Digital Commons Network^™

Output Of Compression Hearing Aids With Transient And Continuous Input Stimuli, Carol Ann Gregory

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the compression circuit of a hearing aid could be activated by a high frequency biasing tone such that its output for a transient stimulus could be made to approximate that of a continuous tone alone. Sufficient compression activation by a transient stimulus would mean that this type of hearing aid could be used in obtaining aided ABR measurements, since transient stimuli are commonly used for this procedure. Four hearing aids were used, and transient or continuous stimuli were introduced either alone or in combination with an 8 or 10 kHz biasing …

Written Narrative Texts Of Language Impaired And Normal Adolescents, Kevin Jon Penner

Dissertations and Theses

Classroom teachers frequently refer adolescents to speech language pathologists for language skills evaluations. Many of the traditional evaluation tools of the speech-language pathologist focus on the student's oral language skills. The first indication to the classroom teacher that there may be a language problem, however, is usually from the student's written classwork. Very few written language assessment tools are available which give speech language pathologists information regarding linguistic units which can be viewed as communication acts. This paper focuses on one particular discourse unit - the written narrative. Narratives are a natural form of thought and demonstrate how a person …

Internal-External Locus Of Control And The Life Experiences Of Soviet Pentecostal Refugees In Portland, Oregon, Amy Roberts

Dissertations and Theses

The construct internal-external locus of control was utilized to examine the Soviet Pentecostal refugees' perception of life experiences in the United States as defined by three dimensions: social, economical, and political. Unlike the majority of immigration research, which focuses on structural variables, this research further addressed the concept of acculturation as a long term process of resettlement. Subjects completed an anonymous forced choice questionnaire consisting of the Rotter (1966) locus of control instrument scale. Pearson Product moment correlation coefficients were calculated to examine the strength of the relationships between the internal-external locus of control scores and five factor analyzed life …

Late Holocene Paleoseismicity Along The Northern Oregon Coast, Mark Edward Darienzo

Dissertations and Theses

Marsh paleoseismological studies were conducted in four bays (Necanicum, Nestucca, Siletz, and Yaquina) along the northern Oregon coast and compared with completed studies in two other bays (Netarts and Alsea). Coseismically buried peats were identified in all bays, based on 1) abrupt contacts, decreases in organic content, increases in sand content, increases in beach sand, and changes in diatom assemblages, all from the peat to the overlying sediments, 2) distinct sandy layers and key plant macrofossils, such as Triglochin, above the buried peat, and 3) widespread correlation of the buried peats within the bay. The stratigraphy and the ages and …

Spectral Methods For Boolean And Multiple-Valued Input Logic Functions, Bogdan Jaroslaw Falkowski

Dissertations and Theses

Spectral techniques in digital logic design have been known for more than thirty years. They have been used for Boolean function classification, disjoint decomposition, parallel and serial linear decomposition, spectral translation synthesis (extraction of linear pre- and post-filters), multiplexer synthesis, prime implicant extraction by spectral summation, threshold logic synthesis, estimation of logic complexity, testing, and state assignment. This dissertation resolves many important issues concerning the efficient application of spectral methods used in the computer-aided design of digital circuits. The main obstacles in these applications were, up to now, memory requirements for computer systems and lack of the possibility of calculating …

A Descriptive Study Of The Oregon Mentorship Program, Gaynelle Louise Nolf

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive and descriptive study of the Oregon Mentorship Program. The study examined literature on adult mentorship programs particularly related to education and educational administration, and gathered mentor and protege perceptions on the personal and professional usefulness of program activities and characteristics. The analysis of the data may provide guidance for future formal mentorship programs designed to prepare better beginning administrators in the field of education.

Data were gathered utilizing a questionnaire. All participants in the program (77 mentors and 79 proteges) were surveyed with an instrument designed around the follow-up study …

Telling Stories (Out Of School) Of Mother Tongue, God's Tongue, And The Queen's Tongue: An Ethnography In Canada, Joan Ratzlaff Swinney

Dissertations and Theses

Histories give little attention to language dominance in school and community -- to the fact that the past one-hundred years of "One People, One Language, One School" attitudes, policies, and goals in Anglo-American schools and communities have brought with them the demise of Native-American languages, the disappearance of linguistic differences due to immigrant origin, the disvalue or stereotype of linguistic patterns derived from regional and ethnic variation, and the insistence on English as a mark of linguistic and intellectual virtue. Telling Stories (0ut of School) of Mother Tongue, God's Tongue, and the Queen's Tongue: An Ethnography in Canada gives attention …

Formation Of Superhexagonal Chromium Hydride By Exposure Of Chromium Thin Film To High Temperature, High Pressure Hydrogen In A Ballistic Compressor, Yi Pan

Dissertations and Theses

The interaction of hydrogen with metals has great environmental significance in problems ranging from the catastrophic failure of materials due to hydrogen embrittlement to safe and efficient storage of hydrogen as a metal hydride. Chromium (Cr) is widely used as an alloying agent to produce materials such as stainless steel and as an electroplated coating on materials to prevent corrosion and to minimize wear. Hydrogen which co-deposits with chromium during electroplating forms hexagonal close packed CrH or face centered cubic CrH2 which cracks the deposit. The behavior of hydrogen in Cr, especially the crystal structure modifications of metal Cr when …

Development And Analysis Of A Model For Change In The Workplace, Using Quasi-Experimentation With Computer Professionals In Northwestern Investor Owned Utilities, John Ronald Thompson

Dissertations and Theses

Computer professionals have been agents of change in many organizations. In some cases the role inadvertently became theirs as they were the ones at the vanguard of implementing the new information processing technology in organizations. While in other cases they were the catalysts for change, to force new methods/procedures onto lethargic organizations. While introducing change on others in the organization and adapting to new technological changes themselves, the computer professionals have not really had to face a significant change in their status, power, or importance to the organization. The introduction of the personal computer has brought about significant change in …

Resolving The Evaluator/Nurturer Role Conflict Of The Elementary School Principal, Judith Elizabeth Drummond Taccogna

Dissertations and Theses

This qualitative study explores how elementary school principals resolve the role conflict between judging the performance of teachers (summative evaluation) and providing nurturing growth activities (formative evaluation or supervision). Related research questions were these: (1) How does the principal spend time in summative versus formative evaluation? (2) What factors create role conflict for the principal? (3) What elements help the principal approach congruence in dealing with both responsibilities? The Delphi technique, a method for structuring a group communication process, was used to collect data from 12 Oregon elementary principals, recommended by district administrators as having expertise in the area of …

Freeway Control Via Ramp Metering: Development Of A Basic Building Block For An On-Ramp, Discrete, Stochastic, Mesoscopic, Simulation Model Within A Contextual Systems Approach, Mohamed Yaser Alkadri

Dissertations and Theses

One of the most effective measures of congestion control on freeways has been ramp metering, where vehicle entry to the freeway is regulated by traffic signals (meters). Meters are run with calibrated influx rates to prevent highway saturation. However, recent observations of some metering sites in San Diego, CA indicate that metering, during peak hour demand, is helping freeway flow while sometimes creating considerable traffic back-ups on local streets, transferring congestion problems from the freeway to intersections. Metering problems stem largely from the difficulty of designing an integrated, dynamic metering scheme that responds not only to changing freeway conditions but …

The Small Business Development Center Program: From A Small Business Growth Stage And Adult Learning Perspective, Roy Otis Kruger

Dissertations and Theses

The study of the Clackamas Small Business Development Center's Small Business Management Programs (SBM) had three research objectives: to ascertain what information should be transferred to small business owners and how best to transfer that information; to ascertain what information is presently being transferred to clients and what methods are used in transferring the information; and to survey clients in order to develop a current demographic profile, measure their level of satisfaction with the assistance received, and ascertain what they perceived were the benefits of the program to their companies. Prior to the study, there had been little systematic research …

The Meaning Of Controversial Policy To School Superintendents, Barbara Jean Nicoletti

Dissertations and Theses

The focus of this research was on the subjective meaning for the school superintendent of policy experienced as controversial, and the associated implications for the policy process in school districts. The study examines controversial policy of a particular type, social regulatory (Tatalovich and Daynes, 1984). Such policy tends to have the effect of turning: " ••. political issues into moral polarities, claims into rights, legislation into litigation, grays into black and white, and campaigns into causes and crusades" (Lowi, 1988). The primary goals were to (1) identify examples of controversial policy in education, (2) assess the usefulness of the Tatalovich …

A Structural Model And Test Of The Antecedents And Outcomes Of Organizational And Professional Commitment, Mary Ann Evans

Dissertations and Theses

The major purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between commitment to one's profession and commitment to one's employer and the role this relationship plays in predicting satisfaction, performance and turnover. In order to accomplish this purpose the antecedents and outcomes of the commitments were modeled and tested using covariance structural modeling techniques. The data source was the 1990 Kaiser Permanente, Northwest Region Employee Survey. The study included a wide range of occupations. The literature is ambiguous about the definition and measurement of professional and organizational commitment. Professional commitment is characterized either as a unidimensional or multidimensional construct …

Programs For At-Risk Students In The Washington County (Oregon) Schools: A Policy Study, John Young

Dissertations and Theses

This study develops recommendations for school district administrators and policy makers regarding policies and programs for students at risk of school failure. The study develops a descriptive picture of policies and programs for at-risk students in Washington County school districts and evaluates those policies and programs against criteria for effective policies and programs in order to understand the degree to which such policies and programs implemented in Washington County school districts correspond to criteria associated with effective practices reported in the literature. The study identifies 23 such criteria and numerous indicators associated with each. Data collection, analysis and evaluation were …

Early Identification Of At-Risk Children In A Rural School District Using Multiple Predictor Variables, Richard Wayne Wilde

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if data routinely collected during the kindergarten year and at entry into first grade could be used to predict whether a child would be perceived as successful or not successful by the end of first grade. The need for immediate continued research on this topic was established through the review of literature, which highlighted the extent of the at-risk problem both locally and nationally. The growing number of at-risk students combined with the minimal impact of the educational programs mandates the need to identify these students in time to prevent school failure. …

The Role Of Tourism In Development: A Case Study Of Turkey, Habib Alipouraghtapeh

Dissertations and Theses

Until quite recently "tourism" was principally a feature of, and was largely confined to, the developed countries. During the past two decades, however, tourism has become an income earning alternative to the many Third World countries, and many have capitalized on the industry which has become known as a "passport to development." In recent years the situation has worsened for these former exporters of primary agricultural products. These products are suffering from the general fall in world commodity prices and competition from larger and more efficient agricultural producers. In addition, the world economic impact has been translated to ever-burgeoning foreign …

A Comparison Of Socio-Political Attitudes Of Older Urban Women: The 1910-1924 Cohorts, Elizabeth Slack Ikehara

Dissertations and Theses

The central theme of this study is that because of the changing life styles and the macro-events which occurred after World War I these years were a watershed. The women born in the three five-year cohorts from 1910 through 1924 were at different stages of maturity and awareness as particular economic and political events occurred. The social and political climates were different for each of these cohorts of women. Therefore there would be discernible differences in attitudes and opinions among the cohorts. A literature review indicated three models for the formation of social attitudes and political opinions. The "Personality Types" …

The Development And Testing Of An Instrument To Measure Client Satisfaction Of Child Protective Service Families, James Michael White

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to develop and test an instrument to measure client satisfaction among families who are clients of a child protective services agency. With the growing numbers of families coming into contact with CPS agencies, the burgeoning numbers of children in foster care, and the increasing attention to the effectiveness of services within this population, client feedback is one approach that has been largely ignored by CSP administrators. The basic problem this dissertation addressed is the issue of obtaining feedback from the involuntary client, such as the family in a child abuse case. Specifically, this dissertation …

A Study Of The Perceptual Learning Style Preferences Of Japanese Students, Elizabeth Ann Hoffner

Dissertations and Theses

This study was based on a study by Joy Reid (1987) on the perceptual learning style preferences of English as a Second Language (ESL) students. The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptual learning style preferences of three groups of students: Japanese students studying in the US, Japanese students studying in Japan, and American students studying in the US. The perceptual styles studied were visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile, with the additional styles of group and individual learning also being studied. The learning style preferences were identified so as to determine the relationship between style and the variables …

The Collapse Of The German Army In The East In The Summer Of 1944 (Volume 2), Stephen Ariel Veal

Dissertations and Theses

The collapse of the German Army in the East in the Summer of 1944 is analyzed and determined to be the result of the following specific factors: German intelligence failures; German defensive doctrine; loss of German air superiority; Lend-Lease aid to the Soviet Union; German mobile reserves committed in the West; Soviet numerical superiority; and Soviet offensive doctrine and tactics. The collapse of Army Group Center, the destruction of the XIII Army Corps, and the collapse of Army Group South Ukraine in Romania during the Summer of 1944 are examined in detail. The significance of the collapse of the German …

The Effect Of Road Investment On Economic Development: A Case Study Of The Oregon Counties, Ameer Mohammed Al-Alwan

Dissertations and Theses

Despite its significance and frequent mentioning in the literature, the relationship between road investment and economic development has never been clearly understood. A significant number of scholars in this field have always emphasized the need for further research to examine this complex and dynamic relationship. Historically, investment in transportation networks has played a great role in the development of cities, regions, and nations. This positive view is attributed to the indispensable role that water transportation, and then rail transport, played in the early development of Europe and the United States. In recent years, many scholars, as well as policy makers, …

Principal Vision, Environmental Robustness, And Teacher Sense Of Autonomy In High Schools, Daniel Nordwall Johnson

Dissertations and Theses

This study focused on leadership and its correlates. Theory and research both point to the centrality of the principal's leadership role in school effectiveness. Yet, few studies of school leadership actually examine relationships among leadership variables. This study examined, from the perspective of high school teachers, three leadership correlates: principal vision, environmental robustness and teacher autonomy. Principal vision was conceptualized as the capacity of the principal to see the difference between what is and what might be, thus enabling others to accept and act on the possibilities of what might be. Environmental robustness was defined as the perceived dramatic content …

An Exploratory Analysis Of Certain Characteristics Of Policewomen: A Second Look, Harry Oliver White Jr.

Dissertations and Theses

Female police officers are relatively new to the profession of law enforcement. Prior to 1968, the very few who were employed by police agencies were not permitted to perform the full range of police duties. Subsequent to that time their number has increased so that today they account for approximately 8.3 percent of the total sworn police population. There have been numerous studies which have attempted to identify the sociopsychological characteristics of male police officers. For example, Neiderhoffer reported in 1967 that male officers rate high in authoritarianism, anomia, job dissatisfaction, and choose police work for job security reasons. Very …

The Process Of Neighborhood Development: The Role Of Restrictive Covenants In The Development Of Residential Neighborhoods, Eric David Hart

Dissertations and Theses

Restrictive covenants (RCs) consist of legal language that is put in a land parcel deed by the subdivider of a subdivision at the time it is platted. The restrictions usually limit land use and require that the house constructed on the lot be of a certain cost. This thesis addresses four research questions: 1. Is the restrictive covenant (RC) minimum house cost amount directly related to the size of the housing? 2. Do differences in housing size translate into social status differences? 3. Do RCs create homogeneous areas of social status? 4. Are subdivisions with RCs less likely to decline …

The Relocation Of North Bonneville, Washington, By The U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers: A Policy Implementation Study, Cecil Eugene Reinke

Dissertations and Theses

This is a policy implementation case study. The case is the relocation of the Town of North Bonneville, Washington, by the U.S. Army Corps of engineers. Three questions are addressed in this study. One, did the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in relocating the Town, accomplish what was intended to be accomplished? Two, how and why were Federal policies applicable to the relocation of this town changed during the implementation process? Three, what can the North Bonneville experience contribute to existent knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of policy implementation? The principal precepts for policy implementation promoted by this study of the …

Parplum : A System For Evaluating Parallel Program Optimization Methods, Jingsong Fu

Dissertations and Theses

The diversity of application programs and parallel architectures makes the mapping problem complicated and hard to evaluate. The quality of mapping is machine and application dependent and varies due to inaccurate values of application and architecture characteristics.

A system for developing, applying and evaluating mappings must have four characteristics: (1) Simplicity: A mapping procedure can be evaluated by separately evaluating its submapping, so the complicated problem can be simplified. (2) Generality: A wide range of application programs and architectures can be easily represented and all mapping algorithms can be easily implemented. (3) Multifunctionality: all the mapping steps, application programs, target …

Public Restoration Of The Fallen Religious Leader : A Rhetorical Perspective, David Fleer

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis will consider two men who, when caught in moral dilemmas, cited a particular Biblical narrative in their attempt to receive forgiveness and acceptance from their audiences. Both men were significant religious figures within their respective denominations and both men received public scrutiny following their sinful actions.

Creative Drama As An Instructional Strategy In Adult Christian Education, Darlene Richards Graves

Dissertations and Theses

This study reviews the tenents of adult learning. Christian education and creative drama and presents the observation that there are parallel objectives in each of these three major areas. Noting that creative drama is rarely used in adult Christian education, which is primarily cognitive-based and lecture-discussion oriented, the study proposes the application of creative drama strategies to provide an alternative experiential learning process and therefore create a drama strategies to provide an alternative experiential learning process and therefore create a balance of focus between cognitive, affective, reflective and active learning styles in adult Christian education. It also suggests that through …

Perceptions Of Psycho-Social Factors That Affect Retirement Decision-Making, Darlene Zickefoose

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of the study was to examine retirement decision making of certificated employees (N = 284 respondents N = 241) of the Beaverton School District in a near retirement age category. The Beaverton School District is a large suburban school district near Portland, Oregon. It currently serves over 25,000 students and employs approximately 2,600 certificated and classified employees. The study answered the following questions:

1. Can psycho-social factors be identified that will enable the Beaverton School District to help potential retirees make an informed decision to retire?
2. What personal factors affect a person's decision to retire?
3. Does it matter, in …