Showing papers by "Rider University published in 2000"

The Making of American Audiences: From Stage to Television, 1750-1990

Abstract: In The Making of American Audiences, Richard Butsch provides a comprehensive survey of American entertainment audiences from the colonial period to the modern day. Providing coverage of theatre, opera, vaudeville, minstrelsy, movies, radio and television, he examines the evolution of audience practices as each genre supplanted another as the primary popular entertainment. Based on original historical research, this volume exposes how audiences made themselves through their practices - how they asserted control over their own entertainments and their own behaviour. Importantly, Butsch articulates two long-term processes: pacification and privatization. Whereas during the nineteenth century, overactive audiences represented a threat to civic order through their unruly behaviour, in the twentieth century, audiences have become more passive, dependent upon and controlled by media messages. This timely study serves as an important contribution to communication research, as well as American cultural history and cultural studies.

Ecological and evolutionary trends in wetlands: Evidence from seeds and seed banks in New South Wales, Australia and New Jersey, USA

Abstract: Aquatic plants include a variety of life forms and functional groups that are adapted to diverse wetland habitats. Both similarities and differences in seed and seed-bank characteristics were discovered in comparisons of Australian (New South Wales) temporary upland wetlands with a North American (New Jersey) tidal freshwater marsh having both natural and constructed wetlands. In the former, flooding and drying are unpredictable and in the latter water levels vary diurnally and substrate is constantly moist. The hydrologic regimen provides the overriding selective force, with climate an important second factor. Other factors related to water level, such as oxygen availability, temperature and light, vary spatially and temporally, influencing germination processes, germination rates and seedling establishment. Seed and seed-bank characteristics (size, desiccation and inundation tolerance, germination cues and seed-bank longevity and depletion) differ, with the Australian temporary wetland being more similar to the small-seeded persistent seed bank of the constructed wetland site than to the natural tidal freshwater site with its larger seeds, transient seed bank and seasonal spring germination. Some non-spring germination can occur in the tidal constructed wetland if the soil is disturbed. In contrast, seeds in the temporary Australian wetlands germinated in response to wet/dry cycles rather than to season. Functional groups (e.g. submerged, amphibious) are more diverse in the Australian temporary wetlands, where all species tolerate drying. We suggest that the amphibious zone, with its hydrologic gradient, is the site of selection pressure determining establishment of wetland plants from seed. In this zone, multiple selective factors vary spatially and temporally.

Cyanobacteria: Architects of Sedimentary Structures

Abstract: Cyanobacteria, the oldest oxygenic phototrophs on the planet, once made the most significant impact on sediments and left an impressive fossil record of organo-sedimentary structures. Today, cyanobacteria dominate extreme environments where they participate in sediment production, construction and destruction, and leave characteristic, often species-specific, traces of their activities. Microbial ecosystems at the sediment-water interface are built and supported by cyanobacteria as the principal primary producers. Cyanobacterial photosynthesis promotes carbonate precipitation, delivering new sediment particles. Cyanobacterial growth, movement and behavioral responses often guide the depositional process and shape the resulting sedimentary structures. Conversely, cyanobacterial colonization and growth is also guided by changes in depositional environment. Cyanobacterial primary production at the sediment-water interface, coupled with rapid bacterial oxidation of this organic product, maintains steep redox gradients, creating additional metabolic niches. The consequent changes in mineral solubility promote biogeochemical cycling of elements and may lead to recrystallization and rearrangement of minerals. Destruction and alteration of sediments may be caused by cyanobacterial activities indirectly, or be carried out directly by euendolithic cyanobacteria which actively penetrate carbonate substrates. Evidence of both sediment-constructing and -destructing cyanobacterial behavior is found in carbonate deposits of the Mesoproterozoic age. As pioneer settlers on marine, freshwater and terrestrial sedimentary deposits, modern cyanobacteria prepare the ground for successive invasion and expansion of eukaryotic flora and fauna. In the historical context, and on a geological time scale, analogous sequences of events illustrate the evolutionary progression of life’s complexity, as cyanobacterially supported microbial ecosystems of marine and terrestrial environments gave way to eukaryote-dominated ones.

On Stromatolite Lamination

Abstract: Causes of lamination, the most salient property of stromatolitic structures, are examined in terms of sedimentary kinetics and stasis using case histories of modern stromatolite-building biota from the Bahama Carbonate Platform, Great Sippewissett Salt Marsh of New England, and Hamelin Pool, Shark Bay, Australia. The findings are compared with fossil evidence preserved in silicified Mesoproterozoic stromatolites of the Gaoyuzhuang Formation, northern China. Multitrichomous cyanobacteria and their responses to sedimentation characterize the conditions of fluctuating sedimentation rates, whereas coccoid cyanobacteria colonize and stabilize sediments during periods of sedimentary stasis.

Post-Miocene Shift in Stereotypic Naticid Predation on Confamilial Prey from the Mid-Atlantic Shelf: Coevolution with Dangerous Prey

Abstract: Of More than 4000 specimens of the naticid gastropods Euspira heros (Say) and Neverita duplicata (Say) from southern New Jersey, the lower Pleistocene of North Carolina, upper Miocene of Maryland, and the lower Miocene of Delaware, subsamples with complete and incomplete boreholes (n = 613) were compared for borehole-site stereotypy, prey size-selectivity, prey profitability, and prey effectiveness. In confamilial encounters, adaptation of naticid predators is evidenced by a shift in borehole-site stereotypy on the body whorl toward the umbilicus during the last 18 my, particularly for N. duplicata. Inferentially, an umbilical drilling position enabled the base of the predator's foot to occlude the prey aperture and prevent egress of the dangerous prey's foot, thereby reducing the prey's escape potential. The tradeoff was that the umbilical site required the predator to drill through a thicker shell location. Prey effectiveness, the ratio of incomplete boreholes to total attempts, was initially l...

A Model for the Evolution of Marsh Shorelines

Abstract: The evolution of a fringing salt marsh is influenced by the interaction of many factors, including relative sea-level rise, marsh aggradation, nearshore sedimentation, wave climate, and tidal range. Rising relative sea levels generally cause the marsh/upland border to transgress the uplands, thereby potentially increasing the areal extent of a marsh. In contrast, the marsh shoreline may either retreat or prograde in response to the interaction between marsh and lagoonal processes. Consequently, the direction and rate of marsh shoreline movement are critical factors in governing the areal extent of a marsh. Therefore, based on the geomorphic history of a fringing salt marsh in Rehoboth Bay, Delaware, a model for the response of a marsh shoreline is presented. Depending upon the relative rates of marsh and lagoonal processes, a marsh shoreline can either (1) retreat by erosion, (2) prograde, or (3) drown in response to local relative sea-level rise. Specifically, if the rate of marsh aggradation is equal to or greater than the rate of relative sea-level rise (RSLR), then the marsh shoreline either progrades or erodes if the nearshore sedimentation rate is greater than or less than the rate of RSLR, respectively. If the marsh aggradation rate is less than the rate of RSLR, then the marsh drowns.

Escalation in Late Cretaceous–early Paleocene oysters (Gryphaeidae) from the Atlantic Coastal Plain

Abstract: More than 1600 valves of Late Cretaceous and early Paleocene Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain gryphaeid oysters (Exogyrinae and Pycnodonteinae) were examined for breakage-induced shell repair and morphologic variability to evaluate the hypothesis of escalation. The Exogyrinae show disproportionately higher average repair frequency (0.41) relative to the ecologically and functionally similar unornamented pycnodonts (0.19). An increase in repair frequency (independent evidence of the action of a selective agent, e.g., predation) through the stratigraphic interval supports escalation. Variation in repair frequencies may reflect differences in oyster morphology and in the strength and diversity of shell crushers across an onshore-offshore gradient. Escalation of antipredatory adaptation characterized the evolutionary response of gryphaeid oysters to their durophagous predators. Adaptation generally occurred by the enhancement of existing traits in both oyster lineages. Characters that confer a selective advantage against predators are not all expressed or improved concurrently in both oyster lineages. Morphologic adaptations to minimize shell breakage include the development of expansive, broad commissural shelves, thickened valves, and surface ornamentation (Exogyrinae). Surface ornament in the Exogyrinae gradually increased with time. For some characters, such as thickness, conflicting functional demands (e.g., valve stabilization) may have limited adaptation to predators.

Shallow Marine Microbial Carbonate Deposits

Abstract: In normal marine, shallow, subtidal carbonate settings, microbial communities that stabilize sediment to some degree are invariably present and typically are composed of a large variety of organisms, including invertebrates that disrupt the community. These diverse communities do not commonly form mats with a distinctive fabric. Only in settings where some environmental condition favors the growth of a small number of species will a microbial mat develop and construct a biosedimentary deposit with a distinctive fabric. Subtidal conditions that will restrict diversity include chemical extremes and frequent sediment movement. In intertidal settings, desiccation-related factors keep diversity low, enabling microbes to flourish. Dramatic microbial community zonations can develop as a result of competitive exclusion and adaptation. Lithification of some mats results from complex biogeochemical processes and is poorly understood.

World-View Entrapment: Moral-Ethical Implications for Gifted Education:

Abstract: Root-metaphorical world views strongly shape our thoughts and actions at the implicit level. The mechanistic world view provided the conceptual foundations for unprecedented technological progress throughout the modern era; however, its basic tenets have serious moral-ethical implications. Sociopolitical trends and issues reinforced by this world view include technological determinism, social Darwinism, and androcentrism. Educational practices reinforced by mechanism include positivistic approaches to curriculum, instruction, and research. The moral-ethical implications of these trends and practices are explored, along with recommendations for developing awareness of root-metaphorical influences on the field of gifted education.

Indications of phase separation in polycrystalline La 1 − x Sr x MnO 3 for x ≈ 0.5

Abstract: We present systematic studies of polycrystalline La 1-x Sr x MnO 3 where x is varied from 0.46 to 0.53 at 0.01 intervals. We have measured the magnetic resonance, ac susceptibility, dc magnetization, x-ray diffraction, four-probe resistivity, and optical reflectivity. The data seem to indicate that, at low T, the materials are intimate mixtures of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic microregions. For x>0.48 we observe anomalies pointing toward charge ordering on lowering T. An effective-medium theory is presented, and an appropriate phase diagram is proposed.

An Empirical Study of Factors Relating to the Success of Broadway Shows

Abstract: This article uses the Coxproportional hazardsmodel to analyze recentBroadway show data toinvestigate the factorsthat relate to the longevityof shows. The type ofshow, whether a show isa revival, and first-weekattendance for the showare predictive for longevity.Favorable critic reviewsin the New YorkDaily News are related togreater success, but reviewsin the New YorkTimes are not. Winningmajor Tony Awards is associatedwith a longerrun for a show, but beingnominated for Tonys andthen losing is associatedwith a shorter postawardrun.

Electronic medical records and patient privacy.

Abstract: Networks of health care providers and payers increasingly rely upon electronic databases to coordinate and analyze medical information. Benefits of linking databases include saving lives and reducing costs. However, access to and use of medical records raise serious privacy concerns. Potential misuse of records may harm patients and undermine the quality of health care. In the clinical setting, stringent security procedures must be instituted, including limited access to electronic records, audit trails, and security audits. Patient consent should be obtained before personal information is disclosed. Current law does not provide the strong, consistent guidelines needed. Adequate privacy protection requires a comprehensive federal law.

Classroom Teachers' Perceptions about Inclusion and Preservice Teacher Education

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to share the results of a study that explored the recommendations of practicing teachers about ways to prepare preservice teachers for including children with disabilities into general education classrooms. A survey was distributed to 71 practicing general elementary education teachers. The survey included the following questions: What should the general education student know about teaching students with special needs? Should this information be included in one course or integrated with other course content? General education teachers reported that teacher education programs should include the following content: behavioral strategies, conflict resolution and social skills, identification of students with special needs, adaptation of curriculum and materials, adaptation of instructional strategies, legal regulations and individual education programs, and co-teaching, teaming, and collaboration. These data suggest that preservice teacher preparation programs would include con...

Just-In-Time Teaching: Balancing the Competing Demands of Corporate America and Academe in the Delivery of Management Education:

Abstract: Just-In-Time Teaching balances the competing demands of the corporate world for practical skill training with those of academe for theoretical rigor by combining rapid delivery and action-learning techniques in a project-based course. The projects, immediate problems faced by business clients, help determine which aspects of course content are taught. Students’ needs for training to solve the client’s problem also help determine what content is delivered and when. Professors maintain control by deciding on course content and selecting appropriate projects. Guidelines, descriptions, pros, and cons are presented. Implications for improving management education are drawn.

The Codes of Migration : Contours of the Global Software Labor Market

Abstract: This paper presents a case study of the software industry in India and the US as a step toward an ethnography of transnational migration. By focusing on the subject positions and forms of work created by the new international division of labor, contemporary theories of global culture and difference are brought into question through a political economy of globalization. The analysis suggests that the phenomena of postnational deterritorialization may be less important than the emerging forms of labor polarization within and across nation-states.

Raman monitoring of the dynamical Jahn-Teller distortions in rhombohedral antiferromagnetic LaMnO3 and ferromagnetic magnetoresistive La0.98Mn0.96O3

Abstract: Comparative study of temperature dependences of the Raman spectra of rhombohedral antiferromagnetic LaMnO 3 (T N ≈ 150 K) and ferromagnetic magnetoresistive La 0.98 Mn 0.96 O 3 (T c ≈ 200 K) confirms the assignment of the two broad high frequency Raman bands to dynamical Jahn-Teller lattice distortions and allows to monitor the variations of distortion amplitudes and polaronic lifetime through the insulator-metal transition in La 0.98 Mn 0.96 O 3 .

Some Distributions of Induced Records

Abstract: In this paper we discuss the properties of concomitants of record values. The distributions of the concomitants in the sequence of record values of bivariate distributions are obtained and their possible applications in the areas of biosciences have been pointed out.

Influence of ambient flow around the horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus on the distribution and orientation of selected epizoans

Abstract: Cumulatively scored distributions of the slipper shell gastropodCrepidula sp., the sand-building polychaete wormSabellaria vulgaris, the calcareous meandering tubed polychaeteFilograna implexa, the barnacleSemibalanaus balanoides, and the lacy bryozoanSchizoporella sp. were mapped on a cm-square gridded silhouette of the prosoma, opisthosoma, and movable spines, and telson of the horseshoe crabLimulus polyphemus stranded on Reeds Beach, Cape May County, New Jersey in the Delaware Bay. Statistically tested and contoured epizoan frequencies for 81 males and 59 females revealed that slipper shells and agglutinated worm tubes are concentrated near the movable spines on the opisthosoma, but rare on recessed chilarial or opercular pleurites, the prosoma, and telson. Barnacles are disproportionately concentrated in entapophyseal pits on the opisthosoma and in the longitudinal furrows flanking the cardiac lobe of the prosoma. Bryozoans are concentrated near movable marginal spines of the opisthosoma, but also found on all areas of the prosoma, opisthosoma, and hinge area in between, as well as the telson. Different morphologic sites for their respective modal concentrations may result from competitive exclusion of bryozoans by barnacles. Genal angles have lower statistically predicted frequencies of bryozoans, barnacles, and sand worm tubes. Apertural openings of calcareous tubes are predominantly posteriorly oriented whereas the anterior magin of slipper shells are randomly oriented on the opisthosoma. Eschewing differential mortality, nonrandom distributions indicate possible: rugophilic (groove-seeking) larval settlement behavior for barnacles that preferred the recessed hinge area, longitudinal grooves, and pits; rheophilic (current-seeking) larval settlement behavior for the gastropods and tube-building polychaetes that filter feed in the eddies generated near the movable spines of the downcurrent-sloping opisthosoma; and geotactic (gravity-influenced) larval settlement or post-settlement migration to the vaulted crest (cardiac lobe). Deficiencies of protruding epizoic skeletons on the genal angles and anterior margin of the host may be due to removal by abrasion as the horseshoe crab plowed through sediment or shearing of the epizoans from the carapace substratum in strong currents or waves.

Using all available means of persuasion: the twentieth century first lady as public communicator

Abstract: Historians have been polled in an effort to determine rankings of American first ladies (Gould, 1996; Watson, 1999). Eleanor Roosevelt (#1), Rosalynn Carter (#5), Lady Bird Johnson (#6), Jacqueline...

Student Teacher Support: Collaborative Experiences in a Technology Training Partnership

Abstract: Student teaching is a critical time in the training of preservice teachers. During this experience, students are often under stress, and frequently focus on the affective aspects of their experience. However, student teachers are often placed in relatively isolated settings, with little opportunity for support. The purpose of this study is to describe the experiences and interactions of student teachers who were placed with a group of peers in one school as part of a technology training partnership project. Data sources included journals, interviews, and researcher field notes. The implications suggest that student teaching experiences be structured to provide collaborative opportunities for prospective teachers.