Digital Commons Network^™

Instrumentation For Multi-Electrode Voltammetry, I-Pin Ho

Dissertations and Theses

When metal pollutants exist in natural water, their toxicity is dramatically dependent on the chemical species. Numerous sophisticated techniques and instruments have been developed to detect metal pollutants at very low concentration levels. However, one important factor is often ignored, i.e., rarely is species determination required. Electrochemical (EC) methods have the particular advantage of being, in principle, a species-sensitive method rather than an element-sensitive method for the study of metal speciation in natural waters.

The goal of this research was to develop an instrument using the EC technique for speciation and general voltammetric studies. It was accomplished by designing a …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Training In Cooperative Learning And Teacher Job Satisfaction, Margaret Maloy Dutton

Dissertations and Theses

The research on cooperative learning has been conducted in terms of student achievement but little is known of how training in and use of cooperative learning affects teachers. The central purpose of this study was to examine the association between training in cooperative learning and teacher job satisfaction, with special attention to the subsets of collegiality and efficacy. A second purpose was to examine how levels of job satisfaction, efficacy, and collegiality vary as a function of the following training variables: (a) setting, (b) amount of use, (c) kind of training, (d) preparation for implementation, and (e) opportunity for skill …

Optimization And Thermodynamic Performance Measures Of A Class Of Finite Time Thermodynamic Cycles, Joseph D. Walters

Dissertations and Theses

Modifications to the quasistatic Carnot cycle are developed in order to formulate improved theoretical bounds on the thermal efficiency of certain refrigeration cycles that produce finite cooling power. The modified refrigeration cycle is based on the idealized endoreversible finite time cycle. Two of the four cycle branches are reversible adiabats, and the other two are the high and low temperature branches along which finite heat fluxes couple the refrigeration cycle with external heat reservoirs.

This finite time model has been used to obtain the following results: First, the performance of a finite time Carnot refrigeration cycle (FTCRC) is examined. In …

Policy Into Practice: A Study Of Legislative Impact On Administrative Practice In Washington Schools, James Carter Leffler

Dissertations and Theses

This research project was designed to obtain data on factors that influence whether state level Legislative policies affect the changes in practice at which they are directed. Specifically, the study examined a teacher evaluation short form option created in 1985, the original intent of the policy, and the resultant changes in practice. It examined the situations in which the option was utilized, and whether current practice reflected research on effective practices. Phone interviews were conducted to identify legislative intent and to develop study questions and forced choice items. Systematic sampling techniques were used to distribute surveys to principals in every …

The Knowledge Systems Transfer Project: A Multiple Perspective Investigation Into The Integration Of A New Technology Within A Business Unit, Steven Craig Tarr

Dissertations and Theses

Many organizations have been attempting to build a conceptual framework for managing technology, with varying degrees of success. Most begin by consulting leading technology authorities, borrowing elements of their thinking, and adapting these elements to their organizational and personal situations. This dissertation extends this process by using the formal research methodology of multiple perspectives (technical, organizational, personal, and cross-cuing) to build a case-based model of the technology integration process. The research and the model construction benefits from a solid foundation established through a review of technology management and knowledge systems literature. The significant aspects of the research are tied to …

Resolution And Reconstitution Of The Photosystem I Reaction Center: Structure And Function Of The Terminal Electron Acceptor Fa/Fb Polypeptide, Tetemke Mehari

Dissertations and Theses

The Photosystem I core protein containing P700, A₀, A₁, and Fx has been isolated from Synechococcus sp. PCC 6301 and spinach Photosystem I complexes with 6.8 M urea followed by sucrose density ultracentrifugtion. The Photosystem I core protein has retained > 90% of Fx and 100% of P700 (determined by optical spectroscopy) but is totally devoid of iron-sulfur centers Fᴀ and Fв (determined by optical and ESR spectroscopy). SDS-PAGE indicates the retention of the 82-and 83-kDa reaction center polypeptides. The loss of Fᴀ and Fв is further reflected in the decline of acid labile sulfide from 11.8 ± 0.4 S²-/P700 in …

Chemistry Of Pentafluorothio (Sf5) Alkyl Derivatives, Rolf Walter Winter

Dissertations and Theses

Part I describes the preparation of a number of useful intermediates from the sultone F₅SCHCF₂OSO₂ (1). These intermediates include the following: the ketene F₅SC(SO₂)=C=O (21), the unique sultone F₄S=CCF₂OSO₂ (23), and various ionic intermediates of the form Y⁺ [F₅SC(SO₂F) COX]^-. These intermediates play an important role in providing new pathways for preparing fluorosulfonic acid precursors. Fluorosulfonic acids are excellent candidates to improve the efficiency of environmentally safe fuel cells. It was possible to obtain new derivatives of 1 by …

The Effect Of Two Viologens On The Solution Speciation Of Tetrakis([Rho]-Carboxyphenyl)Porphine, Suzanne Elizabeth Clarke

Dissertations and Theses

Porphyrins and viologens are often utilized in photocatalyzed electron transfer chemistry. Some of the problems faced by researchers in these applied studies include the lack of information correlating the porphyrin absorbance spectral changes with porphyrin dimerization, complexation, and the effect of noncomplexing cations. In addition, the efficiency of the system is greatly reduced by the formation of porphyrin:viologen association complexes. Knowledge of the values of these constants may allow selection of appropriate porphyrin:viologen concentration ratios which would enable optimization of these systems when used in such applications as artificial photosynthesis. This study reports the effect of selected salts and solvents …

The Determinants Of Opec Market Share Stability, Fahed M. Al-Ajmi

Dissertations and Theses

The objectives of this dissertation are to explain the production behavior of OPEC's member countries from 1971 to 1987 and to determine whether there was any structural shift in OPEC's production behavior after the organization attempted to assign a quota to each member. This study focused on political and social as well as economic variables, in order to overcome the misspecification of previous models. In order to achieve the above objectives, the study used the following four models, with modifications: the cartel, competitive, target revenue, and property rights models. The double log multiple linear regression technique was used to operationalize …

Analysis And Numerical Simulation Of The Ground Water System At The Bonneville Navigation Lock Site, Oregon, Dirk Baron

Dissertations and Theses

As part of the new navigation lock for Bonneville Dam a new water source for the Bonneville Fish Hatchery must be supplied. The hatchery is located on the Oregon side of the Columbia River downstream of the dam. It requires large quantities of water free from chemical and biological contamination. In addition, the water has to be in a narrow temperature range. Currently the fish hatchery receives its water from a well field that is located on the alluvial terrace downstream of Bonneville Dam. The well field lies in the proposed approach channel for the new lock and has to …

Speechreading Ability In Elementary School-Age Children With And Without Functional Articulation Disorders, Barbara L. Habermann

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare the speechreading abilities of elementary school-age children with mild to severe articulation disorders with those of children with normal articulation. Speechreading ability, as determined by a speechreading test, indicates how well a person recognizes the visual cues of speech. Speech sounds that have similar visual characteristics have been defined as visemes by Jackson in 1988 and can be categorized into distinct groups based on their place of articulation. A relationship between recognition of these visemes and correct articulation was first proposed by Woodward and Barber in 1960. Dodd, in 1983, noted that …

Phrasal Verbs In Academic Lectures, Robert D. Pierce

Dissertations and Theses

Phrasal verbs are a pervasive and distinctly Germanic part of the spoken English language that has been alive for centuries. They have preceded American history, and yet considered to be "the most active and creative pattern and word formation in the American language" (Meyer, 1975). Distinctly colloquial, idiomatic and varying in shades of literalness and figurativity, phrasal verbs are largely dominant in casual usage, such as conversation, while the Latinate verbs of English are dominant in formal usage, such as in making reports (McArthur 1989). While foreign educators and their students, such as from Chinese countries, are found to emphasize …

Employment Decline In The Douglas-Fir Region's Lumber And Plywood Industries: An Analysis Of Structural And Cyclical Factors, Majid Rasoolzadeh

Dissertations and Theses

Over the years a significant decline in employment had occurred in the Douglas-fir region’s lumber and wood products industry. High levels of unemployment can lead to undesirable economic and social effects. An understanding of the nature of unemployment can facilitate future planning as well as mitigating current problems. This study has attempted to examine the underlying causes of employment decline in the region’s softwood lumber and plywood industries, specifically over the period 1979-86. This time span is of particular importance since there was a rapid decline in employment levels after 1979. There has been much controversy over the causes of …

Introduction, Lawrence Wheeler

Anthós Journal (1990-1996)

Provides an overview of the content of the issue. In addition, given that this is the first issue, provides the reasoning behind the creation of the journal as well as a broad overview of its genesis.

Creative Suffering: The Theme Of Mediation In Pascal's Pensées, Kathleen Merrow

Anthós Journal (1990-1996)

The idea of mediation runs through Pascal’s Pensées and is an important part of his contribution to western thought. This paper traces the concept of mediation through the theme of creative suffering and the figure of Christ in Pensées. In addition, Pascal’s particular concept of mediation can be found as a supporting concept to the philosophies of such diverse early 20th century figures as Poincare, Blondel, and Bergson. In the end this paper traces a complicated and complex problem for Pascal, that of Mediation, and suggests that it ultimately had tragic consequences for him.

The Orchestration Of Nature's Writing Surfaces, Laurie M. O'Reilly

Anthós Journal (1990-1996)

This articles stretches Derrida’s notion of writing by positing that writing itself might be thought of as "that which can be read or interpreted." This breaks the absolute bond between writing and human handicraft and suggests new ways of understanding the way we interpret natural phenomena. This paper traces this concept through numerous natural phenomena and suggests that perhaps the limits of meaning might have more to do with the interpreter’s range of understanding when it comes to natural gestures and "writings." In the end writing comes to be understood as durative, or has having duration. In this interpretation comes …

Where Did The Nez Perces Go In Yellowstone In 1877?, William L. Lang

History Faculty Publications and Presentations

Examines the events surrounding the surrender of the Nez Perces tribe in the Nez Perce War of 1877 in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. The tribe surrendered in Montana, only about 40 miles from the safety of the border with Canada, after allowing General Nelson A. Miles's troops to catch up while they spent two weeks in Yellowstone. Why the tribe made this stop, and what they did while in Yellowstone has puzzled historians. A popular explanation based on the testimony of a hostage of the tribe has been that the tribe became lost in Yellowstone, but a reconstruction of the …

Viking 1990, Portland State University

The Viking (Yearbooks)

Portland State University 1990 yearbook

Book Review Of, As The Wind Rocks The Wagon, Darrell Millner

Black Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reviews the book, "As the Wind Rocks the Wagon" by Amy Warner

The Relationship Between A Private Voluntary Organization And The Government Of A Developing Country In The Delivery Of Public Education: A Case Study In Rural Guatemala, Timothy John Peterson

Dissertations and Theses

As government agencies face a complexity of economic and political issues the availability and utilization of resources through private voluntary organizations (PVOs) have become increasingly important. A review of the literature covering the role of PVOs in developing countries indicates the significant contribution these agencies can have in the development process. There are only a handful of situations where small organizations are working directly with a government agency in the provision of a public service. Theoretically, PVOs are adaptable to a variety of settings, are effective conduits for delivering aid to the grassroots level, and are able to initiate long …

The Effectiveness Of An Educational Service District's Programs And Services As Perceived By Various Educator Groups, Thomas Joseph Rockefeller

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the effectiveness of an educational service district's programs and services as perceived by various educator groups. The population of the study included certificated public school employees and school board members.

A sixty-two item survey instrument was used to obtain information from the study population. Of the 1507 survey instruments distributed, 769 instruments were returned for a response rate of 51%.

Four main research questions were posed: (a) Is Educational Service District 112 perceived as an effective educational component of the Southwest Washington public education system? (b) Are the programs and services provided by Educational Service District 112 …

The Use Of Phonological Process Assessment For Differentiating Developmental Apraxia Of Speech From Functional Articulation Disorders, Kathryn Dearmond

Dissertations and Theses

Focus has turned from emphasis on phonetic sound errors to phonologic rule systems in the study of articulation disorders. The current theory proposes that the phonological disorders which children experience are controlled by higher levels in the brain than those that control the motor functioning of the brain. The purpose of the present study was to compare the use of phonological processes by a group of school-age children with moderate to severe multiple articulation disorders (MAD) with developmental apraxia of speech (DAS) to the phonological processes used by those without developmental apraxia of speech. For the purposes of this study, …

On A Women's Language, Tamara Brown

Dissertations and Theses

Assessing the feminist belief that women have a perspective dramatically differing from the patriarchal perspective, and that this viewpoint is, or could be, couched in a language differing from the norm, this researcher addressed the following three questions: (1) is there a definition of a women's language? (2) does a women's language exist? and (3) if a women's language does exist, in what form does it exist? These questions engendered feminist rhetorical criticism on the work of two radical feminists well known for their interest in, and attention to, the issue of a women's language.

Oregon's Cuban-American Community : From Revolution To Assimilation, Richard Dellenback

Dissertations and Theses

The adjustment and assimilation achieved by Cuban-Americans who arrived in Oregon during the 1960s was notable for its rapidity. Little contact existed between the state and the island prior to the resettlement efforts begun by the Charities Division of the Portland Catholic Archdiocese, where a group of concerned administrators meshed their activities with a nation-wide program created and encouraged by the united States government and private agencies.

Audiological In-Service Regarding Hearing Impairment And Its Impact On Communication In The Geriatric Population, Marie Barlow Lassell

Dissertations and Theses

At least two studies have been found conducted in the area of audiological in-services and their impact on the people to whom they were presented. In 1981, Dancer and Keiser studied the effects of empathy training on geriatric-care nurses and in 1985, Dampier, Dancer, and Keiser studied changing attitudes of college students toward older persons with hearing loss. Both of the studies investigated the effect of in-service training on empathy, rather than using the traditional academicallyoriented in-service program approach. Both studies found statistical results indicating a significant positive change in the subjects' feelings toward hearing impaired geriatrics. Additionally, Dancer et …

Social Support For The Frail Elderly At Two Kinds Of Retirement Communities, Qiaoming Liu

Dissertations and Theses

As few studies focus explicitly on social support for residents by residents in retirement communities which have staff, this thesis is designed to explore the nature of informal social support among residents at planned, non-subsidized retirement care facilities: the types, the amount, the impact, the limitation and the appropriateness of such support. Our focus is to explore whether different organization of a retirement community affects social support among residents, so we compare two retirement care facilities. One provides single-level care for its residents and the other provides multiple-level care. We chose our two sites from retirement care facilities in the …

A Study In The Language Acquisition Styles Of Language Delayed Toddlers, Shelly Saunders

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of the present study was to determine if language delayed toddlers, 18 to 30 months of age, were at one end of the referential/expressive continuum. It was this researcher's hypothesis that due to the restricted vocabulary of children who use an expressive language style, that the delayed toddlers would tend to be more expressive speakers.

The Creation Of A Core Vacabulary For Initial Lexicon Selection For Nonspeaking Preschool Children, Lillian May More

Dissertations and Theses

The selection of the initial lexicon is one of the most important decisions made in the implementation of augmentative communication systems with preliterate, nonspeaking preschool children. If a communication aid is to be adopted by a child, the words available on the device must be interesting to the child and encourage communication. The vocabulary must allow for cognitive growth and foster language development. Ideally, a lexicon would be customized for each nonspeaking child's particular interests, vocabulary needs and developmental level. The reality is that vocabulary selection is a difficult and time consuming process. Parents and clinicians do not always have …

When Older Mothers Work : Adult Children's Perceptions Of Maternal Employment Effects Christine B. Nelson, Christine B. Nelson

Dissertations and Theses

The effects of maternal employment on the young child have been examined for over 50 years. This research focuses on perceived maternal employment effects at a later point in the family life cycle: when mother is older and children are grown. Thirty-two poverty level women aged 56-83 (M=66.4 years) and their adult sons (n=l 6) and daughters (n= 16) were independently interviewed. All of the older women were paid workers or "stipended volunteers" who were employed part time (20 hours a week) in child care, clerical, or other service jobs. They had a variety of work histories; all were widowed …

A Theoretical And Experimental Study Of The Three-Ring Electrostatic Electron Lens, Thomas Anthony Sommer

Dissertations and Theses

A theoretical and experimental study of the three-ring electrostatic lens is presented. The lens consists of three isolated ring-shaped conductors, equally spaced along a common axis of symmetry. When appropriate potentials are applied to the conductors an electric field is produced near the axis which is capable of focusing a collimated beam of electrons. In the theoretical study the charge density method is used to find a closed-form solution for the field. This method approximates the field by replacing each ring with an infinitely thin hoop of uniform charge. The radial and axial equations of motion are then solved numerically, …