Showing papers by "Pennsylvania State University published in 1986"

Prosocial Organizational Behaviors

Abstract: The construct of prosocial organizational behavior is defined and 13 specific forms are described. They vary according to whether they are functional or dysfunctional for organizational effectiveness, prescribed or not prescribed as part of one's organizational role, and directed toward an individual or organizational target. Potential predictors and determinants drawn from the social psychological literature suggest an agenda for research in organizational settings.

Knowledge, motivation, and adaptive behavior : a framework for improving selling effectiveness

Abstract: The authors propose that adaptive selling is influenced by salespeople's knowledge of customer types and sales strategies as well as their motivation to alter the direction of their behavior. Perti...

Normative and reliability data for the Children's Depression Inventory.

Abstract: The present study was undertaken to examine some of the psychometric properties of the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), a self-report inventory devised by Kovacs and Beck (1977) to measure depression in children and adolescents. Normative and reliability data were obtained from three independent samples taken from eight public schools in central Pennsylvania. Age- and gender-related differences in reported characteristics of depression were also investigated. The subjects were 594 males and 658 females whose ages ranged from 8 to 16 years and whose combined mean age was 11.67 years (SD=1.91). The CDI was group-administered to all 1,252 subjects; 155 fifth-grade subjects (77 males and 78 females) were retested after 3 weeks, and 107 seventh- and eight-grade subjects (45 males and 62 females) were retested after 1 year. The distribution statistics for the combined samples yielded an overall CDI mean of 9.09, a standard deviation of 7.04, and a cutoff score of 19 for the upper 10% of the distribution. Reliability assessed through coefficient alpha, item-total score product-moment correlations, and test-retest coefficients proved acceptable. Gender differences were obtained for several item-total score correlations and for test-retest reliability of CDI scores.

Statistical methods for astronomical data with upper limits. II - Correlation and regression

Abstract: Statistical methods for calculating correlations and regressions in bivariate censored data where the dependent variable can have upper or lower limits are presented. Cox's regression and the generalization of Kendall's rank correlation coefficient provide significant levels of correlations, and the EM algorithm, under the assumption of normally distributed errors, and its nonparametric analog using the Kaplan-Meier estimator, give estimates for the slope of a regression line. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that survival analysis is reliable in determining correlations between luminosities at different bands. Survival analysis is applied to CO emission in infrared galaxies, X-ray emission in radio galaxies, H-alpha emission in cooling cluster cores, and radio emission in Seyfert galaxies.

Reassessing the Dimensions of Temperamental Individuality Across the Life Span:The Revised Dimensions of Temperament Survey (DOTS-R):

Abstract: The principal objective of this research was to identify age-continuous features of temperament, across an age span from early childhood to late adolescence/early adulthood through the construction of a new temperament measure, the Revised Dimensions of Temperament Survey (DOTS-R). Limitations of an extant temperament measure, the Dimensions of Temperament Survey (DOTS), were considered in the present scale construction research. A temperament questionnaire composed of an initial pool of 106 items was administered to three different samples-preschoolers, elementary school children, and late adolescents/early adults. The analyses included interrater agreement for content validity of items, item-total scale analyses, factor analyses, and the determination of internal consistency estimates of temperament dimensions for each sample. A nine factor model of temperament emerged for the preschool and elementary school samples, whereas a ten factor model emerged for the late adolescent/early adult sample. Supporti...

q-series : their development and application in analysis, number theory, combinatorics, physics, and computer algebra

Abstract: Found opportunities Classical special functions and L. J. Rogers W. N. Bailey's extension of Roger's work Constant terms Integrals Partitions and $q$-series Partitions and constant terms The hard hexagon model Ramanujan Computer algebra Appendix A. W. Gosper's Proof that $\lim_{q\rightarrow 1^-}\Gamma_q(x)=\Gamma (x)$ Appendix B. Roger's symmetric expansion of $\psi (\lambda, \mu, u, q, \theta)$ Appendix C. Ismail's proof of the $_1\psi_1$-summation and Jocobi's triple product identity References.

Reproduction in the Female

Abstract: The right ovary and oviduct are present in embryonic stages of all birds, but the distribution of primordial germ cells to the ovaries of the chicken becomes asymmetrical by day 4 of incubation, and by day 10 regression of the right oviduct begins. The reproductive system of birds (Galliformes) consists of a single left ovary and its oviduct, although on occasion a functional right ovary and oviduct may be present. Among the falconiformes and in the brown kiwi, both left and right gonads and associated oviducts are commonly functional, although the ovaries may be asymmetrical in size; in sparrows and pigeons, about 5% of specimens have two developed ovaries (see Romanoff and Romanoff, 1949; Kinsky, 1971).

The Contribution of Mesoscale Convective Weather Systems to the Warm-Season Precipitation in the United States

Abstract: The contribution of precipitation from mesoscale convective weather systems to the warm-season (April–September) rainfall in the United States is evaluated. Both Mesoscale Convective Complexes (MCC's) and other large, long-lived mesoscale convective systems that do not quite meet Maddox's criteria for being termed an MCC are included in the evaluation. The distribution and geographical limits of the precipitation from the convective weather systems are constructed for the warm seasons of 1982, a “normal” year, and 1983, a drought year. Precipitation characteristics of the systems are compared for the 2 years to determine how large-scale drought patterns affect their precipitation production. The frequency, precipitation characteristics and hydrologic ramifications of multiple occurrences, or series, of convective weather systems are presented and discussed. The temporal and spatial characteristics of the accumulated precipitation from a series of convective complexes is investigated and compared ...

Biophysical Control of Plant Cell Growth

Abstract: INTRODUCTION ... ..... . 377 THE PHYSICS OF IRREVERSIBLE CELL ENLARGEMENT 378 Growth Equations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379 GROWTH OF MULTICELLULAR TISSUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .... . . . . . . . . . . . . 381 Variation in Growth Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381 Geometry of Water Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 382 DOES WATER TRANSPORT LIMIT GROWTH? 385 Water Potentials of Growing Tissues . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385 Driving Forces for Water Uptake . . . ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388 Propagation of Water across Tissues. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 389 YIELDING OF CELL WALLS 393 Stress Relaxation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....... 393 Turgor Pressure and Wall yielding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... 396 The Yield Threshold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 398 SUMMARy 400

Oxidation Kinetics of Silicon Carbide Crystals and Ceramics: I, In Dry Oxygen

Abstract: The oxidation kinetics of several single-crystal and polvcrystalline silicon carbide materials and single-crystal silicon in dry oxygen over the temperature range 1200° to 1500°C were fitted to the linear-parabolic model of Deal and Grove. The lower oxidation rates of silicon carbide compared to silicon can be rationalized by additional consumption of oxidant in oxidizing carbon to carbon dioxide. The (000J) Si face of the silicon carbide platelets exhibited lower parabolic oxidation rates than the (0001) C face, by a factor of 10 at 1200°C. Apparent activation energies increased from a value of ∼120 kJ/mol below 1400°C to a value of ∼300 kJ/mol above this temperature. The (0001) Si face exhibited this high activation energy over the entire temperature range. The controlled nucleation thermally deposited material exhibited the highest oxidation rates of the polycrystalline materials followed by the hot-pressed and sintered α-silicon carbides. In general, the oxidation rates of the polycrystalline materials were bracketed by the oxidation rates of the basal planes of the single-crystal materials. Higher impurity concentrations and higher density of nucleation sites led to a greater susceptibility to crystallization of the scale which significantly complicated the oxidation behaviors observed. When crystallization of the oxide scale occurred in the form of a layer of spherulitic cristobalite crystals, a retardation of the oxidation rates was observed. An accelerated oxidation behavior was found when this coherent layer was superseded by the formation of fine mullite crystals.

Formation of LanxideTMa) ceramic composite materials

Abstract: An overview is given of a new process that has been used successfully to make numerous ceramic/metal composite materials by directed oxidation of molten metallic precursors. As an example, the formation of A12O3/A1 composites from Al is discussed in detail.

The Relative Efficiency of Agricultural Source Water Pollution Control Policies

Abstract: This paper examines the relative expected efficiency of four general strategies which have been proposed for achieving agricultural nonpoint pollution abatement. Emphasis is placed on the implications of differential information about the costs of changes in farm management practices, the impracticality of accurate direct monitoring, and the stochastic nature of nonpoint pollution. The possibility of using hydrological models to reduce, but not eliminate, the uncertainty about the magnitude of nonpoint loadings is incorporated into the analysis. The principal result is that appropriately specified management practice incentives should generally outperform estimated runoff standards, estimated runoff incentives, and management practice standards for reducing agricultural nonpoint pollution.

Relation between structural disorder and other characteristics of kaolinites and dickites

Abstract: A suite of Georgia kaolinites, ranging from well-ordered to very poorly ordered samples, were studied to explore correlations between degree of structural disorder, geological environment, Fe3+ content, Fe3+ electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum, and infrared (IR) hydroxyl-stretching band frequencies and bandwidths. Samples from different localities showed a wide range of disorder which appears to be related to differences in their geological environments. High iron content correlated strongly with low degree of order. The areas of both the I and E components of the EPR spectrum and the fractional I area correlated inversely with degree of order. Fourier-transform IR studies of kaolinites and dickites showed that (1) interlayer hydrogen bonding is weaker in dickite than in kaolinite; (2) frequency of the ν1 stretching band of the inner-surface hydroxyls increases sequentially from well-ordered kaolinite through the disordered structures to well-ordered dickite, which is consistent with a model for disorder based on vacancy displacement; and (3) the character and temperature dependence of the inner hydroxyl-stretching band is not compatible with the crystal structures of kaolinite and dickite as refined by Suitch and Young.

The effect of carried loads on the walking patterns of men and women

Abstract: In order to determine the effect of loads worn or carried on walking mechanics, 11 men and 11 women were filmed using high speed cinematography as they performed overground walking at 1·78 m/s under five load conditions. The loads included a baseline condition in which subjects carried no added load, and additional loads of approximately 9, 17, 29 and 36 kg consisting of standard military items. The latter two loads were added in the form of a framed rucksack system. Values for several variables frequently used to described temporal and kinematic characteristics of walking were quantified from the film. These included stride length, stride rate, single leg support time, double-support time, swing time and the forward inclination of the trunk. The results of the study demonstrated that the males and females displayed significantly different gait patterns under all load conditions. Not unexpectedly, the females required a higher rate of stepping than the males because of their shorter stride lengths. The re...

Price Regulation in Property-Liability Insurance: A Contingent-Claims Approach

Abstract: A discrete-time option-pricing model is used to derive the “fair” rate of return for the property-liability insurance firm. The rationale for the use of this model is that the financial claims of shareholders, policyholders, and tax authorities can be modeled as European options written on the income generated by the insurer’s asset portfolio. This portfolio consists mostly of traded financial assets and is therefore relatively easy to value. By setting the value of the shareholders’ option equal to the initial surplus, an implicit solution for the fair insurance price may be derived. Unlike previous insurance regulatory models, this approach addresses the ruin probability of the insurer, as well as nonlinear tax effects.

Lotus corniculatus regulates offspring quality through selective fruit abortion.

Abstract: Each inflorescence on Lotus corniculatus commonly aborts about half of its immature fruits. Compared to random patterns of fruit abortion, natural patterns of fruit abortion produce mature fruits that contain significantly more seeds. Moreover, these progeny are more likely to germinate, are more vigorous as seedlings, and have greater reproductive output as adults. These results indicate that L. corniculatus selectively aborts those fruits with the fewest seeds and, by doing so, increases the average quality of its offspring.

Brain spectrin(240/235) and brain spectrin(240/235E): two distinct spectrin subtypes with different locations within mammalian neural cells.

Abstract: Adult mouse brain contains at least two distinct spectrin subtypes, both consisting of 240-kD and 235-kD subunits. Brain spectrin(240/235) is found in neuronal axons, but not dendrites, when immunohistochemistry is performed with antibody raised against brain spectrin isolated from enriched synaptic/axonal membranes. A second spectrin subtype, brain spectrin(240/235E), is exclusively recognized by red blood cell spectrin antibody. Brain spectrin(240/235E) is confined to neuronal cell bodies and dendrites, and some glial cells, but is not present in axons or presynaptic terminals.

The budgetary process of power and politics

Abstract: The traditional literature has long espoused the claim that budgeting facilitates and enables technically rational decision-making within organizations, and that good budgeting reflects organizational reality. In contrast, an emergent view reasons that budgeting systems may as much be constitutive of reality, that they are an integral part of the politics and power of organizational life and that they are used to legitimize action. The purpose of the paper is to consider the usefulness of the emergent theory in understanding budget-related behavior in six hospitals. More specifically, the complicity of budgeting in performing or not performing six management roles is examined. Based on intensive interviews with nursing managers, it is concluded that the emergent theory meaningfully describes much budget-related activity in the hospitals, but that double-reflexivity on the part of the researcher is necessary in order to understand both the merits and limitations in the emergent theory. Implications of the analysis and empirical inquiry are considered.

The effects of nonverbal cues on gender differences in perceptions of sexual intent

Abstract: The effects of several nonverbal cues on perceptions of male and female stimulus persons' sexuality were examined. Based on the findings of Abbey (“Sex Differences in Attributions for Friendly Behavior: Do Males Misperceive Females' Friendliness?” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1982, 42, 830–838) and other investigators, we hypothesized that in general males would attribute more sexuality to both male and female targets than would females. Furthermore, we hypothesized that males' and females' perceptions of sexual intent would be most divergent in situations in which the nonverbal cues were most ambiguous (e.g., causal touch, moderate interpersonal distance). To test this hypothesis, the effects of three nonverbalcues were examined: interpersonal distance, eye contact, and touch. Males rated female targets as more seductive, sexy, and promiscuous, and expressed more sexual attraction to the opposite-sexed target, than females did for both ambiguous and nonambiguous nonverbal cues. Males' ratings of the male targets' sexuality were higher than females' ratings in two of the three studies. Also, across the three studies both female and male subjects rated the female target higher than the male target on the sexual traits. The implications of these findings for future research are discussed.

Neuropsychological and Personality Correlates of Patients’ Complaints of Disability

Abstract: Clinical neuropsychologists are “concerned primarily with identifying, measuring and describing changes in behavior that relate to brain function” (Parsons, 1984). However, neuropsychologists rarely make the initial contact with a prospective patient. Rather, they are typically consulted by other professionals to help delineate the nature and meaning of a patient’s presenting symptoms and complaints. Cleeland (1976) has described this consultation process as involving a review of relevant case history material, reformulation of the referral question into a set of testable neuropsychological hypotheses, and then the examination of the patient with tests and with interview.