Digital Commons Network^™

Linear Regression Analysis On Net Income Of An Agrochemical Company In Thailand, Supichaya Sunthornjittanon

University Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is to analyze the ABC Company’s data and verify whether the regression analysis methods and models would work effectively in the ABC Company based in Bangkok, Thailand. After the data are collected, models are created to examine the contribution of each of the company's financial factors to the net income of the company. The final model is selected using Stepwise Regression Methods. A linear regression line and equation for the model are generated to help observe and predict future trends. The model also shows which variables play the most important roles in the company's net …

The Cultural Gap: Deaf Community And Speech-Language Pathologists, Megan Knight

University Honors Theses

The following paper discusses the cultural gap that has been created between Speech-Language Pathologists and the Deaf community over the last 135 years. Starting with the period of oralism in Deaf schools to now, as we continue to pressure more parents into the idea of cochlear implants for their child. This paper will look at the history of how we have gotten to where we are today with this cultural gap and review results from a survey that was given to Portland State University Speech and Hearing Science students regarding this topic. The paper will then conclude with ways that …

Fostering Critical Thought Alongside The Common Core State Standards, Bianca Arias

University Honors Theses

This thesis evaluates a segment of the second grade English language arts and literacy (ELA) curriculum presently utilized in Portland Public Schools (PPS) school district in Portland, Oregon, using five principles for evaluation. These principles address the extent to which lessons are hands-on, engage home life, integrate the academic disciplines, encourage student autonomy, and are relevant to society today. These criteria were established following a review of John Dewey’s ideas and philosophies, and of two practices that model Deweyan principles: Project-Based Learning (PBL) and progettazione in the Municipal Infant/Toddler Centers and Preschools of Reggio-Emilia, Italy. This analysis of the ELA …

Romantic Identity And Lgbtq Identification: Variations Of Experience In The Asexual Community, Alexa Bell

University Honors Theses

As a relatively new identity category, asexuality has received only a small amount of academic attention. With what little research has been done, it has been established that there is a great amount of variability of meaning within the label "asexual", particularly within the domain of romantic orientation. In light of this, and of asexuality’s invisibility even in comparison to other marginalized sexual orientations, this research sought to investigate the possibility that romantic identity impacts asexual individual’s relationship with the larger LGBTQ+ community by distributing an online quantitative survey to self-identified asexuals. The hypothesis was that hetero-romantic and aromantic individuals …

The Great Good Bicycle Shop: Exploring The Community Roles Of A Neighborhood Business, Timothy J. Wesolowski

University Honors Theses

The local bicycle shop (LBS) has long served its neighborhood as a retail establishment and service center, but little has been done to analyze its influence on the greater community. After examining the categories of people who cycle and frequent bike shops, a rough typology of the different kinds of bike shops often found in a city was synthesized. This paper examines the different roles or assets that a given shop can be in a neighborhood. From a third place or anchoring institution to advocate for and even component of cycling infrastructure, the LBS fulfills one or several of these …

The Adverse Effects Of Maternal Depression And Poverty On Child Development, Courtney A. Nyseth

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the issues of maternal depression and poverty, their connection, and the overall adverse effects on child health, behavior, development, and school achievement. Poverty and maternal depression are ongoing social issues in the United States. They are both influenced by several factors such as socioeconomic status, maternal health, and family instability. These factors all directly relate to childhood health and social inequalities.

Poverty, maternal depression, substance abuse, and domestic violence are known to be the most common factors that place young children at high risk for poor health (Azzi-Lessing, 2013). Some of the health outcomes from poverty and …

Growing Writers, Katherine Moffitt

University Honors Theses

This thesis is about my internal process of finding and giving answers to the questions I had about life through my story "Uncle Loo" and sharing my characters and story with others so that they many grow as writers as well. I created and used my character Loo as a guide to wander into the questions I had and found answers in his life. I used a process of taking real life examples, picking the best part of the story and incorporating it into my writing. By taking true events from life and placing them in this story I was …

Divine Diets: Food And Fasting Of Medieval Mystics In The Vitae Of Thomas Of Cantimpré, Hannah Anderson

University Honors Theses

Food and fasting were central themes in the vitae of women mystics in the middle ages. However, second parties, primarily male hagiographers, recorded most of the written works about these women’s lives and spiritual experiences. Thus the question of authorship and influence arises in discerning what arose from the women themselves as opposed to their writers. In this paper I analyze the women’s vitae of one writer, Thomas of Cantimpré, from the 13^th century to find what a comparison of the texts reveal about the subjects and the author’s motivations in telling their lives. Though food and fasting features …

Spellbound: The Process Of Adaptation, Amanda Sonju

University Honors Theses

Writers write in many forms and, while most specialize in one form or another, there are those that move back and forth through multiple formats. Screenwriters are a special breed who are expected to write new material, adaptations and specs. As a screenwriter the pressure is on being able to write in someone else’s voice while still expressing your own. Unfortunately, the process of adaptation is a cloudy one. It is expected that a writer can alternate between forms by nature and not through education. The purpose of this thesis is to approach the adaptation process through a combination of …

Early-Stage Transition To Predictive Maintenance : Using Cmms, Ir Scans, And Vibration Analysis To Improve Uptime And Lower Maintenance Costs, Jason Hamilton

University Honors Theses

Implementing a predictive maintenance model does not have to be a five year, million dollar project. There are relatively simple steps a maintenance team can take to see results within the first year. Because overall cost of predictive maintenance is up to four time less expensive than preventative maintenance, as many assets as possible should be covered by predictive maintenance. Facilitating the transition to predictive maintenance is made easier with a Computerized Maintenance Management System. A good CMMS is user-friendly, automatically produces preventative maintenance work orders, and tracks all work done on each piece of machinery. IR scans and vibration …

Animals In Advertising: Eliciting Powerful Consumer Response, Resulting In Enhanced Brand Engagement, Natasha Braunwart

University Honors Theses

The use of live animals as a communications tool has been seen in thousands of commercials, many of which have received international attention through online channels. As the Internet becomes a prevalent sharing platform, the reactions from viewers can be better understood with quantifiable metrics. A new perspective on why live animals are used in advertising is given, with consideration of three branches of study. These include (1) the role of animals in advertising, (2) the role of animals in human’s everyday life, and (3) the development of brand engagement. The 2015 Super Bowl commercial line-up is looked at, and …

That Mysterious, Remisse Knot: Katherine Philips's Unincorporated Fraternity, Rene Kramer

University Honors Theses

Recent critics in early modern poetry, women’s literature, and queer studies have attempted to factor Katherine Philips’s friendship poetry into a history of homoerotic suspicion. Her metaphysical poems have been offered as a publically significant, potential erotics of textual, rather than physical, embodiment. This thesis responds by returning to the significance of the in-significance of textual representations of feminine erotics, as well as to earlier criticism of Philips as a poet of non-public life and chastity. An examination of notions of innocence in Philips’s configurations of friendship highlights an excess of innocence and a passion predicated on exception, restraint, and …

Conceptual Writing On A Digital Narrative Project, Shelley Zansler

University Honors Theses

Drawing inspiration from avant-garde writers such as Kenneth Goldsmith and Craig Dworkin, this piece was produced by the systematic principles of conceptual writing; its significance is in its process and formative idea rather than in the idea's resultant product. The piece, a transcribed conversation between the author and a few of her friends, doubles the notion of process as a final product in and of itself. The first emphasis is its simple existence and production as conceptual, which is inherently process-based. The second is that the conversation taking place in the piece is a constructive discussion regarding a project the …

Analyzing Riboswitches As A Function Of Genome Size And Genus Ancestry In Gammaproteobacteria, Robyn Reid

University Honors Theses

Riboswitches are RNA molecules that regulate gene expression, without the need for protein factors, at the mRNA level in the bacterial kingdom. This paper focuses on nine riboswitches: TPP, FMN, SAM, Lysine, Cobalamine, Glycine, Molybdenum, Mg, and SAH, and whether or not there exists a relationship between genome size and riboswitch existence. The hypothesis of this paper is that there does exist a direct relationship because it is assumed that the more basepairs (bp) in a genome, the higher the chance that an old characteristic, such as a riboswitch, is conserved. Three hundred twenty members of the gammaproteobacteria class were …

The Body: Conceptualizing Abortion In Contemporary Ireland, Sofia Ellis-Curry

University Honors Theses

Currently abortion is illegal in Ireland. This thesis uses personal and political discussions about abortion I had during a study abroad in Ireland to engage larger concepts of the institutional (Church and State) and the symbolic (justice and morality). This work seeks to highlight how the Catholic Church and the nation-state benefit from the regulation of women's bodies. Through the continued regulation of women's bodies, specifically around access to abortion, the nation-state can better control projects of race, class, gender, sexuality and ability in order maintain strict notions of citizenship and preserve Irish identity reclamation projects.

Development And Initial Application Of Low-Molecular Weight Organic Acids And Inorganic Ionic Species In Aerosol Particulate Matter Via Ion Chromatography, Clarissa D. Karpinski

University Honors Theses

Air pollution, especially particulate matter, is a widespread environmental and public health risk. In this work, a method has been developed to separate, resolve, and quantitate monovalent anionic and cationic organic acids in aerosol particulate matter through ion chromatography (IC). The standard samples were analyzed on a Dionex ICS-5000 Ion Chromatography System with suppressed conductivity detection, and calibration curves for all analytes were created. A preliminary tobacco smoke sample was also analyzed. This method may be applied to the analysis of atmospheric particulate matter, as well as tobacco smoke particulate matter, in order to determine and quantitate primary anions and …

Estella, Roxana L. Arguello

University Honors Theses

This collection of short interconnected vignettes is centered on Estella, a young Mexican American woman, and the bicultural lens through which she sees the world. Each vignette is a part of a larger exploration of virginity, identity, and relationships—in particular the one with her mother.

Comparison Of Monowave And Polywave Transmission And Curing Profile Thru Various Composites, Anna Kolpakova

University Honors Theses

Objective: To compare the light-transmission and spectral output of a polywave and monowave LCU thru two different composites at varying thicknesses.

Methods: For irradiance measurements two bulk fill composites (n=3) containing different photoinitiators: CQ-based (SonicFill, Kerr) and TPO and CQ-based (Tetric EvoCeram, Ivoclar Vivadent) were prepared in Delrin molds of varying thicknesses (1mm, 2mm, and 3mm). A Resin Calibrator (MARC Resin Calibrator, BlueLight Analytics) was used to determine irradiance and spectrum of two different curing lights as the samples were cured for 20 seconds: a polywave (Bluephase G2, Ivoclar Vivadent) and a monowave (SmartLite Focus, DENTSPLY) LCUs.

Results: The polywave …

Trans•Form|Mogrify|Mutate, Sierra Randolph

University Honors Theses

When confronted with a word, meaning is revealed through contextualization. This transformation of inherently meaningless shapes to communicated ideas is only possible because of our deep relationship to language. Taking a step back, words become concepts that exist independent of their written form. Indeed, even "transformation" is a concept that can be contextualized and understood as more than a single word.

This project explores the concept of transformation in as many forms as possible: from the absurd to the realistic, from the literal to the metaphorical, from the zeitgeist of culture to the realm of the obscure. Using a variety …

Effective Methods Of Constituency Service In Oregon State, Thanh T. Ngo

University Honors Theses

One would think that casework is the most effective method to reach constituents, however, that was not the case with this research about the Oregon State Legislature. Out of the 90 State Senators and House Representatives, there was a total of 50 surveys conducted and four interviews. The purpose of this research was to determine between casework, outreach and providing information, which method is deemed most effective within the Oregon Legislature when it comes to constituency service. Calculations show that third method, providing information, was the most effective with a solid 63%. These results shows that our legislator still lack …

Diversity Within Asian Americans: Barriers To The Public Discussion Of Discrimination, Samantha I. Ing

University Honors Theses

This purpose of this thesis is to discuss barriers to the public discussion of discrimination against Asian-Americans. The literature addresses three major barriers: model minority status, portrayal in media, and cultural desire to assimilate. This thesis discusses how Asian-Americans contain generational, ethnic, and immigration-based diversity that complicates these barriers, while also positing that diversity itself presents a barrier. This project concludes with a brief discussion of "intra-ethnic othering," the discrimination that occurs between Asian subgroups, as another barrier to public discussion of Asian-American discrimination.

Supporting At-Risk Student Success: Incentives And Accountability Matter, Jordan Sell

University Honors Theses

This comparative case study aims to understand the contrasting graduation rates between Benson Polytechnic High School and Roosevelt High School in Portland, Oregon. I chose Roosevelt and Benson due to their similar reported demographics. Roosevelt reports 76% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch and 69.6% classified as non-white. Benson reports 69% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch and 71.4% classified as non-white. Even with their similar demographic makeup, Benson boasts an 87% graduation rate in the 2013-2014 school year and Roosevelt reports a 53% graduation rate in the 2013-2014 school year. Using theories put forth by …

Hohenzollern Prussia: Claiming A Legacy Of Legitimacy, Jeremy Brooks Weed

University Honors Theses

Prussia has been seen since the Second World War as a militaristic pariah and because of its scattered and desperate nature it has been vilified as the root cause of Nazism. Modern authors like Christopher Clark, Philip Dwyer, and others have helped to perpetuate these ideas in contemporary literature. These ideas contradict works by older historians who wrote and asserted that Prussian expansion was based on dynastic claims. These earlier historians asserted that Prussian actions followed a series of dynastic claims that gave credibility to Prussian expansion without upsetting the political norms of the time. By examining the actions and …

The Corporatization Of Retail Pharmacy: Changes In Efficacy, Reliability, And Expedience, Charles Bodreau

University Honors Theses

The retail pharmacy of the present has undergone a large shift in ownership from private to corporate in the form of chain pharmacies. In this literature review, the effects of this shift in ownership, otherwise referred to as “corporatization” are examined in order to determine both the benefits and areas of concern regarding this change. This review suggests that the benefits include: Decreases in filling time and increases in patient satisfaction. The areas of concern include: Decreasing patient-pharmacist counseling rates, increases in Adverse Drug Reaction rates and decreased pharmacy costs but not patient costs. It is concluded that the areas …

Unequal Medicine: The Impact Of Patient Mistrust On The Racial Differences In Reproductive Health Outcomes, Ashley Lenherr

University Honors Theses

Despite impressive medical advancements the gap in health and the quality of health care between blacks and whites has remained consistent or even increased in the past several decades in America, and reproductive health outcomes reveal similar trends. Black infants have a mortality rate that is 2.4 times higher than whites in the first year, and black mothers are 3 times more likely to die when giving birth when compared to white women (MacDorman et al. 2011 & Paxton and Wardlaw, 2011). In regards to the current and historically poor birth outcomes for black women and infants compared to whites …

Multi-Dimensional Analysis Of Fluorescent Chemosensor Data, Kimberly Guttinger

University Honors Theses

Multidimensional fluorescent chemosensor data looking at the effect that rhodamine boronic acid dyes and fluorescein aldehyde dyes have on analytes of interest was collected by the Strongin Research Group. These sets of data have resulted in great qualitative results. A method to quantify the results, however, was desired. The major objective of this research was to reanalyze these sets of data using a new multidimensional analysis technique called Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) to obtain quantitative results. PARAFAC was performed on the data and new promising quantitative results were obtained. The promising results offered assertion of the use of PARAFAC on …

Understanding Patterns Of Localized Poverty In The United States: Identifying Strengths And Weaknesses In Contemporary Statistical Analysis, Gregory Dyck

University Honors Theses

The localization and concentration of poverty causes many problems throughout the world, and is linked to multiple adverse effects on individuals, households, and society at large. However, determining the relationship between poverty and these affects is limited by the current state of affairs regarding how theory does and does not fit with the indicator variables being used or available. I will attempt to evaluate the current usage of variables and strategies, both how they succeed, and how they fall short in the analysis of concentrated poverty. The results of this analysis should open holes for the development of better indicators …

Polyethylene Glycol And Silica Coatings Of Bismuth Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization And Whole Serum Compatibilities, Victor Benavides-Montes

University Honors Theses

Cancer is responsible for about one fourth of mortalities in the United States daily, however, early diagnosis and treatment raised the five year survival rate since the 1970’s. The usage of X-ray contrast agents (XCAs) has been instrumental in the diagnosis of tumors, but the field still calls for an improved modality in XCAs, such as safe, affordable, lower dosage and targeted XCAs. Useful XCAs must be capable of avoiding the reticuloendothelial system (RES) through an increased circulation half-life time (t_1/2), therefore, “evasive” nanoparticle shells have been previously constructed and studied. Researchers have demonstrated an increased t_{1/2 …}

Culture Is A Language, Can't You Read?: Reading Gay Rights As Human Rights, Jen Corbridge

University Honors Theses

Scholars writing about postcolonialism, race, and gender have warned against universal conceptions of identity, but Western states have managed to expand their agendas through the production of a sexual citizenship. In this paper, I attempt to unpack the component structures of Clinton’s “Remarks in Recognition of International Human Rights Day” speech in order to tease out the ways in which she reproduces racist, Orientalist and Islamophobic rhetoric in order to advocate for a universal conception of sexual identity. Using contemporary scholarship that explores the intersection of sexuality, race, and nationalism, I argue that Clinton’s speech, using tried and true colonialist …

Organizational Culture Change Resulting From Human Resources Outsourcing, Emily Murrell

University Honors Theses

Human Resources outsourcing has become a way for businesses to save money, but has also become a problem in keeping organizational environments the same (Cook, 2000; Cobb 2009; Mol, 2007). Outsourcing includes work that can be done by employees, but services can also be provided by an outside vendor for a lower price (Cook, 2000), and can affect an organizations performance (Mol, 2007). There are parts of Human Resources functions such as staffing, recruiting, training, succession planning and organizational development, and benefit planning that can be outsourced (Cook, 2000). Studies have looked at the difference between organizations that have outsourced …