Digital Commons Network^™

Octavia E. Butler’S Dawn And “Bloodchild” : From Human To Posthuman, Nicole Fields

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Octavia Butler authored many science fiction novels and short stories, almost all of which have been associated with race and/or slavery. I argue that two of her works, Dawn and “Bloodchild,” are not specifically about race and can be approached from a posthuman perspective. I discuss the place of black literature in the Western Literary tradition, and I highlight the literary reception of Butler’s work. Since her novels and short stories have been compared to slavery, which I argue against, I point out the disparity between the lives of the characters in Butler’s texts and historical accounts of the slave …

Understanding The Core Practices Of The Student Teaching Practicum Within The Student Teacher/Cooperating Teacher Relationship: Constructing A Framework For The Student Teaching Practicum Using An Ethic Of Care, Candice Chiavola

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Often considered an experience in instructional preparation for preservice teachers, the student teaching practicum is both a practical and relational experience for both the cooperating teacher and student teacher. In this qualitative study, I examine both the instructional and relational core practices cooperating teachers enact with and for their student teachers during the student teaching practicum. Informed by case study methods, I first identified core instructional and relational practices and analyzed them through two texts: Mary Kennedy’s Parsing the Practice of Teaching (2016) and Nel Noddings’s Caring and Moral Education (2008, 2013). Using grounded theory, I then constructed a framework …

Sustainability Of Hard Apple Cider : An Environmental And Socio-Economic Assessment, Meghann N. Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Agricultural sustainability is a fundamental requirement for environmental conservation, food production, and food security. In order to achieve agricultural sustainability, it is essential that policies are put in place to support sustainable practices, and that agricultural institutions are provided access supporting knowledge and technology. With this integral support, stakeholders can be better prepared to avoid issues such as eroding biodiversity and environmental quality as well as prepare for the inevitable challenges of climate change. This dissertation investigates the challenges and opportunities involved with the development of the hard apple cider industry in the United States’ Northeast. Hard apple cider is …

Culturally Responsive Instructional Coaching : Accessing Student Voice During A Co-Generated Lesson Plan, Jacqueline Stone

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In an increasingly diverse nation, rife with racial unrest and systemic inequities, it is the responsibility of educators to ensure the academic equity of all students. This participatory action research (PAR) sought to incorporate student voice into a culturally responsive coaching cycle in order to create equity and shared power between students and teachers. Through one phase of PAR and one coaching cycle (planning, observing, reflecting) that incorporated student voice, student-participants challenged traditional teaching structures and felt validation as a result. Additionally, teachers may have struggled with sharing power, but they demonstrated growth in their teaching practice. Finally, as an …

Microstructure And Properties Of Zirconia-Alumina Composites Fabricated Via Powder Injection Molding, Nalattaporn Saelee, Nutthita Chuankrerkkul, Panitarn Wanakamol

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

This study aimed to fabricate zirconia-alumina composites via powder injection molding and investigated the effects of alumina addition on microstructure as well as physical properties of the composites. Zirconia-alumina composites were prepared using polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyvinyl butyral (PVB) as binders.  The powder loading was fixed at 38 vol%, and PEG: PVB binder weight ratio was fixed at 80:20.  Alumina content within ceramic component was varied at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 vol% to observe the effect of alumina on the composite structures and properties. The injection molding was done at 190℃ followed by water debinding of …

Sustainable Valorization Of Sugarcane Leaves For Succinic Acid And Biochar Production, Nuttaporn Chokesawatanakit, Pasakorn Jutakridsada, Khanita Kamwilaisak

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

The leaves of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) are agricultural waste that is burnt before harvesting. This project aims to find an alternative way to increase the value of sugarcane leaves and decrease air pollution by using the leaves as raw material to produce succinic acid and biochar. Reducing sugars were extracted from the leaves by H2SO4 hydrolysis. The sugars were then fermented by Yarrowia lipolytica TBRC 4417 to produce succinic acid. The solid residue was used as the raw material for biochar production by pyrolysis. The effects of pyrolysis temperature (350, 400, and 450℃) and nitrogen gas flow rate (5, 10, …

New Views On The Ingenious Applications Of Ag Nanoparticles As A Sensor For Antibiotic Detection And As A Potent Antimicrobial Agent, Keyur Bhatt, Anita Kongor, Mohd Atharb, Vinod Jain

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Nanotechnology uses exceptional approaches for the control of bacterial infections which uncovers the potential function of bio-systems at nano-scale level. Compared to silver ions, silver nanoparticles possess enhanced physicochemical stability and low bio-toxicity properties. The intrinsic chemical framework of silver nanoparticles is prone to exhibit a significant chemistry when used as sensor and as therapeutic. Nowadays, silver is used in (nano-) medicine, in the form of nanoparticles to optimize its therapeutic property for controlling infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. Exclusive use of antibiotics as medicines and its discharge from the body of the infected person or animals into the sewage …

Electrifying: Facilitating The Transition To Electric Lawn And Garden Equipment, Bryan Hull, Ryan Murphy

Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Law

No abstract provided.

Feature Selection On Permissions, Intents And Apis For Android Malware Detection, Fred Guyton

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Malicious applications pose an enormous security threat to mobile computing devices. Currently 85% of all smartphones run Android, Google’s open-source operating system, making that platform the primary threat vector for malware attacks. Android is a platform that hosts roughly 99% of known malware to date, and is the focus of most research efforts in mobile malware detection due to its open source nature. One of the main tools used in this effort is supervised machine learning. While a decade of work has made a lot of progress in detection accuracy, there is an obstacle that each stream of research is …

The Empirical Study Of The Factors That Influence Threat Avoidance Behavior In Ransomware Security Incidents, Heriberto Aurelio Acosta Maestre

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Ransomware security incidents have become one of the biggest threats to general computer users who are oblivious to the ease of infection, severity, and cost of the damage it causes. University networks and their students are susceptible to ransomware security incidents. College students have vast technical skills and knowledge, however they risk ransomware security incidents because of their lack of mitigating actions to the threats and the belief that it would not happen to them. Interaction with peers may play a part in college students’ perception of the threats and behavior to secure their computers. Identifying what influences students’ threat …

Cardiac Dysfunction In A Mouse Vascular Dementia Model Of Bilateral Common Carotid Artery Stenosis, Lulu An, Michael Chopp, Alex Zacharek, Yi Shen, Zhili Chen, Yu Qian, Wei Li, Julie Landschoot-Ward, Zhongwu Liu, Poornima Venkat

Neurology Articles

Background: Cardiac function is associated with cognitive function. Previously, we found that stroke and traumatic brain injury evoke cardiac dysfunction in mice. In this study, we investigate whether bilateral common carotid artery stenosis (BCAS), a model that induces vascular dementia (VaD) in mice, induces cardiac dysfunction.

Methods: Late-adult (6-8 months) C57BL/6J mice were subjected to sham surgery (n = 6) or BCAS (n = 8). BCAS was performed by applying microcoils (0.16 mm internal diameter) around both common carotid arteries. Cerebral blood flow and cognitive function tests were performed 21-28 days post-BCAS. Echocardiography was conducted in conscious mice 29 days …

Cynicism As A Modus Of Political Agency: Can It Speak To International Law?, Hengameh Saberi

Articles & Book Chapters

This essay is a brief tour through the philosophical journey of cynicism as a critical ethos and modus of political agency. Against colloquial and psychological uses, all with a crippling effect, it seeks to remind of the best potential of a philosophical cynical temperament for a sense of empowered agency by revisiting its travels from ancient Athens to our time. With that history in sight, it will then in a preliminary and experimental fashion imagine some possible avenues through which international law can begin to appreciate a cynical orientation as a force for good rather than an enemy to deny, …

Curriculum Change 2021-2022, Portland State University

Bulletin & Curriculum Change Documents

No abstract provided.

The Construction Of Panels (Koma) In Manga: By Natsume Fusanosuke From Why Is Manga So Interesting?: Its Grammar And Expression (Manga Wa Naze Omoshiroi No Ka: Sono Hyōgen To Bunpō, 1997), Jon Holt, Teppei Fukuda

World Languages and Literatures Faculty Publications and Presentations

“We are not alone!” (“Ui aa natto aroon!”) was the shared response of Natsume Fusanosuke and his colleague Takekuma Kentarō when, as if visited by extraterrestrials, they encountered a kindred spirit in Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics (first published in Japanese as Mangagaku in 1998; retranslated in 2020).1 Natsume and his fellow critics and scholars had published their own definitive study of how to understand comics in 1995: the now out-of-print co-authored How to Read Manga (Manga no yomikata, Takarajima), for which Natsume made a considerable contribution. Like McCloud, Natsume trailblazed a long-lasting path about how to understand …

Beware Of Giant Tech Companies Bearing Jurisprudential Gifts, Kiel Brennan-Marquez

Faculty Articles and Papers

Responding to Rebecca Wexler, Privacy as Privilege: The Stored Communications Act and Internet Evidence, 134 HARV. L. REV. 2721 (2021).

Passive Immunization Against Invasive Salmonella Enterica, Angelene Richards

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The Gram-negative bacterium, Salmonella enterica is a prominent etiologic agent of both diarrheal disease and enteric fever that encompasses over 2500 serovars, including S. Typhimurium (STm) and S. Typhi (STy). S. enterica is transmitted through contaminated food and water and, following ingestion, invades the gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa. The bacterium uses flagellar-based motility to target microfold (M) cells overlying gut-associated lymphoid tissues known as Peyer’s patches in the small intestine. Entry into Peyer’s patch tissues is a pivotal step in the infection process, as the bacterium can then disseminate systemically in the host. Given the rise in antibiotic resistance amongst S. …

The Role Of Ammonia In Atmospheric New Particle Formation And Implications For Cloud Condensation Nuclei, Arshad Arjunan Nair

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Atmospheric ammonia has received recent attention due to (a) its increasing trend across various regions of the globe; (b) the associated direct and indirect (through PM2.5) effects on human health, the ecosystem, and climate; and (c) recent evidence of its role in significantly enhancing atmospheric new particle formation (NPF or nucleation) rates. The mechanisms behind nucleation in the atmosphere are not fully understood, although over the last decade there have been significant developments in our understanding. This dissertation aims at improving our understanding of atmospheric ammonia in the atmosphere, its spatiotemporal variability, its role in atmospheric new particle formation, and …

The Circulatory Process And User-Data, Matthew Greene

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The mass production of commodities has traditionally been the locus through which surplus-value and the exploitation of labor under capitalism has been examined; however, the material conditions of the twenty-first century has allowed for the appearance of new forms of labor to occur which have the capacity to create surplus-value outside of the direct production process. This thesis analyzes how the circulatory process has always had the ability to produce surplus-value, but it was not until the vast advancements made in the means of transportation and communication that this would become a commonplace practice. This work seeks to examine how …

Can Humans Detect A Wondering Mind? : Attentiveness As A Form Of Social Exchange, Huy Le

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Exchange relationships are built through reciprocation of social resources, including, as we argue in this paper, signals that one is paying attention to another. To do so, we draw on interdisciplinary areas of involvement: mind wandering, facial prototypes, and social exchange theory to investigate (a) the types of cues people look for to detect whether an exchange partner is inattentive (i.e., mind wandering); (b) how context affects the attribution of these cues; and (c) the interactive effects between mind wandering cues and context on measures of exchange quality (i.e., trust). These ideas were tested in two different studies that manipulated …

Tick Bites And Blood Relations : Regional Relationships And Interpretations Of Lyme Disease Risk In New York's Hudson River Corridor, Jessica Somers

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Lyme disease is a bacterial pathogen that spreads from animals to humans through bites from blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis). The disease is a public health problem causing both physical suffering and increased health care spending since the 1980s. A snapshot of Lyme disease coverage in the popular media shows that most people prioritize conversations about Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment over prevention concerns. Anthropology has recently examined peoples’ anxieties and debates regarding the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease in the United States. There has been less work within the discipline on Lyme and tick-borne disease risk perceptions. This dissertation …

Mental Health In Vegans : The Importance Of Accounting For Identities, Stereotypes, And Experiences Of Discrimination, Sydney Heiss

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Introduction. Academic work on vegans is biased towards studying educated White women, despite evidence that vegans having varying identities. The lack of diversity in research has implications for our understanding of psychological issues that affect vegans. Data regarding mental health of vegans is mixed, due to a failure to account for differing identities and experiences. Past work has shown gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity/race, and experiences with discrimination to impact mental health. More work is needed to examine moderators of mental health outcomes among diverse groups of vegans. Methods. This cross-sectional study surveyed a demographically diverse sample of vegan participants (n …

The Case Of Environmental Education Of Children, Mary Greagan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. Humans are one of the most pervasive vectors of invasive species spread which can be accelerated through different behaviors and pathways as a result of a lack of education and understanding. One of the most effective management efforts undertaken to fight invasive species spread and prevent further infestations is through education and advocacy. Currently, there are several educational resources dedicated to invasive species history, identification, and prevention. These resources range from school curriculums created for State School systems, to regional and national toolkits that contain lessons, identification resources, and activities …

Mixed Carrier Communication For Sixth-Generation Networks :, Ahmed Fahmy Mahmoud Hussein

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Recently, research on sixth-generation (6G) wireless networks has gained significant interest. By 2030, it is expected that 6G will introduce revolutionary applications and services. Thus, 6G is likely to expand across all available spectrum, including terahertz (THz) and optical frequency bands. Although 5G will offer a massive upgrade to the spectrum, the technology does not provide solutions to support a vast multitude of services and devices simultaneously.Motivated by the heterogeneity of wireless technologies, devices, and services, the Mixed Carrier Communication (MCC) concept is introduced for the first time. MCC is a novel concept that supports the 6G vision by enabling …

Intrabodies Reveal Critical Steps Involved In Ricin's Interactions With The Ribosome, Timothy Francis Czajka

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Ricin is a highly lethal protein toxin derived from the seeds of the castor plant, Ricinus communis. It is a Type II ribosome inactivating protein (RIP), meaning it is a heterodimer with one subunit, ricin toxin B (RTB), that mediates cell surface attachment and intracellular trafficking and a second subunit, ricin toxin A (RTA), that irreversibly shuts down protein synthesis in the cytosol. During trafficking, RTA and RTB necessarily separate in the endoplasmic reticulum, wherein RTA unfolds and translocates into the cytosol where it refolds into an enzymatically active conformation. RTA is remarkably fast acting and efficient, with few molecules …

Emotion Regulation And Executive Functioning : A Comparison Of Collegiate Taekwondo Athletes, Other Athletes, And Non-Athletes, Rae Danett Drach

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Emotion regulation and executive functioning are intricate processes that allow individuals to initiate, inhibit, or modulate emotions and behaviors in service of personally-relevant goals in familiar, novel, and ambiguous contexts. Research has demonstrated that exercise improves emotion regulation and executive functioning. Recently, researchers have started investigating whether mindful exercise – physical exercise that incorporates an inwardly directed, non-judgmental, contemplative focus – explicitly strengthens these capabilities. As a martial art and sport that combines training in body movement and mental focus, taekwondo is a globally popular example of mindful exercise that may benefit affective and cognitive processes. The current study examined …

Methamphetamine-Induced Modulation Of Anxiety/Depressive-Like Behaviors And Hpa Axis Output : Contributing Factors Within Stress Associated Brain Regions, Jason Jacobskind

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Methamphetamine (MA) is a psychostimulant drug of addiction that induces a wide range ofeffects. Among its many side effects is the potentiation of cellular, physiological, and behavioral changes in the stress response system. Upon exposure, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is initiated. This process entails many factors. Receiving input from other brain regions, the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus secretes corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and arginine vasopressin into the anterior pituitary gland. These together stimulate the synthesis and release of adrenocorticotropic hormone, which circulates via the blood stream to cause the release of glucocortoicoids, the stress hormone (CORT). Binding of glucocorticoids …

Mass Spectral And Chemometric Analysis For The Detection And Identification Of Forensically Relevant Materials, Meghan Grace Appley

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Forensic science is the application of science to the law which in and of itself covers a substantial number of disciplines. Many of these involve the detection and identification of materials using analytical techniques. Traditional analysis methods include microscopy, spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The materials encountered by forensic practitioners are ever evolving, resulting in the need to develop new methods to complement conventional techniques to enhance the evidentiary value of the samples. The research presented here shows that novel methods including direct analysis in real time–high-resolution mass spectrometry (DART-HRMS), thermal desorption coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS), solid-phase microextraction (SPME) …

Rna Modifications As A Novel Mediator Of Viral Infection, Rachel Netzband

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Viral epitranscriptomics is a novel field of RNA biology. Chemical groups are appended to RNA nucleotides under different conditions in cells, and I examine these changes using a mass spectrometry-based approach. Various changes are found to occur in post-transcriptional modifications (PTMs) during viral infection. The field primarily studies a small number of PTMS, such as m6A, while I explore a variety of novel modifications and their impact on viral infection. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection induces a variety of modification changes, including the novel presence of dimethylcytosine (m5Cm/m44C). One Writer enzyme for this modification is determined to likely be METTL15, …

Meeting Places : The Entanglements Of Poetry And Science In The Modern American Imagination, James H. Searle

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

“Meeting Places: The Entanglements of Poetry and Science in the Modern American Imagination” explores how Ralph Waldo Emerson, W.E.B. Du Bois, William Carlos Williams, and Muriel Rukeyser responded to the rise of modern science and industrial technology by reflecting on the similarities and differences between the poetic and scientific imaginations. Across four chapters, I show how the growth of the natural and social sciences from the mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth century spurred these writers to rethink the social and cultural functions of literature in a democratic society. Unlike many of their peers, these figures refused to treat science either as a …

Impact Of Camouflaging On Females With Autism, Cortney Janicki-Menzie

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Females with autism spectrum disorder are an underrepresented group in the autism literature that is in need of greater understanding. Growing evidence suggests that autistic females have a unique clinical presentation of symptoms and they are more frequently camouflaging their autism characteristics to fit in with peers. While support for social camouflaging theory builds, little attention has been paid to the effects of camouflaging on outcomes for females with autism. The current study proposes that females with autism will demonstrate greater use of camouflaging behaviors and that camouflaging behaviors will predict adverse outcomes for these women. Specific outcomes addressed in …