Digital Commons Network^™

Interview With Myo Demayo, Urbanstead Farm (Audio), Myo Demayo

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Myo DeMayo by Tyler Anderson.

The interview index is available for download.

The year is estimated.

Binary Decision Diagrams And Crisp Possibilistic Reconstructability Analysis, Martin Zwick, Alan Mishchenko

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

The paper discusses the application of Binary Decision Diagrams (BDDs) in the reconstructability analysis of crisp possibilistic systems. In particular, we show how BDDs can be used to represent set-theoretic relations and implement the three basic operations of reconstructability analysis.

Combining Linear Regression With Reconstructability Analysis: A Study Of Differences In Health Status, Renato Carletti, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

A linear regression model was used to predict variations in health status with the hypothesis that literacy level as a proximal measure for educational attainment would show a strong correlation with health status. Groups of other independent variables have also been introduced in the model to test whether the effect of literacy on health would have been mediated by other factors, or increased by them. The linear regression model did not show any strong relation between literacy and health, but pointed to other factors as predictors of health status.

Methods of data mining have been used for exploring throughout all …

The Heart Of The Matter: Aligning Curriculum, Pedagogy And Engagement In Higher Education, Kevin Kecskes, Seanna Kerrigan, Judy Patton

Public Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

This essay explores the themes of curriculum and pedagogy, as outlined by the editors of this special edition, in the context of Portland State University's institutional transformation. We elucidate select mechanisms that support curricular-community interactions, known at PSU as "community-based learning." In doing so we discuss how CBL and other civic engagement strategies relate to the disciplines, departments, and interdisciplinary work as well as how these various collaborative approaches affect pedagogy and epistemology at PSU.

The Doctrine Of Equivalents: Becoming A Derelict On The Waters Of Patent Law, Charles Adams

Articles, Chapters in Books and Other Contributions to Scholarly Works

The doctrine of equivalents expands the scope of patent protection in some circumstances to cover variations of the invention that are not within the literal terms of the claims. While there is no statutory basis for the doctrine of equivalents, and it has been characterized as an anomaly, the Supreme Court has repeatedly reaffirmed the doctrine over the past 150 years. Although the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts continue to recognize the doctrine of equivalents, they have not clearly defined the circumstances in which it is available, nor demarcated the extent to which it expands the scope of …

Variation In The Response Of Crustacean Zooplankton Species Richness And Composition To The Invasive Predator Bythotrephes Longimanus, Angela L. Strecker, Shelley E. Arnott, Norman D. Yan, Robert Girard

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The predacious invertebrate Bythotrephes longimanus has invaded >90 freshwater lakes in North America. There is some evidence that B. longimanus has a negative effect on summer zooplankton species richness; however, no study has examined the effect of B. longimanus throughout the ice-free season in more than one lake. We visited 10 invaded and 4 reference lakes every 2 weeks from May to September, collecting B. longimanus, crustacean zooplankton, and water chemistry samples. Composite samples were pooled across the study season for each lake. Bythotrephes longimanus significantly reduced cladoceran species richness, diversity, and abundance, and the total zooplankton community also exhibited …

Changes In Riparian Vegetation Buffers In Response To Development In Three Oregon Cities, J. Alan Yeakley, Connie P. Ozawa, A. M. Hook

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Riparian vegetation buffer loss was investigated for three cities with contrasting local regulatory controls in urbanizing northwest Oregon. The cities examined were Hillsboro, Oregon City and Portland, all having experienced high rates of population increase in the 1990s. All cities are covered under Oregon’s land use law that provides goals for the protection of open space and natural resources. On the municipality level, regulatory controls in Portland included a system of environmental zoning for riparian area protection, while regulatory controls on development in riparian areas in Hillsboro and Oregon City were less stringent. Digital aerial photographs covering buffer areas within …

Integral Circulant Graphs With The Spectral ÁDáM Property, Christopher F. Cusanza

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Parallelization Of A Maximum Parsimony Branch And Bound Algorithm For Phylogenetic Inference, Curtis J. Howard

Theses

Phyiogenetic inference involves the reconstruction of evolutionary relationships among species in the form of branching diagrams called trees. Specifically, certain biological structures common to all living organisms, such as morphological characteristics, protein sequences or DNA sequences can be compared Differences and similarities in these characteristics among species are used to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships and draw trees. Many methods of tree reconstruction are currently used. The method of maximum parsimony for phyiogenetic inference is a widely used algorithm which employs the hypothesis that the most likely tree for a given group of data will be the one which uses the …

A Multicamera System For Gesture Tracking With Three Dimensional Hand Pose Estimation, Evan M. Clark

Theses

The goal of any visual tracking system is to successfully detect then follow an object of interest through a sequence of images. The difficulty of tracking an object depends on the dynamics, the motion and the characteristics of the object as well as on the environ ment. For example, tracking an articulated, self-occluding object such as a signing hand has proven to be a very difficult problem. The focus of this work is on tracking and pose estimation with applications to hand gesture interpretation. An approach that attempts to integrate the simplicity of a region tracker with single hand 3D …

Parameric Decomposition For Evaluating Metamerism, Zhaojian Li

Theses

In those industries in which materials are colored to close specifications, a means of evaluating the degree of metamerism of colored objects is of considerable importance. Based on Wyszecki's hypothesis and its application to quantifying metamerism as described by Fairman, parameric decomposition is a technique to adjust one spectrum of a parameric match in order to achieve a perfect (metameric) match under a specific illumination and observer condition. This method can be viewed as batch correction using three "colorants" where the color-mixing model is linear in reflectance.

The research in this thesis presented these methods using the basis functions from …

Simultaneous Visual Cryptography, Oliver Kikic

Theses

A visual cryptography scheme (VCS), as proposed by M. Naor and A. Shamir, encodes a secret image into n different shares. The scheme ensures that only certain designated combinations of shares can recover the original image, while other combinations yield, in probabilistic sense, no information about the secret image. In this thesis, we show that there exist simultaneous visual cryptography schemes (SVCS), i.e. cryptographic schemes that allow for multiple secret images to be encoded across a set of n shares. The essential part of this research is to derive a set of formal definitions used to construct a valid SVCS …

Nonverbal Vocal Interface, Michael J. Murdoch

Theses

Nonverbal vocal interface, meaning the use of non-speech vocal sounds such as "oooh" and "ahhh" as input to a computer, provides an interesting and useful input modality for a graphical user interface. Nonverbal vocal interface is a novel improvement over speech-based solutions because voiced sounds may be smoothly modulated, meaning they are well suited to control of continuous variables such as cursor position, while spoken commands are inherently discrete. A graphical user interface is an excellent environment for vocal input because instantaneous visual feedback is crucial to usability, enabling users to see the results of their vocalizations and learn the …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate (Kdp) Nanocomposites., Mufadal Ayubali-Mohamedali

Theses

Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate (KDP) nanocrystals were synthesized in micellar solutions of block copolymers of polystyrene (PS) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in toluene/Dimethoxyethane solvent. The synthetic procedure entailed the doping of the block copolymer solutions with phosphoric acid and the stochiometric neutralization of the aciddoped system with potassium hydroxide (KOH). The neutralization reaction was localized within the core of the micelle which in effect served as a hanoreactor or nanovessel for the reaction.

Micellization of the block copolymer molecules was induced upon doping the solution with phosphoric acid which resulted in ion dipole binding of the protons to the ethylene oxide …

School Effectiveness Research In China, Shujie Liu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The major purpose of this study was to identify the processes of effective schools in China, thereby enriching the international study of school effectiveness. A multistrand concurrent mixed model design was utilized to test the research hypotheses and answer the research questions. Both probability and purposive sampling strategies were employed in this study. The MANOVA analyses from the teacher, student, and parent questionnaires revealed a consistent result: there were significant differences between more effective and less effective schools across all the traditional school effectiveness variables. The MANOVA results for classroom teaching also demonstrated significant differences between more effective and less …

Muscovite Pseudomorphs After Staurolite As A Record Of Fluid Infiltration During Prograde Metamorphism, Jennifer Kaye Whittington

LSU Master's Theses

Pressure-temperature conditions encountered by metamorphic rocks are often used to constrain tectonic environments of formation. Evidence of the prograde path during metamorphism is often obliterated by peak metamorphic conditions. However, pseudomorphs that form during prograde metamorphism may provide insights into heat and mass transport along this portion of the P-T-X-t path. Seventeen sillimanite zone samples, each containing 2-5 muscovite-rich pseudomorphs after staurolite, were investigated from pelitic schists of the Farmington Quadrangle, west-central Maine, USA. Pseudomorphs are easily recognized by an increase in average grain size (~cm) and change to randomly oriented muscovite-rich (~45-75%) modal mineralogy relative to the rock matrix …

A Neural Network Model For Classification Of Coastal Wetlands Vegetation Structure With Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (Modis) Data, Evaristo Joseph Liwa

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Mapping coastal marshes is an important component in the management of coastal environments. Classification of marshes using remote sensing data has traditionally been performed by employing either parametric supervised classification algorithms or unsupervised classification algorithms. The implementation of these conversional classification methods is based on the underlying distributions concerning the probability density functions (PDF). Neural networks provide a practical approach to this classification because they are essentially non-parametric data transformations that are not restricted by any underlying assumptions. The major objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of neural networks using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer (MODIS) data to …

Design Of Linear Boolean Network Codes For Combination Networks, Shoupei Li

LSU Master's Theses

Network coding is a promising technique to improve the throughput of communication networks. In the thesis, we investigate linear Boolean network codes on a special class of multicast networks, called combination networks. Using companion matrices of primitive polynomials over finite fields, we design a class of symmetric linear Boolean network codes from Reed-Solomon codes for single-source combination networks. We also prove that, for some cases, the linear Boolean network codes are optimal in the sense of minimum network uses. In the thesis, we further consider two-source network coding problem for combination networks and other specific networks. We develop a method …

A Comparative Analysis Of Hurricane Evacuation Traffic Conditions Using Static And Dynamic Traffic Assignments, Santosh Kumar Andem

LSU Master's Theses

This study compares link flows of evacuation traffic using Static Traffic Assignment (STA) with those obtained from Dynamic Traffic Assignment (DTA) and observed traffic counts. The analysis is conducted on a sample of households from South Carolina who evacuated in the face of hurricane Floyd in 1999. The results indicate that traditional static models have the potential to significantly underestimate congestion levels in the network, and DTA models account for nonuniform demand and traffic dynamics in hurricane evacuation much more realistically. From observed traffic counts, traffic volumes vary considerably during an evacuation and the DTA flow estimates generally reproduced these …

Structural And Forecasting Softwood Lumber Models With A Time Series Approach, Nianfu Song

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The development of cointegration theories and the presence of nonstationarity in time series raised serious concerns about possible spurious estimations in forest products models. Based on the results of Hsiao (1997a, 1997b), all the virtues of two-stage least square (2SLS) hold if there are sufficient cointegration relations. Stationary null and nonstationary null unit root tests and monthly seasonal unit root tests were applied to the time series used in this dissertation. Cointegration tests with exogenous variables were performed to justify the 2SLS. A regional error correction model (ECM) with four regional lumber supply and demand equations and a U.S.-Canada supply …

Food Purchasing Behaviors, Dietary Energy Density, Perceived Health Status, And Perceived Nutrition Knowledge Of Female Food Stamp Recipients Living In Southeast Louisiana, Carrie Marie Elks

LSU Master's Theses

Purchase and consumption of energy-dense nutrient poor [EDNP] foods by low-income individuals contributes to the lower diet quality and increased risk of chronic disease (e.g. obesity, type 2 diabetes) in this population. Food purchasing behaviors, dietary energy density [ED], perceived health status, and perceived nutrition knowledge were assessed in 22 female food stamp recipients in Southeast Louisiana. Two 24-hour recalls (at the beginning and at the end of the month) and food expenditure receipts were collected; participants also completed several questionnaires. Fifty percent [%] (n=11) of study participants were food secure, and fifty percent (n=11) were food insecure. Sixty-four % …

Security In Heterogeneous Wireless Networks, Vijay Bulusu

LSU Master's Theses

The proliferation of a range of wireless devices, from the cheap low power resource starved sensor nodes to the ubiquitous cell phones and PDA's has resulted in their use in many applications. Due to their inherent broadcast nature Security and Privacy in wireless networks is harder than the wired networks. Along with the traditional security requirements like confidentiality, integrity and non-repudiation new requirements like privacy and anonymity are important in wireless networks. These factors combined with the fact that nodes in a wireless network may have different resource availabilities and trust levels makes security in wireless networks extremely challenging. The …

A Computational Framework For The Structural Change Analysis Of 3d Volumes Of Microscopic Specimens, Madhusudhanan Balasubramanian

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Glaucoma, commonly observed with an elevation in the intraocular pressure level (IOP), is one of the leading causes of blindness. The lamina cribrosa is a mesh-like structure that provides axonal support for the optic nerves leaving the eye. The changes in the laminar structure under IOP elevations may result in the deaths of retinal ganglion cells, leading to vision degradation and loss. We have developed a comprehensive computational framework that can assist the study of structural changes in microscopic structures such as lamina cribrosa. The optical sectioning property of a confocal microscope facilitates imaging thick microscopic specimen at various depths …

Synthesis, Crystal Growth, Magnetic And Transport Properties Of Ln-M-X (Ln=Lanthanide, M=Transition Metal, X=In, Ga) Compounds, Willa Maria Williams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT This dissertation focuses on the structural stability, magnetic and transport properties of ternary lanthanide compounds grown using indium and gallium flux. Single crystals of TbRhIn5 were synthesized using indium flux. TbRhIn5 is isostructural to the well known LnnMIn3n+2 (n = 1, 2, ∞; Ln = La, Ce; M = Rh, Ir) and adopts the HoCoGa5 structure type and crystallizes in the space group P4/mmm, Z = 1. Lattice parameters are a = 4.6000(6) Å and c = 7.4370(11) Å, V = 157.29(6) Å3. A sharp antiferromagnetic transition is observed at TN = 48 K for TbRhIn5. Single crystals of …

Limit Theorems For Weighted Stochastic Systems Of Interacting Particles, Jie Wu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this dissertation is to (a) establish the weak convergence of empirical measures formed by a system of stochastic differential equations, and (b) prove a comparison result and compactness of support property for the limit measure. The stochastic system of size n has coefficients that depend on the empirical measure determined by the system. The weights for the empirical measure are determined by a further n-system of stochastic equations. There is a random choice among N types of weights. The existence and uniqueness of solutions of the interacting system, weak convergence of the empirical measures, and the identification …

Liminality In Gender, Race, And Nation In Les Quarteronnes De La Nouvelle-Orléans By Sidonie De La Houssaye, Christine Koch Harris

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This project examines themes of race, gender, and nation in a series of four novels by nineteenth-century Louisiana author Sidonie de la Houssaye. The series, called Les Quarteronnes de la Nouvelle-Orléans (The Quadroons of New Orleans), is based on the system of plaçage. Plaçage, a system of concubinage in which white men took women of mixed racial heritage (such as “quadroons”) as mistresses, becomes a source of conflict and contradiction in the series. The author sees plaçage as a tragic necessity for some educated and morally “upright” quarteronnes. For others, those quarteronnes depicted as libidinous and avaricious, it is a …

Performance Of A Three-Phase Permanent Magnet Motor Operating As A Synchronous Motor And A Brushless Dc Motor, Sophie Sekalala

LSU Master's Theses

The performance of a three-phase permanent magnet (PM) motor operating as a synchronous motor and brushless DC (BLDC) motor is discussed. The PM motor, when operating as a synchronous machine, is supplied with constant frequency, meaning constant rotor speed operation. When operating as a BLDC motor, the supply frequency changes according to the actual rotor speed. It means the speed signal is fed back to the controller, which generates the appropriate frequency to supply the stator winding. This means the BLDC motor cannot operate without a position sensor. The objective of the project was to analyze and compare the performance …

Design Of Cmos Lc Voltage Controlled Oscillators, Chetan Shambhulinga Salimath

LSU Master's Theses

This work presents the design and implementation of CMOS LC voltage controlled oscillators. On-chip planar spiral inductors and PMOS inversion mode varactors were utilized to implement the resonator. Two voltage controlled oscillators (VCOs) were realized as a part of this work, one designed to operate at 1.1 GHz while the second at 1.8 GHz. Both VCOs were implemented in a scalable digital CMOS process, with the former in a 1.5 micron CMOS process and the latter in a 0.5 micron technology. A simulation based methodology was adopted to arrive at a simple pi model used to model the metal and …

Applications Of Titanium-Mediated Reductive Coupling And Cyclocarbonylation Reactions Toward Natural Product Synthesis, Maria A. Appeaning

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Previous work in our laboratory has demonstrated not only a synthetic value of tandem reductive cyclization - carbonylation reactions in the preparation of complex molecules but also the interesting stereoselectivity observed therein. The first part of this work employs the titanium-mediated cyclocarbonylation of tethered dienals for the synthesis of prostaglandin analogues, in particular PGF_2α and methyl jasmonate. Based on this hetero Pauson-Khand strategy, we have established an efficient racemic route to both the prostaglandin and the methyl jasmonate core skeletons. Moderate to excellent selectivities with regard to the hetero Pauson-Khand reaction were observed in both cases. The second part …

How Cue-Dependent Is Memory?: Internal Reinstatement And Cueing Effects In Recognition And Source Memory, Jeffrey Joseph Starns

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the role of internal context reinstatement in masking the effects of external context cues on recognition and source memory. Participants studied words paired with pictures of male and female faces. Following the study phase, participants completed either a source test in which they decided whether each test word was studied with a male or female face (Experiments 1, 3, and 4) or a recognition test in which they decided whether each test word appeared in the study phase (Experiment 2). On selected trials, a studied face was reinstated at test to serve as a cue for the …