University of Arkansas

About: University of Arkansas is a education organization based out in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 17225 authors who have published 33329 publications receiving 941102 citations. The organization is also known as: Arkansas & UA.

Model of acceptance with peer support: a social network perspective to understand employees' system use

Abstract: Prior research has extensively studied individual adoption and use of information systems, primarily using beliefs as predictors of behavioral intention to use a system that in turn predicts system use. We propose a model of acceptance with peer support (MAPS) that integrates prior individual-level research with social networks constructs. We argue that an individual's embeddedness in the social network of the organizational unit implementing a new information system can enhance our understanding of technology use. An individual's coworkers can be important sources of help in overcoming knowledge barriers constraining use of a complex system, and such interactions with others can determine an employee's ability to influence eventual system configuration and features. We incorporate network density (reflecting "get-help" ties for an employee) and network centrality (reflecting "give-help" ties for an employee), drawn from prior social network research, as key predictors of system use. Further, we conceptualize valued network density and valued network centrality, both of which take into account ties to those with relevant system-related information, knowledge, and resources, and employ them as additional predictors. We suggest that these constructs together are coping and influencing pathways by which they have an effect on system use. We conducted a 3-month long study of 87 employees in one business unit in an organization. The results confirmed our theory that social network constructs can significantly enhance our understanding of system use over and above predictors from prior individual-level adoption research.

Beyond “Does it Pay to be Green?” A Meta-Analysis of Moderators of the CEP–CFP Relationship

Abstract: Review of extant research on the corporate environmental performance (CEP) and corporate financial performance (CFP) link generally demonstrates a positive relationship. However, some arguments and empirical results have demonstrated otherwise. As a result, researchers have called for a contingency approach to this research stream, which moves beyond the basic question “does it pay to be green?” and instead asks “when does it pay to be green?” In answering this call, we provide a meta-analytic review of CEP–CFP literature in which we identify potential moderators to the CEP–CFP relationship including environmental performance type (e.g., reactive vs. proactive performance), firm characteristics (e.g., large vs. small firms), and methodological issues (e.g., self-report measures). By analyzing these contingencies, this study attempts to provide a basis on which to draw conclusions regarding some inconsistencies and debates in the CEP–CFP research. Some of the results of the moderator analysis suggest that small firms benefit from environmental performance as much or more than large firms, US firms seem to benefit more than international counterparts, and environmental performance seems to have the strongest influence on market-measures of financial performance.

Bacterial sorption of heavy metals.

Abstract: Four bacteria, Bacillus cereus, B. subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were examined for the ability to remove Ag+, Cd2+, Cu2+, and La3+ from solution by batch equilibration methods. Cd and Cu sorption over the concentration range 0.001 to 1 mM was described by Freundlich isotherms. At 1 mM concentrations of both Cd2+ and Cu2+, P. aeruginosa and B. cereus were the most and least efficient at metal removal, respectively. Freundlich K constants indicated that E. coli was most efficient at Cd2+ removal and B. subtilis removed the most Cu2+. Removal of Ag+ from solution by bacteria was very efficient; an average of 89% of the total Ag+ was removed from the 1 mM solution, while only 12, 29, and 27% of the total Cd2+, Cu2+, and La3+, respectively, were sorbed from 1 mM solutions. Electron microscopy indicated that La3+ accumulated at the cell surface as needlelike, crystalline precipitates. Silver precipitated as discrete colloidal aggregates at the cell surface and occasionally in the cytoplasm. Neither Cd2+ nor Cu2+ provided enough electron scattering to identify the location of sorption. The affinity series for bacterial removal of these metals decreased in the order Ag greater than La greater than Cu greater than Cd. The results indicate that bacterial cells are capable of binding large quantities of different metals. Adsorption equations may be useful for describing bacterium-metal interactions with metals such as Cd and Cu; however, this approach may not be adequate when precipitation of metals occurs.

Colloidal InP Nanocrystals as Efficient Emitters Covering Blue to Near-Infrared

Abstract: High quality InP nanocrystals in the size range from 1 to 8 nm were synthesize at relatively low temperature (<190 °C). The low temperature was enabled by the activation of In carboxylate precursors with fatty amines. The reduced temperature enabled the elimination of the thorough degassing step usually needed in the existing schemes. By simply varying the concentration and chain length of the ligand and activation reagents, the absorption peak position was tuned continuously from 390 to 720 nm without prolonged heating. This new synthetic scheme further enabled the direct synthesis of InP/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals in a one-pot fashion. The resulting InP/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals can emit from about 450 to 750 nm, with a quantum yield as high as over 40%. The bright core/shell nanocrystals were stable in air and could be dispersed in water with hydrophilic thiols ligands. The thiol ligand replacement did not quench the emission, and the resulting water-soluble nanocrystals were stable under ambient co...