Implications for Policy

macroeconomics, tax-based income policy, TIP, economic stability, economic growth

Research Brief: Applying Green Chemistry Principles Towards the Sustainable Synthesis of Biodiesel from Waste Vegetable Oil

In 2011, the U.S. consumed over 18 million barrels per day of refined petroleum products and biofuels; almost 22% of global petroleum consumption. This includes oil used for transportation, electricity, and production of consumer products. More than half of this oil was imported from foreign countries, and in his 2006 State of the Union Address President Bush warned that, “We have a serious problem, America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world”. With the need for new energy sources more apparent than ever, serious research is needed to further the advancement of alternative fuels, so that they may become a more practical source of energy. Biodiesel is an alternative fuel to petroleum diesel, and is produced from renewable and/or recycled resources. Biodiesel’s benefits include reduced emissions of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, plus reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The process of making biodiesel involves transesterification of triacyl-glycerides in Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) with methanol, using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as a catalyst. Research in Dr. Brush’s group has focused on developing an efficient and cost-effective process for converting 50 liter (13 gallon) batches of Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) from BSU cafeterias into biodiesel fuel for campus use. However, in a detailed analysis of our efficiency in producing biodiesel by this traditional process, we found that this “simple” transesterification reaction is only one small part of a complex, interrelated, and inefficient overall production process

SPIETHOFF'S VIEWS ON THE BUSINESS CYCLE *

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73636/1/j.1467-6435.1954.tb02083.x.pd

Matching Equation: Teacher Rates of Praise and Reprimands

Previous matching equation literature has demonstrated variability in student behaviors matching onto available reinforcement rates. While some studies have found that student on-task behaviors matched contingent teacher attention around half the observations (Martens et al., 1990), other studies have found that first grade students’ on-task behavior matched contingent teacher attention more than half of observations (Shriver & Kramer, 1997). However, no studies in the current literature have used teacher behaviors as the primary dependent variables (i.e., B1 and B2 in the matching equation). The current study sought to extend the Generalized Matching Equation (GME) further into the classroom, given the concurrent schedules available for teacher behavior. This study examined the effects of a contrived contingency to alter the rates of teachers’ praise and reprimand statements. Further, this study assessed the extent of biases and sensitivity to available reinforcement. Although there was variability in biases, sensitivity to reinforcement, and variance explained by the GME, one teacher’s behaviors did not indicate bias outside of the contrived contingency in the balanced phase of the study. These results demonstrate that multiple schedules of reinforcement available within the classroom propose challenges to the GME

Meta-Analysis of Daily Behavior Report Cards

Daily Behavior Report Cards (DBRCs) have proven effective across a vast array of behaviors and students by provide a rating system for school staff to report students’ behavior progress. The current meta-analysis included eleven studies between 2007-2022, wherein participants ranged from preschool to sixth grade. The current study further investigated the evidence base by including the current What Works Clearinghouse standards (2020) to determine methodological rigor of single-case designs employing DBRCs. Standardized mean difference calculations for omnibus effect showed that DBRCs significantly improve student outcomes. Moderators of DBRC IOA, multiple baseline design type, and publication status explained some variability within the studies. Results are interpreted within their limitations

THE THEORY OF INFLATION *

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/74654/1/j.1467-6435.1953.tb00293.x.pd

Economic Considerations in National Strategy

l rather shall talk about some economic problems that seem to me relevant to our national strategy, and let you decide what their precise implications may be

The Importance and New Interpretation of Physical Education in the Elementary School Setting: Health and Wellness Education

Despite substantial evidence of the countless cognitive and physical benefits physical education in elementary school classrooms provides, some schools in the United States do not offer an adequate combination of both physical activity and education about nutrition, health, and wellbeing. To fully encapsulate the subject of Health and Wellness Education (HWE), students must not only be engaged physically outside of the classroom, but they must also be engaged holistically with an equal emphasis on mind, body, and spirit inside the classroom. This student engagement would include daily lessons regarding mental wellbeing, a consistent and reserved period for physical activity, and the ability to analyze the nutritional value of meals they are offered inside and outside of the school cafeteria to make healthier choices on their own. Not only is it necessary for schools to make room for these curricular modifications, but it is also imperative to consistently provide them throughout the entire school year and a child\u27s whole elementary experience. If children are not steadily receiving HWE, they are at risk of becoming obese, falling into the stigmatized world of anxiety or depression without self-help skills, and potentially developing life-threatening diseases such as type two diabetes, certain cancers, and cardiovascular disease later in life. This paper will explore the many ways that HWE can be positively implemented in elementary schools to avoid this growing epidemic