Tag: Poster 36

Assessing Relationships between Topography and Species Diversity in Restored and Remnant Wet Prairies

Presenters: Tatiana Piazza, Rachel Lytton, Willis Logsdon and Claire Reed-Dustin

Mentor: Peg Boulay

PM Poster Presentation

Poster 36

Wetland prairies provide numerous ecosystem services and habitat for native plant species. Our research project examines the relationship between microtopographic variation and native species diversity in six restored and remnant wet prairies in the West Eugene Wetlands. We predict that microtopography is influential in determining plant community composition. Along transects within each previously-established macroplot, we used an autolevel to measure soil surface elevation and water depth. We used a 1m x 1m quadrat frame to determine the percent cover of grasses, forbs, and non-forbs. To measure vegetation and litter height, we used the point intercept method. If the data currently being collected and our primary results support our hypothesis, then reestablishing microtopography will be essential in promoting native plant diversity and cover in restored wet prairies.

Evaluating 2D and 3D Methods of Measuring Fluctuating Asymmetry of Primate Skulls

Presenters : Colin Oliveira, Lauren Moore

Mentor : Frances White

Major : Anthropology

Poster 36

Morphological fluctuating asymmetry (FA), particularly cranial FA, can be used as an indicator of past developmental instability or environmental stress. Primate FA has been measured using a variety of two and three dimensional methods either directly from speci- mens or from images. We compared the effectiveness of three methods of calculating FA: Microscribe readings of three dimensional landmarks on the specimen, two dimensional landmarks measured from photographic superimposition using tpsDig, and linear distances using digital calipers on the specimen. Three observers used each of the three methods on two Macaca fuscata skulls, one that appeared asymmetrical and one that appeared symmetrical, using 5 midline points and 7 bilateral points for 5 replicates. Measure- ments taken by each method were compared between the two specimens. Measurement in 3D space via Microscribe exhibited no sig- nificant interaction term, no significant difference between observers (F=1.22, df 2,24, p=0.3119), and significant difference between specimens (F=5.56, df 1,24, p<0.05). Measurement of 2D distances from photographs via tpsDIG exhibited no significant interaction term, significant difference between observers (F=9.78, df 2,24, p<0.001), and significant difference between specimens (F=10.80, df 1,24, p<0.01). Measurement of linear distances via digital calipers exhibited no significant interaction term, no significant difference between observers, and no significant difference between specimens.

Fabrication of Diffraction Gratings Using Electron Beam Lithography

Presenter: Carly Wright

Mentor: Ben McMorran

Poster: 36

Major: Physics/Math 

Studying electron diffraction using transmission electron microscopy allows us to better understand many different phenomena in physics, particularly conservation of forces and wave-particle duality. To be able to make these observations, we require diffraction gratings on the nanoscale. This can be done with a variety of techniques, but our particular focus is electron beam lithography. EBL is a dynamic method for fabrication and can be used from the micro-scale down to the nanoscale, but for our particular purposes and scale it is somewhat difficult to achieve nicely resolved lines. This technique involves coating a sample with a photosensitive resist that breaks down at the molecular level from the bombardment of electrons and then developing the resist to create physical features. Using this process, we were able to create straight and forked gratings ranging from 100nm pitch to 50nm pitch that can be used to study the behavior of electrons inside of a transmission electron microscope. With some revisions to our technique, we hope to decrease this pitch down to 20nm while maintaining efficiency, which will provide clearer diffraction data.

Venting About Ventilation

Presenter: Kelli Kimura

Co-presenters: Yang Lv, Hanzhao Huang

Mentors: Thomas Collins and Alison Kwok, Architecture

Poster: 36

Major: Architecture

The focus of this study was to better understand the effectiveness of natural ventilation in dormitories. We questioned if natural ventilation through two dorm room windows provided adequate ventilation. Mechanical ventilation systems and the combination of different “leak factors” that were potentially bringing in and taking out air were sealed since the focus was solely on the performance of natural ventilation. We predicted that the windows of a dorm room would be sufficient in naturally ventilating a room to exceed ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2013, which would mean achieving a ventilation rate greater than 5 cfm/person. CO2 was used as a proxy for ventilation rate per person. Indoor and outdoor CO2 levels were measured so that a CO2 differential could be found. Comparing the CO2 differential to a corresponding ventilation rate per person value allowed us to see if the standard was met. Another part of the study involved mapping bubbles to understand a dorm room’s air movement. Unexpectedly, it was found that not only does naturally ventilating a room greatly exceed the standard, but the standard was also met when no windows were open and all known mechanical systems and air leak factors were blocked. The unpleasant environment in rooms when the latter condition was tested certainly did not meet our subjective comfort standards, which led to questions about whether the ASHRAE 62.1-2013 standard needs reevaluation.

Women and Femininities in Relation to Sports

Presenter: Megan Schucht

Co-Presenters: Megan Davis, Amy Lee

Faculty Mentor: Julie Heffernan

Presentation Type: Poster 36

Primary Research Area: Humanities

Major: Educational Foundations

In what ways has gender roles and stereotypes affected women’s relationship to sports?
There is a need to improve the quality of women’s athletic experience. With Title IX, there has been an increase in sport participation but a significant decrease in women coaching the sport. However, female athletes are rarely included in the media and are often sexually objectified when they do receive media attention. Female athletes who are able to display the balance of masculinity and femininity receive the most attention and positive outputs by the media whereas those who are not able to show that balance are not shown or interviewed by the media. In order to be a successful female athlete, one must be able to provide that impossible balance of femininity and amazing skill. Our society has created an invisible line between what is too feminine and what is too masculine. This balance between masculine and feminine traits is known as the feminine apologetic where masculine power roles must be counter balanced with feminine qualities. This project has helped us gain an in depth understanding of the women’s role in sports and how it has made a significant impact today and will continue to make a change in the future.

The Effect of Large Circumstellar Disks on the Formation of Short Orbital Period Binary Star Systems

Presenter(s): Carl Ranney − Physics

Faculty Mentor(s): James Imamura

Poster 36

Research Area: Physical Science

The purpose of this research is to determine the validity of the fission model of short orbital period binary star formation. The fission model describes the process in which a protostar with large angular velocities splits into two bodies in orbit around a common center of mass. The fission model is one of the three major models currently under investigation by the wider astrophysical community as possible sources for the formation of short orbital period binary star systems. While fission has not received much attention in the last two decades due to results found in large scale numerical simulations, the advances in computational power now available allow much more complex simulations that show promise in solving this problem. Rather than looking at single stars, we are simulating the evolution of a rotating protostar with a large circumstellar disk that is approaching a reverse Roche limit, where the mass of the disk starts to pull the protostar apart. By including this large disk in our calculations, we find that the prospects for fission is greatly enhanced. We are using the computer code Chymera in Aciss and Talapas, the University of Oregon high-performance computing clusters in our study to simulate the fluid dynamics of this system. Chymera includes many nonlinear instabilities which were not widely known or where undiscovered during the period when the last major simulations of the fission model were attempted. With the combination of these two factors, our research has provided valuable insight into previously unexplored aspects of the complex system.

Spotting Young Stars in the Age of Precision Distance Measurements

Presenter(s): Jordyn Mascarenas-Wells

Faculty Mentor(s): Aaron Rizutto

Poster 36

Session: Sciences

Studying populations of young stars is essential to humanity’s understanding of planet formation and thereby the existence and development of life in our universe. Such pre-main-sequence stars have previously been very difficult to identify due to the lack of precision on distance measurements available with current technology. The Gaia Space Telescope has revolutionized our ability to assign position and distance values to targets, offering sub-milliarcsecond parallax uncertainties. This allows for unprecedented exactness in absolute magnitude calculations and accurate placement of objects onto Hertzsprung-Russell Diagrams. Based on plot location and isochrone modeling, age and mass predictions for each object can be determined. This research aimed to use Bayesian Statistics to assign probability values to these predictions. Targets were confined to the Taurus-Auriga Star Forming Region, the nearest and most well-studied region of low mass star formation, to ensure the model worked as expected. A synthetic population was constructed, incorporating an initial mass function, binary probability and model photometry from PARSEC isochrones. The theoretical data set was then compared to each Taurus star, producing subsequent age and mass probability distributions. The model produced results as expected up until the range of one solar magnitude. Moving forward, a third dimension of metallicity will be built into the model. The mass range for the synthetic population will be increased and infrared photometry will be included. The model will be applied to other important data sets and a blind search for new groups of young stars in the full Gaia dataset will be performed.