Digital Commons Network^™

Forest Collaborative Meeting Agenda, Athens, Greece, Environment For Development (Efd) Initiative

Forest Collaborative Research

Agenda for the 1^st Forest Collaborative Workshop on 27 – 28 June 2017 at Athinais Hotel in Athens, Greece Leontius Hall.

Sensitivity Of Conus Summer Rainfall To The Selection Of Cumulus Parameterization Schemes In Nu-Wrf Seasonal Simulations, Takamichi Iguchi, Wei-Kuo Tao, Di Wu, Christa D. Peters-Lidard, Joseph A. Santanello, Eric Kemp, Yudong Tian, Jonathan Case, Weile Wang, Robert Ferraro, Duane E. Waliser, Jinwon Kim, Huikyo Lee, Bin Guan, Baijun Tian, Paul C. Loikith

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study investigates the sensitivity of daily rainfall rates in regional seasonal simulations over the contiguous United States (CONUS) to different cumulus parameterization schemes. Daily rainfall fields were simulated at 24-km resolution using the NASA-Unified Weather Research and Forecasting (NU-WRF) Model for June–August 2000. Four cumulus parameterization schemes and two options for shallow cumulus components in a specific scheme were tested. The spread in the domain-mean rainfall rates across the parameterization schemes was generally consistent between the entire CONUS and most subregions. The selection of the shallow cumulus component in a specific scheme had more impact than that of the …

Subgradients Of Minimal Time Functions Without Calmness, Nguyen Mau Nam, Dang Van Cuong

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

In recent years there has been great interest in variational analysis of a class of nonsmooth functions called the minimal time function. In this paper we continue this line of research by providing new results on generalized differentiation of this class of functions, relaxing assumptions imposed on the functions and sets involved for the results. In particular, we focus on the singular subdifferential and the limiting subdifferential of this class of functions.

Experimental Evolution With Caenorhabditis Nematodes, Henrique Teotónio, Suzanne Estes, Patrick C. Phillips, Charles F. Baer

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The hermaphroditic nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been one of the primary model systems in biology since the 1970s, but only within the last two decades has this nematode also become a useful model for experimental evolution. Here, we outline the goals and major foci of experimental evolution with C. elegans and related species, such as C. briggsae and C. remanei, by discussing the principles of experimental design, and highlighting the strengths and limitations of Caenorhabditis as model systems. We then review three exemplars of Caenorhabditis experimental evolution studies, underlining representative evolution experiments that have addressed the: (1) maintenance of genetic …

Wicked Water Problems: Can Network Governance Deliver? Integrated Water Management Case Studies From New Zealand And Oregon, Usa, Jacqueline Dingfelder

Dissertations and Theses

Integrated water management is a wicked public policy problem with no clear path to resolution. This dissertation is an in-depth qualitative comparative analysis of two collaborative governance processes created to tackle complex water problems in New Zealand and Oregon, U.S.A. Both cases convened a wide range of state and non-state actors in efforts to find common ground, build consensus for change, and develop innovative water policy solutions.

The goal of this comparative case study analysis is to gain a better understanding of collaborative network governance frameworks as applied to integrated water management and primary factors for success. The proposition posits …

Profiles Of School Readiness And Implications For Children's Development Of Academic, Social, And Engagement Skills, Elizabeth Jane Tremaine

Dissertations and Theses

Academic achievement gaps across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups are apparent as soon as children enter kindergarten: racial minorities, Hispanics, and poor children begin school at a distinct disadvantage compared to their White peers from middle- and high-income families (Chatterji, 2005; Fryer, Jr. & Levitt, 2004; Magnuson, Meyers, Ruhm, & Waldfogel, 2004; Magnuson & Waldfogel, 2005; Reardon, 2011). To understand these gaps at kindergarten entry, it is essential that researchers understand the skills with which children enter kindergarten.

Previous research on school readiness has been limited by variable-centered methods that separate components of school readiness (e.g., early academic skills, social …

Low Cost Air Quality Monitoring: Exploration And Development Of Prototype, Mimi Shang

University Honors Theses

As sensor technology becomes more accessible, the development of low cost data collection systems is becoming more useful for both professional research and citizen science. This thesis explores the social and physical utility of low cost air monitoring (less than $200), and the design and implementation of a low cost sensor platform air monitoring system. Data is collected and analyzed from Ozone (O3), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and particulate matter (PM 2.5) sensors and compared with data from high accuracy instrumentation to assess the viability of using these low cost sensors for ambient air quality monitoring in research. …

Comparing Infiltration Models To Estimate Infiltration Potential At Henry V Events, Rachel L. Wilson

University Honors Theses

It is useful to estimate infiltration rates and potentials for several reasons. Information about infiltration at a site may be to evaluate surface irrigation systems, to predict hydrologic conditions, and to solve many other problems (Ojha, et al., 2017). This thesis project is based on my engineering capstone project, which is to design a solution to control erosion in the soil bed adjacent to Henry V Events. There is erosion in the soil bed due to stormwater runoff from the roof, and due to the sloped soil bed which encourages the overland flow. The objective of this thesis is to …

Distance Learning In Physics: An Investigation Of Possible Benefits To Female Students In An Online Laboratory Environment, Caitlin Marie J. Kepple

University Honors Theses

As the online class format becomes more popular, many see this as an opportunity to study how those who are typically underrepresented in the classroom may benefit from an online setting. In particular, the field of physics is well known for having a major gender disparity even at the undergraduate level. Recent literature suggests that female students may actually prefer online classes in physics, although studies have not found online classes to demonstrate any particular performance increase when comparing to those who take the class on-campus. This study uses data from introductory physics laboratories at Portland State University during the …

A Method For Optimizing Q-Valued Quantum Multiplexers, Justin T. Morgan

University Honors Theses

This paper presents a new approach to optimize arbitrary quantum circuits based on multi-valued Quantum Multiplexers. We define standard, and fixed polarity forms for binary valued quantum multiplexers that are analogous to the disjoint sum of product and Fixed Polarity Reed-Muller Forms for classical logic functions. Then, the method is extended to logic with an arbitrary radix. The algorithm produced requires O(mq^m) butterfly transformations, where m is the number of control variables, and q is the radix of logic. A software script is then added and described to facilitate in the computation of larger and more complex quantum …

Sounding The Atmosphere During The First World War: American Meteorological Practice In The Signal Corps Meteorological Service, 1917-1937, Ian M. Rollins

University Honors Theses

Meteorological science and its practice on the modernized battlefields of the First World War has largely been neglected by modern scholars. The objective of this work is to show how the First World War facilitated the expansion of a standardized meteorological practice in America and solidified the relevance of meteorology in both military and domestic affairs. This paper focuses on the organization of the Signal Corps Meteorological Service and its operations as well as the military technologies that required meteorological support in order to illustrate this development of practice and expansion of relevance. The work of the Meteorological Service was …

Elucidating Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Review Of Diagnostic Research, Jason K. Koch

University Honors Theses

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is characterized by a level of cognitive impairment that is lower than normal for a person's age, but higher functioning than a demented person. In the majority of cases people with mild cognitive impairment revert back to normal cognitive functioning. However MCI often evolves into other more serious etiologies such as but not limited to: Alzheimer’s, frontotemporal dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies. Much effort has been made in determining the prognosis of a person with mild cognitive impairment. While treatment options are still in their exploratory stages (much of the work in this area has …

Utilization Of Remote Sensing In Drought Monitoring Over Iraq, Yousif Almamalachy

Dissertations and Theses

Agricultural drought is a creeping disaster that overshadows the vegetative cover in general and cropland specifically in Iraq, a country that was well known for its agricultural production and fertile soil. In the recent years, the arable lands in Iraq experienced increasing land degradation that led to desertification, economic losses, food insecurity, and deteriorating environment. Remote sensing is employed in this study and four different indices are utilized, each of which is derived from MODIS satellite mission products. Agricultural drought maps are produced from 2003 to 2015 after masking the vegetation cover. Year 2008 was found the most severe drought …

Communicating At Terahertz Frequencies, Farnoosh Moshirfatemi

Dissertations and Theses

The number of users who get access to wireless links is increasing each day and many new applications require very high data rates. The increasing demand for higher data rates has led to the development of new techniques to increase spectrum efficiency to achieve this goal. However, the limited bandwidth of the frequency bands that are currently used for wireless communication bounds the maximum data rate possible.

In the past few years, researchers have developed new devices that work as Terahertz (THz) transmitters and receivers. The development of these devices and the large available bandwidth of the THz band is …

Influence Of Mixing And Buoyancy On Competition Between Cyanobacteria Species In Upper Klamath Lake, Roberta Joann Brunkalla

Dissertations and Theses

Cyanobacterial blooms in lakes impact human health, the economy, and ecosystem health. It is predicted that climate change will promote and increase the frequency and intensity of cyanobacterial blooms due to unique physiological adaptions that allow cyanobacteria to exploit warm stable water bodies. Key cyanobacteria physiological adaptions include nitrogen fixation, buoyancy regulation and higher optimum growth temperatures. The largest uncertainty of predicting the effect of climate change is in understanding how the interactions among species will change. Adding to the ambiguity, cyanobacteria physiological adaptions can vary based on lakespecific ecotypes and can have different sensitivities to temperature. It is critical …

Preparing Historically Underserved Students For Stem Careers: The Role Of An Inquiry-Based High School Science Sequence Beginning With Physics, Jon P. Bridges

Dissertations and Theses

Improving the STEM readiness of students from historically underserved groups is a moral and economic imperative requiring greater attention and effort than has been shown to date. The current literature suggests a high school science sequence beginning with physics and centered on developing conceptual understanding, using inquiry labs and modeling to allow students to explore new ideas, and addressing and correcting student misconceptions can increase student interest in and preparation for STEM careers.

The purpose of this study was to determine if the science college readiness of historically underserved students can be improved by implementing an inquiry-based high school science …

Non-Native Mangroves Of Moloka’I, Hawai’I: A Socio-Ecological Analysis, Casey Lewis

ESM Colloquium

Invasive species are recognized as a leading threat to biodiversity and their management is expensive, time consuming, and labor intensive. Therefore, it is important to review both benefits and detriments of the species to inform appropriate management decisions. Red mangrove was introduced to Moloka'i, Hawaii in 1902 to mitigate the effects of soil erosion and has since spread along the coast and to adjacent islands creating novel habitat. This study assessed both biological services and social attitudes towards Moloka'i's non-native mangroves to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the species. Zooplankton community structure was examined in mangrove and non-mangrove sites and …

Long-Term Ecological Research In Forest Park: Tracking Urban Impacts To Forest Structure And Productivity, Andrew Addessi, Marion Dresner

ESM Colloquium

Current and historic land use practices as well as exposure to an urban environment can impact forest structure and function. Past and ongoing research in Forest Park, a large urban forest in Portland, Oregon, suggests that mature Douglas-fir (Psuedotsuga meziesii) dominated conifer stands in the more urban end of the park are not developing certain late successional features. Notably, they lack a shade-tolerant conifer understory composed of western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) and western red-cedar (Thuja plicata). Here, I present three lines of investigation taken from several 1-hectare permanent long-term ecological research (LTER) plots in Forest Park. First, I investigated whether …

Modeling The Effectiveness Of Riparian Restoration On Stream Shading In The Clackamas River Basin, Rachel Barksdale

ESM Colloquium

Rivers and streams within the Clackamas River Basin are not currently meeting water quality standards in terms of temperature. The Clackamas River Basin Council (CRBC) designed a restoration program to address the thermal loading on behalf of Portland General Electric (PGE) in which native trees and shrubs are planted along streams to restore riparian canopy cover. Solar radiation can be blocked by restoring canopy cover and is an effective way to provide shade, as well as providing ancillary environmental benefits such as enhanced wildlife habitat and erosion control. Stream and vegetation data were collected at nine sites to model the …

Community Science And The Ecological Merits Of Backyard Habitat Patches And Adjacent Green-Spaces For Urban Avian Species, Kristen S. Gulick, Nikkie West, Marion Dresner

ESM Colloquium

In what ways do small-scale urban backyards contribute to local bird abundance and biodiversity? In what ways might these yards serve as an ‘extension’ of neighboring native forest areas? This project investigates the contribution that a group of backyards, certified through the Backyard Habitat Certification Program, have in the suburb of Hillsdale, Oregon, which is adjacent to the natural area of Keller Woodland. Backyard owners functioning as citizen or community scientists assisted with conducting residential bird point-counts once a week in each backyard and the natural area. Counts were done for a total of 8 weeks during nesting season to …

Would You Like Fires With That? Using Stakeholder-Derived Forest Management Preference Maps To Model Landscape-Level Fuel Reduction Treatment Effects On Wildfire Spread, Brooke A. Cassell, Robert M. Scheller, Max Nielsen-Pincus

ESM Colloquium

Management of public lands in the U.S. aims to achieve multiple goals relating to ecological function, wildlife habitat, support of local economies, and recreation; and in fire-prone landscapes these goals are often combined with fuels reduction treatments such as forest thinning and prescribed fire. Applied landscape research may attempt to evaluate the tradeoffs implicit in public lands planning or envision potential future land management scenarios, but often fails to incorporate the spatial diversity of stakeholder perspectives. This study explores the use of public participation geographic systems (PPGIS) to identify spatial and thematic community preferences for fuel treatments in a fire-prone …

The Limitation Of Spread Of Non-Native Marine Invertebrates From Artificial Structures To Natural Habitats, Whitney Mcclees, Catherine E. De Rivera

ESM Colloquium

Artificial structures created for aquatic anthropogenic activities are often colonized and fouled by many non-native species, few of which have invaded natural areas. Some research has indicated predation is limiting the spread of non-native species, while other research has indicated that it is dispersal-driven. To determine the effects of dispersal limitation and predation on the risk to surrounding habitats of being invaded by non-native species established on marina docks, we used a three-factor design, deploying seven unglazed ceramic panels per each treatment combination of 1) inside versus outside a marina in Yaquina Bay, Oregon; 2) cage keeping out predators >mesh …

Informing Oregon's Marine Protected Area (Mpa) Baseline: Past And Present Tribal Uses Of Marine Resources, Sabra Marie Tallchief Comet

ESM Colloquium

Native American tribes with ancestral land adjacent to the coast have gathered, hunted, and fished marine resources for millennia. In 2012, the state of Oregon designated five marine sites as reserves in which ocean development and harvest were prohibited. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are paired with each of the reserves and have less stringent “take” restrictions. Conflict over tribal use of MPAs have arisen in other states (e.g., California) as designation of MPAs and Reserves can impact subsistence, ceremonial, and traditional uses. My master’s thesis is intended to inform Oregon MPA management by developing a dataset that will describe tribal …

Effects Of Beaver Dams On Surface Water Flow During Storm Events In An Urban Landscape, Erin Poor

ESM Colloquium

Urban land-use generally alters the hydrologic cycle, leading to changes in the natural flow regime of local streams. Runoff from impervious surfaces and routing of stormwater to streams causes urban streams to respond quickly and more intensely to storm events-more so than then would be observed in a less urbanized landscape. The rapid pulse of water that is routed to streams during precipitation events can degrade the physical structure of the channel and alter water quality and habitat availability. To manage these common urban stream issues, agencies have been seeking alternative ways of restoring and enhancing resilience in urban stream …

Network Congestion Effect Of E-Hailing Transportation Services, Xuegang Ban

PSU Transportation Seminars

E-hailing plays a key role in emerging transportation services such as ridesourcing, ridesharing and taxis, among others. This seminar will present a general economic model to analyze the congestion effect of e-hailing services in a transportation network.

The model can help analyze customers’ choices of different modes, based on their value of time and the charging schemes of different services, as well as the overall impact of the services to network level congestion.

Open Source Learning Materials For Introductory Chemistry Coursework In General, Organic And Biochemistry: Meeting Education Needs From High School To College, Patricia Flatt

Open Educational Resources Symposium

This panel discussion will focus on the development and pilot implementation of an interactive, multimedia online OER resource for the 100-level General, Organic and Biological Chemistry course series. This OER project has been developed by a team of faculty and upper division undergraduate students. The panel will present their team approach to developing these resources and the software utilized to create video tutorials, interactive PDF files, and online quiz materials. Stumbling blocks and program challenges will also be presented.

Pdxopen: Psu's Open Textbook Initiative, Karen Bjork

Open Educational Resources Symposium

Open access textbook publishing initiatives not only provide libraries the opportunity to recast their longstanding mission to facilitate research and remove barriers to information they also impact student affordability efforts. How can a library build a program that will meet the needs of students, faculty, and administrators? The answer lies in collaboration and sharing.

In 2013, with the support of a Provost-backed initiative, Portland State University (PSU) Library developed an open textbook publishing program that works with faculty to create open textbooks specifically designed for a course. The publishing initiative, PDXOpen, has published 10 open textbooks with an additional 7 …

Statistics: The Text For Student Success, Larry Shrewsbury

Open Educational Resources Symposium

My session is for those looking for an open source textbook for Statistics (MTH 243). As a grant recipient the faculty from both Southern Oregon University and Rogue Community College looked at several open source textbooks for our MTH 243 classes. We first looked at the very popular OpenStax Statistics, but the consensus was that it wasn’t as good as the textbook we’ve been using (Michael Sullivan’s Statistics, Informed Decisions using Data, 4th Edition). So we agreed to keep looking at more open source Statistics textbooks. We came across one that doesn’t seem to be very well known, but some …

Converting Calculus Oer Into A Multimedia Text, Alex Jordan, Carly Vollet

Open Educational Resources Symposium

We have used MathBook XML software to convert two popular OERs for calculus into a multimedia format that

integrates online homework support. We'll demonstrate various features of the output, and the methods we use to edit these OERs. As time permits, we'll peek at some other OER projects that are using MathBook XML.

Our goal is to promote these two particular OERs and also the use of MathBook XML, which, in spite of its name, is an excellent tool for writing OER in all subjects. Potential attendees who are not particularly interested in mathematics may still be interested in the …

Find, Build, And Export Information For 3d Printing Of Your Favorite Molecules And Crystal Structures At Two Dedicated Websites, Paul R. Destefano, Peter Moeck

Student Research Symposium

As 3D printers require instructions, the Nano-Crystallography Group at Portland State University is creating two websites (http://nanocrystallography.org/3dconvert/ and http://nanocrystallography.research.pdx.edu/3d-print-files/convert/) where such instructions are created, interactively, for the atomic arrangements of virtually all known molecules and crystals.

We will prepare a "pipeline" into which crystallographic information enters from two curated open access crystallographic databases, is manipulated to create the desired 3D models, and then is exported in either STL format (the standard for monochrome 3D printing) or VRML/X3D (the ISO successor to STL). The two aforementioned databases are the North-American mirror of the Crystallography Open Database (http://nanocrystallography.org) …