Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding Water Security In Portland, Oregon: Using Newspapers As Tools For Science Communication And Education, Julian Roth

University Honors Theses

Water insecurity is faced by a large percentage of the global population, particularly in urban areas, which face greater and more complex needs for water resources. Better tools are needed to be able to recognize and communicate water security issues in a way that reinforces water systems, engages all stakeholders, and recognizes early warnings of environmental injustice. This research examines utilizing public newspaper articles to produce these tools. Using a case-study approach, this thesis explores newspaper articles about water from 2014-2020 in the urban center of Portland, Oregon, to understand local water security issues and to build a system of …

Warp-Aware Adaptive Energy Efficiency Calibration For Multi-Gpu Systems, Zhuowei Wang, Xiaoyu Song, Lianglun Cheng, Hai Wan, Wuqing Zhao, Tao Wang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Massive GPU acceleration processors have been used in high-performance computing systems. The Dennard-scaling has led to power and thermal constraints limiting the performance of such systems. The demand for both increased performance and energy-efficiency is highly desired. This paper presents a multi-layer low-power optimisation method for warps and tasks parallelisms. We present a dynamic frequency regulation scheme for performance parameters in terms of load balance and load imbalance. The method monitors the energy parameters in runtime and adjusts adaptively the voltage level to ensure the performance efficiency with energy reduction. The experimental results show that the multi-layer low-power optimisation with …

Emergent Landscapes Of Renewable Energy Storage: Considering Just Transitions In The Western United States, Bethani Turley, Alida Cantor, Kate Berry, Sarah Knuth, Dustin Mulvaney, Noel Vineyard

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Governments, utilities, and energy companies are increasingly looking towards energy storage technologies to extend the availability of variable renewable power sources such as solar and wind. In this Perspective, we examine these fast-shifting developments by mapping and analyzing landscapes of renewable energy storage emerging across the Western United States. We focus on the rollout of several interrelated leading technologies: utility-scale lithium-ion batteries, supported by increasing regional lithium mining, and proposals for new pumped storage hydropower. Drawing on critical resource geography, we examine energy storage as both a component of renewable transition and as its own driver of landscape transformation, resource …

Projected Changes In Atmospheric Ridges Over The Pacific-North American Region Using Cmip6 Models, Paul C. Loikith, Deepti Singh, Graham P. Taylor

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Projected changes in atmospheric ridges and associated temperature and precipitation anomalies are assessed for the end of the twenty-first century in a suite of 27 models contributing to phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) under a high-end emissions scenario over the Pacific–North American region. Ridges are defined as spatially coherent regions of positive zonal anomalies in 500-hPa geopotential height. The frequency of ridge days in the historical period varies by geography and season; however, ridge days are broadly more common over the region in winter and least common in summer. The CMIP6 models are credible in reproducing …

An Economical And Repeatable Method For Mapping Shade Cast On Water Channels, Eric M. Nielsen

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

The motivation of this work is to provide insights toward determining a viable strategy for statewide monitoring of riparian vegetation condition, with particular focus on developing a repeatable, costeffective method for assessment of progress toward achieving temperature-based water quality standards mandated by the federal Clean Water Act. A reliable monitoring strategy could in turn support a datadriven prioritization and assessment framework to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of riparian restoration efforts. In this project we developed and tested a method for mapping shade cast on water channels by riparian vegetation using optical imagery sources that are affordable and regularly …

The Right To The University: The Experiences Of Mexican/Mexican American/Xicanx Students At A Predominantly White University In Upstate New York, Martín Alberto Gonzalez

Chicano/Latino Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Having the right to a space is not only the right to be present without being harassed or bothered, but it also includes the right to have a say in how that space should be experienced. Yet, spaces have long been contested and not everyone has equal access to shared spaces. This paper examines the experiences of Mexican/Mexican American/Xicanx (MMAX) undergraduate students at a predominantly white university in the Northeast. Drawing on indepth interviews, participant observations, pláticas, and document analyses, I argue that MMAX students do not have the right to their respective university because their university does not address …

Corrigendum: Interactions Between Fire Refugia And Climate-Environment Conditions Determine Mesic Subalpine Forest Recovery After Large And Severe Wildfires, Sebastian Upton Busby, Andres Holz

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the published article, there was an error in the Funding statement.

One of the funding numbers provided was incorrect. The correct Funding statement appears below.

Funding for this research was provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF awards EAR-1738104 and GSS-1832483).

The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated.

Feminist Care Ethics Confronts Mainstream Philosophy, Maurice Hamington, Maggie Fitzgerald

Philosophy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Editorial for the Special Issue "Feminist Care Ethics Confronts Mainstream Philosophy"

This Special Issue of Philosophies is devoted to dialogue between feminist care ethics and mainstream philosophical figures and concepts. As care ethics has evolved from its origins in the 1980s, it is clear that it does not always fit neatly within traditional philosophical categories. Yet, the philosophical implications of the ethics of care are robust and extend beyond ethics as such, with care theorists positing ontological, epistemological, and political significance to its approach. Despite these implications, and the growing acceptance of care ethics in a variety of academic literatures, …

Building Community Capacity With Philosophy: Toolbox Dialogue And Climate Resilience, Bryan Cwik, Chad Gonnerman, Michael O'Rourke, Brian Robinson, Daniel Schoonmaker

Philosophy Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this article, we describe a project in which philosophy, in combination with methods drawn from mental modeling, was used to structure dialogue among stakeholders in a region-scale climate adaptation process. The case study we discuss synthesizes the Toolbox dialogue method, a philosophically grounded approach to enhancing communication and collaboration in complex research and practice, with a mental modeling approach rooted in risk analysis, assessment, and communication to structure conversations among non-academic stakeholders who have a common interest in planning for a sustainable future. We begin by describing the background of this project, including details about climate resiliency efforts in …

Launching The Wasatch Transportation Academy, Nathan Mcneil, Keith Bartholomew, Matthew Ryan

TREC Final Reports

The “Community Transportation Academy” model seeks to break down the barriers for community members to participate in transportation decision-making processes. Since 1991, the Portland Traffic and Transportation Course has held at least one course each year, connecting Portland residents with top planners, engineers, and decision-makers from agencies working on transportation in the region, with the goal of conveying the factors professionals consider, ranging from technical considerations, legal and policy mandates, other tradeoffs, and how the community can engage with and influence decisions. This project sought to implement a transportation academy in the Salt Lake City region inspired by the Portland …

Editorial: Helping Scientists To Communicate Well For All Considered: Strategic Science Communication In An Age Of Environmental And Health Crises, Brianne Suldovsky, Marcia Allison, Marina Joubert, Ingrid E. Lofgren, Scott Mcwilliams

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

From documenting evidence-based science communication training programs to examining issues of intersectionality and inclusivity in science communication, each of the 12 articles in this special issue offers a unique perspective on science communication, public engagement, and inclusivity. The case studies of training programs provide helpful lessons learned that have broad applicability. The descriptions of how social scientific and rhetorical approaches have been used to enhance inclusive science communication offer new insights into more effective science communication practices. Our hope is that, taken together, these articles will inspire improvements in our collective ability to more effectively and equitably apply scientific research …

A New Studio Era: How Netflix Is Becoming A Threat To The Film Industry, Al Kasper

University Honors Theses

Movie streaming services have become an increasingly popular distribution method due to their widespread accessibility to film content across the globe. Netflix is the biggest competitor of movie streaming services and has led the charge in creating original content for its customers. With many of these streaming services creating their own content, both Hollywood and independent studios are being introduced to a new competitor in their market: studios that stream their own content. While this may seem to be an issue only within the industry, there are concerns about another oligarchy of studios being created out of these streaming services …

Equilibria: Sustainability And Eco-Awareness In Music Production, Ashley A. Kahl-Placek

University Honors Theses

Cross-disciplinary exploration between science and the arts is one tool to help solve some of the biggest issues facing humans. Climate change and loss of biodiversity can be represented via sound art and contemporary music composition. Wholistic eco-awareness and sustainability are possible when projects are based in unique species-inspired soundscapes, the cultivation of targeted, action-inspiring lyricism, and a sustainable navigation of the marketing and distribution pathways of the music industry. From the fall of 2021 to summer of 2022, field recordings of unique ecosystems were collected and combined with songwriting rooted in a love and hope for the future of …

Valuing The Public Benefits Of Green Roofs, Noelwah R. Netusil, Sahan Dissanayake, Lauren Lavelle, Amy W. Ando

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Green roofs are being incorporated into stormwater management programs around the world. While numerous studies have estimated the private benefits to the owners and residents of buildings with green roofs, the value of the multiple public benefits received by non-building residents are less well known. We use a choice experiment survey to estimate the public benefits for a proposed green roof program in Portland, Oregon, USA. These benefits include reduced combined sewer overflows, reduced urban heat island effects, and an increase in pollinators such as birds, bees and butterflies. Past investments in stormwater infrastructure have exposed some residents to poor …

Disposable Puff Bar Electronic Cigarettes: Chemical Composition And Toxicity Of E-Liquids And A Synthetic Coolant, Esther E. Omaiye, Wentai Luo, Kevin J. Mcwhirter, James F. Pankow, Prue Talbot

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The popularity of disposable fourth-generation electronic cigarettes (ECs) among young adults and adolescents has been increasing since the ban on flavored cartridge EC products such as JUUL. Although the constituents and toxicity of some cartridge-based fourth-generation ECs, such as JUUL, have been studied, limited data exist for other disposable ECs such as Puff. The purpose of this study was to determine flavor chemicals, synthetic coolants, and nicotine concentrations in 16 disposable Puff devices, evaluate the cytotoxicity of the different flavors from the Puff brand using in vitro assays, and investigate the health risks of synthetic coolants in EC products. Gas …

Automatically Generating Scenarios From A Text Corpus: A Case Study On Electric Vehicles, Christopher W.H. Davis, Antoine J. Jetter, Philippe J. Giabbanelli

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Creating ‘what-if’ scenarios to estimate possible futures is a key component of decision-making processes. However, this activity is labor intensive as it is primarily done manually by subject-matter experts who start by identifying relevant themes and their interconnections to build models, and then craft diverse and meaningful stories as scenarios to run on these models. Previous works have shown that text mining could automate the model-building aspect, for example, by using topic modeling to extract themes from a large corpus and employing variations of association rule mining to connect them in quantitative ways. In this paper, we propose to further …

When Families, Organizational Culture, And Policy Collide: A Mixed Method Study Of Alternative Response, Stacey L. Shipe, Mathew C. Uretsky, Catherine A. Labrenz, Corey S. Shdaimah, Christian M. Connell

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective Alternative response (AR) is a family-centered, preventative approach for child protection systems. This study first examined what family and case factors predicted re-investigation and then explored which organizational factors influence caseworker and agency implementation of AR. Method Using administrative data from child protection reports, AR families (N = 9,959) and traditional response (TR) families (N = 13,974) were followed for 18 months to determine re-investigation rates using multilevel modeling where families were nested in county of residence. Four focus groups with 14 participants were conducted to discuss the quantitative findings, organizational culture, and implementation of AR. Results AR families …

An Integral Transform For Quantum Amplitudes, Jack C. Straton

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

The central impediment to reducing multidimensional integrals of transition amplitudes to analytic form, or at least to a fewer number of integral dimensions, is the presence of magnitudes of coordinate vector differences (square roots of polynomials) |x1−x2|2=x21−2x1x2cosθ+x2 √ in disjoint products of functions. Fourier transforms circumvent this by introducing a three-dimensional momentum integral for each of those products, followed in many cases by another set of integral transforms to move all of the resulting denominators into a single quadratic form in one denominator whose square my be completed. Gaussian transforms introduce a one-dimensional integral for each such product while squaring …

What's Care Got To Do With It? Expulsion Practices In Family Child Care, Josephina Paulina Emmrich

Dissertations and Theses

Expulsion of children under five years old in early childhood care and education settings is a problem, especially in family child care programs with the highest expulsion rates across early childhood care and education settings. Recently passed Oregon legislation prohibits expulsion in child care programs (Oregon SB 236, 2021). Influencing outcomes for young children and the family child care providers who work with them. Family child care programs are small businesses primarily run by women who work alone from their homes. Systemic inequities contribute to a lack of support and access to resources for family child care providers. These inequities …

Rideshare Practices In Developing Countries Vs Developed Countries, Francis Wambalaba

PSU Transportation Seminars

This project investigated strategies towards development, marketing and implementation of employer programs for reducing single occupancy vehicles to mitigate traffic congestion. It was guided by the following research questions: which socio-economic factors influence carpooling; how do environmental factors influence carpooling; and what are effective traffic management strategies for enhancing carpooling. The presentation will also strive to introduce the US context for purposes of perspective.

Perceived Stress, Resilience, And Wellbeing In Seasoned Isha Yoga Practitioners Compared To Matched Controls During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Preeti Upadhyay, Shilpa Narayanan, Tanvi Khera, Lauren Kelly, Pooja A. Mathur, Akshay Shanker, Lena Novack, Ruth Pérez-Robles, Kim A. Hoffman, Multiple Additional Authors

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Yoga practices, including breathing, meditation, and posture protocols (asanas), have been shown to facilitate physical and mental wellbeing.

Methods: Seasoned yoga practitioners were recruited from the Isha Foundation. Recruitment of the comparison group was achieved using snowball sampling and were not yoga practitioners. Participants in the non-yoga group were randomized to a 3-min Isha practice or a comparator group asked to perform 15-min of daily reading. Participants completed a series of web-based surveys (REDCap) at baseline, 6, and 12 weeks. These surveys include validated scales and objective questions on COVID-19 infection and medical history. The validated questionnaires assess for: …

Leaving College Without A Degree: The Student Experience At An Urban Broad Access Institution, Andrea Marie Garrity

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis seeks to understand how students who leave college without a degree, or non-completers, experience broad access institutions in an effort to shift our thinking from the student characteristics that predict college dropout to how broad access institutions can better serve students and improve graduation rates. To answer this question, I conducted interviews with former students who had recently attended a broad access institution and left without a degree. Results show that participants expressed internalized views of the traditional college student archetype, which was reinforced through their college experience. Further, participants encountered significant bureaucratic challenges and barriers, and expressed …

Comparative Foreign Aid Analysis: Replacing The Competition Between Donors With Complementary Aid Policies, Emily Melinda Baker

Dissertations and Theses

Foreign Aid has been a topic of study for decades with few concrete findings on whether it is effective or not. Contemporary foreign aid is divided into two camps: the West and China, with little cooperation and plenty of politics between them. In this thesis I analyze the effectiveness of Western aid and Chinese aid in twelve sub-Saharan African states using annual HDI scores and GDP. I find there is a strong correlation between Western aid and the development measures used as well as cases where Chinese aid is more effective than Western aid. With these findings, I argue that …

Planning And Real-Time Resource Allocation In Freight Logistics Systems Utilizing Emerging Transportation Technologies, Darshan Rajesh Chauhan

Dissertations and Theses

Transportation is a key driver of any national economy. In the United States, the transportation sector contributes $1.3 trillion to the economy, of which freight transportation represents more than 50%. Trucks alone account for more than 70% freight movements in the United States. In addition to worsening stress at ports of entry and traffic congestion in the system, freight also accounts for nearly one-third of the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Emerging transportation technologies like electric unmanned aerial vehicles (or drones) and electric vehicles can provide a more sustainable alternative to combat greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the …

A Systematic Review Of Research On Augmentative And Alternative Communication Brain-Computer Interface Systems For Individuals With Disabilities., Betts Peters, Brandon Eddy, Deirdre Galvin-Mclaughlin, Gail Betz, Barry Oken, Melanie Fried-Oken

Speech and Hearing Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Augmentative and alternative communication brain-computer interface (AAC-BCI) systems are intended to offer communication access to people with severe speech and physical impairment (SSPI) without requiring volitional movement. As the field moves toward clinical implementation of AAC-BCI systems, research involving participants with SSPI is essential. Research has demonstrated variability in AAC-BCI system performance across users, and mixed results for comparisons of performance for users with and without disabilities. The aims of this systematic review were to (1) describe study, system, and participant characteristics reported in BCI research, (2) summarize the communication task performance of participants with disabilities using AAC-BCI systems, and …

Intermediate Effect Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Prices Of Housing Near Light Rail Transit: A Case Study Of The Portland Metropolitan Area, Sangwan Lee, Liming Wang

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study explored the dynamics of a residential property value premium for proximity to a light rail transit (LRT) station in the intermediate term (roughly two years) since the pandemic. We applied a longitudinal quasi-experimental design using repeat sales data from the Portland Metropolitan Area, Oregon. Our results indicate that the effect of the pandemic on prices of housing near LRT stations differs between single-family and multi-family markets. Since the pandemic outbreak, there has been no statically significant difference in the price appreciation between singlefamily (SF) housing within an LRT service area and otherwise similar SF homes; however, for multi-family …

Examining Demographic And Environmental Factors In Predicting The Perceived Impact Of Cancer On Childhood And Adolescent Cancer Survivors, Nazan Cetin

Dissertations and Theses

Cancer survivors' perceptions on how cancer has impacted their lives has been identified as a "critical predictor" of psychosocial well-being and quality of life outcomes. Given the dramatic increase in survival rates and the long-term health and psychosocial challenges, as well as survivorship care barriers, this study focuses special attention on childhood and adolescent cancer survivors and is guided by Tedeschi and Calhoun's theory of posttraumatic growth and Hammond's theory of distinctiveness. This study aims to examine the influence of demographic (i.e., age at diagnosis, biological sex, race/ethnicity, type of cancer) and environmental factors (i.e., geographical location and insurance type), …

Development Of A Configurable Real-Time Event Detection Framework For Power Systems Using Swarm Intelligence Optimization, Umar Farooq

Dissertations and Theses

Modern power systems characterized by complex topologies require accurate situational awareness to maintain an adequate level of reliability. Since they are large and spread over wide geographical areas, occurrence of failures is inevitable in power systems. Various generation and transmission disturbances give rise to a mismatch between generation and demand, which manifest as frequency events. These events can take the form of negligible frequency deviations or more severe emergencies that can precipitate cascading outages, depending on the severity of the disturbance and efficacy of remedial action schema. The impacts of such events have become more critical with recent decline in …

Modeling Environment For Testing A Distributed Energy Resource Management System (Derms) Using Gridapps-D Platform, Shiva Poudel, Sean Keene, Roshan Kini, Sarmad Hanif, Robert B. Bass, Jaime Kolln

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The electric power system is currently undergoing a major transition due to growing numbers of distributed energy resources (DERs) and increased distribution automation. If optimally managed and operated, DERs could provide flexibility and highly valuable grid services such as restoration, peak shaving, voltage regulation, and frequency support to maintain grid reliability. Different applications and enterprises, such as distributed energy resources management systems (DERMS), are being developed for coordinated and optimal operation of DERs. However, to attract sufficient DER participation and achieve the coordinated operation of DERs, systems and components must be interoperable and information exchange must be secure. Along this …

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Colonization Response To Dike Removal In The Salmon River Estuary, Elinore Webb

Dissertations and Theses

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form symbiotic relationships with wetland plants and are important to the restoration of coastal estuaries. The purpose of this study was to assess the presence and colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in Distichlis spicata from three formerly diked areas of the Salmon River Estuary to determine an initial understanding of the mycorrhizal community in tidal wetlands post-restoration. AMF were present in all four sample areas and total colonization ranged on average 39-72%. The reference site had the lowest levels of total colonization, which is contrary to the findings of studies of younger wetland restorations. Most importantly, …