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Articles 1 - 30 of 91
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Impacts Of Stream Habitat Restoration On Macroinvertebrate Assemblages: A Systematic Literature Review, Morgan E. Seitzer
Impacts Of Stream Habitat Restoration On Macroinvertebrate Assemblages: A Systematic Literature Review, Morgan E. Seitzer
University Honors Theses
Globally, river restoration has become a popular tool for improving the health of a watershed and restoring ecosystem services, but still has significant knowledge gaps. In certain areas and scientific communities, special attention has been given to the response of macroinvertebrates as a measure of restoration success. This systematic literature review aims to highlight and discuss the patterns in studies that have comparable before-and-after restoration data on macroinvertebrates after reconnecting stream channels to their floodplains. Macroinvertebrate sampling is a simple if not time-consuming task that can reveal important data about habitat quality. Because they serve as an important food source …
Examining The Interaction Between Calcium Supplement Use, Demographics, And Lifestyle Factors On Bone Health In Women, Vix Talbot
University Honors Theses
Osteoporosis is a condition which poses a significant health threat, particularly among women during the menopause transition, where accelerated bone loss increases fracture risk. Calcium supplementation has been shown to be an important intervention to mitigate bone mineral density (BMD) decline during this and other periods of life. However, the efficacy of calcium supplementation is influenced by various individual factors, including demographics and lifestyle habits. This study investigates the interaction between calcium supplement use, and several interaction terms on bone health in women. Multiple linear regression analysis is employed to assess the impact of these factors on BMD. Data from …
Student Perceptions: How Stem Students Value Belonging Interventions, Elizabeth Runkel Baez
Student Perceptions: How Stem Students Value Belonging Interventions, Elizabeth Runkel Baez
University Honors Theses
With the prioritization of increasing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) graduates in the United States, researchers have become increasingly interested in how to promote STEM students' sense of belonging. Sense of belonging is considered a marker of persistence in STEM. Facilitated 'belonging interventions' are one way to strengthen a sense of belonging amongst STEM students. How students respond to, value, and understand these belonging interventions is relatively understudied. In this study, focus groups were conducted with STEM students from a single university to investigate how they value an in-class belonging activity. Qualitative thematic coding of focus group responses revealed …
Microplastic Pollution In Stormwater: Preliminary Findings From The Oregon Coast, Jazmine Compton
Microplastic Pollution In Stormwater: Preliminary Findings From The Oregon Coast, Jazmine Compton
University Honors Theses
Microplastics have become ubiquitous in marine environments and pose a risk to ecosystem, organismal, and human health. Stormwater runoff has been suggested to be a major contributor to marine microplastic pollution. This project aims to quantify the average concentration of microplastics in stormwater in a community on the Oregon Coast. To accomplish this, stormwater samples were collected from five sites in Cannon Beach, Oregon, and one sample was analyzed using a dissection microscope. Using this technique, the number, size, and composition of the microplastic particles were determined. The calculated concentration of microplastics in the stormwater sample was 12.21 MPs/L, and …
Climate Justice Issues, Urban Heat Island Effect, And Trees As The Solution In Portland, Oregon, Cleo Needham
Climate Justice Issues, Urban Heat Island Effect, And Trees As The Solution In Portland, Oregon, Cleo Needham
University Honors Theses
Portland, Oregon, is experiencing rising temperatures caused by climate change and urban heat island effect. High heat disproportionately impacts vulnerable communities in Portland, causing harm to physical and mental health. Trees are a solution that reduces temperatures in urban environments. A strategy called 3-30-300 helps create a structure for where to place trees to help people receive the benefits. There are challenges with trees, such as the space required, the significant cost, and the time it takes to mature. Using trees as a solution can support and protect vulnerable communities in Portland, Oregon.
Henna Chatbot Capstone Review, Kobe Norcross
Henna Chatbot Capstone Review, Kobe Norcross
University Honors Theses
This thesis reviews the development of the Henna Chatbot, an AI-powered DEI consultant designed to provide personalized feedback to organizations. Sponsored by DEI consultant Arsh Haque, the project aims to address gaps in current DEI software, which often lacks team-specific feedback. The Henna Chatbot leverages GPT-3.5 Turbo to create an affordable SaaS platform where organizations can train Henna with their DEI values, and Henna will help organizations stay aligned with those values. The project spanned twenty weeks and was completed by a team of eight computer science students at Portland State University. The development process followed Agile methodologies, emphasizing effective …
Piloting A Drain Gauge As A Method Of Measuring Runoff From Ecoroofs In Portland, Trinity Perrin
Piloting A Drain Gauge As A Method Of Measuring Runoff From Ecoroofs In Portland, Trinity Perrin
University Honors Theses
The following paper will be exploring a pilot methodology of a drain gauge system I built that’s used to calculate stormwater runoff from ecoroofs in Portland, Oregon. The drain gauge is a less studied technique for measuring ecoroof runoff, but holds high potential for developing better monitoring and management of ecoroofs within the city of Portland. What separates this stormwater runoff capturing device apart from other stormwater runoff calculation techniques is its adaptable design and simple installation. The drain weir can be placed in any roof drain that an ecoroof has been installed simply by placing it into a roof …
Cards With Class: Formalizing A Simplified Collectible Card Game, Dan Ha
Cards With Class: Formalizing A Simplified Collectible Card Game, Dan Ha
University Honors Theses
Collectible card games (CCGs) have been a wildly popular game genre since the release of Wizards of the Coast's Magic: The Gathering. These games revolve around their thousands of cards and the hundreds of thousands of interactions they can create with their many effects. For designers, it is an incredibly demanding task to ensure that every single card works properly and that each card's text unambiguously conveys its intended behavior in all cases. The task only grows more difficult over time as the number of cards in the game grows and card effects become more complex or experimental. If the …
The Institutional Challenges Of A Quantified Self Study: An Attempt To Ascertain How Data Collected From A Mobile Device Can Be An Indicator Of Personal Mental Health Over Time, Julian Lazaras
University Honors Theses
The adoption of an application of new technology always comes with a bias, this is never more true for the case of human behavioral analytics within higher education. While movements such as the quantified self movement make strides to reinterpret the realm of data analytics, psychology, and computer science, there are inevitably limitations to the adoption and application of such approaches within the standard realm of research. Herein is presented a case where an effort to evaluate the prospect of use of mobile phone data as secondary indicators of personal mental health through the lens of data analysis was put …
Development Of A Two-Photon Imaging System, Jesseca Hollenbaugh
Development Of A Two-Photon Imaging System, Jesseca Hollenbaugh
University Honors Theses
The objective of this project was to convert a Sarastro 2000 confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) into a system capable of far-field two-photon excitation (TPE) imaging for the use of the PSU Biology department. TPE microscopy operates on the ability of fluorophores to accept two photons each with half the energy of a desired transition in a single quantum event via a virtual energy state and then emit a higher energy photon upon relaxation. This is preferable to single-photon excitation (SPE) imaging due to lower photon imaging, causing less damage to delicate biological samples, as well as the inherent localization …
Virtual Field Environments Capstone Software Review, Ashton Sawyer
Virtual Field Environments Capstone Software Review, Ashton Sawyer
University Honors Theses
This is a review of the Virtual Field Environments computer science capstone project, sponsored by geology professor Rick Hugo. The tool aims to create and render VFEs, interactable 360° environments hosted on the web that are used as virtual field trips for K-12 students. This essay discusses the development process, including understanding requirements, tool and technology selection, problem-solving, and decision-making strategies. It also highlights the differences between the capstone and the other core computer science courses, and how those differences help to prepare students for the workforce. The project was completed over the course of twenty weeks by a team …
Lang2views Capstone: The Importance Of A Conscientious Team Lead, Joseph Wornath
Lang2views Capstone: The Importance Of A Conscientious Team Lead, Joseph Wornath
University Honors Theses
This review essay reflects the Lang2views capstone project from the perspective of a team lead. The Lang2views capstone project was a web-based user interface designed to simplify how the Lang2views corporation localizes videos into other languages for their clients. Our capstone group was split into three subgroups: front-end, back-end, and DevOps. The strategy for completing the project went through a major change midway through development wherein we changed our software development methodology from a more rigid Waterfall-type approach to a more flexible Agile methodology. Because of this, many of the initially planned features had to be reevaluated as out of …
Enhancing Robustness Of Machine Learning Models Against Adversarial Attacks, Ronak Guliani
Enhancing Robustness Of Machine Learning Models Against Adversarial Attacks, Ronak Guliani
University Honors Theses
Machine learning models are integral for numerous applications, but they remain increasingly vulnerable to adversarial attacks. These attacks involve subtle manipulation of input data to deceive models, presenting a critical threat to their dependability and security. This thesis addresses the need for strengthening these models against such adversarial attacks. Prior research has primarily focused on identifying specific types of adversarial attacks on a limited range of ML algorithms. However, there is a gap in the evaluation of model resilience across algorithms and in the development of effective defense mechanisms. To bridge this gap, this work adopts a two-phase approach. First, …
Moss Biomonitoring Of Lead Emissions From Hillsboro Airport, Daria Kolpakov
Moss Biomonitoring Of Lead Emissions From Hillsboro Airport, Daria Kolpakov
University Honors Theses
The objective of this experiment was to use biomonitoring as a method to determine lead concentration levels around Hillsboro Airport in Hillsboro, Oregon. Twenty-two samples were collected within a 2 km radius around Hillsboro Airport using a randomized sampling strategy. The concentrations of lead within the samples were determined using ICP-MS. The average lead concentration was (2.8 ± 5.0) mg/kg with a peak value of 21.6 mg/kg 0.57 km from Hillsboro Airport. As the average lead concentration was substantially skewed, Hillsboro Airport is likely to be the source of the lead increase.
Pt-Symmetry And Eigenmodes, Tamara Gratcheva
Pt-Symmetry And Eigenmodes, Tamara Gratcheva
University Honors Theses
Spectra of systems with balanced gain and loss, described by Hamiltonians with parity and time-reversal (PT) symmetry is a rich area of research. This work studies by means of numerical techniques, how eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of a Schrodinger operator change as a gain-loss parameter changes. Two cases on a disk with zero boundary conditions are considered. In the first case, within the enclosing disk, we place a parity (P) symmetric configuration of three smaller disks containing gain and loss media, which does not have PT-symmetry. In the second case, we study a PT-symmetric configuration …
Remediating History: A Review Of Restoration For Creeks Polluted From Historical Mining Sites, With The Red Boy Mine As A Primary Case Study, Kara Atiyeh
University Honors Theses
I conducted a literature review to examine the key aspects of restoring watersheds affected by pollution from historical mining. This review is then applied to a case study discussion of the Red Boy Mine and Clear Creek remediation project in Granite, Oregon. The goal of this discussion is to explore how an analysis of site conditions along with current literature on management practices can help guide these projects. Thousands of abandoned hard rock mines remain throughout the country, and many pose serious environmental health effects. Heavy metals like cadmium, nickel, and copper are brought to the surface from mining activity, …
The Cascading Effects Of Database Design, Liam Mccracken
The Cascading Effects Of Database Design, Liam Mccracken
University Honors Theses
This paper details how a relational database influenced the design of the rest of a software project. The software project in question is WonderTix, an open-source ticketing and donation platform for the use of Portland Playhouse under continuous development by teams of Portland State students as their computer science capstone project. The paper, a capstone review thesis, examines WonderTix as an instantiation of the Model-View-Controller design pattern, noting how the model, a relational database based on the SQL standard, influenced the design of the view and controller components. This influence is explored from three angles. First, when the implementation of …
Auditory Ace Mobile Application Capstone Review, Layla Smith
Auditory Ace Mobile Application Capstone Review, Layla Smith
University Honors Theses
This paper describes the development process and outcomes of my 2023-2024 Capstone Project, Auditory Ace, a self-directed auditory training mobile application for individuals with cochlear implants. Recognizing the limitations of current market offerings, Dr. Timothy Anderson created a Capstone project proposal to develop an accessible auditory training mobile application. The Capstone team that took on this proposal consisted of Darya Haines, Dustin Huynh, Jordan Nguyen, Nihar Koppolu, Scott Thorkelson, Sienna Day, and myself, Layla Smith. This paper is structured to follow the Agile software development methodology, which we used to develop Auditory Ace, reviewing in detail every major choice we …
The Lewis Acidity Of Imidazole-Derived Diaryliodonium Zwitterions, Cyrus Rose
The Lewis Acidity Of Imidazole-Derived Diaryliodonium Zwitterions, Cyrus Rose
University Honors Theses
Diaryliodonium salts can be used as effective aryl-transfer agents in reactions to form novel molecules with diverse applications including pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals without using harsh reaction conditions and transition metal reagents. In recent years, interest in the applications of the Lewis acidity of iodonium ion catalysts has increased. Despite this, the quantification of the Lewis acidities of diaryliodonium salts are scarce. Even rarer, there has not been much study into the Lewis acidities of zwitterionic diaryliodonium salts. For zwitterions, there is no counter anion that would come into consideration in regard to its Lewis acidity. To expand the understanding of …
Multi-Scale Variability Of Heavy Metals In A Snowpack In The Triple Divide Region Of The Western United States, Kelsey Hefner
Multi-Scale Variability Of Heavy Metals In A Snowpack In The Triple Divide Region Of The Western United States, Kelsey Hefner
University Honors Theses
Natural and anthropogenically sourced particulates are deposited from the atmosphere to landscapes via dry and wet deposition, making frozen winter snowpack a natural archive of atmospheric elemental composition. In the Western United States, wildfires are increasing in extent, duration, and severity. Severe fires remove forest canopy, impacting how atmospheric elements are dispersed and stored across snow-dominated watersheds. We evaluated concentrations of twelve elements in 397 winter snow core samples from a chronosequence of eight forests that burned with mixed severity from 2000 to 2018 in the Triple Divide region of Western Wyoming, the headwaters of the Columbia, Colorado, and Missouri …
Extended Producer Responsibility: Successes, Failures, And The Future Of Oregon Recycling, Zoe Vandal
Extended Producer Responsibility: Successes, Failures, And The Future Of Oregon Recycling, Zoe Vandal
University Honors Theses
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a waste management program used globally to improve the recovery, recycling, and management of solid waste materials. There are three types of EPR programs defined by their target materials: electronic and electrical waste (WEEE) EPR, hazardous waste EPR, and packaging EPR. Europe has implemented all three types with relative success. The US has implemented WEEE EPR and hazardous waste EPR and is currently in the process of implementing packaging EPR on a state scale in Oregon, California, Colorado, Maine, and Maryland with 10 more bills being introduced in 2024 alone. Oregon's EPR program will be …
Birkhoff Summation Of Irrational Rotations: A Surprising Result For The Golden Mean, Heather Moore
Birkhoff Summation Of Irrational Rotations: A Surprising Result For The Golden Mean, Heather Moore
University Honors Theses
This thesis presents a surprising result that the difference in a certain sums of constant rotations by the golden mean approaches exactly 1/5. Specifically, we focus on the Birkhoff sums of these rotations, with the number of terms equal to squared Fibonacci numbers. The proof relies on the properties of continued fraction approximants, Vajda's identity and the explicit formula for the Fibonacci numbers.
Spectroscopic End Point Detection With An Electron Beam Evaporator, Ryan Mcgraw
Spectroscopic End Point Detection With An Electron Beam Evaporator, Ryan Mcgraw
University Honors Theses
Spectroscopic end point detection is a common tool used for measuring slope changes in wavelength intensity. Using algorithms able to apply this concept, coatings will be able to be dynamically measured in real time and stopped at the appropriate level to ensure process uniformity. It is currently applied to reductive processes such as etching, where the surface will start to be eaten away, creating a plasma. When the entire amount of a material on a substrate has been eaten away, the plasma will change color as it is beginning to etch a different material. Using a spectrometer, this point where …
Supply Is Not Limulus: Research Review Of Horseshoe Crab Conservation In The Face Of Intense Pharmaceutical Demand, Zoya Galeev
Supply Is Not Limulus: Research Review Of Horseshoe Crab Conservation In The Face Of Intense Pharmaceutical Demand, Zoya Galeev
University Honors Theses
Horseshoe crabs are being used by the pharmaceutical industry to conduct endotoxin tests using LAL derived from the organism’s blood to ensure safe medical practice. Their annual collection and bleeding, while not always leading to mortality, affects horseshoe crab behavior and health. This research seeks to understand how the American horseshoe crab, L. polyphemus, is being used by pharmaceutical agencies and the implications that their harvesting has on the industry and the conservation of the species. Studies were collected from the past decade across two databases, Web of Science (WOS) and PubMed, to assess present conservation techniques to reduce …
How Beavers (Castor Canadensis) Affect Habitat Availability For Two Native Oregon Turtles: Actinemys Marmorata And Chrysemys Picta Bellii, Rodé Krige
University Honors Theses
Oregon is home to two native freshwater turtle species: the northwestern pond turtle and the western painted turtle. Both turtles are Oregon conservation strategy species with a status rating of sensitive, indicating declining populations. Oregon’s decline in these turtle’s populations is thought to be predominantly due to loss and degradation of habitat that results from development and urbanization. Beavers’ ability to dam streams and create ponds may be creating habitat usable by turtles, but the relationship is under-studied. This study assessed water temperature, basking habitat, and overall turtle habitat suitability at beaver-dammed and control ponds in Portland, Oregon. Average basking …
The Effects Of Salt Marsh Restoration On The Hydrology Of Salt Marsh Channels, Isis Kontas
The Effects Of Salt Marsh Restoration On The Hydrology Of Salt Marsh Channels, Isis Kontas
University Honors Theses
Salt marshes produce many ecosystem services, from water purification to protection from hurricanes. Despite their benefits, salt marshes have been impacted negatively by human activities. There are many salt marsh restoration projects that intend to bring back all ecological functions and services. Quantifiable measurements are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of such restoration efforts. Earlier work by Reagan Thomas demonstrated what happens to the hydrology of salt marsh channels when they are adjacent to restored salt marshes. This study builds on Thomas’ work and uses the sinuosity of channels as a quantitative, representative metric of salt marsh hydrology restoration effectiveness. …
Microplastics Presence In Rhizophora Mangle Roots Throughout Fishponds And Open Coasts In Moloka'i, Hawaii, Mia Hackett
Microplastics Presence In Rhizophora Mangle Roots Throughout Fishponds And Open Coasts In Moloka'i, Hawaii, Mia Hackett
University Honors Theses
Microplastics (MP) are an emerging global contaminant that has drawn the attention of many researchers in the last few decades due to their growing environmental threats. Pieces of plastic smaller than 5 mm, they are specifically a high cause for concern in marine environments as their small size allows them to flow from inland into the ocean. Through this movement, MPs have been found in all marine ecosystems and ingested by hundreds of marine species often mistaking them for food. Labeled as one of the most threatened ecosystems, mangrove forests are already a large sink for a variety of contaminants …
Exploring The Relationship Between Green Space And Academic Performance, Audrey Demeaux
Exploring The Relationship Between Green Space And Academic Performance, Audrey Demeaux
University Honors Theses
A growing body of literature is exploring the possibility that the presence of green spaces near schools can work to improve academic performance. Research to date on the relationship between green space and academic performance has shown mixed results. However, some see incorporating green spaces into school layouts as a key alternative strategy for improving academic achievement in the United States. This paper adds to the emerging discourse on the relationship between green space and academic achievement by using open-source data to conduct a regression analysis exploring the possible relationship between green space near K-12 schools and SAT scores in …
The Power Of (Virtual) Convergence: The Unrealized Potential Of Pair Programming And Remote Work, Mikayla Maki
The Power Of (Virtual) Convergence: The Unrealized Potential Of Pair Programming And Remote Work, Mikayla Maki
University Honors Theses
Remote work is expensive. It can lead to isolation, miscommunications, and ossified organizations. These problems occur because of a synchronicity mismatch between how we need to communicate as humans, and what today's tools are capable of. This mismatch can be solved by the adoption of remote pair programming, as exemplified by the authors work at a startup (Zed). Pair programming provides the organic, synchronous, reciprocal interaction necessary to develop the sorts of relationships that remote firms currently lack.
Job Management Portal Software Review, Ruchir Elukurthy
Job Management Portal Software Review, Ruchir Elukurthy
University Honors Theses
This essay provides an overview of a computer science capstone project focused on developing a website for Abilities At Work, a non-profit organization. The website aims to assist employment specialists in managing clients' information and tracking their job application in finding meaningful employment. The essay highlights the various stages of the project, understanding requirements, selecting tools and technologies, creating an application architecture, and writing code. Also, this essay focuses on the challenges encountered during the project, along with the valuable lessons learned. This essay emphasizes how the project closely resembles real-world software development, offering insights for prospective students and professionals. …