Digital Commons Network^™

Helly's Theorem And Its Equivalences Via Convex Analysis, Adam Robinson

University Honors Theses

Helly's theorem is an important result from Convex Geometry. It gives sufficient conditions for a family of convex sets to have a nonempty intersection. A large variety of proofs as well as applications are known. Helly's theorem also has close connections to two other well-known theorems from Convex Geometry: Radon's theorem and Carathéodory's theorem. In this project we study Helly's theorem and its relations to Radon's theorem and Carathéodory's theorem by using tools of Convex Analysis and Optimization. More precisely, we will give a novel proof of Helly's theorem, and in addition we show in a complete way that these …

Youth Engagement And Portland Neighborhood Associations, Kelly Sellers

University Honors Theses

This research addresses the intersection between youth engagement and Portland neighborhood associations, and explores future implications for young people’s civic engagement and participation in decisions that affect their lives. Since much of the literature on public participation does not specifically address young people’s assets or needs, this research provides an exploratory view on youth perceptions of place and neighborhood associations. Through semi-structured interviews, three members of the Multnomah Youth Commission, the official youth policy body for the City of Portland and Multnomah County, shared their insights, regarding current awareness of and future hopes for Portland neighborhood associations. The lack of …

Social Constructs In Film Culture: The Effect Of It On The Performing Arts, And The Destroyed Association Of Signs To Enhance Meaning, Eileen W. Tom

University Honors Theses

Semiotics is the study of signs and how they produce meaning in society. How can the lens of semiotics (specifically the components and the relationship between the signifier and the signified) reform the audience and performer systems? This thesis serves as an examination of the relationship between the audience and performer, how each play a part in creating meaning within a given performance piece. This project provides a method on how to rebuild the world of the film to enhance a theme. The primary evidence consists of statistics gathered from a viewing of a staged reading that was written specifically …

Affect Perception In Computer Mediated Communication, Rachel E. Townsend

University Honors Theses

The perception of affect influences the subjective perception of an individual’s environment (Isbell & Burns, n.d.). Accurate affect perception leads to increased resilience and positive coping mechanisms when faced with daily life stressors (Robinson, Moeller, Buchholz, Boyd, & Troop-Gordon, 2012). Communication technologies have revolutionized the ways in which individuals connect to one another professionally and socially (Joseph B. Walther, 1992). This study investigated accurate affect perception in computer mediated communication (CMC) from a multidisciplinary perspective. One hundred fifty four research participants ( = 26.84, = 9.66) responded to a self-report questionnaire hosted by Qualtrics.com. A multiple linear regression was conducted, …

Communication Tools Towards A Bioregional Consciousness, Elona Trogub

University Honors Theses

Recognizing that ecological collapse is within reach, I draw upon the observations that poorly distributed power dynamics supported through the reinforcement of individualism, hierarchism, reductionism, linear thinking, etc. are some of the basic principles that pose a challenge when it comes to embracing new and very ancient ways of interacting with the rest of living systems. There exist “original instructions,” reinforced by recent scientific acknowledgements, that contain guidelines for needed action and interaction to prevent anthropogenic ecological collapse. I utilize storytelling as well as several of the leverage points for systems change suggested by Donella Meadows (1999) in deconstructing the …

Magnolia: A Creative Thesis Project, Stephanie Tshappat

University Honors Theses

A creative thesis project consisting of six flash fiction short stories, each one thousand words in length and linked together by a framing story.

Life Near Death: The Impact Of Support Groups For People With Terminal Cancer On Preparatory Grief, Ariel Young

University Honors Theses

Growing evidence suggests that preparedness for death can lead to positive outcomes for the dying and for the bereaved. Preparatory grief, grieving one’s own death before it occurs, is grossly understudied. More research is necessary in order to understand the needs of the dying and to design more effective support systems to meet those needs. Within the next few decades a significant increase in the number of individual’s living with long-term terminal illness and in need of end-of-life care is virtually inevitable. Current support systems may be outdated and thus inappropriate for these individuals.

This thesis reviews relevant literature regarding …

Positive Behavior Supports: An Alternative To The Overuse Of Psychotropic Drugs, Rachel Woollard

University Honors Theses

The potential benefits of positive behavior supports were explored in a sample of elderly persons and traumatic brain injured persons, all of whom were exhibiting behavioral problems. The sample was drawn from Woollard Ipsen Management, LLC’s clientele base and included persons living in adult foster care homes and assisted living facilities within the State of Oregon. All sample members exhibited behavioral symptoms (n=100) that threatened to result in eviction from their places of residence and most were taking at least on[e] psychotropic medication (n=75). Behavior consultants (n=5) working with the residents were also interviewed and observed. Data was collected on …

Understanding Women In Prison: A Review Of Gender Specific Needs And Risk Assessments And Their Policy And Research Implications, Elise Barlow

University Honors Theses

In the last 30 years, the number of women in the criminal justice system has risen significantly, yet the criminal justice system still bases much of its policy on empirical research conducted on a majority male subjects. Risk and need assessments, generally used to categorize inmates into varying risk levels to lower recidivism, have been faulted by many feminist scholars for having little pertinence for women. Their lack of gender sensitive factors has left many scholars questioning their validity. Available correctional programs are based on the knowledge collected by those who are supportive of these "gender neutral" assessments. Because of …

Américo Castro, Saint James, And Spain: The History Of A Belief, Daniel Blanchard

University Honors Theses

The present essay is broadly interested in the problem of writing history, and the way different manners of confronting this problem are received and represented in the modern day as our historiographical compass increases in depth, scope, and capacity. Within the breadth of this theme, my case study is centered on the Spanish historian Américo Castro (1885–1972), an author whose work embodies not only the Spanish intellectual trends of his day, but also a substantial swath of Western philosophy and academic scholarship. I demonstrate the influence of existential philosophy on Castro, as well as the myopic filter of nationalism through …

;(, Robert Eversmann

University Honors Theses

Stories about Hillsboro, 7/11, Target, Arco, Shari's, NAPA, Gentle Dental, Dutch Brother's, Tri-Cities, Skate World, Tijuana, Akron and Dayton Ohio.

Music And Acculturation: Using Culture-Focused Music Therapy To Address The Adverse Effects Of Acculturative Stress, Christopher A. Arnold

University Honors Theses

More than any other demographic in the United States, Native American populations experience the highest rate of suicide proportional to population size. This is just one of numerous statistics indicative of the overall status of Native American psychological health. There has been increasing research demonstrating that Native American suicide rate and depression is positively associated with acculturative stress, and negatively associated with traditional heritage cultural integration. Because an increased amount of acculturative stress for Native Americans is correlated with high suicide rate and occurrence of depression, while increased traditional culture integration may be linked to lower suicide rate and occurrence …

International Perspectives On Sustainable Agriculture In Cuba, B. Danielle Smith

University Honors Theses

Since the economic crisis following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba has restructured their agriculture with a greater focus on domestic production of domestically consumed produce, and a dramatic reduction of petroleum products in all aspects of food production. This overhaul has included the broad application of what is termed agroecology – agricultural practices which focus on principles of biodiversity and sustainability – and inter-farm cooperation facilitated by the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP) and Campesino a Campesino. Academics and journalists from within and abroad have critically examined aspects of the novel reforms developed in the country …

Neighborhood Sustainability: The Genesis Of Three Ecodistricts Within Portland, Oregon, Laura Waddick

University Honors Theses

This research aims to gain a better understanding for how the processes, goals, and actions are formulated and implemented throughout three EcoDistricts within Portland, Foster Green, Living Cully, and South of Market (SoMa). More specifically, this study will analyze how these districts are formed around three different drivers in the push for sustainability. The research will use case studies to provide insight into exactly what those drivers might be, whether they be citizens, institutions, etc., and then what this means for on-the-ground results. As EcoDistricts currently reside as the most well-known example for neighborhood sustainability in Portland, and arguably across …

Cellular Automata As Cellular Spaces, Max Orhai

University Honors Theses

The topology of an abstract cellular complex is developed from the idea of a locally finite space consisting of countably many elements, and can provide a coordinate- free definition of both the geometric structure and discrete dynamics of cellular automata.

A Race To The Finish: An Analysis Of Factors Contributing To The Achievement Gap In Portland Public School District, Victoria Noggle

University Honors Theses

Closing the achievement gap is one of the most talked about issues within the United States education system. The achievement gap refers to disproportionality in rates of achievement between white students and students of color. The question should not be how one closes the achievement gap but what factors contribute to the achievement gap and how these factors can be addressed. This paper looks at the achievement gap between white and black students on a national level, focusing on research addressing different factors pertaining to the gap. Five main factors contribute to the achievement gap between white and black students: …

The Secret Life Of The Cross-Cultural Fairy Tale: A Comparative Study Of The Indonesian Folktale "Bawang Merah, Bawang Putih" And Three European Fairy Tales, Sarah Nicole Donaldson

University Honors Theses

Folklore was one of the earliest developed forms of story telling, and fairy tales especially remain influentially pervasive in society today. In this paper, I seek to deconstruct five versions of the Indonesian folktale "Bawang Merah, Bawang Putih," through comparisons with the European fairy tales "One-Eye, Two-Eyes, and Three-Eyes," "The Fairies," and "Mother Holle," using an interdisciplinary approach incorporating psychoanalytic and feminist theories in a close reading of the tales. Through tracking the transfer of money in the tales, I establish that heroines rarely keep their money as young, marriageable girls are considered commodities themselves within the fairy tale world. …

Understanding Local Jazz Ecology : An Inquiry Into What Research Is Required To Develop A Comprehensive Understanding Of Local Jazz Scenes, Tristan Weitkamp

University Honors Theses

This paper will examine the structure of local Jazz music economies and how the concepts of ecology (interaction between organisms and their environment) can apply to understanding and improving the health of this cultural sector. It will start by examining the academic knowledge in the related areas and then explore possible research methodology in order to better understand the economic situation of a local Jazz ecology. The methodology will then be presented in a framework for studying the Jazz ecology of Portland, Oregon. Once a research methodology has been developed, steps can be taken towards an informed understanding of local …

Drainage Reversals Due To Tectonic Uplift: An Investigation Through Modeling, Max Gregory Bordal

University Honors Theses

In mountainous landscapes throughout the world bedrock dominated river channels record a history of the tectonic and climatic evolution of the drainage basins that contain them. In traditional analysis of river profiles, uplift and erosion are considered to be in balance in a steady state. In this study the transient state of a drainage basin is explored and numerically modeled, where a Gaussian shaped pulse of tectonic uplift overwhelms the river's incision and forces a diversion of the drainage network. I review the derivation of and use the detachment limited stream power equation to execute a model to find the …

Classification Of Four Meteorite Samples, Karla Farley

University Honors Theses

The petrography, mineralogy, and mineral chemistry of four unclassified Northwest Africa meteorites in the Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory collection (CML0005, 0023, 0024, 0032) were studied using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The data will be used to classify the meteorites and to obtain official names for the meteorites. CML0023 has the preliminary classification of L6 (S3) W1, CML0024 has L6 (S3) W1, and CML0032 has L6 (S2) W1. CML0005 has chemistry and mineralogy that indicate it is an anomalous acapulcoite.

The Socialization Of Women And Its Effect On The Wage Gap Within The United States, Kaitlin Lawrence

University Honors Theses

President Kennedy signed The Equal Pay Act in 1963, a time when women were making an average of 59 cents on the dollar compared to men. 49 years later, that value has only risen 17.5 cents. If the current rate of progress continues at the same pace, it is projected that the wage gap will cease to exist by the year 2057; 94 years after The Equal Pay Act was established. Politicians, economists and women’s rights activists, among others question what must be done to bridge the wage gap and how has it continued to be perpetuated for so long. …

The Woman In White: Problems With Editorial History & Classification Of Genre In Proposing A New Edition, Andréa Franke

University Honors Theses

Wilkie Collins’s novel The Woman in White, first published in Charles Dickens’s journal All the Year Round, brings many issues to publishers who wish to create a new edition. As The Woman in White went through three editorial transitions during Collins’s life it is difficult for book publishers to decide whether to create a new eclectic text of the existing three original editions or to use one edition as the copy text. Beyond this, existing editions of this work, including the Barnes & Noble Classics edition and the Oxford World Classics editions, create problems in their paratext as …

An Update To The Proficiency Benchmarks For Surgical Simulation Training In Laparoscopy At Oregon Health And Science University, Caleb Alan Haley

University Honors Theses

As the field of medicine, especially surgery, progresses, new challenges in the training of physicians have emerged. While surgical education has been traditionally structured as an apprenticeship-based model, this has proven to be time consuming, costly, and unethical to patients, physicians, and medical institutions alike. One solution that has arisen due to the need for balancing safety with education is the usage of simulation-based training. Simulation has become an accepted and valued way of training physicians due to its assurance of safe, scheduled, targeted, and objective training for the learner, as well as safe and efficient clinical experiences for patients. …

"L'Affaire Des Princes": Baroque Architecture And Factional Politics In Regency Paris, 1715-1723, Jordan Hallmark

University Honors Theses

It has long been noted by architectural historians that the exuberant stylistic idiom of the Roman Baroque, which spread throughout most of Europe in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, failed to exert much of an influence on the architecture of early modern France. Scholars have traditionally interpreted this failure as a conscious rejection of the Roman Baroque style on the part of the French monarchy, which, with the rise of royal absolutism during the personal reign of Louis XIV (1661-1715) , adopted the classical style of architecture and design as a formal language with which to assert the absolute …

Wrf Validation In Portland, Or, Duc Tran

University Honors Theses

Global climate change is starting to destabilize earth's ecosystems. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide(N₂O) can trap heat in the atmosphere via the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect occurs when light energy in the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum from the sun is absorbed by earth's surface (i.e. rocks, soil, trees and water) and is re-emitted as infrared radiation. This radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases warming the atmosphere which radiates part of the energy back down to earth’s surface. Carbon dioxide is one of the most …

Neuropeptide Y: A Potential Marker For A Life-History Transition In The Red-Sided Garter Snake (Thamnophis Sirtalis), Daelyn Richards

University Honors Theses

It is essential for organisms to exhibit appropriate behaviors as they transition from one life-history stage to another. While such life-history transitions are critical to both individual survival and reproductive fitness, we know very little about the underlying mechanisms. This project explores a potential mechanism regulating the transition of red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) from reproductive to foraging behavior. After emerging from winter dormancy, male snakes engage in mate searching and mating behavior followed by a transition to foraging. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a neurohormone that controls appetite and feeding behavior in all organisms studied. We previously demonstrated …

Affordable Housing For Public Benefit: A Comparison Of Newly Constructed And Rehabilitated Developments In The North And Northeast Neighborhoods Of Portland, Oregon, Sara Matijascic

University Honors Theses

Rising property values and low vacancy rates have led to a high demand for affordable housing in Portland, Oregon. In order to fulfill this need, a strategy that considers development cost and potential benefits of affordable housing to the public must be put into place. In this report, I compare development cost and public benefit of two housing creation methods – new construction and rehabilitation – to determine ways to increase economic feasibility, as well as positive externalities of the development process. This inquiry is tested using a public benefit survey that was distributed to housing professionals working in Portland, …

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 …

A Method For Reducing Ill-Conditioning Of Polynomial Root Finding Using A Change Of Basis, Edison Tsai

University Honors Theses

The problem of solving polynomial equations is one of the oldest problems in mathematics. Many ancient civilizations developed systems of algebra which included methods for solving linear equations. Around 2000 B.C.E. the Babylonians found a method for solving quadratic equations which is equivalent to the modern quadratic formula. Several Italian Renaissance mathematicians found general methods for finding roots of cubic and quartic polynomials. But it is known that there is no general formula for finding the roots of any polynomial of degree 5 or higher using only arithmetic operations and root extraction. Therefore, when presented with the problem of solving …

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 …