The Efficiency of Canadian Capital Markets: Some Bank of Canada Research

Capital markets and their related financial instruments make an important contribution to the welfare of Canadians. The Bank of Canada is interested in the efficient functioning of capital markets through each of its responsibilities for monetary policy, the financial system, and funds management. Hendry and King highlight the key findings of Bank research published over the past year that addresses capital market efficiency and summarize lessons that have been learned. The research conducted thus far suggests that Canadian capital markets are efficient for a capital market of Canada's size but are less diverse than the U.S. capital markets, indicating that there is room for improvement in certain areas.capital market efficiency; Canada; bond; equity; foreign exchange; derivatives; securitization.

The Efficiency of Canadian Capital Markets: Some Bank of Canada Research

Capital markets and their related financial instruments make an important contribution to the welfare of Canadians. The Bank of Canada is interested in the efficient functioning of capital markets through each of its responsibilities for monetary policy, the financial system, and funds management. Hendry and King highlight the key findings of Bank research published over the past year that addresses capital market efficiency and summarize lessons that have been learned. The research conducted thus far suggests that Canadian capital markets are efficient for a capital market of Canada's size but are less diverse than the U.S. capital markets, indicating that there is room for improvement in certain areas.

CHOICE OF REGRESSION METHOD FOR DETRENDING TIME SERIES DATA WITH NONNORMAL ERRORS

Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

WEEDSIM: A BIOECONOMIC MODEL OF WEED MANAGEMENT IN CORN

Crop Production/Industries,

Multiple phase transitions in an agent-based evolutionary model with neutral fitness

Null models are crucial for understanding evolutionary processes such as speciation and adaptive radiation. We analyse an agent-based null model, considering a case without selection—neutral evolution—in which organisms are defined only by phenotype. Universal dynamics has previously been demonstrated in a related model on a neutral fitness landscape, showing that this system belongs to the directed percolation (DP) universality class. The traditional null condition of neutral fitness (where fitness is defined as the number of offspring each organism produces) is extended here to include equal probability of death among organisms. We identify two types of phase transition: (i) a non-equilibrium DP transition through generational time (i.e. survival), and (ii) an equilibrium ordinary percolation transition through the phenotype space (based on links between mating organisms). Owing to the dynamical rules of the DP reaction–diffusion process, organisms can only sparsely fill the phenotype space, resulting in significant phenotypic diversity within a cluster of mating organisms. This highlights the necessity of understanding hierarchical evolutionary relationships, rather than merely developing taxonomies based on phenotypic similarity, in order to develop models that can explain phylogenetic patterns found in the fossil record or to make hypotheses for the incomplete fossil record of deep time

The psychological distress of the young driver: a brief report

Objective: To explore the role of psychological distress in the self-reported risky driving of young novice drivers. Design: Cross-sectional online survey of 761 tertiary students aged 17-25 years with an intermediate (Provisional) driving licence who completed Kessler’s Psychological Distress Scale and the Behaviour of Young Novice Drivers Scale. Setting: Queensland, Australia, August-October 2009. Main outcome measures: Psychological distress, risky driving. Results: Regression analyses revealed that psychological distress uniquely explained 8.5% of the variance in young novice’s risky driving, with adolescents experiencing psychological distress also reporting higher levels of risky driving. Psychological distress uniquely explained a significant 6.7% and 9.5% of variance in risky driving for males and females respectively. Conclusions: Medical practitioners treating adolescents who have been injured through risky behaviour need to aware of the potential contribution of psychological distress, whilst mental health professionals working with adolescents experiencing psychological distress need to be aware of this additional source of potential harm. The nature of the causal relationships linking psychological distress and risky driving behaviour are not yet fully understood, indicating a need for further research so that strategies such as screening can be investigated

Using a multifrontal sparse solver in a high performance, finite element code

We consider the performance of the finite element method on a vector supercomputer. The computationally intensive parts of the finite element method are typically the individual element forms and the solution of the global stiffness matrix both of which are vectorized in high performance codes. To further increase throughput, new algorithms are needed. We compare a multifrontal sparse solver to a traditional skyline solver in a finite element code on a vector supercomputer. The multifrontal solver uses the Multiple-Minimum Degree reordering heuristic to reduce the number of operations required to factor a sparse matrix and full matrix computational kernels (e.g., BLAS3) to enhance vector performance. The net result in an order-of-magnitude reduction in run time for a finite element application on one processor of a Cray X-MP

The Legality Of The United States War On Terror: Is Article 51 A Legitimate Vehicle For The War In Afghanistan Or Just A Blanket To Cover-Up International War Crimes?

On September 11, 2001, a network of terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners and crashed them into the World Trade Center and Pentagon, killing and injuring thousands of Americans, as the world watched in shock and disbelief

Master of Science

thesisThis study investigated the effectiveness of using self-as-a-model and peermodeling techniques in a package with self-monitoring to increase on-task behavior during independent seatwork time in math. The intervention package included self and peermodeling videos, a self-monitoring training video, coaching statements for use during each video session, a tactile self-monitoring prompt, and a self-monitoring grid. Three male students and one female student in the second and third grades indentified as displaying high rates of off-task behavior by their classroom teacher were included in the study. Two of the participants received their math instruction in a special education classroom. A multiple-probe, multiple-baseline design was used to evaluate the intervention package over the course of approximately 4 weeks. Dependent variables included rates of on-task behavior, academic productivity, and teacher and participant satisfaction with the intervention. Comparison data from classroom peers for on-task behavior were also collected. Results showed immediate, large, and durable changes in on-task behavior for each of the 4 participants. At baseline, the rate of on-task behavior displayed by the 4 participants while working on independent math assignments averaged 47% of the intervals observed. During the intervention, the participants' average rate of on-task behavior increased to 86% of the intervals observed. Follow-up observations of the participants 3 weeks after the termination of the study showed that the gains in on-task behavior achieved during the intervention were maintained. Improvement in academic performance could not be determined statistically based on the independent seatwork that was collected. Teacher report indicated that the intervention package had a positive effect on the participants' academic performance in the classroom. Both teacher and participant feedback concerning the use and effectiveness of the intervention package were positive. As a result of implementing the intervention package, the large gap between the participants and their peers at baseline was effectively closed. The procedures used in the intervention package provide for teacher and student satisfaction and represent an effective and viable method for school professionals to increase on-task behavior in either the general education or special education classroom