An Analytical Model To Assess Technology Needs In A Rural Community

Information technology (IT) has shaped fundamental changes throughout society. IT has facilitated the shift from an industrial age to a network age. In addition to altering commerce, education, government and communications, IT affects the construction of and response to social problems such as poverty and inequality. The very existence of the “digital divideâ€--â€--â€or lack of access to IT for certain segments of the population--â€--†is evidence of the ability of technology to worsen existing inequality. At the same time, technology promotes organizing efforts to disadvantaged communities, and it can connect people to a range of opportunities. The community technology movement--â€--â€a grassroots social movement that employs IT to empower historically disadvantaged individuals and communities--â€--â€demonstrates the potential of IT to serve as a tool of social change. In our research, we answer the following questions: What are the technological gaps that exist in low socioeconomic rural communities such as Vance County? And what are the community resources and potential partnerships specifically relevant to establishing a community technology center in rural communities such as those in Vance County? For this research, we created an analytical community--â€mapping model that collected, populated, organized and generated reliable data useful in determining the unmet technological needs of a rural community and producing an on--â€line or print “map†of the wide variety of relevant technology literacy activities and public access sites in a low socioeconomic rural community. The overall approach to this research was that of mixed methods. The proposed model consisted of a needs assessment that included a proven survey (that we modified for Vance County), interview questions, a case study, and evaluation research that will aid communities in discovering what digital technologies are currently available, and to whom. Judging from our data, we concluded that Vance County has several organizations that serve underserved populations. However, there is a gap in computer literacy service to youth in the community, and there are no organizations that use their computers solely for computer literacy training. Our findings also reveal that Vance County community technology efforts are fragmented and the community’s efforts in this area are not visible to the community nor are their linkages among them. Finally, as a result of our data, we were not able to produce an effect map of relevant technology literacy activities in Vance County, as there were no activities or programs to report. Our recommendations, as a result of our research are as follows: 1) To submit a proposal to the policy makers of the city of Henderson to include community technology into their economic and community development policy goals. 2) To propose a Community Technology Planner position to the City Council. 3) To create a community forum to discuss community technology needs in Vance County

Essay I. Intra-Industry Contagion and Competitive Effects Associated With Corporate Liquidation Announcements: Does Shareholder Governance Influence the Results? Essay II. Investors\u27 Pricing of Exchange Rate Risk in U. S. Firms That File for Bankruptcy

Essay I. Intra-industry contagion and competitive effects associated with corporate liquidation announcements: Does shareholder governance influence the results? This essay extends earlier research by investigating the role shareholder governance may play in the abnormal stock returns of the liquidating firms\u27 competitors. The empirical model used for analyzing the abnormal returns includes variables to capture the influence of: leverage, Tobin\u27s q, the Herfindahl index, Book Equity-to-Market Equity ratio, the level of institutional stock ownership, and the level of stock ownership by insiders. The conclusion is leverage of the liquidating firm as well as its competitors is the major factor affecting the stock returns of the competitor firms. Additionally, there are significantly negative returns for the rival firms when institutional investors held more than 21% of the liquidating firm\u27s equity. Essay II: Investors\u27 pricing of exchange rate risk in U.S. firms that file for bankruptcy. The thesis of this essay is those firms that file for bankruptcy are more sensitive to changes in the exchange rate, as well as changes in the overall economy, than other firms. Using the 48-month period preceding the bankruptcy announcement, we examine the relationship between abnormal returns and changes in: (1) the economy, and (2) the foreign exchange rate. Applying a couple of filters to the data resulted in a significant relationship for changes in both the industrial production index--our proxy for the economy--and foreign exchange rate for years three and four preceding the bankruptcy announcement, but not years one or two. One may conclude that: (1) financially weakened firms are sensitive to changes in the foreign exchange rate and industrial production index, or (2) not just the financially weakened, but all firms are sensitive to changes in these two economic barometers. In either case, when it becomes obvious that bankruptcy is a strong likelihood, the forthcoming bankruptcy overshadows other economic influences

An Analytical Model To Assess Technology Needs In A Rural Community

Information technology (IT) has shaped fundamental changes throughout society. IT has facilitated the shift from an industrial age to a network age. In addition to altering commerce, education, government and communications, IT affects the construction of and response to social problems such as poverty and inequality. The very existence of the “digital divideâ€--â€--â€or lack of access to IT for certain segments of the population--â€--†is evidence of the ability of technology to worsen existing inequality. At the same time, technology promotes organizing efforts to disadvantaged communities, and it can connect people to a range of opportunities. The community technology movement--â€--â€a grassroots social movement that employs IT to empower historically disadvantaged individuals and communities--â€--â€demonstrates the potential of IT to serve as a tool of social change. In our research, we answer the following questions: What are the technological gaps that exist in low socioeconomic rural communities such as Vance County? And what are the community resources and potential partnerships specifically relevant to establishing a community technology center in rural communities such as those in Vance County? For this research, we created an analytical community--â€mapping model that collected, populated, organized and generated reliable data useful in determining the unmet technological needs of a rural community and producing an on--â€line or print “map†of the wide variety of relevant technology literacy activities and public access sites in a low socioeconomic rural community. The overall approach to this research was that of mixed methods. The proposed model consisted of a needs assessment that included a proven survey (that we modified for Vance County), interview questions, a case study, and evaluation research that will aid communities in discovering what digital technologies are currently available, and to whom. Judging from our data, we concluded that Vance County has several organizations that serve underserved populations. However, there is a gap in computer literacy service to youth in the community, and there are no organizations that use their computers solely for computer literacy training. Our findings also reveal that Vance County community technology efforts are fragmented and the community’s efforts in this area are not visible to the community nor are their linkages among them. Finally, as a result of our data, we were not able to produce an effect map of relevant technology literacy activities in Vance County, as there were no activities or programs to report. Our recommendations, as a result of our research are as follows: 1) To submit a proposal to the policy makers of the city of Henderson to include community technology into their economic and community development policy goals. 2) To propose a Community Technology Planner position to the City Council. 3) To create a community forum to discuss community technology needs in Vance County

Regulation of asymmetric cell division in the epidermis

For proper tissue morphogenesis, cell divisions and cell fate decisions must be tightly and coordinately regulated. One elegant way to accomplish this is to couple them with asymmetric cell divisions. Progenitor cells in the developing epidermis undergo both symmetric and asymmetric cell divisions to balance surface area growth with the generation of differentiated cell layers. Here we review the molecular machinery implicated in controlling asymmetric cell division. In addition, we discuss the ability of epidermal progenitors to choose between symmetric and asymmetric divisions and the key regulatory points that control this decision

Survivor Academe: Assessing Reflective Practice

Reflective practice is a goal for many academic professional development programs. What do faculty participants gain from a reflective practice program, and how much reflection do they actually practice? Using interviews and grounded theory, we identified three crucial needs being met by such a program at our university. In addition, we compared participants’ comments to the elements of reflection established by Dewey and Rodgers to determine the extent of their reflection. The results call for more assessment to better align the structures of reflective practice programs with participant needs as well as further research on the effects of reflective practice on the participants, their teaching, and their students

A comparative study of two contrasting socio-economic areas of a small city: formal and informal participation in relation to community perspectives

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1967 C36Master of Scienc

Let the Record Speak for Three-Wheel All-Terrain Vehicles

On April 3, 1985, an all-terrain vehicle task force was established to review all-terrain vehicle accidents which had occured since 1982, and to continue their research through 1986. Similar studies were undertaken among the medical community who were seeing an alarming increase in the number of patients, primarily children, being treated for injuries related to all-terrain vehicles. These studies yeilded data including the number of deaths broken down by age, type of all-terrain vehicle, and cause of death, as well as number of reported injuries for the period from 1982 through 1986. Three and four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles have become increasingly popular. Studies reveal that injury and death attributed to the ATV have also skyrocketed. Statistically, the three-wheel version has a much lower safety record than any form of off-road-vehicle. This is attributed to its three point isosceles triangular design, poor suspension, excess acceleration, and a high and rearward center of gravity. In spite of the design defects, the ATV industry has been accused of deceiving the public into believing the three-wheeler is safe. All ATV riders are at risk; however, the risk could be reduced through certain government regulations, operator training, and protective gear.Housing, Interior Design and Consumer Studie

Feeder pig production in Illinois

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