Digital Commons Network^™

3d Printing Of Crystallographic Models For Interdisciplinary College Education, Peter Moeck, Werner Kaminsky, Trevor J. Snyder

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Provides a brief overview of the Crystallography Open Database, and how advances in 3D printing have created opportunities in teaching of college level crystallography courses.

On The Production Of The Positive Antihydrogen Ion H̄+ Via Radiative Attachment, Chris M. Keating, M. Charlton, Jack C. Straton

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We provide an estimate of the cross section for the radiative attachment of a second positron into the state of the ion using Ohmura and Ohmura's (1960 Phys. Rev. 118 154) effective range theory and the principle of detailed balance. The ion can potentially be created using interactions of positrons with trapped antihydrogen, and our analysis includes a discussion in which estimates of production rates are given. Motivations to produce include its potential use as an intermediary to cool antihydrogen to ultra-cold (sub-mK) temperatures for a variety of studies, including spectroscopy and probing the gravitational interaction of the anti-atom.

Kinesthetic Activities For The Classroom, Elliot E. Mylott, Justin C. Dunlap, Lester Lampert, Ralf Widenhorn

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Educators have found that kinesthetic involvement in an experiment or demonstration can engage students in a powerful way. With that as our goal, we developed three activities that allow students to connect with and quantitatively explore key physics principles from mechanics with three fun physical challenges. By presenting these activities as competitions, we can challenge students to use what they know about the relevant physics to improve their performance and beat their own score or those of other students. Each activity uses an original, real-time data collecting program that offers students and educators a simple, clear method to demonstrate various …

A Posteriori Estimates Using Auxiliary Subspace Techniques, Harri Hakula, Michael Neilan, Jeffrey S. Ovall

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

A posteriori error estimators based on auxiliary subspace techniques for second order elliptic problems in Rd (d ≥ 2) are considered. In this approach, the solution of a global problem is utilized as the error estimator. As the continuity and coercivity of the problem trivially leads to an efficiency bound, the main focus of this paper is to derive an analogous effectivity bound and to determine the computational complexity of the auxiliary approximation problem. With a carefully chosen auxiliary subspace, we prove that the error is bounded above by the error estimate up to oscillation terms. In addition, we show …

Regularity Of Mediatrices In Surfaces, Pilar Herreros, Mario Ponce, J. J. P. Veerman

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

For distinct points p and q in a two-dimensional Riemannian manifold, one defines their mediatrix Lpq as the set of equidistant points to p and q. It is known that mediatrices have a cell decomposition consisting of a finite number of branch points connected by Lipschitz curves. This paper establishes additional geometric regularity properties of mediatrices. We show that mediatrices have the radial linearizability property, which implies that at each point they have a geometrically defined derivative in the branching directions. Also, we study the particular case of mediatrices on spheres, by showing that they are Lipschitz simple closed curves …

Assessing Possible Cruise Ship Impacts On Huna Tlingit Ethnographic Resources In Glacier Bay, Douglas Deur, Thomas Thornton

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report provides a thematic summary of an ethnographic study addressing the effects of cruise ships within Glacier Bay proper on the people known as the Huna Tlingit. Occupying the heart of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Glacier Bay proper is considered to be the core homeland of Huna Tlingit. The Huna occupied the Bay prior to its most recent glaciation and, though they now live nearby in Hoonah and other communities, they have continued to use, occupy, and value the lands and waters within the Bay since the glaciers began to retreat over two centuries ago. Simultaneously, since …

Models Of Oil Wood Coating Materials Selection According To Technological, Operational, Ecological And Economic Criteria, Larysa Yaremchuk, Tetyana Olyanshyn, Volodymyr Maksymiv, Liliya Stepanivna Hogaboam

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article presents the use of system analysis methodology and Graph Theory for validation of the relationships among descriptive factors, which impact the selection of oil materials for wood finishing. Matrix analysis was used to determine the results of the pair wise comparisons of factor weights and optimization of the factor values. Modelling theories have been developed, which allow for construction of models of primary impacts of the factors on oil materials selection in protective and decorative wood coatings creation.

A Comparative Study Of Reservoir Computing For Temporal Signal Processing, Alireza Goudarzi, Peter Banda, Matthew R. Lakin, Christof Teuscher, Darko Stefanovic

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reservoir computing (RC) is a novel approach to time series prediction using recurrent neural networks. In RC, an input signal perturbs the intrinsic dynamics of a medium called a reservoir. A readout layer is then trained to reconstruct a target output from the reservoir's state. The multitude of RC architectures and evaluation metrics poses a challenge to both practitioners and theorists who study the task-solving performance and computational power of RC. In addition, in contrast to traditional computation models, the reservoir is a dynamical system in which computation and memory are inseparable, and therefore hard to analyze. Here, we compare …

Guiding Data-Driven Transportation Decisions, Kristin A. Tufte, Basem Elazzabi, Nathan Hall, Morgan Harvey, Kath Knobe, David Maier, Veronika Margaret Megler

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Urban transportation professionals are under increasing pressure to perform data-driven decision making and to provide data-driven performance metrics. This pressure comes from sources including the federal government and is driven, in part, by the increased volume and variety of transportation data available. This sudden increase of data is partially a result of improved technology for sensors and mobile devices as well as reduced device and storage costs. However, using this proliferation of data for decisions and performance metrics is proving to be difficult. In this paper, we describe a proposed structure for a system to support data-driven decision making. A …

Dispersive And Dissipative Errors In The Dpg Method With Scaled Norms For Helmholtz Equation, Jay Gopalakrishnan, Ignacio Muga, Nicole Olivares

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper studies the discontinuous Petrov--Galerkin (DPG) method, where the test space is normed by a modified graph norm. The modification scales one of the terms in the graph norm by an arbitrary positive scaling parameter. The main finding is that as the parameter approaches zero, better results are obtained, under some circumstances, when the method is applied to the Helmholtz equation. The main tool used is a dispersion analysis on the multiple interacting stencils that form the DPG method. The analysis shows that the discrete wavenumbers of the method are complex, explaining the numerically observed artificial dissipation in the …

Convergence Rates Of The Dpg Method With Reduced Test Space Degree, Timaeus Bouma, Jay Gopalakrishnan, Ammar Harb

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper presents a duality theorem of the Aubin-Nitsche type for discontinuous Petrov Galerkin (DPG) methods. This explains the numerically observed higher convergence rates in weaker norms. Considering the specific example of the mild-weak (or primal) DPG method for the Laplace equation, two further results are obtained. First, the DPG method continues to be solvable even when the test space degree is reduced, provided it is odd. Second, a non-conforming method of analysis is developed to explain the numerically observed convergence rates for a test space of reduced degree

Predator Exclosures, Predator Removal, And Habitat Improvement Increase Nest Success Of Snowy Plovers In Oregon, Usa, Stephen J. Dinsmore, David J. Lauten, Kathleen J. Castelein, Eleanor P. Gaines, Mark A. Stern

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Management to increase reproductive success is commonly used to aid recovery of threatened and endangered species. The Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) breeds from coastal Washington, USA, to Baja California, Mexico, and in disjunct interior sites. The Pacific coast population is federally listed as Threatened; habitat loss and nest loss to a suite of terrestrial and avian predators are thought to be primary factors limiting population growth in this species. In coastal Oregon, USA, a consortium of state and federal management agencies deployed nest exclosures on active Snowy Plover nests, initiated a lethal predator management program, and …

The Confluence Of Structure And Dynamics In Lanthanide(Iii) Chelates: How Dynamics Help Define Structure In Solution, Benjamin Charles Webber, Mark Woods

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Coordination exchange processes tend to dominate the solution state behaviour of lanthanide chelates and generally prohibit the study of small conformational changes. In this article we take advantage of coordinatively rigid Eu³⁺ chelates to examine the small conformational changes that occur in these chelates as water dissociatively exchanges in and out of the inner coordination sphere. The results show that the time-averaged conformation of the chelate alters as the water exchange rate increases. This conformational change reflects a change in the hydration state (q/r_LnH⁶) of the chelate. The hydration state has recently come …

Veblen On National Economic Development, Rebekkah Brainerd

Anthós

This inquiry seeks to establish that Thorstein Veblen introduces key ideas concerning national economic development in his book Imperial Germany and the Industrial Revolution. Using works by prominent scholars Alexander Gerschenkron and Gary Becker, this inquiry addresses the role of the state, human capital theory, and late industrialization theory. While specific ideas about the development of societies can be gleaned, ultimately it is about the individual factors of each society in how and why it develops as it does.

Application Of Ce-Qual-W2 On Tigris River In Iraq, Muhanned Al-Murib

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers in Iraq. Two big rivers pass through Iraq, Mesopotamia. Tigris and Euphrates Rivers with their tributaries form a major river system in the Middle East. Four riparian countries, Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq, share the Tigris River basin area and Iraq has the majority of this basin area. The total length of the Tigris is 1850 km from which 1418 km is within Iraq. A study area of 880 km from Mosul dam to Kut barrage is modeled using a water quality CE-QUAL-W2 model. CE-QUAL-W2 is a two-dimensional …

Building Interfaith Bridges: Dirce And Nohad Toulan's Contribution To Interfaith Dialogue, Mark Rosenbaum

Metroscape

In early January, 2014, the Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies brought together key leaders of Portland's faith community to remember Nohad and Dirce Toulan's contribution to interfaith dialogue. A conversation with Rabbi Daniel Isaak, Sister Mollie Reavis, and Imam Mikal Shabazz, moderated by Mark Rosenbaum.

Children Of Alcoholics: How Patterns And Perceptions Of The Past Affect The Future, Lindsey Anne Cochran

University Honors Theses

Parental alcoholism and its effects on children has been a problem widely researched for years. This thesis seeks to find the patterns and roles that are established for children living with parental alcoholism and if/why these patterns are maintained into the individual's adulthood. In doing so, parental alcoholism and its effects on children and adult children will be examined through the lenses of symbolic interactionism and family systems theory. Several concepts that affect roles and patterns are discussed, some of the more prominent being: a) symbols, b) circular causality c) feedback loops, and d) roles. Through an in depth theoretical …

Modeling Bus Bunching With Petri Nets And Max-Plus Algebra, Harry Newcomb

University Honors Theses

In this work, the possibilities of modeling bus bunching using Petri nets and max-plus algebra are investigated. The basic properties of max-plus algebra and Petri nets are introduced, and previous work modeling transportation networks with these tools is summarized. One previous model that incorporates a non-analytic feature is simplified to remove this feature while retaining the model's function, and it is proved that passenger interaction with the bus network cannot be modeled with autonomous timed event graphs with stop subnets.

Helly's Theorem And Its Equivalences Via Convex Analysis, Adam Robinson

University Honors Theses

Helly's theorem is an important result from Convex Geometry. It gives sufficient conditions for a family of convex sets to have a nonempty intersection. A large variety of proofs as well as applications are known. Helly's theorem also has close connections to two other well-known theorems from Convex Geometry: Radon's theorem and Carathéodory's theorem. In this project we study Helly's theorem and its relations to Radon's theorem and Carathéodory's theorem by using tools of Convex Analysis and Optimization. More precisely, we will give a novel proof of Helly's theorem, and in addition we show in a complete way that these …

Communication Tools Towards A Bioregional Consciousness, Elona Trogub

University Honors Theses

Recognizing that ecological collapse is within reach, I draw upon the observations that poorly distributed power dynamics supported through the reinforcement of individualism, hierarchism, reductionism, linear thinking, etc. are some of the basic principles that pose a challenge when it comes to embracing new and very ancient ways of interacting with the rest of living systems. There exist “original instructions,” reinforced by recent scientific acknowledgements, that contain guidelines for needed action and interaction to prevent anthropogenic ecological collapse. I utilize storytelling as well as several of the leverage points for systems change suggested by Donella Meadows (1999) in deconstructing the …

Magnolia: A Creative Thesis Project, Stephanie Tshappat

University Honors Theses

A creative thesis project consisting of six flash fiction short stories, each one thousand words in length and linked together by a framing story.

Cellular Automata As Cellular Spaces, Max Orhai

University Honors Theses

The topology of an abstract cellular complex is developed from the idea of a locally finite space consisting of countably many elements, and can provide a coordinate- free definition of both the geometric structure and discrete dynamics of cellular automata.

A Race To The Finish: An Analysis Of Factors Contributing To The Achievement Gap In Portland Public School District, Victoria Noggle

University Honors Theses

Closing the achievement gap is one of the most talked about issues within the United States education system. The achievement gap refers to disproportionality in rates of achievement between white students and students of color. The question should not be how one closes the achievement gap but what factors contribute to the achievement gap and how these factors can be addressed. This paper looks at the achievement gap between white and black students on a national level, focusing on research addressing different factors pertaining to the gap. Five main factors contribute to the achievement gap between white and black students: …

Understanding Local Jazz Ecology : An Inquiry Into What Research Is Required To Develop A Comprehensive Understanding Of Local Jazz Scenes, Tristan Weitkamp

University Honors Theses

This paper will examine the structure of local Jazz music economies and how the concepts of ecology (interaction between organisms and their environment) can apply to understanding and improving the health of this cultural sector. It will start by examining the academic knowledge in the related areas and then explore possible research methodology in order to better understand the economic situation of a local Jazz ecology. The methodology will then be presented in a framework for studying the Jazz ecology of Portland, Oregon. Once a research methodology has been developed, steps can be taken towards an informed understanding of local …

Drainage Reversals Due To Tectonic Uplift: An Investigation Through Modeling, Max Gregory Bordal

University Honors Theses

In mountainous landscapes throughout the world bedrock dominated river channels record a history of the tectonic and climatic evolution of the drainage basins that contain them. In traditional analysis of river profiles, uplift and erosion are considered to be in balance in a steady state. In this study the transient state of a drainage basin is explored and numerically modeled, where a Gaussian shaped pulse of tectonic uplift overwhelms the river's incision and forces a diversion of the drainage network. I review the derivation of and use the detachment limited stream power equation to execute a model to find the …

Classification Of Four Meteorite Samples, Karla Farley

University Honors Theses

The petrography, mineralogy, and mineral chemistry of four unclassified Northwest Africa meteorites in the Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory collection (CML0005, 0023, 0024, 0032) were studied using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The data will be used to classify the meteorites and to obtain official names for the meteorites. CML0023 has the preliminary classification of L6 (S3) W1, CML0024 has L6 (S3) W1, and CML0032 has L6 (S2) W1. CML0005 has chemistry and mineralogy that indicate it is an anomalous acapulcoite.

A Method For Reducing Ill-Conditioning Of Polynomial Root Finding Using A Change Of Basis, Edison Tsai

University Honors Theses

The problem of solving polynomial equations is one of the oldest problems in mathematics. Many ancient civilizations developed systems of algebra which included methods for solving linear equations. Around 2000 B.C.E. the Babylonians found a method for solving quadratic equations which is equivalent to the modern quadratic formula. Several Italian Renaissance mathematicians found general methods for finding roots of cubic and quartic polynomials. But it is known that there is no general formula for finding the roots of any polynomial of degree 5 or higher using only arithmetic operations and root extraction. Therefore, when presented with the problem of solving …

Mindfulness And Test Performance After Stereotype Activation: A Randomized Experiment, Charles J.Z. Daniel

University Honors Theses

Although stereotype threat – pressure to avoid confirming or being judged based on a stereotype – has been found to affect performance on an array of tasks, few studies have examined ways to alleviate the threat after it has been activated. Previous research has demonstrated several outcomes of mindfulness exercises - increased emotional regulation, increased attentional regulation, change in perspective of self, and greater resources available to devote to learning – which parallel four potential mechanisms for stereotype threat: anxiety and SNS arousal, decreased working memory capacity, mindset, and effort. The present study tested the impact of two interventions - …

The Perils Of Ignoring (Or Misunderstanding) Politics And Organizing, David Johns

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Conservation scientists and advocates were surprised by the U.S. Congress stripping away protection for wolves in the US northern Rocky Mountains. If they had paid attention to earlier political lessons in which court victories had been undermined by determined political organizing they would not have been surprised and could have adopted strategies that would have given them much more leverage with elected officials. Instead conservationists were out-organized and elected officials normally supportive of the U.S. Endangered Species Act responded to anti-wolf groups because they brought more pressure to bear than conservationists. Although political lessons are specific to the system in …

Wendy Ewald Edited By Nolan Calisch, Wendy Ewald, Nolan Calisch

Reference Points

"Wendy Ewald, edited by Nolan Calisch, offers a survey of the past and present work of photographer and conceptual artist Wendy Ewald, including insight into her collaborative process and inspiration, and a collection of thoughtful reflections from a collaborator, a colleague, and a contemporary artist who have been touched by her work.

This book is part of the Reference Points series published through Portland State University Art and Social Practice MFA Program. The series is an evolving pedagogical framework in which graduate students formulate and research a significant topic or practitioner(s) related to socially engaged art. Because …