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• 981. [Article] Batterer Intervention Programs' Response to State Standards

  The study of policy implementation has recently garnered research and federal attention highlighting the importance of implementation in achieving desired policy and program outcomes (Durlak & DuPre, 2008; ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Batterer Intervention Programs' Response to State Standards Author: Boal, Ashley Lynn Year: 2013 The study of policy implementation has recently garnered research and federal attention highlighting the importance of implementation in achieving desired policy and program outcomes (Durlak & DuPre, 2008; Meyers, Durlak & Wandersman, 2012; National Institutes of Health, 2013). Psychology is one discipline that is well poised to guide the study of policy implementation as it can inform the creation, development, and outcomes associated with the introduction of a policy (Esses & Dovidio, 2011; Fischhoff, 1990). Given that batterer intervention programs (BIPs) have been developed to prevent future intimate partner violence (IPV) and improve victim safety, ensuring these programs have successfully implemented state standards for practice is immensely important. Despite the widespread use of state standards to guide BIP practices (Maiuro & Eberle, 2008), only one study (Boal, 2010) has assessed the extent to which BIPs comply with standards and no research has evaluated program responses to standards or the process by which implementation occurs. Given this, the current study focused on four areas of inquiry: (1) program compliance with state standards; (2) current and former BIP representatives' response to standards, including the social psychological constructs of actual control, perceived control, retrospective accounts of attitude change, absoluteness, and legitimacy; (3) program compliance as it relates to these responses; and (4) the process of implementing standards. In order to address these topics, key program representatives were assessed using a sequential mixed-methods design, which consisted of a preliminary quantitative phase (i.e., Phase One) (n = 35, response rate = 74%) and principal qualitative phase (i.e., Phase Two) (current providers: n = 13, response rate = 87%; former providers: n = 5, response rate = 100%) (Morgan, 1998). Findings from Phase One indicate that programs complied with 75% of the assessed components of standards. Phase Two findings suggest that participants primarily voiced experiences with the standards consistent with a lack of actual control, perceived control, and legitimacy. Contrary to hypotheses a statistically reliable difference in actual control, perceived control, and legitimacy were not detected across high and low compliance participants. Participants retrospectively described responses to the standards consistent with changing and maintaining negative attitudes towards the standards (31% and 31% respectively) and as hypothesized, those who shifted negative initial attitudes to be positive (i.e., a proxy for rationalization) were primarily from high compliance programs (75%) and those who maintained negative attitudes (i.e., a proxy for reactance) were all from low compliance programs (100%). While participants generally perceived the standards as primarily absolute, this construct did not differentiate those who changed and maintained negative attitudes as predicted. Participants' utilized diverse strategies to implement the standards and have changed or attempted to change many program characteristics to better comply with state standards. Participants have experienced diverse enablers to compliance (e.g., positive community collaborations; participation in the research process) and barriers to compliance (e.g., negative or lack of community collaborations; challenges understanding the standards) while attempting to implement standards. Suggestions to better facilitate compliance aligned with the enablers and barriers and centered on the need for positive information-sharing relationships among providers. Finally, former providers tended to disagree that the standards were the primary reason for program closure. Together, these findings provide valuable insight into the manifestation of common social psychological constructs during the policy implementation process, as well as information regarding the logistics of implementation. The information gathered in this study can be applied to better understand the role of actual control, perceived control, retrospective accounts of attitude change, absoluteness, and legitimacy, as they are experienced in the real world in relation to an actual policy. This extends the study of these constructs out of a laboratory and experimental context and suggests aspects of these constructs that may be relevant in applied settings. Further, data regarding the policy implementation process is useful to inform policymakers about the diverse steps that can be taken to assist implementation efforts and increase compliance. Title: Batterer Intervention Programs' Response to State Standards Author: Boal, Ashley Lynn Year: 2013 The study of policy implementation has recently garnered research and federal attention highlighting the importance of implementation in achieving desired policy and program outcomes (Durlak & DuPre, 2008; Meyers, Durlak & Wandersman, 2012; National Institutes of Health, 2013). Psychology is one discipline that is well poised to guide the study of policy implementation as it can inform the creation, development, and outcomes associated with the introduction of a policy (Esses & Dovidio, 2011; Fischhoff, 1990). Given that batterer intervention programs (BIPs) have been developed to prevent future intimate partner violence (IPV) and improve victim safety, ensuring these programs have successfully implemented state standards for practice is immensely important. Despite the widespread use of state standards to guide BIP practices (Maiuro & Eberle, 2008), only one study (Boal, 2010) has assessed the extent to which BIPs comply with standards and no research has evaluated program responses to standards or the process by which implementation occurs. Given this, the current study focused on four areas of inquiry: (1) program compliance with state standards; (2) current and former BIP representatives' response to standards, including the social psychological constructs of actual control, perceived control, retrospective accounts of attitude change, absoluteness, and legitimacy; (3) program compliance as it relates to these responses; and (4) the process of implementing standards. In order to address these topics, key program representatives were assessed using a sequential mixed-methods design, which consisted of a preliminary quantitative phase (i.e., Phase One) (n = 35, response rate = 74%) and principal qualitative phase (i.e., Phase Two) (current providers: n = 13, response rate = 87%; former providers: n = 5, response rate = 100%) (Morgan, 1998). Findings from Phase One indicate that programs complied with 75% of the assessed components of standards. Phase Two findings suggest that participants primarily voiced experiences with the standards consistent with a lack of actual control, perceived control, and legitimacy. Contrary to hypotheses a statistically reliable difference in actual control, perceived control, and legitimacy were not detected across high and low compliance participants. Participants retrospectively described responses to the standards consistent with changing and maintaining negative attitudes towards the standards (31% and 31% respectively) and as hypothesized, those who shifted negative initial attitudes to be positive (i.e., a proxy for rationalization) were primarily from high compliance programs (75%) and those who maintained negative attitudes (i.e., a proxy for reactance) were all from low compliance programs (100%). While participants generally perceived the standards as primarily absolute, this construct did not differentiate those who changed and maintained negative attitudes as predicted. Participants' utilized diverse strategies to implement the standards and have changed or attempted to change many program characteristics to better comply with state standards. Participants have experienced diverse enablers to compliance (e.g., positive community collaborations; participation in the research process) and barriers to compliance (e.g., negative or lack of community collaborations; challenges understanding the standards) while attempting to implement standards. Suggestions to better facilitate compliance aligned with the enablers and barriers and centered on the need for positive information-sharing relationships among providers. Finally, former providers tended to disagree that the standards were the primary reason for program closure. Together, these findings provide valuable insight into the manifestation of common social psychological constructs during the policy implementation process, as well as information regarding the logistics of implementation. The information gathered in this study can be applied to better understand the role of actual control, perceived control, retrospective accounts of attitude change, absoluteness, and legitimacy, as they are experienced in the real world in relation to an actual policy. This extends the study of these constructs out of a laboratory and experimental context and suggests aspects of these constructs that may be relevant in applied settings. Further, data regarding the policy implementation process is useful to inform policymakers about the diverse steps that can be taken to assist implementation efforts and increase compliance. Close

• 982. [Article] Important counsels to kings and imams by Shaykh ʻAlwan (ʻAli Ibn ʻAttiyyah al-Hamawi) ; translation, with a historic introduction, the biography of the author and commentaries on the text

  This thesis is intended to be an analysis of a book entitled "Important Counsels to Kings and Imams." It is, in the same time, a research on the book's author, named Alwan Ibn Atiyyah al-Hamawi. Alwan ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Important counsels to kings and imams by Shaykh ʻAlwan (ʻAli Ibn ʻAttiyyah al-Hamawi) ; translation, with a historic introduction, the biography of the author and commentaries on the text Author: Zaid, Abdullah S. Year: 1977 This thesis is intended to be an analysis of a book entitled "Important Counsels to Kings and Imams." It is, in the same time, a research on the book's author, named Alwan Ibn Atiyyah al-Hamawi. Alwan was a Syrian muslim scholar, who lived in the sixteenth century. Alwan witnessed the Ottoman conquering of Syria, so, he wrote his book, Important Counsels to Kings and Imams, as a reflection of his views toward the Ottoman regime. Alwan addressed his book to Sultan Selim I, encouraging him to establish justice through the religious law, the Sharia. The thesis is composed of four main sections; which are the following: The Middle East in the time of Alwan. This section contains a short history of the Islamic states and the political relations among them. Those states were the Ottoman Turks in Anatolia, the Safawid Dynasty in Persia and the Mamluks' State in Egypt. Life and career of Shaykh Alwan, his education and his influence upon his society and students. Analysis and commentaries on the manuscript, “Important Counsels to Kings and Imams.” This section discusses the causes and goals of writing the book, the issues, which Alwan talked about, and finally the style of writing and organizing of the book. Complete English translation of the Arabic copy including all those chapters which are arranged by the author of the book, Shaykh Alwan. The writer of this thesis has faced several problems with collecting information about Alwan's life, tracing prophetic hadiths and Quranic ayats, that Alwan included in his book, also translating an old manuscript, written in a classic language. Although, Alwan was one of the leading sixteenth century scholars and mystics, he has not been well-known to editors and publishers in this time in the Arab world. Only two books, out of twenty-four books and essays, are published. All those references which I have used at Portland State University Library and al-Zahiriyya Library in Damascus, mention little information about the life and career of Alwan; especially his family and early life. As for Quranic ayats and prophetic hadiths, which Alwan included in his book, all were mentioned without references or footnotes. Therefore, the writer footnoted every aya, but in the case of those hadiths, it was almost impossible to trace every hadith used in Alwan's book, and evaluate them according to texts, because of the writer's limited knowledge of the "Science of Hadith." Alwan's book, which exists in manuscript form only, is grammatically correct in language, and the style of writing is generally good. However, the translation was difficult because some ideas are not clear and some classic Arabic words must be fully understood by using old Arabic dictionaries, then English dictionaries. It seems that Alwan penned his thoughts haphazardly because the book seems rather unorganized in its contents. Alwan divided his book into twenty-seven chapters. In fact some of those chapter titles are not necessary. He, sometimes, discussed some issues more than once, such as alcohol and adultery. Alwan in his book discussed numerous social problems. and issues, i.e., alms, commanding good, forbidding evils, adultery, alcohol, wearing pure gold for men, decorations of cities for the Sultan's joy, land taxes, and enslaving free people, all attempting to set rules for the Sultan's judgment. At any rate the manuscript "Important Counsels to Kings and Imams" reflects the attitudes of a Syrian Arab scholar toward the new Ottoman regime that conquered Syria and Egypt between 1516-1517. Alwan and his book are a significant commentary of Islamic history of Syria and Egypt in the beginning of the sixteenth century. This research shows that Alwan felt that the regime of Sultan Selim I was not following its responsibilities toward the Sharia and the, only law of the Empire. The most important consideration for Alwan, in his manuscript, was his concern for justice for the subjects of the Ottoman Empire. His goal in writing that book was that all people should benefit from the Quran and Sharia, and that justice would be established through only the religious law (Sharia) within the Ottoman Empire. Title: Important counsels to kings and imams by Shaykh ʻAlwan (ʻAli Ibn ʻAttiyyah al-Hamawi) ; translation, with a historic introduction, the biography of the author and commentaries on the text Author: Zaid, Abdullah S. Year: 1977 This thesis is intended to be an analysis of a book entitled "Important Counsels to Kings and Imams." It is, in the same time, a research on the book's author, named Alwan Ibn Atiyyah al-Hamawi. Alwan was a Syrian muslim scholar, who lived in the sixteenth century. Alwan witnessed the Ottoman conquering of Syria, so, he wrote his book, Important Counsels to Kings and Imams, as a reflection of his views toward the Ottoman regime. Alwan addressed his book to Sultan Selim I, encouraging him to establish justice through the religious law, the Sharia. The thesis is composed of four main sections; which are the following: The Middle East in the time of Alwan. This section contains a short history of the Islamic states and the political relations among them. Those states were the Ottoman Turks in Anatolia, the Safawid Dynasty in Persia and the Mamluks' State in Egypt. Life and career of Shaykh Alwan, his education and his influence upon his society and students. Analysis and commentaries on the manuscript, “Important Counsels to Kings and Imams.” This section discusses the causes and goals of writing the book, the issues, which Alwan talked about, and finally the style of writing and organizing of the book. Complete English translation of the Arabic copy including all those chapters which are arranged by the author of the book, Shaykh Alwan. The writer of this thesis has faced several problems with collecting information about Alwan's life, tracing prophetic hadiths and Quranic ayats, that Alwan included in his book, also translating an old manuscript, written in a classic language. Although, Alwan was one of the leading sixteenth century scholars and mystics, he has not been well-known to editors and publishers in this time in the Arab world. Only two books, out of twenty-four books and essays, are published. All those references which I have used at Portland State University Library and al-Zahiriyya Library in Damascus, mention little information about the life and career of Alwan; especially his family and early life. As for Quranic ayats and prophetic hadiths, which Alwan included in his book, all were mentioned without references or footnotes. Therefore, the writer footnoted every aya, but in the case of those hadiths, it was almost impossible to trace every hadith used in Alwan's book, and evaluate them according to texts, because of the writer's limited knowledge of the "Science of Hadith." Alwan's book, which exists in manuscript form only, is grammatically correct in language, and the style of writing is generally good. However, the translation was difficult because some ideas are not clear and some classic Arabic words must be fully understood by using old Arabic dictionaries, then English dictionaries. It seems that Alwan penned his thoughts haphazardly because the book seems rather unorganized in its contents. Alwan divided his book into twenty-seven chapters. In fact some of those chapter titles are not necessary. He, sometimes, discussed some issues more than once, such as alcohol and adultery. Alwan in his book discussed numerous social problems. and issues, i.e., alms, commanding good, forbidding evils, adultery, alcohol, wearing pure gold for men, decorations of cities for the Sultan's joy, land taxes, and enslaving free people, all attempting to set rules for the Sultan's judgment. At any rate the manuscript "Important Counsels to Kings and Imams" reflects the attitudes of a Syrian Arab scholar toward the new Ottoman regime that conquered Syria and Egypt between 1516-1517. Alwan and his book are a significant commentary of Islamic history of Syria and Egypt in the beginning of the sixteenth century. This research shows that Alwan felt that the regime of Sultan Selim I was not following its responsibilities toward the Sharia and the, only law of the Empire. The most important consideration for Alwan, in his manuscript, was his concern for justice for the subjects of the Ottoman Empire. His goal in writing that book was that all people should benefit from the Quran and Sharia, and that justice would be established through only the religious law (Sharia) within the Ottoman Empire. Close

• 983. [Article] Guiding the Work of Professional Learning Communities: Perspectives for School Leaders

  Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are groups of educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Guiding the Work of Professional Learning Communities: Perspectives for School Leaders Author: Draper, Daniel Paul Year: 2014 Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are groups of educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. PLCs operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous job-embedded learning for educators (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2006). Researchers and practitioners agree that PLCs are critical to the overall success of schools. The problem is that implementing PLCs with fidelity to an inquiry process is a real challenge. Most school districts do not have a systematic or comprehensive approach to guide their PLC process. School leaders are in need of quality tools and resources to assist them in implementing PLCs. As a possible solution to this problem, a design team of four Estacada School District principals and one vice principal was convened to create, field-test and refine a handbook for PLC leadership. The handbook was field-tested in four schools and evaluated to determine its usefulness. The study's primary research questions were: (a) Is the PLC handbook a useful resource for school leaders? and (b) What are the handbook's strengths and weaknesses? Secondary research questions focused on specific topics and sections of the handbook: (a) How do school leaders organize and support a PLC framework? (b) How can PLCs support school change initiatives? (c) How can PLCs gather and analyze student data? (d) How can PLCs plan for future action? and (e) How can PLCs troubleshoot challenges? The design team relied on a problem-based learning approach (Bridges & Hallinger, 1995) and the use of a research and development process (Borg & Gall, 1989) to design an educational product ready for operational use in their schools. The design team met weekly for regularly scheduled meetings. They used the Critical Friends Consultancy Protocol (Harmony Education Center, 2013) as a systematic way to problem solve and collect qualitative data. The data collected from these sessions were transcribed, coded for themes, and analyzed. Other data sources that were used included the review of institutional documentation, structured interviews with teacher leaders, and survey results. The design team then refined its PLC handbook through the first seven steps of the research and development process: (a) Research and information collecting; (b) Planning objectives, learning activities, and small scale testing; (c) Developing a preliminary form of the product; (d) Preliminary field-testing; (e) Main product revision; (f) Main field-testing; and (g) Operational product revision. The design team determined that the handbook was in fact a useful resource for school leaders, and it helped move PLC work forward in each of the four schools. The team found that the handbook had a number of strengths, including the clarification of key terminology and the establishment of a common language for PLCs. Another noted strength was that the activities included in the handbook were user-friendly. A noted opportunity was that the field-tested handbook did not create viable ways to involve parents, families, and community members in PLC work alongside educators. This opportunity is being addressed by the design team in future handbook revisions. The handbook helped school leaders organize and support a PLC framework. The design team confirmed that the handbook assisted PLCs in completing the work required of major school change initiatives, including Differentiated Instruction/Sheltered Instruction, Response to Intervention/Positive Behavioral Intervention Support, Common Core State Standards, and Proficiency-Based Learning. The design team also found the PLC handbook to be useful as an orientation tool for new staff members, as well as a valuable review tool for PLC veterans, particularly regarding how to collect and analyze student assessment data. The handbook also helped PLCs plan future action relative to providing intervention and enrichment opportunities for students. Finally, the handbook provided tools to help educators troubleshoot challenges that surfaced during their PLC work. The design team will continue to refine its handbook and provide support for the Estacada School District and community as mutually-beneficial PLC-related activities, grants, and projects are pursued. The optimal next step for future use of the handbook would be for several schools and districts throughout Oregon, particularly from small, rural areas, to pilot the handbook. The piloting schools and districts could then share the roadblocks and success stories pertinent to their use of the handbook, which would in turn support the design team in making a quality final product revision. Title: Guiding the Work of Professional Learning Communities: Perspectives for School Leaders Author: Draper, Daniel Paul Year: 2014 Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are groups of educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. PLCs operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous job-embedded learning for educators (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2006). Researchers and practitioners agree that PLCs are critical to the overall success of schools. The problem is that implementing PLCs with fidelity to an inquiry process is a real challenge. Most school districts do not have a systematic or comprehensive approach to guide their PLC process. School leaders are in need of quality tools and resources to assist them in implementing PLCs. As a possible solution to this problem, a design team of four Estacada School District principals and one vice principal was convened to create, field-test and refine a handbook for PLC leadership. The handbook was field-tested in four schools and evaluated to determine its usefulness. The study's primary research questions were: (a) Is the PLC handbook a useful resource for school leaders? and (b) What are the handbook's strengths and weaknesses? Secondary research questions focused on specific topics and sections of the handbook: (a) How do school leaders organize and support a PLC framework? (b) How can PLCs support school change initiatives? (c) How can PLCs gather and analyze student data? (d) How can PLCs plan for future action? and (e) How can PLCs troubleshoot challenges? The design team relied on a problem-based learning approach (Bridges & Hallinger, 1995) and the use of a research and development process (Borg & Gall, 1989) to design an educational product ready for operational use in their schools. The design team met weekly for regularly scheduled meetings. They used the Critical Friends Consultancy Protocol (Harmony Education Center, 2013) as a systematic way to problem solve and collect qualitative data. The data collected from these sessions were transcribed, coded for themes, and analyzed. Other data sources that were used included the review of institutional documentation, structured interviews with teacher leaders, and survey results. The design team then refined its PLC handbook through the first seven steps of the research and development process: (a) Research and information collecting; (b) Planning objectives, learning activities, and small scale testing; (c) Developing a preliminary form of the product; (d) Preliminary field-testing; (e) Main product revision; (f) Main field-testing; and (g) Operational product revision. The design team determined that the handbook was in fact a useful resource for school leaders, and it helped move PLC work forward in each of the four schools. The team found that the handbook had a number of strengths, including the clarification of key terminology and the establishment of a common language for PLCs. Another noted strength was that the activities included in the handbook were user-friendly. A noted opportunity was that the field-tested handbook did not create viable ways to involve parents, families, and community members in PLC work alongside educators. This opportunity is being addressed by the design team in future handbook revisions. The handbook helped school leaders organize and support a PLC framework. The design team confirmed that the handbook assisted PLCs in completing the work required of major school change initiatives, including Differentiated Instruction/Sheltered Instruction, Response to Intervention/Positive Behavioral Intervention Support, Common Core State Standards, and Proficiency-Based Learning. The design team also found the PLC handbook to be useful as an orientation tool for new staff members, as well as a valuable review tool for PLC veterans, particularly regarding how to collect and analyze student assessment data. The handbook also helped PLCs plan future action relative to providing intervention and enrichment opportunities for students. Finally, the handbook provided tools to help educators troubleshoot challenges that surfaced during their PLC work. The design team will continue to refine its handbook and provide support for the Estacada School District and community as mutually-beneficial PLC-related activities, grants, and projects are pursued. The optimal next step for future use of the handbook would be for several schools and districts throughout Oregon, particularly from small, rural areas, to pilot the handbook. The piloting schools and districts could then share the roadblocks and success stories pertinent to their use of the handbook, which would in turn support the design team in making a quality final product revision. Close

• 984. [Article] Sampling Fish: A Case Study from the Čḯxwicən Site, Northwest Washington

  Researchers on the Northwest Coast (NWC) are often interested in complex questions regarding social organization, resource intensification, resource control, and impacts of environmental change on resources ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Sampling Fish: A Case Study from the Čḯxwicən Site, Northwest Washington Author: Syvertson, Laura Maye Year: 2017 Researchers on the Northwest Coast (NWC) are often interested in complex questions regarding social organization, resource intensification, resource control, and impacts of environmental change on resources and in turn human groups. However, the excavation strategies used on the NWC often do not provide the spatial and chronological control within a site that is necessary to document their variability and answer these research questions. The Čḯxwicən site has the potential to address some of the limitations of previous Northwest Coast village site excavations because of its unique and robust sampling strategy, the wide expanse of time that it was occupied, and the multiple house structures present. An on-going project is examining changing human ecodynamics over the breadth of site occupation, focusing on zooarchaeology and geoarchaeological records. This site, located on the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Port Angeles, WA was excavated in 2004 as part of a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) undertaking to build parts for the Hood Canal Bridge Large scale excavation (261.4 m3 528 m2) generated enormous quantities of faunal remains. Radiocarbon dates and historic records show occupation extends from 2750 cal. BP to the early 20th century. Statistical sampling methods provide an empirical way to maximize the amount of information obtained with the least amount of effort. My thesis addressed the utility of Sampling to Redundancy (STR) as a statistical sampling method for sampling faunal remains from large village sites. My project has documented the variability of fish family representation across time and space in one part of the Čḯxwicən village, while minimizing the time and effort required to do so. This thesis applies STR to "S" (> 1/4 in.) 10 Liter bucket samples from eight excavation units and a total of 26 separate unique temporal and spatial contexts. I focused on 1/ 4 in. samples for my study for a particular reason. Previous fish faunal studies have focused on effects of mesh size on fish representation; and emphasized the need to use fine mesh (e.g., 1/ 8 in. or finer) to document small-bodied fishes. This focus on fine mesh typically means that only limited volumes of matrix are studied, which in turn may mean that remains of rarer, large- bodied fishes are under- represented. The on-going research project has focused on buckets screened to 1/ 8 in. mesh (called "C" buckets). I used STR to sample additional volumes of matrix screened to 1/ 4 in. to examine whether expanding the volume studied would affect fish representation, which was a second goal of my project. Overall, I studied remains from 269 "S" buckets out of a total of 419 buckets, or 47% of the buckets. STR was most helpful for six of the high bone abundance and density contexts, where I analyzed less than 50% of the total buckets, was moderately helpful for 14 contexts, and not at all helpful for the six contexts with low fishbone abundance, where I analyzed 100% of the buckets. This analysis took me a total of 154 hours, and based on the percentage of material analyzed, 174 hours were saved. As to the second project goal, to assess whether adding fish remains documented from additional matrix volume affected fish representation, I found the differences were minimal. Both for my study units as a whole, and for each time period, adding the fish records from the "S" buckets did not alter the main trends in fish representation as documented by the larger study, using a smaller volume. To further examine whether the added volume from >1/ 4 in "S" buckets affected results, I explored specific research questions that are relevant to the larger project regarding environment-animal interactions and fishbone deposition and bone condition inside and outside of a house structure. Adding the "S" bucket samples did not affect fish representation or fishbone distribution and condition, which affirms that the sampling strategy used in the larger research project was sufficient in most cases to characterize the fish record at the site. My approach to STR has focused on fish remains that were previously excavated from a Pacific coastal village site with dense archaeological deposits. STR could be employed in other types of archaeological settings in a range of environments (coast or interior) representing a range of cultural contexts (from hunting camps to urban centers) to establish sample redundancy after an excavation is complete. STR could be used during on-going excavation. Further research is required to explore the implications of STR in these settings, however it is likely that the success of STR in other contexts will be dependent on the density and overall abundance of remains, the diversity or material types being studied, as well of course in the range and specificity of questions in each case. Title: Sampling Fish: A Case Study from the Čḯxwicən Site, Northwest Washington Author: Syvertson, Laura Maye Year: 2017 Researchers on the Northwest Coast (NWC) are often interested in complex questions regarding social organization, resource intensification, resource control, and impacts of environmental change on resources and in turn human groups. However, the excavation strategies used on the NWC often do not provide the spatial and chronological control within a site that is necessary to document their variability and answer these research questions. The Čḯxwicən site has the potential to address some of the limitations of previous Northwest Coast village site excavations because of its unique and robust sampling strategy, the wide expanse of time that it was occupied, and the multiple house structures present. An on-going project is examining changing human ecodynamics over the breadth of site occupation, focusing on zooarchaeology and geoarchaeological records. This site, located on the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Port Angeles, WA was excavated in 2004 as part of a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) undertaking to build parts for the Hood Canal Bridge Large scale excavation (261.4 m3 528 m2) generated enormous quantities of faunal remains. Radiocarbon dates and historic records show occupation extends from 2750 cal. BP to the early 20th century. Statistical sampling methods provide an empirical way to maximize the amount of information obtained with the least amount of effort. My thesis addressed the utility of Sampling to Redundancy (STR) as a statistical sampling method for sampling faunal remains from large village sites. My project has documented the variability of fish family representation across time and space in one part of the Čḯxwicən village, while minimizing the time and effort required to do so. This thesis applies STR to "S" (> 1/4 in.) 10 Liter bucket samples from eight excavation units and a total of 26 separate unique temporal and spatial contexts. I focused on 1/ 4 in. samples for my study for a particular reason. Previous fish faunal studies have focused on effects of mesh size on fish representation; and emphasized the need to use fine mesh (e.g., 1/ 8 in. or finer) to document small-bodied fishes. This focus on fine mesh typically means that only limited volumes of matrix are studied, which in turn may mean that remains of rarer, large- bodied fishes are under- represented. The on-going research project has focused on buckets screened to 1/ 8 in. mesh (called "C" buckets). I used STR to sample additional volumes of matrix screened to 1/ 4 in. to examine whether expanding the volume studied would affect fish representation, which was a second goal of my project. Overall, I studied remains from 269 "S" buckets out of a total of 419 buckets, or 47% of the buckets. STR was most helpful for six of the high bone abundance and density contexts, where I analyzed less than 50% of the total buckets, was moderately helpful for 14 contexts, and not at all helpful for the six contexts with low fishbone abundance, where I analyzed 100% of the buckets. This analysis took me a total of 154 hours, and based on the percentage of material analyzed, 174 hours were saved. As to the second project goal, to assess whether adding fish remains documented from additional matrix volume affected fish representation, I found the differences were minimal. Both for my study units as a whole, and for each time period, adding the fish records from the "S" buckets did not alter the main trends in fish representation as documented by the larger study, using a smaller volume. To further examine whether the added volume from >1/ 4 in "S" buckets affected results, I explored specific research questions that are relevant to the larger project regarding environment-animal interactions and fishbone deposition and bone condition inside and outside of a house structure. Adding the "S" bucket samples did not affect fish representation or fishbone distribution and condition, which affirms that the sampling strategy used in the larger research project was sufficient in most cases to characterize the fish record at the site. My approach to STR has focused on fish remains that were previously excavated from a Pacific coastal village site with dense archaeological deposits. STR could be employed in other types of archaeological settings in a range of environments (coast or interior) representing a range of cultural contexts (from hunting camps to urban centers) to establish sample redundancy after an excavation is complete. STR could be used during on-going excavation. Further research is required to explore the implications of STR in these settings, however it is likely that the success of STR in other contexts will be dependent on the density and overall abundance of remains, the diversity or material types being studied, as well of course in the range and specificity of questions in each case. Close

• 985. [Article] Ecomorphology and Mating Behavior of Two Species of Night-stalking Tiger Beetles, Omus audouini and O. dejeanii

  Night-stalking tiger beetles (Cicindelinae: Omus) are among the least studied members of the highly diverse Carabid sub-family Cicindelinae, the tiger beetles. Despite populations of Omus being common ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Ecomorphology and Mating Behavior of Two Species of Night-stalking Tiger Beetles, Omus audouini and O. dejeanii Author: Richardson, Robert Kent Year: 2013 Night-stalking tiger beetles (Cicindelinae: Omus) are among the least studied members of the highly diverse Carabid sub-family Cicindelinae, the tiger beetles. Despite populations of Omus being common in the forest floor habitats of the west coast of North America and their conspicuous predatory role within terrestrial arthropod communities, little is known about the biology and ecology of Omus. Field studies showed that two species of Omus existed in the forested areas of Powell Butte Nature Park, Portland, Oregon, USA: Omus audouiniand O. dejeanii. The co-occurrence of sympatric, and likely syntopic, species allowed for a comparative approach in examining and analyzing previously unknown or unaddressed aspects of the biology of Omus. Both morphometric and behavioral analysis was used to address specific questions regarding niche partitioning and mating behaviors in the genus. On the basis of the competitive exclusion principle, I predicted that these closely related species with similar ecological requirements would experience selective pressure to minimize niche overlap and competitive pressures through morphological character displacement. In particular, the mandibles of male tiger beetles serve a dual role: one as tools for feeding-- including prey capture and prey processing--and another role as secondary sexual organs whereby the males use their mandibles to grasp the female and maintain amplexus. A geometric morphometric approach was used to evaluate and compare shape differences between the two species as well as identify trends of sexual dimorphism and species differences in context of prey base. Tiger beetles obligatorily engage in male-superior mounted mating behavior. Body size was used to first address trends of female-biased sexual size dimorphism within the Carabid subfamily Cicindelinae. Female tiger beetles may be expected to experience proportionally greater stress during mating among larger bodied than smaller bodied species and selection would favor increasingly pronounced female-biased sexual size dimorphism among larger-bodied species. The mating duration of Omuswas anecdotally reported as an order of magnitude greater than any other tiger beetle but has never been experimentally confirmed. I performed a series of pairings under laboratory setting to (1) establish a baseline of mating duration for the two species and test the effects of (2) time of day mating was initiated, (3) food deprivation and (4) operational sex ratio on mating duration. Morphometric analysis suggested niche partitioning existed between the two species due to an average body size scaling factor of x1.3 and an average mandible length scaling factor of x1.5, i.e. "Hutchinsonian Ratios"-- an observed minimum scaling threshold of niche differentiation seen in several natural predator populations. Similar minimum values were not seen between the sexes of either species suggesting an absence of sexual niche dimorphism. Geometric morphometric analysis of the mandibles revealed two distinct regions subject to selective adaptation: the distal region of the mandible (including the apical incisor) was consistently sexually dimorphic between the examined species while the proximal region involving the terebral teeth showed interspecific differences independent of sex and likely associated with prey processing, further supporting the hypothesis of niche partitioning between the two species but not necessarily between the sexes. The magnitude of sexual size dimorphism was found to be constant within Cicindelinae regardless of species body size. Behavioral analysis of mating established thatO. audouiniandO. dejeaniihave average (± SD) mating durations of 10.6 (± 1.8) and 29.4 (± 5.6) hours, respectively. Time of initiation of mating (whether morning or evening), food deprivation and operational sex ratio did not have any statistically significant effect on mating duration for either species. The absence of effect operational sex ratios on mating duration by suggests that mate guarding may not be a universal factor for all tiger beetles and, instead, syn- copulatory courtship, as opposed to pre- or post-copulatory courtship, as a female-choice reproductive mechanism may serve as a better explanation for the mating behaviors seen in Omus. Title: Ecomorphology and Mating Behavior of Two Species of Night-stalking Tiger Beetles, Omus audouini and O. dejeanii Author: Richardson, Robert Kent Year: 2013 Night-stalking tiger beetles (Cicindelinae: Omus) are among the least studied members of the highly diverse Carabid sub-family Cicindelinae, the tiger beetles. Despite populations of Omus being common in the forest floor habitats of the west coast of North America and their conspicuous predatory role within terrestrial arthropod communities, little is known about the biology and ecology of Omus. Field studies showed that two species of Omus existed in the forested areas of Powell Butte Nature Park, Portland, Oregon, USA: Omus audouiniand O. dejeanii. The co-occurrence of sympatric, and likely syntopic, species allowed for a comparative approach in examining and analyzing previously unknown or unaddressed aspects of the biology of Omus. Both morphometric and behavioral analysis was used to address specific questions regarding niche partitioning and mating behaviors in the genus. On the basis of the competitive exclusion principle, I predicted that these closely related species with similar ecological requirements would experience selective pressure to minimize niche overlap and competitive pressures through morphological character displacement. In particular, the mandibles of male tiger beetles serve a dual role: one as tools for feeding-- including prey capture and prey processing--and another role as secondary sexual organs whereby the males use their mandibles to grasp the female and maintain amplexus. A geometric morphometric approach was used to evaluate and compare shape differences between the two species as well as identify trends of sexual dimorphism and species differences in context of prey base. Tiger beetles obligatorily engage in male-superior mounted mating behavior. Body size was used to first address trends of female-biased sexual size dimorphism within the Carabid subfamily Cicindelinae. Female tiger beetles may be expected to experience proportionally greater stress during mating among larger bodied than smaller bodied species and selection would favor increasingly pronounced female-biased sexual size dimorphism among larger-bodied species. The mating duration of Omuswas anecdotally reported as an order of magnitude greater than any other tiger beetle but has never been experimentally confirmed. I performed a series of pairings under laboratory setting to (1) establish a baseline of mating duration for the two species and test the effects of (2) time of day mating was initiated, (3) food deprivation and (4) operational sex ratio on mating duration. Morphometric analysis suggested niche partitioning existed between the two species due to an average body size scaling factor of x1.3 and an average mandible length scaling factor of x1.5, i.e. "Hutchinsonian Ratios"-- an observed minimum scaling threshold of niche differentiation seen in several natural predator populations. Similar minimum values were not seen between the sexes of either species suggesting an absence of sexual niche dimorphism. Geometric morphometric analysis of the mandibles revealed two distinct regions subject to selective adaptation: the distal region of the mandible (including the apical incisor) was consistently sexually dimorphic between the examined species while the proximal region involving the terebral teeth showed interspecific differences independent of sex and likely associated with prey processing, further supporting the hypothesis of niche partitioning between the two species but not necessarily between the sexes. The magnitude of sexual size dimorphism was found to be constant within Cicindelinae regardless of species body size. Behavioral analysis of mating established thatO. audouiniandO. dejeaniihave average (± SD) mating durations of 10.6 (± 1.8) and 29.4 (± 5.6) hours, respectively. Time of initiation of mating (whether morning or evening), food deprivation and operational sex ratio did not have any statistically significant effect on mating duration for either species. The absence of effect operational sex ratios on mating duration by suggests that mate guarding may not be a universal factor for all tiger beetles and, instead, syn- copulatory courtship, as opposed to pre- or post-copulatory courtship, as a female-choice reproductive mechanism may serve as a better explanation for the mating behaviors seen in Omus. Close

• 986. [Article] Breaking Barriers to Bike Share: Insights from Residents of Traditionally Underserved Neighborhoods

  Evidence has shown that higher income and white populations are overrepresented in both access to and use of bike share. Efforts to overcome underserved communities’ barriers to access and use of bike ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Breaking Barriers to Bike Share: Insights from Residents of Traditionally Underserved Neighborhoods Author: McNeil, Nathan, Dill, Jennifer, MacArthur, John, Broach, Joseph, Howland, Steven Year: 2017 Evidence has shown that higher income and white populations are overrepresented in both access to and use of bike share. Efforts to overcome underserved communities’ barriers to access and use of bike share have been initiated in a number of cities, including those working with the Better Bike Share Partnership (BBSP) to launch and test potentially replicable approaches to improve the equity outcomes. This report describes findings from a survey of residents living near bike share stations placed in underserved communities of select BBSP cities: Philadelphia, Chicago, and Brooklyn. These were neighborhoods targeted for focused outreach related to BBSP programs, and were majority-minority (79- 94% people of color) and lower-income (36-61% of households under 150% of the poverty level). Residents were also surveyed in control areas that did not receive BBSP targeted outreach in two of the cities. The research team mailed surveys to 6,000 residents in each city, and received 1,885 responses. Respondents closely matched area demographics on race/ethnicity and income in most study locations, but were somewhat more likely to be women, older and more highly educated. Findings are drawn primarily from an analysis of data from adults in the BBSP outreach areas under 65 years old and physically able to ride a bicycle. Of those respondents who provided race and income information (n=779), 42% were lower-income (defined as 300% of poverty or below) people of color, 27% were higher-income (above 300% of poverty) people of color, 6% were lower-income and white (not Hispanic), and 25% were higher-income and white. Race and income often influenced responses to bicycling and bike share in different ways. Differences in behavior and opinions sometimes correlated with income, sometimes with race, and sometimes with race and income combined. Both people of color and lower-income residents cited more barriers to bicycling generally and to using bike share than did higher-income white residents. The biggest barrier to bicycling generally is concern about traffic safety, regardless of race or income (cited as a big barrier by 48% of residents). For some, personal safety is also a concern. For example, 22% of lower-income people of color stated that a big barrier to riding was that doing so could cause them to be harassed or a victim of crime. Some of the most common barriers to bicycling cited by lower-income people of color were issues that bike share could address, such as: not having a bike or related gear (47%); not having a safe place to leave a bike where they need to go (36%); the expense of buying a bike or related gear (41%); and not having a safe place to store a bike at home (32%). High costs of membership and concerns about liability for the bicycle were big barriers to using bike share for about half of lower-income respondents (48% and 52% respectively), compared to 33% and 31% of higher-income respondents of color and only 18% and 10% of higherincome white respondents. Another set of barriers relates to knowledge, lack of knowledge or incorrect knowledge. Only 31% of all respondents knew the details about the availability of the reduced-price membership or pass option, and 34% of lower-income respondents of color said that not knowing enough about how to use bike share was a big barrier to using it, compared to 19% of higher-income respondents of color and 7% of higher-income white residents. Among potential program changes, lower-income people of color were significantly more likely than other respondents to indicate that certain changes would make them more likely to use bike share, including: several changes that could help with cost and liability concerns such as discounted membership or use options (80% stating somewhat or much more likely to use bike share with this change), access to free or low-cost helmets/gear (72%), and easier ways to pay with cash (67%); and several changes to help overcome knowledge or experience gaps, such as help finding safe ways to get where I need to go (70%), and organized rides for people like me (71%). Respondents generally have positive attitudes about bicycling and bike share. A large majority of all residents (73%) and lower-income people of color (74%) agreed that the city’s bike share system “is useful for people like me.” In terms of reasons for using bike share, getting exercise was cited by 71% of the lower-income respondents of color as a reason they would consider using bike share, a rate much higher than other respondent groups. Being able to ride with friends and family was cited by 48% of lower-income respondents of color, again higher than other groups. Title: Breaking Barriers to Bike Share: Insights from Residents of Traditionally Underserved Neighborhoods Author: McNeil, Nathan, Dill, Jennifer, MacArthur, John, Broach, Joseph, Howland, Steven Year: 2017 Evidence has shown that higher income and white populations are overrepresented in both access to and use of bike share. Efforts to overcome underserved communities’ barriers to access and use of bike share have been initiated in a number of cities, including those working with the Better Bike Share Partnership (BBSP) to launch and test potentially replicable approaches to improve the equity outcomes. This report describes findings from a survey of residents living near bike share stations placed in underserved communities of select BBSP cities: Philadelphia, Chicago, and Brooklyn. These were neighborhoods targeted for focused outreach related to BBSP programs, and were majority-minority (79- 94% people of color) and lower-income (36-61% of households under 150% of the poverty level). Residents were also surveyed in control areas that did not receive BBSP targeted outreach in two of the cities. The research team mailed surveys to 6,000 residents in each city, and received 1,885 responses. Respondents closely matched area demographics on race/ethnicity and income in most study locations, but were somewhat more likely to be women, older and more highly educated. Findings are drawn primarily from an analysis of data from adults in the BBSP outreach areas under 65 years old and physically able to ride a bicycle. Of those respondents who provided race and income information (n=779), 42% were lower-income (defined as 300% of poverty or below) people of color, 27% were higher-income (above 300% of poverty) people of color, 6% were lower-income and white (not Hispanic), and 25% were higher-income and white. Race and income often influenced responses to bicycling and bike share in different ways. Differences in behavior and opinions sometimes correlated with income, sometimes with race, and sometimes with race and income combined. Both people of color and lower-income residents cited more barriers to bicycling generally and to using bike share than did higher-income white residents. The biggest barrier to bicycling generally is concern about traffic safety, regardless of race or income (cited as a big barrier by 48% of residents). For some, personal safety is also a concern. For example, 22% of lower-income people of color stated that a big barrier to riding was that doing so could cause them to be harassed or a victim of crime. Some of the most common barriers to bicycling cited by lower-income people of color were issues that bike share could address, such as: not having a bike or related gear (47%); not having a safe place to leave a bike where they need to go (36%); the expense of buying a bike or related gear (41%); and not having a safe place to store a bike at home (32%). High costs of membership and concerns about liability for the bicycle were big barriers to using bike share for about half of lower-income respondents (48% and 52% respectively), compared to 33% and 31% of higher-income respondents of color and only 18% and 10% of higherincome white respondents. Another set of barriers relates to knowledge, lack of knowledge or incorrect knowledge. Only 31% of all respondents knew the details about the availability of the reduced-price membership or pass option, and 34% of lower-income respondents of color said that not knowing enough about how to use bike share was a big barrier to using it, compared to 19% of higher-income respondents of color and 7% of higher-income white residents. Among potential program changes, lower-income people of color were significantly more likely than other respondents to indicate that certain changes would make them more likely to use bike share, including: several changes that could help with cost and liability concerns such as discounted membership or use options (80% stating somewhat or much more likely to use bike share with this change), access to free or low-cost helmets/gear (72%), and easier ways to pay with cash (67%); and several changes to help overcome knowledge or experience gaps, such as help finding safe ways to get where I need to go (70%), and organized rides for people like me (71%). Respondents generally have positive attitudes about bicycling and bike share. A large majority of all residents (73%) and lower-income people of color (74%) agreed that the city’s bike share system “is useful for people like me.” In terms of reasons for using bike share, getting exercise was cited by 71% of the lower-income respondents of color as a reason they would consider using bike share, a rate much higher than other respondent groups. Being able to ride with friends and family was cited by 48% of lower-income respondents of color, again higher than other groups. Close

• 987. [Article] Methods for Efficient Synthesis of Large Reversible Binary and Ternary Quantum Circuits and Applications of Linear Nearest Neighbor Model

  This dissertation describes the development of automated synthesis algorithms that construct reversible quantum circuits for reversible functions with large number of variables. Specifically, the research ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Methods for Efficient Synthesis of Large Reversible Binary and Ternary Quantum Circuits and Applications of Linear Nearest Neighbor Model Author: Hawash, Maher Mofeid Year: 2013 This dissertation describes the development of automated synthesis algorithms that construct reversible quantum circuits for reversible functions with large number of variables. Specifically, the research area is focused on reversible, permutative and fully specified binary and ternary specifications and the applicability of the resulting circuit to the physical limitations of existing quantum technologies. Automated synthesis of arbitrary reversible specifications is an NP hard, multiobjective optimization problem, where 1) the amount of time and computational resources required to synthesize the specification, 2) the number of primitive quantum gates in the resulting circuit (quantum cost), and 3) the number of ancillary qubits (variables added to hold intermediate calculations) are all minimized while 4) the number of variables is maximized. Some of the existing algorithms in the literature ignored objective 2 by focusing on the synthesis of a single solution without the addition of any ancillary qubits while others attempted to explore every possible solution in the search space in an effort to discover the optimal solution (i.e., sacrificed objective 1 and 4). Other algorithms resorted to adding a huge number of ancillary qubits (counter to objective 3) in an effort minimize the number of primitive gates (objective 2). In this dissertation, I first introduce the MMDSN algorithm that is capable of synthesizing binary specifications up to 30 variables, does not add any ancillary variables, produces better quantum cost (8-50% improvement) than algorithms which limit their search to a single solution and within a minimal amount of time compared to algorithms which perform exhaustive search (seconds vs. hours). The MMDSN algorithm introduces an innovative method of using the Hasse diagram to construct candidate solutions that are guaranteed to be valid and then selects the solution with the minimal quantum cost out of this subset. I then introduce the Covered Set Partitions (CSP) algorithm that expands the search space of valid candidate solutions and allows for exploring solutions outside the range of MMDSN. I show a method of subdividing the expansive search landscape into smaller partitions and demonstrate the benefit of focusing on partition sizes that are around half of the number of variables (15% to 25% improvements, over MMDSN, for functions less than 12 variables, and more than 1000% improvement for functions with 12 and 13 variables). For a function of n variables, the CSP algorithm, theoretically, requires n times more to synthesize; however, by focusing on the middle k (k by MMDSN which typically yields lower quantum cost. I also show that using a Tabu search for selecting the next set of candidate from the CSP subset results in discovering solutions with even lower quantum costs (up to 10% improvement over CSP with random selection). In Chapters 9 and 10 I question the predominant methods of measuring quantum cost and its applicability to physical implementation of quantum gates and circuits. I counter the prevailing literature by introducing a new standard for measuring the performance of quantum synthesis algorithms by enforcing the Linear Nearest Neighbor Model (LNNM) constraint, which is imposed by the today's leading implementations of quantum technology. In addition to enforcing physical constraints, the new LNNM quantum cost (LNNQC) allows for a level comparison amongst all methods of synthesis; specifically, methods which add a large number of ancillary variables to ones that add no additional variables. I show that, when LNNM is enforced, the quantum cost for methods that add a large number of ancillary qubits increases significantly (up to 1200%). I also extend the Hasse based method to the ternary and I demonstrate synthesis of specifications of up to 9 ternary variables (compared to 3 ternary variables that existed in the literature). I introduce the concept of ternary precedence order and its implication on the construction of the Hasse diagram and the construction of valid candidate solutions. I also provide a case study comparing the performance of ternary logic synthesis of large functions using both a CUDA graphic processor with 1024 cores and an Intel i7 processor with 8 cores. In the process of exploring large ternary functions I introduce, to the literature, eight families of ternary benchmark functions along with a Multiple Valued file specification (the Extended Quantum Specification XQS). I also introduce a new composite quantum gate, the multiple valued Swivel gate, which swaps the information of qubits around a centrally located pivot point. In summary, my research objectives are as follows: * Explore and create automated synthesis algorithms for reversible circuits both in binary and ternary logic for large number of variables. * Study the impact of enforcing Linear Nearest Neighbor Model (LNNM) constraint for every interaction between qubits for reversible binary specifications. * Advocate for a revised metric for measuring the cost of a quantum circuit in concordance with LNNM, where, on one hand, such a metric would provide a way for balanced comparison between the various flavors of algorithms, and on the other hand, represents a realistic cost of a quantum circuit with respect to an ion trap implementation. * Establish an open source repository for sharing the results, software code and publications with the scientific community. With the dwindling expectations for a new lifeline on silicon-based technologies, quantum computations have the potential of becoming the future workhorse of computations. Similar to the automated CAD tools of classical logic, my work lays the foundation for creating automated tools for constructing quantum circuits from reversible specifications. Title: Methods for Efficient Synthesis of Large Reversible Binary and Ternary Quantum Circuits and Applications of Linear Nearest Neighbor Model Author: Hawash, Maher Mofeid Year: 2013 This dissertation describes the development of automated synthesis algorithms that construct reversible quantum circuits for reversible functions with large number of variables. Specifically, the research area is focused on reversible, permutative and fully specified binary and ternary specifications and the applicability of the resulting circuit to the physical limitations of existing quantum technologies. Automated synthesis of arbitrary reversible specifications is an NP hard, multiobjective optimization problem, where 1) the amount of time and computational resources required to synthesize the specification, 2) the number of primitive quantum gates in the resulting circuit (quantum cost), and 3) the number of ancillary qubits (variables added to hold intermediate calculations) are all minimized while 4) the number of variables is maximized. Some of the existing algorithms in the literature ignored objective 2 by focusing on the synthesis of a single solution without the addition of any ancillary qubits while others attempted to explore every possible solution in the search space in an effort to discover the optimal solution (i.e., sacrificed objective 1 and 4). Other algorithms resorted to adding a huge number of ancillary qubits (counter to objective 3) in an effort minimize the number of primitive gates (objective 2). In this dissertation, I first introduce the MMDSN algorithm that is capable of synthesizing binary specifications up to 30 variables, does not add any ancillary variables, produces better quantum cost (8-50% improvement) than algorithms which limit their search to a single solution and within a minimal amount of time compared to algorithms which perform exhaustive search (seconds vs. hours). The MMDSN algorithm introduces an innovative method of using the Hasse diagram to construct candidate solutions that are guaranteed to be valid and then selects the solution with the minimal quantum cost out of this subset. I then introduce the Covered Set Partitions (CSP) algorithm that expands the search space of valid candidate solutions and allows for exploring solutions outside the range of MMDSN. I show a method of subdividing the expansive search landscape into smaller partitions and demonstrate the benefit of focusing on partition sizes that are around half of the number of variables (15% to 25% improvements, over MMDSN, for functions less than 12 variables, and more than 1000% improvement for functions with 12 and 13 variables). For a function of n variables, the CSP algorithm, theoretically, requires n times more to synthesize; however, by focusing on the middle k (k by MMDSN which typically yields lower quantum cost. I also show that using a Tabu search for selecting the next set of candidate from the CSP subset results in discovering solutions with even lower quantum costs (up to 10% improvement over CSP with random selection). In Chapters 9 and 10 I question the predominant methods of measuring quantum cost and its applicability to physical implementation of quantum gates and circuits. I counter the prevailing literature by introducing a new standard for measuring the performance of quantum synthesis algorithms by enforcing the Linear Nearest Neighbor Model (LNNM) constraint, which is imposed by the today's leading implementations of quantum technology. In addition to enforcing physical constraints, the new LNNM quantum cost (LNNQC) allows for a level comparison amongst all methods of synthesis; specifically, methods which add a large number of ancillary variables to ones that add no additional variables. I show that, when LNNM is enforced, the quantum cost for methods that add a large number of ancillary qubits increases significantly (up to 1200%). I also extend the Hasse based method to the ternary and I demonstrate synthesis of specifications of up to 9 ternary variables (compared to 3 ternary variables that existed in the literature). I introduce the concept of ternary precedence order and its implication on the construction of the Hasse diagram and the construction of valid candidate solutions. I also provide a case study comparing the performance of ternary logic synthesis of large functions using both a CUDA graphic processor with 1024 cores and an Intel i7 processor with 8 cores. In the process of exploring large ternary functions I introduce, to the literature, eight families of ternary benchmark functions along with a Multiple Valued file specification (the Extended Quantum Specification XQS). I also introduce a new composite quantum gate, the multiple valued Swivel gate, which swaps the information of qubits around a centrally located pivot point. In summary, my research objectives are as follows: * Explore and create automated synthesis algorithms for reversible circuits both in binary and ternary logic for large number of variables. * Study the impact of enforcing Linear Nearest Neighbor Model (LNNM) constraint for every interaction between qubits for reversible binary specifications. * Advocate for a revised metric for measuring the cost of a quantum circuit in concordance with LNNM, where, on one hand, such a metric would provide a way for balanced comparison between the various flavors of algorithms, and on the other hand, represents a realistic cost of a quantum circuit with respect to an ion trap implementation. * Establish an open source repository for sharing the results, software code and publications with the scientific community. With the dwindling expectations for a new lifeline on silicon-based technologies, quantum computations have the potential of becoming the future workhorse of computations. Similar to the automated CAD tools of classical logic, my work lays the foundation for creating automated tools for constructing quantum circuits from reversible specifications. Close