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Showing papers by "University of North Texas published in 1987"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine the low rate of dissent in state supreme courts and argue that this trend might be accounted for, in part, by certain institutional arrangements, such as the fact that justices are subject to re-election.
Abstract: This study examines the low rate of dissent in state supreme courts and argues that this trend might be accounted for, in part, by certain institutional arrangements. Specifically, in state supreme courts where justices are subject to re-election, perceived constituent values may suppress the expression of dissent on highly salient issues for certain types of justices. Instead of voting in accordance with their personal preferences, justices who have very strong ambitions to retain their positions, who perceive themselves to have views inconsistent with those of their constituents, and who find themselves in the minority on issues of high public visibility, may utilize the strategy of not dissenting in order to avoid being singled out for possible electoral sanction. A case study of the Louisiana Supreme Court, combining personal interviews with voting data, supports this proposition.

160 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an alternative, family systems perspective on career indecision and speculate on the family patterns that contribute to career indecisiveness and on the functions that this problem may serve within the larger family network.
Abstract: In existing theories of vocational development career indecision is generally attributed to character deficits in the young adult. The authors present an alternative, family systems perspective on career indecision. Also, they speculate on the family patterns that contribute to career indecisiveness and on the functions that this problem may serve within the larger family network.

156 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, behavioral items were used in self-report recalled conversation format, and were found to substantially and positively relate to motivation, knowledge, and molar impressions of self-competence in communicating.
Abstract: Interpersonal skills are not currently being assessed in many basic communication courses. A major reason for this may be the lack of a valid and flexible assessment format. An extensive review of social skills research and the data from a previous study were used to generate a sample of 25 molecular behavioral items relevant to the domain of conversational skill. These items were then selected for use in developing an instructional version of an interpersonal skills assessment form. In the first study, the behavioral items were used in self‐report recalled conversation format, and were found to substantially and positively relate to motivation, knowledge, and molar impressions of self‐competence in communicating. In all, the behaviors themselves explained 36 percent of the variance in self‐rated competence. In the second study, the behavioral items were used by instructors to rate the performance of subjects observed in dyadic get‐acquainted conversations. The behavioral items explained over 64 percent o...

99 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a shape-preserving interpolation method was developed in terms of piecewise exponential functions with a tension factor associated with each interval, where knots coincide with data points, and the interpolant is formulated in term of its values and first derivatives at these points, which enables the efficient computation of the minimum tension factor for which the interpolants satisfies locally defined properties such as monotonicity and convexity.
Abstract: A powerful and versatile method of shape-preserving interpolation is developed in terms of piecewise exponential functions with a tension factor associated with each interval. Knots coincide with data points, and the interpolant is formulated in terms of its values and first derivatives at these points. For a given set of derivatives, this enables the efficient computation of the minimum tension factor for which the interpolant satisfies locally defined properties such as monotonicity and convexity, as well as more general bounds on function values and derivatives, in each interval. A local derivative-estimation procedure results in a $C^1 $ interpolant satisfying the constraints with minimum tension, and an iterative procedure can be used to obtain a $C^2 $ spline fit which satisfies the constraints. Test results are presented which show both methods to produce visually pleasing interpolants to various data sets.

94 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the price responsiveness of export and import demand and supply in eight African countries and found that export demand price elasticities are smaller when the sample is African.
Abstract: Previous studies on the behaviour of aggregate exports and imports have tended to ignore the simultaneous relationship between quantity and price. This paper investigates the price responsiveness of export and import demand and supply in eight African countries. The results indicate that export demand price elasticities are smaller when the sample is African. The import supply and demand elasticities were found to be generally large. The Marshall–Lerner condition of balance of payment stability is found to be easily satisfied. A positively sloped function of export supply is found to exist for a majority of countries in the sample. The average time lag of export supply is found to be about a year. The disequilibrium model is found to be more appropriate for import demand, import supply and export supply.

59 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Cultured mouse spinal neurons were fixed at three different intervals after dendrite amputation: within the first 15 min, at 2 h and at 24 h, hypothesized to be the result of an increase in the intracellular concentrations of free calcium.
Abstract: Cultured mouse spinal neurons were fixed at three different intervals after dendrite amputation: within the first 15 min, at 2 h and at 24 h. Dendrites were amputated at lesion distance of either 50 μm (31% probability of cell survival) or 100 μm (53% probability of cell survival) from the edge of their perikarya. When fixed within 15 min, operated neurons showed a two-phase gradient of ultrastructural damage which spread from the transection site towards the perikaryon. At 2 h after dendrite amputation all neurons operated close to their perikarya were categorized as either viable, moribund or dead, based on their appearance with phase contrast microscopy. These categories of response to physical trauma corresponded to distinctly different ultrastructural changes. Moribund neurons were filled with membrane-bound vesicles which were derived from swollen mitochondria and grossly dilated cisternae of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum. The cytoplasm of dead neurons contained large clear areas and many condensed, dark mitochondria. Both moribund and dead neurons lacked cytoskeletal elements. All of these ultrastructural changes are hypothesized to be the result of an increase in the intracellular concentrations of free calcium. Although evidence of residual mitochondrial swelling was present in some surviving neurons at 24 h, the ultrastructure of others was comparable to that of control cells. Some surviving neurons had terminal swellings at the ends of the severed neurites which were very similar to retraction balls of transected axons after CNS trauma.

56 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a survey of 308 undergraduates was conducted to explore the relationships between gender, stress and subjective rates of violence experienced as an adult and experienced and observed in childhood.
Abstract: Research is reviewed on violence among married and unmarried students. A survey of 308 undergraduates was conducted to explore the relationships between gender, stress and subjective rates of violence experienced as an adult and experienced and observed in childhood. To measure violence, ten behaviours were rated on five-point scales (labelled `never' to `very often'). Over 74 percent of the sample reported having expressed violence and 62 percent having received violence at some time in an adult relationship. Eliminating symbolic (threatened) violence, the frequencies were 52 and 62 percent, respectively. Single respondents not in a relationship, those in a relationship and married students were examined separately. Females were more likely to report both expressed and received violence across most groups. The correlation between expressed and received violence was also higher for females. Multiple regression analyses indicated different predictor variables across the groups and genders, but abuse receiv...

54 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors apply methods developed by sedimentary petrographers to the problem of determining the provenance of Red Slipped sherds from late Prehistoric (c. AD 1000-1400) sites in the Caddoan area and contemporaneous Plains Village sites.

45 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The rapid and complete formation of the photorefractive grating and the complete decay of the free-carrier grating indicate either that the carrier-recombination time in the authors' sample of BaTiO(3) is less than 100 psec or that the mobility of the carriers is >23 cm(2)/V sec.
Abstract: We report the observation of photorefractive index gratings written and read out in BaTiO3 using single pulses of 30-psec duration and fluences of 1 to 15 mJ/cm2 at a wavelength of 0.532 μm. While the photorefractive gratings are masked during formation by large free-carrier grating, they are clearly seen from 50 psec to many minutes following the peak in the writing beams. The rapid and complete formation of the photorefractive grating and the complete decay of the free-carrier grating on a scale of 50 to 100 psec indicate either that the carrier-recombination time in our sample of BaTiO3 is less than 100 psec or that the mobility of the carriers is >23 cm2/V sec.

43 citations



Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the independent and combined influence of physical attractiveness and dress on impressions that female and male hiring agents form about the personality character of a person and their appearance.
Abstract: This study was an investigation of the independent and combined influence of physical attractiveness and dress on impressions thatfemale and male hiring agents form about the personality characteri...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The time required for initiation of incipient cell division was reduced significantly by treatment with kinetin (6-furfurylaminopurine), gibberellic acid, and indole-3-acetic acid.
Abstract: Phytohormone effects on cell division of synchronous cultures ofChlorella pyrenoidosa (TX-7-11-05) were studied under different photo flux densities. The time required for initiation of incipient cell division was reduced significantly by treatment with kinetin (6-furfurylaminopurine), gibberellic acid, and indole-3-acetic acid. Data show that kinetin was more effective than gibberellic acid, which was more effective than indole-3-acetic acid. Studies with combinations of the phytohormones revealed no antagonistic, additive, or synergistic effects.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: These results combine with other data from the same linear cavity to give direct femtosecond generation over the spectral range 560-840 nm.
Abstract: Optical pulses as short as 103 fsec at 695 nm and 263 fsec at 733 nm have been generated in synchronously pumped hybrid Pyridine 1 and Pyridine 2 cw dye lasers, respectively, both using the saturable absorber 1,1′-diethyl-2,2′-dicarbocyanine iodide (DDI). These results combine with other data from the same linear cavity to give direct femtosecond generation over the spectral range 560–840 nm.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the value of hexavalent chromium as a reference toxicant was investigated by comparing the precision of two laboratories in preparing test solutions, examining the consistency of chromium exposure in the test chambers during experiments and determining the effect of nominal versus measured test concentrations on the calculated toxicity.
Abstract: The value of hexavalent chromium as a reference toxicant was investigated by comparing the precision of two laboratories in preparing test solutions, examining the consistency of chromium exposure in the test chambers during experiments and determining the effect of nominal versus measured test concentrations on the calculated toxicity (EC50 or LC50). The sensitivities of the test animals to chromium were also determined. The coefficients of variation associated with preparing chromium test concentrations were 51 and 63.8% in salt and fresh water, respectively, at one laboratory, and 136 and 14.8%, respectively, at the other laboratory. Hexavalent chromium remained stable in the hexavalent (as prepared) form during the toxicity test, with recoveries ranging from 77 to 114%. The precision of the analytical laboratory in measuring chromium-spiked fresh and salt waters ranged from 0.2 to 9.1%. The impact on the calculated EC50s or LC50s of using analytically measured versus nominal concentrations in the analyses was negligible. A comparison of seven species in 27 tests showed organism sensitivity (mean EC50 or LC50 as mg/L Cr6+) to chromium to be, in decreasing order of sensitivity: Ceriodaphnia sp. (0.031), Daphnia pulex (0.086), Mysidopsis almyra (5.1), Mysidopsis bahia (6.03), Cyprinodon variegatus (21.4), Pimephales promelas (26.1) and Lepomis macrochirus (182.9). The 48-h LC50s for M. bahia were not significantly different (p < 0.05) either within or between laboratories during a 3-week study; values ranged from 5.49 to 7.72 mg/L Cr6+ in both laboratories (nominally) and from 4.21 to 7.23 mg/L Cr6+ when analytically verified by an independent laboratory. The acute toxicities of chromium to D. pulex differed significantly between laboratories, by almost one order of magnitude. Interlaboratory variability observed in D. pulex tests was attributed to differences in the test organisms' food. As reference toxicant tests, chromium tests are valuable benchmark indices of the relative health of test organisms over time or among laboratories. When toxicity test information is used in critical decision making, such as compliance with effluent permit limitations, a reference toxicant such as chromium contributes to quality control and assurance.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, women's small share of professional and managerial occupations compared with their share of the total labor force is examined for the 11 largest racial and ethnic minorities in the United States.
Abstract: Women's small share of professional and managerial occupations compared with their share of the total labor force is examined for the 11 largest racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Gender-related characteristics—women's labor force participation rates, marital status, and the sex ratio—influence women's share of the top jobs, as do class and ethnic variables such as place of birth, population size, and class of worker. Labor market gender inequality is greatest among the smaller, more affluent minorities, many of whom are recent immigrants to this country. The larger, frequently indigenous, minority groups exhibit less of this kind of inequality. Minority and gender status intersect, so that men monopolize surplus resources among the more affluent minority groups and use these resources to secure a more advantaged labor market position.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Although the results indicated that internal expectancies were associated with positive psychological functioning, the role of retirement preparation in maintaining such expectancies into retirement remained equivocal.
Abstract: Locus of desired control and participation in a retirement preparation program were investigated in relation to retirement attitudes and adjustment. Fifty-nine older workers and retirees, approximately half of whom had participated in a retirement preparation program, completed measures assessing locus of control, attitudes toward work and retirement, life satisfaction and self-esteem. Retirement preparation was found to maintain both the desirability and expectancy of internal control and positive retirement attitudes among the worker participants relative to controls. Retirees did not differ on measures of adjustment; those with retirement preparation, however, evidenced higher externality than those without. Although the results indicated that internal expectancies were associated with positive psychological functioning, the role of retirement preparation in maintaining such expectancies into retirement remained equivocal.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The XPS data revealed that the surface films of aged zinc-containing amalgams were not a simple oxide but were primarily composed of a (hydrated) tin and zinc oxy-hydroxide, whereas, in the zinc-free amalgams, thesurface films were primarily a tin oxide.
Abstract: This study is the first to report on the use of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS or ESCA) for studying the surface films (less than 10 nm thick) of aged amalgams. The concentrations and electron binding energies of the elements on the surfaces of four different amalgams aged for 20 min, one day, seven days, and 30 days were determined quantitatively. For comparison, the bulk compositions of the amalgams aged for seven days were also determined after removal of approximately 5 nm of material from the surface by argon-ion-sputtering.The XPS data revealed that the surface films of aged zinc-containing amalgams were not a simple oxide but were primarily composed of a (hydrated) tin and zinc oxy-hydroxide, whereas, in the zinc-free amalgams, the surface films were primarily a tin oxide. The concentration of mercury in this thin surface film after aging was depleted. This suggests that tin and/or zinc preferentially diffused to the surface and combined with oxygen, forming a surface film and diluting the m...


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Azotobacter vinelandii cells grew well in a medium made from soil and distilled water which contained little or no carbohydrate, but cell morphology was different from that usually seen in chemically defined, nitrogen-free media which contain glucose.
Abstract: Azotobacter vinelandii cells grew well in a medium made from soil and distilled water which contained little or no carbohydrate. They utilized p-hydroxybenzoic acid and other phenolic acids, soil nitrogen, and water-soluble mineral substances. Seventeen soils which supported excellent growth of A. vinelandii contained 11 to 18 different phenolic acids each, including p-hydroxybenzoic, m-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, p-coumeric, syringic, cis- and trans-ferrulic, and other unidentified aromatic acids. Three white, chalky "caliche" soils which were taken from areas where no plants grew failed to support the growth of A. vinelandii, and these contained no, two, and three phenolic acids, respectively. A. vinelandii did not fix nitrogen when growing in dialysates of soils which contained numerous phenolic acids. Growth was ample and rapid in most of the soils tested, but cell morphology was different from that usually seen in chemically defined, nitrogen-free media which contain glucose.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In a study of female orgasmic functioning, hypotheses derived from Weiner's (1974) achievementmotivation model of attribution theory were contrasted with those from a model of self-serving attribu... as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: In a study of female orgasmic functioning, hypotheses derived from Weiner's (1974) achievement‐motivation model of attribution theory were contrasted with those from a model of self‐serving attribu...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Article discussing research on L- and M-shell x-ray production cross sections of Nd, Gd, Ho, Yb, Au, and Pb by 25- MeV carbon and 32-MeV oxygen ions.
Abstract: Article discussing research on L- and M-shell x-ray production cross sections of Nd, Gd, Ho, Yb, Au, and Pb by 25-MeV carbon and 32-MeV oxygen ions.

Book ChapterDOI
TL;DR: Herbicides can control the majority of aquatic and ditchbank weeds and are many times the most effective choices in aquatic weed control (Bottrell 1979).
Abstract: Herbicides can control the majority of aquatic and ditchbank weeds and are many times the most effective choices in aquatic weed control (Bottrell 1979). Herbicide usefulness can be reduced by potential risks due to the presence of the herbicide and the incidental or secondary effects, such as lowered dissolved oxygen due to macrophyte decomposition. Consequently, the number of chemicals registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for aquatic use is limited, and when they are registered, restrictions are usually imposed (Way and Chancellor 1976).

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In an effort to understand locus of control-death fear relationships, fiftynine individuals were administered the Levenson Locus of Control scale, the Collett-Lester and Templer scales measuring overt death fear, and a sentence completion task assessing dimensions of covert fear.
Abstract: In an effort to more fully understand locus of control-death fear relationships, fifty-nine individuals were administered the Levenson Locus of Control scale, the Collett-Lester and Templer scales measuring overt death fear, and a sentence completion task assessing dimensions of covert fear. Correlational analysis suggested interactions among aspects of locus of control and aspects of death fear varying along the death/dying, self/other, and overt/covert continua. These data are felt to enable one to more completely understand the role that perceived controllability of life events play in determining individual reactions to one's own or another's death.


Proceedings ArticleDOI
01 Dec 1987
TL;DR: A simple classification scheme is presented to assist in the identification of software components and historical approaches to reuse are discussed along with desirable attributes of reuse systems and components.
Abstract: Software reuse technology has the potential of impacting significantly the software development process. This paper addresses issues of software reuse and their application to simulation software. A simple classification scheme is presented to assist in the identification of software components. Historical approaches to reuse are then discussed along with desirable attributes of reuse systems and components. Following this, impacts of reuse technology on the software development process are discussed. The paper concludes with sections on the application of reuse to simulation and a methodology for developing reuse systems.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Ultrastructural changes in the cytoplasm of transected dendrites have been studied with serial section electron microscopy 10 to 12 min after the lesion and suggest a possible retrograde redistribution of these organelles.
Abstract: Ultrastructural changes in the cytoplasm of transected dendrites have been studied with serial section electron microscopy 10 to 12 min after the lesion. Dendrites from large multipolar neurons in mouse spinal monolayer cultures were selected 4 weeks after seeding and cut with a pulsed UV laser microbeam. The data reveal cytoplasmic damage gradients which decrease in severity with distance from the lesion. The damage is expressed primarily in cytoskeletal disruption, the swelling and vacuolation of mitochondria (MC), and the swelling and vesiculation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). For a 3–4 μm diameter dendrite lesioned 150 μm from the soma and fixed 10 min after transection, the following results can be reported. (1) The number of microtubules (MT) decreases almost linearly with a slope of 40 MT/10 μm until MT completely disappear 20 μm from the lesion. (2) Neurofilaments (NF) decrease at approximately 50 NF/10 μm, with 20% of these structures still intact at or near the lesion. (3) MC show both gradual and explosive swelling in the damaged process. The onset of these two phases of MC swelling are correlated with the initial and total loss of MT respectively. (4) MT and NF densities in cut dendrites are drastically different from those in control processes and suggest a possible retrograde redistribution of these organelles. (5) Damage from external shockwaves that cause process distortion but not transection results in a less severe but nervetheless similar loss of MT and NF.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: If hexavalent chromium is widely adopted as a standard reference toxicant for aquatic toxicity testing then the chromate salt should be used since it does not appreciably alter the initial pH of the dilution water and subsequent speciation to the extent that would be expected if the dichromate salt was employed.
Abstract: The comparative acute toxicity of potassium chromate and dichromate salts to six aquatic species including both freshwater and marine forms was investigated. A thermodynamic equilibrium model was developed to aid in interpreting toxicity data with respect to hexavalent chromium speciation. Although parallel acute toxicity tests conducted with both salts yielded similar LC50 values, toxicity differences tended to become more pronounced as the sensitivity of the test species to the chemical decreased. Observed changes in pH and predicted changes in chromium speciation that occurred between the two salts in tests with less sensitive species were postulated to explain these findings. The implication of the aqueous chromium species to the relative toxicity of the hexavalent chromium are discussed. If hexavalent chromium is widely adopted as a standard reference toxicant for aquatic toxicity testing then the chromate salt should be used since it does not appreciably alter the initial pH of the dilution water and subsequent speciation to the extent that would be expected if the dichromate salt was employed. Standardization of the source of hexavalent chromium used in reference tests will facilitate intralaboratory comparison of toxicity data.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the reliability and validity of a scale assessing communication apprehension regarding the dying, measures of generalized communication apprehension (CA, CA-Dying), and death anxiety were administered to fifty-nine individuals, twenty-nine of whom had enrolled in an eight-week hospice volunteer training program, and thirty of whom were on the hospice mailing list.
Abstract: In order to establish the reliability and validity of a scale assessing communication apprehension regarding the dying, measures of generalized communication apprehension (CA), communication apprehension regarding the dying (CA-Dying), and death anxiety were administered to fifty-nine individuals, twenty-nine of whom had enrolled in an eight-week hospice volunteer training program, and thirty of whom were on the hospice mailing list. Results suggested that the CA-Dying scale possessed more than adequate reliability (internal consistency, test-retest) and validity (correlations with death fear, susceptibility to volunteer training program effects). It was concluded that the CA-Dying scale may serve as a useful index of difficulties caregivers have in communicating with the terminally ill.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A new direct construc­ tion of phase-only filters which might be useful for threshold optical correlation detectors is given and leads to a significant improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) over previous methods.
Abstract: Robert R. Kallman North Texas State University, Mathematics Department, Denton, Texas 76203. Received 18 July 1987. 0003-6935/87/245200-02$02.00/0. © 1987 Optical Society of America. The purpose of this Letter is to give a new direct construc­ tion of phase-only filters which might be useful for threshold optical correlation detectors. This construction is a descen­ dant of the constructions introduced in Kallman and leads to a significant improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) over previous methods. Simulations suggest that the result­ ing filters and their optimized binarizations can be designed to contain a great deal of information, to be stable under perturbations in the training set, and to have a very low false alarm rate. An intrinsic numerical measure of the performance or SNR of a discriminant function h against a training set will first be formulated. This formulation takes into account that a phase-only filter (POF) or binary phase-only filter (BPOF), unlike a synthetic discriminant function (SDF), cannot control the actual size of the recognition spike in the output correlation plane when a valid target is centered in the filter input plane. Start with 2-D images ƒ1,... ,fn,..., ƒm, the training set. Think of ƒ 1 t . . . , ƒn as objects one is seeking and ƒ n + 1 , . . . , ƒm as objects one is not seeking and definitely does not want to confuse with ƒ 1 , . . . , ƒn. n may well be equal to m. For any x = (x1,x2) in the plane and any function g, let gx(y) = g(y x) for any y = (y1,y1) in the plane. If one initially thinks of g as centered over the origin, think of gx as being g translated so as to be centered over x. One wants the measured optical intensities |+hx,ƒi,| (1 ≤ i ≤ n) in the output plane all to be large for x the origin [note that h(0.0) = h] and that |+hx,ƒi,| (1 ≤ i ≤ m) be as small as possible for all x values outside of some a priori chosen box (or any other region) Bi about the origin. Here Bi is empty for n + 1 ≤ i ≤ m, and +p,q, denotes the usual inner product between the pair of functions p and q or the pair of vectors p and q. The SNR of h, a number intrinsically associated with h, is defined to be

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An automated forecasting system that encompasses an objective ARIMA method with the Holt-Winters procedure in a weighted averaging scheme is presented and reveals that especially for one-step ahead forecasting, the automated system competes favorably with both automated methods and the individualized Box-Jenkins analysis.