The present study includes the development, large-scale administration to workers at four industrial plants, and evaluation of the Safety Culture Survey (SCS). The SCS consists of three scales: the Actively Caring Scale (ACS), the Safety Perception Scale (SPS), and the Risk Propensity Scale (RPS). The ACS measures person factors related to one's propensity to actively care for the safety of others. Actively caring (AC) refers to employees caring enough about the safety of their coworkers to act on their behalf. In other words, AC refers to continually looking for environmental hazards and unsafe work practices and implementing appropriate corrective actions when unsafe conditions or behaviors are observed. Included in the ACS is the RAC (reported AC) subscale. The RAC focuses on person, behavior, and environment issues. The RAC also categorizes various levels of AC (i.e., whether employees feel they should, are willing to, or often actively care). The SPS measures employees’ opinions and attitudes about their current safety climate. The scale addresses a variety of safety perceptions, including management concern for safety, peer support for safety, and personal responsibility for safety. The RPS measures person factors hypothesized to relate to an individual's propensity to engage in risky behaviors which increase the likelihood of a "near miss" or an injury. The RPS also includes the injury index subscale (i.e., reports of work-related injuries and illnesses). A stepwise multiple regression found the ACS subscales to predict over 50 percent of the variance in RAC scores. Furthermore, the construct validity of the AC model was supported in a general way. A factor analysis revealed one AC factor and two correlated risk propensity factors. Also, the ACS subscales were more highly correlated with each other than with subscales from the RPS (i.e., variables hypothesized not to predict AC). There were two interesting interactions found among SCS variables. The interaction between focus of AC (behavior, person, environment) and level of AC (should, willing, often) indicated employees were most willing to AC from a behavior-focus, yet least likely to report they often did AC from a behavior-focus. In addition, employees who perceived an unsupportive safety climate (i.e., those with low SPS scores) and who perceived a high level of risk on the job were less likely to AC compared with employees who perceived an unsupportive safety climate and who perceived a low level of risk on the job. This indicated the importance of efforts to increase the visible support of safety efforts as well as assessing safety perceptions before introducing interventions to increase the salience of work-related hazards. Furthermore, a stepwise regression to predict injury rate (i.e., injury index scores) with RPS scores was disappointing, predicting only 5.4 percent of variance in injury index scores. However, when injury index scores were divided into high, medium, and low, significant differences were found among RPS subscale scores. In conclusion, the SCS is presented as a reliable and valid research tool. It can also be used as an applied tool for industry to assess the levels of person factors related to AC behaviors, to assess the perception of management, peer, and personal responsibility for safety efforts, and to help evaluate the effects of interventions designed to bring about a safer workplace. / Ph. D.

Ph. D.

Golgi complex is a multi-compartmental organelle involved in posttranslational modification and sorting of secretory proteins. We have characterized the distribution in Vero cells of three Golgi cisternal membrane proteins, Sialyltransferase (SialylT, tans- Golgi/TGN), galactosyltransferase(GalT, trans-Golgi/TGN), and Nacetylglucosametransferase- 1 (GlcNAcT-1, medial-Golgi), during the process of Golgi disassembly and reassembly following the addition or removal of drugs. After 1 h nocodazole (microtubule depolymerizer) treatment, SialylT and GalT were found in scattered punctate structures that increased in number over time as less and less of these proteins were found perinuclearly. Initially these punctate structures were often negative for GlcNAcT-1. Over a 2 to 3-fold slower time course, GICNAcT-1 co-localized with SialylT and GalT in the scattered punctate structures. Cis-Golgi network marker was found in a separate set of scattered punctate structures from that of cisternae even at 4 h following nocodazole addition. Following nocodazole removal, all the cisternal markers accumulated perinuclearly into a reassembled Golgi at the same rate. After brefeldin A treatment (coat protein inhibitor), all the cisternae markers dispersed to ER with similar kinetics, albeit, in some cases by different tubular extensions of the Golgi. GlicCNAcT-1 and GalT showed similar kinetics of Golgi reassembly following BFA removal while SialylT lagged somewhat behind. Our data suggest that CGN, medial-Golgi and trans-Golgi/TGN are distinct subcompartments that can be separated one from the other by drug treatment; any exchange of components between the Golgi subcompartments must be slow with respect to the observed kinetics of Golgi disassembly. An epitope tagging approach was used to delineate the importance of the above Golgi protein's cytoplasmic tail domain in Golgi targeting and retention. we found that the cytoplasmic tail could be lengthened considerably (3-4 fold) and SialyIT and GalT still accumulated in a perinuclear, Golgi-like distribution with little ER background. One construct, VSV-SialylT, localized essentially exclusively to the Golgi complex. For SialylT, the longest constructs (40-42 amino acids) located relatively well to the Golgi complex while for GalT, the longest constructs (32-34 amino acids) located exclusively to the ER. Surprisingly, the epitope tags of several different GalT constructs was inaccessible to antibody in fixed cells. Any lengthening of the cytoplasmic domain of GIcNAcT-1 resulted in considerable to exclusive accumulation of the chimeric proteins in ER. No cell surface accumulation of any of the chimeric proteins was detected. The specific sequence of the epitope tag was important; the neutral to positively charged VSV epitope tag was preferred over negatively charged myc or FLAG tags. Depending on the exact tail alteration, we found that all three transferases accumulated in the ER with no detectable Golgi or cell surface accumulation. In some cases accumulation in the intermediate compartment or CGN was observed. Most surprisingly, in the one homologous case studied, expression of chimeric human GlcNAcT-1 in HeLa cells, ER accumulation of GlcNAcT-1 led to disruption of pre-existing Golgi. Based on these results, we propose, as the simplest explanation of the data, that alteration of the cytoplasmic tail of Golgi resident proteins can decrease their rate of exit from ER, presumably due to premature oligomerization, and may lead to capture of Golgi proteins in ER. / Ph. D.

A three component, convergent synthesis of the isoquinoline alkaloid morphine was designed which incorporated the ten-membered silicon-containing epoxide [figure 1], the diene diol [figure 2], and the known oxazolone [figure 3]. See: Figures 1, 2, and 3 Diene diol [figure 2] was isolated in the amount of 200 mg/L from the fermentation of (2-bromoethyl)benzene by Pseudomonas putida 39/D (Pp 39/D) and the absolute stereochemistry was proven by conversion to and comparison with a known compound. See: Figure 4 The silicon-tethered enediyne [figure 4] was prepared as a model for use in the well-known Bergman cyclization reaction as a "latent benzene reagent". Bergman cycloaromatization of similar enediynes has been demonstrated and the cyclization temperatures to form the benzenoid diradicals lies in the region 40-70°C. Cache molecular modeling of [figure 4] did indeed predict a cyclization temperature around 65°C. Enediyne [figure 4] did not undergo Bergman cyclization at such low temperatures and even survived heating for several days in a sealed tube at 150°C. See: Figure 5 ⟶ Figure 6 This approach was abandoned because it was shown in a related study that the tandem cyclization of [figure 5] to [see figure 6] proceeded without stereocontrol and in poor yield. (Compound [figure 6] resembled the intermediate radical that would have been obtained in the Bergman study). The aforementioned difficulties led to the revision of the approach to morphine to yield the second generation strategy in which the radical cyclization was carried out in separate steps. See: Figure 2 ⟶ Figure 7⟶ Figure 8 ⟶ Figure 9 For the second generation approach, diene diol [figure 7] was isolated in the yields of 2 mg/L and 440 mg/L from fermentation of o-bromo-(2-bromo)-1-ethylbenzene by Pp 39/D and JM109 respectively. Its absolute stereochemistry was proven by conversion to the benzofuran derivative [figure 7] which was found identical to that obtained from [figure 2]. See: Figure 9 ⟶ Figure 10 ⟶ Figure 11a, 11b The new diol [figure 9] was transformed to the protected derivative [figure 10]. The radical cyclization of [figure 10] gave the isoquinolines [figure 11a] and [figure 11b] in better yields (60% and 30% respectively) while attempted deprotection of [figure 10] was surprisingly accompanied by an intramolecular cyclization and produced the interesting oxazapine [figure 11]. The absolute stereochemistry of 11b was proven by x-ray. Both isomers are being used through further conversion to both enantiomers of morphine. See: Figure 9 ⟶ Figure 12 ⟶ Figure 13 / Ph. D.

This dissertation develops and applies new tools for distinguishing and disentangling high-frequency and low-frequency relationships among stationary economic time series. The new approach proposed here is a three-step procedure; the first step transforms the regression model in the time domain to a real-valued model in the frequency domain, which is functionally identical to an ordinary regression model, the only different being that "observations" of this model correspond to different frequencies rather than to different time periods. Consequently, in the second step, well established regression parameter stability tests are used to detect and assess the frequency dependence of relationships among economics time series. This new approach allows one to not only detect model misspecification of this type but also to correct it. In the third step, the results of the parameter stability across frequency tests is used to sensibly choose the best varying-parameter model in the frequency domain, which is then back-transformed to a time domain model and to be used for forecasting. The empirical example (using macroeconomic data) presented in this dissertation shows that the back-transformed model that allows varying parameter across frequencies significantly improves the forecasting performance of the misspecified fixed-parameter model. / Ph. D.

This study was an action study which used survey research to solicit input from a panel of experts on information literacy. The attributes of an information literate person identified by a panel of experts in 1992 were used as the basis for developing content goals for an information literacy course for community college associate degree students. Using these attributes as the basis, content goals were developed from the literature for each attribute and worded according to an expert curriculum development system. A panel of experts on information literacy responded to a survey in which they validated the content goals by rating them as to difficulty and frequency of use. The difficulty factor referred to how difficult the content goal would be for community college students to achieve. The frequency factor related to how often the student would use the skill or knowledge in future academic and career activities. The combination of these two ratings placed the content goals into a two by two matrix. The placement in the matrix allowed the developer to select content based on importance of content to the course. Forty-seven of the seventy-two content goals were included in the course based on the expert ratings and matrix cell placement. An expert system was used to develop the course. The IPSI Performance Instruction expert system was used to configure the syllabus, learning experiences and evaluation scheme for the course. The system allowed the developer to maintain consistency in what was planned, what was delivered and what was evaluated. The course was developed as an individualized, performance based course and consisted of fourteen modules. Documents produced as a result of this study were a course syllabus, fourteen modules containing learning experiences that allow the student to achieve the content goals, and an evaluation scheme composed of tests and skill checklists. The course is designed as a three credit semester length, individualized course. The findings allowed the developer to configure the course in information literacy and to conclude that information literacy skills are an integral part of the educational experience. The course content fit easily into a modular instructional format. This format of instruction should be evaluated as to its application across the community college curriculum. Information literacy skills appear to align closely with general education skills and this relationship should be investigated further. Curriculum standards should be considered that incorporate information literacy into community college associate degree programs. / Ed. D.

This study was designed to examine characteristics of overextended homeowners and to determine to what extent financial difficulty, as measured by the back-end financial ratio (principal, interest, taxes, and insurance, plus consumer credit payments, divided by gross monthly income), can be explained by a combination of affective and objective attributes and precipitating life events. The Parrott and Lytton (1993) Model of Family Housing Stability was used as the theoretical basis of this investigation. Demographic characteristics; financial characteristics, including net worth and financial ratios; money management characteristics and practices; recently-experienced life events; and psychological characteristics of the sample were reported. Data were obtained from a convenience sample of Prince William County, Virginia residents who were clients of a Cooperative Extension financial counseling program. Two sources of data were used: a 169-item survey instrument and a financial profile. Of the 519 cases where both a financial profile and a survey were completed, 245 were homeowners and comprised the sample. Demographic characteristics of the sample were found to be dissimilar to those of Virginia and U.S. citizens. Respondents had lower median incomes, and a higher percentage of ethnic minorities and households with children living at home. Descriptive statistics were used to profile sample households. A quarter of the sample had a negative net worth and the mean amount of liquid assets covered one week’s expenses. Almost three-quarters of sample households had monthly household expenses that exceeded income. Over 80% experienced three or more life events that affected their finances. The most frequently-reported event was unemployment. Seventeen independent variables were regressed on the dependent variable to produce a statistically significant R² of .3138 (p <.0001). Objective and affective attributes and precipitating life events were also regressed as blocks on the dependent variable. Only the objective attribute group was significant, accounting for approximately a quarter of the variance in financial difficulty. Only one individual variable, the number of household earners, was significant in explaining variance in the dependent variable. A negative coefficient indicated that, as the number of wage earners was reduced, the back-end ratio of sample households increased. / Ph. D.

This dissertation proposes a coordination model for concurrent object-oriented programming languages (COOPLs). The model, termed Coordinating Environments (CEs), prescribes coordination among concurrently executing objects that compute as a group to achieve a common task or goal. The model represents coordination constraints and coordinating actions in a structured manner by grouping them into syntactic entities called Coordinating Behaviors (CBs). A group coordinator, termed a Coordinating Environment object (CE object), reduces the intrusive effects of coordination by transparently observing message-acceptance and method-termination events in components and triggering one or more coordinating actions on them. The conflict between the issues of information hiding (for better encapsulation) and information externalization (to enable coordination) is partially resolved by requiring components to provide state-interrogation methods. This allows a CE object to obtain and use local state information of components for the purpose of coordination. A method for developing reusable coordination specifications in C++ is described. The method consists of two major steps: defining an abstract Coordinating Environment class (CE class) to capture the coordination problem in an abstract manner and then defining a concrete CE class (a subclass of the abstract CE class) to map the coordination effect embodied in the abstract CE class to a specific coordination problem. The method makes extensive use of the inheritance, polymorphism, and dynamic binding mechanisms of C++. Seven coordination problems, ranging from the coordination of a panel of buttons to the coordination of a multi-car elevator system, are specified to illustrate the method. A detailed design of the major components of the CEs model is also described. The issues involved in using formal abstractions for coordinating process-agents specified in the Calculus of Communicating Systems (CCS) are also investigated. Using CCS directly to specify coordination has two weaknesses. First, coordination is modeled at a very low level in CCS by making agents engage in explicit communications. Such low-level specifications are poor candidates for specifying designs of software components that must satisfy software engineering criteria such as separation of concerns and reusability. Second, when the computation steps of the composition of agents are determined using the Expansion Law of CCS, many terms are generated that represent incorrect coordination sequences among the agents. Thus, the need for a calculus that addresses both the issue of concurrency and communication and the issue of effectively managing the communication among concurrent agents (that is, coordination) is identified, and the Calculus of Coordinating Environments (CCE) is proposed as a first step towards satisfying that need. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to assess attitudes of acceptance by administrators, core content teachers, and special education teachers at the middle school level toward the inclusion of special education students into general education classes in a large suburban school district. Research questions for this study were: (1) What are middle school core content teachers’ attitudes about the inclusion of special education students in general education classes?; (2) What are special education teachers’ attitudes toward the inclusion of special education students in general education classes?; (3) What are school based administrators’ attitudes about the inclusion of special education students in general education classes?; (4) Do school based administrators’ attitudes differ from those of middle school teachers?; and (5) What are the elements that influence administrator and teacher attitudes for the purpose of providing better preparation and training? The primary methodology for collecting data was the use of focus groups, applying qualitative methodology for analysis. Specifically, content analyses were conducted on Demographic Information Sheets and in-depth group interview data (focus groups). Additionally, data were compared to elements from the Council for Exceptional Children model for an effective inclusion school. The findings show receptiveness on the part of each of the groups toward inclusion, through descriptions based upon participant responses. Also, the primary findings show that attitudes of acceptance toward more inclusive environments are not isolated factors related to that receptiveness, but are connected to collaborative practices. These are enabled through committed leadership, allocation of resources, support systems, and school autonomy. These findings support the relationship of attitudes influencing teacher receptiveness toward more inclusive environments for special education students as previously indicated by Winzer (1987), Kauffman (1998), Barnartt and Kabzems (1992), Wisnieski and Alper (1994) and recently Janney, Snell, Beers, and Raynes (1995). / Ed. D.

Biocatalytic conversion of chlorobenzene to the corresponding homochiral cyclohexadiene cis-diol (113) allows, through careful symmetry-based planning, the stereodivergent synthesis of all sphingosine stereoisomers. This was achieved via the selective preparation of the appropriate diastereomer of azido alcohol (118), were C-4 and C-5 correspond to C-3 and C-2 of the sphingosine skeleton, respectively (Scheme 1). / Ph. D.