Digital Commons Network^™

Elemental Bismuth Nanoparticles : Mechanistic Studies Concerning Reduction Of A Bi(Iii) Precursor Leading To Nanoparticle Formation In A Bottom-Up, High Payload Synthetic Approach, Colin J. Hiatt

University Honors Theses

Nanoparticle X-ray contrast agents have garnered significant attention over the past decade. While gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have held most of that attention, being one of the most widely studied and understood materials mechanistically, as well as synthetically, bismuth has gained significant ground as an alternative material to gold. This is owing to the low cost of bulk elemental bismuth and bismuth compounds, bismuth's high X-ray opacity, as well as its generally accepted biological tolerance, making bismuth a very suitable candidate for medical X-ray contrast applications. In the research presented, an ultra-high payload, glucose-assisted, elemental bismuth nanoparticle (BiNP) synthetic protocol is …

Technology-Based Training For Older Employees: A Literature Review, Daria Maletis

University Honors Theses

Technology-based training is being increasingly adopted by organizations of all sizes. It allows employers to cut costs and to train more employees at the same time. However, arguably the greatest benefit of computer-based training is that it is very flexible and can be customized to the needs of the organization as well as to the individual needs of the trainees. This paper explores what adjustments can be made to computerized training programs for older employees to make their learning most effective. The results of the literature review show that older adults benefit from simple and consistent interface design, large font …

Adoption And Child Trafficking: Structural Violence In The International Adoption System, Vanessa Virgiel

University Honors Theses

In the United States there exists as part of the institution of international adoption a hegemony of “saving” orphans from developing or economically devastated nations. This hegemony is a factor contributing to an adoption “market” in orphans, leading to incidences of the trafficking of children as part of the intercountry adoption system. This study's purposes are thus twofold. First it is a preliminary attempt within the academic realm to determine the emergence of this hegemony by delineating the US history of intercountry adoption from its origins in the mid-1940s as a response to humanitarian crises, to its current status as …

The Risks Of The Rose City: Assessing The Social Vulnerability Of Communities To Multiple Environmental Hazards In The Portland Metropolitan Area, Daniel R. Logan

Geography Masters Research Papers

In the past three decades, research in the geography of hazards and disasters has expanded beyond the response to hazard events and incorporated the concepts of preparedness, recovery, and mitigation. These issues require a complete understanding of the vulnerability of places to hazards, not only in regards to hazard characteristics but in regards to social and economic conditions as well. This paper offers a case study in hazard exposure and social vulnerability analysis which incorporates the methodology of two previous studies on the same topics. A geographic information system was used to determine vulnerable areas and populations exposed to five …

Industrial Decline In An Industrial Sanctuary Portland’S Central Eastside Industrial District, 1981-2014, Allison Jones

Geography Masters Research Papers

This study examines the evolution of the industrial landscape of Portland, Oregon’s Central Eastside Industrial District (CEID) from the initial declaration in 1981 as an ‘industrial sanctuary’ to the present day. The study recreates the historical landscape of 1981, mapping historical land use data from archived Sanborn maps in GIS. This was then compared to the current landscape of 2014, wherein data gathered from field visits, and online, public land use databases was mapped using GIS.

This paper addresses the recent transformation, looking at patterns within the physical and functional realm; and observing how these changes have influenced the character …

Property Tax Rates As An Indicator Of Neighborhood Change: An Examination Of An Unanticipated Effect Of Measure 50 In The City Of Portland, Sonia N. Singh

Geography Masters Research Papers

Gentrification and stagnation are two prominent themes in neighborhood development today. The city or Portland, Oregon is experiencing both of these neighborhood stages in different neighborhoods. In Oregon a property tax measure passed in 1997, Measure 50, caused property tax rates to vary by location according to changes in real market values over time. Recent analysis has revealed that property tax rates in Portland follow the spatial patterns of gentrification and stagnation in Portland, and therefore could be contributing neighborhood change. Differential property tax rates have shown to influence mobility and homeownership, two factors of neighborhood change. In order to …

The Perils Of Ignoring (Or Misunderstanding) Politics And Organizing, David Johns

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Conservation scientists and advocates were surprised by the U.S. Congress stripping away protection for wolves in the US northern Rocky Mountains. If they had paid attention to earlier political lessons in which court victories had been undermined by determined political organizing they would not have been surprised and could have adopted strategies that would have given them much more leverage with elected officials. Instead conservationists were out-organized and elected officials normally supportive of the U.S. Endangered Species Act responded to anti-wolf groups because they brought more pressure to bear than conservationists. Although political lessons are specific to the system in …

Pathos, Winter 2014, Portland State University. Student Publications Board

Pathos

Editor: Kate Marshall

Volume 8 No.2

Wendy Ewald Edited By Nolan Calisch, Wendy Ewald, Nolan Calisch

Reference Points

"Wendy Ewald, edited by Nolan Calisch, offers a survey of the past and present work of photographer and conceptual artist Wendy Ewald, including insight into her collaborative process and inspiration, and a collection of thoughtful reflections from a collaborator, a colleague, and a contemporary artist who have been touched by her work.

This book is part of the Reference Points series published through Portland State University Art and Social Practice MFA Program. The series is an evolving pedagogical framework in which graduate students formulate and research a significant topic or practitioner(s) related to socially engaged art. Because …

Art & Education, Luis Camnitzer, Pablo Helguera, Betty Marín

Reference Points

This book is part of the Reference Points series published through Portland State University Art and Social Practice MFA Program. The series is an evolving pedagogical framework in which graduate students formulate and research a significant topic or practitioner(s) related to socially engaged art. Because the series is designed to shift and respond to the concerns of the program's current students and faculty, mode, structure and content are open-ended.

Portland State And The Ge College Bowl, Clarence Hein

Historical Articles and Essays

On March 7, 1965 the Portland State College Bowl team defeated Birmingham-Southern University to become, with five straight wins, record-breaking champions of the nationally televised college trivia game show, the GE College Bowl. Clarence Hein writes about the team's path to the win and their significance to Portland State.

Framing Transportation Planning Pedagogy For Sustainability Generalists, Beth Sweeney, Ann Scheerer, Vicki Elmer

TREC Final Reports

This paper describes a pilot graduate sustainable transportation course developed at the University of Oregon to provide hands-on project experience for students studying sustainability. New approaches to sustainability and transportation pedagogies will provide a galvanizing force for tomorrow’s graduates, who must respond to concerns about climate change and the environment, social equity, and an uncertain economy. They will require an aptitude for both technical skills and collaborative leadership and communication skills. The course was guided by a framework founded in five themes from the literature on sustainability education and transportation planning and engineering education: leading with sustainability’s cornerstones of people, …

Popular Taste In Art As Related To Culture, Fariha Rahman

Senior Inquiry High School Program

We surround ourselves with visual art, from decorative mirrors and billboard ads to bedroom posters and hotel prints. These various genres of everyday art fall across a wide range, but many relate to or are inspired by institutionalized art. Those who already tend to visit or are inclined towards art museums are usually the ones who gain exposure to museum art, which often caters to their taste, but are still receptive to changes in the art that reflect our world and time period. One of the more major, recent movements in formal art is postmodernism, which developed from resisting societal …

A Library And The Disciplines: A Collaborative Project Assessing The Impact Of Ebooks And Mobile Devices On Student Learning, Barbara C. Glackin, Roy W. Rodenhiser, Brooke Herzog

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

With the proliferation of technology usage, it is essential to understand the effect of implementation of technology in the academic setting. Specifically, this article examines the impact of eBooks and mobile devices on student learning. A pilot study was conducted with three areas of interest. The first question of interest found that owning or having access to two or more mobile devices significantly increased respondents’ frequency of accessing eBooks. The second question examined the pros and cons of using mobile devices. Accessibility and cost savings were found as pros; while functionality and pedagogy were reported as drawbacks to mobile device …

The Revolution Will Not Be Stereotyped: Changing Perceptions Through Diversity, Annie Pho, Turner Masland

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

Chapter 12. In this chapter, we examine the connection between increasing diversity in the library workplace and dispelling stereotypes. We explore how diversity in the academic library workforce can have positive effects in dispelling stereotypes through visibility, outreach, and education. We also want to rethink what we mean when we discuss diversity and what it entails. This is important to the process of examining library diversity initiatives and how they can fall short of complete inclusion. We also explore how activist librarians have defied the librarian stereotype and what we can learn from them. In order to create desired changes, …

The Editing And Publishing Of Tim Winton In The United States, Per Henningsgaard

English Faculty Publications and Presentations

Per Henningsgaard presents us with a detailed analysis of 'The editing and publishing of Tim Winton in the United States', and more broadly of the work of cultural translation. Henningsgaard's essay is a fascinating excursion for readers of Winton into the pragmatic details of difference and similarity in national vocabularies and in modes of perception between the purportedly symbiotic North America and Australia. We also gain an appreciation of what the material production of literature entails for authors, editors, publishers and readers globally. We are given the chance to contemplate how ‘the literary’ exists not beyond the marketplace, but certainly …

Book Review Of, The Status Of Social Studies: Views From The Field, Gayle Y. Thieman

Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Gayle Thieman reviews The Status of Social Studies: Views from the Field, which provides information on how social studies is being taught in United States schools.

Getting Plant Conservation Right (Or Not): The Case Of The United States, Kayri Havens, Andrea T. Kramer, Edward O. Guerrant Jr.

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Effective plant conservation includes addressing basic needs such as information about species distribution and rarity; research, management, education, and training capacity to mitigate threats facing threatened species; policy and funding to support continued capacity and conservation; and, ultimately, a public that understands and supports the importance of plants and the need for their conservation. Coordination of plant conservation efforts is also needed to ensure that resources and expertise are used in a strategic, efficient, and effective manner.We argue that no country is currently getting plant conservation right; plants are becoming increasingly rare around the world. Plants are often not fully …

Improving The Representation Of Roots In Terrestrial Models, Erica A.H. Smithwick, Melissa S. Lucash, M. Luke Mccormack, Gajan Sivandran

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Root biomass, root production and lifespan, and root-mycorrhizal interactions govern soil carbon fluxes and resource uptake and are critical components of terrestrial models. However, limitations in data and confusions over terminology, together with a strong dependence on a small set of conceptual frameworks, have limited the exploration of root function in terrestrial models. We review the key root processes of interest to both field ecologists and modelers including root classification, production, turnover, biomass, resource uptake, and depth distribution to ask (1) what are contemporary approaches for modeling roots in terrestrial models? and (2) can these approaches be improved via recent …

Effect Of Reducing Maximum Cycle Length On Roadside Air Quality And Travel Times On A Corridor In Portland, Or, Christine M. Kendrick, David Urowsky, Willie Rotich, Peter Koonce, Linda Acha George

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS), an adaptive signal system designed to reduce congestion, has been installed on a heavily trafficked roadway in Portland, OR. In addition to traffic performance metrics, we are investigating how this system affects roadway emissions of air pollutants. A twenty-second reduction to maximum cycle length was proposed for the SCATS system to address pedestrian delay concerns. A two-week trial period with this reduced cycle length was implemented. Travel times and roadside air pollution concentrations were monitored throughout this study period and compared to before and after periods with the current maximum cycle length. Average …

Occurrence Of Synthetic Amino-Polycarboxylate Chelating Compounds In Oregon Surface Waters, Nathan A. Hersey

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

Cation sequestering compounds are contained in many industrial, commercial and personal care products. The most widely used chelating agents, EDTA and DTPA, are commonly found in natural and industrial settings. When chelating compounds are present, the activity and transport of metal cations in the environment and the uptake of metals in natural systems can be affected. Surface water samples from across the United States were analyzed, as well as local collection and analysis of surface waters and wastewater treatment plant effluent from around Northwest Oregon. Results indicate presence of synthetic chelating compounds in areas with human activity, and absence in …

A Comparative Assessment Of Crowded Source Travel Time Estimates: A Case Study Of Bluetooth Vs Inrix On A Suburban Arterial, Fahad Fasha Alhajri

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

Travel time is one of the most widely used measures of traffic performance monitoring for the transportation systems. It is a simple concept that refers to the time required to traverse between two points of interest. Travel time is communicated and used by a wide variety of audience such as commuters, media reporters, and transportation engineers and planners. Recent developments within the wireless communication area made it possible to collect travel time data at a relatively low cost. These emerging technologies include mobile phone based technologies, in-vehicle navigation technologies and automatic vehicle identification technologies. Although these technologies offer a great …

A Data Set Of Worldwide Glacier Length Fluctuations, Paul W. Leclercq, Johannes Oerlemans, Hassan J. Basagic, Christina Bushueva, A. J. Cook, Raymond Le Bris

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Glacier fluctuations contribute to variations in sea level and historical glacier length fluctuations are natural indicators of past climate change. To study these subjects, longterm information of glacier change is needed. In this paper we present a data set of global long-term glacier length fluctuations. The data set is a compilation of available information on changes in glacier length worldwide, including both measured and reconstructed glacier length fluctuations. All 471 length series start before 1950 and cover at least four decades. The longest record starts in 1535, but the majority of time series start after 1850. The number of available …

Conflict And Tourism In Uganda, Brie Busey

University Honors Theses

I am looking into the relationship between conflict and tourism. I will specifically focus on the case study of Uganda in East Africa. Uganda has a strong history of conflict and a reputation of violence. The country has undergone tragedy that gets viewed and heard of around the world. After colonization, the country had to rebuild and suffered a lot of strife. The conflict was seen by the world. Aid is sent, but the country is still working to end all violence. Uganda is seeking the tourism industry to help the economy. The tourism industry has a lot of backing …

How Securitization Is Affecting The Relationship Between The United States And Putin’S Russia: A Study Of Securitization Vs. Authoritarianism, Zoe Smolen

University Honors Theses

Since Vladimir Putin first took office at the beginning of the twentieth-century, many politicians and scholars have called his methods of ruling of Russia into question. This paper seeks to explain the reasons for the actions that Putin has taken while in charge of Russia, particularly in the respect to the claim that he has created an “authoritarian state” similar to the one of the former Soviet Union. In doing so, the paper will analyze three key aspects: Putin’s background, institutional background, and securitization. Additionally, the paper will be framed in a context that focuses on the US-Russian relations, and …

What's On Your Mind? : A Generational Comparison Of Language Use On Online Social Networking Platforms, Samantha Stidham

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores the connections between user age and unique linguistic features used when communicating on Facebook and other online social networking platforms, in the form of a literature review. It includes a detailed history of computer-mediated communication, along with an analysis of all of Facebook’s features and how they contribute to communication via the site. The language features common to each age group (young adults/teens, adults, and seniors) are detailed, analyzed from Schwartz et al’s work Personality, gender, and age in the language of social media: The Open-Vocabulary Approach, along with making the argument that teens and seniors—the …

The Occurrences, References And Projected Attitudes About Lgbt Lifestyles In Children's Media: A Content Analysis Of Animated Films, Michael Caldwell

University Honors Theses

This study included a selection of 5 top-grossing animated children's films looking for hints, references and projected attitudes about LGBT lifestyles. I hypothesized that there would be no out-right gay characters whatsoever, but only hints or strong hints to, and that they would be exemplified through gender transgressions, intense same-sex interactions, and contain a focus on male masculinity. Furthermore, I hypothesized that all categories would be used primarily for humor. Results held true with these predictions where all categories were used for humor 83% of the time, with a focus on male characters. The results also support the noted increase …

Foucault Concept Communication: An Examination Of Alcoholics Anonymous, Amanda Joy Arms

University Honors Theses

While previous research on the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous has covered a wide range of topics, there is a gap which exists in the lack of examination of the 12-step program through the lens of the underlying mechanisms of power. The concepts which most clearly reflect these mechanisms of power are explicated by Michel Foucault and his work. This gap can be best summed up as a lack of comprehensive and exhaustive, textual analysis of multiple texts provided by AA to members of their fellowship. This thesis uses Foucauldian discourse analysis in an exhaustive manner, to examine pieces of …

Spindle Shaped Virus (Ssv) : Mutants And Their Infectivity, Thien Hoang

University Honors Theses

SSV1 is an archaeal virus that infects the thermoacidophile Sulfolobus residing in hot springs. The lemon shaped/spindle-shaped fuselloviruses (SSV) that infect Sulfolobus solfataricus is quite morphologically different from almost all other viruses. Because these archaeal viruses live in hot springs with high temperatures and low pH, their genomes and structures have adapted to withstand such harsh conditions. Little research has been done on these extreme viruses, and of the little research, SSV has been the most prominent. Not much is known about the genes that the genome encodes and so I have inserted transposons randomly into genome to determine functionality. …

Palestinian Women Of The Intifada: The Women’S Committees, 1987-1988, Melinda Cohoon

University Honors Theses

This study situates the Palestinian women’s committees within the initial year of Intifada, 1987-1988, to show that women’s committees were politically active yet were an inherent creation due to class issues. It became evident that these unofficial women’s popular organizations were a development of the 1970s. Furthermore, this study argues that the women’s committees were affected by issues of class, politics and gender; after all, their creation was due to the charitable societies exclusivity to upper and upper-middle class women, while gendered differences in tactics of women and women’s committees during the Intifada in comparison to the Shabbiba (youth movement) …