Rape Attribution for African-American Students

The purpose of this quantitative research project is an examination of the influence of gender on the attribution of blame for rape among African-American undergraduate students at Georgia State University. The attribution of blame in a rape scenario (male perpetrator/female victim) will be presented in four pairings, manipulating the race (Black/White) of the victim and perpetrator. The attribution of blame will be measured using a modified 5 point Likert-scale and 14 point Likert-scale based on two pre-existing rape attribution scales: Kanekar and Kolsawalla’s “Responsibility and Imprisonment” 21 point scale (1988) and George and Matrinez’s “Victim Blaming” 10 point Likert-scale (2002). The researcher will use SPSS to determine whether or not significant gender differences in the attribution of rape are apparent in each of the scenarios. Gender issues remain a comparatively unexplored area of research within African-American Studies. This research may bring attention to the degree to which the attribution of responsibility for rape is both raced and gendered within the African-American community. In doing so, this research will potentially provide an additional platform on which more open and honest dialogue between African-American men and women can occur

Generating Information-Diverse Microwave Speckle Patterns Inside a Room at a Single Frequency With a Dynamic Metasurface Aperture

We demonstrate that dynamic metasurface apertures (DMAs) are capable of generating a multitude of highly uncorrelated speckle patterns in a typical residential environment at a single frequency. We use a DMA implemented as an electrically-large cavity excited by a single port and loaded with many individually-addressable tunable metamaterial radiators. We placed such a DMA in one corner of a plywood-walled L-shape room transmitting microwave signals at 19 GHz as we changed the tuning states of the metamaterial radiators. In another corner, in the non-line-of-sight of the DMA, we conducted a scan of the field generated by the DMA. For comparison, we also performed a similar test where the DMA was replaced by a simple dipole antenna with fixed pattern but generating a signal that spanned 19-24 GHz. Using singular value decomposition of the scanned data, we demonstrate that the DMA can generate a multitude of highly uncorrelated speckle patterns at a single frequency. In contrast, a dipole antenna with a fixed pattern can only generate such a highly uncorrelated set of patterns when operating over a large bandwidth. The experimental results of this paper suggest that DMAs can be used to capture a diversity of information at a single frequency which can be used for single frequency computational imaging systems, NLOS motion detection, gesture recognition systems, and more

Improving employees' performance through internal marketing and organizational learning: mediating role of organizational innovation in an emerging market

This study identifies a specific relationship between internal marketing and organizational learning as the key drivers of organizational innovation, which build employees performance in the context of the petroleum industry. A model of the antecedents of organizational innovation was examined in a survey conducted among managers and employed specialists working in the oil industry in Iran. Structural equation modelling via Smart PLS was employed to gain insight into the various influences and relationships. We empirically scrutinized relationships between these constructs by validating a conceptual model employing SEM. The results indicate that internal marketing and organizational learning are key drivers of organizational innovation, which they are build employees performance. As well as, the results clarify that it is possible to improve the level of employee performance even through the complementary partial mediating role of organizational innovation. Additionally, this study makes a managerial contribution to the understanding of internal marketing, organizational learning and innovation on employee performance

Mediating effect of intrinsic motivation on the relationship between Islamic work ethic, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment in banking sector

Purpose – This research seeks to determine the impact of the IWE on job satisfaction and organizational commitment among the employees of Maskan Bank by examining the mediating role of intrinsic motivation. Design/methodology/approach – A model of the intrinsic motivation antecedent and consequences of IWE was examined in a survey conducted among employees working in Maskan Bank in Iran. Structural equation modelling (SEM) via Amos software was employed to gain insight into the various influences and relationships. Findings – The findings revealed a direct effect of IWE on job satisfaction, but there was no direct significant relationship between this variable and organizational commitment. Also, intrinsic motivation plays a partial and completely mediatory role in the relationship between IWE and job satisfaction, and IWE and organizational commitment. Research limitations/implications – The impact of participation in strategic planning on managers’ creation of budgetary slack: The mediating role of autonomous motivation and affective organizational commitment. Originality/value – Since the nature of bank employees’ work is such that it confronts them with numerous ethical choices, the adherence to ethical standards, particularly IWE, can greatly affect their enthusiasm and, as a result, their satisfaction and organizational commitment

Why leadership style matters: a closer look at transformational leadership and internal marketing

Purpose – The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between transformational leadership and internal marketing which is underscored by the centrality of human resources in satisfying employee’s needs and how internal marketing, as a moderator and mediator, can facilitate the effects of transformational leadership on social capital and employee loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – This study develops a model and a number of propositions, based on preceding literature on transformational leadership and internal marketing on social capital and employee loyalty Findings – The model proposes that transformational leadership can play a vital role in codification of human resources variables such as internal marketing, which is founded upon the principle of paying greater attention to employees. Moreover, despite the research gap on the relationship between social capital and employee loyalty, it can be concluded that social capital can increase the level of employee loyalty to organization. Research limitations/implications – The proposed model has a number of academic and managerial contributions. This study contributes the knowledge by examining the relationship between transformational leadership and internal marketing. Managerially, this study helps managers to emphasize the centrality of human resources in satisfying employees and increase their loyalty towards the company. In addition, guarantees management effectiveness and organizational success in reaching their intended goals. Originality/value – Despite the growing acknowledgment the importance of transformational leadership as a process in which leaders and followers upgrade each other’s level of ethic and motivation. However, there are few studies on the role and importance of transformational leadership on developing and reinforcing the internal marketing

Vasopressin attenuates ischemia-reperfusion injury via reduction of oxidative stress and inhibition of mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening in rat hearts

Aim of this study was to investigate the involvement of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) and oxidative stress in the cardioprotective effect of vasopressin (AVP) on ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Anesthetized male wistar rats were subjected to regional 30 min ischemia and 120 min reperfusion and randomly divided into nine groups: (1) Control; saline was administered intravenously before ischemia, (2) vasopressin was administrated 10 min prior to ischemia, (3, 4) Atractyloside as MPTP opener, was injected 5 min prior to reperfusion without and with vasopressin, (5, 6) Cyclosporine A as a MPTP closer, was injected 5 min prior to reperfusion without and with vasopressin, (7) mitochondria were isolated from control group and CaCl2 was added as MPTP opener and swelling inducer, (8) isolated mitochondria from Control hearts was incubated with Cyclosporine A before adding the CaCl2 (9) CaCl2 was added to isolated mitochondria from vasopressin group. Infusion of vasopressin decreased infarct size (18.6±1.7% vs. control group 37.6±2.4%), biochemical parameters [LDH (Lactate Dehydrogenase), CK-MB (Creatine Kinase-MB) and MDA (Malondialdehyde) plasma levels, PAB (Prooxidant-antioxidant balance)] compared to control group. Atactyloside suppressed the cardioprotective effect of vasopressin (32.5±1.9% vs. 18.6±1.7%) but administration of the Cyclosporine A without and with vasopressin significantly reduced infarct size to 17.7±4% (P<0.001) and 22.7±3% (P<0.01) respectively, vs. 37.6±2.4% in control group. Also, vasopressin, similar to Cyclosporine A, led to decrease in CaCl2-induced swelling. It seems that vasopressin through antioxidant effect and MPTP inhibition has created a cardioprotection against ischemia/reperfusion injuries. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Digestive enzymes activity and growth indices of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed diets supplemented with silymarin and Nickle Oxide nanoparticles

There is growing concern regarding nano-sized material discharge into water bodies and their subsequent toxicity to aquatic lives owing to increasingly rapid development and industrial applications of nanoparticles. This study evaluates the oral prescription of silymarin and Nickel Oxide nanoparticles in rainbow trout with an emphasis on growth indices and digestive enzymes activity. To that end, 1200 fish (3.83±0.01g) were randomly allotted into 8 distinct treatments including control group without any supplemental dietary Nickel Oxide nanopartcles or silymarin and the remaining seven experimental groups comprised of different combinations of Nickel Oxide nanoparticles (0, 100 and 500 mg /kg feed) and silymarin (0 and 1 g /kg feed) in the first and second month of the trial. All treatments were carried out in trplicate and the experiment lasted for 60 days. Results showed that the highest amylase activity was recorded in treatment 6 (16.56±1.00) (0 mg Nickel nanoparticle along with 1 g silymaryn - 500 mg Nickel nanoparticle and 1 g silymarin) which significantly differed from treatments 5 (0 mg Nickel Oxide nanoparticles and 1 mg silymarin-100 mg Nickel Oxide nanoparticles with 1 mg silymarin), 7 and 8 (fed diets containing 100 and 500 mg Nickel Oxide nanoparticles, respectively) (P≤0.05). The highest alkaline protease activity was observed in treatment 1 (0.54±0.05) (without any supplemental Nickel or silymarin), which was significantly different from those of treatments 7 and 8 (P≤0.05). The highest lipase activity was reported for treatment 4 (1.03±0.04) (500 mg Nickel nanoparticle with 1 g silymaryn- 0 mg nanoparticle and 1 g silymarin) which was significantly different from other treatments (P≤0.05). The results showed that simultaneous use of Nickel nanoparticle and silymarin in treatments 3, 4, 5 and 6 led to higher digestive enzymes activities in comparison to treatments 7 and 8. However, growth indices did not show any noticeable differences amongst studied treatments. It seems that in a long term exposure to Nickel Oxide nanoparticles and simoltanoues dietary silymarin inclusion, it would also be possible to observe differences in growth and nutritional indices, requiring further clarification