Digital Commons Network^™

Antioxidant Capacity And Anoxia-Tolerance In Austrofundulus Limnaeus Embryos, Josiah Tad Wagner, Michael J. Knapp, Jason E. Podrabsky

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Embryos of Austrofundulus limnaeus can tolerate extreme environmental stresses by entering into a state of metabolic and developmental arrest known as diapause. Oxidative stress is ubiquitous in aerobic organisms and the unique biology and ecology of A. limnaeus likely results in frequent and repeated exposures to oxidative stress during development. Antioxidant capacity of A. limnaeus was explored during development by measuring antioxidant capacity due to small molecules and several enzymatic antioxidant systems. Diapause II embryos can survive for several days in 1% hydrogen peroxide without indications of negative effects. Surprisingly, both small and large molecule antioxidant systems are highest during …

Why Do Adults Read Young Adult Books?, Monica Hay

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

Young adult books are widely read by adults. Through interviews with publishing professionals and a survey of 2,139 participants, several reasons were discovered regarding why adults read young adult literature. In the research, the most common reasons were the influence of Harry Potter and Twilight, the relatability for millennials, the social media presence of YA online, and the success of women writers in the category. Survey participants had more to add. The survey themes were nostalgia, "less pretentious," "faster reads," diversity, escapism, "less graphic," and perhaps most importantly, hopeful.

A Cover Is Worth 1000 Words: Visibility And Racial Diversity In Young Adult Cover Design, Jenny Kimura

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

Diversity in young adult literature has been a hot topic in the publishing industry for many years now, and calls for diversity from the YA community, librarians, authors, and publishing professionals have garnered nationwide attention. But while the conversation around diverse content is well documented, few have considered how young adult cover design might have an impact on how diversity, especially in terms of race/ethnicity, is represented visually.

The research detailed in this paper compiles and analyzes data from 700 covers each from 2014 and 2018 respectively (1400 book covers total). In my quantitative analysis, I wanted to know whether …

Confronting Gentrification: Can Creative Interventions Help People Keep More Than Just Their Homes?, Amie Thurber, Janine Christiano

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Gentrification is changing the landscape of many American cities. As land values rise, people may lose their homes, neighbors, and sites of significance, along with their sense of place, community, and history. There is a critical need to build and preserve affordable housing, yet housing alone will not address the more than material losses. What role can the arts play in sustaining place attachments, restoring relationships, and building place knowledge in gentrifying neighborhoods? This paper explores this question through a systematic review of current research. We identify four prominent alternative interventions in gentrifying neighborhoods—creative placemaking, public pedagogy, community organizing, and …

The Synthesis Of Di-Substituted Dota Ligands For Mri Contrast Agents, Chau V. Nguyen

University Honors Theses

The complex between the macrocyclic ligand DOTA and the metal gadolinium (Gd³⁺) has been used as the contrast agent for the MRI T₁ weighed imaging. Mono substitution on the tetraaza ring of DOTA ligand results in the formation of the two distinct complexes that are regioisomers of each other and they have different contrast efficiency as well as stability. These regioisomers are only separated by HPLC. With two bulky substituents on the tetraaza ring, it is expected to increase the selectivity of what regioisomers will be formed for each di-substituting pattern since the conformation with the least …

Development Of A Readiness Assessment Model For Evaluating Big Data Projects: Case Study Of Smart City In Oregon, Usa, Husam Ahmad Barham

Dissertations and Theses

The primary goal of this research is to help any organization, which is planning to transform to the big data analytics era, by providing a systematic and comprehensive model that this organization can use to better understand what factors influence big data projects. Also, the organization's current status against those factors. Finally, what enhancements are needed in the organization's current capabilities for optimal management of factors influencing an upcoming big data project. However, big data applications are vast and cover many sectors, and while most of the factors influencing big data projects are common across sectors, there are some factors …

Gentrification And Aging-In-Place: Examinations Of The Older African American Population In Portland, Or, Chanelle P. Parris

University Honors Theses

Older African Americans and Black adults are nearly twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease and related dementias compared to their non-Hispanic White counterparts. The SHARP Program (Sharing Histories through Active Reminiscence and Photo-Imagery) aims at addressing this growing health disparity that exists between Black and White populations. The study's goal is to increase the physical and social activity of our participants in order to maintain and improve cognitive health through cultural relevancy. However, the current and on-going neighborhood change that occurs in the research area of interest presents complications to this group. This study worked to conceptualize the ways …

How Schools Encourage Incarceration: The School-To-Prison Pipeline And How It Fails Our Children, Madeline S. Buss

University Honors Theses

In the United States, mass incarceration is a way of life. In this literature review, the link between harsh policies in schools, punishment, and later odds of incarceration are explored- with a special interest on the disproportionate impact for students of color. Through literature reviews and analysis, I will examine the primary causes of the school-to-prison pipeline (STPP). The researchers examined spanned many disciplines (education, to criminology, to psychology) and methodological approaches, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method. The findings were near unanimous; policies in schools that sought to punish or enforce zero-tolerance were disproportionately punitive toward students of color, most …

Imprisoned Within The National Narrative: A Case Study Of The Modern Chinese Move Toward Pragmatic Nationalism, Madeline C. Michalk

University Honors Theses

This paper explains how the traumatic history narrative put forth through the Lüshun Russo-Japanese Prison Museum has proven itself useful to the Chinese Communist Party in creating a narrative that not only fosters a sense of loyalty to the state, but can also be used as a political ace card. After closely examining the Lüshun Russo-Japanese Prison Museum it has become evident that the Chinese push for pragmatic nationalism, which began in 1994 and continues to this day, coupled with a flamed fire against "Japanese aggression" are the most active ingredients in the museum as a "National Defense Education Demonstration …

The Image Of The Virgin In Gertrudis Gómez De Avellaneda's Sab (1841) And Carolina Coronado's Poesías (1843) As A Configuration Of Female Literary And Social Independence, Myrna C. Conroy

University Honors Theses

This research will consist of an analysis of the Romantic archetype of the virgin in the works Sab (1841) written by Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda and Poesías (1843) written by Carolina Coronado. These two works of literature will be used in order to assess the use of the virgin archetype as an expression of literary and social independence for women writers during 19^th-Century Spain and Cuba. This analysis will employ the use of The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir for the author's construction of the "other" as a framework for the unique experiences that woman have faced …

A Drop In The Bucket: Evaluating Modern Print News Coverage Of Drought In The U.S., Jessica Pollard

University Honors Theses

How the media portrays environmental issues related to climate change can affect public opinion and influence policy making. This paper seeks to explore the media’s portrayal of climate change through the lens of drought, using the drought which took place in California between 2011 and 2017, as a case study. The study finds that while the press gives drought space in newspapers across the country, it infrequently connects the weather event to anthropological climate change. Articles pertaining to the drought in California frequently rely on the expertise of politicians over scientists.

Métis In Oregon: Intermarriage, Agency, And Religion In French Prairie, 1830-1840, Annie B. Amsden

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores French Prairie, Oregon as a colonial setting. The institutions of the fur trade and Methodist and Catholic missions forced their subjects to make decisions pragmatically. However, a feminist perspective illuminates the choices made by French Prairie community members, especially Indigenous women, as related to power structures within the colony.

Architectural Stewardship: Exploring Interpretation Architecture Through The Lens Of The Visitor, Graham A. Oden

University Honors Theses

This undergraduate thesis investigates the experiential impact of interpretation architecture in the natural setting, specifically through the lens of its users. The need for this study arose when visitors were not approached or included to be part of the design process or studies in the renovation of Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve's Visitor Center. The only visitor related information used by the contracted firm was ten year old demographic and quantitative studies provided by the NPS. This gap of knowledge was then addressed by the proactive engagement of visitors in a design workshop ranger program at the park. …

Designing Katana : Unsheathing The Potential Of Gameplay For Constructing Cultural Memory, Tracy Alan

University Honors Theses

Players take the role of an ambitious samurai in Katana, a tu­rn-based card game designed to evoke the cultural memory of early modern Japanese warriors. Going beyond token use of history as mere fantasy setting, the game synthesizes historical research, communication design methodologies, and interactive design frameworks to create a compelling experience. The design of Katana is influenced by Jason Begy's concept of cultural memory as a broad interdisciplinary approach to formulations of historical content that intentionally go beyond traditional scholarly modalities such as the publication of monographs and journal articles, archaeological surveys, and lectures. The multivalent interactivity of …

Qualities Of Impactful Cyber Security Awareness Training, Fadi Labib

University Honors Theses

Social Engineering (SE) attacks are the most prevalent attacks targeting multiple industries, companies, and organizations. This research discusses the reasons for the prevalence of SE attacks and the weaknesses of the defense methods against it—Information Security Awareness Trainings (ISAT). Through an extensive literature review of the methods, experiments, and ideas of the past 20 years, the research compiles best practices for an effective ISAT program that is capable of changing employee behaviors and strengthening companies' security posture through its human element. The literature review is divided into two main sections. The first section is about the components that should be …

Idioms In Chinese Efl Contexts: A Review Of 2004-2018, William Shanahan

University Honors Theses

This paper reviews the discourse of 21 contemporary papers that focus on idioms in Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. Key topics are identified: comprehension and retention, motivating factors, familiarity, and student perceptions. Common factors between the papers in each topic are analyzed, and some gaps in the literature identified. This paper further finds which common factors between papers are also common between multiple key topics. It seeks primarily to answer a single research question:

• Where is the friction in the discourse between the East and the West, and how does it impact idiom EFL education in Chinese …

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Sustaining Rural Place: Rethinking Design Principles For Social Sustainability In Rural America, Carlie C. Donnelly

University Honors Theses

Although the population of Rural America is declining, we will likely never live in a country that does not need rural communities to sustain our natural resources. The field of urban design has developed great strategies for creating livable communities, but they are not universal strategies. The design of rural towns and community places has been neglected from the conversation of urban design principles as they are not directly applicable because of Rural America's lack of density which also results in an alternate social system. Through analysis of urban design principles and rural place making case studies, this thesis bridges …

A Lot Of Admiration And A Little Bit Of Worship: Parasocial Relationships And Young Women, Raz Mostaghimi

University Honors Theses

This research examines young women’s experiences with parasocial relationships (PSR) and how they use media in relation to their PSRs. I intended to determine if young women experienced romantic (PSRR) and platonic PSR in different ways with different goals, if PSR/PSRR impacted young women’s beliefs and behaviors, how PSR used social media in relation to their PSR, and if nonfictional and fictional media figures resulted in different goals for the PSR. I recruited Portland State University students who were women between the ages of 18 and 30 for a focus group and follow-up interviews on the subject of their PSRs. …

University Honors Media Archive, Noah B. Puggarana

University Honors Theses

Meet a group of Honors students that use education to interact with the city. Portland State University Honors is a focused academic community for students of all majors. This thesis, produced in partnership with the PSU School of Film is a multimedia marketing campaign for University Honors.

The two primary videos introduce prospective students to Honors Community and the liberal arts focus here at PSU Honors. Meet a group of Honors students that use education to interact with the city. Travel to London with Honors Abroad. Experience the interaction of research and community action.

Is It Possible To Change Someone's Mind Online? A Graphic Design Thesis, Laurel Benson

University Honors Theses

This paper explores whether or not it is possible to change someone's mind on the internet. Using an examination of traditional argument resolution techniques as a foundation, this paper builds upon that foundation and questions whether or not such techniques are appropriate on the internet. A mixture of primary and secondary research led to a surprising conclusion. It is in fact possible to change someone's mind on the internet, but to do so often involves techniques that are diametrically opposed to the traditional argument resolution techniques that were examined in the first part of the paper. This paper proposes that …

Racial Capitalism And Expropriation In American Welfare Reform, Sam A.G. Bruns

University Honors Theses

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, or PRWORA, is a major act of US welfare legislation that was signed in 1996 by President Bill Clinton. Under the program it authorized, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, welfare recipients can only receive benefits for up to 60 months lifetime and must maintain full time employment as soon as required by welfare administrators. As a result, welfare enrollment and the quantity of benefits distributed have decreased significantly since PRWORA was passed. The implementation of a welfare work requirement was a key goal of an anti-welfare policy position that became …

Mexico's Newest Threat: Cártel De Jalisco Nueva Generación (Cjng), Maria Teresa Olivares

University Honors Theses

Lessons from history in the Mexican Drug War demonstrate that the kingpin strategy, a model developed by the Colombian government in the 1980s, has led to failure for Mexico in its drug war. Because of the significant reduction in violent crime in Colombia, many policymakers have pointed to Colombia’s case as an example for Mexico. This idea, however, is concerning because the contexts in both countries differ. Therefore, the kingpin strategy should not be implemented to capture or kill the leader of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Nemesio Oseguera Ramos, alias "El Mencho," because the differences in the …

Untitled Screenplay, Lora A. Herman

University Honors Theses

The following document is a working copy of an untitled fictional screenplay in which the story and characters are the original work of Lora A. Herman.

In 2082 North America, the United States no longer exists as a governing entity. The vast majority of the landscape that once comprised the USA is unlivable due to irreparable advances in climate change -- flood, fire, freeze, and drought.

The remaining society has restructured itself to focus less on controlling its population and their free will, and to instead focus on maintaining the integrity of and resources for the man-made contained communities that …

Teaching Geometrical Optics By Modeling Fluidic Lenses Formed By Water-Walking Insects, Erin Woodcock

University Honors Theses

When a water-walking insect sits atop the surface of a fluid, its legs create shadows that are disproportionately large and are surrounded by bright rings of light. While these shadows are prominent, their cause is not easily perceptible to an observer’s eye. The phenomenon is the result of the formation of fluidic lenses caused by the insect legs deforming the surface of the fluid. In this work, an experimental setup is created to emulate the conditions under which these shadows are formed and explore the properties of the shadows and the deformed fluid's surface. The setup is inexpensive, consisting of …

The Green Gentrification Of N. Williams Avenue, Marcco T. Higham

University Honors Theses

The Albina District in North Portland, Oregon has experienced a tumultuous cycle of disinvestment, decline, and now reinvestment that has caused a shift in its racial and socio-economic composition . As new sources of investment and capital have been introduced into this historically black neighborhood, a new housing redevelopment trend has emerged that reflects consideration to sustainable design and "eco-conscious" lifestyles. This style of redevelopment in N. Williams Avenue caters to those with higher incomes that desire an "urban" and "sustainable" lifestyle through their housing choices. In this paper I argue that this new housing trend is a gentrifying phenomenon …

Measuring The Association Between Perceived Stress And Incidence Of Infectious Disease Or Illness In College Students In Portland, Or, Trinity E. Joroski

University Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to measure the association between perceived stress and incidence of infectious disease or illness within a large participant group consisting primarily of local college students residing in Portland, Oregon. This was conducted using the widely used and well validated Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), which was distributed via social media platforms, various Portland State establishments such as the campus recreation center, in addition to reaching students by means of talking with professors and other peers. It was found that the condition regarding whether or not an individual missed class or work due to an illness, …

The Consolidation Of Feminine And Feminist Identities: Third Wave Perspectives On Cosmetic Ritual, Grace Hartley

University Honors Theses

Feminists have long been stereotyped as disapproving of traditional forms of feminine expression, said to ascribe to a "'bra burning' Puritanism". And while this has been somewhat over exaggerated, there is some truth to the general feminist critique on traditional feminine accoutrements such as heels, lipstick, the color pink, etc. This is evidenced in seminal feminist works, such as "The Second Sex", "The Feminist Mystique", and from these works comes a profusion of anti-feminine sentiment. However, like many aspects of second wave feminism during the rise of the third wave, this conception of feminine expression was questioned and reformed. Second …

Nile Red Microplastic Validation: Enhancing The Study Of Microplastics In Oregon’S River Water, Amy Valine

University Honors Theses

Microplastics are ubiquitous in our environment and can be found in rivers, streams, oceans, and even tap water. In Oregon, eight sites along four freshwater rivers were evaluated for the presence of microplastics. Nile Red dye was tested as a method to improve the accuracy of microplastic counts in plankton tow samples from each of the sites along the Columbia, Willamette, Deschutes, and Rogue Rivers. Samples were stratified to separate microplastics from organic debris using a hypersaline solution. All samples were analyzed using traditional light microscopy for initial microplastic counts, then Nile Red dye was applied to each filter and …

Equitable Academia For Students With Disabilities, Mia Cremer

University Honors Theses

Higher education has been historically ableist based on the exclusivity of academia. This qualitative study describes how the identity of students with disabilities changes through academia. The study included semi-structured interviews with four students with disabilities who are registered with the Disability Resource Center at PSU University. Narrative inquiry revealed how the students’ experience in academia revealed the infrastructure, ableism, accessibility, and classroom climate. The social model of disability provided the theoretical framework throughout the study. The social model of disability identifies how the environmental, social factors, and attitudes towards a person with an impairment prevents them from achieving equity. …

Exploring Small Business Management In Mexico And The United States Using Hofstede's Dimensions, Elizabeth R. Thom

University Honors Theses

This thesis paper will consider cultural differences that lead to different processes to achieve workplace effectiveness using the Cultural Dimensions outlined by notable scholar, Geert Hofstede and use said findings to provide theoretical recommendations for a Capstone client. The literature review will highlight important themes that tend to occur in organizations of specific dimensions. In consideration of these themes, the author will highlight the best business practices for small businesses. For comparison purposes, they will specifically focus on the United States and Mexico, where Company X has expressed interest in ultimately opening a high-end retail storefront, using research surrounding Hofstede's …