Digital Commons Network^™

Stephen Langton, The Chanter Circle, And The Semiotics Of Violence In A Crusading Culture, Andrew Thornebrooke

University Honors Theses

The influence of Peter the Chanter's (d. 1197) pedagogy and moral theology on the development of the faculty of theology at the University of Paris is being increasingly well documented. Much work remains to be done, however, in developing our understanding of how the teachings of the Parisian master influenced the theological views of one of his most politically active disciples, Stephen Langton (c. 1150-1228). This research offers an intensive semiotic analysis of violent imagery and allusions to the Holy Land within the sermons of Langton, found in BnF Lat. MSS 14470 and 14593, as well as the decrees and …

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

University Honors Theses

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

Best Practices For Internal Controls To Prevent Occupational Fraud In Small Businesses?, Stephanie Shao

University Honors Theses

Fraud is a growing issue that organizations face. In the 2016 Report to the Nations, the ACFE estimated that organizations typically lose 5% of revenues each year to fraud. This is an extremely large cut of revenues that most businesses cannot afford to lose.

The ACFE reports that 30% of fraud victims within their study was small businesses with less than 100 employees (2016). While the median loss per fraud case is the same at $150,000 for for-profit organizations of any size, the frequency of fraud at small businesses is much higher than at large businesses (ACFE, 2016).

Though $150,000 …

The Implications Of Contract Manufacturing For A Company’S Brand Equity, Jeremy Riley

University Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to articulate the effects on brand equity for companies who have hired contract manufacturers. Focusing on the direct, tactical, and internal complications that arise when hiring a contract manufacturer, a theoretical framework was used to extend the complications and describe the impacts to brand equity. Research sources spanned peer-reviewed journals, case studies, interviews, and market research. In addition to fulfilling the honors thesis requirement, this paper also satisfies a University Studies Capstone requirement to aid an entrepreneur considering the use of contract manufacturing. Findings include positive and negative impacts to brand equity for companies …

Determining The Relationship Between White Matter Volume And Processing Speed In Adolescence, Julius Laxamana

University Honors Theses

Neuroimaging techniques have recently been used to research and identify relationships between structure and function. Because adolescence is a critical period for development of the brain, the present study’s goal was to identify the possible relationships between white matter (WM) volume and processing speed during this period. White matter was of particular interest as it consists of the myelinated axons of some nerve cells which are essential for nervous system functioning. The WM volume of 157 adolescents (ages 12-17) were determined from T1-weighted images via FMRIB’s Automated Segmentation Tool (FAST), whereby the brain was separated into WM, gray matter (GM), …

Prospectus For Future Research: Temperature Effects On Green Macroalgae, Ana Gonzalez Pelayo

University Honors Theses

Research on temperature change has received attention from scientists. Not only has temperature change attracted scientists who study the Earth’s weather and climate, but also those who study plants and animals on land and in oceans. The research being conducted looks at how these temperature changes affect the anatomy and physiology of organisms, but other research also studies how terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems have changed and the types of responses that have occurred as a result. For many years, research in terrestrial ecosystems has dominated research in aquatic ecosystems. Limited research has been conducted in aquatic ecosystems involving green macroalgae, …

Expression And Purification Of Recombinant Protein To Generate A Monoclonal Antibody To The Px Domain Of Tks5 Α Isoform In Cancer Cells, Eva Y. Chan

University Honors Theses

Tyrosine kinase Src substrates, Tks4 and Tks5, are involved in the formation of podosomes and invadopodia during cell migration and cancer cell metastasis. Most recently, the α isoform of Tks5 has been discovered highly expressed in cancer cells, suggesting that the Tks5 α isoform plays essential roles in the regulation of invadopodia. In the Tks protein family, only the Tks5 α isoform contains a PX domain, which binds an important second messenger, PI (3,4) P2. Using a monoclonal antibody as an antigen-specific-probe to detect the protein of interest could be a useful tool that would provide a highly specific recognition …

From Protest To Press: An Examination Of Paradigmatic Changes In News Making And Their Effects On Social Movement Evolution, Melinda Guillen

University Honors Theses

In discussions of the expansion of the new media environment in journalistic endeavors, academics have begun focusing on how this expansion affects social protest movements' interaction and successful interaction with news making. The manner in which news is created and reaches the masses has adapted, sometimes reluctantly, to the explosion of new media communication technologies. One controversial issue has been the impact the contemporary media environment has made on social movements, specifically with protests. Researchers argue that the contemporary media environment has been a tool used by protests to partake in more effective information diffusion to the masses. This paper …

Attitudes Among Legal Professionals: Measuring For A Difference In Attitudes Towards Science, Jonathen N. Gates

University Honors Theses

Media provides an image of science, as used by law, in an unflattering light. Scientific experts are portrayed as misrepresenting and obscuring the truth of research to support a position at the behest of lawyers and their clients. This research examines the occurrence of "junk science" in courts and relates doctrinal and values theories to explain its presence. An investigation of attitudes towards science is conducted using General Social Survey data to test whether legal professionals hold more negative views towards the scientific community than peers in other fields. The regressions suggest that legal professionals may in fact have more …

"Like A Parasite Dozing In The Gut": Idleness And Tending In J.M. Coetzee's Life And Times Of Michael K, Patrick Barrett

University Honors Theses

This paper will attempt to articulate how idleness functions in J.M. Coetzee’s 1983 novel Life and Times of Michael K, and to analyze how it might be undermining or commenting on the idea of idleness which was discursively produced in South Africa in the 17th and 18th centuries. Coetzee develops a commentary on the European representation of idleness in his book White Writing: On the Culture of Letters in South Africa, which for my purposes will serve as a jumping off point for a reading of Michael K. Furthermore, I will seek to examine the ways in which idleness does …

Regarding The Treatment Of Women, Where Did Jesus Set The Bar?, Katerina Paetzhold

University Honors Theses

This thesis crafts an argument for greater female education, teaching, and leadership within modern day Christian churches. By examining three key interactions between Jesus and women as recorded in the four canonical gospels, a clear example for gender equality within Christianity emerges. The manner in which Jesus speaks with the Samaritan Woman, Mary of Bethany, and the women at the resurrection, as well as the roles and responsibilities he places on them demonstrates that Christ saw women as capable of learning, teaching, and leading. As the canon of Christianity, Jesus' life on earth is the template that sets the bar …

Comparison Of Body Size And Wing Type In Beetles Found On Green Roofs And Adjacent Ground Sites In Portland, Oregon, Maggie Gardner

University Honors Theses

Green roofs and nearby ground habitats provide an arena to study invasion and compare dispersal ability between beetles. Invasive species can create a host of problems and to better prevent their spread it is vital to understand what traits allow for extensive colonization success. In this study, two physical traits of beetles, wing type and body size, were examined and compared to see if there were differences in the beetle communities found on eight green roofs and eight ground sites in Portland, Oregon. No significant difference was found in body size except when comparing roof only species with abundant species, …

Pre-Roosting Assemblages In Birds: An Observation Of American Crows In The Portland Park Blocks, Katherine Hendricks

University Honors Theses

The first objective of this study is to describe the seasonal patterns of variation in crow numbers and to assess the extent to which crow numbers vary with weather over the course of the winter in the Portland State University Park Blocks. The second objective of this study is to draw on current literature to help determine a possible explanation for the crow gatherings that occur at the Portland State University Park Blocks. I observed the population of crows from October 23^rd 2016 to March 31^st 2016 with a restricted survey area around Millar Library on the Portland …

The Effect Of Ph On The Photoluminescent Properties Of Silicon Nanoparticles, Parker Karaba

University Honors Theses

Since the discovery of photoluminescent (PL) emissions from nanosilicon in 1990, there has been an increased effort to understand this phenomenon, as well as applications it might serve. In particular, the potential use of silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) in the biomedical industry as optical contrast agents has garnered attention due to the non-toxicity of silicon, as well as its abundance and low cost. It is therefore prudent to understand factors that effect the PL behavior of these SiNPs in biological media. In this research, hydrogen terminated SiNPs (H-SiNPs) were synthesized using a sol-gel method, suspended in ethanol, then titrated with aqueous …

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

University Honors Theses

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

Review: A Novel Multiple Sclerosis Model Utilizing Cuprizone And Rapamycin, Mara Bahri

University Honors Theses

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system leading to debilitating long-term neurologic damage, primarily due to the limited ability of remyelination in the adult human brain. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding the combined administration of Cuprizone (CPZ) and rapamycin as a novel animal model for MS. Utilization of CPZ induces non-immune mediated demyelination, therefore bypassing complexities of the immune system and allowing analysis of de-/remyelination. Furthermore, remyelination occurs simultaneous with demyelination due to ongoing oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) differentiation into mature oligodendrocytes (OLGs).

The immunosuppressive agent, rapamycin inhibits the regulatory pathway Akt/mTOR, …

Following The Flat Hat: What Leads People To National Park Service Interpretive Careers?, Avarie Fitzgerald

University Honors Theses

National Park Service interpreters around the United States are dedicated to connecting people to their parks and historical sites. While these interpretive rangers have an important mission of preserving the landscape and stories of our nation’s most treasured places, a gap in the research of significant life experiences and environmental education professions exists in understanding the motivations behind following a career in the park service. Through semi-structured phenomenological interviews, the significant life experiences of interpretive park rangers were investigated as to their degree of influence on their choice of career. The findings indicate that quality time spent outdoors, family involvement, …

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (Mbsr) As An Alternative Therapy For Chronic Pain, Kayla Ohlgren

University Honors Theses

This thesis discusses the possibility of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as an alternative therapy for chronic pain in contrast to traditional medical care. It examines 18 peer-reviewed scholarly articles and identifies benefits for chronic pain patients in terms of pain severity, quality of life, psychological distress, and duration of benefits. This thesis also identifies practical benefits of MBSR such as cost, implementation, no negative side effects, and the creation of life-long skills to be used after treatment has ended. In conclusion, there is a significant gap in the current academic literature pertaining to chronic pain patients who are minorities, men, …

Trust & Growth In The Workplace: An Analysis Of Leadership In Flat Organizations, Drake George

University Honors Theses

Management styles affect the overall performance of employees and the growth of a business. Intertwined with leadership are the concepts of trust and credibility in relation to the success of a business and the satisfaction of employees and customers. A leader’s ability to adapt their management style to forecast changes in their industry strengthens their command of the business, and can establish trust. The overall challenge of transparency is that it is multifaceted. Trust from employees to leadership, trust from leadership to employees and trust from consumer to business all play a large role in establishing honest business practices. Through …

The Politics Of Water In Mexico City, Richelle Van Dusen

University Honors Theses

The privatization of water in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area is a long and complex process that continues today. The city’s greatest privatization effort, the National Water Law of 1992, was imposed by the federal government with assurances of improvement in accessibility, quality and sustainability. The resulting system that exists today has been largely ineffective in achieving these initial goals. Despite some progress in infrastructure, the partially-private system has aggravated the very social inequalities it aimed to alleviate, further marginalizing the poorest citizens through their water’s high costs, far-reaching inaccessibility, and poor quality. In the decentralized water system, contradictions become …

Perceived Addiction To Pornography, Level Of Distress And Their Correlates, Paul Grimes

University Honors Theses

Negative psychological states such as distress, shame and depression have been linked to problematic porn use. This is a proposal for a study that seeks to identify if perceived addiction to pornography and stress are correlated. In addition to this perceived addiction to porn, other perceived addictions (food, sex, alcohol, marijuana and cigarettes) will be tested to determine the level of comorbidity of addictions in people. The hypothesis of this study is: People that perceive themselves as having pornography addiction will have higher rates of other perceived addictions than those who do perceive themselves to be addicted to pornography; in …