Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Consent: An Analysis Of Consent In Dark Romance And Contemporary Romance Books, Janeth Hernandez

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

This research paper analyzes whether consent is found more frequently in dark romance or contemporary romance books by examining the language used, who speaks the phrases, and the contexts in which they are spoken. This paper explores the dominant sexual script in contemporary romance books and its influence on representations of consent, contrasting this with the absence of such a script in dark romance, which permits more varied incorporations of consent. This analysis was done through content analysis-- word frequency, consent analysis, and thematic coding. Word frequency provided evidence of consent use in the books, while consent analysis and thematic …

Preliminary Reactions For Do3mbn Ester Design Of Experiments With A Separation Procedure For Do2mbn Ester And Do3mbn Ester Ligand, Cerys A. Easton

University Honors Theses

The ratio of products resulting from a reaction of cyclen (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane) and benzyl (S)-2-bromopropanoate substituent arm is analyzed in three polar aprotic solvents at varying concentrations of cyclen and temperatures. This is for a future design of experiments procedure to determine the optimal experimental conditions for selective DO3MBn ester production without the use of a protecting group. It was found that the reaction completion time is less than 24 hours at reaction temperatures at or above 50 °C and less than 3 days for reaction temperatures at 30 °C regardless of the cyclen concentrations or equivalents of substituent …

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 …

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 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.

Intersectionalities Of Systematic Barriers Set Upon Underrepresented Students In Stem: Capturing The Potential Benefits Of Online Modality, Raiyasha Aiyanna Paris

University Honors Theses

The prevalence of racism and microaggressions in STEM disciplines within colleges presents significant hurdles to the academic success and well-being of underrepresented students. Microaggressions, encompassing subtle biases and stereotyping, have a cumulative impact, inducing heightened stress, diminished motivation, and reduced self-efficacy among minority students, thereby impeding cognitive functioning and hindering academic progress (Ogunyemi et al., 2020). The existence of these negative emotional responses creates a less conducive learning environment for academic achievement. Additionally, structural inequalities within STEM institutions contribute to disparities in resource access, limited mentorship opportunities, and support networks crucial for success in STEM fields (Atkins et al., 2020). …

Understanding Waveguides In Resonance, Pieter Johannes Daniel Vandenberge

Dissertations and Theses

Several important classes of modern optical waveguides, including anti-resonant reflecting and photonic bandgap fibers, make use of geometries that guide energy in low refractive index material, a property that makes them of significant interest in numerous applications, notably including high-power delivery and guidance. These waveguides frequently exhibit resonance phenomena, in which their ability to propagate an input signal is sharply curtailed at particular operating frequencies. In this work we detail new advances in understanding these resonance effects and their implications for numerical modeling of these structures.

Part 1 focuses on the fields of slab waveguides, relatively simple structures for which …

The Wage Of Wellness: The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status, Race, And Work Recovery, Emily Julia Ready

Dissertations and Theses

A substantial share of the workforce is made up of low-income workers. Many of these workers fall below the federal poverty line and are considered low socioeconomic status (SES) and are disproportionately more likely to be racial minorities. However, this population is often neglected in the industrial-organizational psychological literature. Specifically, work recovery research has not considered the unique life circumstances of this particular group in the development of the research questions, theoretical framework, or practical implications in relation to this phenomenon. The purpose of the current study is to understand the relationship between socioeconomic status, race, and work recovery experiences …

Numerical Study Of Cone Penetration In Calcareous Sands: Investigating Cone Tip Resistance Correction Factors For Crushable Soils, Stephanie Michelle Hyder

Dissertations and Theses

The cone penetration test (CPT) is used to characterize the behavior and properties of soils, including the susceptibility to earthquake liquefaction triggering. The cone tip resistance relates to liquefaction susceptibility through relative density, where relative density is closely related to both cone tip resistance and liquefaction susceptibility. Currently, published methods of estimating liquefaction potential (i.e., cyclic resistance ratio) are based on silica sands and do not properly characterize calcareous sands. The measured cone tip resistance in calcareous sands is lower than in silica sands at the same relative density; this difference is generally attributed to the higher compressibility of calcareous …

Gut Feelings: A Literature Review On The Gut-Brain Axis And Its Potential Influence On Mood, Grace Johnson

University Honors Theses

In recent decades, research on the gut-brain axis has evolved due to an increasing interest in the connection between gut health and mental health. The gut-brain axis presents a new frontier of health for both medical professionals and psychologists as there is expanding evidence illustrating the comorbidity of gut disorders and mood disorders. Due to the complex nature of studying the gut-brain axis and the myriad of influences on mood disorders such as depression, research has yet to find significant results definitively tying the two together. Nonetheless, the current body of literature on the topic provides a promising outlook on …

Norse Inspired Tales: Four Changes Of Fate, Pete Wille

University Honors Theses

Norse Inspired Tales: Four Changes of Fate is a collection of four original short stories meant to act as an introduction to a broader literary world where Norse myth meets late eighteen hundred's, San Francisco. The introduction gives background on my literary journey and explains some of the choices made within these stories. Each following story reveals the characters and the world they currently inhabit.

Risk Factors Of Dental Anxiety And Exploration Of Interventions, Katelin Hancock

University Honors Theses

Within this literature review, the root causes of dental anxiety, current intervention methods, and possible preventative interventions are discussed. Dental anxiety affects millions of individuals across diverse backgrounds and can be detrimental to oral health. This issue can arise from various sources, however, different socioeconomic and sociodemographic factors can contribute to an individual's risk of developing dental anxiety. Understanding what predisposes certain populations to become more likely to develop dental anxiety is imperative to holistically address the concern. Investigating the relationship between lack of access, oral health, and anxiety levels allows for an understanding of the root causes of anxiety. …

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Juvenile Offender Typology, Aliza Beth Lipman

Dissertations and Theses

Approximately 1 in 5 girls and in 20 boys in the United States are victims of child sexual assault every year. Child sexual assault can lead to multiple negative short term and long-term impacts affecting general health, mental health, interpersonal relationships, socio-economic status, criminal behavior and more. Prevention research focuses on a thorough understanding of the perpetrators of assault and the context surrounding offenses in order to reduce and prevent assault. Within this research, juvenile offenders are perceived as a single homogenous group whereas adult offenders are consistently specified based on offender and offense characteristics. The exploration of the relationship …

Corporatizing Violence: Targeted Repression Of Indigenous Dissent In Democratic States, Laikaika Layne Rivera

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores state repression of disruptive protests against private development projects in democracies. Using a mixed methods approach, including logistic regression and case studies, the research identifies key factors influencing repression. Indigenous leadership, fragmented public opposition, and private elite influence increase the likelihood of violent repression. The findings suggest that when public resistance is insufficient against powerful private interests, coercive institutions resort to violent strategies to quell disruptions and signal increased costs for future dissent. State repression is more likely when the protest movement is comprised of Indigenous groups than compared to those of the general public. The study …

Comparison Of Conventional And Adaptive Acoustic Beamforming Algorithms Using A Tetrahedral Microphone Array In Noisy Environments, Megan Brittany Ewers

Dissertations and Theses

In situ acoustic measurements are often plagued by interfering sound sources that occur within the measurement environment. Both adaptive and conventional beamforming algorithms, when applied to the outputs of a microphone array arranged in a tetrahedral geometry, are able to capture sound sources in desired directions and reject sound from unwanted directions. Adaptive algorithms may be able to measure a desired sound source with greater spatial precision, but require more calculations and, therefore, computational power. A conventional frequency-domain phase-shift algorithm and a modified adaptive frequency-domain Minimum Variance Distortionless Response (MVDR) algorithm were applied to simulated and recorded signals from a …

Faculty Mentors' Influence On Latino/A/X Stem Undergraduates' Stem Identity Development, Sandy Cerda-Lezama

Dissertations and Theses

Despite Latino/a/x college student attendance rising substantially over the past decades, their graduation rates do not match the increased admission rates. In addition, Latino/a/x students are considerably under-represented in STEM. However, research suggests that when these students are encouraged by social partners to have meaningful participation and given resources such as mentoring, this eases the barriers they experience. The current study utilized interviews with 11 Latino/a/x STEM undergraduates (aged 18-29) to understand how faculty mentors influence their STEM identity development. Students shared answers about how faculty promoted and inhibited their STEM identity development through conversations about their sense of competence, …

A Survey Of North American Electric Bicycle Owners, Cameron Steven Bennett

Dissertations and Theses

Rapid recent growth in the popularity of electric bicycles (e-bikes) has captured the attention of transportation researchers and policymakers seeking safe, sustainable, and active alternatives to conventional transportation modes. This thesis presents an investigation of e-bike owners in North America, complementing previous efforts in 2013 and 2017, and suggests implications for North American transportation planning.

An online survey was distributed to e-bike owners in the United States and Canada through email outreach, purchase incentive programs, and social media. The survey included questions on the respondents’ demographics, e-bikes, purchase decisions, travel behavior, perceptions of e-bikes, crash experience, maintenance needs, and receipt …

Emerald Ash Borer: Our Community's First Response, Victor Vasquez-Ibarra, Maura Olivos, Janet Silva- Villanueva, Mariana Valenzuela

Urban Ecosystem Research Consortium of Portland/Vancouver

When natural resource (NR) threats like Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) come to regions it is not uncommon for events to pass through underserved and vulnerable communities unbeknownst. For many communities, the lack of awareness is due to barriers like language access, non-prioritization of information sharing, or other life priorities. Before long, the impacts are realized with little understanding as to why or how, bringing greater disparity. Proactively working first with underserved and vulnerable communities helps dismantle barriers that delay awareness of threats like EAB and will empower people to prepare, respond, and build resiliency for future NR issues. One such …

Teaching In A Kenyan Refugee Camp: A Critical Ethnography Of The Impact Of Teacher Preparation And Cultural Experience On Pedagogy, James Adiok Mayik

Dissertations and Theses

This research involved an investigation of the classroom experiences of formally unprepared refugee teachers in Kakuma Refugee camp. The purpose was to understand how refugee teachers with no preservice preparation in accordance with the standards of Kenya Teacher Service Commission (TSC) perceive and interact with pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and cultural relevancy in their daily classroom experiences with students in a refugee camp-based school in Kenya. What informed this study was the view that refugee teachers bring with them their respective and diverse cultural knowledge--ontology, epistemology, and axiology. To gain better understanding of the experiences and perspectives of these educators, …

Understanding The Other: Mentor Ethnocultural Empathy And Relationship Quality And Duration In Youth Mentoring, Miriam Miranda-Diaz

Dissertations and Theses

Given the positive youth outcomes associated with participation in mentoring programs, there is growing interest to explore factors associated with mentoring relationship quality and duration in formal youth mentoring programs. In comparison to the majority of volunteer mentors, many young people participating in formal mentoring programs are of a racial-ethnic minority group and tend to be economically disadvantaged. This study investigates factors associated with these socio-cultural background differences between mentors and mentees. More specifically, this study investigates the association between a mentor's level of ethnocultural empathy, as reflected in empathic perspective-taking and acceptance of cultural differences, and the quality and …

Queer Rural Youth Online: A Digital Ethnography, Joseph Robert Burns

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is based on digital ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2023 within Queer subcommunities on the social media sites Reddit and Twitter (now known as X) and data collected from interviews with Queer rural youth members of these communities. The data reveal that social media use directly influences the lives and actions of Queer rural youth, who use the space to build social connections, shape their personal identities, and seek advice pertaining to their in-person lives and decisions. By using these spaces, Queer rural youth build both bonding and bridging social capital, learn to subvert restrictions to their Internet access, …

Behavioral Management Of Respiratory/Phonatory Dysfunction For Dysarthria Associated With Neurodegenerative Disease: A Systematic Review, Sarah E. Perry, Michelle Troche, Jessica E. Huber, Jordanna Sevitz, James Curtis, Brianna Kiefer, Qiana Dennard, Deanna Britton, Multiple Additional Authors

Speech and Hearing Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose:

This systematic review represents an update to previous reviews of the literature addressing behavioral management of respiratory/phonatory dysfunction in individuals with dysarthria due to neurodegenerative disease.

Method:

Multiple electronic database searches and hand searches of prominent speech-language pathology journals were conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses standards.

Results:

The search yielded 1,525 articles, from which 88 met inclusion criteria and were reviewed by two blinded co-investigators. A large range of therapeutic approaches have been added to the evidence base since the last review, including expiratory muscle strength training, singing, and computer- and device-driven …

A Review Of The Business Capstone: Working With An Education Program, Hanna Tran

University Honors Theses

This review thesis walks through the business capstone process which is a hands-on experience with a local business client. The business client, Company A, is an arts and education program that has reached out to the School of Business's capstone class to help them improve their reach to potential customers and find alternative funding other than student tuition and donations. To achieve these goals, our group conducted several analyses and thorough research combined with our existing business education. Our findings and final recommendations are shown in presentations and a final report that the business client can utilize for their future …

An Argument For The Integration Of Black Psychology In Undergraduate Psychology Program, Kelsey D. Glass

University Honors Theses

When we think about the theories behind the foundation of American psychology, many European names come to mind (i.e. Freud, Erickson, Brofenbrenner etc.). This Euro-American mode of psychology has been the standard in American Undergraduate education since the founding of a formal psychological education in the U.S. but what about names like Wade Nobles, Joseph White, Na-im Akbar, or Linda James Myers? These forerunners of Black Psychology are elusive in the foundational education of current American Undergraduate programs due to longstanding racial bias in the field. This bias reflects the systemic racism that American culture was founded on. This paper …

Youth Mental Health And Help-Seeking Behaviors, Azya Ripley

University Honors Theses

We know that there is a mental health crisis but that many youth will hesitate to seek out help or will not know how to seek out help. This thesis investigates some factors that represent barriers to youth in asking and getting help from adults for mental health, and how adults can intervene to increase youth's likelihood to be vulnerable and honest in their struggles. Moving forward, I outline some concrete ways to normalize asking for help and to make it easier for youth to access counselors and therapists.

Can Artificial Intelligence Be Used As A Stepping-Stone Towards Face-To-Face Therapy?, Zachary Salcido

University Honors Theses

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative tool in various fields, including mental health care and therapy. This study provides a comprehensive review of literature, gathered through Portland State University's Online Library, on the potential of AI as a stepping stone towards face-to-face therapy. The study examines the historical development of AI in mental health, highlighting its development and advancements that have influenced its current implementations.

In addition to its direct applications in therapy, AI is also examined in the context of its role as a facilitator or "stepping stone" in the delivery of mental health care. AI-driven platforms …

The Mosaic Programs Of The Basilica Of San Vitale And The Great Palace Of Constantinople: A Unique Reinvention Of Roman Pasts, Justine Spencer

University Honors Theses

The Church of San Vitale and the Great Palace of Constantinople offer remarkable examples of artistic productions in early Byzantine mosaics. Bridging from the same Roman past they reinvented a classical medium with their unique interpretations of earlier traditions. They exemplify the diversity of Byzantine artistic productions that could coexist within the same medium and era. The mosaics of the Great Palace were part of a secular governmental public space and found deep in the heart of the Eastern Roman Empire. The mosaics of the Church of San Vitale were made for the domain of the newly reconsecrated Orthodox church …

Nonlinear Interactions Of Sea‐Level Rise And Storm Tide Alter Extreme Coastal Water Levels: How And Why?, H. Moftakhari, D. F. Muñoz, A. Akbari Asanjan, A. Aghakouchak, Hamid Moradkhani, David A. Jay

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sea-level rise (SLR) increasingly threatens coastal communities around the world. However, not all coastal communities are equally threatened, and realistic estimation of hazard is difficult. Understanding SLR impacts on extreme sea level is challenging due to interactions between multiple tidal and non-tidal flood drivers. We here use global hourly tidal data to show how and why tides and surges interact with mean sea level (MSL) fluctuations. At most locations around the world, the amplitude of at least one tidal constituent and/or amplitude of non-tidal residual have changed in response to MSL variation over the past few decades. In 37% of …

Gestural Temporality In Sciarrino’S Recitativo, Antares L. Boyle

School of Music + Theater Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sciarrino’s writings describe a compositional philosophy that prizes multidimensionality and spatiotemporal discontinuity (1998, 2004). Yet his simultaneous allegiance to teleology, holism, and fractal hierarchies reveals an underlying unifying organicism with which these qualities may initially seem to conflict. I take Sciarrino’s 1999 piano concerto Recitativo oscuro as a case study for examining the composer’s gestural organicism and its various contradictions and double meanings. First, close analysis of the opening piano solo demonstrates how seemingly contradictory aesthetic priorities—organic unity and temporal multiplicity—co-exist within a single passage. Drawing from Kramer’s (1988) concept of “gestural time,” Hatten’s (2004) theory of gesture, segmentation theories, …

Reconnecting A Stream Channel To Its Floodplain: Implications For Benthic Diatoms And Macroinvertebrate Trophic Structure, Patrick M. Edwards, Nicole C. Popp, Yangdong Pan, Christine L. Weilhoefer, Aspen Peterman, Lauren Mork, Matthew F. Johnson, Megan Colley, Multiple Additional Authors

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Streams systems draining upland landscapes provide valuable ecosystem services, but they are vulnerable to incision and channelization caused by anthropogenic disturbance. Restoring a degraded stream to its pre-disturbance condition by reconnecting the channel to its historical floodplain aims to recover lost hydro-morphological processes and functions. Seeking evidence to indicate whether that aim is met in practice, we examined diatoms and the stream macroinvertebrate trophic structures in three reaches of Whychus Creek, Oregon, United States. Two reaches were reconnected to their pre-disturbance floodplains in 2012 and 2016. The third, control reach, was not restored and was selected to represent the degraded …

Early Reading Instruction Methods: An Analysis On The Outcomes Of Whole Language Instruction And Phonics Instruction, Kaitlin Nims-Fournier

University Honors Theses

Many within the field of education struggle to meet common ground in regards to how we should teach children to read. Throughout the past several decades, educators have engaged in discussions around early reading interventions, specifically related to phonics instruction and whole language instruction. This review examines previous scholarship on these two instructional approaches and the effectiveness of various reading interventions. The findings reveal that each instructional approach targets different skills and that a balanced approach is recommended. The purpose of this review is to highlight each of the characteristics of phonics instruction and whole language instruction and to evaluate …