Showing papers by "Saint Anselm College published in 2005"

Male Vulnerability to Reading Disability Is Not Likely to Be a Myth: A Call for New Data

Abstract: Whether boys are more vulnerable than girls to reading disabilities (RD) is controversial. We review studies that were designed to minimize ascertainment bias in the selection of individuals with RD. These include population-based studies that identified children with RD by objective, unbiased methods and studies that examined the gender ratios among the affected relatives of those diagnosed with RD. We conclude that even when ascertainment biases are minimized, there is still a significant preponderance of boys with RD, although the gender ratio of the affected relatives of those with RD manifests the weakest male bias. Furthermore, we demonstrate that potentially confounding factors such as attentional or neurological problems, race, IQ, and severity of RD cannot account for the observed gender bias. We end with a clarion call to future researchers to (a) consider analyzing gender differences by means of more than one definition of RD, (b) compare gender ratios when boys and girls are ranked against the performance of their own gender as opposed to an average across genders, and (c) report group differences in variability and effect sizes of obtained gender ratios.

Ontogeny, phylogeny, and morphology in anuran larvae: Morphometric analysis of cranial development and evolution in Rana tadpoles (Anura: Ranidae)

Abstract: Comparative studies of chondrocranial morphology in larval anurans are typically qualitative in nature, focusing primarily on discrete variation or gross differences in the size or shape of individual structures. Detailed data on chondrocranial allometry are currently limited to only two species, Rana sylvatica and Bufo americanus. This study uses geometric morphometric and multivariate statistical analyses to examine interspecific variation in both larval chondrocranial shape and pat- terns of ontogenetic allometry among six species of Rana. Variation is interpreted within the context of hypothe- sized phylogenetic relationships among these species. Ca- nonical variates analyses of geometric morphometric datasets indicate that species can be clearly discriminated based on chondrocranial shape, even when whole ontoge- nies are included in the analysis. Ordinations and cluster analyses based on chondrocranial shape data indicate the presence of three primary groupings (R. sylvatica; R. catesbeiana R. clamitans; and R. palustris R. pipi- ens R. sphenocephala), and patterns of similarity closely reflect phylogenetic relationships. Analysis of chondrocra- nial allometry reveals that some patterns are conserved across all species (e.g., most measurements scale with negative allometry, those associated with the posterior palatoquadrate tend to scale with isometry or positive allometry). Ontogenetic scaling along similar allometric trajectories, lateral transpositions of individual trajecto- ries, and variable allometric relationships all contribute to shape differences among species. Overall patterns of sim- ilarity among ontogenetic trajectories also strongly reflect phylogenetic relationships. Thus, this study demonstrates a tight link between ontogeny, phylogeny, and morphol- ogy, and highlights the importance of including both on- togenetic and phylogenetic data in studies of chondrocra- nial evolution in larval anurans. J. Morphol. 264:34 -52, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Yielding to Deviant Temptation: A Quasi-Experimental Examination of the Inhibiting Power of Intrinsic Religious Motivation

Abstract: The deviance-inhibiting power of religion is among the oldest criminological inquiries. To date, the extant empirical literature contains mixed and oftentimes contradictory evidence. Social scientists have argued that the ambiguous body of religion-deviance evidence is attributable, in some part, to known methodological weaknesses. This study responds to the criticisms of prior research by utilizing a validated measure of religiosity, employing a quasi-experimental design, and observing actual deviant behavior. The results of this study find that religion is indeed a powerful predictor of deviant behavior.

Service-Learning in Physics: The Consultant Model

Abstract: Problem solving, both theoretical and practical, is the underlying skill developed through the physics curriculum Service-learning has been integrated into engineering curricula, but programs proposed for that field often do not fit well into the structure of physics departments A consultant-based approach to service-learning offers physics students the opportunity to apply their problem-solving skills for the benefit of others As service-learning consultants, physics students provide technical and managerial support to groups that are participating in technically oriented educational enrichment activities

Privatizing electrical utilities in poland

Abstract: This study consists of an extensive review of the literature related to the topic of privatizing the electrical utility industries in the Visegard country of Poland. The intent of the study is to examine the status of the Polish privatization campaign, review of privatization strategies used and an assessment of successful or unsuccessful campaigns. The review of the literature to date reflects the relative youth of these privatization initiatives. Unlike the UK privatization effort, which is over 25 years old, this 10-year-old campaign has far less written on the subject and a paucity of empirical analysis available on the Polish campaign. The majority of the literature available consists of press releases and feature stories that would appear in the business and financial sections of newspapers and magazines. This study of the literature provides the historical, political, and economic foundation and context for empirical study.