Digital Commons Network^™

Machine Learning Framework For Predicting Reliability Of Solder Joints, Robert Lee Jones

Dissertations and Theses

This paper presents the techniques and framework to produce an explainable machine learning model for predicting the reliability of solder joints exposed to thermal cycle testing. While machine learning techniques have become prevalent for many engineering and data analysis tasks, the complexity of the model occludes valuable information which can be used to refine the data, tune model parameters, and aid in scientific discovery. By exposing the relationships within the model, users can have greater confidence in the use and employment of it. The purpose of this study is to show how useful relationships can be obtained from a traditional …

Single-Stage Three-Phase Buck-Boost Dc/Ac Converter Design, Analysis, And Validation, Daisy Delgado-Zaragoza

Dissertations and Theses

Three-phase DC/AC power converters enable several applications including photovoltaic systems, electric traction inverters, uninterruptible power supplies, and utility systems. The classical three-phase voltage source inverter (VSI) topology only operates in voltage step-down or buck mode of operation. Increasing number of applications including transformer-less photovoltaic systems, battery cells, fuel cells, and traction motors require a wide range of input and output voltage range. Therefore, a DC/AC power converter topology capable of voltage buck and boost operation will enable wider operating range resulting in efficient and higher performance system designs. This thesis presents a single-stage bidirectional power flow DC/AC inverter topology capable …

An Evaluation Of Sediment Transport In The Columbia River Basin: Before And After System-Wide Flow Regulation, Patrick Alan Haluska

Dissertations and Theses

Erosion and sediment transport are ubiquitous in every riverine ecosystem. Aquatic habitat eroded and sediment removal for infrastructure require deposition of upstream material to maintain morphodynamic equilibrium. A large percentage of total sediment transport occurs during relatively brief high flow events throughout the water-year. Dams are known to modify the ability for streams to freely transport sediment. Depending on the river size and dam type, downstream movement of sediment can be inhibited or completely eliminated. On the Columbia River, 14 dams are situated between the tidal-zone to the headwaters in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The main uses of the dams …

Thermal Regimes Of Beaver Impacted Stream Reaches In The Tualatin River Basin, Miles Mayer

Dissertations and Theses

Climate change and urbanization are expected to cause major changes to hydrologic regimes over the Pacific Northwest Region. The Tualatin River Basin, an area of the Pacific Northwest just west of Portland, OR has been subjected to considerable water-quality issues, including stream temperature. As ecosystem engineers, beavers have the potential to mitigate stream degradation and, consequently, there is increasing interest in beaver-related restoration. However, different conclusions have been found on beaver dam impacts to stream thermal regimes. These differences have been attributed to geographical differences in study location and variability in methods and investigated spatiotemporal scales. We investigated summer thermal …

How Can Dei Training Change The Culture Of An Organization To Achieve Belonging And Retain Diverse Employees?, Kaisa S. Holt

University Honors Theses

Studies show the need for innovation and higher productivity yields can be best achieved through workforce heterogeneity. Creating effective DEI training frameworks is crucial for belonging, sustainable social well-being and enacting real change. This is key to proactively shifting our current system from one that responds to the need for DEI on a surface level to something that is regenerative. The aim of this review is to evaluate characteristics and enhancements added to evidence-based DEI training between 2020 and 2024. Studies were identified using the Portland State advanced database of academic journals on the DEI training and impacts of the …

The Experience Of Homelessness And Its Effects On Gut Eubiosis, Kamerin Villagomez

University Honors Theses

Microorganisms which populate the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) have a profound effect on overall human health. The relationship between host health and eubiosis, or balance, of the GIT microbiome is symbiotic and can have reciprocal relationships with quality of sleep, quality of diet, stress and mental health, and the experience of pain. These specific aspects of health are unique in populations experiencing homelessness due to the multi-dimensional and complex nature of their lived experience. Very few studies explore populations experiencing homelessness, with even fewer investigating the intersection between this population and the human GIT microbiome. It is important to do …

Social Media And Perceptions Of Supreme Court Legitimacy, Ryan Stadler

University Honors Theses

This thesis observed how information sources may have a polarizing effect on perceptions of Supreme Court legitimacy. The focus of the study was to measure whether social media had a stronger effect on peoples' perception of Supreme Court legitimacy when compared to other forms information sources. This study may significantly determine how support for the Supreme Court can fluctuate depending on both the platform of information distribution and the content of the information. This study used an anonymous survey to canvas sentiment about the Supreme Court in the Portland Metro Area. The initial findings suggest that those who use social …

Caregiver Perceptions Of Antipsychotic Drug Use In Dementia Populations: Investigating How Antipsychotic Medications Are Overused, Alexis Wellman

University Honors Theses

Antipsychotic drugs have been strongly suggested by many authors to cause great harm to those with dementia. Yet, they are still used in an overabundance in memory care facilities. Caregivers, who spend the most time with residents, often decide when and why people with dementia receive antipsychotic drugs. By examining the background of the relationship between antipsychotic drugs and the dementia population, it is clear that caregivers need more education on antipsychotic medications, better staffing on the average shift, more administrative support to handle medication orders and changes, and better laws and regulations to better reduce the amount of antipsychotic …

Lsp Needs Analysis In The Context Of International Minor League Baseball, Julia Moore

University Honors Theses

Examining the language and cultural needs of international minor league baseball players through the lens of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) this study utilizes applied linguistics and sports sociology and aims to inform player development strategies to enhance on- and off-field communication. Survey data was gathered on language use preferences, focusing on players' attitudes and behaviors in professional settings. Ethical considerations included surveys in English and Spanish and voluntary participation, with data collected at the Oakland Athletics Complex in Mesa, Arizona, from 18 out of 20 players.

Findings reveal that players recognize the importance of English proficiency for effective gameplay …

The Basic Dualism In The World: Object-Oriented Ontology And Systems Theory, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

Graham Harman writes that the “basic dualism in the world lies…between things in their intimate reality and things as confronted by other things.” However, dualism implies irreconcilable difference; what Harman points to is better expressed as a dyad, where the two components imply one another and interact. This article shows that systems theory has long asserted the fundamental character of Harman’s dyad, expressing it as the union of internal structure and external function, which correspond exactly to what Levi Bryant, characterizing Harman’s views, refers to as the intra-ontic and the inter-ontic, respectively. After interpreting Harman’s dyad in terms of the …

A Pwm Control Method For Reducing Electromagnetic Noise At The Generation Source In Power Electronic Converters, Abhijeet Prem

Dissertations and Theses

Advancements in power semiconductor devices are enabling the design of better electrical power conversion systems. Wide Bandgap (WBG) switching devices using materials like Silicon Carbide and Gallium Nitride can operate at higher temperatures, voltages, and frequencies with faster turn-on/off periods, improving converter performance over silicon devices. However, WBG technologies are still new, and the rapid switching transitions of these devices lead to issues such as voltage overshoots, ringing, and electromagnetic interference, which need to be addressed for widespread adoption. This work introduces a new control method for reshaping the switching voltages, which overcomes the disadvantages of fast transition time without …

Altered Disturbance Regimes And Novel Ecosystems: Understanding And Managing Ecosystem State Change In The Forest-Peatland Ecotone Of Western Patagonia, Kyla Sara Zaret

Dissertations and Theses

Altered fire regimes, combined with a warmer and drier climate, have been eroding the resilience of temperate rainforests and peatlands worldwide and leading to alternative post-fire vegetation communities. I used a social-ecological systems framework informed by theories of non-linear ecosystem dynamics on the one hand and political ecology and 'politics of scale' scholarship on the other to investigate, 1) the underlying causes of a shift in vegetation dominance from forests dominated by the conifer, Pilgerodendron uviferum, to peat-generating ecosystems dominated by the peat moss, Sphagnum magellanicum; and 2) what this means for the futures of local people's livelihoods …

Agnotology Of The E-Cigarette Industry: How The E-Cigarette Industry Continues The Tobacco Industry's Legacy Of Creating Controversy And Confusion Within The Scientific Community And The General Population, Calvin Lewis

University Honors Theses

The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent to which the e-cigarette industry follows in the footsteps of the tobacco industry's attempts to disrupt science and cause controversy. Four tactics are described that the tobacco industry uses to disrupt science: funding research that is designed to show results that support their position, criticizing and suppressing research that goes against their position, changing risk assessment and scientific research standards to fit their aims, and spreading data created by their interest groups to politicians and the nonacademic press. Evidence is found to show that both the tobacco industry and e-cigarette …

Antibody Therapies For Alzheimer's Disease, Alexandra Zerr

University Honors Theses

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide. Patients with this condition first experience mild cognitive impairment, followed by the loss of memory, cognitive skills, identity, and the ability to perform daily tasks unassisted, eventually culminating in death.

The dominant hypothesis for the mechanism of Alzheimer's, the amyloid cascade hypothesis, based on early-onset AD, suggests that amyloid plaques formed by Aβ peptides cause a cascading effect involving an increase in toxic tau protein, which is correlated with the disease progression of Alzheimer's patients. While the mechanism of late sporadic AD is not fully understood, this has been used …

Binary Gendered Language: A Qualitative Study Of Psu Students, Dakota Abercrombie

University Honors Theses

This study explores experiences of gendered language in use in academia among two marginalized groups: women and those identifying beyond the gender binary. Guided by the theory of linguistic relativity this study attempts to understand specific ways in which gendered language, including generic language may show up and contrasted within these groups. While this data is not generalizable, the findings indicate that both women and nonbinary students experience binary pronoun use in written formats such as syllabi. However, nonbinary students describe more negative feelings associated with this experience. We also noted participants' gender identities intersecting with other identities, leading to …

A Native American Perspective On Navigating The Academic World With Resilience And Honoring The Wisdom Of Native Elders, Shani Renee Johnson

Dissertations and Theses

The graduation percentage among Native American students has consistently remained at a discouraging 50 %, both in the past and at present. This study employed a narrative inquiry approach to investigate the low graduation rates among Native American students, from the perspective of a Native American educator and mother. This study examined the historical trauma and colonization experienced by Native Americans and how it has affected Native American families and communities, resulting in low rates of graduation among Native students. In addition, this study examined factors contributing to resilience by acknowledging Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Indigenous Ways of Knowing …

Sustainability In The Specialty Mushroom Industry And The Fight Against Single-Use Plastic: A Case Study, Amanda Newman

University Honors Theses

Specialty mushroom cultivator, Bridgetown Mushrooms, generates approximately 3 metric tons of polypropylene plastic waste a year. This is just a fraction of the 1-2 million metric tons created by the specialty mushroom industry annually. With only 10% of plastic waste being used as secondary materials, the majority of this waste ends up in landfills or in the environment. Through collaboration with employees within Bridgetown’s operation and government agency mentorship, it was determined that the most viable and ecological solution to reduce on-farm plastic waste within Bridgetown’s operation was to develop a reusable growing apparatus as a direct replacement for polypropylene …

Participatory Democracy: The Potential For Civic Transformation Understanding Participants' Learning In The Milwaukie Citizens Jury, Amanda Grace Hudson

Dissertations and Theses

Faced with unresponsive government institutions and the limitations of representative democracy, participatory and deliberative democrats have created alternative models for robust democratic participation such as civic juries, civic assemblies and participatory budgeting. Advocates claim that these methods create better citizens and better outcomes and they claim these forums act as a school of democracy. The schools of democracy theory describes participation as a virtuous circle--that doing democracy will make people more democratic. While these processes often produce enthusiastic supporters and encouraging results, there has been very little research to date that attempts to explain how and why people learn and …

Project Turnkey Evaluation, Anna Rockhill, Sarah Mercurio, Franklin Holcomb Spurbeck

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

In 2020-2021 Oregon legislators approved $74.7 million to assist communities to purchase local motels and convert them into emergency shelters. The goal was to help keep people safe during COVID and to address the need for housing for victims of the wildfires in light of the deficit of appropriate shelter resources facing the state. A total of 19 projects received funding, and by 2023 all of the projects were providing services to people experiencing homelessness. Combined, this resulted in 865 new units of emergency shelter-- a 20% increase in the state’s supply. According to an analysis done by Oregon Community …

Differences In Bilinguals And Multilinguals Diagnosed With Alzheimer's Disease, Nathalie Rios Carreon

University Honors Theses

Alzheimer’s Disease does not have a cure but there are different things that can be done to manage the disease. Keeping your brain healthy is important to keep cognitive reserve (CR) strong and intact. One way to keep CR intact is to speak more than one language. Previous research done shows that monolinguals typically get diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease 4 to 5 years earlier than bilinguals and multilinguals. Using existing articles it was found that this new research was similar to research already done. Speaking more than one language keeps the brain healthy in many different ways. Research suggests that …

Wired For Success: A Neurobiological Approach To Improving The Academic Outcomes Of Middle School Boys, Allison Emery

University Honors Theses

Male accomplishment in scholastic settings has been declining globally for the last decade, leading to long-term consequences for boys and men. Possible neurobiological underpinnings of the gender gap in education are discussed in this literature review. While male and female differences have, in the past, largely been considered socialized, recent science also confirms neurobiological variances between male and female development. These distinctions are assessed for their potential ties to the decline in male academic success, and are correlated to classroom practices, strategies and interventions meant to increase boys' engagement and performance.

Promoting Cultural Humility, Belonging, And Inclusion To Improve Well-Being Among Direct Care Staff In Oregon Assisted Living, Residential Care, And Memory Care Communities, 2024, Jacklyn Kohon, Dani Himes, Laura Rodriguez, Sarah Dys, Paula Carder, Diana Jacoby, Madeline Fox

Institute on Aging Publications

The voices and experiences of those working and living in assisted living, residential care, and memory care (AL/RC) settings in Oregon are highlighted in this study to understand cultural humility, belonging, inclusion, and intersectional experiences related to sustaining the workforce and promoting quality care. This qualitative study collected data through individual and focus group interviews with a total of 68 people, including 25 direct care staff, voice memos or interviews with 9 former direct care staff, interviews with 9 administrators, interviews with 7 management representatives (owner/operators, human resources specialists, directors of operations, among other titles), and interviews with 18 current …

Five Pivotal Practices For Leaders To Cultivate Empathy Within Virtual Scrum Teams, Dahm Mongkol Hongchai, Charles M. Weber

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the digital and global economy, business leaders need more than just business and technology competencies; they also require empathy. However, there is a notable scarcity of research on empathy in Scrum for product development. This study aims to uncover critical insights into how leaders can foster empathy within virtual Scrum teams. Accordingly, this paper proposes five pivotal themes leaders can employ: Scrum fundamentals, meditation, self- and other-analysis, healthy interactions, and informal connections. These vital strategies offer actionable methods for leaders seeking to enhance empathy within their virtual Scrum teams.

Improving Attendance To Achieve Organizational Goals: A Case Study Of Human-Centered Design In A Small Us Plant-Based Food Manufacturer, Angel Contreras-Cruz, Eduardo Ahumada-Tello

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Plant-based food manufacturing companies face high staff turnover rates and attendance problems. It is challenging for those companies to maintain an acceptance level of employee retention and attendance to achieve their objectives. Companies rely on front-line employees to meet production plans, but employees who do not show up at work jeopardize companies' operations. Additional challenges, such as retaining and attracting talent after the COVID-19 pandemic, are present daily for several U.S. organizations. This study analyzes attendance data from the case study company to design an attendance policy. Attendance data suggested that nearly 60 percent of the operational workforce had attendance …

Neuroscience-Based Harm Reduction Education For College Students In Portland, Or, Catriona Swallow

University Honors Theses

Harm reduction (HR) is a movement focused on reducing the harms of the opioid overdose crisis through education, advocacy, and community engagement. A key component of HR is naloxone, a medication which reverses opioid overdoses when administered. Due to increased fentanyl contamination, opioid overdose deaths have been on the rise among adolescents in the U.S and HR practices are crucially important at this point in time. In recent years, alternative curricula of HR education have included a neuroscience-based approach to the topic of substance use. While both traditional and alternative programs have had success increasing substance use literacy among adolescents, …

An Ethnography Of Frostbite Among Unsheltered People In Portland: Safety, Governance, And The Manufacture Of Vulnerability, Muireall Brown

University Honors Theses

This thesis provides an applied anthropological ethnography of frostbite among unsheltered people in Portland, Oregon. I conducted the research over the course of three months between May and August 2024 in collaboration with Hygiene4All, a local nonprofit. The research consisted of participant-observation, six semi-structured interviews, and a review of unpublished data from Hygiene4All. I argue that the conceptualization of safety operating within some parts of Portland's governance structures actually makes unsheltered Portlanders more vulnerable to frostbite: governance bodies actively participate in constructing this vulnerability along the lines of disability, isolation, and displacement. I discuss uneven governance and the biopolitical conflicts …

Itagaki Paru's Animalized Japan, Adoria Shanelle Walker

Dissertations and Theses

In the earlier works of manga artist and author Itagaki Paru, animal characters are used to prompt a discussion of the uchi/soto ("in-group"/"out-group") dynamic present in Japanese society. Throughout her most popular work, Beastars, and its supplemental short story collection Beast Complex, Itagaki tackles binary thinking and in-group versus out-group social politics using a blatantly obvious, yet nuanced and subtle herbivore-versus-carnivore, predator-versus-prey metaphor. The world she depicts in these works is full of misunderstandings caused by hastily made assumptions, sometimes instinctually quick. With her animalized characters, she explores human stigmatization and the poor treatment of those who do not want …

Stricken By The Worst Type Of Sickness: The Communal Reaction And Response To Impaired Individuals In The Middle Ages, Alice Holland

Dissertations and Theses

Medieval communities often approached trouble within the fold collectively. This includes concerns over the health and safety of their individual members. This thesis examines the communal perception and treatment of disabled individuals in the Middle Ages. Using four twelfth-century miracle collections, The Miracles of Saint Gibrian (1145), The Life and Miracles of William of Norwich (1150-1172), The Miracles of Our Lady of Rocamadour (1172-1173), and The Miracles of Thomas Becket (1173-1179), I examine how communities created systems of care for their impaired members. In using these sources, which tell the stories of common individuals traveling to shrines for a saint's …

Diversity, Equity And Inclusion In Simulation-Based Education: Experiences From Multiple Academic Health Centers, Jesika Samuelson Gavilanes

Dissertations and Theses

The integration of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) into healthcare professional training is critical in order to ensure positive patient outcomes and help combat healthcare disparities, leading towards health equity. There is not currently a standard specific to DEI awareness in healthcare education and training. One area of healthcare training is simulation-based education (SBE), which is training that is set up to be as close to a real environment as possible for healthcare professional training. There is little in the literature that addresses DEI within SBE, yet SBE is one area with the potential for making an impact in healthcare …

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Rough Popcorn Flower (Plagiobothrys Hirtus), Nora Dunkirk

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for rough popcorn flower (Plagiobothrys hirtus) using NatureServe methodology, 2024.