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• 1. [Article] The Objective vs. the Perceived Environment: What Matters for Active Travel

  This study aims to explore the relationship between the objective (actual) environment and people's perceptions of the environment, and their relative effects on active travel behavior, particularly bicycling ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Objective vs. the Perceived Environment: What Matters for Active Travel Author: Ma, Liang Year: 2014 This study aims to explore the relationship between the objective (actual) environment and people's perceptions of the environment, and their relative effects on active travel behavior, particularly bicycling behavior. This is an important research gap in the current literature linking the built environment and active travel. Better understanding this relationship will help to explore the mechanism underlying the built environment- behavior relationship and identify potential interventions to promote active travel. Relying on the data from Portland, OR, this study investigated the following four research questions: (1) How does the objectively measured environment correspond to the perceived environment? And what factors contribute to the mismatch between the objective and perceived environment? (2) What are the different effects of the perceived and objective environment on active travel behavior? (3) Do perceptions mediate the effects of the objective environment on active travel behavior? (4) Do changes in the built environment change perceptions, and in turn change travel behavior? Through various statistical methods, this study found that there was a mismatch between perceptions and objectively measured environment, and such factors as socio-demographics, attitudes, social environment, and behavior could contribute to this mismatch. This study also found the perceived environment and objective environment had independent effects on bicycling. Further, this study found the objectively measured bicycling environment had only an indirect effect on bicycling behavior through influencing one's perceptions of the environment. Finally, this study found changes in the actual built environment may change the perceptions of the walking environment, but not the perceptions of the bicycling environment, at least in the short term. Title: The Objective vs. the Perceived Environment: What Matters for Active Travel Author: Ma, Liang Year: 2014 This study aims to explore the relationship between the objective (actual) environment and people's perceptions of the environment, and their relative effects on active travel behavior, particularly bicycling behavior. This is an important research gap in the current literature linking the built environment and active travel. Better understanding this relationship will help to explore the mechanism underlying the built environment- behavior relationship and identify potential interventions to promote active travel. Relying on the data from Portland, OR, this study investigated the following four research questions: (1) How does the objectively measured environment correspond to the perceived environment? And what factors contribute to the mismatch between the objective and perceived environment? (2) What are the different effects of the perceived and objective environment on active travel behavior? (3) Do perceptions mediate the effects of the objective environment on active travel behavior? (4) Do changes in the built environment change perceptions, and in turn change travel behavior? Through various statistical methods, this study found that there was a mismatch between perceptions and objectively measured environment, and such factors as socio-demographics, attitudes, social environment, and behavior could contribute to this mismatch. This study also found the perceived environment and objective environment had independent effects on bicycling. Further, this study found the objectively measured bicycling environment had only an indirect effect on bicycling behavior through influencing one's perceptions of the environment. Finally, this study found changes in the actual built environment may change the perceptions of the walking environment, but not the perceptions of the bicycling environment, at least in the short term. Close

• 2. [Article] Energy Efficiency and Conservation Attitudes: An Exploration of a Landscape of Choices

  This study explored energy-related attitudes and energy-saving behaviors that are no- or low-cost and relatively simple to perform. This study relied on two data sources: a longitudinal but cross-sectional ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Energy Efficiency and Conservation Attitudes: An Exploration of a Landscape of Choices Author: McClaren, Mersiha Spahic Year: 2015 This study explored energy-related attitudes and energy-saving behaviors that are no- or low-cost and relatively simple to perform. This study relied on two data sources: a longitudinal but cross-sectional survey of 4,102 U.S. residents (five biennial waves of this survey were conducted from 2002 to 2010) and a 2010 cross-sectional survey of 2,000 California residents. These two surveys contained data on two no- and low-cost behaviors: changing thermostat setting to save energy (no-cost behavior) and CFL installation behavior (low-cost behavior). In terms of attitudes, two attitudinal measures emerged from these data following a Cronbach's alpha and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA): the pro-environmental attitude and concern for the energy use in the U.S. society. These two attitudes, along with other socio-demographic and external factors (home ownership, weather, price of energy, etc.), were examined to assess whether attitude-behavior relationships persisted over time, were more prominent across certain groups, or were constrained by income or other socio-demographic factors. Three theoretical viewpoints of how attitudes may relate to behavior guided the analysis on how attitudes and contextual factors may inter-relate either directly or through a moderator variable to affect thermostat-setting and CFL installation behavior. Results from these analyses revealed four important patterns. First, a relationship between the pro-environmental attitude and the two behaviors (thermostat-setting and CFL installation behavior) was weak but persistent across time. Second, financial factors such as income moderated the pro-environmental attitude and CFL installation relationship, indicating that the pro-environmental attitude could influence the behavior in those situations where financial resources are sufficient to comfortably allow the consumer to participate. Third, this study documented that most people reported changing thermostat settings to save energy or having one or more CFLs in their homes. This finding suggests that organizations, policy makers, or energy efficiency program administrators may want to assess whether they should pursue these two behaviors further, since they appear to be very common in the U.S. population. Last, this study showed that thermostat-setting and CFL installation behavior have multi-factorial influences; many factors in addition to attitudes were significantly associated with these behaviors, and all these factors together explained no more than 16% of behavioral variance. This suggested that if energy-saving behaviors are a function of many different variables, of which none appear to be the "silver bullet" in explaining the behaviors (as noted in this study), then policy analysis should explore a broader number of causal pathways and entertain a wider range of interventions to influence consumers to save energy. Title: Energy Efficiency and Conservation Attitudes: An Exploration of a Landscape of Choices Author: McClaren, Mersiha Spahic Year: 2015 This study explored energy-related attitudes and energy-saving behaviors that are no- or low-cost and relatively simple to perform. This study relied on two data sources: a longitudinal but cross-sectional survey of 4,102 U.S. residents (five biennial waves of this survey were conducted from 2002 to 2010) and a 2010 cross-sectional survey of 2,000 California residents. These two surveys contained data on two no- and low-cost behaviors: changing thermostat setting to save energy (no-cost behavior) and CFL installation behavior (low-cost behavior). In terms of attitudes, two attitudinal measures emerged from these data following a Cronbach's alpha and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA): the pro-environmental attitude and concern for the energy use in the U.S. society. These two attitudes, along with other socio-demographic and external factors (home ownership, weather, price of energy, etc.), were examined to assess whether attitude-behavior relationships persisted over time, were more prominent across certain groups, or were constrained by income or other socio-demographic factors. Three theoretical viewpoints of how attitudes may relate to behavior guided the analysis on how attitudes and contextual factors may inter-relate either directly or through a moderator variable to affect thermostat-setting and CFL installation behavior. Results from these analyses revealed four important patterns. First, a relationship between the pro-environmental attitude and the two behaviors (thermostat-setting and CFL installation behavior) was weak but persistent across time. Second, financial factors such as income moderated the pro-environmental attitude and CFL installation relationship, indicating that the pro-environmental attitude could influence the behavior in those situations where financial resources are sufficient to comfortably allow the consumer to participate. Third, this study documented that most people reported changing thermostat settings to save energy or having one or more CFLs in their homes. This finding suggests that organizations, policy makers, or energy efficiency program administrators may want to assess whether they should pursue these two behaviors further, since they appear to be very common in the U.S. population. Last, this study showed that thermostat-setting and CFL installation behavior have multi-factorial influences; many factors in addition to attitudes were significantly associated with these behaviors, and all these factors together explained no more than 16% of behavioral variance. This suggested that if energy-saving behaviors are a function of many different variables, of which none appear to be the "silver bullet" in explaining the behaviors (as noted in this study), then policy analysis should explore a broader number of causal pathways and entertain a wider range of interventions to influence consumers to save energy. Close

• 3. [Article] Challenges, Experiences, and Future Directions of Senior Centers Serving the Portland Metropolitan Area

  A growing body of research emphasizes the development of an understanding of the relationship between older adults and their physical and social environments (Wahl & Weisman, 2003). Researchers, planners, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Challenges, Experiences, and Future Directions of Senior Centers Serving the Portland Metropolitan Area Author: Cannon, Melissa Lynn Year: 2015 A growing body of research emphasizes the development of an understanding of the relationship between older adults and their physical and social environments (Wahl & Weisman, 2003). Researchers, planners, policymakers, and community residents have been increasingly interested in shaping urban environments as places that foster active aging and independence among older adults. Senior centers have served a critical role in their communities as focal points for older adults, as individuals or in groups, to participate in services and activities that support their independence and encourage their involvement in and with the community (NCOA, 1979). The aging of the population and influx of baby boomers into the older demographic, along with declines in participation rates and funding, are challenging senior center staff to be innovative and adaptive in order to demonstrate senior centers’ relevance to future older adults while maintaining the programming and services for their current participants. This research is a multiple-case study of five unique senior centers located throughout the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon. Different types and models of senior centers are represented by the selected cases, as they operate under different governance structures and vary in aspects such as administration, funding, participant characteristics, community partnerships, transportation options, physical environments, and range of services and programs offered. This study aims to better understand challenges, strengths, and future directions for different types of senior centers serving a metropolitan area. Data collection at each site included interviews with staff as well as focus groups with senior center participants. Interviews with key informants enriched the findings and provided outside perspectives of senior center experiences. Data analysis revealed challenges and strengths that were common across and unique to the different senior centers in this study. This research contributes to the literature in urban studies, community development, and gerontology by exploring potential opportunities for urban senior centers to adapt and continue to serve older adults. Recommendations were developed for how senior centers might capitalize on these opportunities and for how their communities might provide mechanisms of support to facilitate the continuation and contributions of senior centers in metropolitan areas. Title: Challenges, Experiences, and Future Directions of Senior Centers Serving the Portland Metropolitan Area Author: Cannon, Melissa Lynn Year: 2015 A growing body of research emphasizes the development of an understanding of the relationship between older adults and their physical and social environments (Wahl & Weisman, 2003). Researchers, planners, policymakers, and community residents have been increasingly interested in shaping urban environments as places that foster active aging and independence among older adults. Senior centers have served a critical role in their communities as focal points for older adults, as individuals or in groups, to participate in services and activities that support their independence and encourage their involvement in and with the community (NCOA, 1979). The aging of the population and influx of baby boomers into the older demographic, along with declines in participation rates and funding, are challenging senior center staff to be innovative and adaptive in order to demonstrate senior centers’ relevance to future older adults while maintaining the programming and services for their current participants. This research is a multiple-case study of five unique senior centers located throughout the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon. Different types and models of senior centers are represented by the selected cases, as they operate under different governance structures and vary in aspects such as administration, funding, participant characteristics, community partnerships, transportation options, physical environments, and range of services and programs offered. This study aims to better understand challenges, strengths, and future directions for different types of senior centers serving a metropolitan area. Data collection at each site included interviews with staff as well as focus groups with senior center participants. Interviews with key informants enriched the findings and provided outside perspectives of senior center experiences. Data analysis revealed challenges and strengths that were common across and unique to the different senior centers in this study. This research contributes to the literature in urban studies, community development, and gerontology by exploring potential opportunities for urban senior centers to adapt and continue to serve older adults. Recommendations were developed for how senior centers might capitalize on these opportunities and for how their communities might provide mechanisms of support to facilitate the continuation and contributions of senior centers in metropolitan areas. Close

• 4. [Article] The Impact of School-Level Factors on Minority Students' Performance in AP Calculus

  In recent years, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Technology (STEM) talent pool has re-emerged as a national priority. Certain racial and ethnic groups are dramatically underrepresented in STEM careers ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Impact of School-Level Factors on Minority Students' Performance in AP Calculus Author: Pearson, Phillip Bruce Year: 2014 In recent years, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Technology (STEM) talent pool has re-emerged as a national priority. Certain racial and ethnic groups are dramatically underrepresented in STEM careers and STEM educational programs, an especially serious concern given demographic transitions underway in the United States. The College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus program provides one way in which students can gain exposure to college-level mathematics while still in high school. This study analyzed factors that contribute to the success of minority students in AP Calculus using a large, longitudinal (2007-2012), geographically distributed dataset which included important school-level variables and AP scores for 10 urban school districts. Descriptive statistics show that AP success in general and minority success in AP Calculus specifically are unevenly distributed across the dataset. A very small number of schools and school districts account for the majority of the production of passing scores on AP exams. Results from multi- variate regression and multi-level growth modeling demonstrate that school size and academic emphasis on a school level constitute important predictors of success for Black and Hispanic students in AP Calculus. The very narrow distribution of AP success across schools and school districts suggests that a specific set of school-level policies and practices are likely to be highly effective in leveraging these two predictors. Title: The Impact of School-Level Factors on Minority Students' Performance in AP Calculus Author: Pearson, Phillip Bruce Year: 2014 In recent years, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Technology (STEM) talent pool has re-emerged as a national priority. Certain racial and ethnic groups are dramatically underrepresented in STEM careers and STEM educational programs, an especially serious concern given demographic transitions underway in the United States. The College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus program provides one way in which students can gain exposure to college-level mathematics while still in high school. This study analyzed factors that contribute to the success of minority students in AP Calculus using a large, longitudinal (2007-2012), geographically distributed dataset which included important school-level variables and AP scores for 10 urban school districts. Descriptive statistics show that AP success in general and minority success in AP Calculus specifically are unevenly distributed across the dataset. A very small number of schools and school districts account for the majority of the production of passing scores on AP exams. Results from multi- variate regression and multi-level growth modeling demonstrate that school size and academic emphasis on a school level constitute important predictors of success for Black and Hispanic students in AP Calculus. The very narrow distribution of AP success across schools and school districts suggests that a specific set of school-level policies and practices are likely to be highly effective in leveraging these two predictors. Close

• 5. [Article] Network Structure, Network Flows and the Phenomenon of Influence in Online Social Networks: An Exploratory Empirical Study of Twitter Conversations about YouTube Product Categories

  Traditional marketing models are swiftly being upended by the advent of online social networks. Yet, practicing firms that are engaging with online social networks neither have a reliable theory nor sufficient ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Network Structure, Network Flows and the Phenomenon of Influence in Online Social Networks: An Exploratory Empirical Study of Twitter Conversations about YouTube Product Categories Author: Mayande, Nitin Venkat Year: 2015 Traditional marketing models are swiftly being upended by the advent of online social networks. Yet, practicing firms that are engaging with online social networks neither have a reliable theory nor sufficient practical experience to make sense of the phenomenon. Extant theory in particular is based on observations of the real world, and may thus not apply to online social networks. Practicing firms may consequently be misallocating a large amount of resources, simply because they do not know how the online social networks with which they interact are organized. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate how online social networks that are in stark contrast to real-world social networks behave and how they get organized. In particular, I explore how network structure and information flow within the network impact each other, and how they affect the phenomenon of influence in online social networks. I have collected retrospective data from Twitter conversations about six YouTube product categories (Music, Entertainment, Comedy, Science, Howto and Sports) in continuous time for a period of three months. Measures of network structure (Scale Free Metric, Assortativity and Small World Metric), network flows (Total Paths, Total Shortest Paths, Graph Diameter, Average Path Length, and Average Geodesic Length) and influence (Eigenvector Centrality/Centralization) were computed from the data. Experimental measures such as power law distributions of paths, shortest paths and nodal eigenvector centrality were introduced to account for node-level structure. Factor analysis and regression analysis were used to analyze the data and generate results. The research conducted in this dissertation has yielded three significant findings. 1. Network structure impacts network information flow, and conversely; network flow and network structure impact the network phenomenon of influence. However, the impact of network structure and network flow on influence could not be identified in all instances, suggesting that it cannot be taken for granted. 2. The nature of influence within a social network cannot be understood just by analyzing undirected or directed networks. The behavioral traits of individuals within the network can be deduced by analyzing how information is propagated throughout the network and how it is consumed. 3. An increase or decrease in the scale of a network leads to the observation of different organizational processes, which are most likely driven by very different social phenomena. Social theories that were developed from observing real-world networks of a relatively small scale (hundreds or thousands of people) consequently do not necessarily apply to online social networks, which can exhibit significantly larger scale (tens of thousands or millions of people). The primary contribution of this dissertation is an enhanced understanding of how online social networks, which exhibit contrasting characteristics to social networks that have been observed in the real world, behave and how they get organized. The empirical findings of this dissertation may allow practicing managers that engage with online social networks to allocate resources more effectively, especially in marketing. The primary limitations of this research are the inability to identify the causes of change within networks, glean demographic information and generalize across contexts. These limitations can all be overcome by follow-on studies of networks that operate in different contexts. In particular, further study of a variety of online social networks that operate on different social networking platforms would determine the extent to which the findings of this dissertation are generalizable to other online social networks. Conclusions drawn from an aggregation of these studies could serve as the foundation of a more broadly-based theory of online social networks. Title: Network Structure, Network Flows and the Phenomenon of Influence in Online Social Networks: An Exploratory Empirical Study of Twitter Conversations about YouTube Product Categories Author: Mayande, Nitin Venkat Year: 2015 Traditional marketing models are swiftly being upended by the advent of online social networks. Yet, practicing firms that are engaging with online social networks neither have a reliable theory nor sufficient practical experience to make sense of the phenomenon. Extant theory in particular is based on observations of the real world, and may thus not apply to online social networks. Practicing firms may consequently be misallocating a large amount of resources, simply because they do not know how the online social networks with which they interact are organized. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate how online social networks that are in stark contrast to real-world social networks behave and how they get organized. In particular, I explore how network structure and information flow within the network impact each other, and how they affect the phenomenon of influence in online social networks. I have collected retrospective data from Twitter conversations about six YouTube product categories (Music, Entertainment, Comedy, Science, Howto and Sports) in continuous time for a period of three months. Measures of network structure (Scale Free Metric, Assortativity and Small World Metric), network flows (Total Paths, Total Shortest Paths, Graph Diameter, Average Path Length, and Average Geodesic Length) and influence (Eigenvector Centrality/Centralization) were computed from the data. Experimental measures such as power law distributions of paths, shortest paths and nodal eigenvector centrality were introduced to account for node-level structure. Factor analysis and regression analysis were used to analyze the data and generate results. The research conducted in this dissertation has yielded three significant findings. 1. Network structure impacts network information flow, and conversely; network flow and network structure impact the network phenomenon of influence. However, the impact of network structure and network flow on influence could not be identified in all instances, suggesting that it cannot be taken for granted. 2. The nature of influence within a social network cannot be understood just by analyzing undirected or directed networks. The behavioral traits of individuals within the network can be deduced by analyzing how information is propagated throughout the network and how it is consumed. 3. An increase or decrease in the scale of a network leads to the observation of different organizational processes, which are most likely driven by very different social phenomena. Social theories that were developed from observing real-world networks of a relatively small scale (hundreds or thousands of people) consequently do not necessarily apply to online social networks, which can exhibit significantly larger scale (tens of thousands or millions of people). The primary contribution of this dissertation is an enhanced understanding of how online social networks, which exhibit contrasting characteristics to social networks that have been observed in the real world, behave and how they get organized. The empirical findings of this dissertation may allow practicing managers that engage with online social networks to allocate resources more effectively, especially in marketing. The primary limitations of this research are the inability to identify the causes of change within networks, glean demographic information and generalize across contexts. These limitations can all be overcome by follow-on studies of networks that operate in different contexts. In particular, further study of a variety of online social networks that operate on different social networking platforms would determine the extent to which the findings of this dissertation are generalizable to other online social networks. Conclusions drawn from an aggregation of these studies could serve as the foundation of a more broadly-based theory of online social networks. Close

• 6. [Article] Exploring Pedestrian Responsive Traffic Signal Timing Strategies in Urban Areas

  The role of walking in the development of healthy, livable communities is being increasingly recognized. In urban areas, intersections represent locations where different modes converge, and are often ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Exploring Pedestrian Responsive Traffic Signal Timing Strategies in Urban Areas Author: Kothuri, Sirisha Murthy Year: 2014 The role of walking in the development of healthy, livable communities is being increasingly recognized. In urban areas, intersections represent locations where different modes converge, and are often viewed as deterrents to walking. This is due to the unwarranted and often unnecessary delays imposed by signal timing policies for pedestrians and increased potential for conflicts. Traditional signal timing design prioritizes vehicles over pedestrians leading to undesirable consequences such as large delays and risky pedestrian behaviors. Pedestrians are accommodated in a manner that is designed to cause least interruption to the flow of motor vehicles. This lack of pedestrian accommodation at signalized intersections is the focus of this dissertation. Understanding pedestrian attitudes and perceptions is important because it offers insights into actual crossing behavior at signalized intersections. An intercept survey of 367 crossing pedestrians was undertaken at four signalized intersections in Portland, Oregon, and binary logistic regression models were constructed to quantify the impacts of demographics, trip characteristics and type of infrastructure on pedestrian perceptions and attitudes regarding delay, crossing time and motivators for crossing decisions. Safety was found to have a larger effect than compliance on the decision to cross the street. Pedestrians at recall intersections expressed higher satisfaction with delay than at actuated intersections. Novel methods to measure pedestrian delay using 2070 signal controllers and Voyage software were developed. These methods have been adopted by the City of Portland to record actuation trends and delays at various intersections. In the absence of demand data, pedestrian push button actuations can be considered as a proxy for crossing demand. The micro-simulation software VISSIM was used to analyze delays resulting from varying pedestrian and vehicle volumes on a network of three intersections in Portland, Oregon. From a pedestrian perspective, free operation was found to be always beneficial due to lower pedestrian delays. However, from a system wide perspective, free operation was found to be beneficial only under low-medium traffic conditions from an overall delay reduction viewpoint, while coordinated operation showed benefits under heavy traffic conditions, irrespective of the volume of pedestrians. Control strategies were developed to identify the best mode of signal controller operation that produced the lowest overall average delay per user. A procedure to identify the optimal control strategy based on user inputs (major street volume to capacity ratios and rate of pedestrian phase serviced for the minor street) was developed. The procedure was applied to a network of three intersections in east Portland, OR and the findings were verified. This research offers significant contributions in the field of pedestrian research. The findings related to attitudes and perceptions of crossing pedestrians offer greater insights into pedestrian crossing behavior and add to the body of existing literature. The methods developed to obtain pedestrian actuations and delay data from signal controllers represent an easy and cost-effective way to characterize pedestrian service at intersections. The results pertaining to signal timing strategies represent an important step towards incorporating pedestrian needs at intersections and demonstrate how control strategies employed to benefit pedestrians could benefit the entire system. Title: Exploring Pedestrian Responsive Traffic Signal Timing Strategies in Urban Areas Author: Kothuri, Sirisha Murthy Year: 2014 The role of walking in the development of healthy, livable communities is being increasingly recognized. In urban areas, intersections represent locations where different modes converge, and are often viewed as deterrents to walking. This is due to the unwarranted and often unnecessary delays imposed by signal timing policies for pedestrians and increased potential for conflicts. Traditional signal timing design prioritizes vehicles over pedestrians leading to undesirable consequences such as large delays and risky pedestrian behaviors. Pedestrians are accommodated in a manner that is designed to cause least interruption to the flow of motor vehicles. This lack of pedestrian accommodation at signalized intersections is the focus of this dissertation. Understanding pedestrian attitudes and perceptions is important because it offers insights into actual crossing behavior at signalized intersections. An intercept survey of 367 crossing pedestrians was undertaken at four signalized intersections in Portland, Oregon, and binary logistic regression models were constructed to quantify the impacts of demographics, trip characteristics and type of infrastructure on pedestrian perceptions and attitudes regarding delay, crossing time and motivators for crossing decisions. Safety was found to have a larger effect than compliance on the decision to cross the street. Pedestrians at recall intersections expressed higher satisfaction with delay than at actuated intersections. Novel methods to measure pedestrian delay using 2070 signal controllers and Voyage software were developed. These methods have been adopted by the City of Portland to record actuation trends and delays at various intersections. In the absence of demand data, pedestrian push button actuations can be considered as a proxy for crossing demand. The micro-simulation software VISSIM was used to analyze delays resulting from varying pedestrian and vehicle volumes on a network of three intersections in Portland, Oregon. From a pedestrian perspective, free operation was found to be always beneficial due to lower pedestrian delays. However, from a system wide perspective, free operation was found to be beneficial only under low-medium traffic conditions from an overall delay reduction viewpoint, while coordinated operation showed benefits under heavy traffic conditions, irrespective of the volume of pedestrians. Control strategies were developed to identify the best mode of signal controller operation that produced the lowest overall average delay per user. A procedure to identify the optimal control strategy based on user inputs (major street volume to capacity ratios and rate of pedestrian phase serviced for the minor street) was developed. The procedure was applied to a network of three intersections in east Portland, OR and the findings were verified. This research offers significant contributions in the field of pedestrian research. The findings related to attitudes and perceptions of crossing pedestrians offer greater insights into pedestrian crossing behavior and add to the body of existing literature. The methods developed to obtain pedestrian actuations and delay data from signal controllers represent an easy and cost-effective way to characterize pedestrian service at intersections. The results pertaining to signal timing strategies represent an important step towards incorporating pedestrian needs at intersections and demonstrate how control strategies employed to benefit pedestrians could benefit the entire system. Close

• 7. [Article] Equality, Trust and Universalism in Europe, Canada and the United States: Implications for Health Care Policy

  A number of theoretical explanations seek to describe the factors that have led to the position of the United States as the last industrialized Western nation without a universal health care program. Theories ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Equality, Trust and Universalism in Europe, Canada and the United States: Implications for Health Care Policy Author: Palmedo, P. Christopher Year: 2014 A number of theoretical explanations seek to describe the factors that have led to the position of the United States as the last industrialized Western nation without a universal health care program. Theories focus on institutional arrangement, historic precedent, and the influence of the private sector and market forces. This study explores another factor: the role of underlying social values. The research examines differences in values among ten European countries, the United States and Canada, and analyzes the associations between the values that have been seen to contribute the individualism-collectivism dynamic in the United States. The hypothesis that equality and generalized trust are positively associated with universalism is only partially true. Equality is positively associated (B = .301, p < .001), while generalized trust is negatively associated with universalism (B = -.052, p < .001). Not only do Americans show lower levels of support for income equality and universalism than Europeans, but the effect of being American holds even after controlling for socio-demographic and religious variables (B = .044, p < .01). When the model tests the association of equality and trust on universalism in each region, it explains approximately 17 percent of the variance of universalism for the United States, and approximately 13 percent in Europe and Canada. Title: Equality, Trust and Universalism in Europe, Canada and the United States: Implications for Health Care Policy Author: Palmedo, P. Christopher Year: 2014 A number of theoretical explanations seek to describe the factors that have led to the position of the United States as the last industrialized Western nation without a universal health care program. Theories focus on institutional arrangement, historic precedent, and the influence of the private sector and market forces. This study explores another factor: the role of underlying social values. The research examines differences in values among ten European countries, the United States and Canada, and analyzes the associations between the values that have been seen to contribute the individualism-collectivism dynamic in the United States. The hypothesis that equality and generalized trust are positively associated with universalism is only partially true. Equality is positively associated (B = .301, p < .001), while generalized trust is negatively associated with universalism (B = -.052, p < .001). Not only do Americans show lower levels of support for income equality and universalism than Europeans, but the effect of being American holds even after controlling for socio-demographic and religious variables (B = .044, p < .01). When the model tests the association of equality and trust on universalism in each region, it explains approximately 17 percent of the variance of universalism for the United States, and approximately 13 percent in Europe and Canada. Close

• 8. [Article] GI Zoonoses in Companion Pets of the Homeless : the Effects of Environment and Behavior on the Prevalence of GI Parasites, and the Role of Veterinarians in Public Health Education

  Veterinarians are the front-line in the world of pet-health and zoonoses which means they are also at the front-line of human health and have an important role of educating clients on behaviors that would ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: GI Zoonoses in Companion Pets of the Homeless : the Effects of Environment and Behavior on the Prevalence of GI Parasites, and the Role of Veterinarians in Public Health Education Author: Edwards, Matthew Year: 2016 Veterinarians are the front-line in the world of pet-health and zoonoses which means they are also at the front-line of human health and have an important role of educating clients on behaviors that would both reduce the risk of human and pet contracting a disease. In this study we collected 85 stool samples in Portland OR, USA and examined these by centrifugal fecal flotation, direct smears and for a small number (n=15) ELISA snap-tests. Parasitic prevalence was found to be 27.1% total including 2.4% Ancyclostoma Sp., 4.7% Cryptosporidium Sp., 7.1% Cystoisopora Sp., 9.4% Taenia Sp., 2.4% Giardia Sp., and 2.4% Toxocara Sp. This study was carried out within a homeless/low-income population using a charitable clinic (Portland Animal Welfare Team) as the sampling site. A questionnaire was used in tandem with the sampling to survey owner & animal demographics, risk behaviors, owner risk perception and owner education surrounding zoonoses & deworming protocols. Dog park use had a negative correlation with positive results suggesting exposure elsewhere despite dog park environmental contamination. Socialization with dogs, living environment (unstable and transitional), and pet gender (male) all lead to increased disease prevalence. Notably, those who deworm their pet on a symptomatic basis had similar prevalence to those who never deworm, deworming as little as annually quartered the risk to the dog. Also this study found over 20% of asymptomatic patients to be positive, over double the expected (5-10%). Lastly, in the education section the majority of the population surveyed (67.2%) had little knowledge of zoonoses and potential animal to human transmission. Veterinarians had spoken to most clients about deworming frequencies, but not zoonoses a gap which needs to be addressed. Veterinarians have a duty to educate clients on the importance of regular screening and deworming regardless of symptoms due to zoonotic potential of many parasites. Title: GI Zoonoses in Companion Pets of the Homeless : the Effects of Environment and Behavior on the Prevalence of GI Parasites, and the Role of Veterinarians in Public Health Education Author: Edwards, Matthew Year: 2016 Veterinarians are the front-line in the world of pet-health and zoonoses which means they are also at the front-line of human health and have an important role of educating clients on behaviors that would both reduce the risk of human and pet contracting a disease. In this study we collected 85 stool samples in Portland OR, USA and examined these by centrifugal fecal flotation, direct smears and for a small number (n=15) ELISA snap-tests. Parasitic prevalence was found to be 27.1% total including 2.4% Ancyclostoma Sp., 4.7% Cryptosporidium Sp., 7.1% Cystoisopora Sp., 9.4% Taenia Sp., 2.4% Giardia Sp., and 2.4% Toxocara Sp. This study was carried out within a homeless/low-income population using a charitable clinic (Portland Animal Welfare Team) as the sampling site. A questionnaire was used in tandem with the sampling to survey owner & animal demographics, risk behaviors, owner risk perception and owner education surrounding zoonoses & deworming protocols. Dog park use had a negative correlation with positive results suggesting exposure elsewhere despite dog park environmental contamination. Socialization with dogs, living environment (unstable and transitional), and pet gender (male) all lead to increased disease prevalence. Notably, those who deworm their pet on a symptomatic basis had similar prevalence to those who never deworm, deworming as little as annually quartered the risk to the dog. Also this study found over 20% of asymptomatic patients to be positive, over double the expected (5-10%). Lastly, in the education section the majority of the population surveyed (67.2%) had little knowledge of zoonoses and potential animal to human transmission. Veterinarians had spoken to most clients about deworming frequencies, but not zoonoses a gap which needs to be addressed. Veterinarians have a duty to educate clients on the importance of regular screening and deworming regardless of symptoms due to zoonotic potential of many parasites. Close

• 9. [Article] A Systems Approach to Stress and Resilience in Humans: Mindfulness Meditation, Aging, and Cognitive Function

  Psychological stress is common and contributes to many physical and mental health problems. Its effects are mediated by a complex neurobiological system centering in the brain with effectors including ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A Systems Approach to Stress and Resilience in Humans: Mindfulness Meditation, Aging, and Cognitive Function Author: Oken, Barry S. Year: 2016 Psychological stress is common and contributes to many physical and mental health problems. Its effects are mediated by a complex neurobiological system centering in the brain with effectors including autonomic nervous system, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, inflammatory system, and gene expression. A stressor pushes the human physiological system away from its baseline state towards a lower utility state. The physiological system may return towards the original state but may be shifted to a lower utility state. While some physiological changes induced by stressors may benefit health, chronic stressors usually have negative effects on health. In contrast to this stressor effect is the system's resilience which influences its ability to return to the high utility attractor basin following a perturbation by increasing the likelihood and/or speed of returning to the baseline state following a stressor. Age-related cognitive decline is a major public health issue with few preventative options. Stress contributes to this cognitive decline, and mindfulness meditation (MM) is a behavioral intervention that reduces stress and stress reactivity in many health conditions. A randomized clinical trial was performed to determine if MM in older adults would improve measures of cognitive function, as well as psychology and physiology, and to determine what factors might predict who would improve. 134 at least mildly stressed 50-85 year olds were randomized to a MM intervention or a wait-list control. Outcome measures included a broad cognitive function battery with emphasis on attention and executive function, self-rated psychological measures of affect and stress, and physiological measures of stress. Self-rated measures related to negative affect and stress were all significantly improved as a result of the MM intervention compared to wait-list control. There were no changes in cognition, salivary cortisol, and heart rate variability. Potential explanations for the discrepancy between the beneficial mental health outcomes and lack of impact on cognitive and physiological outcomes are discussed. To determine which factors predict MM responsiveness, a responder was defined by determining if there was a minimum clinically important improvement in mental health. Predictors included demographic information and selected self-rated baseline measures related to stress and affect. Classification was performed using decision tree analysis. There were 61 responders and 60 non-responders. Univariate statistical analysis of the baseline measures demonstrated significant differences between the responder and non-responders in several self-rated mental health measures. However, decision tree was unable to achieve a reliable classification rate better than 65%. A number of future research directions were suggested by this study, including to optimize the MM intervention itself, to better select participants who would benefit from MM, and to improve the outcome measures perhaps by focusing on decreased reactivity to stressful events. Finally, a less well-defined but always present future research direction is the development of better models and better quantitative analysis approaches to the multivariate but dynamically limited human empirical data that can be practically collected. Title: A Systems Approach to Stress and Resilience in Humans: Mindfulness Meditation, Aging, and Cognitive Function Author: Oken, Barry S. Year: 2016 Psychological stress is common and contributes to many physical and mental health problems. Its effects are mediated by a complex neurobiological system centering in the brain with effectors including autonomic nervous system, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, inflammatory system, and gene expression. A stressor pushes the human physiological system away from its baseline state towards a lower utility state. The physiological system may return towards the original state but may be shifted to a lower utility state. While some physiological changes induced by stressors may benefit health, chronic stressors usually have negative effects on health. In contrast to this stressor effect is the system's resilience which influences its ability to return to the high utility attractor basin following a perturbation by increasing the likelihood and/or speed of returning to the baseline state following a stressor. Age-related cognitive decline is a major public health issue with few preventative options. Stress contributes to this cognitive decline, and mindfulness meditation (MM) is a behavioral intervention that reduces stress and stress reactivity in many health conditions. A randomized clinical trial was performed to determine if MM in older adults would improve measures of cognitive function, as well as psychology and physiology, and to determine what factors might predict who would improve. 134 at least mildly stressed 50-85 year olds were randomized to a MM intervention or a wait-list control. Outcome measures included a broad cognitive function battery with emphasis on attention and executive function, self-rated psychological measures of affect and stress, and physiological measures of stress. Self-rated measures related to negative affect and stress were all significantly improved as a result of the MM intervention compared to wait-list control. There were no changes in cognition, salivary cortisol, and heart rate variability. Potential explanations for the discrepancy between the beneficial mental health outcomes and lack of impact on cognitive and physiological outcomes are discussed. To determine which factors predict MM responsiveness, a responder was defined by determining if there was a minimum clinically important improvement in mental health. Predictors included demographic information and selected self-rated baseline measures related to stress and affect. Classification was performed using decision tree analysis. There were 61 responders and 60 non-responders. Univariate statistical analysis of the baseline measures demonstrated significant differences between the responder and non-responders in several self-rated mental health measures. However, decision tree was unable to achieve a reliable classification rate better than 65%. A number of future research directions were suggested by this study, including to optimize the MM intervention itself, to better select participants who would benefit from MM, and to improve the outcome measures perhaps by focusing on decreased reactivity to stressful events. Finally, a less well-defined but always present future research direction is the development of better models and better quantitative analysis approaches to the multivariate but dynamically limited human empirical data that can be practically collected. Close

• 10. [Article] Testing the Effectiveness of Healthy Start-Healthy Families Oregon: Outcomes and Cost-Benefits

  Objectives. This study was designed to achieve several specific objectives: (1) to conduct a large-scale randomized study of the impact of the Healthy Families Oregon (HFO) program, a home visitation program ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Testing the Effectiveness of Healthy Start-Healthy Families Oregon: Outcomes and Cost-Benefits Author: Green, Beth L., Tarte, Jerod, Sanders, Mary Beth, Waller, Mark S. Year: 2016 Objectives. This study was designed to achieve several specific objectives: (1) to conduct a large-scale randomized study of the impact of the Healthy Families Oregon (HFO) program, a home visitation program using the Healthy Families America model, on child welfare system involvement, access to self-sufficiency resources, and use of preventive and other medical services; (2) to conduct a comprehensive and detailed cost-benefit study of the HFO program; and (3) to develop and disseminate a web-based tool to support home visiting program managers, funders, and others to better understand and develop readiness for conducting program cost analysis and cost-benefit research. Approach. 2,727 eligible first-time parents were randomly assigned to receive the HFO program or a community services-as-usual control group. The research team obtained 2 years of postenrollment follow-up data on all study participants from Oregon’s child welfare system, selfsufficiency services, and medical assistance programs. Additionally, a 1-year post-enrollment telephone interview was conducted with a random sample of 803 study participants (403 program, 400 control). Analyses were also conducted to examine whether program impacts varied for subgroups of families with different demographic and baseline risk characteristics, and to explore the relationship of program fidelity and dosage to outcomes. Finally, a detailed program cost analysis was conducted and administrative data outcomes were used in a cost-benefit analysis. Results/Benefits. 1-year follow-up interviews with parents found that HFO families were significantly more likely (compared to controls) to read to their young children frequently, to provide developmentally supportive activities, and to report lower parenting-related stress as measured by the Parent Stress Inventory (PSI). These effects appeared to be strongest for families with four or more risk factors (two factors more than the threshold for “at risk”). Administrative data outcomes at 2 years post enrollment found that families were no more likely to have a founded child abuse report than were controls (6.3% vs. 6.0%), but were significantly more likely to have an unfounded report (9.7% vs. 7.9%). HFO families, compared to controls, were also significantly more likely to have been enrolled in TANF services for the first time, received more days of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and were more likely to be enrolled in substance abuse treatment services. There were no significant differences between groups in terms of use of or access to publicly funded health insurance or health-related services. Consistent with other cost-benefit analyses of home visiting and early childhood programs, results of the cost-benefit analyses did not support short-term cost savings associated with receipt of the HFO program. A web-based tool, The Home Visiting Cost Tool, was posted to the following web address: www.homevisitcosts.com. Title: Testing the Effectiveness of Healthy Start-Healthy Families Oregon: Outcomes and Cost-Benefits Author: Green, Beth L., Tarte, Jerod, Sanders, Mary Beth, Waller, Mark S. Year: 2016 Objectives. This study was designed to achieve several specific objectives: (1) to conduct a large-scale randomized study of the impact of the Healthy Families Oregon (HFO) program, a home visitation program using the Healthy Families America model, on child welfare system involvement, access to self-sufficiency resources, and use of preventive and other medical services; (2) to conduct a comprehensive and detailed cost-benefit study of the HFO program; and (3) to develop and disseminate a web-based tool to support home visiting program managers, funders, and others to better understand and develop readiness for conducting program cost analysis and cost-benefit research. Approach. 2,727 eligible first-time parents were randomly assigned to receive the HFO program or a community services-as-usual control group. The research team obtained 2 years of postenrollment follow-up data on all study participants from Oregon’s child welfare system, selfsufficiency services, and medical assistance programs. Additionally, a 1-year post-enrollment telephone interview was conducted with a random sample of 803 study participants (403 program, 400 control). Analyses were also conducted to examine whether program impacts varied for subgroups of families with different demographic and baseline risk characteristics, and to explore the relationship of program fidelity and dosage to outcomes. Finally, a detailed program cost analysis was conducted and administrative data outcomes were used in a cost-benefit analysis. Results/Benefits. 1-year follow-up interviews with parents found that HFO families were significantly more likely (compared to controls) to read to their young children frequently, to provide developmentally supportive activities, and to report lower parenting-related stress as measured by the Parent Stress Inventory (PSI). These effects appeared to be strongest for families with four or more risk factors (two factors more than the threshold for “at risk”). Administrative data outcomes at 2 years post enrollment found that families were no more likely to have a founded child abuse report than were controls (6.3% vs. 6.0%), but were significantly more likely to have an unfounded report (9.7% vs. 7.9%). HFO families, compared to controls, were also significantly more likely to have been enrolled in TANF services for the first time, received more days of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and were more likely to be enrolled in substance abuse treatment services. There were no significant differences between groups in terms of use of or access to publicly funded health insurance or health-related services. Consistent with other cost-benefit analyses of home visiting and early childhood programs, results of the cost-benefit analyses did not support short-term cost savings associated with receipt of the HFO program. A web-based tool, The Home Visiting Cost Tool, was posted to the following web address: www.homevisitcosts.com. 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