Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Job Satisfaction Of Classified Employees In A Public Suburban School District, Jeradean Emma Rehm Masciocchi

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the sources of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction for classified employees in a large public suburban school district. The population included randomly-selected bus drivers, custodians, school and non-school secretarial employees, instructional assistants, maintenance workers, food service personnel and technical employees. Three research questions were posed: (a) What are the primary sources of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction for classified employees? (b) Is there a significant difference in job satisfaction among the specific categories of classified employees? (c) Are demographic/personal variables of classified employees related to overall job satisfaction? The study incorporated both qualitative and quantitative methodology. Focus groups were …

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 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 Relationship Between School Integration And Student Attitude Toward Residential Racial Integration, David Allen Johnson

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined factors related to the teaching effectiveness of adjunct faculty in higher education. Specifically, it explored the relationship between personality, as defined by the Five-Factor Model, occupation, and student ratings of teaching effectiveness. Results indicate that personality is correlated to an instructor's classroom behavior and education goals, which in turn are related to teaching effectiveness. In addition, instructors with occupations in social services and education had significantly higher mean teaching effectiveness scores than those from other occupations. Finally, there was an inverse relationship between age and teaching effectiveness in this study, and a positive relationship between teaching experience …

The Overage Student: Candidate For School Failure, Virginia Homeier Anderson

Dissertations and Theses

This study, conducted in a suburban school district, examined academic achievement and demographic considerations for a group of students overage for their respective grades. Records of 127 subjects were examined and data collected with respect to student performance on academic indicators of at risk behavior. Indicators were scores on criterion referenced tests in reading and mathematics as well as school absence figures for all subjects. These data were subjected to ANOVA and Chi Square Tests of significance to ascertain if there were differences between the students who were overage due to in-grade retention and those overage for other reasons. Research …

Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Instructional Styles In The Teaching Of Conflict Resolution, Marcia Gregor Garrick

Dissertations and Theses

In order to assess current practices in the teaching of conflict resolution, this study examined (through survey methods) the perceptions of teachers in three Oregon school districts of similar size regarding the techniques they use to teach conflict resolution skills to their students, teachers' perceptions of the frequency of the use of those techniques, and teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of those techniques. This study also compared the responses of teachers in school districts which provided teachers with staff development for the teaching of conflict resolution with the responses of those teachers from districts without that staff development. In addition, …

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 …

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 …

Spatial Manipulation As A Covariant Of Mental Practice, Vincent James Wolff

Dissertations and Theses

This experiment examined the relationship between a subject's ability to manipulate spatial relationships and utilize mental practice in the mirror drawing ability of 45 naive volunteer college students, using a six-pointed star track. The spatial manipulation abilities of all subjects were assessed with the Minnesota Paper Form Board Test, after which the subjects were divided into three treatment groups (no practice, mental practice, and physical practice) of 15 subjects using a blocked random design based upon their MPFBT scores. All three groups were trained in the mirror drawing task and given three physical practice pre-trials for familiarization. The physical practice …

Terrain Disturbances By Winter Roads In The Lower And Central Mackenzie River Valley, N.W.T., Canada, Christoph Gnieser

Dissertations and Theses

Winter roads, built from compacted snow and I or ice, are common throughout the circumpolar North. They are considered effective and economical means of providing seasonal access into permafrost terrain while minimizing the potential for environmental damage.

The purpose of this study is an appraisal of long-term environmental impacts of winter roads by comparative assessment of terrain morphology, microclimate, permafrost, soils, and vegetation, on winter road right-of-ways and in adjacent undisturbed control areas.

Subsurface And Geochemical Stratigraphy Of Northwestern Oregon, Olga Berenice Lira

Dissertations and Theses

Lithological, geophysical, paleontological and geochemical methods were used in order to define the contact relationship between the Keasey and the Cowlitz formations in northwestern Oregon. Drill cuttings from six wells located in Columbia County were analyzed by the Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) method. The concentrations of K, Th, Rb and Sc/Co ratio in the samples established four different groups: 1) High K, Rb, and TH, with low Sc/Co ratio typical of Cowlitz sediments. 2) Low K, Th and Rb and high Sc/Co ratio, more characteristics of the Keasey Formation. 3) Very low concentrations of Rb and high Sc, which …

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, …

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 …

Energy Cost Of Resistive Exercise, Jan A. Polychronis

Dissertations and Theses

The energy cost of performing 1 and 3 sets of strength-type (6-8 RM) and endurance-type (30-35 RM) bench press exercise was estimated by indirect calorimetry in 10 male college students.

The total net energy cost of performing 3 sets of endurance-type resistive exercise (20.57 ± 1.86 kcal) was significantly (p <.05) greater than strength-type resistive exercise (15.24 ± 1.51 kcal) (mean ± SEM). Results were similar when energy cost was expressed relative to lean body mass. However, when expressed relative to the amount of work performed (kcal•kgm^-1) the strength-type exercise (2.35 ± 0.19) resulted in a significantly (p <.05) greater expenditure of energy than did endurance-type exercise (1.64 ± 0.30). The energy cost relative to work performed was found to be significantly greater for 1 set of strength-type exercise than for any other condition (p <.05). The relationship between the energy cost of 1 set, multiplied by 3, and 3 sets was r=0.64 for endurance-type exercise and r=0.27 for strength-type exercise.

It was concluded that compared to strength-type resistive exercise, endurance-type resistive exercise requires a greater net energy expenditure. The results suggest that endurance-type exercise be performed by individuals who wish to expend the greatest amount of energy …

Integrating Psychological And Economic Perspectives On Energy Consumption: The Determinants Of Thermostat Setting Behavior, Jane Stromme Peters

Dissertations and Theses

Data obtained from two surveys of 283 residents of recently built homes in the Pacific Northwest were used to examine winter thermostat setting behavior. Attitude scales along with demographic, economic and dwelling structure data were used to estimate models of daytime, nighttime and average temperature setting choices. Two series of models were estimated: a partial model using demographic, dwelling structure characteristics and economic data; and an integrated model including the attitude scales.

The results of these analyses demonstrated that the inclusion of data on respondent attitudes toward comfort, conservation, health and cost control significantly improved the explanatory power of the …

Dudelsacks: Sculptural Extensions In Blown Glass, Cristine C. Corcoran

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis project consists of 19 sculptures. The medium is hot blown glass. The work interprets and extends the visual and metaphorical qualities of bagpipes. The utilization of the German dudelsack references the playful improvisational nature of these international and culturally diverse forms.

Caregiving For Parents And Caregiving For Children: The Differential Effects On Job Stress And Absenteeism, Linda Boise

Dissertations and Theses

An important area of contemporary research is the impact of family responsibilities on the workplace. Historically, caregiving responsibilities have been predominantly for minor children. Increasingly, caregiving involves caring for parents or other elderly or disabled adults.

The study reported in this dissertation compares the effects of caregiving on job stress and absenteeism for two groups of employees, one caring for parents and the other caring for children. It utilizes data from the "Work and Elder Care Project" conducted by the Regional Research Institute for Human Services and the Institute on Aging at Portland State University. Of the 9,573 employees who …

Analysis Of Mitochondrial Dna Restriction Fragment Patterns In Killer Whales, Orcinus Orca, Tracy Alison Stevens

Dissertations and Theses

The mitochondrial DNA restriction fragment patterns of killer whales (Orcinus orca) were investigated in order to determine the level of genetic differentiation that exists between killer whales from various geographic locations. Twenty one killer whales were examined, seventeen of which were captive killer whales that originated from the North Atlantic and Northeast Pacific Oceans. Two were captive-born animals and two were killer whales that stranded along the Northeast Pacific coast.

DNA was extracted from blood and/or tissue samples, cleaved with a variety of restriction endonucleases and the DNA fragments were separated by horizontal agarose gel electrophoresis. The DNA …

A Finite State Machine Synthesizer, Jiuling Liu

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis presents a Finite State Machine (FSM) Synthesizer developed at Portland State University. The synthesizer starts from a high level behavioral description, in which no states are specified, and generates the lower level FSM descriptions for simulation and physical layout generation.

Application Of Hough Transformation To Detect Ovulatory Patterns In Cervical Mucus Images, Shiliang Wang

Dissertations and Theses

A microcomputer system called ovulocomputer is proposed. The system is used to predict and detect ovulation of women. It will use image processing and analysis, pattern recognition theory, spectrophotometry, ionometry and conductometry to measure various physical and chemical properties of cervical mucus that are related to blood hormone levels.

The functions and characteristics of cervical mucus are introduced in this thesis. Among them, the identification of cervical mucus images, named the ferning test, and related features, are well described.

A new idea, called ferning test automation, which has been neither proposed nor developed before, is presented and explained in detail …

A Model Of Suicidal Behavior In Latency Age Children Based On Developmental Object Relations Theory, Stephen Henry Michaelis

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis attempts to explicate the manifestation of suicidal behavior in latency age children based on developmental object relations theory. It asserts that the susceptibility to suicidal behavior becomes part of the child's developing ego organization during the first three years of life as the result of deviant or distorted emotional development. These disturbances interfere with the normal internalizing processes of the separation individuation phases, including the development of psychological mechanisms.

To accomplish the purpose of the study, the thesis generally classifies object relations theory within the parameters of developmental psychopathology and specifically classifies it as a component of contemporary …

Urban Service Delivery System And Federal Government Bureaucracy: A Structural Analysis Of Spatial Distribution Of Water Supply In A Suburban Community Of Metropolitan Lagos, Michael Udochukwu Mbanaso

Dissertations and Theses

This study identifies the prevailing scarcity of urban public services and the conceptual relations among service delivery, patronage, bureaucratic activities and structural factors in the Lagos Metropolitan region. It examines the extent to which clientelism, bureaucratic decision rules and structural theoretical models explain water service delivery patterns in Festival Town (Festac), a suburb of Lagos, Nigeria.

The unprecedented pace of growth of the Lagos Metropolis since the mid-twentieth century gave rise to the spectacular spatial expansion of the continuous built up region. Urban industrial and governmental institutions have not kept pace with the population growth rate of Lagos. This demographic …

The Formation And Expansion Of High Technology Firms In Metropolitan Areas, Oliver Ikeotuonye Orjiako

Dissertations and Theses

The theme of high-technology economic base and regional development, around which this research is based, has been receiving increased attention from policy-makers and researchers in recent years. This partly reflects the reappraisal of the emerging structural changes which have been stimulated by the negative effects of the economic recessions of the past decade. It also reflects the rapid growth and expansion of high-technology firms in centers like the well-publicized Silicon Valley in California, Route 128 in Massachusetts, and the Research Triangle in North Carolina. Promoting a high-technology economic base thus has been widely adopted as a regional development policy for …

The Longterm Psychosocial Impacts Of Caregiving On The Caregivers Of Persons With Stroke, Alice Updike Scannell

Dissertations and Theses

This study is a Time 4 (T4) follow-up interview of ninety-three caregivers of persons who experienced a first stroke between 2 to 4 years (mean = 36 months) prior to the T4 interview. The first wave of data collection occurred within two months after the stroke. The second and third waves occurred six and twelve months, respectively, after the first interview. The caregivers were identified by the person with stroke as being the person closest to him/her who would be responsible for care after the stroke.

Data were gathered at all four interviews using reliable and valid measures for depressive …

Self-Concept Competency Of National Aeronautics And Space Administration Research And Development Managers, Mark A. Beymer

Dissertations and Theses

Boyatzis has stated that "true" management competencies are characteristics of a manager which differentiate superior from average and below average performance. Boyatzis, however, treats a manager's self-image (self-concept) as a "threshold" rather than a "real" competency. Lafferty's research, which has measured relationships between several lifestyle (self-concept) variables and corresponding organizational behavior, has found that performance differences between average and high performing managers are associated with differences in self-concept construction. The researcher proposes to treat variations in self-concept measurements from managers as indications of their relative management competency. Thisresearch investigates seventeen hypotheses relating to the self-concepts of high performing, mid-level technical …

An Analysis Of The Inhibitory Effects Of Linolenic Acid Upon Photosystem Ii Of Higher Plants, Mark Edward Iven

Dissertations and Theses

This study utilizes steady state fluorescence measurements, flash-induced P680+ absorption transients, and DCIP reduction kinetics to study the inhibitory effects of linolenic acid (LA) upon Photosystem II (PSII) in whole spinach chloroplasts and insideout wheat thylakoids. It confirms the presence within PSII of LA-induced inhibition of energy trapping and/or primary charge separation (i.e., primary inhibition), in addition to donor side inhibition. The latter is diminished in the presence of 1,5-Diphenylcarbohydrazide (DPC) and probably takes place at the oxygen evolving complex. Primary inhibition, which is more controversial, probably occurs between Ph and QA, with a likely contribution at the level of …

Stratigraphy, Diagenesis, And Depositional Environment Of The Cowlitz Formation (Eocene), Northwest Oregon, Leonard Carl Farr Jr.

Dissertations and Theses

The Upper Eocene Cowlitz Formation is exposed in surface outcrops southwest of the town of Vernonia, in Columbia County, Oregon. The Cowlitz Formation also occurs in the subsurface of the Mist gas field where its Clark and Wilson (C and W) sandstone member (informal) acts as a natural gas reservoir, and its upper Cowlitz mudstone member (informal) acts as a cap rock. Surface exposures and continuous core were studied in order to determine Cowlitz Formation stratigraphy, and its depositional environment. Fresh core samples were also studied petrographically, and with a scanning electron microscope, in order to determine the effects of …

Fluorinated Esters: Synthesis And Identification, Jilla Schaff

Dissertations and Theses

Reactions of different alcohols with 2-hydroxy - 1- trifluoromethyl -1,2,2-trifluoroethanesulfonic acid sultone F₃CCFCF₂OSO₂ were studied. Six new esters were prepared: C₆F₅OC(O)CF(CF₃)SO₂F, CH₃CH₂OC(O)CF(CF₃)SO₂F, CF₃CH₂OC(O)CF(CF₃)SO₂F, (CF₃)₂CHOC(O)CF(CF₃)SO₂F, CH2=CHCH₂OC(O)CF(CF₃)SO₂F, (CH₂OC(O)CF(CF₃)SO₂F)₂. Analytical data, infrared, nmr and mass spectra are presented supporting the proposed structures for these new compounds.