveal how large a natural hedge is provided to producers through the correlation between spot prices and yield. The correlation between the local cash price and the futures market price will also influence the effectiveness of using a hedge to manage risk

Community College Faculty Satisfaction Teaching Online: Does Using Prepared Curriculum Materials Matter?

Community colleges are offering online coursework at a rapidly increasing rate; however, the growth of online coursework is not the result of new enrollments, but rather currently enrolled students\u27 shifting from a face-to-face modality to an online modality. This shift presents some challenges because previous studies of college faculty satisfaction regarding online teaching have indicated that faculty members (faculty) are frustrated, particularly with two primary issues: the technology used to teach online and the time it takes to develop and administer an online class. Nonetheless, community college faculty are increasingly expected to teach online classes in spite of the previous reports of faculty frustration that is leading to dissatisfied instructors. The emergence of new instructional resources might reduce or eliminate frustrations and increase satisfaction. Specifically, using online resources such as third-party prepared curriculum materials could reduce faculty frustrations with technology and time. Given the change in instructional resources, the purpose of this study is to examine the influence that such prepared curriculum materials may have on community college faculty satisfaction when teaching online. Faculty satisfaction is a complex social construct that incorporates several factors. To explore this construct of faculty satisfaction when teaching online, a survey was developed and distributed to faculty at seven community colleges. Factor analysis of the data did not support new constructs of a Technology-related factor or a Time-related factor that influenced faculty satisfaction. However, the items that represent these factors were found to be important. Logistic regression models were used, and the results did not support a finding that prepared curriculum materials were a statistically significant variable. However, additional data analysis found that specific types of prepared curriculum material were significant, suggesting connections between prepared curriculum and faculty satisfaction

Does academia disfavor contextual and extraverted students

In a study conducted at Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) 288 students volunteered to answer an electronic questionnaire constructed to classify their personality type (16 categories), their work habits and preferences, operational values and preferred direction (leadership). In addition exam grades from nine undergraduate subjects, some mathematical and some non-mathematical, were obtained for the same students. Statistical analyses revealed a clear connection between grades and some personality characteristics. This should by no means interpreted as differences in skills, but rather as an indication of biased teaching style and pedagogical structure in the university. The results show across all the nine subjects that the traditional teaching structure in universities with lectures in large auditoriums with limited dialog, a rigid and structured curriculum, textbook reading and paper-and-pencil tests, clearly disfavors students which can be characterized as extraverted and contextual/relational, and to some extent also those being intuitive and feeling. Among these students we typically find those being altruistic, creative and out-of-the box thinking. It is suggestive that academia, to probably a large extent, fail to bring such resourceful people to positions were their talents really can make a difference, for instance in research

South Dakota Agricultural Land Values and Cash Rental Rates: 1994

Agricultural land values and cash rental rates in South Dakota are the primary topics of this report. This report is written for farmers and ranchers, landowners, agricultural professionals (lenders, rural appraisers, professional farm managers, Extension agents, and educators), and policymakers interested in agricultural land market trends. The report contains the results of the 1994 SDSU South Dakota Farm Real Estate Market Survey, the fourth annual SDSU survey developed to estimate agricultural land values and cash rental rates by land use in different regions of South Dakota

Effekt av hjemmeøvelser for hjemmeboende eldre

Hensikt: Studien undersøkte om eldre som trente styrketrening i tillegg til annen fysisk aktivitet fikk bedre tillit til egen mestring når det gjaldt egne balanseferdigheter, bedre helserelatert livskvalitet og bedre balanse og mobilitet enn eldre som bare var generelt aktive. Design: 3 mnd lang prospektiv, randomisert studie Deltagere: Totalt 108 hjemmeboende eldre, gjennomsnittsalder 79 (61-90), innskrevet ved daghospitalet Ullevål universitetssykehus, ble randomisert inn i to grupper: Styrketreningsgruppen (ST) (n=53) eller Aktivitets gruppen (AK) (n=55). 77 deltagere ble testet etter 3 mnd. ST-gruppen n= 40, AK-gruppen n= 37 Instrumenter: Deltagerne ble testet ved baselineregistrering, ved utreise daghospitalet og etter 3 mnd. Testene som ble brukt var: ABC-skala (Activities Specific Balance Confidence Scale), SF-36, Bergs balanseskala, Timed up and go (TUG), 6 min gangtest og five-times sit-to-stand. Intervensjon: Alle deltagerne fikk informasjon om å være så fysisk aktive som mulig dvs gå turer etc. Under oppholdet på daghospitalet deltok deltagerne i balansetreningsgruppe. ST-gruppen startet opp med styrketrening rett etter inklusjon og fortsatte treningen hjemme i totalt 3 mnd. AK-gruppen fortsatte med fysiske aktiviteter. Alle deltagerne skrev treningsdagbok og fikk oppfølging av bydelsfysioterapeuter totalt 4 ganger. Resultater: Analysene fulgte intention-to treat prinsippet og oppfølging i forhold til styrketreningsprogrammet var median 98 % i egentreningsperioden hjemme. Mean aktiviteter for ST-gruppen var 2.5 pr uke (95 % KI 2.5, 2.8) vs AK-gruppen mean 3.0 aktiviteter pr uke (95 % KI 2.5,3.2). Funn: Etter 3 mnd trening hadde ST-gruppen en signifikant større bedring på SF-36 vitalitet p= 0.05. Ingen forskjell mellom gruppene når det gjaldt tillit til egne balanseferdigheter og når det gjaldt balanse og mobilitet. Alle deltagerne fikk størst effekt etter oppholdet på daghospitalet. Konklusjon: Studien viser at styrketreningsopplegget i kombinasjon med generelle fysiske aktiviteter har potensial for å bedre tillit til egen mestring og helserelatert livskvalitet. Imidlertid var ikke styrketreningsopplegget i denne studien mer effektivt enn fysiske aktivteter foretatt av deltagerne selv. Men resultatene indikerer at begge oppleggene kan vedlikeholde funksjon hos hjemmeboende eldre

PROFIL MODEL MENTAL SISWA PADA MATERI KELARUTAN DAN HASIL KALI KELARUTAN DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN TDM-POE

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh profil model mental siswa pada materi materi kelarutan dan hasil kali kelarutan. Subyek penelitian yaitu siswa SMA kelas XI yang terdiri dari 30 siswa di beberapa SMA di kota Bandung yang sudah mempelajari materi kelarutan dan hasil kali kelarutan. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu metode deskriptif dengan instrumen penelitian berupa tes diagnostik model mental predict-observe-explain (TDM-POE). Jawaban siswa pada tahap prediksi mencakup level submikroskopik, tahap observasi mencakup level makroskopik dan tahap eksplanasi yaitu mempertautkan ketiga level representasi (makroskopik, submikroskopik dan simbolik). Pada konsep terbentuknya endapan, sebagian siswa cenderung hanya memahami secara makroskopik tapi tidak dapat memahami secara submikroskopik. Pada konsep penambahan ion senama, 9 dari 30 siswa yang mampu menjelaskan berdasarkan prinsip pergeseran kesetimbangan dan secara perhitungan. Pada konsep pengaruh pH, 20 dari 30 siswa tidak mampu menjelaskan secara submikroskopik dan simbolik. Siswa mengalami kesulitan dalam mempertautkan ketiga level representasi pada kelarutan dan hasil kali kelarutan. Selain itu, ditemukan beberapa miskonsepsi mengenai konsep terbentuknya endapan, pengaruh ion senama, dan pengaruh pH pada materi kelarutan dan hasil kali kelarutan melalui TDM-POE. ----------- The purpose of this study is to gain mental model of the student profile of solubility and solubility product concept. Subject of the research are 30 high school students grade XI in Bandung who have studied of solubility and solubility product concept. The method used in this research is descriptive with the research instrument used mental models diagnostic test predict-observe-explain (TDM-POE). The students’ answer on the stage predict convered submicroscopic level, observe the convered macroscopic level and explanation the convered macroscopik, submicroscopic and simbolic level. On concept of formation of precipitate, some student to understands the macroscopic level but can’t understand the submicroscopic level. On the common ion effect concept 9 of 30 student are able to explain based on the principle of equilibrium and calculations. On the concept of the effect of pH, 20 of 30 students can’t explain in submicroscopik and symbolic levels. Students having difficulty when combine in the third level of representation of solubility and solubility product. There are some misconceptions that was found about the concept of formation of precipitate, the common ion effect, and the effect of pH in solubility and solubility product used of TDM-POE