Showing papers by "University of Arkansas published in 1996"

Modes of theorizing in strategic human resource management: Tests of universalistic, contingency, and configurational performance predictions

Abstract: The field of strategic human resource management (SHRM) has been criticized for lacking a solid theoretical foundation. This article documents that, contrary to this criticism, the SHRM literature ...

Development and Validation of TQM Implementation Constructs

Abstract: The contemporary quality management (QM) literature prescribes various quality improvement strategies. However, it lacks scientifically developed and tested constructs that represent an integrative QM philosophy. Moreover, an impact of the prescribed QM strategies on a firm's product quality has not been analyzed. Through a detailed analysis of the literature, this research identifies 12 constructs of integrated QM strategies. Using a survey of 371 manufacturing firms, the constructs are then empirically tested and validated. LISREL 7 is used for this purpose. Finally, a framework to examine the effects of integrated QM strategies on a firm's product quality is suggested. Comparisons between this and two other comprehensive scales of TQM are made.

Comprehensive Evaluation of the Absorption, Photophysical, Energy Transfer, Structural, and Theoretical Properties of α-Oligothiophenes with One to Seven Rings

Abstract: A large basis set of α-oligothiophenes with two to seven rings (α2−α7), also including thiophene, α1, have been investigated in five solvents regarding absorption, fluorescence and phosphorescence, quantum yields of fluorescence (φF) and triplet formation (φT), lifetimes of fluorescence and the triplet state, quantum yields of singlet oxygen production (φΔ), all rate constants kF, kIC, kISC, and several of the foregoing as a function of temperature. Ten different theoretical calculations across several levels including three levels of ab initio have been carried out regarding which conformer is lowest in energy and the ΔH's among all conformers of α2, α3 and α5, as well as calculations of transitions energies of the α-oligothiophenes. We have shown that the (l) 1Bu state is the lowest singlet state for all α2−α7 in any solvent, in contradiction to previous predictions for the higher members. Based on absorption and fluorescence data and calculations of atomic charges in S0 and S1, the ground state is twis...

Immobilization of Enzymes and Cells

Abstract: Immobilization of Enzymes and Cells: Some Practical Considerations, Gordon F. Bickerstaff. Immobilization of Enzymes by Selective Adsorption on Biotinylaminopropyl Celite or Glass, Harold E. Swaisgood, Xiaolin L. Huang, and Marie K. Walsh. Immobilization of Proteins on Thionyl Chloride-Activated Controlled-Pore Glass, Violeta G. Janolino and Harold E. Swaisgood. Enzyme Immobilization on Nylon, Pedro Lozano and Jose L. Iborra. Visual Assessment of Enzyme Immobilization, Arturo Manjon and Jose L. Iborra. Immobilization in Carrageenans, Jose L. Iborra, Arturo Manjon, and Manuel Canovas. Entrapment in Calcium Alginate, Jane E. Fraser and Gordon F. Bickerstaff. Entrapment of Enzymes and Cells in Poly (2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate) Supports, Maria Cantarella, Francesco Alfani, Laura Cantarella, and Alberto Gallifuoco. Activation of Rayon/Polyester Cloth for Protein Immobilization, Hiroshi Yamazaki and C. Scott Boyd. Immobilization of Enzymes on Microelectrodes Using Chemical Crosslinking, Milena Koudelka-Hep, Nico F. de Rooij, and David J. Strike. Photolithographic Patterning of Enzyme Membranes for the Modification of Microelectrodes, Milena Koudelka-Hep, Nico F. de Rooij, and David J. Strike. Electrochemical-Based Immobilization of Enzymes, David J. Strike, Nico F. de Rooij, and Milena Koudelka-Hep. Immobilization of Enzymes on Thermo-Responsive Polymers, Kazuhiro Hoshino, Setuko Akakabe, Shoichi Morohashi, and Toshisuke Sasakura. Immobilization of Photosynthetic Membranes in an Albumin-Glutaraldehyde Crosslinked Matrix, Robert Carpentier. Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Crosslinked to Albumin as a Support for Enzyme Immobilization, Guy Fortier, Nicole Demers, Jacques-Jean Francois, Jean-Charles Gayet, and Edith M. D'Urso. Poly(Carbamoyl Sulfonate) Hydrogels, Andreas Muscat and Klaus-Dieter Vorlop. Enzyme Immobilization on Polyethyleneimine-Coated Magnetite Particles, Gilbert Bardeletti. Immobilization of Enzymes and Proteins on Red Blood Cells, Laura Chiarantini and Mauro Magnani. Cellulose Paper Support for Immobilization, Marion Paterson and John F. Kennedy. Immobilization of Cells Using Electrostatic Droplet Generation, Mattheus F. A. Goosen, Eltag S. E. Mahmud, Abdullah S. Al-Ghafri, Hamad A. Al-Hajri, Yousuf S. Al-Sinani, and Branko Bugarski. Hepatocyte Immobilization in Agarose and Functional Integrity Testing, Hassan Farghali and Sixtus Hynie. Immobilized Hepatocytes in Xenobiotic Biotransformation Studies, Sixtus Hynie, Ludmila Kamenikova, and Hassan Farghali. Immobilization of Liposomes and Proteoliposomes in Gel Beads, Eggert Brekkan, Qing Yang, Gerhard Viel, and Per Lundahl. Cell Immobilization with Phosphorylated Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) Gel, Kuo-Cheng Chen and Jer-Yiing Houng. Covalent Immobilization of Enzymes to Graphitic Particles, Marco F. Cardosi. Enzyme Immobilization Using Chitosan-Xanthan Complexes, Severian Dumitriu, Pierre Vidal, and Esteban Chornet. Calcium Alginate Film Formed on a Stainless Steel Mesh, Harold E. Swaisgood and Flavia M. L. Passos. Preparation of Immobilized Subunits of a Multisubunit Enzyme, Gordon F. Bickerstaff. Characterization of Enzyme Activity, Protein Content, and Thiol Groups in Immobilized Enzymes, Gordon F. Bickerstaff. Immobilization of Enzymes Acting on Macromolecular Substrates: Reduction of Steric Problems, Jose M. Guisan, Guadalupe Penzol, Pilar Armisen, Agatha Bastida, Rosa M. Blanco, Roberto Fernandez-Lafuente, and Eduardo Garcia-Junceda. Immobilization of Enzymes on Glyoxyl-Agarose: Strategies for Enzyme Stabilization by Multipoint Attachment, Jose M. Guisan, Agatha Bastida, Rosa M. Blanco, Roberto Fernandez-Lafuente, and Eduardo Garcia-Junceda. Stabilization of Immobilized Enzymes by Chemical Modification with Polyfunctional Macromolecules, Jose M. Guisan, Veronica Rodriguez, Cristina M. Rosell, Gloria Soler, Agatha Bastida, Rosa M. Blanco, Roberto Fernandez-Lafuente, and Eduardo Garcia-Junceda. Covalent Immobilization of Enzymes Using Commercially Available CDI-Activated Agarose, George J. Piazza and Marjorie B. Medina. Immobilization of Cells in Polyelectrolyte Complexes, Johanna Mansfeld and Horst Dautzenberg. Coimmobilization of Enzymes and Cells, Johanna Mansfeld and Horst Dautzenberg. Adsorption of Lipase on Inorganic Supports, Jose V. Sinisterra. Immobilization of Enzymes on Inorganic Supports by Covalent Methods, Jose V. Sinisterra. Use of Divalent Metal Ions Chelated to Agarose Derivatives for Reversible Immobilization of Proteins, Robert R. Beitle, Jr. and Mohammad M. Ataai. Transition Metal Methods for Immobilization of Enzymes and Cells, John F. Kennedy, Joaquim M. Cabral, Maria R. Kosseva, and Marion Paterson. Index.

Induction of nonbilayer structures in diacylphosphatidylcholine model membranes by transmembrane alpha-helical peptides: importance of hydrophobic mismatch and proposed role of tryptophans.

Abstract: We have investigated the effect of several hydrophobic polypeptides on the phase behavior of diacylphosphatidylcholines with different acyl chain length. The polypeptides are uncharged and consist of a sequence with variable length of alternating leucine and alanine, flanked on both sides by two tryptophans, and with the N- and C-termini blocked. First it was demonstrated by circular dichroism measurements that these peptides adopt an α-helical conformation with a transmembrane orientation in bilayers of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine. Subsequent 31P NMR measurements showed that the peptides can affect lipid organization depending on the difference in hydrophobic length between the peptide and the lipid bilayer in the liquid-crystalline phase. When a 17 amino acid residue long peptide (WALP17) was incorporated in a 1/10 molar ratio of peptide to lipid, a bilayer was maintained in saturated phospholipids containing acyl chains of 12 and 14 C atoms, an isotropic phase was formed at 16 C atoms, and an invert...

The intersection of race and crime in television news stories: An experimental study

Abstract: Studies of media content consistently find that black criminal suspects are portrayed more frequently and more menacingly than white suspects in television news stories of violent crime. Here we investigate the impact of such portrayals on white viewers’ attitudes by means of a video experiment in which we manipulate only the visual image of the race of the suspect in a television news story of violent crime. We found, consistent with our expectations, that even a brief visual image of an African American male suspect in a televised crime story was capable of activating racial stereotypes, which in turn heavily biased whites’ evaluations of the suspect along racial lines. Thus, white participants in our experiment who endorsed negative stereotypes of African Americans viewed the black suspect in the crime story as more guilty, more deserving of punishment, more likely to commit future violence, and with more fear and loathing than a similarly portrayed white suspect. In the conclusion of the article, we d...

Nitrogen isotope composition of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. T‐5) grown under ammonium or nitrate nutrition

Abstract: Studies that quantify plant δ15N often assume that fractionation during nitrogen uptake and intra-plant variation in δ15N are minimal. We tested both assumptions by growing tomato (Lycopersicon esculetum Mill. cv. T-5) at NH4+ or NO−3 concentrations typical of those found in the soil. Fractionation did not occur with uptake; whole-plant δ15N was not significantly different from source δ15 N for plants grown on either nitrogen form. No intra-plant variation in δ15N was observed for plants grown with NH+4. In contrast. δ15N of leaves was as much as 5.8% greater than that of roots for plants grown with NO−3. The contrasting patterns of intra-plant variation are probably caused by different assimilation patterns. NH+4 is assimilated immediately in the root, so organic nitrogen in the shoot and root is the product of a single assimilation event. NO−3 assimilation can occur in shoots and roots. Fractionation during assimilation caused the δ15N of NO−3 to become enriched relative to organic nitrogen; the δ15N of NO−3 was 11.1 and 12.9% greater than the δ15N of organic nitrogen in leaves and roots, respectively. Leaf δ15N may therefore be greater than that of roots because the NO−3 available for assimilation in leaves originates from a NO−3 pool that was previously exposed to nitrate assimilation in the root.

Engineering the gramicidin channel

Abstract: The chemical design or redesign of proteins with significant biological activity presents formidable challenges. Ion channels offer advantages for such design studies because one can examine the function of single molecular entities in real time. Gramicidin channels are attractive for study because of their known structure and exceptionally well-defined function. This article focuses on amino acid sequence changes that redesign the structure or function of gramicidin channels. New, and functional, folded states have been achieved. In some cases, a single amino acid sequence can give rise to several (up to three) functional conformations. Single amino acid substitutions confer voltage-dependent channel gating. The findings provide insight into the folding of integral membrane proteins, the importance of tryptophan residues at the membrane/water interface, and the mechanism of channel gating.

The impact of corporate behavior on perceived product value

Abstract: This research examines how ethical and unethical corporate behavior influence the perceived value of a firm's products, operationalized as the price consumers are willing to pay for that product relative to the competition. We propose that if consumers expect companies to conduct business ethically, then ethical behavior will not be rewarded but unethical behavior will be punished. The results of the first study confirm this expectation. The second study explored ways a firm can improve the perceived value of its products after an unethical act has been committed. Our results indicate that after a firm has committed an unethical act, consumer's perceptions of that company and its products were positively influenced by ethical behavior, corporate philanthropy, and cause-related marketing. However, our analyses revealed that these different strategies varied in their effectiveness. The third study used a choice task, rather than a judgment task, to confirm the finding that corporate behavior does influence perceived product value and is therefore likely to influence market choices. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Enhancement of nondegenerate four-wave mixing based on electromagnetically induced transparency in rubidium atoms

Abstract: We report an experimental observation of the enhancement of nondegenerate four-wave mixing (NDFWM) based on electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a lambda-type three-level system of rubidium atoms. We measured both the linear susceptibility Im χD(1) (absorption) and the third-order nonlinear coefficient χD(3) separately for the NDFWM process at a low atomic density. We found that, owing to the EIT effect, the linear absorption term Im χD(1) is greatly reduced, while the nonlinear generation term χD(3) is resonantly enhanced, permitting us to observe a significant enhancement of the NDFWM signal in an optically dense medium.

Natural Antioxidant Extract from Fenugreek (Trigonella foenumgraecum) for Ground Beef Patties

Abstract: Ground beef patties (75% lean) containing synthetic antioxidants, or Fenugreek (Trigonella foenumgraecum) extracts were cooked to internal temperature 70°C, and evaluated for storage stability at 4°C. Thiobarbituric acid values of raw or cooked samples containing fenugreek extracts were lower than controls (P<0.05). Fenugreek extracts delayed the induction period of oxidative rancidity. No differences were observed in psychrotrophic bacterial counts, and samples containing fenugreek extracts had lower Hunterlab “a” and higher “b” values. Samples with Fenugreek extracts had better oxidative stability and Fenugreek may be a promising natural antioxidant source.

Comparison of NMR Shieldings Calculated from Hartree−Fock and Density Functional Wave Functions Using Gauge-Including Atomic Orbitals

Abstract: A numerically accurate implementation of the gauge-including atomic orbital method for the calculation of NMR shieldings in density functional theory (DFT) is presented Results calculated by this method are compared with results of SCF and accurate coupled cluster calculations for eight small molecules Three sets of DFT results, obtained using different exchange-correlation functionals, are further compared with each other, with the SCF data, and with experiment for a set of 10 somewhat larger organic molecules The DFT values show a modest improvement compared to SCF theory Potential computational savings using density functional theory are discussed

Protecting ownership rights through digital watermarking

Abstract: The Internet revolution is now in full swing, and commercial interests abound. As with other maturing media technologies, the focus is moving from technology to content, as commercial vendors and developers try to use network technology to deliver media products for profit. This shift inevitably raises questions about how to protect ownership rights. Digital watermarking has been proposed as a way to identify the source, creator, owner, distributor, or authorized consumer of a document or image. Its objective is to permanently and unalterably mark the image so that the credit or assignment is beyond dispute. In the event of illicit use, the watermark would facilitate the claim of ownership, the receipt of copyright revenues, or successful prosecution. Watermarking has also been proposed for tracing images that have been illicitly redistributed. In the past, the infeasibility of large-scale photocopying and distribution often limited copyright infringement, but modern digital networks make large-scale dissemination simple and inexpensive. Digital watermarking allows each image to be uniquely marked for every buyer. If that buyer makes an illicit copy, the copy itself identifies the buyer as the source.

Two-dimensional steady-state photorefractive screening solitons.

Abstract: We study experimentally steady-state photorefractive screening solitons trapped in both transverse dimensions and measure their beam profiles as they propagate throughout the crystal. The solitons are observed to be axially symmetric, and they self-bend. We characterize the soliton dependence on the optical intensity, applied electric-field strength, and beam diameter.

Rural hospital performance and its correlates

Abstract: The cost, technical, allocative and scale efficiencies of a sample of rural U.S. hospitals are calculated via linear programming models. Tobit analysis is used to assess possible correlates of each of the efficiency measures. A large amount of dispersion in operating efficiency is found within our data set; the majority of the dispersion is due to technical inefficiency. In general, for-profit hospitals are found to outperform not-for-profit and public hospitals. Demand characteristics, quality of care, and the mix of services offered are also found to influence performance.

Quality management in TQM versus non‐TQM firms: an empirical investigation

Abstract: The TQM revolution of the 1980s has led to a formal adoption of TQM by many firms. However, several organizations fail in their campaigns because of a variety of reasons ranging from lack of top management commitment to focus on tools instead of approach. Through a focused survey of 359 manufacturing firms in a single industry answers two critical questions: is it necessary for a firm to embark on a formal TQM campaign to manage quality effectively?; and is it worthwhile for a firm to embark on a half‐hearted TQM campaign? Using a criterion of existence of a formal TQM campaign in a firm and quality of products offered by the firm, classifies firms into four groups: high performance TQM firms, low performance TQM firms, high performance non‐TQM firms, and low performance non‐TQM firms. Compares them along ten literature‐based, empirically‐validated TQM constructs and derives the following major conclusions: it is not necessary for a firm to implement a TQM campaign formally in order to practise elements of TQM philosophy and thereby manage quality well; a firm should implement a formal TQM campaign only if it plans to execute the TQM constructs to their full extent, or it is better off by not investing in the formal campaign; and the product quality of a firm improves with the extent of the rigour associated with TQM implementation. Discusses implications of these findings for TQM research and practice.

Selection of vendors—a mixed-integer programming approach

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a mixed-integer programming model to select vendors and determine the order quantities. The model considers the stochastic nature of demand, the quality of supplied parts, the cost of purchasing and transportation, the fixed cost for establishing vendors, and the cost of receiving poor quality parts. The model also considers the lead time requirements for the parts.

Evanescent light-wave atom mirrors, resonators, waveguides, and traps

Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter presents an overview of atom mirrors, resonators, waveguides, and traps that operate for the most part on the evanescent light-wave mechanism for atom manipulation. For many years, it has been known that light can be used to trap and manipulate small dielectric particles and atoms. In particular, the intense coherent light of lasers has been used to cool neutral atoms down to the micro-Kelvin and now even the nano-Kelvin regimes. The chapter discusses several convex, evanescent light-wave traps or guides in which at least one field is red-detuned, and hence attractive but a centrifugal force or a blue-detuned field provides a repulsive counterforce to allow the atoms to remain confined in stable orbits around the convex, dielectric, and optical resonator. The chapter focuses on the use of the evanescent field for making atom mirrors, resonators, waveguides, and traps. One of the principal experimental drawbacks of the evanescent light-wave mirror is that it requires quite high laser power to produce a sufficiently large potential barrier to reflect atoms with any realistic component of velocity normal to the surface, while not introducing an unacceptable degree of spontaneous emission probability.

Bohr's power series theorem in several variables

Abstract: Generalizing a classical one-variable theorem of Harald Bohr, we show that if an n-variable power series has modulus less than 1 in the unit polydisc, then the sum of the moduli of the terms is less than 1 in the polydisc of radius 1/(3*n^{1/2}).

Recent range expansion and distributional limits of the nine‐banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) in the United States

Abstract: . Prior to the mid 1850s armadillo dispersal may have been inhibited by native subsistence hunters, the Rio Grande acting as a physical hindrance, and natural habitat barriers posed by fire-maintained grasslands. European colonists settled south Texas in mass during the latter half of the 19th century and largely removed existing impediments to armadillo range expansion, effectively releasing the species into the United States. The speed of the armadillo's natural range expansion after 1850 was probably accelerated by human travel and commerce into and out of its historic range in south Texas on a proliferation of roadways and railroads. This translocation process will likely continue and, combined with natural dispersal, will provide the armadillo the opportunity to ultimately become established in any habitats in the United States in which it can survive. Limits to future distribution will likely be determined by climatic factors, and may be bounded by regions receiving at least 38 cm annual precipitation and having mean January temperatures >−2°C, or fewer than 24 total annual freeze days. Armadillos may have already approached a precipitation-defined boundary to the west and a distribution on the Great Plains limited by winter temperature minima. They may be expected to continue their advance up the East Coast to about the region of 41° North Latitude, decreasing to 39° North Latitude across the midwestern states. Future introductions on the West Coast may result in the establishment of armadillo populations in suitable habitats from California to Washington, an event that has already taken place with another tropical mammal emigrant, the opossum.

Usefulness of the secondary probe pTBN12 in DNA fingerprinting of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Abstract: A comparison was made between DNA fingerprints of Mycobacterium tuberculosis produced with the insertion sequence IS6110 and those produced with the polymorphic GC-rich repetitive sequence contained in the plasmid pTBN12. A total of 302 M. tuberculosis isolates from the prison system in Madrid, Spain, and the Denver Public Health Department (Denver, Colo.) were analyzed with the two probes. Both probes identified the same isolates in the same clusters when the fingerprints had six or more copies of IS6110. Analysis of isolates with unique IS6110 fingerprints demonstrated that they were unique with pTBN12. The pTBN12 probe had greater discriminating power in isolates having five or fewer copies of IS6110. Forty-seven isolates from Denver having fewer than five copies of IS6110 which were grouped in 11 clusters with identical fingerprint patterns were subdivided into 35 different patterns by pTBN12. Isolates with IS6110 fingerprints with more than six copies of IS6110 that differed from one another by only one or two hybridizing bands were analyzed with pTBN12. Most of these sets of isolates demonstrated identical patterns with pTBN12. However, some exceptions were observed, suggesting that those having nearly identical IS6110 patterns should not necessarily be included in the same cluster. Since IS6110 provides more polymorphism in the fingerprint, it is most useful in identifying isolates with unique fingerprint patterns and those in clusters in which the isolates contain six or more copies of the insertion. However, it is necessary to employ a secondary probe, such as pTBN12, to discriminate isolates with five or fewer copies of IS6110 and those with similar but not identical IS6110 patterns.

Growth and water relations of field-grown tall fescue as influenced by drought and endophyte.

Abstract: Field plots were established in autumn 1992 in which endophyte [Neotyphodium coenophialum Glenn. Bacon, Price and Hanlin (formerly Acremonium coenophialum)]-infected (E+) and endophyte-free (E−) isolines of three tall fescue [Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) genotypes were planted. Plants were subjected to three water-withholding periods in 1993 and one in 1994, or were kept well watered throughout the experiment. There were no consistent endophyte effects for leaf elongation, tiller density or dry weight per tiller. There were genotype X endophyte interactions (P<001) for tiller density and shoot dry weight per area and genotype X water X endophyte interactions (P<005) for cumulative leaf elongation in 1993. These interactions indicated the highly specific effect of host genotype-endophyte association on the expression of plant growth. Leaf rolling in the stressed treatments was more severe in E− than in E+ plants in 1993, but there were no differences in 1994, and stomatal conductance tended to be lower in E− than in E+ plants in 1993. Fractional water content of the lower 3 cm of the youngest fully developed leaf sheath was usually greater, and never less, in E+ than in E− plants. The leaf rolling and stomatal conductance results suggest that E− plants were more severely stressed in the summer after planting. Thus, the endophyte may induce greater water retention in the leaf sheath and therefore better protect the internal growing zone from lethal desiccation.

Nutritive quality of plant protein: Sources of variation and insect herbivore responses

Abstract: Protein quality has received comparatively little attention as a factor in host plant suitability for insects. It is argued here that plant protein quality is subject to considerable variation from genetic and environmental influences and thus may significantly impact herbivore performance. Furthermore, other phytochemicals that are ingested with protein may negatively impact protein utilization. There is a wide distribution of alkylating agents found in plants (e.g., quinones, phenolics, aldehydes, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, sesquiterpene lactones, isothiocyanates) that form covalent bonds with nucleophilic side chains of proteins (e.g., -SH, -NH, -NH2) and potentially limit amino acid availability. The behavioral and physiological adaptations of insects to variation in protein quality are also discussed. Finally, preliminary evidence for physiological adaptation to low protein quality in Helicoverpa zea is provided. The potential role of protein quality in host plant specialization is summarized. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A Shadow-Price Frontier Measurement of Profit Efficiency in Chinese Agriculture

Abstract: A shadow-price profit frontier model is developed to examine production efficiency of Chinese farm households. The model incorporates price distortions but retains the advantages of stochastic frontier properties. The shadow prices and shadow profit are derived through a behavioral profit function. Empirical results using household survey data show that the conventional assumption of profit maximization based on market prices is inappropriate. Farmers' resource endowment and education influence their allocative efficiency. Family size, per capita net income, and family members operating as village leaders are positively related to households' production efficiency. Reducing market distortions should increase farm households' production efficiency.