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The Interaction Between A Thiol Specific Probe (Opa) And The Single Channel Characteristics Of The Reconstituted Ca++ Release Protein From Skeletal Muscle Sarcoplasmic Reticulum, Alexander Braun

Dissertations and Theses

One advantage of higher life-forms over less developed organisms is their ability to respond to signals from their environment with motion. This requires highly specialized contractile cells and a whole locomotion apparatus. In vertebrates, the cells responsible for movement are the skeletal muscle cells. They receive signals from the autonomic nervous system in the form of an action potential, and they contract in an appropriate manner. Calcium is a vital intracellular passenger whose role in muscular function is to initiate contraction. It is released via specific channel proteins from an internal Ca⁺⁺ store, the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and triggers muscular …

Renal Responses To Differential Rates Of Blood Volume Expansion In The Toad, Bufo Marinus, Mark Edward Bolke

Dissertations and Theses

Three aspects of renal function were measured in the toad, Bufo marinus (N=lO): (1) effect of rate of blood volume expansion on renal functions (UFR; GFR; urine and plasma ion concentrations; and ion excretion rates), (2) effect of hypo- and hyperosmotic blood volume expansions on renal functions, and (3) role of GFR and tubular processes in the differential response of UFR under different osmotic expansion stresses. Renal responses to differential rates of blood volume expansion have not been investigated in amphibians. Rate responses will be analyzed considering effects: ( 1) during infusion (neural, or, short term regulation of extracellular fluid …

Gaining State Response On Global Environmental Problem-Solving: Developing A State-Centric Approach, Heather Macgregor Bothwell

Dissertations and Theses

This study focuses on identifying the conditions which encourage or discourage international cooperation with regard to environmental problem-solving. In particular, the divergence between two key international relations theories, Environmentalism and Realism, will be examined in hopes of forging a rapprochement and stimulating research for a comprehensive theoretical approach to global environmental problem-solving. It is hypothesized that a state-centric political system is both a reality and an effective structure for environmental problem-solving, therefore an examination of state participation and the motivators and inhibitors affecting state response on certain environmental issues is conducted. In particular, this study hypothesizes that uncertainty can act …

An Assessment Of The Impact Of Intimate Victim-Offender Relationship On Sentencing In Serious Assault Cases, Laura J. Hickman

Dissertations and Theses

It is generally agreed that a criminal justice system reflects the values of the society within which it exists. The presence of patriarchal social values will likely affect the response of the criminal justice system to intimate violence. While the perpetration of violence against another is a violation of an important social norm, patriarchal values may function to discount the seriousness of such an act, if the violence is perpetrated by a man against his girlfriend or wife. This discount of seriousness may lead to less severe punishment for men who assault their intimates than to men who assault nonintimates. …

English-Speaking Three-Year-Olds In A Spanish Language Immersion Program, Alice Golstein

Dissertations and Theses

Foreign language immersion programs, wherein the regular school curriculum is taught through the foreign language, have become increasingly widespread in recent years. Although there have been a plethora of studies reporting on second language immersion programs involving school-age programs, there is a dearth of information describing such programs for preschoolers. The purpose of this study was to observe and describe an immersion program for three-year-olds, particularly with respect to specific features of early stages of the language acquisition process.

The primary area of interest was to determine the existence of and features of a silent period for these children. Secondary …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Novel Fluorine Containing Alkylsulfonyls And Sulfonates : Fluorinated Sulfonyl Methanes And Derivatives, Nelson R. Holcomb

Dissertations and Theses

A series of salts of the strong fluorocarbon acid bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)methane were made: (CF3S02 ) 2CHK, (CF3S02 ) 2CHLi, [ (CF3S02 ) 2CH] 2Ca, [ (CF3S02 ) 2CH] 2Hg, (CF3S02 ) 2CHAg, [ (CF3S02 ) 2CH] 3La. Their reactivity and use as organic intermediates were investigated. The salts were made from their corresponding carbonates, oxides, or hydrides. The reaction times for the salts is generally short, however the purification process was laborious, involving recrystallization from organic solvents and drying under vacuum. The lithium salt is being evaluated as a solid state battery electrolyte. Derivatives of bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)methane were made by using the …

Independent Acoustic Stimulation Of The Amphibian And Basilar Papillae Of Rana Pipiens, Mark Parker

Dissertations and Theses

This study attempted to selectively stimulate and record from either the amphibian or basilar papillae of Rana pipiens. Computer-generated, frequency-specific clicks were used to elicit BSER's from either amphibian or basilar papillae. Narrow-band noise fatiguers were presented in the frequency region of which each papillae are tuned. It was expected that a threshold shift would be elicited in the papillae that received the acoustic trauma, and that no threshold shift would be observed from the collateral papilla.

The results of this experiment indicated that there was no overall difference between the threshold shift of either papilla. Furthermore, the amount …

Return To Unity: The Philosophy Of Lo Ch'in-Shun, Paul E. Devore

Dissertations and Theses

After the fall of the Han dynasty (202 B.C.-220 A.O.), Confucian thought did not become influential again until the end of the T'ang dynasty (618-907) and the beginning of the Sung dynasty (960-1279). Its resurgence in the Sung was accompanied by, if not completely driven by a newly conceived system of metaphysics. Although Sung Confucians honored and frequently referred to Confucius and Mencius, metaphysics was their central concern. Lo Ch'in-shun, a Confucian in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), saw inconsistencies between traditional Confucian thought and the thought of Sung Confucians. He viewed himself as orthodox and thought it was his duty …

O-Phthalaldehyde Modification Of Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium Release, Steffen Koehler

Dissertations and Theses

Muscle contraction is a phenomena which fascinated already the ancient Greeks. People have long sought to understand the mechanism of muscle contraction. Today we know that in order for muscle to contract, an action potential propagates from the nerve cell to the muscle cell. Upon arriving at the muscle cell, via a mechanism called Excitation- Contraction (E-C) coupling, Ca2 + is released from an intracellular membrane system, the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), into the intracellular fluid. The increase of intracellular Ca2 + initiates the interaction between the contractile units which results in force development and tension. The least well understood step …

Indigent V. Non-Indigent Sex Offenders: An Analysis Of Sentencing In Clackamas, Multnomah And Washington Counties, Oregon, Dorelei Victoria Linder

Dissertations and Theses

The present paper is a descriptive study of sex offender sentencing in three Oregon counties in 1992. It examines the relationship between sentencing practices and indigent offenders. It focuses specifically on the question of offender indigent status and court ordered sex offender treatment. The study also provides information about the number of sex offenders in each of the three counties, how the offenders' sentences were determined by the courts through the use of the sentencing guidelines matrix, what type of plea was used, and what if any influence indigence had in the sentencing outcomes for the felony sex offenders in …

State Cooperation On Regulatory Policies For Transboundary Environmental Issues, Jennifer Lyn Pennell

Dissertations and Theses

This research analyzes three contributing factors, perception, knowledge, and affordability, in order to estimate the likelihood of state cooperation on effective regulatory policies for transboundary environmental problems. The correlative hypothesis in this research postulates that states are more likely to support environmental regulatory policies when the issue is perceived by policymakers as serious, substantiated by a high level of knowledge, and affordable for the state. Regulatory policies for transboundary environmental issues require policymakers to act in foresight, employ precautionary measures, and cooperate. Cooperation implies that states will coordinate their policies and eschew their dominant strategy of independent decision making. However, …

Variation In Plasma Prostaglandin E2 Level In Mouse During Infection With Trichinella Spiralis And Trichinella Pseudospiralis, Zahra Mehdizadehkashi

Dissertations and Theses

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes infiltrate tissues in response to an inflammatory stimulus such as endotoxin or parasite products. Previous studies have shown an extensive cellular infilteration about the parasitized skeletal muscle of mouse infected with the nematode, Trichinella spiralis. Infection of the host with Trichinella pseudospiralis, on the other hand, is associated with a dramatic suppression of inflammatory cellular response. Prostaglandin Bi is a product of arachidonic acid metabolism and is synthesized by variety of cell types. Prostaglandins of the E series have been generally known to suppress inflammatory responses. In the present study, I have investigated the possible relation between plasma …

The Chemotactic Response Of Neutrophils To Components Of The Sera Of Mice Infected With Trichinella Spiralis, Sara Lynn Youngman

Dissertations and Theses

Neutrophils accumulate around Trichinella spiralis larvae encysted in skeletal muscle cells of the host. The magnitude of the neutrophil infiltration follows a pattern relating to the stage of infection of T.spiralis. This study was performed to determine if there are factors chemotactic for neutrophils present in the sera of mice infected with T.spiralis, and if present, to compare the chemotactic potential of sera from several time points during the infection. Female MRL++ mice hosted the T.spiralis infection and provided neutrophils for all experiments. The chemotactic potentials of sera were tested by placing 150 ul of serum collected …

Weakest Pre-Condition And Data Flow Testing, Griffin David Mcclellan

Dissertations and Theses

Current data flow testing criteria cannot be applied to test array elements for two reasons: 1. The criteria are defined in terms of graph theory which is insufficiently expressive to investigate array elements. 2. Identifying input data which test a specified array element is an unsolvable problem. We solve the first problem by redefining the criteria without graph theory. We address the second problem with the invention of the wp_du method, which is based on Dijkstra's weakest pre-condition formalism. This method accomplishes the following: Given a program, a def-use pair and a variable (which can be an array element), the …

Seasonal Hidden Markov Models For Stochastic Time Series With Periodically Varying Characteristics, Arthur M. Lewis

Dissertations and Theses

Novel seasonal hidden Markov models (SHMMs) for stochastic time series with periodically varying characteristics are developed. Nonlinear interactions among SHMM parameters prevent the use of the forward-backward algorithms which are usually used to fit hidden Markov models to a data sequence. Instead, Powell's direction set method for optimizing a function is repeatedly applied to adjust SHMM parameters to fit a data sequence. SHMMs are applied to a set of meteorological data consisting of 9 years of daily rain gauge readings from four sites. The fitted models capture both the annual patterns and the short term persistence of rainfall patterns across …

Dialogue And Critical Thinking In Personal Action, Amanda Elizabeth Feller

Dissertations and Theses

A common criticism of U.S. citizens today, whether as voters or students or workers, is that they are "lazy and apathetic". It is important to explore the validity of this criticism. This thesis begins with the premise that there are two prerequisites for citizenship in a democracy: (1) that citizens be willing to participate and (2) that citizens are able to participate.

The purpose of this research is to examine a particular set of perspectives regarding social conditions which consistently impact the two aforementioned prerequisites. This examination addresses social conditions that undermine a person's ability to participate meaningfully and it …

Electrolysis Of Palladium In Heavy Water, Christoph Zaczek

Dissertations and Theses

Following several reports in the past few years about compositional changes on palladium used as a cathode in heavy water electrolysis, the purpose of this research project was to reproduce this results.

Two experiments were performed using two cells connected in series, an experimental cell and a control cell.

Both experiments used platinum anodes, the experimental cell had a palladium cathode and the control cell had a platinum cathode. The electrolyte was D₂O with H₂SO₄. Radiation was monitored during both experiments. Also temperature and voltage were recorded for both experiments, to allow statements about …

Generalized Beam Matrices: Gaussian Beam Propagation In Misaligned Complex Optical Systems, Anthony A. Tovar, Lee W. Casperson

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A novel 3 × 3 transfer-matrix method is developed to propagate off-axis Gaussian beams in astigmatic optical systems that may include tilted, displaced, or curved optical elements. Unlike in a previous generalized ray matrix formalism, optical elements that possess gain or loss such as Gaussian apertures, complex lenslike media, and amplifiers are included; and a new beam transformation is found. In addition, a novel exponential variable-reflectivity mirror, which displaces a Gaussian beam without changing its spot size, and a complex prismlike medium are introduced.

Lettres D'Une Peruvienne: An Enlightenment Utopian Novel, Susan Leigh Weir

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines Francoise de Graffigny's eighteenth-century novel, Lettres d'une Peruvienne, focusing on the aspects that demonstrate its consideration as a utopian work, or moreover, as a feminist utopian work.

The first chapter is developed from the premise about utopian fiction that the author's life must be considered since it is out of his or her "lived social experience" that utopian visions are born. Utopias, many have argued, are born out of reactions to social inequities and injustices. This chapter thus presents and analyzes, Graffigny's life especially where it shows needs for a future utopia.

The second chapter explores …

Electrolysis Of Titanium In Heavy Water, Radovan Kopecek

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of these studies was to determine if results similar to those of Fleischmann and Pons could be obtained using a titanium cathode instead of palladium in an electrolysis in a heavy water cell. The electrolyte consists of D₂O and H₂SO₄. Two experiments have been performed to examine the features of this electrolysis. As titanium shows the same properties to attract hydrogen, it seemed possible that excess heat could be produced. Radiation was monitored, and the surface of the titanium cathode was examined before and after electrolysis for any changes in the morphology …

North Vs. South: Sovereign Equality And The Environment In The Twentieth Century, Thomas Schlesinger

Dissertations and Theses

Although Third World states lack military and economic strength, they still are able to exert considerable influence on certain international issues. The proliferation of small states following World War II, coupled with the twentieth century acceptance of the norm of sovereign equality, has enabled the weak states of the international system to challenge the order established by the strong. While Third World nations are weak according to traditional measures of power, sovereign equality and bloc voting by the small states, have accorded a type of "conditional" power to the South. This conditional power is augmented by the advent of a …

Student Attitudes Toward Word Processing And Writing In The English As A Second Or Other Language Classroom, Greg Lynn Buchan

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the attitudes of English as a second or other language (ESOL) students who used computers/word processors to develop skills in writing English. Two primary questions were investigated: what are students' attitudes toward using computers to write English and what are students' attitudes toward learning computer and word processing skills? The subjects were 40 ESOL students enrolled at South Seattle Community College (SSCC) in technical programs and were required to complete a transitional English class that included business and technical writing . Students received 10 weeks of writing instruction on word processors. A 38-item attitude inventory created by …

The Hero At Rest, David Tinsley

Dissertations and Theses

My thesis consists of seven short stories, works of fiction, each of which deals with one or more aspects of human emotional suffering. Most of the stories attempt to examine the lives of either young or middle-aged men who have come from broken families. A number of these men have witnessed in their parents the ravages of alcoholism and yet they themselves have fallen--or are at risk of falling--prey to an identical atavistic fate. Religious faith, whether it be ecclesiastic or secular, plays a key role in their lives, to the extent that none of them have it.

Wanting to …

The Distribution Of Naturally Occurring Soil Radionuclides And Radon Potential Of Northwest Oregon, Stuart Graham Ashbaugh

Dissertations and Theses

Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced as one of the decay products of soil/rock uranium and thorium, is considered to be a leading cause of pulmonary disease. Gamma spectrometry of 146 samples of soil were used to quantify radon source potential relative to lithology by measuring Bi²¹⁴ activity of the U²³⁸ decay series. Additional soil radio nuclide data (Th²³², Ac²²⁸, K40 and C¹³⁷ ) were used to help identify regional source provenance geochemistry and soil development. Ac²²⁸, Bi²¹⁴ and Th²³² activities in northwest Oregon soils range from five …

Synthesis And Characterization Of A Porphyrin Dyad, Dale A. Braden

Dissertations and Theses

The sun is a bountiful source of energy for our planet. .With the advent of photovoltaic cells, man has begun harnessing the sun's radiant energy, turning it into a form more directly useful: electricity. Commercially available solar cells currently operate at about 13% efficiency, sufficiently high to make them a viable source of electrical energy. It is of great interest, however, to improve their conversion efficiency, and to lower the cost of production so as to make them more economical, and thereby reduce our dependence upon traditional "dirty" sources of energy such as coal and oil. It has been found …

1995 Commencement Program, Thomas Erlich

Commencement Archives 1990-99

The program for the Portland State University Spring Commencement ceremony on June 10, 1995.

Thomas Ehrlich, LL.B., delivered the commencement address; Monroe M Sweetland, B.A. and John Eliot Allen, Ph.D., received Presidential Citations from PSU President Judith Ramaley.

An Exploration Of Theoretical Issues Related To Mediation Found In The Social Science Literature, Cheryl E. Nally

Dissertations and Theses

Mediation is a problem-solving approach to conflict management that is used more and more in virtually every context in which conflicts arise. This paper explores the wide range of meaning for the term 'mediation' as found in the social science literature and examines the question of what processes can properly be called mediation. It surveys the literature related to numerous theories of mediation and examines the meaning of the term as established in its various contexts.

The mediation literature can be divided into the following contexts: public sector or court connected mediation, divorce mediation, international mediation, environmental mediation, community mediation, …

Informational Supports For Caregivers Responsible For Spouses With Alzheimer's Disease, Janet Lynn Mathews

Dissertations and Theses

Alzheimer's disease currently affects four million Americans and is increasing as "America grays." Although health complications can cause death within the first two to ten years, some persons with Alzheimer's disease live twenty years. Because three times as many persons with the disease live at home instead of in institutions, caregiver researchers have investigated caregiving in the home environment, focusing on caregivers' perspectives. Surprisingly, many caregivers reported that they did not receive the information or support they needed to manage home care from the traditional information resources, family and medical providers. The purpose of this study was to explore what …

The Effects Of A Realistic Job Preview On An Applicant's Ability To Self-Select Into Organizations, Melissa Lynn Burton

Dissertations and Theses

In typical selection processes organizations gather information about an applicant. Rarely, however, do applicants collect equal information about the job or organization. This unequal exchange can inhibit an applicant's participation in the selection process. Studies have shown that realistic job previews (RJPs) positively influence applicants' job expectations, job satisfaction, turnover, self-selection, etc. Applicant self-selection can benefit both the organization and the applicant in terms of time, money, and energy required during the selection process and after organizational entry.

The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between RJPs and self-selection. The study assessed the influence of a …

Modeling Of Decay Rate For Molecules At An Island Surface, Ting Xiong

Dissertations and Theses

The decay rates for molecules at rough surfaces are studied via an island surface model, with particular emphasis on the effect due to the distribution of surface roughness. Two extreme cases are studied when the surface islands distribute themselves evenly and when they coalesce to form local clusters at the molecule-substrate interface. The optical properties of the interfacial layer in these two cases are described by the Maxwell-Garnett and the fractal-cluster models, respectively. Among other results, it is found that both enhancement and suppression of the surface-induced decay rates are possible due to the presence of roughness, with more dramatic …