This dissertation proposes an alternative perspective for studying the relationship between corporate performance and diversification. Extensive research into the relationship between diversification and economic performance has been conducted using two different perspectives. One perspective, pursued mainly by industrial organization economists, examined the effect that a firm's level (or degree) of diversity had on its performance. A second perspective, utilized by strategic management researchers, uses Rumelt's (1974) notion of product-market relatedness to explain performance differences among diversified firms. Rumelt (1974) hypothesized that firms which diversify into areas related to the original business by either products or markets would financially outperform those firms that diversify into areas unrelated (in a product or market sense) to the original business. Blackburn and Shrader (1990, pg. 1) argue that "a consensus seems to be forming that related corporate acquisitions are superior to unrelated acquisitions." This consensus view is not without its critics, however. Other research results (e.g. Barton, 1988) suggest that unrelated acquisitions need not produce inferior performance. This debate suggests that further research into the nature of the relationship between corporate diversification and its financial performance may be productive, especially if new ways of examining it can be devised. An alternative perspective for studying the relationship between corporate performance and diversification is proposed. Other dimensions of relatedness, such as the strategic similarity between a corporation's business units, may provide alternative means of defining relatedness. It will be argued that a redefinition of relatedness will prove valuable in expanding our ability to predict the effect corporate diversification strategy has on corporate performance. / Ph. D.

A series of RF plasmas was chosen to modify the surface chemical composition of Hercules IM7 carbon fibers. A two-liquid tensiometric method was used to determine the surface energy parameters y(ds) and I(psf) of the fibers. An XPS analysis of air and argon plasma treated fibers indicated a significant surface oxidation of the fibers which translated into low y(ds) values and high I(psf)values. An ammonia plasma was shown to remove an outer layer from the surface of the fibers. It also increased y(ds) compared to as-received fibers without affecting the non-dispersion (IPsf) XPS results indicated that methane and ethylene plasmas deposited a layer of low surface energy hydrocarbon on the fiber surface. A trifluoromethane plasma and a tetrafluoromethane plasma introduced a significant amount of fluorine containing groups in the fiber surface in the form of a fluorinated plasma polymer in the first case and through direct attack of the fiber surface by fluorine atoms in the second case. The surface chemical composition and the surface energy parameters of two series of commercially treated carbon fibers were also determined and compared to the results on IM7 carbon fibers. The adhesion of carbon fibers to polyethersulfone (PES) was measured by using the microbond pull-out test, and compared to the adhesion of the same fibers to an epoxy resin. The load required to debond the microdroplet was used as a measure of the bond strength. The data were also analyzed in terms of interfacial fracture energy accordIng to the model developed by Jiang and Penn (1992). The microbond pull-out test results showed no significant relation between the fiber surface chemical composition or the fiber surface energy, and the adhesion to PES. However, plasmas which have a strong ablative character such as the ammonia and the tetrafluoromethane plasmas did improve the fiber-PES adhesion, when compared to as-received fibers. The study of the fiber-epoxy systems revealed that a chemical effect contributed to the adhesion improvement but to a lesser extent than the "cleaning" effect of the surface treatment. The results support the two part mechanism proposed by Drzal and extend its application to carbon fiber-thermoplastic systems, but in this case the chemical effect is minimal. / Ph. D.

An examination was made of the internal boundaries of families in treatment for father-daughter incest and families in treatment for other concerns. Family boundaries are described as the internal rules that define when and how family members participate within the family. Information was gathered through the use of individual in depth interviews with mothers and daughters from both groups of clinical families. A descriptive narrative about family boundaries was developed using the core category of family rules, with subsidiary categories that included family organization and family communication. Three major themes of awareness, control, and consistency emerged from the data as clinically useful concepts for describing perceptions of family rules. One important finding was that mothers and daughters from both clinical groups were found to be similar in their perceptions of family rules. A major difference between the groups related to marital power and control, with mothers in the incest treatment group reporting less control over family rules prior to the disclosure of abuse and the initiation of treatment than mothers in the control treatment group. The results of the research suggest therapists should avoid stereotyping families who are in treatment for father-daughter incest and focus instead on assessing the unique factors that contribute to a family's vulnerability to incest. The importance of providing emotional and social support for individual family members following the disclosure of father-daughter sexual abuse is also highlighted. / Ph. D.

The cellular slime mold, <i><b>Dictyostelium discoideum</i></b>, has two developmentally regulated forms of the enzyme glycogen phosphorylase, which are encoded by two distinct, but related genes (Rutherford, et. aI., 1991). A complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding glycogen phosphorylase-}, gp-l, was isolated from a λgtll expression library made from amoebae stage mRNA. The 5' upstream region of the gp-l gene was cloned by inverted polymerase chain reaction (IPCR) and partial genomic DNA library screening. The gp-l gene was found as one copy or low copy number gene in the <i><b>Dictyostelium</i></b> genome, and an adjacent 22 kilobase pair region was physically mapped. The deduced amino acid sequencing analysis revealed that there were 862 amino acid residues encoded by the gp-1 mRNA of 2729 nucleotides. It was also found that most regulatory and catalytic domains were similar to those in other glycogen phosphorylases. One intron of 139 bp was verified beginning after the 40th amino acid codon. The transcriptional start site was determined at 134 nucleotides upstream of the ATG initiation codon. Gel retardation assays demonstrated that there were at least two nuclear DNA binding proteins from vegetative amoebae (V 1 and V2 factors) and two from developing cells (D 1 and D2 factors). Experiments with a luciferase reporter gene suggested that a basal expression of the gp-l gene can be conferred by the 5' region containing 363 bp upstream of the ATG codon and the entire regulatory region is located at 157 to 700 bp upstream of the ATG site. It was also demonstrated that the 363 bp deletion fragment did not support cyclic AMP (cAMP) responsiveness of the gp-l gene. DNase I footprinting mapped two regions that were protected by nuclear DNA binding proteins and one of them was a palindromic sequence: CAAGTCGCTIG. / Ph. D.

Speech intelligibility tests using three headset systems, two passive and one with active noise reduction technology, were conducted. Nine listeners, six males and three females, responded to 180 50-word Modified Rhyme Word Lists presented under two noise conditions, two conditions of bilateral phase reversal of the speech signal, and the three headset systems. These three independent variables were studied in a full factorial within-subjects design. The noise conditions were pink noise and recordings from the troop carrying compartment of a U.S. Army M-2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle (tank noise having substantial low-frequency energy). Phase reversal of the speech signal was also tested for its effect on speech intelligibility. The three headset systems were the David Clark Noise Attenuating Aviation Headset, and the Bose Aviation Headset used in both its passive and active mode. Active noise reduction technology employs the physical principle of constructive and destructive interference by creating signals which are identical to the noise under the earmuff but out of phase by 180 degrees. This technology is most effective at frequencies below 1000 Hz. Results showed that the Bose headset in its active mode required a significantly higher speech-to-noise ratio in both noise environments than the two passive headset systems to achieve the 70% level of speech intelligibility, the dependent variable in this study. The mean speech level under the Bose headset in its active mode was 2.8 dB higher in tank noise and 3.5 dB higher in pink noise than under the David Clark headset. The Bose headset in the active mode, however, provided a greater degree of broadband attenuation especially in the lower frequency range, e.g. < 630 Hz. Phase reversal proved to be of no benefit to performance in either noise environment. The pink noise proved to be the harsher environment for speech intelligibility than did the tank noise, primarily due to the increased levels in the speech bandwidth. Articulation Index scores for the three headset systems evidenced that the differences in performance among the three headset systems were in part the result of better earphone response characteristics in the principal speech bandwidth (600 - 4000 Hz) in conjunction with the strong attenuation performance of the David Clark headset in that same range. It is suggested that, in the absence of better earphone response characteristics and a broader bandwidth of active noise reduction performance, speech intelligibility is no better under active noise reduction headsets than under quality passive headsets. Further, the levels of speech intelligibility attained by active noise reduction headsets are at a cost of increased signal strength and higher purchase price. / Ph. D.

The West Virginia Board of Regents, age 20, statewide governing board for higher education, died June 30, 1989 as a result of legislative termination. Like so many of its progenitors, the Board, an abstraction without constituencies or political proponents, was quietly written out of the State Code. There were no eulogies. In a retrospective search for the cause of death, the enactment, implementation, and termination of the Board were analyzed. The dynamics of the political processes through which the structure of higher education governance was modified during its two decades were documented. The political legacy and challenging cultural bequests of the Board were profiled. A political epitaph for the Regents included the following inscriptions. The governance structure of higher education in the great state of West Virginia is what the governor, the legislature, the campus presidents, and their creation(s), the board(s), perceive it to be. In its finest hours, structuring can be a political coalition, a partnership, dedicated to the public interest, striving for quality, access and excellence. In its darkest days, Structure can become a political target, an object of control, a source of rivalry and competition. Restructuring is a ritual within a highly individualistic political culture which reveres higher education as an instrument of government. Restructuring is invoked when one or more of the partners is shunned or shunted and, as a result publicly reveals that structuring is a political process. Then, structure must be sacrificed to restore trust, to revive public confidence in those entrusted with governance. Restructuring produces a new governance structure and reestablishes a process of structuring. / Ed. D.

The study investigated business letter writing problems within the banking profession. It identified difficulties in letter writing aspects that bankers perceive; and it investigated the relationship of those perceived difficulties to assessed deficiency aspects in letters the bankers had written. A literature review revealed studies that addressed origination of business letters. These studies typically utilized either a survey of groups involved with writing or an analysis of completed letters. This raised the question of possible outcomes in combining the two approaches within a work setting. A Q-sort technique was used to determine perceptions of 15 branch location bankers concerning difficulty of 40 composition and 40 technical letter writing aspects. The bankers ranked the following composition aspects highest in difficulty: legalese; persuasion techniques; refusal conveyance; unfavorable news conveyance; conflict resolution; and direct versus indirect approach. They ranked the following technical aspects highest in difficulty: infinitives (split); sentence syntax; antecedents of pronouns; wordiness (excessive); dangling participles; and preposition usage. The bankers answered a survey concerning their access to training and instruction in business letter writing. Each banker submitted four recently originated business letters. Composition aspect deficiencies within bankers' submitted letters were assessed by a panel of post secondary business communication instructors. Combined grammar-checking software and researcher screening determined deficiencies for technical aspects of the letters. A total of 900 non-repetitive deficiencies were assessed in the 60 letters submitted -- an average of 15 per letter. comparative percentile rankings showed that perceived difficulties differed most from existing deficiencies in the following aspects: composition -- (perceived difficulties greater) refusal conveyance and euphemisms, (assessed deficiencies greater) sentence construction and letter organizing/structuring; technical -- (perceived difficulties greater) split infinitives and dangling participles, (assessed deficiencies greater) spelling and pronoun usage. / Ed. D.

A gene coding for the cambialistic superoxide dismutase (SOD) was isolated from a LambdaGEM-11 genomic library of <i>Bacteroides fragilis</i>. In order to generate a complete genomic library, <i>B. fragilis</i> genomic DNA was partially digested with the restriction endonuclease Sau3AI and was ligated to cloning vector, LambdaGEM-11. After in vitro packaging, DNA was used to infect <i>E. coli</i> KW 251. The genomic library was finally established in the plaque population. Recombinant phage DNAs containing the SOD gene were detected by a ³²P-labelled synthetic oligonucleotide with 17 bases. The sequence of this oligonucleotide was deduced from the N-terminal amino acid sequence of <i>B. fragilis</i> FeSOD. Two recombinant phage DNAs were selected based on he results of plaque hybridization. Further analysis with restriction mapping and DNA sequencing revealed that only one recombinant phage DNA contained the SOD gene. Southern hybridization and restriction mapping located the SOD gene in the SalI-BamHI fragment (2.1 kb). Sequence analysis identified the orientation and open reading frame (ORF) of the gene. Translation of ORF revealed that SOD consists of 193 amino acid residues. The size of the deduced polypeptide is consistent with the molecular weight of SOD subunit (MW 21,000). The B. fragilis SOD sequence was compared with those of other SODs. The amino acid residues contributing metal ligands, the hydrophobic shell of the active site, and amino acids at the subunit contact are almost fully conserved in B. fragilis SOD. Expression of SalI-BamHI fragment in E. coli SOD double mutant (sodA, sodB), QC1799, produced an active SOD whose activity zymogram was identical to that of purified B. fragilis SOD. In addition, Western analysis of the expressed protein separated on SDS acrylamide gel also displayed a band identical to the subunit of B. fragilis SOD. However, a larger molecular weight band was also detected. This band migrated closely to the subunit of B. fragilis SOD. This larger peptide may be the product of gene translation from an ATG 21 bases upstream of the ATG start codon of B. fragilis gene. The cambialistic feature of SOD gene product was also confirmed from in vitro and in vivo metal substitution. / Ph. D.

Previous research exploring the assumptions of process invariance (Walker, 1989) found discrepancies between process and rating outcomes when rater and ratee populations were crossed. Divergent results were attributed to differences in the ratee stimulus performance tapes. The present study attempted to explore how levels of task complexity would moderate the relationship between job knowledge and both information processing and rating accuracy. 123 male subjects were measured on their knowledge of football, and viewed the performance of either offensive tackles (complex task) or running backs (simple task) under directions to either form an impression or remember as much detail as possible. It was expected that observational purpose would moderate the type of information recalled, rating accuracy, and accuracy in recording behavior frequencies in the complex task condition only. Results supported hypotheses only for Cronbaoh-. (19S5) elevation measure pertaining to behavior frequency ratings, and consistent task complexity main effects among accuracy measures for behavior frequency ratings. Some possible limitations and explanations for the present results and some implications for future research are offered. / Ph. D.

A vapor phase impregnation technique with Pt(acac)₂ has been developed and used to load Pt into aluminosilicate (KL, BaKL, KBaKL, NaY, CsNaY, FAU, EMT, ZSM-12 and SSZ-24) and aluminophosphate (AIP0₄-5 and VPI-5) molecular sieves. ¹³C MAS NMR, TEM and H₂ chemisorption measurements reveal that Pt can be loaded into the micropores of molecular sieves with both charged and neutral frameworks. Pt containing molecular sieves were tested as catalysts for the aromatization of n-hexane at 460 - 510°C and atmospheric total pressure in order to study the influence of Pt cluster size and support acidity/basicity, microstructure and chemical composition on activity and selectivity. High selectivity to benzene over most of the zeolite samples demonstrates that support acidity/basicity and microstructure do not contribute directly to the aromatization selectivity over Pt catalysts. A clear trend of increasing benzene selectivity with decreasing Pt cluster size is found. These observations suggest that the exceptional reactivity of Pt/KL for the aromatization of n-hexane results from the lack of any acidity in the support and the ability of zeolite L to stabilize the formation of extremely small Pt clusters. Pt/AIP0₄-5 and Pt/VPI-5 show high selectivity to n-hexane with little formation of benzene while opposite is observed for Pt/SSZ-24. The differences in catalytic behavior are attributed to variations in the environment of Pt clusters which are situated in either an aluminophosphate or silicate micropore. See document for rest of abstract. / Ph. D.