Digital Commons Network^™

Audio Beat Detection With Application To Robot Drumming, Michael James Engstrom

Dissertations and Theses

This Drumming Robot thesis demonstrates the design of a robot which can play drums in rhythm to an external audio source. The audio source can be either a pre-recorded .wav file or a live sample .wav file from a microphone. The dominant beats-per-minute (BPM) of the audio would be extracted and the robot would drum in time to the BPM. A Fourier Analysis-based BPM detection algorithm, developed by Eric Scheirer (Tempo and beat analysis of acoustical musical signals)ⁱ was adopted and implemented. In contrast to other popular algorithms, the main advantage of Scheirer's algorithm is it has …

Fractals As Basis For Design And Critique, John Charles Driscoll

Dissertations and Theses

The design profession is responding to the complex systems represented by architecture and planning by increasingly incorporating the power of computer technology into the design process. This represents a paradigm shift, and requires that designers rise to the challenge of both embracing modern technologies to perform increasingly sophisticated tasks without compromising their objective to create meaningful and environmentally sensitive architecture. This dissertation investigated computer-based fractal tools applied within a traditional architectural charette towards a design process with the potential to address the complex issues architects and planners face today. We developed and presented an algorithm that draws heavily from fractal …

Fault Deformation At The Base Of And Within The Crescent Formation Along The Dosewallips River, Olympic Mountains Peninsula, Washington, Usa, Christine Meryl Maher

Dissertations and Theses

The Olympic Mountains, in the cost ranges of northwest Washington, expose a Cenozoic accretionary complex east of the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Accreted material consists of metasedimentary deposits thrust eastward beneath a basaltic terrane (i.e., the basaltic Crescent Formation and the basal Blue Mountain Unit [BMU] turbidite) along a major fault, the Hurricane Ridge Fault (HRF). Recent isotopic dating of zircons from the BMU indicate that it is about 8 my younger than the basalt, implying another major fault may exist east of the HRF, between the BMU and the Crescent Fm. Field observations, data, and samples for microstructural analysis were …

Modeling And Control Of Magnetic Gear Dynamics In A Wind Turbine Drivetrain, Danielle Vournas

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis looks at the modeling and simulation of linear and nonlinear magnetic gear dynamics in a wind turbine drivetrain. The objective is to lay the groundwork for analysis, modeling and optimization of control structures focused on pole-slip prevention. A classical mechanical two-mass torsion spring model is used as the basis for developing the dynamic system equations and Simulink models. The wind turbine torque input to the low speed rotor is modeled as a disturbance input, the generator torque is modeled as a controlled input, and the high-speed rotor speed is the only measured output. The nonlinear dynamics are linearized; …

Believe Our Stories & Listen: Portland Street Response Survey Report, Greg Townley, Kaia Sand, Thea Kindschuh

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Many advocates, local officials, and people experiencing homelessness agree that Portland needs a better way to respond to low-priority calls for service involving those experiencing homelessness and behavioral health crises. This report examines efforts to address homelessness in Portland through the development of a plan to dispatch the Portland Street Response unit rather than police.

A team of community partners spread out across the city July 16 and 18 to interview people experiencing homelessness to help inform the design of the Portland Street Response pilot project (PSR). An additional team went out on Sept. 6.

Members of Street Roots, Sisters …

Comparative Examination Of Two Police Departments In Portland, Oregon’S Greater Metropolitan Area, Analyzing Assault Related Offense Reports Against: Departmental Community-Policing Practices And Clearance-Rates, Elizabeth R. Ackerman

University Honors Theses

Community policing is touted as the solution to fostering restoration between communities and policing agencies across the United States. However, this remains a widely unregulated policy area where minimal assessments of available data exist on the effectiveness of community policing reform. Given the nature of police brutality and the struggles of policing agencies across the United States there is increasing need to measure outcomes. This research finds that community policing does serve as a proactive tool for crime rate reduction and prevention.

The Influence Of Age At Migration On Criminal Offending Among Foreign-Born Immigrants, Omar Melchor-Ayala

Dissertations and Theses

Domestic and international events -- such as the recent migrant caravans from Central and South America, and the records number of migrant children detained at the border -- have brought renewed attention to the adaptation of immigrants in the United States. More specifically, questions regarding whether the population of immigrants is driving the "crime problem," have taken center stage. Immigrants vary significantly in terms of when they migrate into the country. According to the Current Population Survey (CPS), the population of approximately 12 million foreign-born immigrant children living in the United States is split in terms of their age and …

Connecting Local-Scale Heavy Precipitation To Large-Scale Meteorological Patterns Over Portland, Oregon Using Observations And Climate Models, Christina Marie Aragon

Dissertations and Theses

Precipitation timing and magnitude is essential to human, ecological, and economic systems. Climate change may be altering the character of precipitation locally to globally, thus it is vital that resource managers, practitioners, and decision makers understand the nature of this change. This thesis was conducted in partnership with the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (BES), and the Portland Water Bureau (PWB) in order to support resiliency planning around precipitation and precipitation extremes.

This work has two primary phases, which are discussed in chapter 2 and 3 of this thesis. The first phase of this research entails characterization of …

Stormwater Treatment Effectiveness Of Established Bioretention Facilities In Portland, Oregon, Emma Rose Kohlsmith

Dissertations and Theses

Bioretention systems are commonly used to treat and detain stormwater runoff and help mitigate for many negative effects of urbanization. Despite the widespread use of bioretention systems, few field-based studies have assessed how these facilities affect water quality many years after installation. The goal of this project is to assess the pollution reduction effectiveness of lined bioretention facilities that have been in use and functioning for 4-8 years. To meet this objective, this project measured water quality characteristics of stormwater flowing into and out of seven facilities installed throughout Portland, Oregon during real storm events. Stormwater grab samples were taken …

Tracking Center Of Mass With Limited Inertial Measurement Units, Connor Nathaniel Morrow

Dissertations and Theses

Wearable motion tracking systems pose an opportunity to study and correct human balance and posture during movement. Currently, these observations are either being conducted in laboratories with the use of camera systems and markers placed on the body, or through the use of suits containing large numbers (15-20) of inertial measurement units. However, to aid with rehabilitation of individuals with impaired balance, there needs to be an option to collect these observations outside of clinics and without incurring much cost from the user. I have focused on three inertial measurement units, one placed on each shank and one placed on …

Seismic Source Characterization Of Faults In The Portland And Tualatin Basins And A Paleoseismic Study Of The Gales Creek Fault, Or, Alison Elizabeth Horst

Dissertations and Theses

Portland, OR lies within the tectonically active forearc of the Cascadia subduction zone. Several, potentially hazardous, northwest striking faults in and around the Portland Basin are classified as Quaternary active by the USGS, but little is known about their Holocene activity. Geologic and geodetic studies in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) document ongoing clockwise rotation of the region since at least 16 Ma. Models for crustal deformation in the PNW suggest northwest trending faults accommodate dextral shear inferred from increasing clockwise rotation rates west of Portland. I compiled structural information to improve the seismic source characterization of these faults, and using …

Correct-By-Construction Typechecking With Scope Graphs, Katherine Imhoff Casamento

Dissertations and Theses

Dependently-typed languages are well-known for the ability to enforce program invariants through type signatures, and previous work establishes the effectiveness of this style of program verification in the implementation of type-safe interpreters for a wide class of languages with a variety of interesting scoping semantics, offering an account of dynamic semantics. This thesis covers the complementary topic of static semantics, in the form of a pattern for constructing verified typechecking procedures in a dependently-typed setting. Implementations are given for simply-typed lambda calculus and a small procedural language as well as a module system with unrestricted cyclic module dependency semantics that …

Concrete Bridge Deck Performance Data And Metrics For The State Of Oregon, Jael Wettach-Glosser

Dissertations and Theses

Bridge decks are a critical element of a bridge that support and distribute vehicle loads to the superstructure. Because of the requirements of this role, bridge decks are exposed to severe conditions that typically lead to structural deficiency in bridges which is both costly and disruptive. Therefore, to keep bridges and highways in good repair, developing optimal preservation decisions for concrete bridge decks is key. In order to develop effective performance monitoring and preservation schedules, the parameters affecting bridge deck deterioration need to be better understood.

With guidance from the literature and Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) personnel, two datasets …

Literature Review Of The Effectiveness Of Intercultural Competence In The Mepi Program, Haley L. Wells

University Honors Theses

This research examines the Middle Eastern Partnership Initiative Student Leaders Program (MEPI SLP) looking for components of intercultural competence in the classes and activities the students participate in during the four-week immersive program. During these four weeks Student Leaders from the Middle East and North Africa study conflict resolution, community leadership, and democratic institutions, build a community engagement project to implement in their home countries when they return, and participate in program and cultural activated chosen to use what they learn in the classroom. After analyzing documents obtained from MEPI administrators I used the Intercultural Competence and Knowledge VALUE Rubric …

Manufacturing In Place: Industrial Preservation In The Us, Jamaal William Green

Dissertations and Theses

In the face of growing economic inequality and population growth, several large cities in the US have started to proactively protect vital industrial lands from conversion to non-industrial uses. These new policies signal a potentially dramatic shift in both land-use and economic development practices.

In the first essay of this dissertation I present a typology of existing industrial land protective policies after reviewing the comprehensive plans and zoning codes of the United States' fifty largest cities. I identify 11 cities with protective policies and highlight the variance of these policies by offering a simple two part typology based upon a …

Cooperating Teachers' Perceived Preparedness To Support Science Teacher Candidates For Culturally Sustaining Science Teaching, Keelan Purcell Lofaro

Dissertations and Theses

In the United States, many communities face challenges that require science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) solutions. Those communities most affected by these challenges often lack opportunities in school to use their funds of knowledge as they develop STEM literacies that would equip them to address these challenges. With new national science standards and increasingly diverse student demographics in classrooms across the United States, teacher educators must utilize strategies that prepare science teacher candidates, who are predominantly White, with pedagogies that can support diverse learners in expanding their STEM literacies from their funds of knowledge. The problem of practice guiding …

The Cosmological Empire Of Pliny The Elder: An Examination Of Political Themes In The Second Book Of The Historia Naturalis, Kevin Alan Mccormick

Dissertations and Theses

Pliny the Elder's Historia Naturalis, written in the 70s CE and perhaps left unfinished at its author's death in 79, is among the largest documents to have survived down to us from antiquity. It comprises some thirty-seven books on a breadth of topics about the natural world, and man's interaction with the world and marshalling of its resources. The work has often been referred to as the world's first encyclopedia. Recent scholarship has rescued Pliny's reputation from its degradation among the scholars of the early twentieth century, and modern scholars have approached the document via several analytical avenues, including …

"Smart" Technology: Do You Buy It? Adoption Of Digital Innovations, Laura Koyer Glass

Dissertations and Theses

With the increase in "smart" devices that connect to the internet, it is important to study how individuals perceive characteristics of innovations and how those perceptions relate to adoption behavior. This paper explores how attributes delineated by the diffusion of innovations (DOI) model (relative advantage, compatibility, visibility, trialability) and technology acceptance models (TAMs; perceived usefulness, ease of use) correlate with one's interest in using an internet-connected device. Eligible survey responses were collected from 116 participants which evaluated individual perceptions of new technology. Subsequently, quantitative analysis explored the relationship between individuals' technology perceptions and purchasing intentions. The current research extends pre-existing …

Portland State Magazine, Portland State University. Office Of University Communications

Portland State Magazine

PSU’s alumni magazine, published 2-3 times a year. In this issue: Winners of the PSU Cleantech Challenge; Oregon’s vote-by-mail system as a national model; the BUILD EXITO program creates the next generation of health researchers; PSU’s Black Studies program turns 50; retired professor Laureen Nussbaum elevates Anne Frank’s literary prowess and her own story of survival; regional teacher of the year, Mercedes Muñoz; and more.

Air Pollution, Neighborhood Deprivation, And Autism Spectrum Disorder In The Study To Explore Early Development, Laura A. Mcguinn, Gayle C. Windham, Lynne C. Messer, Di Qian, Joel Schwartz, Lisa A. Croen, Eric J. Moody, Ana G. Rappold, Multiple Additional Authors

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: To examine whether neighborhood deprivation modifies the association between early life air pollution exposure and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we used resources from a multisite case–control study, the Study to Explore Early Development.

Methods: Cases were 674 children with confirmed ASD born in 2003–2006; controls were 855 randomly sampled children born during the same time period and residents of the same geographic areas as cases. Air pollution was assessed by roadway proximity and particulate matter

Results: Neighborhood deprivation modified (P_{for interaction} = 0.08) the association between PM2.5 exposure during the first year of life …

Digital Literacies In The Workplace: Exploring Employer Provided Education Opportunities And Learner Motivations, Jill Castek, Kathy Harris, Jen Vanek, Gloria E. Jacobs

21CLEO Presentations and Publications

We have identified factors that encourage working learners to engage in education of workplace skills and literacies. The study examines the motivations and constraints of working learners as they acquire digital problem solving necessary to succeed in the workplace. In this session, you will learn about this study designed to amplify the voices of working-learners. Together we will examine factors in the 21st century learning ecosystem.

Fiscal Year 2019 Report, Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative fiscal year 2019 annual report.

Developing Data, Models, And Tools To Enhance Transportation Equity, Amy Lubitow, Raoul Liévanos, Julius Mcgee, Erika Carpenter

TREC Final Reports

This project used a mixed-methods approach to data collection and analysis in the Portland, OR, metropolitan area. It used quantitative techniques, the 2010 Decennial Census, and the 2011 Oregon Household Activity Survey to assess how accurately travel survey data represent minority populations. These groups are of primary interest due to their status as protected classes under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and accurate data on the mobility patterns of these groups is essential to equitable transportation planning. Qualitative focus groups with residents in the Portland metropolitan area investigated better methods for building equity into transportation surveys using community …

Annual And Seasonal Variation In Hydrologic Performance Of Ecoroofs Of Multiple Depths, Portland, Or, Ashley Michelle Baker

Dissertations and Theses

It is essential that cities adopt new approaches to stormwater management in the face of changing precipitation regime. In some locations, ecoroofs have been incorporated into city plans as a stormwater control measure, and thus their real-world performance under current conditions can assist with adequate planning. In this study rainfall retention data collected during a three year period, between 2014-2017, is analyzed for 75mm and 125mm ecoroof plots in Portland, Oregon, USA. There is no difference in annual rainfall retention performance between the shallower and deeper plots. However, the 36% mean annual retention of the ecoroof plots is a significant …

Creating Successful French Immersion Programs In North America, Katherine Modlin

University Honors Theses

Language immersion education (with various related approaches called bilingual and dual-language education) is a complex topic that includes many different linguistic, educational, social, and political facets. There has been much debate about the best method with which to educate children in a language that is not their mother tongue. While the goal of language immersion education is to immerse a child in the second language, in order for the child to be bilingual there must remain a support system for their first language. Many researchers have sought to determine the best way to achieve these two goals, to gain a …

The Invasion Ecology Of Ivy (Hedera Spp.) In Portland's Forest Park, Eric Paul Butler

Dissertations and Theses

Invasive ivy (Hedera spp.) has extensive impacts on Pacific Northwest urban forests, many of which are not yet fully understood. In this study of Forest Park, Portland, Oregon, I evaluated several environmental variables obtained or derived from monitoring datasets at three spatial scales to determine the following: how ivy is spatially distributed; what factors are most correlated with ivy abundance; and how ivy abundance influences shrub community composition. I found that ivy is significantly clustered at all scales with multiple apparent epicenters along the park's urban periphery. Using NMDS ordination, I determined that ivy is a significant factor in …

Understanding The Politicization Of Oromo Identity In The Diaspora: Re/ Locating The Bones Of The Oromo, Madeline Jaye Bass

Dissertations and Theses

The Oromo people of Ethiopia share a common language, worldview, set of sacred meanings, and a historic system of governance. The rise of the Abyssinian Empire in the late 1800s led to the colonization of the Oromo; their language and religion were made illegal, their homeland was expropriated and renamed, and they were forced to live as slaves on their own land. After the end of the Abyssinian colonial era, historic discrimination was institutionalized into the new Ethiopian state form through the politicization of identities. Ethnic identities become political identities when cultural traits are used by the state as criteria …

Upstream Predictors Of The Need For Developmental Education Among First-Year Community College Students, Mathew C. Uretsky, Stacey L. Shipe, Angela K. Henneberger

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective/Research Question. How do student- and school-level factors measured in the final year of high school contribute to the odds of a student being assessed to need remediation in Math during the students’ first community college enrollment? Methods. The present study draws on five years of linked secondary and post-secondary administrative records and includes the academic records for 18,814 students attending 228 high schools across 24 jurisdictions in Maryland. We used a series of multilevel models (MLM) to address the research question. Results. Using MLM, we identified both student and school-level factors, drawn from the final year of high school, …

The Impact Of Implementing Different Cordon Size Designs On Land Use Patterns In Portland, Or, Asia Spilotros

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this research dissertation is to compare the effects of using small, medium, and large cordon designs in road tolling on residential and commercial neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon. Changes in land use patterns are assessed by comparing the projected output of each cordon scenario to a "no toll" alternative in 2035. The performance of each cordon design is tested using two different prices ($1.65 and $8) and compared to a default scenario 25 years after the initial implementation in MetroScope's year 0, 2010. The following areas embedded within the cordon perimeter were considered in determining changes in land …

Modeling Surface Roughness As An Indicator Of Age And Landslide Susceptibility, And The Spatial Inventory Of Prehistoric Landslides: Green River Valley, Washington, Rebecca Naomi Garriss

Dissertations and Theses

Developing detailed landslide inventory maps of prehistoric landslides is essential to interpret the frequency and conditions under which slopes have failed. When coupled with age estimates, landslide inventories can yield better predictions for future slope failures, thereby improving hazard assessments and increasing chances for mitigation. Developing proxies for landslide age is an important area of research, but age dating prehistoric landslides can be challenging due to sparse datable organic material within landslide deposits, and to time or access constraints. In this thesis, surface roughness of the landslide deposit is used to construct a best-fit age-roughness model that quantitatively assigns age …