Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Social Networks On Mortality, Disease Incidence, And Disease Progression, Mary Bahner Maxwell

Dissertations and Theses

Several recent longitudinal studies of large community populations have revealed that people with more extensive network resources live longer. However, it is not known whether this occurs because social ties prevent disease or retard its progression once it occurs. The purpose of this research was to: (1) determine the relationship between social network indicators and mortality in an urban sample; (2) extend that knowledge by addressing the relationship between networks and disease incidence and disease progression; (3) delineate which specific network sectors were the strongest predictors of the health related outcomes. This was uniquely possible because measures of the three …

Economic Determinants Of Residential Mortgage Choice, Marvin J. Horowitz

Dissertations and Theses

Variable rate mortgages (VRMs) have been introduced into the mortgage market as a means of addressing the housing finance problems encountered over the past two decades. To learn more about the demand for VRMs, this study analyzes borrower choice behavior and its economic determinants. In order to estimate the probability of borrowers choosing VRMs rather than conventional fixed rate mortgages, discrete choice (logit) models are specified and validated for both cross-section and pooled time-series cross-section data samples. These samples contain mortgage application information for the years 1978 through 1981. They were drawn from the Loan Register Report of the California …

Growing Old And Going Straight: Examining The Role Of Age In Criminal Career Termination, Annette I. Jolin

Dissertations and Theses

This study was designed to investigate mid-life desistance from crime as a function of general mid-life change. Adult developmental theory postulates that major occupational or lifestyle changes occur during mid-life, more so than during other developmental periods in adulthood. Such changes are said to occur in conjunction with specific transitional processes experienced by the middle-aged male. The abandonment of a criminal career at mid-life is viewed as a significant occupational and lifestyle change. It is examined in relation to the postulated transitional processes affecting aspects of the life areas of work and social relationships, as well as health and psychological …

The Significance Of Hypovolemia In Dehydrational Death In Anurans, Peter Blair Kimmel

Dissertations and Theses

The importance of hypovolemia in dehydrational death was assessed in two anuran species. Xenopus laeyis, a species which experiences a significant reduction in circulating plasma volume with dehydration, was used to evaluate the role of sympathetic reflex compensation in hypovolemia. Adrenergic blockade with propranolol or phenoxybenzamine produced no significant reduction in dehydration tolerance in this species, although β-blockade with propranolol appeared to have a minor effect. The role of hypovolemic shock in the terminal circulatory collapse that precedes death in dehydrating anurans was investigated in the toad, Bufo marinus. The activity of lysosomal proteinases (cathepsins) was used as an indicator …

The Relationship Between Self-Esteem And Physical Condition As Measured By The Hand Grip And Leg Press In Retirement Home Residents, Anna Mae Tichy

Dissertations and Theses

The relationship between self-esteem and physical condition as measured by hand grip and leg press strength in 65 subjects from two retirement homes was examined in a pre-/post-test design. The originally selected subjects ranged from 60-99 years of age (10 males, 55 females). At the conclusion of the study, 54 subjects remained (5 males, 49 females). The functional description of the subjects was "frail elderly." Although most were mobile and alert, many had some physical or mental disability that prevented them from living independently. The subjects were randomly assigned to three groups: experimental (exercise) and two control groups. There was, …

Spatial Clustering Of Sector Linked Industry In An Urban Economy, Colleen Greer Acres

Dissertations and Theses

The influence of economies of agglomeration on location decisions has been debated since it was advanced by Alfred Weber in 1909. Empirical findings at the international, national, and regional levels do not definitely support the efficacy of such economies. No study has been done at a local level, the one inherently appropriate to the Weber premise. Further, most studies have used highly generalized manufacturing groupings. The importance of intra-industry and inter-industry determinants of spatial proximity in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area was investigated in this study. The data base included 220 industries with 2,111 firms employing 108,295 workers. National input-output …

A Descriptive Study Of Demographic Financial Factors And The Perceived Financial Life Satisfaction Of Retired Oregon Public School Administrators, William E. Maier

Dissertations and Theses

The main purpose of this study was to develop a demographic/financial profile of retired Oregon public school administrators and to determine the relationship between these profile factors and the degree to which financial needs are met, the level of perceived financial satisfaction, and the level of perceived life satisfaction. Another purpose was to define those financial issues which impact the retired administrator and would be helpful in developing guidelines useful for pre-retirement planning and education. The subjects selected for the study were the 295 retired Oregon public school administrators known to the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators who had retired …

Job Satisfaction Of Teachers In The Portland Metropolitan Area: An Examination Of Differing Factors And Their Relationship To Herzberg And Lortie Theories, Laura Lee Perko

Dissertations and Theses

This study addresses job satisfaction of public school teachers in seven districts of the Portland Metropolitan Area (N = 2,133; validated response = 1,444; ratio of 67.698 percent). The three research questions are: (1) How satisfied are teachers in the PMA with their jobs? (2) What are the primary differing factors affecting teacher satisfaction and dissatisfaction, and do these factors and their relationship to satisfaction conform with Herzberg and Lortie theories? (3) How does satisfaction and dissatisfaction vary as a function of the following "demographic" factors: age, sex, grade level, years of service, highest degree earned? Findings from the three …

Structure And Evolution Of The Horse Heaven Hills In South-Central Washington, Michael Curtis Hagood

Dissertations and Theses

The Horse Heaven Hills uplift in south-central Washington consists of distinct northwest and northeast trends which merge in the lower Yakima Valley. The northwest trend is adjacent to and parallels the Rattlesnake-Wallula alignment (RAW; a part of the Olympic-Wallowa lineament). The northwest trend and northeast trend consist of aligned or en echelon anticlines and monoclines whose axes are generally oriented in the direction of the trend. At the intersection, folds in the northeast trend plunge onto and are terminated by folds of the northwest trend.

Intercultural Communication Problems Of Nigerian Students In The Portland Metropolitan Area: A Comparative Study Of A Review Of Literature And Personal Interviews, Sam Tugba

Dissertations and Theses

This study is an attempt to discover the intercultural communication problems and the methods of coping used by the Nigerian students in the Portland metropolitan extent to which these discovered problems and tried solutions compare with those of other international students that are commonly reported in the literature.

Jewelry From The Environment, Douglas Lawrence Kollmeyer

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis deals with the development of a body of my own creative work and the teaching of jewelry-working in the secondary schools. Emphasis in both instances was given to the use of the natural environment as a stimulus for design ideas. The philosophy of nature as art forms has been the focus of my creative endeavors for several years. This lead to the design and completion of jewelry, flatware, and holloware in this study. Knowledge gained in my work experiences formed the basis and background of the presentation of these skills to secondary students.

Effects Of Urbanization On The Hydrologic Regime Of Johnson Creek, Portland, Oregon, William Vandewater Clement

Dissertations and Theses

The Johnson Creek watershed, Portland, Oregon, has undergone urbanization at an increasing rate. Excessive flooding has occurred in the lower portions of the watershed, resulting in an estimated 1.5 million dollars worth of flood losses annually. In attempts to mitigate the flooding damages millions of dollars have been spent to channelize the creek, and over 200 thousand dollars has been spent during the last 20 years on preliminary feasibility studies alone.

The author saw a need to verify that there has been a change in the rainfall-runoff relationships in the upper Johnson Creek basin since 1941 and to quantify this …

The Effect On Culture-Bound Evaluation By The Intercultural Communication Workshop (Icw) At Portland State University, Marion Franc Sørensen

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect on culture-bound evaluation by the Intercultural Communication Workshop (ICW) at Portland State University. An increase in positive evaluation of an intercultural dyad was taken to indicate a decrease in culture-bound evaluation. Methodology consisted of an adaptation of Dawes' "Direct Estimation Techniques" which was utilized in creating the testing instrument. The results are inconclusive but suggest that the ICW training may be more effective in this dimension for the American students than for International students.

Alternating Current Studies And Kinetic Analysis Of Valinomycin Mediated Charge-Transport Through Lipid Bilayer Membranes, Kenneth Lee Cox

Dissertations and Theses

In this study we have investigated the frequency dependence of bilayer lipid membranes for a series of glycerylmonoolein/n-decane bilayers in various aqueous ionic solutions containing the ionophore valinomycin. Reliable values of membrane capacitance and conductance were obtained over the frequency range 0.2 - 200 KHz using an automatic balancing bridge under the control of a microprocessor unit. The admittance data was then normalized and curve-fitted to produce relaxation times and amplitudes from which the kinetic rate parameters, as deduced from a single slab dielectric membrane model, were calculated. These ac experimental rate constants were then compared with those obtained from …

Measurement Of Low Vapor Pressures: A Kinetic Approach, Samuel Bernard Bliden

Dissertations and Theses

A kinetic model was applied to vapor pressure data obtained by a variable flow method. The vapor pressures of benzoic acid, naphthalene, benzophenone, and phenylhydrazine were measured at temperatures of 293K to 307K. The data are summarized in the data table on the following page. These data were obtained by passing air over a sample of the substance in a tube. The air stream was combusted, and a flame ionization detector was used to measure the mass of CO₂ so obtained. Several different flow rates were used at each temperature with each substance.

Early Childhood Education And Compensatory Education In The Portland, Oregon, Public Schools, 1965-1984, Dolores Jean Robinett Pappas

Dissertations and Theses

This investigation had the dual purpose of exploring, in historical perspectives, the academic discipline known as Early Childhood Education and the use of Early Childhood Education as a vehicle for compensatory education in the Portland Public Schools from 1965-1984.

Geology, Alteration And Mineralization Of A Silicic Volcanic Center, Glass Buttes, Oregon, Michael James Johnson

Dissertations and Theses

Glass Buttes, a Pliocene silicic volcanic complex within the High Lava Plains province of Oregon, was erupted approximately 5.0 to 5.8 million years ago. Geologic mapping revealed that the eastern portion of the complex is underlain by rhyolitic glass domes, flows and rare pyroclastic flows. Basalt flows are interlayered with and onlap the silicic glass. Younger basalt flows, erupted from local vents, overlie silicic glass and onlapping basalts.

The eastern end of Glass Buttes is hydrothermally altered at the surface; a weak geothermal anomaly coincides with the altered areas. Alteration, localized by northwest trending normal faults, occurs primarily as opalite …

Derivatives Of Trifluorovinylsulfur Pentafluoride And F-(Tert-Butyl) Hypochlorite, Jo Ann Marie Canich

Dissertations and Theses

Trifluorovinylsulfur pentafluoride dimerizes to (SF₅CFCF₂)₂ in the presence of cesium fluoride. Two derivatives of trifluorovinylsulfur pentafluoride, SF₅CF(CF₃)C(O)F and SF₅CF(CF₃)C(O)NH₂, were used to prepare the new compounds, SF₅CF(CF₃)CO₂H and SF₅CF(CF₃)CN, respectively. The first was prepared by reacting the SF₅-acid fluoride with water, while the second involved the abstraction of water from the SF₅-amide using P₄O₁₀. The attempted preparation of a bis-pentafluorosulfur ketone and a pentafluorosulfur containing acid anhydride …

High Valent Chromium (V) And Chromium (Vi) Complexes, Harry Bennett Davis

Dissertations and Theses

A new preparative route to the only neutral chromium(V) oxide fluoride, chromium oxide trifluoride, has been accomplished by the reaction of xenon difluoride with chromyl fluoride at high temperature. The chromium oxide trifluoride is produced as crystals which are suitable for single crystal studies. In reactions of chromium oxide trifluoride with alkali and alkaline metal fluorides in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride, new chromium(V) oxide fluoride salts were obtained; these salts were not of high purity due to unknown problems. An attempt to prepare chromium oxide tetrafluoride by the reaction of xenon difluoride with chromyl fluoride in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride failed to …

Incest: A Study In Networking In Multnomah County, Oregon, Joanne Mcclarty

Dissertations and Theses

Reported cases of incest in Multnomah County, Oregon, as in the rest of the country, are increasing yearly. Effective networking between agencies is important in order to successfully work with the problem. The research problem of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the present network of agencies working with incest in Multnomah County. In order to evaluate network effectiveness the following objectives were established: to provide a "cultural" description of the major components of the Multnomah County network; to determine whether a common definition of incest among practitioners exists and to compare the networking system in this county …

A Longitudinal Study Of Recidivism For 88 Forest Camp Inmates, Loreli S. Manning

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent a group of 88 subjects, who were sentenced to the Forest Camp in the early seventies, remained law abiding in the ten years which followed their release. In addition to analyzing recidivist patterns, the study attempted to identify which variables were associated with subsequent recidivist and non-recidivist behavior and relate those findings to previous studies in the literature.

Counseling The Batterer, Robert Oliver Brown

Dissertations and Theses

Domestic violence has received increasing attention in recent years as an area of concern for the helping professional. Despite this interest, programs for counseling the batterer are relatively few and counseling interventions for use with this client population are in what could be termed an experimental phase. The purpose of Counseling the Batterer is to review the pertinent literature concerned with counseling the batterer, to explore several programs which have been involved in this effort, and also to design a model group counseling program for abusive males. The foundation for the model program is based on the pertinent literature and …

Inquiry Into The Causes And Significance Of Cytoplasmic Vacuolation Of Neutrophils In The Peripheral Circulation, Gary Xavier Haight

Dissertations and Theses

One-half million cases of septicemia are reported annually with a mortality of around 35%. Diagnosis depends in part on blood cultures which require one to two weeks. It would be advantageous if an early sign of septicemia were available.

Cytoplasmic vacuolation of polymorphonuclear neutropnils is occasionally seen in the peripheral blood smears of patients who have infections. The object of this work was to determine the cause and significance of cytoplasmic vacuolation with the goal of using the occurrence of vacuolation as an early indicator of infection.

Body Weight Changes Throughout The Menstrual Cycle And Their Effect Upon The Components Of Body Composition, Lovina M. Query

Dissertations and Theses

Research has shown that women experience fluctuations in body weight (BW) due to water retention and/or other processes at various times in the menstrual cycle. The purpose of this study is to measure women repeatedly throughout the course of one menstrual cycle and

(1) to confirm whether significant fluctuations in weight occur at various times and

(2) to determine whether there are significant differences in the components of body composition by hydrostatic weighing which are related to any changes in BW.

It was concluded that while significant fluctuations in BW occur at certain times in the menstrual cycle, the changes …

Lesbianism In Sport From The Perspective Of The Female Team Sport College Athlete And The Female Team Sport Recreational Player, Tracy Laura Jaynes

Dissertations and Theses

This study was designed to determine the degree of homophobia, expressed lesbian sexual preference behavior, and attitudes toward lesbianism among the female team sport college athlete and the female team sport recreational player. It was hypothesized that the female team sport college athlete would be less homophobic, would express greater lesbian sexual preference behavior, and would possess more positive attitudes toward lesbianism than the female team sport recreational player. There were 32 female team sport college athletes representing four Utah university/college campuses and one Oregon university/college campus; 37 female team sport recreational players representing four Utah recreational team and two …

Developmental Sentence Scoring: A Comparative Study Conducted In Portland, Oregon, Kathryn Marie Mccluskey

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this investigation was to replicate the study conducted by Lee and Canter (1971) and Lee (1974a) to determine if a significant difference among the scores in the two studies existed due to geographical location, and to initiate the establishment of norms for the Portland, Oregon geographical area. Forty children, selected on the basis of chronological age (4.0 to 4.11 years), normal receptive vocabulary skills, normal hearing, and a monolingual background, participated as subjects. A language sample of fifty utterances was elicited from each child and analyzed according to the Developmental Sentence Scoring (DSS) procedure.

A Comparison Of Measures Of Emotions From Written Reports Of Dreams And Waking Experiences, Edward D. Conklin

Dissertations and Theses

Various researchers have noted that emotions expressed in dream reports are infrequent and, more often, unpleasant. These observations are ambiguous for several reasons: (1) Empirical opinions differ markedly with regard to the structure of mentation across the continuum of waking and sleeping experience. (2) While the waking state is usually assumed as an implicit baseline, few studies have quantitatively compared waking and dream emotions. (3) Dream researchers have not thought about the basic nature of emotions or certain constraints which sleep physiology might impose upon emotions. In light of these assertions and considerations, an intrasubject comparison of emotions in reports …

Tiltmeter Analysis Of Mount St. Helens, Skamania County, Washington, Edward Charles Brown

Dissertations and Theses

Mount St. Helens returned to an active eruptive state March 20, 1980. Since then explosive and dome building eruptions have caused major topographic changes to the mountain and surrounding drainages. Monitoring of the southern side of the mountain by six tiltmeters at distances between 6 km and 12 km was conducted during the period of July 1, 1980 to December 31, 1980. Records obtained from the tiltmeters were analyzed and compared to data from precision geodetic surveys.

Photo-Realist Portraiture, Elaine R. Fleskes

Dissertations and Theses

A thesis report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Painting.

Overgrown Geometry, Connie Earnshaw

Dissertations and Theses

A thesis report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics.