Showing papers by "Rider University published in 2010"

The Role of Religiosity in Stress, Job Attitudes, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior

Abstract: Religion and faith are often central aspects of an individual’s self-concept, and yet they are typically avoided in the workplace. The current study seeks to replicate the findings about the role of religious beliefs and practices in shaping an employee’s reactions to stress/burnout and job attitudes. Second, we extend the literature on faith in the workplace by investigating possible relationships between religious beliefs and practices and citizenship behaviors at work. Third, we attempted to study how one’s perceived freedom to express his/her religious identity at work was related to workplace attitudes and behaviors. Mixed results suggest that religiosity can be related to stress and burnout, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior. More research is needed to further qualify the results and explore the effects of one’s perceived freedom to express his/her religious identity in the workplace.

Periodic frameworks and flexibility

Abstract: We formulate a concise deformation theory for periodic bar-and-joint frameworks in R d and illustrate our algebraic–geometric approach on frameworks related to various crystalline structures. Particular attention is given to periodic frameworks modelled on silica, zeolites and perovskites. For frameworks akin to tectosilicates, which are made of one-skeleta of d -dimensional simplices, with each vertex common to exactly two simplices, we prove the existence of a space of periodicity-preserving infinitesimal flexes of dimension at least ![Graphic][1] . However, these infinitesimal flexes need not come from genuine flexibility, as shown by rigid examples. The changes implicated in passing from a given lattice of periods to a sublattice of periods are illustrated with frameworks modelled on perovskites. [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif

Evaluating and comparing discovery tools: how close are we towards next generation catalog?

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and compare open source and proprietary discovery tools and find out how much discovery tools have achieved towards becoming the next generation catalog.Design/methodology/approach – The paper summarizes characteristics of the next generation catalog into a check‐list of 12 features. This list was checked against each of seven open source and ten proprietary discovery tools to determine if those features were present or absent in those tools.Findings – Discovery tools have many next generation catalog features, but only a few can be called real next generation catalogs. Federated searching and relevancy based on circulation statistics are the two areas that both open source and proprietary discovery tools are missing. Open source discovery tools seem to be bolder and more innovative than proprietary tools in embracing advanced features of the next generation catalog. Vendors of discovery tools may need to quicken their steps in catching up.Originality/val...

Effects of Familial Attachment, Social Support, Involvement, and Self-Esteem on Youth Substance Use and Sexual Risk Taking

Abstract: A study of protective factors against substance use and sexual risk taking was conducted among 610 high-poverty urban youth. Higher levels of family attachment, social support, involvement, and self-esteem were associated with lower levels of risk behaviors.

The American idol effect: Are students good judges of their creativity across domains?

Abstract: Students are often asked to judge their own creativity. There is some evidence that such judgments correlate modestly with other self-report data and some divergent thinking test measures. Only limited work, however, has been done comparing self-reported creativity with actual creative performance. Because levels of self-reported creativity might vary across domains— which would allow greater likelihood of accuracy of such reports—we examined self-reports of creativity in four domains and compared these with expert ratings of subjects' work in those domains (as judged using the Consensual Assessment Technique). Subjects were 78 fourth-grade students. The students did not predict uniform levels of creativity for themselves across domains (all self-assessments correlated across domains less than .30). However, these predictions did not match expert ratings of the students' creative products in each domain. These results challenge the validity of self-assessments of creativity among students of this age, eve...

Unified, Insular, Firmly Policed, or Fractured, Porous, Contested, Gifted Education?:

Abstract: Much like medieval, feudal nations, professional fields such as gifted education can take shape as centralized kingdoms with strong armies controlling their compliant populations and protecting closed borders, or as loose collections of conflict-prone principalities with borders open to invaders. Using an investigative framework borrowed from an interdisciplinary group of scholars in the social sciences and humanities, four scholars of gifted education analyzed four different analytic levels of our field (practice, research, theory, philosophy) to discern whether gifted education is unified, insular, and firmly policed, or fractured, conflict-ridden, and porous. Each disciplinary structure generates unique advantages, disadvantages, and implications for scholars and practitioners.

Toward acquiring comprehensive radiosurgery field commissioning data using the PRESAGE®/ optical-CT 3D dosimetry system

Abstract: Achieving accurate small field dosimetry is challenging. This study investigates the utility of a radiochromic plastic PRESAGE® read with optical-CT for the acquisition of radiosurgery field commissioning data from a Novalis Tx system with a high-definition multileaf collimator (HDMLC). Total scatter factors (Sc, p), beam profiles, and penumbrae were measured for five different radiosurgery fields (5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 mm) using a commercially available optical-CT scanner (OCTOPUS, MGS Research). The percent depth dose (PDD), beam profile and penumbra of the 10 mm field were also measured using a higher resolution in-house prototype CCD-based scanner. Gafchromic EBT® film was used for independent verification. Measurements of Sc, p made with PRESAGE® and film agreed with mini-ion chamber commissioning data to within 4% for every field (range 0.2–3.6% for PRESAGE®, and 1.6–3.6% for EBT). PDD, beam profile and penumbra measurements made with the two PRESAGE®/optical-CT systems and film showed good agreement with the high-resolution diode commissioning measurements with a competitive resolution (0.5 mm pixels). The in-house prototype optical-CT scanner allowed much finer resolution compared with previous applications of PRESAGE®. The advantages of the PRESAGE® system for small field dosimetry include 3D measurements, negligible volume averaging, directional insensitivity, an absence of beam perturbations, energy and dose rate independence.

Creativity Stereotypes and the Consensual Assessment Technique

Abstract: In creativity, there is scant evidence of significant racial and gender differences, and when such differences are found, there is no consistency regarding which groups perform best. There has been little work focusing on racial and gender biases and/or stereotypes within creativity assessment. It is study these issues by using a modified version of the Consensual Assessment Technique in which the judges are provided with information about the creators' gender and/or race. A total of 455 undergraduates assigned ratings for creativity, writing ability, and enjoyment to 60 poems downloaded from a poetry Web site. These poems either had no attribution or had (fictional) stereotypical Black, White, and Crossover names for each gender. Results suggest that novice raters using CAT methodology display little evidence of bias in their ratings of creativity, writing ability, and poem enjoyment. Very slight preference was found for poems assigned names of White females.

Relationship between mass extinction and iridium across the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary in New Jersey

Abstract: We directly link iridium (Ir) anomalies in New Jersey to the mass extinction of marine plankton marking the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary. We confirm previous reports of an Ir anomaly 20 cm below the extinction of Cretaceous macrofauna (the “ Pinna ” bed) with new results from a muddy sand section from Tighe Park, Freehold, New Jersey (United States), but we also show that Ir anomalies correlate with marine mass extinctions at three other clay-rich New Jersey sections. Thus, we attribute the anomaly at Freehold to the downward movement of Ir and reaffirm the link between impact and mass extinction.

Genetic suppression of the circadian Clock mutation by the melatonin biosynthesis pathway

Abstract: Most laboratory mouse strains including C57BL/6J do not produce detectable levels of pineal melatonin owing to deficits in enzymatic activity of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) and N-acetylserotonin O-methyl transferase (ASMT), two enzymes necessary for melatonin biosynthesis. Here we report that alleles segregating at these two loci in C3H/HeJ mice, an inbred strain producing melatonin, suppress the circadian period-lengthening effect of the Clock mutation. Through a functional mapping approach, we localize mouse Asmt to chromosome X and show that it, and the Aanat locus on chromosome 11, are significantly associated with pineal melatonin levels. Treatment of suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) explant cultures from Period2Luciferase (Per2Luc) Clock/+ reporter mice with melatonin, or the melatonin agonist, ramelteon, phenocopies the genetic suppression of the Clock mutant phenotype observed in living animals. These results demonstrate that melatonin suppresses the Clock/+ mutant phenotype and interacts with Clock to affect the mammalian circadian system.

Flexible N uptake and assimilation mechanisms may assist biological invasion by Alliaria petiolata

Abstract: Although nitrogen has historically limited terrestrial plant productivity in the northern hemisphere, accelerated industrial activity is changing the availability of N, with consequences for ecosystem properties including altered susceptibility to biological invasion. Alliaria petiolata (Bieb.) Cavara & Grande is an increasingly problematic invader in forests of eastern North America. Population growth rate of this species is especially high in N-rich habitats, and it produces a variety of N-based compounds that have been shown to interfere with the growth and reproduction of native plants. To investigate how increases and shifts in forms of N will impact A. petiolata, seedlings were transplanted to the greenhouse from the field and grown in sand culture. We applied three concentrations of N (0.25, 1 and 2 mM) using five different ratios of NH4 + and NO3 − (100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75, 0/100) in a crossed design to yield fifteen different treatments. Plants were measured throughout the growing season and a final harvest yielded measures of biomass and tissue quality. Plant growth increased significantly in response to increased concentration of total N. These increases were similar for all combinations of N. This flexibility in uptake ability may facilitate the invasion of this species, not only by increasing the range of habitats A. petiolata can occupy but also by enhancing N uptake that can lead to the production of secondary compounds disrupting other species’ belowground mutualisms. We suggest that this species’ ability to respond rapidly to changes in N availability, regardless of its form, may modify competitive interactions with natives and intensify its negative impacts.

An investigation of the potential of optical computed tomography for imaging of synchrotron-generated x-rays at high spatial resolution

Abstract: X-ray microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) is a novel form of treatment, currently in its preclinical stage, which uses microplanar x-ray beams from a synchrotron radiation source. It is important to perform accurate dosimetry on these microbeams, but, to date, there has been no accurate enough method available for making 3D dose measurements with isotropic, high spatial resolution to verify the results of Monte Carlo dose simulations. Here, we investigate the potential of optical computed tomography for satisfying these requirements. The construction of a simple optical CT microscopy (optical projection tomography) system from standard commercially available hardware is described. The measurement of optical densities in projection data is shown to be highly linear (r2=0.999). The depth-of-field (DOF) of the imaging system is calculated based on the previous literature and measured experimentally using a commercial DOF target. It is shown that high quality images can be acquired despite the evident lack of telecentricity and despite DOF of the system being much lower than the sample diameter. Possible reasons for this are discussed. Results are presented for a complex irradiation of a 22 mm diameter cylinder of the radiochromic polymer PRESAGE, demonstrating the exquisite 'dose-painting' abilities available in the MRT hutch of beamline ID-17 at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. Dose distributions in this initial experiment are equally well resolved on both an optical CT scan and a corresponding transmission image of radiochromic film, down to a line width of 83 microm (6 lp mm(-1)) with an MTF value of 0.40. A group of 33 microm wide lines was poorly resolved on both the optical CT and film images, and this is attributed to an incorrect exposure time calculation, leading to under-delivery of dose. Image artefacts in the optical CT scan are discussed. PRESAGE irradiated using the microbeam facility is proposed as a suitable material for producing phantom samples for quantitative characterization of optical CT microscopy systems.

Tantalizing evidence for caspase-like protein expression and activity in the cellular stress response of Archaea

Abstract: An enigmatic feature of microbial evolution is the emergence of programmed cell death (PCD), a genetically controlled form of cell suicide triggered by environmental stimuli. Archaea, the second major prokaryotic domain of life, have been notably absent from the PCD inheritance discussion, due to a lack of genetic homologues. Using the model haloarchaeon Haloferax volcanii, we document extremely high caspase-specific activity and expression of immunoreactive proteins to human caspase 8 antisera, both of which were induced by salt stress and death and were abolished by in vivo addition of a broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor. Caspase inhibition severely impaired cell growth under low and high salt stress, demonstrating a critical role in the cellular stress response. In silico analysis of the H. volcanii proteome identified a subset of 18 potential target proteins containing a signature tetrapeptide caspase cleavage motif (IETD), some with putative roles in allosteric regulation, signal transduction, osmotic stress and cell communication. Detection of similarly high activity and expression in other haloarchaea (Halorubrum and Haloarcula) and in diverse members of Euryarchaeota (the methanogen Methanosarcina acetivorans and the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus) and Crenarchaeota (the acidophile Sulfolobus solfataricus) argue for a broad representation within the archaeal domain. By playing a role in normal cell function, caspase-like proteases in Archaea appear to have co-evolved with other metabolic pathways, broadening their biological roles beyond apoptosis and cell death.

The effectiveness of a university's single‐session information literacy instruction

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper it to determine the effectiveness of “single‐session” information literacy instruction as it was integrated into the curriculum of a general education course at Monmouth University, New Jersey.Design/methodology/approach – Two types of assessment instrument were used: a pre‐ and post‐test to measure any changes in learning outcomes of information literacy (IL) concepts after an IL instruction (ILI) session, and a student survey conducted after the post‐test. Installed on the course management system, these assessments were administered by teaching faculty over three semesters.Findings – Single‐session ILI had a positive if not dramatic impact on learning outcomes. The pre‐ and post‐test instrument was able to show specific strengths and weaknesses in the students' comprehension of IL concepts. And the survey revealed that most students believed that their ILI was valuable.Research limitations/implications – The paper did not employ a control group – a common practice in...

Earnings management and long-run stock performance following private equity placements

Abstract: We investigate whether the documented earnings management preceding public equity offerings applies to private placements of equity. We also investigate whether earnings management can help explain long-run stock performance following private placements. Our main findings are: (1) little evidence of upward earnings management around private equity placements, and (2) little predictive power of abnormal accruals for long-run stock performance following private equity placements. These results suggest that earnings management is not responsible for post-offering underperformance, if any, for firms issuing equity privately. Our results are robust to two alternative measures of earnings management and three measures of abnormal returns estimated over two sample periods.

Organometallic electrodes: modification of electrode surfaces through cathodic reduction of cyclopentadienyldiazonium complexes of cobalt and manganese.

Abstract: Two organometallic complexes having cyclopentadienyldiazonium ligands have been isolated and characterized by spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and electrochemistry. Both CoCp(η5-C5H4N2)2+ (22+) and Mn(CO)3(η5-C5H4N2)+ (3+) undergo facile cyclopentadienyldiazonium ligand-based one-electron reductions which liberate dinitrogen and result in strong binding of the cyclopentadienyl ligand to a glassy carbon surface, similar to the processes well established for organic aryldiazonium salts. The organometallic-modified electrodes are robust and have a thickness of approximately one monolayer (Γ = (2−4) × 10−10 mol cm−2). Their voltammetric responses are as expected for a cobaltocenium-modified electrode, [CoCp(η5-C5H4-E)]+, where Cp = cyclopentadienyl and E = electrode, and a “cymantrene”-modified electrode Mn(CO)3(η5-C5H4-E). The cobaltocenium electrode has two cathodic surface waves. The first (E1/2 = −1.34 V vs ferrocene) is highly reversible, whereas the second (Epc = −2.4 V) is not, consistent with the ...

Study of dosimetric water equivalency of PRESAGE® for megavoltage and kilovoltage x-ray beams

Abstract: PRESAGE is a dosimeter that is suitable for 3D dosimetry. To be used as an ideal dosimeter, however, it should present radiologically water equivalent properties. In this work, we have investigated the radiological properties of three different PRESAGE® formulations. The radiological water equivalence was assessed by comparing the photon cross sections and radiation dosimetry properties of the three different PRESAGE® formulations with the corresponding values for water. Relative depth doses were calculated using Monte Carlo methods for 75, 125, 180 and 280 kVp and 6 MV x-ray beams. Based on the results of this study, the PRESAGE® formulations with lower halogen content are more dosimetrically water equivalent.

Approaches to Environmental Education

Abstract: This chapter provides an overview of various approaches that exist within the field of environmental education (EE). Like science education, environmental education is an interdisciplinary and complex field that offers a multitude of strategies for learning, dependent on the variables of resources, time, space, curriculum, student characteristics, plus a full range of factors that can affect any kind of educational implementation. Seven approaches are briefly described: EE and the schoolyard; place-based education; the Projects curricula (PLT, WILD, and WET) and Population Connection; science and EE in nature centers, zoos, and museums; investigating and evaluating environmental issues and actions; action research and EE; and the Science-Technology-Society approach to EE. Each of these approaches individually addresses several important goals of EE, but none of these is totally prescriptive or comprehensive. There are many different EE teaching and learning approaches one can select from. It is up to the individual educator to select and apply the approach that will be most effective in specific settings.

Success or Chaos? Framing and Ideology in News Coverage of the Iraqi National Elections

Abstract: / This study used computer-assisted textual analysis of frames as ideological cues in news coverage of the Iraqi 2005 elections by CNN.com and Aljazeera.net. CNN’s reporting revealed an ideology of a cultural conquest, framing the elections with sentimental patriotism toward western-style democracy. Al Jazeera’s texts revealed distrust and suspicion toward the US, framing the elections with skepticism, a lack of legitimacy and chaos. Despite claims of journalistic objectivity, the analysis found a divisive ideology expressed by both news organizations. The study bears out the importance of ‘global objectivity’ to provide critical, cross-cultural perspectives in an age of expanding media globalization.

Are potential effects of SFAS 158 associated with firms' decisions to freeze their defined benefit pension plans?

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the significant clustering of defined benefit (DB) pension plan freeze announcements during 2001‐2006 is motivated at least in part by accounting concerns due to the Financial Accounting Standards Board's pending adoption of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 158 (SFAS 158).Design/methodology/approach – Using logistic regression models, the paper compares 147 “freeze firms” with a matched sample of firms that did not announce a DB plan freeze. Empirical models control for other DB plan motives including as a response to stricter contribution requirements under the Pension Protection Act of 2006 and improving the firm's competitive position.Findings – The potential SFAS 158 impact is significantly associated with firms' decisions to freeze their DB plans. Firm profitability is also significantly associated with the freeze decision. However, there is no significant association between cash flow positions or pension plan contributions and...

Communicating critical information using mobile phones to populations with special needs

Abstract: Across the world, communities face a variety of hazards, from natural and technological disasters to terrorism and violence. Emergency notification systems utilising mobile phones are increasingly becoming more common, with many campuses in the USA beginning to implement such systems utilising e-mail, text and telephone-based messaging. These notifications are intended to reach members of the campus community, including faculty, staff, and students, and most rely on an opt-in model for participation. The present design of both the registration process and the notification messages raises several concerns on accessibility. This research discusses findings from an examination of emergency notification systems in one campus and approaches to increase participation, accessibility and usability for members of the campus community.

An Experiential Market Research Analysis: A Partnership between Teaching and Library Faculty

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to describe collaboration between entrepreneurship faculty and business librarians to improve the quality of market research conducted by the students in an Introduction to Entrepreneurship course. This article describes: the course objectives; the stumbling blocks experienced by students, faculty, and librarians; the business/library partnership solution; and the benefits for all stakeholders that have emerged from this partnership.

An Online Tutorial for SciFinder for Organic Chemistry Classes

Abstract: An online tutorial for SciFinder, the premier database for searching the chemical literature, was created by a team consisting of the science librarian, the systems librarian, and a chemistry professor at Rider University using Adobe Captivate 4 software. It was then used by two sections of an Organic Chemistry class during the spring 2010 semester. Traditionally, the science librarian has demonstrated this resource in a single, twenty- to thirty-minute session during class time. However, time constraints pose numerous obstacles for direct library instruction, allowing no time for hands-on practice afterward. The online tutorial for SciFinder was designed to teach students how to search for relevant, scholarly articles, and how to retrieve these articles from the university library or those of neighboring institutions, obviating the need for the customary classroom instruction that taught those skills. To encourage the students to follow the tutorial and develop their SciFinder skills, they were further r...

A Comparison of the Determinants of Stock Returns in the 1987 and 2008 Stock Market Meltdowns

Abstract: In this paper, we study and compare the determinants of stock returns in the 1987 and 2008 stock market meltdowns with the multivariate regression analysis technique. We find that technical insolvency risk and bankruptcy risk were significant determinants of stock returns in the 2008 market meltdown. Investors were also somewhat concerned with bankruptcy risk in the 1987 market meltdown. However, technical insolvency risk was not a significant determinant of stock returns in the 1987 meltdown. Our findings indicate that stocks with higher betas, larger market cap, and greater return volatility lost more value in both meltdowns. We find the market-to-book ratio to be a significant determinant of stock returns in the 2008 meltdown but not in the 1987 meltdown. We find stock illiquidity to be a significant determinant of stock returns in the 1987 meltdown but not in the 2008 meltdown. With data for two most important stock market meltdowns in U.S. history since the Great Depression, we test several extant theories related to the determinants of stock returns.