The Utah Division of Parks and Recreation and Intergovernmental Communications

A study of intergovernmental communications between the Utah State Division of Parks and Recreation and recreation-related agencies in the State of Utah was designed to explore the extent and nature of their role in decision-making within the Division. The purpose of the study was to determine what factors related to communication might help improve the effectiveness of Division operations. A questionnaire aimed specifically at discovering what types of communication existed between the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation and sampled respondents was administered to private, municipal, county, and federal recreation personnel within Utah. The respondent\u27s level of participation with the Division was measured and correlated with communication type to see if there was any relationship. The results were significant, indicating that the type of communication does influence a person\u27s degree of participation with the Division. It was felt that several intervening variables affected the relationship between communication and participation. These intervening variables were amount of knowledge, location of the unit in the state, type of agency, and amount of contact. The type of communication was also correlated with the amount of knowledge of Division responsibilities and objectives. The results were not significant. The amount of knowledge of Division objectives and responsibilities was correlated with the degree of participation, under the assumption that greater degrees of participation caused greater knowledge of the Division. While a significant relationship was found with respect to one activity, goal setting, the relationship was not in the direction predicted. The geographical location of the given agency unit was analyzed with the amount of contact with several recreation agencies, as well as with the amount of knowledge of Division objectives and responsibilities. The results were not significant. The type of agency variable was correlated to the amount of knowledge, under the assumption that persons working for one type of agency would have more knowledge of the Division than persons employed by other types of agencies. The results v1ere significant with federal and county authorities showing the greatest knowledge. The final variable, amount of contact, was correlated to the amount of knowledge of Division objectives and responsibilities, though the results were not significant. Implications of the finding concerning the possible improvement of Division effectiveness were noted

Identification, isolation, expression analysis and molecular characterization of nine genes key to late embryogenesis in Loblolly pine

A basic understanding of the molecular events occurring during zygotic embryogenesis is required to fully understand how and why only a very small percentage of somatic embryos develop past the late embryogeny phase of embryogenesis. In this work, we have identified genes that have been demonstrated to be required for late embryonic development in the model plant system Arabidopsis thaliana. These genes were subsequently isolated and cloned from Loblolly pine embryos. These isolated clones were sequenced and analyzed to reveal significant homology to the known Arabidopsis ABA responsive genes ABI3, ABI4, and ABI5. Expression analyses of all three genes were completed, and compared to reported data of ABA accumulation, as well as, expression of other ABA responsive genes during the same stages of embryogenesis. Six putative root development genes were isolated and cloned from Loblolly pine embryos. These isolated clones were sequenced and analyzed to reveal significant homology to the known Arabidopsis root development genes WOODENLEG, SHORT ROOT, SCARECROW, HOBBIT, BODENLOS, and MONOPTEROS. Full-length cDNAs were isolated and cloned for WOODENLEG, SHORT ROOT, SCARECROW and BODENLOS. Expression analyses of all six genes were completed throughout mid to late embryogenesis in Loblolly pine.PhDCommittee Chair: Pullman, Gerald; Committee Member: Cairney, John; Committee Member: Chernoff, Yury; Committee Member: Choi, Jung; Committee Member: Dean, Jeffrey; Committee Member: Wartell, Roge

Six types of psychological contracts: their affective commitment and employability.

The purpose of this study is to identify a variety of employment relationships based upon an economy-wide, representative sample. We turn to psychological contract studies examining different types of psychological contracts. We expand two existing typologies by incorporating multiple features or underlying dimensions of psychological contracts. Such a feature-oriented approach allows us to construct a meaningful conceptualization of employer and employee obligations across different settings and to identify multiple types of psychological contracts in which combinations of different dimensions are prevalent. The cluster analysis indicates the existence of six types of psychological contracts, all having different patterns of mutual expectations: an instrumental, weak, loyal, unattached, investing and strong psychological contract. To validate the six-cluster solution, we develop clusters' profiles based upon individual, job, formal contract and organizational characteristics and further differentiate between the clusters by examining their outcomes in terms of affective commitment and employability.Characteristics; Cluster analysis; Contracts; Employability; Employment; Studies;

Highly efficient impulse-radio ultra-wideband cavity-backed slot antenna in stacked air-filled substrate integrated waveguide technology

An impulse-radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) cavity-backed slot antenna covering the [5.9803; 6.9989] GHz frequency band of the IEEE 802.15.4a-2011 standard is designed and implemented in an air-filled substrate integrated waveguide (AFSIW) technology for localization applications with an accuracy of at least 3 cm. By relying on both frequency and time-domain optimization, the antenna achieves excellent IR-UWB characteristics. In free-space conditions, an impedance bandwidth of 1.92 GHz (or 29.4%), a total efficiency higher than 89%, a front-to-back ratio of at least 12.1 dB, and a gain higher than 6.3 dBi are measured in the frequency domain. Furthermore, a system fidelity factor larger than 98% and a relative group delay smaller than 100 ps are measured in the time domain within the 3 dB beamwidth of the antenna. As a result, the measured time-of-arrival of a transmitted Gaussian pulse, for different angles of arrival, exhibits variations smaller than 100 ps, corresponding to a maximum distance estimation error of 3 cm. Additionally, the antenna is validated in a real-life worst-case deployment scenario, showing that its characteristics remain stable in a large variety of deployment scenarios. Finally, the difference in frequency-and time-domain performance is studied between the antenna implemented in AFSIW and in dielectric filled substrate integrated waveguide (DFSIW) technology. We conclude that DFSIW technology is less suitable for the envisaged precision IR-UWB localization application

Extract from an Essay on the Bad Effects of the Incautious Use of Magnesia

n/

Assessing the nature of psychological contracts: conceptualization and measurement.

The purpose of this study is to clarify a feature-oriented assessment of psychological contracts, an underdeveloped approach to psychological contracts. From a theoretical perspective, the study aims to conceptualize the nature or different dimensions of a psychological contract drawing upon theoretical frameworks and cross-national research. Reviewing the 13 nation-studies of psychological contracts organized by Rousseau and Schalk (2000), we find support for the relevance of four theoretical dimensions: time frame, tangibility, scope and stability, as well as indications for two additional dimensions: power distance and individualization. From an empirical perspective, the 6 conceptualized dimensions are being operationalized in terms of employees' expected entitlements as well as their expected obligations and tested in a large, representative sample of 1,106 employees across industries, organizations and legal contracts. The analyses resulted in 12 scales and indicated that the expected entitlements and obligations of scope, stability, power distance and individualization do not highly correlate with each other while high correlations between entitlements and obligations of time frame and tangibility exist.Measurement;

Het concept psychologisch contract: het gevoerde debat.

In deze paper wordt het debat dat er rond de betekenis van het concept psychologisch contract wordt gevoerd, in kaart gebracht. We gaan van start met een 'historisch' overzicht van de definities van psychologisch contract. Vervolgens bespreken we een aantal punten van eensgezindheid en een aantal belangrijke discussiepunten die naar voor komen in het debat rond het concept psychologisch contract. In een vierde paragraaf brengen we verdere verduidelijking aan in het concept psychologisch contract door het te onderscheiden van een aantal verwante concepten. Op basis van de verschillende discussies komen we in de laatste paragraaf tot een eigen afbakening van het concept.