Digital Commons Network^™

Molecular Genetic Analysis Of Creld1 In Patients With Heterotaxy Disorder, Samaneh Zhian

Dissertations and Theses

Heterotaxy refers to the abnormal arrangement of internal organs in relation to each other. Model organism studies have shown that functions of more than eighty genes are required for normal asymmetric left-right organ development. CRELD1 has been shown to be necessary for proper heart development and mutations in CRELD1 are known to increase risk of cardiac atrioventricular septal defects (AVSD). AVSD is the most common form of heart defect associated with heterotaxy, and we have previously shown that some individuals heterotaxy-related AVSD have mutations in CRELD1.

Therefore, we propose to examine the CRELD1 gene in a large sample of …

Who Gender-Bends And Why? A Qualitative Study Of World Of Warcraft, Clairellyn Rose Gregory

Dissertations and Theses

According to a 2009 study, 68% of American households played video games (Entertainment Software Association). With this number continually on the rise, video games and their cultures are in need of further scholarly exploration. A video game of particular interest is a massive online game known as World of Warcraft, drawing over twelve million players worldwide (Blizzard Entertainment, 2010). With a cyberspace-based culture, World of Warcraft exposes its players to phenomenon that are unique to it, and thereby not easily understood through the same measures and evaluations offered by society at large. One such phenomena is that of gender, or …

Proposal And Analysis Of Demagnetization Methods Of High Voltage Power System Transformers And Design Of An Instrument To Automate The Demagnetization Process, Nathanael Jared Makowski

Dissertations and Theses

Present demagnetization methods for large power system transformers are time consuming and can be dangerous to persons performing demagnetization. The work of this thesis was to develop improved demagnetization methods and to construct an automated instrument that would implement the methods developed. One previously developed method was analyzed for effectiveness. Then, two new methods for demagnetization were developed and also analyzed for effectiveness. An automated test instrument prototype was redesigned to be able to accommodate these methods and to improve the safety of the user. The previously developed method attempts demagnetization based on current flow behavior characteristics. The first new …

Investigating Technological Organization At The Buck Lake Site (45pi438) In Mount Rainier National Park Using A Lithic Debitage Analysis, Michael Charles Schurke

Dissertations and Theses

Few lithic analyses have been conducted or published on collections from Mount Rainier National Park (MORA). This study's lithic debitage analysis, and investigation of hunter-gatherer technological organization through time, contributes to the knowledge base and understanding of how hunter-gatherers used subalpine environments in MORA. The debitage sample is from archaeological excavations between 2005 and 2007 at a Buck Lake Site (45PI438) activity area in the subalpine environmental zone. Two cultural components were examined: the pre-Mount St. Helens Yn tephra component (before 3500 RCYBP) is thought to represent a forager-like mobility strategy and the post-Mount St. Helens Yn tephra component (after …

Employee Age Differences In Formal Performance Feedback Reactions: Examining The Effects Of Perceived Valence, Content, And Delivery, Gabriela Burlacu

Dissertations and Theses

As the nature of work is rapidly changing, organizations in developed nations all over the world are experiencing shifts in the age composition of their workforces. These changes, which include an aging workforce that is becoming increasingly age-diverse, indicate that organizational researchers and practitioners need to be better aware of how age differences manifest themselves in the workplace and what implications this has for effective employee management. In the current study it is proposed that employees of different ages react differently to various elements of a formal performance feedback event. Specifically, Carstensen's developmental Socio-emotional Selectivity Theory is used as a …

Pedagogical Catalysts Of Civic Competence: The Development Of A Critical Epistemological Model For Community-Based Learning, Stephanie Taylor Stokamer

Dissertations and Theses

Civic competence is critical to the successful functioning of pluralistic democracies. Developing the knowledge, skills, and motivations for effective democratic participation is a national and global imperative that many higher education institutions have embraced through the teaching strategies of community-based learning and service-learning. Yet, scant research literature has focused on the relationship between pedagogical approaches and civic competence outcomes. This five-year longitudinal study of 11,000 students in 700 senior-level capstone courses at an urban research university empirically tested a new theoretically constructed model of civic competence development in order to identify epistemological and pedagogical elements that enhance civic competence. Eight …

Disordered Thought, Disordered Language: A Corpus-Based Description Of The Speech Of Individuals Undergoing Treatment For Schizophrenia, Lucas Carl Steuber

Dissertations and Theses

The characteristics of patient speech are used in clinical settings to make assumptions about the thought processes of people with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. However, there have not been any studies of the language of people with schizophrenia that present evidence drawn from a large group of speakers. This study employs a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to determine whether 140 medicated individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia exhibit the linguistic abnormalities claimed in the literature. It also compares the speech of people with schizophrenia with that of people diagnosed with depression in order to assess whether there is a …

The Dynamics Of Change Among Community Development Corporations In Inner North/Northeast Portland, 1987-2006, Louisa Jenkins Brown

Dissertations and Theses

This project is a comparative case study of five Community Development Corporations (CDCs) that emerged in the seven central neighborhoods of Inner North/Northeast Portland, Oregon in the late 1980s. Of the five organizations that began at that time, only two exist currently. Analyzing how and why these organizations rose and fell, merged and failed, struggled and survived in a compressed time frame and geographic area will elucidate the different paths that each organization chose in a neighborhood that changed from derelict to gentrified. Drawing on the overlapping bodies of literature that cover low-income and affordable housing development, CDC structure and …

Development Of An Objective Motor Score For Monitoring The Progression And Severity Of Parkinson's Disease, Timothy W. Albers

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis describes the development of an objective motor score (OMS) of Parkinson's disease that utilizes the Quantitative Motor Assessment Tool (QMAT) developed through efforts by the Intel Corporation and the Kinetics Foundation. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a movement disorder which is a member of a group of neurodegenerative diseases marked by the depletion or impairment of dopamine-producing cells in the brain. Since PD is chronic and degenerative, treatments are intended to either improve the quality of life for sufferers by superficially treating symptoms or slow and ultimately reverse the progression of the disease. No blood test or biomarker exists, …

The Relationship Between Teachers' Multicultural Attitudes And Their Instructional Practice With English Language Learners: A Mixed Method Study, Adria Danielle Dodici

Dissertations and Theses

Teachers of English language learners (ELLs) are often ill prepared to provide content area instruction tailored to their students' needs. This explanatory mixed method study examined the relationship between 15 ELL teachers' multicultural attitudes and use of sheltered instruction (SI). The purpose of the study was to ascertain whether teachers' multicultural attitudes influenced their use of SI. Data were gathered using a Demographic Questionnaire, Multicultural Efficacy Scale (MES), Classroom Instruction Questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews. A correlational analysis found no statistically significant relationship (i.e., r = -.34; p = .22) between participants' scores on SI observations and the MES. A correlational …

Performing Marginal Identities: Understanding The Cultural Significance Of Tawa'if And Rudali Through The Language Of The Body In South Asian Cinema, Lise Danielle Hurlstone

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines the representation of the lives and performances of tawa'if and rudali in South Asian cinema to understand their marginalization as performers, and their significance in the collective consciousness of the producers and consumers of Indian cultural artifacts. The critical textual analysis of six South Asian films reveals these women as caste-amorphous within the system of social stratification in India, and therefore captivating in the potential they present to achieve a complex and multi-faceted definition of culture. Qualitative interviews with 4 Indian classical dance instructors in Portland, Oregon and performative observations of dance events indicate the importance of …

Diminished Democracy? Portland Radio News/Public Affairs After The Telecom Act Of 1996, Rebecca Webb

Dissertations and Theses

News and public affairs on commercial radio dramatically changed following the 1996 Telecom Act, with rapid consolidation and economic efficiencies radically shrinking commercial radio's role in the provision of political information. By examining jobs data, public files, and the views of broadcast journalists, this project assesses the Act's impact through the lens of civic-minded Portland, Oregon. Because political information enables democracy, and because of radio's uniquely accessible qualities, this paper argues that market emphasis in media policy--especially in the Act's absolute manifestation--has diminished a significant channel of public discourse. Noticing radio's democratic potential, still relevant in the digital age, this …

Fpga Implementation And Acceleration Of Building Blocks For Biologically Inspired Computational Models, Mandar Deshpande

Dissertations and Theses

In recent years there has been significant research in the field of computational neuroscience and many of these biologically inspired cognitive models are based on the theory of operation of mammalian visual cortex. One such model of neocortex developed by George & Hawkins, known as Hierarchical Temporal Memories (HTM), is considered for the research discussed here. We propose a simple hierarchical model that is derived from HTM. The aim of this work is to evaluate the hardware cost and performance against software based simulations. This work presents a detailed hardware implementation and analysis of the derived hierarchical model. We show …

Cultivating Environmental Stewardship In Middle School Students, Kelly Anne Fischer

Dissertations and Theses

Environmental stewardship is an important attribute for students and populations of all ages to have. This study looked at the effect of middle school students of a teacher who participated in a summer field ecology training program taking part in a long-term ecology project, and the impact of the experience on their environmental stewardship attitude. A variety of qualitative and quantitative techniques were used to look at changes in students' environmental stewardship attitudes including: surveying in a pre/post format, teacher, parent, and student focus groups, and teacher interviews. The teacher's experience with the summer field ecology training provided a foundation …

An Action Research Study To Determine The Feasibility Of Using Concept Maps As Alternative Assessments By A Novice Teacher, Nancy Smith Mitchell

Dissertations and Theses

This action research study investigated the feasibility of a novice teacher using concept maps as assessments in secondary science classes. The subjects in this study were the researcher, a novice pre-service science teacher, and students (n=35) in two classes of mixed-grade Foundations in Physics and Chemistry. This study tracked student and teacher experiences over an instructional unit in astronomy. All students received a 50-minute lesson on concept mapping, one class received three additional concept mapping lessons during the unit, then all students took a unit test with a paired short answer and concept map question. Student surveys were conducted to …

The Realization Of The Cathlapotle Plankhouse: Reflections On Cross-Cultural Collaboration In The Post-Nagpra Era, Erica Lynn Boyne

Dissertations and Theses

In the last two decades, a shift in the museological paradigm has changed the way in which Native American history and culture is interpreted and represented to the general public. As legal mandates and growing institutional pressures increasingly call for the integration of tribal representatives into the decision-making bodies of museums and authoritative institutions, cross-cultural collaboration and partnerships have increased significantly. With little precedent guiding public historians and museum professionals through this new and complex system of collaboration, the path unfolding in the journey towards the “indigenization”; of museums has been marked with achievements and challenges that have both taught …

Employment Of Crystallographic Image Processing Techniques To Scanning Probe Microscopy Images Of Two-Dimensional Periodic Objects, Bill Moon

Dissertations and Theses

Thin film arrays of molecules or supramolecules are active subjects of investigation because of their potential value in electronics, chemical sensing, catalysis, and other areas. Scanning probe microscopes (SPMs), including scanning tunneling microscopes (STMs) and atomic force microscopes (AFMs) are commonly used for the characterization and metrology of thin film arrays. As opposed to transmission electron microscopy (TEM), SPMs have the advantage that they can often make observations of thin films in air or liquid, while TEM requires highly specialized techniques if the sample is to be in anything but vacuum. SPM is a surface imaging technique, while TEM typically …

The Application Of Gis And Spatiotemporal Analyses To Investigations Of Unusual Marine Mammal Strandings And Mortality Events, Stephanie A. Norman, Jessie Huggins, Tim E. Carpenter, James T. Case, Dyanna M. Lambourn, James M. Rice, John Calambokidis, Joseph K. Gaydos, M. Bradley Hanson, Deborah A. Duffield, Sandra Dubpernell, Susan Berta, Matt Klope

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

In 2006–2007, an unusually high number of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) stranded along the Washington and Oregon coastlines. Spatiotemporal analyses were used to examine their ability to detect clusters of porpoise strandings during an unusual mortality event (UME) in the Pacific Northwest using stranding location data. Strandings were evaluated as two separate populations, outer coast and inland waters. The presence of global clustering was evaluated using the Knox spatiotemporal test, and the presence of local clusters was investigated using a spatiotemporal scan statistic (space–time permutation). There was evidence of global clustering, but no local clustering, supporting the hypothesis that strandings …

Urban And Rural-Residential Land Uses: Their Role In Watershed Health And The Rehabilitation Of Oregon’S Wild Salmonids, Michael Harte, Victor W. Kaczynski, Clinton C. Shock, J. Alan Yeakley, Robert M. Hughes, Nancy Molina, Carl B. Schreck

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

This technical report by the Independent Multidisciplinary Science Team (IMST) is a comprehensive review of how human activities in urban and rural-residential areas can alter aquatic ecosystems and resulting implications for salmonid recovery, with a geographic focus on the state of Oregon. The following topics are considered in the form of science questions, and comprise the major components of this report:

1. The effects of urban and rural-residential development on Oregon’s watersheds and native wild salmonids.
2. Actions that can be used to avoid or mitigate undesirable changes to aquatic ecosystems near developing urban and rural-residential areas.
3. The benefits and pitfalls of …

Complexity Through Recombination: From Chemistry To Biology, Niles Lehman, Carolina Diaz Arenas, Wesley A. White, Francis J. Schmidt

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recombination is a common event in nature, with examples in physics, chemistry, and biology. This process is characterized by the spontaneous reorganization of structural units to form new entities. Upon reorganization, the complexity of the overall system can change. In particular the components of the system can now experience a new response to externally applied selection criteria, such that the evolutionary trajectory of the system is altered. In this work we explore the link between chemical and biological forms of recombination. We estimate how the net system complexity changes, through analysis of RNA-RNA recombination and by mathematical modeling. Our results …

Draft Direct Service Core Competencies, Eileen M. Brennan, Pauline Jivanjee, Eliz Roser

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

At the first quarterly meeting of the Pathways Transition Training Collaborative (PTTC), members approved the following definition of competency, and the structure of the core competency document. The definition is based in part on the work of Hoge, Tondora, and Marrelli (2005). We will be developing an interdisciplinary course for graduate students based on the core competencies that emerge from the PTTC and the research of the Pathways to Positive Futures RTC. Later, the PTTC will present webinar and online course modules that develop from the core competencies identified by our community of practice.

Random Automata Networks: Why Playing Dice Is Not A Vice, Christof Teuscher

Systems Science Friday Noon Seminar Series

Random automata networks consist of a set of simple compute nodes interacting with each other. In this generic model, one or multiple model parameters, such as the the node interactions and/or the compute functions, are chosen at random. Random Boolean Networks (RBNs) are a particular case of discrete dynamical automata networks where both time and states are discrete. While traditional RBNs are generally credited to Stuart Kauffman (1969), who introduced them as simplified models of gene regulation, Alan Turing proposed unorganized machines as early as 1948. In this talk I will start with Alan Turing's early work on unorganized machines, …

Raps Sheet, December 2010, Retirement Association Of Portland State

RAPS Sheet: Monthly Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Developing Mathematical Content Knowledge For Teaching Elementary School Mathematics, Eva Thanheiser, Christine Browning, Meg Moss, Tad Watanabe, Gina Garza-Kling

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this paper the authors present three design principles they use to develop preservice teachers' mathematical content knowledge for teaching in their mathematics content and/or methods courses: (1) building on currently held conceptions, (2) modeling teaching for understanding, (3) focusing on connections between content knowledge and other types of knowledge. The authors share results of individual research projects and teaching approaches focusing on helping preservice elementary teachers develop such knowledge. Specific examples from different content areas (whole number, fractions, angle, and area) are discussed.

Effect Of Network Structure On The Stability Margin Of Large Vehicle With Distributed Control, He Hao, Prabir Barooah, J. J. P. Veerman

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We study the problem of distributed control of a large network of double-integrator agents to maintain a rigid formation. A few lead vehicles are given information on the desired trajectory of the formation; while every other vehicle uses linear controller which only depends on relative position and velocity from a few other vehicles, which are called its neighbors. A predetermined information graph defines the neighbor relationships. We limit our attention to information graphs that are D-dimensional lattices, and examine the stability margin of the closed loop, which is measured by the real part of the least stable eigenvalue of …

Faculty Senate Monthly Packet December 2010, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The December 2010 Monthly packet includes the December agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held November 2010

Phosphorus Export From A Restored Wetland Ecosystem In Response To Natural And Experimental Hydrologic Fluctuations, Marcelo Ardón, Shaena Montanari, Jennifer L. Morse, Martin W. Doyle, Emily S. Bernhardt

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Wetland restoration is a commonly used approach to reduce nutrient loading to freshwater and coastal ecosystems, with many wetland restoration efforts occurring in former agricultural fields. Restored wetlands are expected to be effective at retaining or removing both nitrogen and phosphorus (P), yet restoring wetland hydrology to former agricultural fields can lead to the release of legacy fertilizer P. Here, we examined P cycling and export following rewetting of the Timberlake Restoration Project, a 440 ha restored riverine wetland complex in the coastal plain of North Carolina. We also compared P cycling within the restored wetland to two minimally disturbed …

Trail Planning & Community Service Curriculum, Lynn Weigand

TREC Final Reports

The objective of this project was to develop a new trail planning curriculum and conduct a regional trail research project in the Portland metropolitan area. The curriculum was created for a community service-based, University Capstone course at Portland State University (PSU), with Metro (regional government) as the community course partner. Project goals included: Expanding opportunities for undergraduate students to study trail design and planning for transportation and recreational walking and bicycling; Providing practical application of knowledge to a trail planning project through research and data collection on trail use; Raising awareness of bicycle and pedestrian travel among students in disciplines …

Interview With Renee Loveland, Gerding Edlen, 2010 (Audio), Renee Loveland

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Renee Loveland by Jena Orr at Gerding Edlen, Portland, Oregon on November 17th, 2010.

The interview index is available for download.

The Portland Spectator, November 2010, Portland State University. Student Publications Board

Portland Spectator

Editor: Jonathan Miles

Articles in this issue include: Vandalism, theft and parking: Students pay through the nose and PSU parking rakes it in; Largest health fee: Why are PSU students paying more for unused coverage?; Restructuring your tuition: As your tuition goes up, are you getting your money’s worth?; Crouching canvasser, hidden motive: Top 10 ways to avoid annoying canvassers; Bike rides and doughnuts for a better world: Rolling against coal and adding to the jobless ranks.