Voluntary turnover is an important organizational issue with costs beyond monetary losses (Morrow & McElroy, 2007). Subsequently, the detrimental effects have engendered extensive research that has led to multiple turnover models attempting to unite antecedents to maximize the variance in predicting turnover and turnover intent (Griffeth et al., 2000). However, current models have omitted important aspects of an employee’s working experience. This dissertation addresses that gap; namely, the need to incorporate relational forces at work that keep individuals at their current organizations. The study integrates social relations and the traditional turnover model (Mobley, 1977) to examine the unique and joint effects of social relations in predicting turnover intent. An empirical study of two independent samples of full-time working individuals (N = 318; N = 235) endorsed a mixed methods approach to expand the measurement of social relations by examining social network content, strength, structure, and influence. Select work personality traits, work characteristics, and turnover outcomes were assessed via an online questionnaire. The results demonstrate that expressive link defection (i.e., friends leaving the organization), instrumental normative pressure to stay (i.e., advisors wanting employees to stay), and instrumental strength (i.e., frequency of contact with advisors) predict significant variance in turnover intent beyond traditional predictors. In addition, expressive link defection and instrumental normative pressure to stay had stronger relationships with turnover intent for longer tenured employees than shorter tenured employees.

1. Lymnaea was the subject of an established behavioural conditioning paradigm where pairings of a neutral lip tactile stimulus (CS) and a sucrose food stimulus (US) results in a conditioned feeding response to the CS alone. The current objective was to dissect trained animals and examine electrophysiological changes in the feeding circuitry which may underlie this learning. 2. Naive subjects were used to confirm that US and CS responses in vivo persisted in vitro since this is a pre-requisite for survival of a learned memory trace. This required the development of a novel semi-intact preparation facilitating CS presentation and simultaneous access to the CNS. 3. The nature and function of the CS response was investigated using naive animals. Intracellular recordings revealed that the tactile CS evokes specific, consistent synaptic responses in identified feeding neurons. Extracellular recording techniques and anatomical investigations showed that these responses occurred through a direct pathway linking the lips to the feeding circuitry. A buccal neuron was characterized which showed lip tactile responses and supplied synaptic inputs to feeding neurons indicating that it was a second-order mechanosensory neuron involved in the CS pathway. 4. Animals trained using the behavioural conditioning paradigm were tested for conditioned responses and subsequently dissected~ Intracellular recording from specific identified feeding motoneurons revealed that CS presentation resulted in significant activation of the feeding network compared to control subjects. This activation was combined both with an increase in the amplitude of a specific synaptic input and an elevation in the extracellular spike activity recorded from a feeding-related connective. A neuronal mechanism to account for these findings is presented. 5. The role of motoneurons in the feeding circuit was reassessed. It is demonstrated, contrary to the current model, that muscular motoneurons have an important contribution during feeding rhythms through previously unreported electrotonic CPG connections.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 30-November 02, 1995 / Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada / The demand for additional computing power and more sophisticated graphics displays to strengthen real-time flight testing prompted the Real-time Systems Team to turn to graphics workstations. In order to drive graphics displays with real-time data, the questions became, "What interface to use?" and "How to integrate workstations into our existing telemetry processing system?". This paper discusses the interface and integration of graphics workstations to the Real-time Telemetry Processing System III (RTPS III).

published_or_final_version / abstract / Electrical and Electronic Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Electrical and Electronic Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This paper structurally estimates a dynamic model of usage behavior and network effects in a social network site using data from MySpace.com. We view a social network as a stock of capital that yields a flow of utilities over time by creating social interactions between the owner and her friends. When one decides to use a social network site, it may have two distinct network effects: (1) one can manage an existing base of friends through social networking and thus prevent depreciation of capital stock (maintenance effect), and (2) one may acquire new friends through social networking, which results in creation of new capital stock (investment effect). Thus, we model social networking as a dynamic process, in which one's current action to use a social network site can influence the evolution of her social network. We found that realtime chat and messaging, features of MySpace.com, positively affect one's usage decision and hence achieve the intended goal of generating site traffic. However, different demographic groups may have idiosyncratic preferences for these features. Based on parameter estimates, we performed counterfactual simulations with the goal of providing managers with ways to enhance firm performance. / text

Traditionally, transportation road networks have been designed for minimal congestion. Unfortunately, such approaches do not guarantee minimal vehicle emissions. Given the negative impacts of vehicle pollutants as well as tighter national air quality standards, it is critical for regions to be able to identify capacity modifications to road networks such that vehicle emissions are minimal. This ability combined with land use changes and opportunities for non-auto travel are paramount in helping regions improve air quality. However, network design research has yet to directly address this topic. To fill this apparent gap in network design research, an emissions network design problem and solution method are proposed in this thesis. Three air pollutants are considered: hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide. The proposed model is applied to two road networks: Sioux Falls, ND and Anaheim, CA. The model is a bi-level optimization problem solved using a genetic algorithm and incorporates the influence of demand uncertainty. Findings indicate designing for minimal congestion tends to increase emissions of criteria air pollutants. However, not adding capacity to a road network also increases emissions of pollutants. Therefore, an optimization problem and solution method, such as the model presented here, is useful for identifying capacity additions that reduce vehicle emissions. It is also useful for understanding the tradeoffs between designing a network for minimal congestion versus minimal vehicle emissions. / text

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