Showing papers by "Saint Mary's University published in 2013"

Corporate Social Responsibility and Credit Ratings

Abstract: This study provides evidence on the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firms’ credit ratings. We find that credit rating agencies tend to award relatively high ratings to firms with good social performance. This pattern is robust to controlling for key firm characteristics as well as endogeneity between CSR and credit ratings. We also find that CSR strengths and concerns influence credit ratings and that the individual components of CSR that relate to primary stakeholder management (i.e., community relations, diversity, employee relations, environmental performance, and product characteristics) matter most in explaining firms’ creditworthiness. Overall, our results suggest that CSR performance conveys important non-financial information that rating agencies are likely to use in their evaluation of firms’ creditworthiness, and that CSR investments—particularly those that extend beyond compliance behavior to reflect what is desired by society—can lead to lower financing costs resulting from higher credit ratings.

Joint analysis of stressors and ecosystem services to enhance restoration effectiveness

Abstract: With increasing pressure placed on natural systems by growing human populations, both scientists and resource managers need a better understanding of the relationships between cumulative stress from human activities and valued ecosystem services. Societies often seek to mitigate threats to these services through large-scale, costly restoration projects, such as the over one billion dollar Great Lakes Restoration Initiative currently underway. To help inform these efforts, we merged high-resolution spatial analyses of environmental stressors with mapping of ecosystem services for all five Great Lakes. Cumulative ecosystem stress is highest in near-shore habitats, but also extends offshore in Lakes Erie, Ontario, and Michigan. Variation in cumulative stress is driven largely by spatial concordance among multiple stressors, indicating the importance of considering all stressors when planning restoration activities. In addition, highly stressed areas reflect numerous different combinations of stressors rather than a single suite of problems, suggesting that a detailed understanding of the stressors needing alleviation could improve restoration planning. We also find that many important areas for fisheries and recreation are subject to high stress, indicating that ecosystem degradation could be threatening key services. Current restoration efforts have targeted high-stress sites almost exclusively, but generally without knowledge of the full range of stressors affecting these locations or differences among sites in service provisioning. Our results demonstrate that joint spatial analysis of stressors and ecosystem services can provide a critical foundation for maximizing social and ecological benefits from restoration investments.

The effects of fungal root endophytes on plant growth: a meta-analysis.

Abstract: The National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS, provided financial support for this project

Long XMM observation of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy IRAS 13224−3809: rapid variability, high spin and a soft lag

Abstract: The narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy IRAS 13224−3809 has been observed with XMM-Newton for 500 ks. The source is rapidly variable on time-scales down to a few 100 s. The spectrum shows strong broad Fe − K and L emission features which are interpreted as arising from reflection from the inner parts of an accretion disc around a rapidly spinning black hole. Assuming a power law emissivity for the reflected flux and that the innermost radius corresponds to the innermost stable circular orbit, the black hole spin is measured to be 0.989 with a statistical precision better than 1 per cent. Systematic uncertainties are discussed. A soft X-ray lag of 100 s confirms this scenario. The bulk of the power-law continuum source is located at a radius of 2-3 gravitational radii.

The development and validation of the Incivility from Customers Scale.

Abstract: Scant research has examined customers as sources of workplace incivility, despite evidence suggesting that mistreatment is more common from organizational outsiders, including customers, than from organizational members (Grandey, Kern, & Frone, 2007; Schat & Kelloway, 2005). As an important step in extending the literature on customer incivility, we conducted two studies to develop and validate a measure of this construct. Study 1 used focus groups of retail and restaurant employees (n = 30) to elicit a list of uncivil customer behaviors, based on which we wrote initial scale items. Study 2 used a correlational survey design (n = 439) to pare down the number of scale items to 10 and to garner reliability and validity evidence for the scale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses show that the scale is unidimensional and distinguishable from measures of the related, but distinct, constructs of interpersonal justice and psychological aggression from customers. Reliability analyses show that the scale is internally consistent. Significant correlations between the scale and individuals' job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and general and job-specific psychological strain provide evidence of criterion-related validity. Hierarchical regression analyses show that the scale significantly predicts three of four organizational and personal strain outcomes over and above a workplace incivility measure adapted for customer incivility, providing some evidence of incremental validity. Limitations and future research directions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved). Language: en

The political economy of natural resource extraction: a new model or extractive imperialism?

Abstract: This paper explores the conditions that gave rise to the “new extractivism”, its policy dynamics and development implications in Latin America. It focuses on the global political economy of natural resource extraction and the emergence of post-neoliberal resource nationalist regimes seeking socially inclusive national development strategies in Latin America. It is argued that a coincidence of economic interests leads these post-neoliberal regimes, even those with a populist and resource nationalist orientation, to side with capital against the local communities. Resume Cet article explore les facteurs qui encouragent la montee de « nouveau extrativisme », la dynamique de ses politiques et ainsi que ses implications sur le developpement en Amerique Latine. Celui-ci ce concentre sur l'economie politique mondiale d'extraction de ressources naturelles et sur l'emergence des regimes post-neoliberaux et nationalistes qui visent un developpement socialement inclusif en Amerique Latine. Il en ressort q...

Positive Leadership and Employee Well-Being

Abstract: We report two studies examining the relationship between positive leadership behaviors and employee well-being. In the first, data from 454 nursing home employees showed that (a) a newly developed measure of positive leadership was distinct from transformational leadership and (b) positive leadership behaviors predicted context-specific and context-free well-being after controlling for transformational and abusive leadership. In the second study, data from a daily diary study (N = 26) showed that (a) positive leadership predicted positive, but not negative, employee affect and (b) positive leadership interacted with transformational leadership to predict employees positive affect.

The chemical bond in external electric fields: Energies, geometries, and vibrational Stark shifts of diatomic molecules

Abstract: It is shown that the response of molecular properties of diatomics such as the total energy, the bond length, and the vibrational Stark shift to an external homogenous electric field (EF) can be predicted from field-free observable properties such as the equilibrium bond length, the bond dissociation energy, the polarizability and dipole moment functions, and the vibrational frequency. Delley [J. Mol. Struct.: THEOCHEM 434, 229 (1998)] suggested to approximate the potential energy surface under an EF by a Morse function augmented with a EF term proportional to the internuclear separation. In this work, this term is replaced by the expression of the field-induced energy change which yields a field-perturbed Morse potential that tends to a constant asymptotic limit when the EF term itself become proportional to the sum of the polarizabilities of the separated atoms. The model is validated by comparison with direct calculations on nine diatomics, five homo-nuclear (H2 ,N 2 ,O 2 ,F 2, and Cl2) and four hetero-nuclear (HF, HCl, CO, and NO), covering a range and combinations of dipole moments and polarizabilities. Calculations were conducted at the quadratic configuration interaction with single and double excitations (QCISD) and density functional theory (DFT)-B3LYP levels of theory using the 6-311++G(3df,2pd) basis set. All results agree closely at the two levels of theory except for the Stark effect of NO which is not correctly predicted by QCISD calculations as further calculations, including at the coupled cluster with single and double excitation (CCSD) level of theory, demonstrate. © 2013 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4820487]

Individual differences in children’s literacy development: the contribution of orthographic knowledge

Abstract: Orthographic knowledge is one of several contributors to developing literacy skills. However, our understanding of how orthographic knowledge contributes to both spelling and reading is incomplete due to a lack of consistency in defining and measuring orthographic knowledge. The goal of the present study was to empirically test whether or not orthographic knowledge could be construed as a multi-dimensional construct that contributes to reading and spelling skill in school-aged children. Using regression analyses, the current study supports the conceptualization of orthographic knowledge as a multi-dimensional construct, consisting of both word specific and general orthographic knowledge. For school-aged children, both types of orthographic knowledge make separate and unique contributions to both reading and spelling, over and above the contributions of phonological skills. Results illustrate the importance of orthographic knowledge to developing literacy skills.

Abusive supervision and organizational citizenship behaviour: is supervisor–subordinate guanxi a mediator?

Abstract: This study attempts to extend the theoretical and empirical work of previous studies on abusive supervision in light of new insights into supervisor–subordinate guanxi (s-s guanxi) and two distinct dimensions of organizational citizenship behaviours. Data were collected from a survey of 280 employees and their 280 direct supervisors in a Chinese organization. Results indicate that abusive supervision is positively related to subordinates' organizational citizenship behaviours towards individuals (OCBI), whereas there is no relationship between abusive supervision and organizational citizenship behaviours towards the organization (OCBO). Moreover, our analyses establish a mediating role of s-s guanxi in the relationship between abusive supervision and OCBI and OCBO. Our results also demonstrate that s-s guanxi more strongly affects OCBI than OCBO. Implications and specific suggestions for practitioners are discussed.

When to Use Your Head and When to Use Your Heart The Differential Value of Perspective-Taking Versus Empathy in Competitive Interactions

Abstract: Four studies explored whether perspective-taking and empathy would be differentially effective in mixed-motive competitions depending on whether the critical skills for success were more cognitively or emotionally based. Study 1 demonstrated that individual differences in perspective-taking, but not empathy, predicted increased distributive and integrative performance in a multiple-round war game that required a clear understanding of an opponent's strategic intentions. Conversely, both measures and manipulations of empathy proved more advantageous than perspective-taking in a relationship-based coalition game that required identifying the strength of interpersonal connections (Studies 2-3). Study 4 established a key process: perspective-takers were more accurate in cognitive understanding of others, whereas empathy produced stronger accuracy in emotional understanding. Perspective-taking and empathy were each useful but in different types of competitive, mixed-motive situations-their success depended on the task-competency match. These results demonstrate when to use your head versus your heart to achieve the best outcomes for oneself.

MOST * DETECTS TRANSITS OF HD 97658b, A WARM, LIKELY VOLATILE-RICH SUPER-EARTH

Abstract: Through photometric monitoring of the extended transit window of HD 97658b with the MOST space telescope, we have found that this exoplanet transits with an ephemeris consistent with that predicted from radial velocity measurements. The mid-transit times are 5.6σ earlier than those of the unverified transit-like signals reported in 2011, and we find no connection between the two sets of events. The transit depth together with our determined stellar radius () indicates a 2.34 R ⊕ super-Earth. When combined with the radial velocity determined mass of 7.86 ± 0.73 M ⊕, our radius measure allows us to derive a planet density of 3.44 g cm–3. Models suggest that a planet with our measured density has a rocky core that is enveloped in an atmosphere composed of lighter elements. The star of the HD 97658 system is the second brightest known to host a transiting super-Earth, facilitating follow-up studies of this not easily daunted, warm and likely volatile-rich exoplanet.

The rise of an ionized wind in the Narrow Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy Mrk 335 observed by XMM-Newton and HST

Abstract: We present the discovery of an outflowing ionized wind in the Seyfert 1 Galaxy Mrk 335. Despite having been extensively observed by most of the largest X-ray observatories in the last decade, this bright source was not known to host warm absorber gas until recent XMM-Newton observations in combination with a long-term Swift monitoring program have shown extreme flux and spectral variability. High resolution spectra obtained by the XMM-Newton RGS detector reveal that the wind consists of three distinct ionization components, all outflowing at a velocity of �5000 km/s. This wind is clearly revealed when the source is observed at an intermediate flux state (2-5×10 −12 ergs cm −2 s −1 ). The analysis of multi-epoch RGS spectra allowed us to compare the absorber properties at three very different flux states of the source. No correlation between the warm absorber variability and the X-ray flux has been determined. The two higher ionization components of the gas (log��2.3 and 3.3) may be consistent with photoionization equilibrium, but we can exclude this for the only ionization component that is consistently present in all flux states (log��1.8). We have included archival, non-simultaneous UV data from HST (FOS, STIS, COS) with the aim of searching for any signature of absorption in this source that so far was known for being absorption-free in the UV band. In the COS spectra obtained a few months after the X-ray observations we found broad absorption in CIV lines intrinsic to the AGN and blueshifted by a velocity roughly comparable to the X-ray outflow. The global behavior of the gas in both bands can be explained by variation of the covering factor and/or column density, possibly due to transverse motion of absorbing clouds moving out of the line of sight at Broad Line Region scale.

The governance role of multiple large shareholders: evidence from the valuation of cash holdings

Abstract: This paper investigates the governance role of multiple large shareholders (MLS, henceforth), as evidenced by their impact on the valuation of cash holdings. For a sample of 2,723 firms from 22 countries, we find that the presence of MLS enhances the valuation of firms’ cash holdings. In particular, we show that the valuation of cash is positively associated with an even distribution of blockholders’ voting rights and with higher contestability of the largest shareholder’s control. We also show that the impact of MLS on the valuation of cash holdings is more pronounced for family-controlled firms, consistent with investors perceiving family owners as associated with greater expropriation risk. Overall, our results contribute to the literature on corporate governance by showing that MLS improve internal monitoring and moderate the agency costs of firms’ cash holdings.

A comparative study of AGN feedback algorithms

Abstract: Modelling AGN feedback in numerical simulations is both technically and theoretically challenging, with numerous approaches having been published in the literature. We present a study of five distinct approaches to modelling AGN feedback within gravitohydrodynamic simulations of major mergers of Milky Way-sized galaxies. To constrain differences to only be between AGN feedback models, all simulations start from the same initial conditions and use the same star formation algorithm. Most AGN feedback algorithms have five key aspects: black hole accretion rate, energy feedback rate and method, particle accretion algorithm, black hole advection algorithm, and black hole merger algorithm. All models follow different accretion histories, with accretion rates that differ by up to three orders of magnitude at any given time. We consider models with either thermal or kinetic feedback, with the associated energy deposited locally around the black hole. Each feedback algorithm modifies the gas properties near the black hole to different extents. The particle accretion algorithms usually (but not always) maintain good agreement between the mass accreted by \dot{M} dt and the mass of gas particles removed from the simulation. The black hole advection algorithms dampen inappropriate dragging of the black holes by two-body interactions. Advecting the black hole a limited distance based upon local mass distributions has many desirably properties. The black holes merge when given criteria are met, and we find a range of merger times for different criteria. Using the M_{BH}-\sigma relation as a diagnostic of the remnants yields three models that lie within the one-sigma scatter of the observed relation and two that fall below it. The wide variation in accretion behaviours of the models reinforces the fact that there remains much to be learnt about the evolution of galactic nuclei. (abridged)

An Exploration of the Relationship between Socioeconomic and Well-Being Variables and Household Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Abstract: This research reports on a multivariate analysis that examined the relationship between direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and socioeconomic and well-being variables for 1,920 respondents living in Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada, using results from the Halifax Space-Time Activity Research Project. The unique data set allows us to estimate direct GHG emissions with an unprecedented level of specificity based on household energy use survey data and geographic positioning system�verified personal travel data. Of the variables analyzed, household size, income, community zone, age, and marital status are all statistically significant predictors of direct GHG emissions. Birthplace, ethnicity, educational attainment, perceptions of health, life satisfaction, job satisfaction, happiness, volunteering, or community belonging did not seem to matter. In addition, we examined whether those reporting energy-efficient behaviors had lower GHG emissions. No significant differences were discovered among the groups analyzed, supporting a growing body of research indicating a disconnect between environmental attitudes and behaviors and environmental impact. Among the predictor variables, those reporting to be married, young, low income, and living in households with more people have correspondingly lower direct GHG emissions than other categories in respective groupings. Our finding that respondents with lifestyles that generate higher GHG emissions did not report to be healthier, happier, or more connected to their communities suggest that individuals can experience similar degrees of well-being regardless of the amount of GHG emissions associated with his or her respective lifestyle.

The Perceived Credibility of Forward-Looking Performance Disclosures

Abstract: We investigate the credibility of forward-looking performance disclosures (FLPDs) in the narrative sections of annual reports, as perceived by investors. Our proxy for these disclosures is an index of statements about future performance. We find that companies issue more FLPDs when raising debt or conveying bad news in the financial statements. In the presence of these managerial incentives, investor reliance on FLPDs increases with the quality of earnings reported in the audited financial statements. Our results suggest that firms derive a benefit in terms of higher credibility for their narrative disclosures from having a reputation for high quality earnings.

Using Speech Recognition for Real-Time Captioning and Lecture Transcription in the Classroom

Abstract: Speech recognition (SR) technologies were evaluated in different classroom environments to assist students to automatically convert oral lectures into text. Two distinct methods of SR-mediated lecture acquisition (SR-mLA), real-time captioning (RTC) and postlecture transcription (PLT), were evaluated in situ life and social sciences lecture courses employing typical classroom equipment. Both methods were compared according to technical feasibility and reliability of classroom implementation, instructors' experiences, word recognition accuracy, and student class performance. RTC provided near-instantaneous display of the instructor's speech for students during class. PLT employed a user-independent SR algorithm to optimally generate multimedia class notes with synchronized lecture transcripts, instructor audio, and class PowerPoint slides for students to access online after class. PLT resulted in greater word recognition accuracy than RTC. During a science course, students were more likely to take optional online quizzes and received higher quiz scores with PLT than when multimedia class notes were unavailable. Overall class grades were also higher when multimedia class notes were available. The potential benefits of SR-mLA for students who have difficulty taking notes accurately and independently were discussed, particularly for nonnative English speakers and students with disabilities. Field-tested best practices for optimizing SR accuracy for both SR-mLA methods were outlined.

Beyond the neutron drip line: The unbound oxygen isotopes O-25 and O-26

Abstract: The very neutron-rich oxygen isotopes O-25 and O-26 are investigated experimentally and theoretically. The unbound states are populated in an experiment performed at the R3B-LAND setup at GSI via proton-knockout reactions from F-26 and F-27 at relativistic energies around 442 and 414 MeV/nucleon, respectively. From the kinematically complete measurement of the decay into O-24 plus one or two neutrons, the O-25 ground-state energy and width are determined, and upper limits for the O-26 ground-state energy and lifetime are extracted. In addition, the results provide indications for an excited state in O-26 at around 4 MeV. The experimental findings are compared to theoretical shell-model calculations based on chiral two- and three-nucleon (3N) forces, including for the first time residual 3N forces, which are shown to be amplified as valence neutrons are added.

Corporate Legitimacy and Investment–Cash Flow Sensitivity

Abstract: This study provides novel evidence of the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on investment sensitivity to cash flows. We posit that CSR affects investment–cash flow sensitivity (ICFS) through information asymmetry and agency costs, commonly viewed as the two channels through which investment responds to the availability of internal cash flows. We find that CSR performance leads to a decrease in ICFS. We further find that ICFS decreases (increases) when CSR strengths (concerns) increase. Finally, we find that the effect of CSR on ICFS is driven by the areas Community, Diversity, and Human Rights. In sum, the findings of this study stress the relevance of CSR—in particular, of CSR activities that extend beyond compliance behavior and reflect what is desired by society—in reducing market frictions and improving firms’ access to financial capital.

New properties of multiple harmonic sums modulo $p$ and $p$-analogues of Leshchiner's series

Abstract: In this paper we present some new identities of hypergeometric type for multiple harmonic sums whose indices are the sequences (\{1\}^a,c,\{1\}^b), (\{2\}^a,c,\{2\}^b) and prove a number of congruences for these sums modulo a prime p. The congruences obtained allow us to find nice p-analogues of Leshchiner's series for zeta values and to refine a result due to M. Hoffman and J. Zhao about the set of generators of the multiple harmonic sums of weight 7 and 9 modulo p. Moreover, we are also able to provide a new proof of Zagier's formula for \zeta^{*}(\{2\}^a,3,\{2\}^b) based on a finite identity for partial sums of the zeta-star series.

Electrochemical-surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (E-SERS) of uric acid: a potential rapid diagnostic method for early preeclampsia detection

Abstract: An increased level of uric acid in urine and plasma is indicative of the development of preeclampsia, a hypertensive disorder that can occur during pregnancy. The preliminary steps towards developing a rapid tool for early diagnosis of preeclampsia using electrochemical SERS (E-SERS) for the detection of uric acid in urine are presented herein. Characterization of the uric acid species was completed using cyclic voltammetry, UV spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (E-SERS). E-SERS was capable of easily detecting uric acid directly at concentrations <1 mM in urine simulant, without the need for costly enzymes and bulky equipment, and thus demonstrates promise as a rapid point-of-care diagnostic tool for detection of early onset preeclampsia in developing nation settings.

Early Carboniferous collision of the Kalamaili orogenic belt, North Xinjiang, and its implications: Evidence from molasse deposits

Abstract: The age of the Kalamaili orogenic belt, marking the final amalgamation in East Junggar, North Xinjiang, is significant for the reconstruction of Paleozoic evolution of the southern Central Asian orogenic belt. The Tamugang and Songkarsu Formations of terrestrial molasse in the southeastern part of the Kalamaili belt, shed from the rising Kalamaili orogen, record the orogenic history. The strata consist of proximal conglomerate thinning to distal fine-grained sandstone and mudstone. Poorly sorted conglomerate is composed of dominant pyroclastic rocks with lesser andesitic, granitic, and ophiolitic clasts. Imbricated clasts indicate that the paleocurrents were directed to the present-day southwest to west-southwest. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) detrital zircon U-Pb dating of sandstones from both formations confirms that the Yemaquan arc northeast of the Kalamaili orogenic belt was the main source. Two granitic cobbles with zircon sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U-Pb ages of 432.2 ± 7.8 Ma and 428.1 ± 6.8 Ma indicate the presence of Silurian magmatism in the Yemaquan arc. The SHRIMP U-Pb age of volcanic rocks from the Batamayineishan Formation, which overlies the molasse on both sides of the Kalamaili belt, is 349.5 ± 6.0 Ma. The depositional age of molasse is confined to between 343.5 Ma and 345 Ma, based on the 2 σ range of possible ages for the youngest detrital zircons and the overlying volcanic rocks. Combined with the previously dated plagiogranite and biostratigraphic ages on chert in the Kalamaili ophiolite as the lower age limit, the Kalamaili collision is restricted to 373.8–343.5 Ma, taking into account 2 σ error, suggesting that the termination of Kalamaili paleo-ocean subduction and the final amalgamation in East Junggar occurred before the Visean.

Milky Way demographics with the VVV survey: II. Color transformations and near-infrared photometry for 136 million stars in the southern Galactic disk

Abstract: The new multi-epoch near-infrared VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) survey is sampling 562 deg2 of the Galactic bulge and adjacent regions of the disk. Accurate astrometry established for the region surveyed allows the VVV data to be merged with overlapping surveys (e.g., GLIMPSE, WISE, 2MASS, etc.), thereby enabling the construction of longer baseline spectral energy distributions for astronomical targets. However, in order to maximize use of the VVV data, a set of transformation equations are required to place the VVV JH K s photometry onto the 2MASS system. The impetus for this work is to develop those transformations via a comparison of 2MASS targets in 152 VVV fields sampling the Galactic disk. The transformation coefficients derived exhibit a reliance on variables such as extinction. The transformed data were subsequently employed to establish a mean reddening law of E J −H /E H −K s = 2.13 ± 0.04, which is the most precise determination to date and merely emphasizes the pertinence of the VVV data for determining such important parameters.