Digital Commons Network^™

Teaching The Middle East In Portland Public High Schools, Nicholas C. Jenkins

University Honors Theses

This paper examines the ways in which the Middle East is taught to high school students in Portland Public School. Specifically, it focuses on the required history courses, Modern World History and United States History for Freshman and Juniors, respectively. Beginning with a definition of the Middle East, this paper starts by placing itself and the author within a discourse community of educators, historians, and writers who discuss the issues with incorporating multiple points of view into their curriculum. After a discussion of the methods by which the data was collected, this paper concludes by offering a description of that …

A Numerical Modeling Investigation On Calving And The Recession Of South Cascade Glacier, Annika Noel Horlings

University Honors Theses

Retreat of South Cascade Glacier has been well documented since 1957. Despite this, little research has examined why South Cascade Glacier has receded more rapidly than other glaciers in the North Cascades region of Washington State during the last century. The purpose of this thesis is to determine whether calving associated with the proglacial South Cascade Lake significantly influenced the glacier’s retreat. A simple numerical model using documented and projected historical net mass balances, bed configuration data, and lake basin data is used to approximate the recession of South Cascade Glacier during the last century. To evaluate the influence of …

The European Coal And Steel Community: The Path Towards European Integration, Nicholas Hudson

University Honors Theses

This inquiry seeks to establish the importance of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and its key role as the foundation for deeper European integration projects, which ultimately have manifested in the European Union seen today. By the end of the Second World War, the European continent was left in ruins, with nations desperately seeking to rebuild their economies and infrastructures, while also attempting to create a stability that would bring lasting peace to a region historically torn apart by war. European leaders, including the French diplomat Jean Monnet, were faced with the challenge of increasing output and employment …

Ribozyme/Duplex Binding Interactions As A Thermodynamic Basis For Chemical Game Theory, Elizabeth Satterwhite

University Honors Theses

Origins of life research requires searching for a plausible transition from simple chemicals to larger macromolecules that can both hold information and catalyze their own production. It has been shown that some classes of RNA molecules possess the ability to help other RNA molecules form by recombination reactions in an auto-catalytic fashion.¹ By simplifying these recombination reactions, the thermodynamic binding strength between two nucleotides of two molecules can be quantified for all 16 possible genotype combinations. The purpose of this research is to provide evidence that the thermodynamic binding strength between the tag and internal guide sequence (IGS) is …

Formation Of Double Ridges On Europa Due To Viscoelastoplastic Deformation Above Crystallizing Cryovolcanic Intrusions, Dougal Hansen

University Honors Theses

Jupiter’s moon Europa is comprised of an icy shell and a ~100 km thick global ocean overlying a rocky core. Among the myriad topographic features etched across its enigmatic surface, double ridges, which consist of two raised flanks with a central trough, are the most pervasive. Often running for hundreds of kilometers, they frequently overprint and offset pre-existing features and appear to be genetically related to cracks in the icy shell. Yet, after nearly two decades of study, these ridge systems and the processes through which they form remain incompletely understood. Several mechanisms have been proposed for ridge formation, one …

A Low-Cost Apparatus For Laboratory Exercises And Classroom Demonstrations Of Geometric Optics, William Vincent Tex Hahn

University Honors Theses

Current trends in research towards the teaching of geometric suggest a constructivist approach. Student experimentation dealing directly with student misconceptions through repetition of examples in many contexts to confront conflicting reasoning allow students to construct definitions with their experiences and observations. Developing the scientific method of observation, prediction/experimental design, conducting experiments and repeating is reinforced with these techniques. Cataloguing student misconceptions and redesigning course material and laboratory experiments in their context has only recently begun. Use of technology has also been shown to increase student interest in course material and 3D printers have recently become common tools in schools. Additionally, …

Characterization Of Photonic Waveguides Using Fourier Analysis, Sam Olson

University Honors Theses

In this work, several characteristics of indium tin oxide (ITO) thin-film waveguides are analyzed. The simulation software COMSOL Multiphysics is used to create two waveguide models, one with a single 400 nm diameter hole, and one with two 400 nm diameter holes. A 410 nm light source is incident upon the models at an angle of 60° from the normal. Fourier analysis performed upon the normalized electric field at the surface led to effective indices in the waveguide of about 1.76 and 2.05.

Who’S Afraid Of Response Bias?, Megan A. K. Peters, Tony Ro, Hakwan Lau

Publications and Research

Response bias (or criterion) contamination is insidious in studies of consciousness: that observers report they do not see a stimulus may not mean they have absolutely no subjective experience; they may be giving such reports in relative terms in the context of other stimuli. Bias-free signal detection theoretic measures provide an excellent method for avoiding response bias confounds, and many researchers correctly adopt this approach. However, here we discuss how a fixation on avoiding criterion effects can also be misleading and detrimental to fruitful inquiry. In a recent paper, Balsdon and Azzopardi (Absolute and relative blindsight. Consciousness and Cognition 2015; …

Cryptography With Right-Angled Artin Groups, Ramon Flores, Delaram Kahrobaei

Publications and Research

In this paper we propose right-angled Artin groups as a platform for secret sharing schemes based on the efficiency (linear time) of the word problem. Inspired by previous work of Grigoriev-Shpilrain in the context of graphs, we define two new problems: Subgroup Isomorphism Problem and Group Homomorphism Problem. Based on them, we also propose two new authentication schemes. For right-angled Artin groups, the Group Homomorphism and Graph Homomorphism problems are equivalent, and the later is known to be NP-complete. In the case of the Subgroup Isomorphism problem, we bring some results due to Bridson who shows there are right-angled Artin …

High-Resolution Ground-Penetrating Radar Profiles Of Perennial Lake Ice In The Mcmurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica: Horizon Attributes, Unconformities, And Subbottom, Hilary A. Dugan, Steven A. Arcone, Maciej K. Obryk, Peter T. Doran

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is not commonly used to study lake ice, and in general, the ground-based use of radar frequencies greater than 500 MHz in cryosphere geophysics is rare, due to a general interest in deeper stratigraphy and the difficulty of extensive profiling over rough snow surfaces. Our goal was to find further information on the origin of the deposition and formation of intra-ice layers, bottom topography, and subbottom deposits using GPR with pulses centered near 850 MHz on two permanently ice-covered lakes in the Mc- Murdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. The profiles were obtained using a one-person sled operation over …

The Conflict Resolution Case Study In Urban Life: Bull Run Watershed Case, Chang-Yu Hong

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

The City of Portland and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service are working together, along with citizens, to formulate a comprehensive new policy to guide joint management of the Bull Run watershed at Mt. Hood National Forest. This process has brought about four decades of conflict, resulting from differences between the federal view of multiple use and the local view of exclusive use for producing high quality water. The new policy is being formulated by the City of Portland and the Forest Service through negotiation of a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding that structures the parties’ roles, responsibilities, …

Hedging Default And Price Risks In Commodity Trading, Norifumi Kimura

Agribusiness and Applied Economics

Many risk factors exist in the commodity markets, especially those related to price and quantity. Recently, the risk of counterparty default has been increasing. The purpose of this study is to develop a portfolio-hedging model to hedge both price and default risks using exchange traded commodity futures and option contracts. Two approaches are taken to determine the optimal hedge ratios (HR) using futures and options: an analytical approach that mathematically derives closed-form mean-variance (E-V) maximizing solutions, and an empirical approach that uses stochastic optimization and Monte Carlo simulation under mean-value-at-risk (E-VaR) framework. Based on the analytical approach, we proved that …

The Risks Associated With Barley Production In North Dakota, Bernt Louis Nelson

Agribusiness and Applied Economics

The market for barley has shifted from a demand for exports and livestock feed, to a demand for human food and alcohol production. Due to the crop qualities required for malting in the alcohol industry, barley is perceived to be a more financially risky crop to grow in comparison to other crops. Monte Carlo simulation was used to estimate the distributions of net return to labor and management for barley, hard red spring wheat, corn, soybean, and canola in the primary, North Central, and transitional, Central, crop reporting districts of North Dakota. Stochastic efficiency with respect to a function was …

The Influence Of Solid Microneedles On The Transdermal Delivery Of Selected Antiepileptic Drugs, Julia Nguyen, Kevin B. Ita, Matthew J. Morra, Inna E. Popova

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

The aim of this project was to examine the effect of microneedle rollers on the percutaneous penetration of tiagabine hydrochloride and carbamazepine across porcine skin in vitro. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis was carried out using an Agilent 1200 Series HPLC system coupled to an Agilent G1969A TOF-MS system. Transdermal flux values of the drugs were determined from the steady-state portion of the cumulative amount versus time curves. Following twelve hours of microneedle roller application, there was a 6.74-fold increase in the percutaneous penetration of tiagabine hydrochloride (86.42 ± 25.66 µg/cm²/h) compared to passive delivery (12.83 ± 6.30 µg/cm …

Isavuconazole In The Treatment Of Invasive Aspergillosis And Mucormycosis Infections, Monica A. Donnelley, Elizabeth S. Zhu, George R. Thompson Iii

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

We have a limited arsenal with which to treat invasive fungal infections caused by Aspergillus and Mucorales. The morbidity and mortality for both pathogens remains high. A triazole antifungal, isavuconazole, was recently granted approval by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis. A randomized double-blind comparison trial for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis found isavuconazole noninferior to voriconazole. A separate, open-label study evaluating the efficacy of isavuconazole in the treatment of mucormycosis found comparable response rates to amphotericin B and posaconazole treated historical controls. The prodrug isavuconazonium sulfate …

Absolute Pitch And Tone Identification, Gilead Bar-Elli

Contemporary Aesthetics (Journal Archive)

Absolute pitch (AP), besides the psychological and neurological interests it has, raises some conceptual difficulties that can teach us about the richness of our notion of musical tone and various aspects of its identification. It is argued that when AP is conceived under a slim notion of identifying the pitch of a crude sound, it is hardly meaningful and has no significance in music comprehension. The rich notion, which is the meaningful and important one, involves knowing the position of a tone in a tone-space and its relations. This is presented as experiential: hearing and identifying tones under concepts and …

The Importance Of The Artist's Intent, Daniel Conrad

Contemporary Aesthetics (Journal Archive)

Does considering artists' aesthetic intentions enrich our experience of art and enhance art’s aggregate value for human culture? By examining non-aesthetic intent, working motivations, biographical/historical context, and cases in which an announced intent drives aesthetic transformation, I argue that, while its specific value varies from case to case, aesthetic intent is a key part of our cumulative experience of art, correlates with specific neuroanatomical loci, and raises interesting and compelling questions specific to this age of automatized thinking.

Theoretical Estimates Of Spherical And Chromatic Aberration In Photoemission Electron Microscopy, Joseph P. S. Fitzgerald, Robert Campbell Word, Rolf Kӧnenkamp

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We present theoretical estimates of the mean coefficients of spherical and chromatic aberration for low energy photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM). Using simple analytic models, we find that the aberration coefficients depend primarily on the difference between the photon energy and the photoemission threshold, as expected. However, the shape of the photoelectron spectral distribution impacts the coefficients by up to 30%. These estimates should allow more precise correction of aberration in PEEM in experimental situations where the aberration coefficients and precise electron energy distribution cannot be readily measured.

Atmospheric Methane Isotopic Record Favors Fossil Sources Flat In 1980s And 1990s With Recent Increase, Andrew L. Rice, Christopher Butenhoff, Doaa Galal Mohammed Teama, Florian H. Roger, M. A. K. Khalil, R. A. Rasmussen

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Observations of atmospheric methane (CH4) since the late 1970s and measurements of CH4 trapped in ice and snow reveal a meteoric rise in concentration during much of the twentieth century. Since 1750, levels of atmospheric CH4 have more than doubled to current globally averaged concentration near 1,800 ppb. During the late 1980s and 1990s, the CH4 growth rate slowed substantially and was near or at zero between 1999 and 2006. There is no scientific consensus on the drivers of this slowdown. Here, we report measurements of the stable isotopic composition of atmospheric CH4 (13C/12C and D/H) from a rare air …

Regional Federal Administration, Dave Owen

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Incorporation Of Subsurface Drainage And Subirrigation Into The Checkbook Method, Kelsey Aaron Kolars

Agribusiness and Biosystems Engineering

The highly variable climate of the Red River Valley of the North brings both flood and drought conditions, leading to an interest in subsurface water management systems (WMS). These subsurface WMS can drain excess water from the soil profile through subsurface drainage (SSD), manage water tables through controlled drainage (CD), and add additional water through subirrigation (SI). The subsurface WMS used in this study included a 21 ha CD, 17 ha CD + SI, and 16 ha undrained (control) field over a clay loam and silty clay loam soil planted with corn (2013) and soybean (2014). Both SSD and contributions …

Use Of Digital Imagery To Evaluate The Relationship Between Ndvi And Crop Production Field Data At Stutsman County, North Dakota, Rohit Pathak

Agribusiness and Biosystems Engineering

Remote sensing techniques using near infrared band and experimental field data has been already applied on experimental field conditions. However, actual field conditions can be different than experimental plots. This study aimed to test different regression model for precise mid-season corn yield prediction potential using digital imagery from Rapid Eye and actual field data and also to compare effective corn yield prediction potential of red and red edge band. In the research the concept of different management zones and effect of yield prediction potential was achieved through soil series data. Exponential and quadratic model was considerably better as compared to …

Adjustment To College In The United States: Perceptions Of Qatari Students, Janet S. Walker, Jennifer E. Blakeslee, Batoul Khalifa, Ramzi Nasser, Atmane Ikhlef

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This qualitative study is part of a collaborative research effort undertaken by investigators based in the United States and Qatar to better understand Qatari student perspectives on their post-secondary adjustment and success. Here, we report findings from structured interviews with Qatari nationals studying abroad in the US, all of whom were males who were, or had recently been, undergraduates at state universities and/or community colleges in Oregon (n=21). Approximately two-thirds were in business or economics programs and about a third in STEM programs (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics). Most of the interviews were conducted in Arabic and translated into English …

Autism, Tara Crapnell, Lynette Lau, Christopher D. Hanks, Christina Nicolaidis, Alice Kuo

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex, lifelong neurodevelopmental condition that is marked by deficits in social communication and interaction, and repetitive or restrictive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. These symptoms can create challenges for individuals on the autism spectrum and their parents during the transition to adulthood, which may interfere with their ability to access and receive adequate and appropriate health care. Awareness of how the challenges associated with ASD may translate to healthcare barriers can help primary care providers address the complex needs of individuals who are on the autism spectrum and mitigate the risks of additional …

Pdxscholar Annual Report 2015, Karen Bjork, Sherry Buchanan, David Coate, Bertrand Robinson, Stacey Schlatter

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

This report details the fifth year of operation for PDXScholar, Portland State University's institutional repository. The report covers the period between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015.

Are Asian Americans Now White?, Frank H. Wu

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The State Of The Portland Msa Housing Market, Portland State University. Northwest Economic Research Center

Northwest Economic Research Center Publications and Reports

On its surface, the rapid increase of home prices in the Portland Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) resembles the overheated moments before the housing bubble burst in 2007. OnPoint Community Credit Union, concerned that history may already be repeating itself, asked the Northwest Economic Research Center (NERC) to investigate speculation within the Portland housing market, provide a forecast of home prices, and summarize potential market headwinds and tailwinds.

To accomplish this, NERC estimates the change in local home prices due to ‘fundamental’ drivers. Using population and income to estimate a fundamental home price index (HPI), this analysis compares the fundamental HPI …

Mangrove Enhancement As A Climate Change Adaptation Strategy In The Republic Of The Marshall Islands (Rmi): Potential Ecosystem Service Shifts Following Colonization, Andrew S. Harwood

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

The ability of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Pacific Island communities to adapt to the increasing sea-levels, storm surge, saltwater intrusion, and other threats posed by global climate change is critical to the survival of many of these local communities as well as their cultures (LivingIslands.org). One of the world’s most striking examples of a nation at great risk is the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) in the central Pacific Ocean. Due to a combination of factors, including the country’s extremely low elevation above sea-level (an average of 2 meters) and lack of adequate structures to provide safety …

Assessment Of Tmdl Implementation And Water Quality Status And Trends In Amazon Creek And Coyote Creek Watersheds, Stosh Zydek

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

In this project, I analyzed the status and trends of water quality data describing fecal bacteria (E. coli) and DO in the Amazon and Coyote Creek watersheds of the Southern Willamette Valley, Oregon. I also examined TMDL implementation plans produced by DMAs, determined if and how implementation activities corresponded to changes in water quality, compared management and planning of DMAs in the watersheds, discussed aspects of the current TMDL, and compared state regulations and standards in other states. I concluded by making management recommendations to better facilitate future status and trend analysis.

Amazon Creek, Amazon Diversion Channel, A-3 …

Management Plan For Western Painted Turtle (Chrysemys Picta Belli) At Fairview Creek Headwaters, Ashley Smithers

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Western painted turtles (Chrysemys picta belli) are found occupying Fairview Creek Headwaters (FCH) in Gresham, Oregon. This urban stream contains a large wetland with an adjacent butte, all managed by the City of Gresham. This management plan addresses the preferred habitat and population of turtles at the site. A habitat delineation of the site revealed specific locations where habitat improvements could take place as well as areas of already beneficial habitat. Two site plans were prepared showing areas of the site that could be enhanced with nesting habitat as well as additional aquatic habitat and basking habitat. A habitat study …