Showing papers by "Albion College published in 2006"

Single photon source characterization with a superconducting single photon detector

Abstract: We present the first use of a superconducting single photon detector in characterizing a single photon source. This detector offers excellent timing resolution (65 ps FWHM jitter) and operation into the infrared (1550 nm).

Long-distance quantum key distribution in optical fibre

Abstract: Use of low-noise detectors can both increase the secret bit rate of long-distance quantum key distribution (QKD) and dramatically extend the length of a fibre optic link over which secure keys can be distributed. Previous work has demonstrated the use of ultra-low-noise transition-edge sensors (TESs) in a QKD system with transmission over 50?km. In this study, we demonstrate the potential of the TESs by successfully generating an error-corrected, privacy-amplified key over 148.7?km of dark optical fibre at a mean photon number ? = 0.1, or 184.6?km of dark optical fibre at a mean photon number of 0.5. We have also exchanged secret keys over 67.5?km that is secure against powerful photon-number-splitting (PNS) attacks.

Conservative ideology and ambivalent sexism

Abstract: To assess the relationship between different facets of conservative ideology and ambivalent sexism, 246 residents of two towns in southern Michigan completed a social dominance orientation scale (SDO), a right-wing authoritarianism scale (RWA), a Protestant work ethic scale (PWE), and the Glick and Fiske (1996) Ambivalent Sexism Inventory via a mail survey. Zero-order correlations revealed that SDO, RWA, and PWE were each related to both components of ambivalent sexism (hostile and benevolent sexism). Hierarchical regressions revealed that SDO and PWE most strongly predicted hostile sexism, whereas RWA most strongly predicted benevolent sexism. Results are discussed with respect to different facets of conservative ideology and why SDO, RWA, and PWE each tend to be associated with prejudice toward different groups.

An Economic Evaluation of the Moneyball Hypothesis

Abstract: In his 2003 book Moneyball, financial reporter Michael Lewis made a striking claim: the valuation of skills in the market for baseball players was grossly inefficient. The discrepancy was so large that when the Oakland Athletics hired an unlikely management group consisting of Billy Beane, a former player with mediocre talent, and two quantitative analysts, the team was able to exploit this inefficiency and outproduce most of the competition, while operating on a shoestring budget. The publication of Moneyball triggered a firestorm of criticism from baseball insiders (Lewis, 2004), and it raised the eyebrows of many economists as well. Basic price theory implies a tight correspondence between pay and productivity when markets are competitive and rich in information, as would seem to be the case in baseball. The market for baseball players receives daily attention from the print and broadcast media, along with periodic in-depth analysis from lifelong baseball experts and academic economists. Indeed, a case can be made that more is known about pay and quantified performance in this market than in any other labor market in the American economy. In this paper, we test the central portion of Lewis’s (2003) argument with elementary econometric tools and confirm his claims. In particular, we find that hitters’ salaries during this period did not accurately reflect the contribution of various batting skills to winning games. This inefficiency was sufficiently large that knowledge of its existence, and the ability to exploit it, enabled the Oakland Athletics to gain a substantial advantage over their competition. Further, we find

Materialism and Money Spending Disposition as Predictors of Economic and Personality Variables

Abstract: This research explored the relationships between materialism and money spending attitudes on impulse buying tendencies, attitudes toward debt, sensation seeking, and openness to experience. Students and other adults (N = 266) completed a materialism scale, portions of two money conservation scales, an impulse buying scale, an attitudes toward debt scale, a sensation seeking scale, and an openness to experience scale. Simultaneous-entry multiple regression analyses revealed that materialism and money conservation were predictive of impulse buying, sensation seeking, and openness to experience. Two marginally significant interactions emerged. Individuals less materialistic and tight with money had particularly negative attitudes toward debt, and individuals less materialistic and loose with money were particularly open to experience. Results are discussed with respect to how materialism may be related to a variety of individual difference variables, both at the main effect level and in interaction with money spending attitudes. Tatzel (2002) proposed a taxonomy of "money worlds" in which she integrated the notions of materialism and money spending disposition. In her taxonomy, she cogently articulated how money spending penchants may combine with materialism to predict a number of other phenomena. The purpose of the current research is to empirically test some of the predictions she made. Materialism is "... a value representing the individual's orientation toward the role of possessions in life, serving to guide the types and quantities of goods purchased" (Mick, 1996, p. 108). To a great extent, research on materialism has tended to focus on materialism as a main effect. However, at least two studies have examined interactive effects of materialism. Burroughs and Rindfleisch (2002) examined how ownership of material objects and its negative relationship with well-being is a function of other important life values. Also, LaBarbera and Gurhan (1997) found that people high in materialism with lower incomes had lower levels of well-being than people high in materialism with higher incomes. Materialism at the main effect level has been a topic of a comprehensive study of how materialism is related to spending tendencies, saving, and debt. Watson (2003) found that materialistic people tended to be more likely to spend money, more likely to express positive attitudes toward borrowing money for luxury purchases, and less likely to own vehicles of savings (e.g., mutual funds) than were less materialistic people. The paucity of research on the interactions between materialism and other phenomena warrants further research. To better understand the different meanings that money holds for people, empirical research has focused primarily on the development of scales to assess such differences (e.g., Furnham, 1984; Tang, 1992; Yamauchi & Templer, 1982). These undertakings have each demonstrated that the meanings people ascribe to money are indeed diverse. For instance, in a factor analysis, Furnham (1984) found six distinct factors of money beliefs and behaviors, including obsession, power/spending, retention, security/conservatism, inadequacy, and effort/ability. In the current research, we were particularly interested in people's tendency to conserve (or not conserve) money, and how such a tendency may combine with materialistic values to predict economic attitudes (i.e., attitudes toward debt and impulse buying) and personality traits (i.e., sensation seeking and openness to experience). Money Attitudes, Materialism, and Tatzel's (2002) Taxonomy Tatzel (2002) proposed a litany of outcomes based on individuals' materialistic orientation and money spending penchants. She outlined the characteristics of four possible combinations of these variables as seen in Table 1. With respect to people who are loose with money, Tatzel distinguished between big spenders and experiencers. Big spenders are highly materialistic people who enjoy spending money, often view higher prices as a quality signifier, and who enjoy owning nice possessions. …

Religiosity, Religious Doubt, and the Need for Cognition: Their Interactive Relationship with Life Satisfaction

Abstract: Previous research has found a consistent, negative relationship between holding religious doubts and mental well-being, and a small positive relationship between religiosity and mental well-being. To assess the interrelationship between religious doubt, religiosity, and need for cognition on life satisfaction, a survey was administered to an almost exclusively Christian sample of 192 Americans drawn from undergraduates and alumni of a small mid-western college, undergraduates from a small south-eastern college, and several churches from the metro-Detroit area. Zero-order correlations revealed relationships between religiosity and life satisfaction, as well as religious doubt and life satisfaction. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that the three-way interaction of religiosity, religious doubt, and the need for cognition was predictive of life satisfaction. Significant two-way interactions also emerged for both gender and religiosity, and gender and religious doubt as predictors of life satisfaction. Based upon these findings, counseling applications are discussed, and the importance of probing for interactions in research on religious influences on well-being is espoused.

Identification of periodic autoregressive moving average models and their application to the modeling of river flows

Abstract: [1] The generation of synthetic river flow samples that can reproduce the essential statistical features of historical river flows is useful for the planning, design, and operation of water resource systems. Most river flow series are periodically stationary; that is, their mean and covariance functions are periodic with respect to time. This article develops model identification and simulation techniques based on a periodic autoregressive moving average (PARMA) model to capture the seasonal variations in river flow statistics. The innovations algorithm is used to obtain parameter estimates. An application to monthly flow data for the Fraser River in British Columbia is included. A careful statistical analysis of the PARMA model residuals, including a truncated Pareto model for the extreme tails, produces a realistic simulation of these river flows.

Fear of Negative Evaluation Affects Helping Behavior: The Bystander Effect Revisited

Abstract: The effect of shyness and fear of negative evaluation (FNE) on helping behavior was examined. Eighty-three students participated in the experiment. Their individual shyness, FNE, and self-monitoring scores were collected prior to participation. During the experiment, participants had the opportunity to help a female confederate in either a social or nonsocial situation. An interaction of FNE and condition was found to be marginally significant. In the social helping condition, participants who helped showed no difference in FNE scores versus those who did not help. However, in the non-social condition participants who helped had lower FNE scores than those who did not help. The findings are framed in accordance with the bystander effect. A marginally significant interaction of gender and condition was also discovered. Males helped at the same rate as females in the non-social condition, but helped more than females in the social condition. This provides support for the social role theory of helping, based on the socially conditioned mores that a man should help a woman in need. There is extensive research on shyness, fear of negative evaluation (FNE), and helping behavior as individual topics, but very limited knowledge coneeming how these constructs are interrelated. Because shyness, FNE, and helping behavior are prevalent in many facets of everyday life, it is important to investigate the relationship between these variables. In the present study, the effects of shyness and fear of negative evaluation on the likelihood of offering help were examined within a self-presentational paradigm.

Developmental Changes in Adolescents' Guilt and Shame: The Role of Family Climate and Gender.

Abstract: To explore the relationship between family closeness and self-conscious emotions (i.e., guilt, shame) across adolescence, eighth-grade, tenth-grade, and first-semester college students completed a demographics questionnaire, the Test of Self-Conscious Affect, and the Family Closeness Questionnaire. Results revealed that adolescents from divorced/separated families and those from intact families did not differ in their reported levels of shame or guilt. Guilt increased with age, but the developmental progression of shame varied by gender. Girls reported more guilt and shame than did boys. Examination of family closeness revealed that guilt was positively correlated with mother, father, and sibling closeness for boys and girls. Shame was unrelated to family closeness except girls' shame scores correlated with sibling-closeness and guilt-free shame was related to boys' father-closeness. These findings point to the importance of family closeness, and particularly of opposite-gender parent-child relationships as well as sibling relationships, in adolescents' guilt-proneness. Although there has been a great deal of focus on shame and guilt in clinical settings, little is known about its role in normative development in families with adolescents. Normative development in families refers to healthy development of personal and interpersonal relationships between family members and each member with him or herself. There are many family factors than affect normative development such as parenting styles, number of siblings, family structure (e.g., intact, divorced, separated), conflict, and closeness. Understanding the relationship of shame and guilt to these factors may lead to a clearer understanding of the development of individuals within the family. For instance, Scheff (1995) argues that family conflict typically arises from unresolved or latent feelings of shame. Shame, therefore, can indirectly cause family members to have more frequent conflict and decrease the closeness in family relationships. Scheff's theory places shame in the context of the overall emotional climate of the family. Other theorists have argued that self-conscious emotions (e.g., shame, guilt, pride) are influenced by parenting practices. For instance, there is evidence suggesting that inductive, or empathy-based, parental discipline results in healthy, moderate feelings of guilt in children (Baumeister, 1998; Hoffman, 1998). Some guilt, therefore, is a healthy outcome of family factors such as parenting styles. Likewise, children are more prone to experience moderate levels of guilt in families where parent-child relationships are secure and affectionate, and where the parent is responsive to the child's temperament (Hoffman, 1998). The present study was designed to investigate the impact of family factors, specifically closeness with mother, father, and siblings, on adolescents' normative experiences of guilt and shame. Research about the relationship between family factors, guilt, and shame is primarily limited to early and middle childhood. It is unclear if these relationships extend into adolescence. Research also suggests that age and gender are associated with the experience of shame and guilt. For instance, gender differences in guilt tend to be inconsistent during childhood, decrease at the onset of adolescence, and then increase in late adolescence (Bybee, 1998). However, in adolescence and adulthood, females generally have stronger feelings of guilt and shame than do males (Bybee, 1998). Additionally, research fails to address how family structure, such as parents' marital status, might affect the relationship between family factors and guilt and shame. Indeed, few researchers have examined the relationship between family climate and proneness to feelings of guilt and shame among adolescents. Researchers and theorists often use the terms guilt and shame interchangeably. However, a growing body of research has demonstrated their unique qualities (Tangney & Dearing, 2002). …

The Protestant work ethic, religious beliefs, and homonegative attitudes

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the Protestant Work Ethic (PWE) on negative attitudes towards gay men and lesbian women (homonegativity). The influence of religious beliefs and the notion of homosexuality as a choice were also examined in combination with PWE in regards to homonegativity. Previous research suggested that those who subscribe to the PWE have more negative attitudes towards societal out-groups (e.g., African–Americans). Thus, it was hypothesized that those with high PWE scores would display more homonegative attitudes. A significant correlation between PWE and homonegativity supported this hypothesis. Multiple regression analyses revealed that PWE interacted with religious beliefs, and religious beliefs interacted marginally with the idea of homosexuality as a choice. Those with high religious beliefs and who strongly believed that homosexuality was a choice were more likely to have negative attitudes towards homosexuals. The implications of these findings are discu...

Playing Internet Curveball with Traditional Media Gatekeepers Pitcher Curt Schilling and Boston Red Sox Fans

Abstract: Prior to the 2004 season, pitcher Curt Schilling was traded to the Boston Red Sox baseball team. During trade negotiations, Schilling visited a web-based fan site of the team, and chatted with Red Sox fans. His visit was covered by sports radio and newspaper. Schilling discussed his visit with a sports radio show, where the hosts were not happy that he used the Internet instead of radio. Schilling’s actions make for an interesting real-world case involving media gatekeeping, where different media are intertwined, and where theory can be built from the observation of practice. Schilling used different media depending on his task, and chose media best suited to his purpose. Fans were delighted he chose the web, giving them direct access, but radio hosts felt threatened. Gatekeeping was found to be still useful for identity verification and access control.

The effect of grain boundary normal on predicting microcrack nucleation using fracture initiation parameters in duplex TiAl

Abstract: In a prior study of a duplex Ti–48Al–2Cr–2Nb, Simkin et al. [B.A. Simkin, M.A. Crimp, T.R. Bieler, Scripta Mater. 49 (2003) 149], 11 cracked and 11 intact boundaries between γ grains were analyzed to determine why some boundaries that were similarly stressed cracked, and others did not. This led to a geometrically based fracture initiation parameter that considered the tensile stress axis and the deformation systems in both grains. In order to further examine the physical basis of this fracture initiation parameter, we have measured the grain boundary orientation of the previously studied boundaries. In contrast to the expectation that incorporation of the grain boundary orientation into this parameter would improve the ability to discriminate between cracked and intact boundaries, the orientation of the grain boundary normal was found to be statistically less significant than the orientation of the Burgers vectors of the most highly stressed twinning systems, quantified by | b ˆ tw ⋅ t ˆ | , where t ˆ describes the tensile axis direction. Grain boundary microcracking was found to be most likely when b ˆ tw was in the range of 30–50° from the tensile axis. Combining the Schmid factor with | b ˆ tw ⋅ t ˆ | and the effect of ordinary dislocation slip accommodation provides a simple and effective predictor of the propensity for microcrack nucleation.

A Genetic Suppressor of Two Dominant Temperature-Sensitive Lethal Proteasome Mutants of Drosophila melanogaster Is Itself a Mutated Proteasome Subunit Gene

Abstract: Two dominant temperature-sensitive (DTS) lethal mutants of Drosophila melanogaster are Pros261 and Prosβ21, previously known as DTS5 and DTS7. Heterozygotes for either mutant die as pupae when raised at 29°, but are normally viable and fertile at 25°. Previous studies have identified these as missense mutations in the genes encoding the β6 and β2 subunits of the 20S proteasome, respectively. In an effort to isolate additional proteasome-related mutants a screen for dominant suppressors of Pros261 was carried out, resulting in the identification of Pros25SuDTS [originally called Su(DTS)], a missense mutation in the gene encoding the 20S proteasome α2 subunit. Pros25SuDTS acts in a dominant manner to rescue both Pros261 and Prosβ21 from their DTS lethal phenotypes. Using an in vivo protein degradation assay it was shown that this suppression occurs by counteracting the dominant-negative effect of the DTS mutant on proteasome activity. Pros25SuDTS is a recessive polyphasic lethal at ambient temperatures. The effects of these mutants on larval neuroblast mitosis were also examined. While Prosβ21 shows a modest increase in the number of defective mitotic figures, there were no defects seen with the other two mutants, other than slightly reduced mitotic indexes.

Lunulichnus Tuberosus Ichnogen. and Ichnosp. Nov. from the Early Eocene Wasatch Formation, Fossil Butte National Monument, Wyoming: An Arthropod-Constructed Trace Fossil Associated with Alluvial Firmgrounds

Abstract: A new trace fossil, Lunulichnus tuberosus, is described from fluvial deposits of the Wasatch Formation (early Eocene) at Fossil Butte National Monument, southwestern Wyoming, USA. L. tuberosus are straight, vertical to obliquely oriented, unlined cylindrical burrows with pronounced crescent-shaped wall sculptings. In situ examples of these trace fossils are most commonly preserved as sand-filled casts emanating from the erosional bases of fluvial channel sandstone bodies into underlying floodplain mudstone/siltstone beds. L. tuberosus is interpreted as the dwelling trace of a stream-dwelling decapod crustacean. Excellent preservation of fine detail, particularly their diagnostic crescent-shaped wall sculptings, support the hypothesis that L. tuberosus were excavated in firm substrata subjacent to fluvial erosional surfaces. As such, they are interpreted as constituents of alluvial Glossifungites trace fossil assemblages.

Interests in research electives among osteopathic medical students.

Abstract: CONTEXT: The number of physician-researchers in the United States is in decline. Osteopathic medical schools must examine strategies for increasing the number of trained clinical researchers. OBJECTIVES: To assess the interest of first- and second-year osteopathic medical students in taking an elective research course during their third and fourth years of medical school; and to examine the relationship among students' personal characteristics, previous research experience, and elective research courses. DESIGN: Fifteen-question, self-administered, cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg in September 2004. PARTICIPANTS: First- and second-year osteopathic medical students. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Personal characteristics, previous research experience, and research elective interest (8-week vs 12-week course; and clinical/population vs basic science focus). RESULTS: The response rate was 83.9% (N=255 [149 first-year students; 106 second-year students]), with 51% women responding. Approximately 72% of students had worked on a research project at some time during undergraduate or medical training, and 42% had completed an undergraduate, data-based thesis. Students reported greater interest in a 12-week elective (34%) than an 8-week elective (23%), and two thirds preferred a clinical and/or population to a basic science focus. CONCLUSIONS: Colleges of osteopathic medicine must develop research training and mentoring programs to foster such interests in their students, and innovative recruitment approaches need to be developed for DO/PhD degree programs. These strategies will help provide meaningful research education and experiences to osteopathic medical students.

Evidence for seasonal mate limitation in populations of an intertidal amphipod, Corophium volutator (Pallas)

Abstract: Potential rates of reproduction (PRR) differ between the sexes of many animal species. Adult sex ratios together with PRR are expected to determine the operational sex ratio (OSR) defined as the ratio of fertilizable females to sexually active males at any given time. OSR is expected to determine the degree to which one sex competes for another—the limiting sex. We explored the potential for mate limitation in an intertidal amphipod, Corophium volutator (Pallas). Males have higher PRR than females, but males may be limiting because of extreme female-biased sex ratios observed in this species. Consistent with this idea, late season females were less likely to be ovigerous and had smaller size-specific clutches, both of which were associated with seasonal declines in availability of males of reproductive size. Seasonal changes in ovigery could not be explained by seasonal changes across sites in other factors (e.g., female body size or phenology of breeding). Smaller females were less likely to become ovigerous later in the season at three of four sites. Seasonal reductions in clutch size also occurred among small females expected to be reproducing for their first time. In complimentary laboratory experiments, reduced likelihood of ovigery and reduced fecundity occurred when the number of receptive females was increased relative to availability of a reproductively active male. Our results suggest male mate limitation can occur seasonally in this species and that male limitation is regionally widespread and may affect recruitment.

The Bridegroom Messiah and the People of God: Marriage in the Fourth Gospel

Abstract: 1. Allusions to biblical texts about marriage 2. Echoes of scripture, representative figures, and messianic exegesis 3. The revelation of the bridegroom-Messiah allusions to Jeremiah 33:10-11 and Genesis 29:1-20 4. The glorification of the bridegroom-Messiah allusions to Song of Songs 1:12 and Song of Songs 3:1-4 5. The bridegroom-Messiah of Psalm 45 in the Song of Songs, Jeremiah 33:11 and Genesis 29:1-20 6. Hearing the echoes 7. Conclusion.

Colonial consciousness: Rudolf Steiner’s Orientalism and German cultural identity

Abstract: Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), founder of Anthroposophy and the Waldorf schools, is one of many German intellectuals who have turned to the Orient in pursuit of poetic and philosophical inspiration, a...

Single photon detector comparison in a quantum key distribution test

Abstract: We provide a direct comparison between the InGaAs avalanche photodiode (APD) and the NbN superconducting single photon detector (SSPD) for applications in fiber-based quantum cryptography. The quantum efficiency and dark count rate were measured for each detector, and used to calculate the quantum bit error rate (QBER) and shared key rate for a QKD link. The results indicate that, despite low quantum efficiency, the speed of the SSPD makes it a superior detector for quantum information applications. Finally, we present results of an initial integration of an SSPD into a receiver node of the DARPA quantum network to perform quantum key distribution.

Supervision of New Instructors: Promoting a Rewarding First Experience in Teaching

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The edifice complex: the economics of public subsidization of Major League Baseball facilities.

Abstract: Using a panel of Major League Baseball team attendance data for the period 1950 to 2003, the authors determined that after controlling for team quality and other factors, a new modern era ballpark adds 22 to 30 percent to total attendance over a 10-year period and, on average, generated present-value stadium revenues of $272 million for the franchise. Since the construction costs for the group of 14 modern ballparks averaged $99 million in private money and $198 million in public funds, there were two results with important implications for public finance. First, the revenue estimates were less than the typical cost of most modern stadiums, indicating that the projects generated positive rents for team owners only due to public subsidization. Second, the ratio of recipient benefits to subsidy expenses indicated that public spending on construction of replacement stadiums was a less effective method for subsidizing franchise owners than direct lump-sum payments. Furthermore, the preference for stadiuproject subsidies over cash subsidies can not be explained by the desire of local officials to improve the quality-of-play of the team. Due to non-complementarity between new stadiums and team success, team profits are maximized when an owner “pockets” increases in revenue rather than reinvesting in the team’s level of on-field quality.

Did a Transient Increase in the Impact Flux Occur 800 Ma Ago

Abstract: lano, T. D. Swindle, F. Barra, E. Olsen, D. C. B. Whittet Albion College, Department of Physics, Albion, MI 49224 nzellner@albion.edu, New York Center for Studies on the Origin of Life, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University at Albany (SUNY), Albany, NY 12222, University of Arizona, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Tucson, AZ 85721, New York Center for Studies on the Origin of Life, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180.

A Cross-National Study of Computer News Sites: Global News, Local Sites

Abstract: The Internet is not only an object of and a tool for study, it is also both simultaneously global and local. In order to address how global and how local it is, this study compares the news content of one week from four different computer news websites in four different countries (using four different languages). These sites use the same codebase and all strive to be the same in terms of computer culture. They are global in their reach and in the news they cover, yet they are all local in terms of language and geography. They are ideal locales to study how forces of the global and the local play out on the highly connected Internet, using Google language tools for translation. Findings were surprising in that they showed very little in terms of a pattern of any sort. This is similar to a 1953 UNESCO study of newspapers, but strange in that given the passing of 50 years and the connectedness of the Internet, greater overlap was expected. Link destinations for stories that were on more than one site were also examined, and the Japanese site had more in common with the American site while the two European sites were more alike in this lens. This is also surprising given that an East/West split was expected. Little work in this specific area was found, and this study highlights some of the questions and methodological difficulties that need to be addressed.