Showing papers by "University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee published in 1997"
TL;DR: Molecular biological studies suggest that Xenorhabdus and PhotorhabDus spp.
Abstract: ▪ Abstract Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus spp. are gram negative gamma proteobacteria that form entomopathogenic symbioses with soil nematodes. They undergo a complex life cycle that involves a symbiotic stage, in which the bacteria are carried in the gut of the nematodes, and a pathogenic stage, in which susceptible insect prey are killed by the combined action of the nematode and the bacteria. Both bacteria produce antibiotics, intracellular protein crystals, and numerous other products. These traits change in phase variants, which arise when the bacteria are maintained under stationary phase conditions in the laboratory. Molecular biological studies suggest that Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus spp. may serve as valuable model systems for studying signal transduction and transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression. Such studies also indicate that these bacterial groups, which had been previously considered to be very similar, may actually be quite different at the molecular level.
571 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the extent of strategic change initiated in a successful turnaround varies systematically with a declining firm's need and capacity to reorient its strategy, and the adaptive role that strategic reorientations have in the turnaround attempts of declining firms with weak strategic positions.
Abstract: Early corporate turnaround theorists argued that strategic reorientations are central to the recovery process at many declining firms. However, subsequent large-sample empirical studies have reported that performance turnarounds for declining firms are primarily associated with cutback actions that increase efficiency, thus creating a gap between theory and empirical findings. We close this gap by presenting and empirically supporting a model proposing that the extent of strategic change initiated in a successful turnaround varies systematically with a declining firm’s need and capacity to reorient its strategy. Based on our model, we offer explanations for why past large-sample researchers were not able to verify the role of strategic change in the turnaround process and we reassert the adaptive role that strategic reorientations have in the turnaround attempts of declining firms with weak strategic positions. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
477 citations
TL;DR: Understanding the mechanisms by which the chemical environment of a sediment is generated and stabilized requires a knowledge of resident populations, and the new approaches of molecular biology have provided tools whereby sedimentary populations can be examined without the need for culturing the organisms.
Abstract: ▪ Abstract The prokaryotes (bacteria) comprise the bulk of the biomass and chemical activity in sediments. They are well suited to their role as sediment chemists, as they are the right size and have the required metabolic versatility to oxidize the organic carbon in a variety of different ways. The characteristic vertical nutrient (electron donor and electron acceptor) profiles seen in sediments are produced as a result of microbial activities, with each nutrient a product or reactant of one or more metabolic groups. Thus, understanding the mechanisms by which the chemical environment of a sediment is generated and stabilized requires a knowledge of resident populations, something that has been very difficult to obtain, given the techniques available to microbiologists. However, the new approaches of molecular biology, which have added insights into the phylogenetic relationships of the prokaryotes, have also provided tools whereby sedimentary populations can be examined without the need for culturing th...
383 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, optical vortices that have quasi-point core functions, such as optical vortex solitons, may orbit one another at rates that are orders of magnitude larger than those with nonlocalized cores.
Abstract: Optical vortices in linear and nonlinear media may exhibit propagation dynamics similar to hydrodynamic vortex phenomena. Analytical and numerical methods are used to describe and investigate the interaction between vortices and the background field. We demonstrate that optical vortices that have quasi-point core functions, such as optical vortex solitons, may orbit one another at rates that are orders of magnitude larger than those with nonlocalized cores.
349 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a dynamic buffering process was developed to measure the jobs-housing ratio within floating catchment areas of a 5-7 mile (8.05-11.27 km) radius as opposed to predefined and arbitrary jurisdictional boundaries.
Abstract: This paper applies geographical information system (GIS) techniques and a piece-wise, non-linear model-spline functions—to analyse empirically the relationship between the jobs-housing ratio and urban commuting patterns in terms of vehicle miles travelled (VMT) and trip length. A dynamic buffering process in GIS is developed to measure the jobs-housing ratio within floating catchment areas of a 5-7 mile (8.05-11.27 km) radius as opposed to pre-defined and arbitrary jurisdictional boundaries. This study found a non-linear relationship between the jobs-housing ratio and VMT and trip length in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area. Only when the jobs-housing ratio is less than 1.2 or larger than 2.8 do VMT vary noticeably as the jobs-housing ratio changes. Marginal changes in VMT are small when the jobs-housing ratio is between 1.2 and 2.8. Since most areas in the study region have a job-household ratio between 1.2 and 2.8, any changes in the jobs-housing ratio will have little impact on VMT. Consequently,...
294 citations
TL;DR: The authors compared the persuasiveness of using statistical versus narrative (example) evidence across 15 investigations and found that when comparing messages, statistical evidence was more persuasive than narrative evidence (r =.101).
Abstract: This meta‐analysis compares the persuasiveness of using statistical versus narrative (example) evidence across 15 investigations. The results indicate that when comparing messages, statistical evidence is more persuasive than narrative evidence (r = .101).
270 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, social and cognitive factors were investigated to determine whether selfefficacy and social support moderate the relationship between stress, and physical and psychological distress among Hispanic c... and c...
Abstract: Social and cognitive factors were investigated to determine whether self-efficacy and social support moderate the relationship between stress, andphysical andpsychological distress among Hispanic c...
253 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, 16S rRNA from Lake Michigan sediment was hybridized with a DNA probe for archaeal 16S. rRNA quantification using DNA probe specific for this crenarchaeotal assemblage showed it was most abundant in the oxic zone, where it accounts for about 10% of total rRNA.
Abstract: RNA from Lake Michigan sediment was hybridized with a DNA probe for archaeal 16S rRNA. There was a peak of archaeal rRNA abundance in the oxic zone and another immediately below it. Six contributing species were identified by PCR amplification of extracted DNA with primers specific for archaeal rDNA: two related to Methanosarcina acetivorans and four related to marine crenarchaeotal sequences. rRNA quantification using a DNA probe specific for this crenarchaeotal assemblage showed it is most abundant in the oxic zone, where it accounts for about 10% of total archaeal rRNA.
222 citations
TL;DR: This work presents a query answering procedure that takes a query Q and a set of evidence E and constructs a Bayesian network to compute P(Q¦E) .
203 citations
TL;DR: The development and validation of a Bayesian network (MammoNet) to assist in mammographic diagnosis of breast cancer is described and the methods and issues in the system's design, implementation, and evaluation are outlined.
192 citations
11 Nov 1997
TL;DR: A system for protecting the privacy of cryptograms to avoid detection by censors is presented, which transforms ciphertext into innocuous text which can be transformed back into the original ciphertext.
Abstract: In this paper we present a system for protecting the privacy of cryptograms to avoid detection by censors. The system transforms ciphertext into innocuous text which can be transformed back into the original ciphertext. The expandable set of tools allows experimentation with custom dictionaries, automatic simulation of writing style, and the use of Context-Free-Grammars to control text generation. The scope of this paper is to provide an overview of the basic transformation processes and to demonstrate the quality of the generated text.
TL;DR: Since the electrode‐tissue contact is not known prior to the application of power to the endocardium, in the absence of a temperature control system, the power should initially be set at a low level.
Abstract: During the generation of radiofrequency (RF) lesions in the ventricular myocardium, the maintenance of adequate electrode-tissue contact is critically important. In this study, lesion dimensions and temperature and impedance changes were evaluated while controlling electrode-tissue contact levels (-5, 0, +1, and +3 mm) and power levels (10, 20, and 30 W). This data was used to assess the ability of impedance and temperature monitoring to provide useful information about the quality of electrode-tissue contact. The results show that as the electrode-tissue contact increases, so does the amount of temperature rise. With the electrode floating in blood (-5 contact), the average maximum temperature increase with 20 and 30 W was only 7 +/- 1 and 11 +/- 2 degrees C, respectively. At 20 and 30 W the temperature plateaued shortly after the initiation of power application. With good electrode-tissue contact (+1 mm or +3 mm), the temperature increase within the first 10 seconds was significantly greater than the temperature increase from baseline with poor contact (0 mm or -5 mm) and reached a maximum of 60 +/- 1 degrees C after 60 seconds of power application. As the electrode-tissue contact increased, so did the rate and level of impedance decrease. However, the rate of impedance decrease was slower compared to the rate of temperature rise. With the electrode floating in blood, the maximum impedance decreases with 20 and 30 W were 6 +/- 6 omega and 9 +/- 5 omega, respectively. The impedances plateaued after a few seconds of power application. With the electrode in good contact, the maximum impedance decreases with 20 and 30 W were 25 +/- 2 omega and 20 +/- 6 omega, respectively. In these cases the rate of the impedance decrease plateaued after 40 seconds of power application. The increase in lesion diameter and depth correlate well with decreasing impedance and increasing temperature. However, lesion depth appears to correlate better with impedance than temperature. We conclude that, since the electrode-tissue contact is not known prior to the application of power to the endocardium, in the absence of a temperature control system, the power should initially be set at a low level. The power should be increased slowly over 20-30 seconds, and then maintained at its final level for at least 90 seconds to allow for maximal lesion depth maturation. The power level should be lowered if the impedance drop exceeds 15 omega.
TL;DR: The correlations seen here suggest that CYP1A or aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in the endothelium may be linked to early lesions that result in TCDD-induced vascular derangements leading to yolk sac, pericardial, and meningial edema that is associated with lake trout sac fry mortality, but the precise mechanism remains to be determined.
TL;DR: In the traditional scenario in cryptography there is one sender, one receiver and an active or passive eavesdropper who is an opponent as discussed by the authors, but in threshold cryptography the adversary is an organization.
Abstract: In the traditional scenario in cryptography there is one sender, one receiver and an active or passive eavesdropper who is an opponent. Depending from the application the sender or the receiver (or both) need to use a secret key. Often we are not dealing with an individual sender/receiver, but the sender/receiver is an organization. The goal of threshold cryptography is to present practical schemes to solve such problems without the need to use the more general methods of mental games.
TL;DR: This article found that the newsworthiness of a homicide is enhanced when Whites are suspects or victims, males are suspects, and victims are females, children, or senior citizens, and concluded that status deviance and cultural deviance are important components of newsworthiness and statistical deviance may be much less important than commonly assumed.
Abstract: Existing research has failed to develop a satisfactory theoretical explanation for journalists' decisions about which crimes to highlight and which to ignore. We proposed that four forms of deviance (normative deviance, statistical deviance, status deviance, and cultural deviance) account for much of the variation in decisions about crime news. To test deviance-based explanations for crime news, we conducted a comprehensive investigation of Milwaukee, WI, homicides and how two newspapers covered them. We used content analysis and interviews with journalists. The results showed that the newsworthiness of a homicide is enhanced when Whites are suspects or victims, males are suspects, and victims are females, children, or senior citizens. We concluded that status deviance and cultural deviance are important components of newsworthiness and that statistical deviance (unusualness) may be much less important than commonly assumed.
TL;DR: This paper examined how two ad execution characteristics intended to heighten persuasion can influence the resources required to process an ad under high and low motivation conditions and found that under low motivation, persuasion is unaffected by these two execution characteristics but instead is affected by heuristic aspects of the ad photo.
Abstract: This article examines how two ad execution characteristics intended to heighten persuasion can influence the resources required to process an ad under high and low motivation conditions. These ad execution characteristics include (1) whether the ad copy is narrative or factual and (2) whether the ad layout either physically integrates or separates the ad picture and ad claims. Results reveal that under low motivation, persuasion is unaffected by these two execution characteristics but instead is affected by heuristic aspects of the ad photo. Under high motivation, whether persuasion is heightened or undermined appears to depend on the extent to which the ad execution characteristics render the resources needed to process the ad equal to, in excess of, or inadequate compared with those that motivated viewers have available for processing the ad.
TL;DR: In this study, the method of concept analysis was used to inductively generate a definition of the concept of suffering and to clarify various contextual aspects of the Concept of suffering.
Abstract: Suffering is a significant, yet elusive, phenomenon in nursing and health care. Despite the importance and prevalence of suffering, there is only a small body of substantive literature on this topic. Some of the difficulty in expanding this knowledge base undoubtedly is related to the lack of a solid conceptual foundation for exploration of this phenomenon. Although there have been attempts to provide needed conceptual clarity, these efforts typically have not been based on systematic inquiry. In this study, the method of concept analysis was used to inductively generate a definition of the concept of suffering and to clarify various contextual aspects of the concept. Suffering is defined as an individualized, subjective, and complex experience that involves the assignment of an intensely negative meaning to an event or a perceived threat. Implications of these findings and additional contextual aspects of the concept for nursing practice and inquiry are presented. These results help to provide the conceptual foundation needed to enhance recognition and understanding of the human experience of suffering.
TL;DR: In this article, the influence of methods courses on elementary teachers in science and mathematics education is discussed, and the authors propose Preparing Efficacious Elementary Teachers in Science and Mathematics: The Influence of Methods Courses.
Abstract: (1997). Preparing Efficacious Elementary Teachers in Science and Mathematics: The Influence of Methods Courses. Journal of Science Teacher Education: Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 107-126.
TL;DR: In this article, phytoliths and carbon isotopes were analyzed for change in late Quaternary grasslands in the Red Valley of the southern Black Hills in the US.
TL;DR: In this article, the estimation of biomass concentrations in algal growth inhibition tests from measurements of pigment fluorescence in extracts of 20% sample (final v/v) prepared by direct addition to dimethylsulfoxide/acetone solvent offers several advantages compared to currently used direct or indirect methods.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors designed validity evidence for the Middle School Self-Efficacy Scale, a measure of selfefficacy, outcome-expectancy and intentions and goals in career decision making or personal development.
Abstract: This study was designed to obtain validity evidence for the Middle School Self-Efficacy Scale, a measure of self-efficacy, outcome-expectancy and intentions and goals in career decision making or m...
TL;DR: Anther-stigma separation (herkogamy) is highly variable within populations of Mimulus ringens, a bumblebee-pollinated perennial herb with a mixed-mating system, and the relationship between this floral trait and individual outcrossing rates was studied.
Abstract: Outcrossing rates of individual Mimulus ringens genets are correlated with anther–stigma separation
TL;DR: The use of modern phytolith assemblages for the interpretation of fossil PHYCLOSES demonstrates the utility of PHYTHOLYS analysis in reconstructing grassland vegetation and climate in the Great Plains of North America as mentioned in this paper.
TL;DR: In this paper, body weight and ten body segment measurements were collected from 367 wild-trapped vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) in central and southern Kenya.
Abstract: Body weight and ten body segment measurements were collected from 367 wild-trapped vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) in central and southern Kenya. The animals represent between 70 and 95% of the animals in each of 30 troops at four geographical locations separated by 80 to 380 km. The capture sites differed in altitude, mean annual rainfall and temperature. Two questions are addressed: (1) what are the differences in male and female growth patterns, and (2) what is the relationship between size, climate, and availability of food? Each animal was assigned to an age class based on dental examination. Means for all variables do not diverge for males and females from birth to age class 4 (15-18 months). After this, male and female growth rates diverge. This sexual dimorphism in growth pattern may reflect timing of entry into the reproductive community. A nested analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to compare sites, groups within sites and individuals within groups. Statistically significant differences between sites in body weight and body segment measurements are found for adult females. Except for tail length, these differences do not follow Bergmann's or Allen's Rules correlating size differences and temperature, but rather may reflect proximity to cultivated areas or tourist lodges with greater access to human food.
TL;DR: In an effort to contribute to the dialogue between gender studies and international studies, this paper presented findings from an empirical investigation based on the integrated secondary analysis of survey data from Israel, Egypt, Palestine, and Kuwait.
Abstract: In an effort to contribute to the dialogue between gender studies and international studies, this report presents findings from an empirical investigation based on the integrated secondary analysis of survey data from Israel, Egypt, Palestine, and Kuwait. The goal is to assess the utility of both gender and attitudes pertaining to the circumstances of women in accounting for variance in views about war and peace, and thereafter to examine the degree to which political system attributes constitute conditionalities associated with important variable relationships. Major findings include the absence of gender-linked differences in attitudes toward international conflict in all four of the societies studied and a significant relationship in each of these societies between attitudes toward gender equality and attitudes toward international conflict. Based on data from the Arab world and Israel, with attitudes about a peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict treated as the dependent variable, the research also aspires to shed light on more practical considerations pertaining to the international relations of the Middle East.
TL;DR: The authors found that normative events were significant predictors of multiple aspects of present and future wellness, but there were marked age differences in which domains were key influences: for young adults, life activities were primary; for midlife adults, greatest variance was explained by the family and friends domain; in late life, prior work and educational experiences were strongest predictors for wellbeing.
Abstract: The guiding question was how past life experiences are linked with adults' assessm ents of their present and future well-being. Typical events and transitions (normative experiences) were contrasted with atypical stresses (non-normative experiences). A sample of 308 men and women, divided between young, midlife, and older adults, completed past life event inventories and rated themselves on multiple dimensions of well-being (concurrently and prospectively). Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that normative events were significant predictors of multiple aspects of present and future wellness, but there were marked age differences in which domains were key influences: For young adults, life activities were primary; for midlife adults, greatest variance was explained by the family and friends domain; in late life, prior work and educational experiences were strongest predictors of wellbeing. Non-normative events were significant positive predictors of only personal growth in young adults.
TL;DR: The data fail to support the continuation of a bias against homosexual parents by any court, and no differences on any measures between the heterosexual and homosexual parents regarding parenting styles, emotional adjustment, and sexual orientation of the child.
Abstract: Courts determine custody and visitation on the basis of the ''best interests of the child.'' Current judicial rulings in some jurisdictions reflect a bias against awarding custody or granting visitation rights to homosexual parents, favoring the heterosexual parent or heterosexual relative of the child(ren). Should the sexual orientation of the parent play a part in the determination of custody or visitation in order to protect the child? This meta-analysis summarizes the available quantitative literature comparing the impact of heterosexual and homosexual parents, using a variety of measures, on the child(ren). The analyses examine parenting practices, the emotional well-being of the child, and the sexual orientation of the child. The results demonstrate no differences on any measures between the heterosexual and homosexual parents regarding parenting styles, emotional adjustment, and sexual orientation of the child(ren). In other words, the data fail to support the continuation of a bias against homosex...
TL;DR: In this article, a mixture of aluminium-fly ash mixtures containing different weight percentages of fly ash was prepared and compacted at pressures from 138-414 MPa and the compacts were sintered in nitrogen atmosphere at 600, 625 and 645°C, respectively.
Abstract: Aluminium-fly ash mixtures containing different weight percentages of fly ash were prepared and compacted at pressures from 138–414 MPa. The compacts prepared at 414 MPa were sintered in nitrogen atmosphere at 600, 625 and 645°C, respectively. The time of sintering ranged from 0.5–6 h. The densification parameter and the green densities of the compacts were determined as a function of compacting pressure and fly ash weight per cent. Density, hardness and strength of the sintered compacts were determined as a function of weight per cent of fly ash particles. Volume changes during sintering of green compacts were also evaluated as a function of increasing fly ash weight per cent. Microscopic studies of green and sintered compacts were done to study the effectiveness of sintering. Green and sintered density of the compacts were found to decrease with increasing weight per cents of fly ash. Sintering results in slight decrease in density and increase in volume of green compacts within the range investigated. Strength of the sintered compacts decreased with increasing weight per cent of fly ash under the present experimental conditions; however, the hardness was found to increase slightly up to 10 wt% fly ash, beyond which it decreased.
TL;DR: The authors found persistent and pervasive patterns of subordination through the exclusion of Black women, reflected in insufficient instruction, coworker hostility, silence, close supervision, lack of support, and stereotyping.
Abstract: From the perspective of African American women firefighters, the authors examine the social interactions that make them excluded “outsiders within” their firehouses and different from not only dominant white men but also other subordinated groups of Black men and white women firefighters. Drawing on extensive survey data from 24 Black women career firefighters nationwide and detailed interviews with 22 of these, the authors found persistent and pervasive patterns of subordination through the exclusion of Black women, reflected in insufficient instruction, coworker hostility, silence, close supervision, lack of support, and stereotyping. Perceived differences of Black women from white and Black men as well as white women created strained relations, especially when Black men and white women gained some acceptance by virtue of their gender and race, respectively, and thus reportedly distanced themselves from Black women. The experiences of African American women firefighters highlight the omnirelevance and i...