Digital Commons Network^™

Getting Salmon Back In Salmon Creek: Systematizing Comparative Water Quality Analysis For Targeted Restoration, Zbigniew J. Grabowski, Sarah Janjua, Michael Swamer, Heejun Chang, Eric Watson

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation focuses on water quality restoration efforts in Salmon Creek

Emerging Contaminants In Oregon Coastal Waters: Hotspots, Landscape Drivers And Synergistic Effects On Bivalves, Elise F. Granek, William Fish, Angela L. Strecker

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation focuses on the following research questions:

• Types and levels of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in Oregon’s coastal ocean?
• Levels of CECs in native and commercial oysters?
• Ecological effects (growth, reproductive output, etc.) of these contaminants in marine bivalves?

The Eugene Water And Electric Board’S Mckenzie River Payment For Watershed Services Program: Research Findings On Ratepayers, Landowners, And Local Stakeholders, Max Nielsen-Pincus

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation focuses on the following research objectives:

• How much are ratepayers willing to pay and what effects that willingness?
• How much do landowners need to receive and what affects their interest?

Effects Of Water Development On Arid Land Freshwater Ecosystems, Angela L. Strecker

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation focuses on the Columbia Basin Project

Multi-Level Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering Using AgoX Thin Film, Ming Lun Tseng, Chia Min Chang, Bo Han Cheng, Pin Chieh Wu, K. S. Chung, M. K. Hsiao, H. W. Huang, D. W. Huang, Hai-Pang Chiang, P.T. Leung, D. P. Tsai

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ag nanostructures with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activities have been fabricated by applying laser-direct writing (LDW) technique on silver oxide (AgOx) thin films. By controlling the laser powers, multi-level Raman imaging of organic molecules adsorbed on the nanostructures has been observed. This phenomenon is further investigated by atomic-force microscopy and electromagnetic calculation. The SERS-active nanostructure is also fabricated on transparent and flexible substrate to demonstrate our promising strategy for the development of novel and low-cost sensing chip.

Transportation Analysis Informing Transportation Planning And Policy At Odot, Alexander Bettinardi

PSU Transportation Seminars

The Transportation Planning Analysis Unit (TPAU) at ODOT helps to provide information to a large variety of transportation plans, projects, and policy questions. This allows customers to make better informed decisions and to maximize limited resources. In order to fill this role TPAU and the Oregon modeling community have a fairly large "toolbox" of models and analysis tools and procedures. This transportation seminar will give an overview of the role and services that TPAU provides and the different tools and processes used to fulfill that role.

Carbon Dynamics In The Future Forest: The Importance Of Long-Term Successional Legacy And Climate–Fire Interactions, E. Louise Loudermilk, Robert M. Scheller, Peter J. Weisberg, Jian Yang, Thomas E. Dilts, Sarah L. Karam, Carl Skinner

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Understanding how climate change may influence forest carbon (C) budgets requires knowledge of forest growth relationships with regional climate, long-term forest succession, and past and future disturbances, such as wildfires and timber harvesting events. We used a landscape-scale model of forest succession, wildfire, and C dynamics (LANDIS-II) to evaluate the effects of a changing climate (A2 and B1 IPCC emissions; Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory General Circulation Models) on total forest C, tree species composition, and wildfire dynamics in the Lake Tahoe Basin, California, and Nevada. The independent effects of temperature and precipitation were assessed within and among climate models. Results …

Visualization Of Optical Wave Propagation In Femtosecond Photoemission Electron Microscopy, Rolf Kӧnenkamp, Robert Campbell Word, Joseph Fitzgerald

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) combines in a unique way photon probing and electron imaging. The imaging electrons are generated in a photoelectric process by illuminating the sample with ultra-violet or x-ray light. After generation these electrons are accelerated and introduced into an electron-optical system to produce a microscopic image of the specimen surface. The advantages of PEEM are manifold:

The avoidance of electron beam exposure makes PEEM a much gentler method than standard electron microscopy. This advantage is important when fragile organic or biological structures are studied. PEEM is also highly surface sensitive, since the photoelectrons typically escape the sample …

Zno Nanoneedle/H2o Solid-Liquid Heterojunction-Based Self-Powered Ultraviolet Detector, Qinghao Li, Lin Wei, Yanru Xie, Kai Zhang, Lei Liu, Dapeng Zhu, Jun Jiao, Yanxue Chen, Shishen Yan, Guolei Liu, Liangmo Mei

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

ZnO nanoneedle arrays were grown vertically on a fluorine-doped tin oxide-coated glass by hydrothermal method at a relatively low temperature. A self-powered photoelectrochemical cell-type UV detector was fabricated using the ZnO nanoneedles as the active photoanode and H2O as the electrolyte. This solid-liquid heterojunction offers an enlarged ZnO/water contact area and a direct pathway for electron transport simultaneously. By connecting this UV photodetector to an ammeter, the intensity of UV light can be quantified using the output short-circuit photocurrent without a power source. High photosensitivity, excellent spectral selectivity, and fast photoresponse at zero bias are observed in this UV detector. …

Environmental Factors Influencing Diatom Communities In Antarctic Cryoconite Holes, Lee F. Stanish, Elizabeth A. Bagshaw, Diane M. Mcknight, Andrew G. Fountain, Martyn Tranter

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cryoconite holes are ice-bound habitats that can act as refuges for aquatic and terrestrial microorganisms on glacier surfaces. In the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, these holes are often capped by an ice lid that prevents the exchange of material and gases with the surrounding atmosphere and aquatic environment. Diatoms have been documented in cryoconite holes, and recent findings suggest that these habitats may harbour a distinctive diatom flora compared to the surrounding aquatic environments. In this study, we examined diatom community composition in cryoconite holes and environmental correlates across three glaciers in Taylor Valley, Antarctica. The diatom communities were …

Disjointed Cosmopolitanism: Climate Change And Lived Experience In Portland, Oregon, Stephen Wayne Flinn

Dissertations and Theses

Climate change has emerged as one of the most significant issues facing the world. This research endeavored to uncover and describe the lived experience of Portland, Oregon residents in relation to the substantive issue of climate change. The specific purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of the ways that Portland residents conceive of and communicate about climate change. Utilizing semi-structured phenomenological interviews, particular attention was paid to the culture of Portland residents, their lived experience and how the issue of climate change manifests itself in their everyday experiences. In addition, this particular phenomenological inquiry incorporated elements …

Using Empirical (Real-World) Transportation Data To Extend Travel Demand Model Capabilities, Michael Mauch

PSU Transportation Seminars

Real-world traffic trends observed in PORTAL and INRIX traffic data are used to expand the performance measures that can be obtained from Portland Metro's travel demand model to include the number of hours of congestion that can be expected during a typical weekday and travel time reliability measures for congested freeway corridors.

Optics And Spectroscopy In Massive Electrodynamic Theory, Adam Caccavano

Dissertations and Theses

The kinematics and dynamics for plane wave optics are derived for a massive electrodynamic field by utilizing Proca's theory. Atomic spectroscopy is also examined, with the focus on the 21 cm radiation due to the hyperfine structure of hydrogen. The modifications to Snell's Law, the Fresnel formulas, and the 21 cm radiation are shown to reduce to the familiar expressions in the limit of zero photon mass.

Effects Of Runoff Sensitivity And Catchment Characteristics On Regional Actual Evapotranspiration Trends In The Conterminous Us, Il-Won Jung, Heejun Chang, John Risley

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

An understanding of the role of hydro-climatic and geographic regimes on regional actual evapotranspiration (AET) change is essential to improving our knowledge on predicting water availability in a changing climate. This study investigates the relationship between AET change for a 60 year period (1951–2010) and the runoff sensitivity in 255 undisturbed catchments over the US. The runoff sensitivity to climate change is simply defined as the relative magnitude between runoff and precipitation changes with time. Runoff sensitivity can readily explain the conflicting directions of AET changes under similar precipitation change. Under increasing precipitation, AET decreases when runoff is increasing more …

Evaluation Of Phase Change Materials For Cooling In A Super-Insulated Passive House, Jeffrey Stephen Lauck

Dissertations and Theses

Due to factors such as rising energy costs, diminishing resources, and climate change, the demand for high performance buildings is on the rise. As a result, several new building standards have emerged including the Passive House Standard, a rigorous energy-use standard based on a super-insulated and very tightly sealed building envelope. The standard requires that that air infiltration is less than or equal to 0.6 air changes per hour at a 50 Pascal pressure difference, annual heating energy is less than or equal to 15kWh/m2, and total annual source energy is less than or equal to 120 kWh/m2. A common …

Commute-Friendly, Gas-Electric Hybrid Vehicle Testing, James Long, Hugh Currin, Xin Wang

TREC Final Reports

Overview: Green Lite Motors is a Portland-based company building a hybrid commuter vehicle targeted for urban and suburban areas. The vehicle is a front/back, two-seat configuration with three wheels (two front and one rear-drive wheel). The vehicle is classed as a motorcycle, giving it all the advantages of a smaller footprint in parking and highway travel; however, the advanced roll-cage design and fairing give the vehicle safety and comfort advantages of a standard passenger car. The unique combination of internal combustion engine and electric motor give the vehicle mileage possibilities greater than 100 mpg as well as the convenience and …

Parametric Analysis For Building Efficiency Developing A Tool For Diagramming Programmatic Relationships Using Adjacency Requirements, Christopher Boon, Lyee Chong, Sergio Palleroni, Huafen Hu, Ben Deines, Zgf

Research-Based Design Initiative

Emerging Parametric technologies are opening new opportunities in Architecture. Generally, it is seen primarily as an engine to drive formal exploration and renderings. Its implications however are larger and it is possible to employ it is at many stages in the design process. During the initial design stage, much of what is explored involves theoretical concepts. The work is expressed diagrammatically. If the concept can be distilled to its parameters, then it is possible to begin including parametric analysis. This type of analysis will allow designers to develop a much wider range of options in a much shorter timeframe. This …

A Primal Dpg Method Without A First-Order Reformulation, L. Demkowicz, Jay Gopalakrishnan

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We show that it is possible to apply the DPG methodology without reformulating a second-order boundary value problem into a first-order system, by considering the simple example of the Poisson equation. The result is a new weak formulation and a new DPG method for the Poisson equation, which has no numerical trace variable, but has a numerical flux approximation on the element interfaces, in addition to the primal interior variable.

Search Tool That Utilizes Scientific Metadata Matched Against User-Entered Parameters, Veronika Margaret Megler, David Maier

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

A method for providing proximate dataset recommendations can begin with the creation of metadata records corresponding to datasets that represent scientific data by a scientific dataset search tool. The metadata records can conform to a standardized structural definition, and may be hierarchical. Values for the data elements of the metadata records can be contained within the datasets. Metadata records with a value that is proximate to a user-entered search parameter can be identified. A proximity score can be calculated for each identified metadata record. The proximity score can express a relevance of the corresponding dataset to the user-entered search parameters. …

Multigrid For An Hdg Method, Bernardo Cockburn, O. Bubois, Jay Gopalakrishnan

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We analyze the convergence of a multigrid algorithm for the Hybridizable Discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) method for diffusion problems. We prove that a non-nested multigrid V-cycle, with a single smoothing step per level, converges at a mesh independent rate. Along the way, we study conditioning of the HDG method, prove new error estimates for it, and identify an abstract class of problems for which a nonnested two-level multigrid cycle with one smoothing step converges even when the prolongation norm is greater than one. Numerical experiments verifying our theoretical results are presented.

Negotiating The Inclusion Of Nanoscience Content And Technology In Science Curriculum: An Examination Of Secondary Teachers' Thinking In A Professional Development Project, Jennifer Gayle Wells

Dissertations and Theses

The Next Generation Science Standards represent a significant challenge for K-12 school reform in the United States in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines (NSTA, 2012). One important difference between the National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996) and the Next Generation Science Standards (Achieve, 2013) is the more extensive inclusion of nanoscale science and technology. Teacher PD is a key vehicle for implementing this STEM education reform effort (NRC, 2012; Smith, 2001).

The context of this dissertation study is Project Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Outreach (NANO), a secondary level professional development program for teachers that provides a summer workshop, …

Strategic Upgrades: A Vehicle Routing Overview And Implementation For Nokia Siemens Network, Lukas Kessler, Chris Davis, Farzad Moshfegh, Jerrod Thomas

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

The Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) is combinatorial optimization problem that has real-world synonyms for many organizations and problem types. In this paper we discuss various implementations of the Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP), an extension of the traditional traveling salesman problem and explore a best-fit solution as well as a heuristically derived “good” solution. The best-fit solution utilizes a branch and bound technique but requires an exponential amount of computational resources to complete when applied to problems of marginal size. Some heuristic methodologies are elucidated to compare and contrast their benefits and drawbacks and an open source solution for capacitated vehicle …

Is The Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception Of Nature False?, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper assesses the main argument of Thomas Nagel's recent book, Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature Is Almost Certainly False. The paper agrees with Nagel that, as an approach to the relation between mind and matter and the mystery of subjective experience, neutral monism is more likely to be true than either materialism or idealism. It disagrees with Nagel by favoring a version of neutral monism based on emergence rather than on a reductive pan-psychism. However, the paper invokes a reductive view when applied to information (as opposed to psyche), and posits a hierarchy of …

Climate Change And Fire Management In The Mid-Atlantic Region, Kenneth L. Clark, Nicholas Skowronski, Heidi Renninger, Robert M. Scheller

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this review, we summarize the potential impacts of climate change on wildfire activity in the mid­-Atlantic region, and then consider how the beneficial uses of prescribed fire could conflict with mitigation needs for climate change, focusing on patters of carbon (C) sequestration by forests in the region. We use a synthesis of field studies, eddy flux tower measurements, and simulation studies to evaluate how the use of prescibed fire affects short-and long-term forest C dynamics. Climate change may create weather conditions more conducive to wildfire activity, but successional changes in forest composition, altered gap dynamics, reduced understory and forest …

Oregon Dreissenid Mussel: Rapid Response Plan, Robyn Draheim, Rick Boatner, Glenn Dolphin, Lisa Debruyckere

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

In 2007, both zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) were found to have established populations west of the Rocky Mountains. The risk posed to the Pacific Northwest by the proximity of these new infestations is significant. This plan was developed in response to the increasing likelihood of the successful transport and introduction of these species into the State of Oregon and Pacific Northwest. Although prevention remains the most cost-effective means of addressing potential infestations of aquatic invasive species, if prevention efforts fail, the State of Oregon must be prepared to respond rapidly …

Late Holocene Tsunami Deposits At Salt Creek, Washington, Usa, Ian Hutchinson, Curt D. Peterson, Sarah L. Sterling

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

We interpret two thin sand layers in the estuarine marsh at Salt Creek, on the southern shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, as the products of tsunamis propagated by earthquakes at the Cascadia subduction zone. The sand layers extend for about 60 m along the left bank of the creek about 800 m from the mouth, and can be traced to the base of a nearby upland area. One layer is exposed in the creek bank about 400 m further upstream, but they are only patchily distributed in the rest of the central area of the marsh. Both …

Conflict Resolution In Islam: Document Review Of The Early Sources, Flamur Vehapi

Dissertations and Theses

Islam is the world's fastest growing religion. It is known to have an abundant and very rich amount of knowledge found in the Qur'an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, and as such, this religion has tremendously contributed not only to Muslim societies but also to the West. One aspect of this contribution explicated in this thesis is its contribution to the field of Conflict Resolution.

The primary purpose of this study is to unearth the tradition of peace and conflict resolution that comes out of the religion of Islam, which is unknown to many Muslims today. In this study, …

Trust-But-Verify: Guaranteeing The Integrity Of User-Generated Content In Online Applications, Akshay Dua

Dissertations and Theses

Online applications that are open to participation lack reliable methods to establish the integrity of user-generated information. Users may unknowingly own compromised devices, or intentionally publish forged information. In these scenarios, applications need some way to determine the "correctness" of autonomously generated information. Towards that end, this thesis presents a "trust-but-verify" approach that enables open online applications to independently verify the information generated by each participant. In addition to enabling independent verification, our framework allows an application to verify less information from more trustworthy users and verify more information from less trustworthy ones. Thus, an application can trade-off performance for …

E Mau Ana Ka HaʻAheo: A Case Study On Ke Kula Kaiapuni ʻO ʻĀnuenue, Zachary Kealohalaulā Wong

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

After the illegal overthrow of Queen Liliʻuokalani in 1893, ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, the language of the Kanaka Maoli, was considered a political and cultural threat to the new Republic of Hawaiʻi. In 1896, Sanford B. Dole signed Act 57 into law, mandating that the “English language shall be the medium and basis of instruction at all public and private schools” (Benham and Heck, 1998). Without the legal right to teach ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi in schools or use it in government, new generations no longer learned the language as their grandparents once did, and therefore the number of native speakers dramatically decreased. In …

Front Matter Volume 7, 2013, Mcnair Scholars Program

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

Front matter includes program background, Table of Contents, and a complete listing of 2012 Portland State McNair Scholars.