Missing Out: does masters students' preference for surveys produce sub-optimal research outcomes?

Little research has been done on the way Business Masters students carry out research for their dissertations. This exploratory study examined the way data is collected and analysed; it reviewed a small sample of dissertations and found them overwhelmingly skewed towards questionnaires (used by 91% of students) with archival (secondary) sources largely ignored. Further examination of the findings showed that almost half (45%) had poorly analysed data from questionnaires exhibiting problems such as ‘voting on the facts’ and ‘crowdsourcing judgements’. By comparison, more experienced researchers showed a much lower dependence on questionnaires. To investigate causes for this, research methods texts were reviewed and generally found to have little focus on secondary data and often to show a negative attitude towards it. The study concludes that there are issues in the way students gather data and that this can have adverse impacts on quality

Metabolic reconfiguration is a regulated response to oxidative stress

A new study reveals that, in response to oxidative stress, organisms can redirect their metabolic flux from glycolysis to the pentose phosphate pathway, the pathway that provides the reducing power for the main cellular redox systems. This ability is conserved between yeast and animals, showing its importance in the adaptation to oxidative stress

An Open Source Radio for Low Cost Small Satellite Ranging

Precise orbit knowledge is crucial for many satellites and their missions. While GPS is capable of providing the accuracy required by nearly all small satellite missions, many CubeSats forgo the use of GPS modules due to various constraints. Because of this, CubeSats often make use of Two Line Elements sets (TLEs) provided by the Joint Space Operations Center. However due to the potential for infrequent updates, and the possibility of “cross-tagging”, the use of TLEs presents issues for many CubeSat missions. A low cost (\u3c $50) method of obtaining range measurements using a satellite’s communications radio is presented. The ranging precision is found to be 0.1552 km under strong signal conditions and .3038 km under realistic worst case conditions. These results were then incorporated into an orbital simulation to test TLE identification and orbit determination. It is demonstrated via simulation that these range estimates can be used to reliably identify the correct TLE in the case where TLEs may be mismatched or “cross-tagged” after initial deployment using only the satellite’s existing radio hardware. The proposed communications radio and ping measurement design are open source, and the complete source code , hardware design, and supporting documentation can be found at https://github.com/UBNanosatLa

Scorpion: Close Air Support (CAS) aircraft

The objective is to outline the results of the preliminary design of the Scorpion, a proposed close air support aircraft. The results obtained include complete preliminary analysis of the aircraft in the areas of aerodynamics, structures, avionics and electronics, stability and control, weight and balance, propulsion systems, and costs. A conventional wing, twin jet, twin-tail aircraft was chosen to maximize the desirable characteristics. The Scorpion will feature low speed maneuverability, high survivability, low cost, and low maintenance. The life cycle cost per aircraft will be 17.5 million dollars. The maximum takeoff weight will be 52,760 pounds. Wing loading will be 90 psf. The thrust to weight will be 0.6 lbs/lb. This aircraft meets the specified mission requirements. Some modifications have been suggested to further optimize the design

In Search of Certain Earnings: Applying the ACE Portfolio Concept to Sectors

Sector composites that have highly stable earnings streams allow the portfolio manager or analyst to derive “earnings certain” sector risk premiums. ACE (Approximately Certain Earnings) Sectors represent such baskets. Since sector pricing is influenced by earnings variability, obtaining risk premiums from standard sectors is contaminated. With knowledge of an EPS Stability measure, a composite engine, and the proprietary G-Model (or like DCF framework), we can discover companies within each sector that exhibit highly certain earnings. In practice, ACE Sectors can be used to derive current/historical “earnings certain” sector risk premiums, enhance sector rotation strategies, obtain sector implied growth rates, make risk adjustments for present value modeling, and construct improved valuation benchmarks

The importance of being privileged: Digital entrepreneurship as a class project

Established professional occupations can become the preserve of elites when fitting in is driven by class-based criteria. In contrast, digital entrepreneurship has been proposed as a means by which people may emancipate themselves from societal constraints. We interrogate digital entrepreneurship’s meritocratic foundations by way of a 36-month ethnography of a start-up incubator. Attending to the dispositions of digital entrepreneurs, we reveal they use cultural tastes and manners to create the incubator as a place where members of the privileged class can reinvent themselves at their leisure, all the while adopting the meritocratic mythologies of digital entrepreneurship to disavow their own privilege. This opens up a two-fold contribution to the study of professions and occupations. Firstly, we demonstrate how professional and occupational roles are epiphenomenal to class positioning. Secondly, the parallels between the legitimating discourses of entrepreneurs and more established professional jurisdictions attest to a community that is in the process of professionalization

The importance of being privileged:Digital entrepreneurship as a class project

Established professional occupations can become the preserve of elites when fitting in is driven by class-based criteria. In contrast, digital entrepreneurship has been proposed as a means by which people may emancipate themselves from societal constraints. We interrogate digital entrepreneurship’s meritocratic foundations by way of a 36-month ethnography of a start-up incubator. Attending to the dispositions of digital entrepreneurs, we reveal they use cultural tastes and manners to create the incubator as a place where members of the privileged class can reinvent themselves at their leisure, all the while adopting the meritocratic mythologies of digital entrepreneurship to disavow their own privilege. This opens up a two-fold contribution to the study of professions and occupations. Firstly, we demonstrate how professional and occupational roles are epiphenomenal to class positioning. Secondly, the parallels between the legitimating discourses of entrepreneurs and more established professional jurisdictions attest to a community that is in the process of professionalization

Economic Model for Investing Small vs. Large Ag Equipment

• Producers can have a difficult decision when it comes to purchasing equipment. • Producers are always looking to minimize costs and maximize efficiency when it comes to their equipment. • In a state that is a big player in the agriculture industry it is important for our producers to produce at the highest efficiency possible