Digital Commons Network^™

Synthesis, Structure And Contrast Efficacy Of Bismuth (Iii) Chelated With 1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-Tetramethylene Phosphonate And Its Incorporation Into Nano-Assembled Capsules, Karley B. Maier

University Honors Theses

Medical imaging now plays an integral role in the diagnosis and treatment of illness. The use of contrast agents in molecular imaging has been instrumental in the diagnosis of cancer and similar pathologies. The incorporation of lanthanide-based contrast agents employed in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) into nano-assembled capsules (NACs) have shown potential utility for improved contrast in MRI by slowing the tumbling of the polyanionic paramagnetic metal ions. The utility of NACs was herein extended to computed tomography (CT) imaging by the incorporation of electron dense bismuth (III)-based chelates into NACs in order to provide a high payload of agent …

Refugee Policies And The Interactions Of The United Nations And European Union, Siena Loprinzi

University Honors Theses

The United Nations (UN) has many policies when working with refugees but since the European Union (EU) formed, the UN has been mainly governed by what the EU thinks refugee policies should be. By looking at these two international organizations and their history and involvement in refugees since WWII, it is plain to see how much the EU is influencing the UN's refugee policies for its own advantage. While the EU has been dictating the refugee policies, other international organizations have been at the heart of helping refugees but getting little say or power over what refugee policies will be.

Future Mrs. President Or Simply Bill's Wife? : A Content Analysis Of New York Times Coverage Of Hillary Clinton In 2008 Versus 2016, Chandler E. Paterson

University Honors Theses

This study analyzed New York Times coverage in January 2008 and January 2016 of Hillary Clinton. Coverage of Hillary during these two months was compared based on the number of times the categories family and appearance were mentioned. In four of the sub-categories, the results show that fewer stories mentioned aspects of Hillary’s family and appearance in 2016 than in 2008. These findings support the hypotheses and indicate a change in the way media is discussing female politicians, along with the country’s support of them.

Oregon Youth Peer Courts: Grand Jury Style, Sierra Udland

University Honors Theses

Youth Courts are diversionary programs for first time misdemeanors committed by youth. The court is made up of the youth's peers who interact with the defendant and ultimately impose a sentence. In this study two Oregon Youth Courts are examined to discover if the program goals of restorative justice are present. The courts utilize a specific style of peer jury model, called the "Grand Jury style" because the jurors ask the questions and decide the case. Eight cases are observed with a subset of jurors surveyed about sentencing decisions. Restorative justice principles are found through both modes of data collection. …

Adverse Effects Of Mercury And Some Management Options To Reduce Dental Amalgam Waste, Marta Szabatin

University Honors Theses

Mercury is a persistent, toxic pollutant and at elevated levels can cause serious environmental harm to aquatic life, wildlife, and humans. Mercury from anthropogenic sources continues to be a significant risk to human health causing regulatory agencies to address this issue. The purpose of this study is to review the sources, forms and adverse effects of mercury, and identify the tools regulating mercury-containing dental waste management, and the advantages and disadvantages of various management practices that help to minimize mercury releases into municipal sewage system and into waterbodies. Dental facilities are significant mercury dischargers to wastewater treatment facilities and dental …

Exploring The Negative Perceptions Of Female Legislators: The Consequences Of Gender Quotas In Argentina, Marcella Silverman

University Honors Theses

This paper examines how the presence of gender quotas effect public perceptions of female legislators in regards to their competence and qualifications needed to enter public office. This paper suggests that gender quotas can promote negative public perceptions due to pre-established gender norms and meritocracy violations similarly to sentiments in Affirmative Action programs. Analyzing the survey data taken from participants in Argentina, the results suggests that perceptions of female legislators are impacted by the individual’s knowledge of what a gender quota is as well as the specifics of how Argentine gender quotas are executed. Of the total percentage of participants …

Anticommercial Purposes: New Methods In Graphic Design And Radical Environmental Change, Nina Berry

University Honors Theses

This paper explores the ways in which graphic design has approached and interacted with sustainability throughout the last quarter of the 20th century and into today. Following two collaborative manifestos of graphic designers discussing design's potential outside of the commercial realm, this paper examines the way that graphic design has assisted with environmentalism thus far and makes a proposal for the way that graphic design should be used in an environmentally sustainable context into the future. Using the tenets of the new scholarly realm of Transition Design, this paper dissects how graphic design can assist a transition away from a …

Trans* Folks In Motion: Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Individuals' Experiences Of Transit And Transit Spaces, Jade Benner

University Honors Theses

Research on the experiences of transgender and gender nonconforming individuals is increasing, and this qualitative sociological study aims to build an understanding of trans* experiences on public transit and their experiences in the unique form of public space the confined space of the city bus and light rail train. I seek to amplify trans* voices, inform trans-inclusive transit policy, and add to conversations on how gender operates in urban and public spaces by contributing perspectives of transgender and nonbinary individuals.

Fitness And Fatness: The Conflation Of Weight With Health, And The Consequences Of Fat-Shaming, Kristin Spurkland

University Honors Theses

Obesity is widely accepted as one of the major health crises facing the United States, and increasingly, the world. Labeled a disease by the American Medical Association, and frequently characterized as an epidemic, obesity is the target of high profile national health interventions, media campaigns, and a multi-billion dollar self-help industry. The message produced by public health agencies is that obesity is a killer, and that reducing weight is a beneficial and achievable goal generating many positive health outcomes. This paper presents two primary arguments that counter the prevailing attitudes towards obesity: that as a stand-alone measure, Body Mass Index …

An Examination Of Approaches To Domestic Violence Advocacy: Recommendation For Generalizable, Experimental Study, Melanie Stewart

University Honors Theses

Only since the 1970s has there been societal interest in establishing Domestic Violence (DV) advocacy to address the violent oppression of women. The catalyst which brought this issue to the forefront of social consciousness was the Women's Liberation Movement. The activism of the 1960s civil rights movements set the stage for the Battered Women's Movement. Feminists recognized violence as a product of patriarchal society. Patriarchy, and with it personal and institutional violence, was embedded in every aspect of society. Shifting ideological and political views have influenced the evolution of DV advocacy from the grassroots activists’ fight for equality, to the …

Rewriting History: Using Reconciliation Processes To Revise Dominant Cultural Narratives And Assessing Cultural Readiness For Reconciliation, Flannery Mack

University Honors Theses

Truth and Reconciliation processes are key to rebuilding societies damaged by broad-based, government-sanctioned violence by revising dominant cultural narratives of the violence. In Indonesia, there has been no such process following the killings of between 500,000 and 2 million suspected communists in 1965-66. This paper is an exploration of conflict transformation theory, and of what form a truth and reconciliation process might take in Indonesia following 50 years of impunity. Using Joshua Oppenheimer's 2012 and 2014 documentaries The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence as primary reference points, I use critical discourse analysis to look at how the …

Gun Control In The United States: An Analysis Of Federal And International Policies And Applications, Claire Hummer

University Honors Theses

This paper will examine past and present U.S. gun control policies to better understand the current legal state of gun control, but also to assess gun culture in a nation that was built on its Second Amendment right to bear arms. In addition to U.S. policy, international agreements and gun control policies in other countries will also be analyzed to determine if those policies would be feasible in the U.S., or if the country’s gun culture and legal precedents would simply strike down any attempt to establish more thorough regulations.

Animal Hoarding: An In Depth Look At The Issues And Interventions, Amanda Mooneyham

University Honors Theses

Animal hoarding cases in regard to 501(c)3 nonprofit agencies have been on the rise in recent decades and current intervention strategies are struggling to address this complex social problem. Animal hoarding not only affects the animals being abused, but it has adverse effects on humans and the environment. This paper examines the complexities surrounding animal hoarding, specifically focusing on the rescue hoarder mentality. The current intervention methods used are criminal prosecution, civil/regulatory enforcement, and mental health evaluations/treatments. Criminal prosecution is effective for some animal hoarders, but a lack of laws protecting animals along with animals being viewed as property translates …

The Controversy Over Community Water Fluoridation : An Analysis Of Its Effects And Reasons Behind The Arguments, Grace Noda

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores different viewpoints on the history of community water fluoridation and reflects on the arguments made by the pro- and anti-fluoridationists in the United States. Community water fluoridation has been controversial in the United States since it was first proposed in 1945. Since then, fluoridation has been a major factor in reducing the prevalence and severity of dental cavities in the United States (U.S.).

Fluoride safely and effectively prevents dental cavities and is available from multiple sources. Community water fluoridation is one of these sources, providing fluoride to all people regardless of their position within the community. Even …

Migration Movement, Robert Porte

University Honors Theses

All†Borders†Are†Temporary

"Migration is a phenomenon, not a problem – something that simply is. The right to migrate and to move freely is our human right. When societies restrict or choke off the movements of their citizens, they end up doing the work of a dam, they generate power and control floods, but in doing so they destroy life and wreck the surrounding space."

Justseeds†(excerpt)

As the current administration at the time of this writing continues its program of deportation of women and children from the U.S. to their war torn and violent countries of origin, I want not to engage …

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

University Honors Theses

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

Israeli Agency In The Iran-Contra Affair, Eugene Smith

University Honors Theses

In the global political scandal that became known as the Iran-Contra Affair, various American diplomats were caught secretly and illegally selling weapons to Iran and using those funds to support anti-communist militias in Nicaragua. This affair has largely been treated as an American domestic political scandal that was uncovered in the mid-1980s and then solved by the Congressional hearings of 1987. This perspective not only ignores the military and political ramifications of the affair in Nicaragua and Iran, but also omits one of the most important actors in this international arms trade: Israel.

The historical literature concerning Israel’s role in …

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

University Honors Theses

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

How Felon Disenfranchisement Legislation Alters Citizenship And How It Can Be Challenged, Shanae Jung

University Honors Theses

Elements of "civil death" were put into heavy practice in the reconstruction era, as the U.S. sought to use disenfranchisement as a means of restricting the integration of "undesirable" groups, specifically the recently emancipated African-Americans. Many states have since done away with restrictions on the voting rights of ex-offenders beyond completion of their sentence and sentence requirements; however, Iowa, Florida, and Kentucky employ strict standards for granting re-enfranchisement—nearly impossible for most to complete. Elsewhere in the U.S. there has been a move from disenfranchisement; Virginia’s Governor recently reinstated franchise rights to ex-offenders through executive order and has continued to do …

Cofactor Binding Determinants In The Nadph-Dependent Nitrile-Oxidoreductase Quef, Spencer William Cohen

University Honors Theses

The NADPH-dependent nitrile-oxidioreductase, QueF is the only known enzyme capable of reducing a nitrile group to an amine. This ability makes it an attractive alternative to conventional industrial nitrile reduction. Understating how QueF binds NADPH may lead to the development of an enzyme capable of using the less expensive reductive cofactor NADH. A cofactor docking model indicates that key residues, Q60 and Y21, interact with the ribose phosphate moiety unique to NADPH. Mutants of these residues (Q60A, Q60N, Q60E, Y21A and Y21F) were developed for steady-state kinetic analysis. Modification to either residue resulted in a decrease in binding and catalytic …

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

University Honors Theses

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

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

University Honors Theses

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

The Pacific Sentinel, January 2016, Portland State University. Student Publications Board

The Pacific Sentinel

Editor: Alex Skousen

Articles in this issue include:

• Video Games;
• Portland State to Hypocritically Renew Aramark Contract;
• Film Review;
• Tech in the Modern Age;
• Paris: A Spectacle of Hope?;
• The Soul of Higher Education Under Corporatization

Center For Real Estate Quarterly, Volume 10, Number 4, Portland State University. Center For Real Estate

Center for Real Estate Quarterly

Table of Contents:
-- Can Rent Control and Rent Stabilization Solve Portland's Housing Affordability Problem? by Mackenzie Kisiel (p. 5-19)
-- State of the Economy by Andrew Crampton (p. 20-27)
-- Residential Market Analysis by Alex Joyce (p. 28-53)
-- Multifamily Market Analysis by Marc Strabic (p. 53-66)
-- Office Market Analysis by Melissa Beh (p. 67-76)
-- Industrial Market Analysis by Andrew Crampton (p. 77-81)
-- Retail Market Analysis by Melissa Beh (p. 82-91)

Arts And Jewish Experience: Exploring Diverse American Identities Through Art Syllabus, Harold Schnitzer Family Program In Judaic Studies

Judaic Studies Artist in Residence Program

Arts and Jewish Experience: Exploring Diverse American Identities through Art Syllabus. JST 431 / 431H

Expressive Cartography, Boundary Objects, And The Aesthetics Of Public Visualization, Patricio Davila, Dave Colangelo, Robert Tu

School of Film Faculty Publications and Presentations

Aesthetic visualization projects that incorporate users, community stakeholders, multiple modalities and technologies necessarily emphasize the way that an artistic visualization can be both an artifact and a process — a conceptualization of aesthetic visualization that is useful for thinking about visualization in general. In this paper, the authors propose the concept of the visualization as boundary object, a move away from the indexical claims of visualization and instead towards an acknowledgement of the entangled nature of social, political, economic, cultural, technological and environmental actants. Through a description of the In The Air, Tonight public visualization project, the authors suggest that …

Pdxscholar Annual Report 2015, Karen Bjork, Sherry Buchanan, David Coate, Bertrand Robinson, Stacey Schlatter

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

This report details the fifth year of operation for PDXScholar, Portland State University's institutional repository. The report covers the period between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015.

Building An Equipment Checkout System From Scratch, Bronwyn Dorhofer, Molly Gunderson

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

This article will examine the practical methods the Portland State University (PSU) Library and University of Oregon Portland Library and Learning Commons implemented when developing equipment checkout systems to serve their patrons. Due to the inherent complexity of technology items and their unique lending rules, creating sound circulation policies which benefited patrons and worked well with the limitations of our integrated library systems (ILS) was of primary concern. In this document, we will describe our basic equipment lending workflows as well as highlight the basic factors to consider if launching a similar project.

The PSU Library’s focus will relate to …

Greenroof Study: Final Report, An Assessment Of Greenroof Design And Maintenance In Portland, Oregon: 2011 – 2013, Windy Carney Beck

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

In 1999 the City of Portland (City) began to require that stormwater management facilities (SMF) be built when private property is newly developed or redeveloped (City Code Chapter 17.38). Proper maintenance and upkeep of SMFs is essential to ensuring they function appropriately. The City's Maintenance Inspection Program (MIP) is tasked with inspecting stormwater management facilities on private properties in order to ensure that they are being properly operated and maintained and to meet provisions of the City's NPDES Municipal Separated Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit.

Greenroofs are one type of SMF that are installed to satisfy this requirement. Understanding the …

Social Studies In The Modern Era: A Case Study Of Effective Teachers' Use Of Literacy And Technology, Kristal Curry, Todd Cherner

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this research project was to highlight the practices and philosophies of two effective—but different—social studies teachers who balance the demands of teaching in the modern era while honoring their own philosophies for teaching social studies. This project was ground in the theoretical framework provided by TPACK and used a case study methodology for its research design. While the pedagogical content knowledge of the participants was strong and technology was used abundantly for instructional purposes, this research raised questions regarding how teachers can most effectively use technology to enhance instruction by helping students conceptualize content knowledge and apply …