Showing papers by "University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee published in 1991"

Organizational Inertia and Momentum: A Dynamic Model Of Strategic Change

Abstract: This study provides an empirical test of Hannan and Freeman's theory of structural inertia. We examined the changes organizations undertook in response to a major environmental change. In addition,...

Shared generation of authenticators and signatures

Abstract: Often it is desired that the power to sign or authenticate messages is shared. This paper presents methods to collectively generate RSA signatures, provably secure authenticators and unconditionally secure authenticators. In the new schemes, l individuals are given shares such that k ≤ l are needed to generate a signature (authenticator) but less than k can not. When the k people have finished signing (authenticating), nobody can perform an impersonation or substitution attack. These schemes are called threshold signature (authentication) schemes. Clearly these schemes are better than each of the k individuals sending a separate authenticator for each message or if each of the k individuals each send their share to a “trusted” person who will sign for them.

Cast aluminum-matrix composites for automotive applications

Abstract: The potential automotive applications of metal-matrix composites, particularly aluminum-matrix composites, are numerous. Although some composite components have reached the demonstrator stage, there is still much work to do and many barriers to conquer before widespread application can be expected. These challenges include such issues as processing for specific properties, compiling property databases and addressing recyclability.

Duration discrimination of filled and empty auditory intervals: Cognitive and perceptual factors

Abstract: Adult subjects were presented with two auditory stimuli per trial, and their task was to decide which of the two was longer in duration. An adaptive psychophysical procedure was used. In Experiments 1, 2, and 4, the base duration was 50 msec, whereas in Experiment 3, the base duration was 1 sec. In Experiments 1, 2, and 4, it was found that filled intervals (continuous tones) were discriminated more accurately than empty intervals (with onset and offset marked by clicks). It was concluded that this difference was perceptual rather than cognitive in nature, since performance on filled and empty intervals was not affected by increasing cognitive load in a dual-task procedure (Experiment 2) but was affected by backward masking (Experiment 4). In contrast, the results of Experiment 3 showed that duration discrimination of filled auditory intervals of longer duration was cognitively influenced, since performance was impaired by increasing cognitive load. Implications for notions of perceptual processing and timing mechanisms tanderlying differences in duration discrimination with filled and empty intervals are discussed.

The Extended Metropolis: Settlement Transition in Asia

Abstract: Asian urbanization is entering a new phase that differs significantly from the patterns of city growth experienced in other developing countries and in the developed world. According to a recent hypothesis, zones of intensive economic interaction between rural and urban activities are emerging. The zones appear to be a new form of socioeconomic organization that is neither rural nor urban, but preserves essential ingredients of each. The landscapes in these extended metropolitan zones have changed little over decades. Most people live in villages, and almost all of the land is under cultivation. However, most income now comes from non-agricultural sources. Village and small-town industries provide employment for some family members, who help out in the fields only at planting or harvesting time. Others commute to jobs in the central cities. Still others live in the cities and their satellites, remitting portions of their salaries to the family. This study elaborates on this hypothesis through studies of urban areas in China, India, Indonesia and Japan. Contributors offer different perspectives from a variety of disciplines including geography, regional planning, sociology, economics and public administration. All seek to determine how rapidly, under what circumstances, and on what scale the extended metropolis is emerging.

Approaches to archaeological ceramics

Abstract: Humans differ from any other species on this planet in our extensive ability to transform the natural world in order to ease our existence in it. By shaping stone, wood, and clay we make tools that increase our effectiveness in procuring and preparing food, in securing shelter, and in producing the conditions and comforts of life that we now view as necessary for our survival. We also produce goods to ornament our homes and bodies, designed according to cultural rules of esthetics, as well as objects necessary for the acknowledgment or ritual enactment of our religious beliefs.

Enzymology of the acetyl-CoA pathway of CO2 fixation.

Abstract: We know of three routes that organisms have evolved to synthesize complex organic molecules from CO2: the Calvin cycle. the reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle, and the reductive acetyl-CoA pathway. This review describes the enzymatic steps involved in the acetyl-CoA pathway, also called the Wood pathway, which is the major mechanism of CO2 fixation under anaerobic conditions. The acetyl-CoA pathway is also able to form acetyl-CoA from carbon monoxide.There are two parts to the acetyl-CoA pathway: (1) reduction of CO2 to methyltetrahydrofolate (methyl-H4folate) and (2) synthesis of acetyl-CoA from methyl-H, folate, a carboxyl donor such as CO or CO2, and CoA. This pathway is unique in that the major intermediates are enzyme-bound and are often organometallic complexes. Our current understanding of the pathway is based on radioactive and stable isotope tracer studies, purification of the component enzymes (some extremely oxygen sensitive), and identification of the enzyme-bound intcrmediates by chroma...

Quantification of plasma lipoproteins by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Abstract: A new analytical procedure for quantifying plasma lipoproteins by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has been developed that potentially offers significant advantages over existing clinical methods used for assessing risk of coronary heart disease. Analysis of a single spectrum of a nonfasting plasma sample, acquired simply and rapidly at moderate magnetic field strength (250 MHz), yields a complete profile of lipoprotein concentrations: chylomicrons and very-low-, low-, and high-density lipoproteins. The method is based on curve-fitting (spectral deconvolution) of the plasma methyl lipid resonance envelope, the amplitude and shape of which depend directly on the amplitudes of the superimposed methyl resonances of the lipoprotein components. A linear least-squares curve-fitting algorithm was developed to efficiently extract the signal amplitudes (concentrations) of the lipoproteins from the plasma spectrum. These signal amplitudes correlate well with lipoprotein concentrations determined by triglyceride and cholesterol measurements.

A biomechanical and ergonomic evaluation of patient transferring tasks: bed to wheelchair and wheelchair to bed

Abstract: A laboratory study was conducted in an effort to reduce back stress for nursing personnel while performing the patient handling tasks of transferring the patient from bed to wheelchair and wheelchair to bed. These patient handling tasks were studied using five manual techniques and three hoist-assisted techniques. The manual techniques involved one-person and two-person transfers. One manual technique involved a two-person lift of the patient under the arms; the others used a rocking and pulling action and included the use of assistive devices (a gait belt using a two-person transfer, a walking belt with handles using a one-person and a two-person transfer, and a patient handling sling with cutout areas to allow for a hand grip (Medesign) for a one-person transfer). The three mechanical hoists were Hoyer, Trans-Aid and Ambulift. Six female nursing students with prior patient transfer experience served both as nurses and as passive patients. Static biomechanical evaluation showed that pulling techniques, as compared to lifting the patient, required significantly lower hand forces and produced significantly lower erector spinae and compressive forces at the L5/S1 disc (P greater than or equal to 0.01). Shear force, trunk moments and the percentage of females who were capable of performing the transfers (based on static strength simulation) also favoured pulling methods. Perceived stress ratings for the shoulder, upper back, lower back and whole body were lower for pulling methods than those for lifting the patient (P less than or equal to 0.01). Patients found the pulling techniques, with the exception of when using the gait belt, felt more comfortable and more secure than the lifting method (P less than or equal to 0.01). However, a number of subjects believed that the patient handling sling (Medesign) and the walking belt with one person making the transfer would not work for those patients who could not bear weight and those who were heavy, contracted or combative. A walking belt with two persons was the preferred manual method. Two out of three hoists (Hoyer lift and Trans-Aid) were perceived by the nurses to be as physically stressful as manual methods. Patients found these two hoists to be more uncomfortable and felt less secure than with three of the five manual methods (one- and two-person walking belts and Medesign). Ambulift was found to be the least stressful, the most comfortable, and the most secure among all eight methods. Pulling techniques and hoists took significantly longer amounts of time to make the transfer than manually lifting the patient (P less than or equal to 0.01). The two-person walking belt using a pulling technique and Ambulift are recommended for transferring patients from bed to wheelchair and wheelchair to bed. A large-scale field study is needed to verify these recommendations.

The Structural Conformity Hypothesis and the Acquisition of Consonant Clusters in the Interlanguage of ESL Learners.

Abstract: The validity of two implicational universals regarding consonant clusters was tested in an analysis of the interlanguage of 11 subjects who were native speakers of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. The results were strongly supportive of the two universals, suggesting the possibility that primary language universals hold also for nonprimary languages.

How general is general slowing? Evidence from the lexical domain.

Abstract: Three analyses are reported that are based on data from 19 studies using lexical tasks and a reduced version of the Hale, Myerson, and Wagstaff (1987) nonlexical data set. The results of Analysis l revealed that a linear function with a slope of approximately 1,5 described the relationship between the lexical decision latencies of older (65-75 years) and younger (19-29 years) adults. The results of Analysis 2, based on response latencies from 6 lexical tasks other than lexical decision, revealed a virtually identical linear relationship. In Analysis 3, it was found that performance on nonlexical tasks spanning the same range of task difficulty was described by a significantly steeper regression line with a slope of approximately 2.0. These findings suggest that although general cognitive slowing is observed in both domains, the degree of slowing is significantly greater in the nonlexieal domain than in the lexical domain. In addition, these analyses demonstrate how the meta-analytic approach may be used to determine the limits to the external validity of experimental findings. When older adults and younger adults perform the same cognitive task, the older group tends to perform more slowly than the younger group. This age-related decline in the speed of information processing has been found in experiments using a

Meta‐analysis comparing the persuasiveness of one‐sided and two‐sided messages

Abstract: A meta‐analysis comparing the persuasiveness of one‐sided and two‐sided messages was conducted. Based on the Elaboration Likelihood Model it was hypothesized that audience favorability would moderate the effectiveness of the messages. However, the Discounting Hypothesis predicted increased persuasiveness for the two‐sided message. The analysis indicated the existence of two types of operationalizations for two‐sided messages (refutational and nonrefutational). The results demonstrate that a two‐sided message with refutation is more persuasive than a one‐sided message while a one‐sided message is more persuasive than a two‐sided message without refutation. The findings are inconsistent with the ELM but consistent with the Discounting Hypothesis.

Sedimentation rates, residence times and radionuclide inventories in Lake Baikal from 137 Cs and 210 Pb in sediment cores

Abstract: RADIONUCLIDES in lake sediments may act as indicators of the sedimentation rate of particles on which they are adsorbed; these rates in turn provide a direct indication of the residence times of particles in the water column. The radionuclide 137Cs is anthropogenic (an atomic-bomb product), so that its concentration in sediments also reveals the input history of this species and thus a record of atmospheric contamination by this nuclide in the lake's watershed. Here we report measurements of 137Cs and the natural radionuclide 210Pb in cores from several stations throughout the three basins of Lake Baikal. The results confirm earlier indirect estimates1 of the mean sedimentation rate, and show that the effective settling rate of these radionuclides is the same as that in the Great Lakes; the longer residence times for Lake Baikal are therefore simply a consequence of its greater depth. As well as allowing estimates of fluxes at the sediment–water interface2–1, our results provide information on the timing of palaeolimnological events5, on the existence of different depositional zones throughout the lake, on the long-term (decadal) diffusion of nuclides in sediments6 and for the development of mass-balance models for sediments and contaminants7–9.

General sampling theorems for functions in reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces

Abstract: In this paper we prove general sampling theorems for functions belonging to a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) which is also a closed subspace of a particular Sobolev space. We present details of this approach as applied to the standard sampling theory and its extension to nonuniform sampling. The general theory for orthogonal sampling sequences and nonorthogonal sampling sequences is developed. Our approach includes as concrete cases many recent extensions, for example, those based on the Sturm-Liouville transforms, Jacobi transforms, Laguerre transforms, Hankel transforms, prolate spherical transforms, etc., finite-order sampling theorems, as well as new sampling theorems obtained by specific choices of the RKHS. In particular, our setting includes nonorthogonal sampling sequences based on the theory of frames. The setting and approach enable us to consider various types of errors (truncation, aliasing, jitter, and amplitude error) in the same general context.

The Nursing Minimum Data Set: abstraction tool for standardized, comparable, essential data.

Abstract: The Nursing Minimum Data Set (NMDS) represents the first attempt to standardize the collection of essential nursing data. These minimum core data, used on a regular basis by the majority of nurses in the delivery of care across settings, can provide an accurate description of nursing diagnoses, nursing care, and nursing resources used. Collected on an ongoing basis, a standardized nursing data base will enable nurses to compare data across populations, settings, geographic areas, and time. Public health nurses will be able to evaluate and compare services. The purpose of this article is to discuss briefly the following aspects of the NMDS: background including definition, purposes, and elements; availability and reliability of the data; benefits; implications of the NMDS with emphasis on nursing research; and health policy decision making.

Facilitating talk about new ideas: The role of personal relationships in organizational innovation

Abstract: This research focuses on the relational and network conditions conducive to talk about new ideas. Although talk about new ideas does not guarantee implementation, it is a necessary and essential element in the overall innovation process. This paper includes two studies grounded in a perspective informed by politeness theory and the fundamental concern individuals have for the maintenance of personal face. The studies highlight the importance of relationships characterized by high content and role multiplexity, the relational attributions underlying the ties in which this type of talk occurs, and more. Discussion of the implications of these findings as well as directions for future research are also included.

Pygmalion in Management: Productivity as a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Abstract: The article reviews the book “Pygmalion in Management: Productivity as a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy,” by Dov Eden.

A biomechanical and ergonomic evaluation of patient transferring tasks: wheelchair to shower chair and shower chair to wheelchair.

Abstract: A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate five different manual techniques (two-person manual lifting; rocking and pulling the patient using a gait belt with two persons; walking belt with one and two persons) and three different mechanical hoists (Hoyer lift, Trans-Aid and Ambulift) for transferring patients from wheelchair to shower chair and shower chair to wheelchair. Six female nursing students with prior patient transfer experience served both as nurses and as passive patients. Static biomechanical evaluation showed that the mean trunk flexion moments, erector spinae muscle forces and compressive and shear forces at the L5S1 disc for the four pulling methods ranged from 92 to 125 Nm, 1845 to 2507 N, 1973 to 2641 N and 442 to 580 N, respectively, as compared to about 213 Nm, 4260 N, 5050 N and 926 N for two-person manual lifting. Perceived stress ratings for the shoulder, upper back, lower back and whole body were significantly lower for pulling methods than those for lifting the patient (p less than or equal to 0.01). Patients found pulling techniques, except the gait belt, to be more comfortable and secure than the lifting method (p less than or equal to 0.01). However, most of the nurses believed that Medesign and the one-person walking belt would not work on those patients who cannot bear weight and those who are heavy, contracted or combative. A two-person walking belt was the most preferred method. Two out of three hoists (Hoyer lift and Trans-Aid) were perceived by the nurses to be more stressful than one- and two-person walking belts. The patients found these two hoists to be more uncomfortable and less secure than with three of the five manual methods (one- and two-person walking belts and Medesign). Pulling techniques and hoists took significantly longer amounts of time to make the transfer than manually lifting the patient (p less than or equal to 0.01). The two-person walking belt, using a gentle rocking motion to utilize momentum and a pulling technique, and Ambulift are recommended for transferring patients from wheelchair to shower chair and shower chair to wheelchair.

Can Cultural Awareness Be Taught in Teacher Education Programs

Abstract: (1991). Can Cultural Awareness Be Taught in Teacher Education Programs? Teaching Education: Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 25-32.

Isolation and identification of manganese-reducing bacteria and estimates of microbial Mn(IV)-reducing potential in the Black Sea

Abstract: During the summer of 1988, profiles of major and minor nutrients in the western and central basins of the Black Sea showed a pronounced suboxic zone in which could be seen distinct zones of nitrate, manganese and iron reduction. Enrichment culture techniques, used to determine relative levels of microbial Mn(IV) and Fe(III) reduction potential, indicated very high levels of iron-reducing potential throughout the suboxic zone, and high levels of Mn(IV)-reducing potential in both the nitrate reduction (55 m) and the Mn(IV) reduction (85 m) zones. Bacteria were also directly isolated from various depths in the water column and tested for their ability to reduce Mn(IV). Using these direct techniques, the major group of organisms isolated from the 80–90 m (Mn reduction) zone were in the genus Shewanella, accounting for up to 20–50% of the total bacterial viable counts, and up to 1–5 × 105 bacteria per ml. At other depths, there were fewer Mn(IV)-reducing bacteria, and those that were found were in different taxonomic groups, including Pseudomonas spp., Bacillus spp., and some unidentified Gram-negative rods and coccobacilli. All of these bacteria were respiratory bacteria, and many were capable of both Fe(III) and Mn(IV) reduction.

Aluminum on the Si(100) surface: Growth of the first monolayer.

Abstract: Scanning tunneling microscopy was used to study the growth of the first monolayer (ML) of Al on the Si(100) surface at room temperature (up to 100 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C). The Al forms rows of adsorbed dimers that run perpendicular to the underlying Si dimer rows. As the coverage is increased, the metal configuration evolves from isolated rows, to areas of local 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}3 and 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2 structure, to a surface entirely terminated by a 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2 array of Al dimers at 0.5 ML. Deposition of more than 0.5 ML results in the growth of three-dimensional Al clusters on the 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2 surface. Electronic-structure effects are illustrated, and two alternative bonding sites for the Al adatom dimers are suggested.

Molecular evolutionary history of ancient aquatic angiosperms.

Abstract: Aquatic plants are notoriously difficult to study systematically due to convergent evolution and reductionary processes that result in confusing arrays of morphological features. Plant systematists have frequently focused their attention on the "water lilies," putative descendants of the most archaic angiosperms. Classification of these 10 plant genera varies from recognition of one to three orders containing three to six families. We have used DNA sequence analysis as a means of overcoming many problems inherent in morphologically based studies of the group. Phylogenetic analyses of sequence data obtained from a 1.2-kilobase portion of the chloroplast gene rbcL provide compelling evidence for the recognition of three distinct lineages of "water lily" plants. Molecular phylogenies including woody Magnoliidae sequences and sequences of these aquatic plants depict Ceratophyllum as an early diverging genus. Our results support hypotheses that most taxonomic concepts of the order Nymphaeales reflect polyphyletic groups and that the unusual genus Ceratophyllum represents descendants of some of the earliest angiosperms.