Digital Commons Network^™

Community Care: Raising The Profile Of The Library Through Programming, Deborah Beagle, Carrie Evans, Maxine Girard, Bridget Kennedy, Mike Mannheim

Librarian Publications

Starting in Spring 2024, librarians at Western New England University D’Amour Library began seeking ways to increase student engagement in response to a new focus on student wellness. Leveraging their own strengths and interests, they began hosting weekly Crochet, Crafting and First-Generation College Student drop-ins, which eventually grew into a total of five regular library programs. These programs have proven overwhelmingly popular, with scores of students attending per week. Additionally, the programs have raised the profile of the library across campus, enabled collaborations with other campus groups, and increased student connections. Staff morale has also been improved, as Librarians have …

Utility Of Carboxyhemoglobin Level For The Diagnosis Of Invasive Bacterial Infection In A Febrile Neonate At Paediatric Emergency Department, Abdulhamid Al Hinai, Laila Al Yazidi, Sanjay Jaju, Nasser Al Sidairi, Khalil Al Habsi, Mohammed Al Lawati, Saeed Al Obeidani

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objective: Carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb), which represents the fraction of carbon monoxide bound to haemoglobin, is available as a point-of-care test in the emergency department. This study aimed to assess the role of COHb in the diagnosis of invasive bacterial infections (IBI) in a paediatric emergency department. Methods: This retrospective study examined a single reading of venous COHb values in otherwise healthy neonates who presented with febrile illness at the paediatric emergency department at Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman, between December 2019 and December 2022. The optimal COHb level for the diagnosis of IBI was determined using receiver operating characteristic curve …

Cervical Deciduosis In Early Pregnancy Mimicking Malignancy: A Report Of Two Cases, Ajit Sebastian, Nada Salih, Shiby Jose, Tamima Al Dughaishi, Vaidyanathan Gowri

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Deciduosis is a benign condition characterised by the transformation of subepithelial connective tissue into decidual-like cells, typically occurring in response to hormonal changes during pregnancy. Although benign, cervical deciduosis may macroscopically resemble malignant lesions, leading to diagnostic uncertainty. This report presents two cases of cervical deciduosis diagnosed in early pregnancy. Both patients presented with first-trimester vaginal bleeding, and speculum examination revealed extensive wart-like lesions covering the cervix. Histopathological examination of cervical biopsies confirmed decidual changes. In pregnant women presenting with threatened miscarriage, a thorough local examination and biopsy of atypical cervical lesions are essential to exclude malignancy. As cervical deciduosis …

From Deficit To Asset: Developing An Equitable Early Warning System For Ninth Grade Success, Stephanie Mann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I explored the design and implementation of an asset-based Early Warning System (EWS) to support ninth-grade students at The Academy, a PK-12 charter school, during their critical high school transition. Using Practical Action Research, I addressed the question: How might a comprehensive EWS leverage student assets and systemic support to ensure success? Over one academic year, the study unfolded in two phases: Phase I employed qualitative methods—interviews, focus groups, and data reviews—to identify gaps, while Phase II developed an enhanced EWS, integrating map and street data for richer student profiles and staff collaboration. Findings underscore a human-powered EWS rooted in …

Building Media Literacy In Adolescence: A Cognitive Behavioral Clinician's Manual To Combat Misinformation And Misdiagnosis During Sessions, Patricia Sacchetti

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This paper examines the role of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in countering misinformation that youth encounter on social media and other informal sources, with the goal of creating a manual for mental health clinicians. The use of CBT by clinicians working with adolescents to combat the issue of misinformation and misdiagnosis has received little attention in the literature. Mental health clinicians’ knowledge of media literacy as a psychological construct can foster an effective treatment style by building upon the foundation of well-established theory and practice, such as CBT. CBT is a multifaceted treatment that can help guide mental health clinicians …

Overcoming Barriers To Connection Between People With Schizophrenia And Their Caregivers, Sarah G. Fernandez

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

The purpose of this doctoral project is to bring together existing literature on relational barriers between patients and caregivers, and strategies for overcoming them, for one reason: to help clinicians facilitate connection within families and households where one person has schizophrenia. It is therefore comprised of two parts: this paper containing a three-part literature review on barriers to connection including social skill deficits characteristic of the disease of schizophrenia, environmental factors, and caregiver burden and expressed emotion within families, as well as protective factors and strategies for overcoming them. The second component of this project is a psychoeducational module geared …

Language Style Evaluation Validation For Implementation On Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Augmentative And Alternative Communication Devices, Meghan A. Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored various methods of evaluating language style for integration into prompts designed for a sophisticated augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. A total of 395 individuals without a language disorder were recruited via a crowdsourcing platform to complete five surveys. The initial four surveys were designed to assess individuals' language style using different approaches (questionnaire developed with ChatGPT, self-written, questionnaire developed by Hartman and McCambridge, and choosing tags). Following the completion of these four surveys, a fifth survey was dynamically created based on the responses in the previous four surveys. Each possible response in the fifth survey was …

Fancy Mice, Damian Aguilar

University Honors Theses

In this proof-of-concept screenplay, a family becomes the subject of an isolating experiment that observes their behavior changes after remaining in their home for an extended period of time with all their basic needs met. The first twenty-pages of this psychological horror lays the foundation for a larger work that explores existential themes related to purpose, competition, and play.

How Did I Get Here? A Capstone Review, Michael Koach

University Honors Theses

In this thesis, I highlight my personal and professional growth as a college student. I use structured reflection and meta-analysis to uncover insights about how I learn and develop new skills. Over the past five years, I have built a toolbox of skills, including teamwork, public speaking, navigating uncertainty, strategic thinking, and leadership. I trace the development of each of these skills back to my coursework as a business student, my role in PSU's student-run advertising agency, and my professional experience. I show how these skills culminated in my business capstone project. My communication and leadership skills allowed me to …

Effect Of Ipv On Latino Children's Perspectives Of Fatherhood, Elizabeth Berks

University Honors Theses

Intimate partner violence (IPV) can be found in many cultures throughout the world, with varying levels of acceptability, victimization, and perpetration. Approximately one in five couples report experiencing at least one instance of IPV in a given year. Women are victims of IPV more frequently than men, and experience more severe injuries. 20% of women report a lifetime history of physical IPV victimization by their current or past partners. Further, women are also ten times more likely to be killed due to IPV than men are. Presently, empirical research literature surrounding the dynamics and impacts of IPV is heavily focused …

Intersectional Realities, Multi-Dimensional Films: Reading Julie Dash's Illusions As An Activist Text, Amelia Morrison

University Honors Theses

This paper reads Julie Dash's 1982 film Illusions as an activist text, which challenges dominant cinematic and historical narratives through its Black feminist perspective. It explores the cinematic and narrative devices that Dash uses--including the weaving of fantasy and history, the strategic use of period aesthetics, and masking--to expose and subvert the mechanisms of white supremacist and patriarchal hegemony within Hollywood. Drawing on intersectional feminist theory from scholars like Kimberlé Crenshaw, Patricia Hill Collins, and bell hooks, alongside cinematic theory, this analysis demonstrates how Illusions critiques the historical erasure of people of color from United States cinema and history. By …

Variation Of Oregon Law Enforcement Agency Clearance Rates And Their Influencing Factors, Kendra Macsaveny

University Honors Theses

Clearance rates are one of the few ways to measure the efficiency and performance of a law enforcement agency. So, if an agency has a low clearance rate, then this reflects poorly on an agency's capabilities when it comes to solving crimes and making arrests. This study's purpose is to (1) present the clearance rates for a sample of police agencies in Oregon; (2) determine how the agencies vary from each other; (3) determine if the clearance rates for individual agencies remain stable over time; and (4) determine what agency factors might be influencing the clearance rate. Although agency factors …

Freeing The Fremont: Visions Of A Post-Automobile Portland Highway Bridge, Henry Senters

University Honors Theses

The Fremont Bridge is an iconic piece of highway transportation infrastructure in the city of Portland, Oregon. Unfortunately, it is one of only three Willamette bridges in the city that does not allow any pedestrian access, except for a single day every year during an annual bicycling event. Consider, however: what if that were to change, in a future less dependent on private automobile usage? Drawing on historical precedents of pedestrian and car-free bridges, this thesis proposes three types of pedestrian-focused programs which a car-free Fremont Bridge could host, each of which speaks to a current aspect of civic life …

Mass Timber: The Future Of Sustainable Architectural Design, Julian Nychay

University Honors Theses

The current state of Mass Timber structures is in an interesting state at the moment; Mass Timber adoption has become a recent trend that has been taking place very recently. This is due to a number of factors, mainly the technology for mass timber has grown substantially, as well as human consciousness of our negative impact on the environment has led to a deep rethinking about how we build. In this paper, I examine what exactly mass timber is, why it is being used and what are the future and current benefits and challenges facing mass timber in modern design …

Game-Based Learning As A Dynamic System: A Review Of The Literature, Meadow Mcgalliard

University Honors Theses

Game-based learning (GBL) in its development as a field has found itself at an ever-increasing complexity with regard to theories, design elements, and outcomes that define it. It's been long since proven that games produce learning and the ways in which this benefits educators and designers have broad applications, from direct game implementation to integrating GBL knowledge into non-game spaces. The density and complexity of design in GBL prove beneficial for learning opportunities, as the adaptability of design can create an almost infinite series of outcomes in a highly replicable manner. In this broad review, I attempt to display the …

Philosophy In Action: Ni Una Menos And Liberation Theory, Matthew D. Albertson

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores the intersection of philosophy and social movements, Enrique Dussel's Liberation Philosophy and the Ni Una Menos movement. It argues that Ni Una Menos not only enacts a philosophy of liberation through its mobilization against gender-based violence in Latin America but also critically expands Liberation Philosophy by foregrounding intersectionality and gendered forms of exclusion--often underexamined in traditional liberation theory. Using Dussel's concepts--Exteriority, Praxis, Critique of the Totality, Ethics of Life, and Transmodernity--the study analyzes how Ni Una Menos elevates the lived experiences of marginalized women and gender-diverse individuals into the public and political sphere. Through strategies …

A Study On Fuzzy Time-Series And Its Applications To Stock Price Forecasting, Takeshi Stormer

University Honors Theses

Fuzzy mathematics looks to incorporate the vagueness that exists within the real world, specifically regarding imprecise classes, or non-numerical information expressed as "linguistic" variables. Since most traditional mathematical theories do not have the ability to be applied with the exactness that is otherwise seen in mathematics. As such, there had been many applications of fuzzy mathematics throughout many different fields of mathematics, including that of forecasting. By exploring the fundamentals of fuzzy mathematics, including fuzzy sets, operations of fuzzy sets, the surface level introduction to fuzzy logic, fuzzy relations, operations of fuzzy relations, and fuzzy time-series, this work looks to …

Did Dobbs Reduce The Supreme Court's Legitimacy?, Ava Steinmetz

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the impact of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision on public perceptions of the Supreme Court's legitimacy. Over the two decades preceding Dobbs, the Roberts Court had already become the center of intense debate over judicial impartiality, driven by an increasingly politicized series of high-profile rulings. Dobbs generated an unprecedented level of media attention and partisan commentary. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this study combines longitudinal analysis of national survey data on trust and confidence in the Court with content analysis of editorial and scholarly reactions before and after June 2022. Findings reveal a statistically …

Stigma, Shame, And Narcissism: A Literature Review, Alex Gaither

University Honors Theses

This thesis is a literature review of 12 peer reviewed journal articles accessible through the Portland State University library database on the relationship between stigma, shame, and Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). This thesis discusses ideas brought up in these articles regarding the classification and conceptualization of NPD as a disorder, the role that shame plays in the pathology of NPD, the ways that shame is addressed through treatment, and public and practitioner held bias resulting from the stigmatization of the disorder. New and upcoming ways of conceptualizing the disorder are also briefly discussed as there has been a push to …

Garden Of Rust: Conversations With The "In-Between Space", Kristen M. Poore

University Honors Theses

Garden of Rust is a series of five oil paintings that explore the mental and emotional changes she calls the "In-Between Space," that occur in the artist’s mind as she undergoes a major life change. The artist uses traditional oil painting techniques on a variety of canvas sizes in order to record her emotions, which include anxiety, and grief. Her intent with this series is to highlight the "In-Between Space," and to start a conversation with others experiencing it. The artist finds that creating Garden of Rust has been beneficial for her own mental wellbeing to work on, because she …

Diy Music Career, Griffin Schmeltzer

University Honors Theses

As we know, the music industry is changing. Where artists once needed access to extremely expensive gear, we now have access to tech that can create professional quality music at a fraction of the price. And where artists once needed labels to back and distribute their music, we're entering into an age where anyone can upload a song directly to the primary platforms consumers use to listen to music. This has led to an era where songs written and recorded in bedrooms are winning grammys (Billie Eilish). But for all the upsides of anyone being able to make and release …

Examining The Impact Of Legalized Sports Gambling On Ncaa Athletes' Welfare And Game Integrity, Reem Al Jaradi

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the effects of legalized sports gambling on NCAA player welfare and the integrity of competition through a mixed-method analysis of NCAA reports, academic literature, and media sources. Data disclose that although the overall prevalence of gambling among student-athletes has decreased, these individuals are demonstrating more detrimental behaviors, including solitary gaming and incurring substantial losses in a single day. The emphasis on internet abuse associated with betting results has escalated, especially during prominent tournaments. The NCAA's instructional programs and data-monitoring agreements are compromised by ethical issues surrounding data monetization and varying state gambling rules. The research contends that …

The Intersection Of Education And Empowerment: How Comprehensive Sex Education Equips Adolescents To Navigate Complex Relational Dynamics, Joleigh Wood

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the impact of comprehensive sex education (CSE) on adolescents' understanding of consent, personal boundaries, and relational competence. Drawing upon social learning theory, intersectionality, and relational-cultural theory, the study employs a multidisciplinary framework to analyze how CSE functions as both an instructional practice and a sociocultural intervention. Utilizing an integrative thematic review of empirical studies, policy analyses, and national curriculum standards, the research evaluates the extent to which CSE promotes emotional literacy, fosters ethical relationship skills, and addresses structural inequities in educational access. Findings indicate that well-implemented, inclusive CSE contributes to healthier developmental outcomes by enhancing students' emotional …

Changing Minds, Changing Modes: Optimizing Public Perception Strategies For Urban Cycling Through Behavior Change Theory, Brandon Barnhart

University Honors Theses

This thesis addresses the recent decline in bicycle mode share in cities like Portland, Oregon, despite decades of investment in cycling infrastructure. While the "build it, and they will come" approach succeeded through the early 2000s, it no longer meets targets for bicycle use or broader goals related to sustainability, congestion, health, and safety. A new approach is needed that effectively rebuilds the cultural and behavioral components of cycling. This research asks: What role can behavior change theory play in increasing the effectiveness of public perception campaigns to promote urban cycling? Using a qualitative methodology, this study draws on behavior …

Rationality And Discomfort: Stance In "The End Of The Altaic Controversy" And "In Defense Of The Comparative Method, Or The End Of The Vovin Controversy", Logan Mcdowall

University Honors Theses

This study will use corpus linguistics techniques and Hyland's framework for stance in academic discourse to analyze authors' discoursal roles in different framings of a famous controversy in historical linguistics: the classification of the Altaic language family. Two significant pieces of discourse in this debate include "The End of the Altaic Controversy" by A. Vovin and "In Defense of the Comparative Method, or the End of the Vovin Controversy" by A. Dybo and G. Starostin. Despite the importance of these works, no one has analyzed how these authors use stance to position themselves within it. After performing a corpus word …

Investigating Hedgehog Signaling And Th17-Mediated Inflammation In Blau Syndrome: Insights Into Chronic Inflammation, Benjamin Volinski

University Honors Theses

Blau syndrome is a rare, monogenic inflammatory disorder caused by autosomal dominant mutations in NOD2, a cytosolic pattern recognition receptor that regulates immune signaling. Although traditionally considered an autoinflammatory disease driven by innate immune dysfunction, emerging evidence implicates T cells in Blau pathogenesis. Recent studies show that Nod2-deficient mice exhibit elevated IL-17A production despite normal TH17 differentiation, suggesting Nod2 regulates cytokine output independently of canonical lineage commitment. This study investigates how Nod2 mutations influence TH17-mediated inflammation and explores the role of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling, particularly the transcription factor Gli2, in this process.

Using the Nod2^R314Q/R314Q mouse model, …

Shadowed Identities: The (Mis)Representation Of Communities Of Color In Classic Film Noir, Yolanda Porter

University Honors Theses

This thesis is an inquiry into the (mis)representation of women, Latinx, and BIPOC individuals in classic film noir, examining how race, gender, class, and sexuality intersect to perpetuate stereotypes in Hollywood. Through a deep analysis of films like Gilda (1946) and Touch of Evil (1958), this project explores how the conventions of film noir, such as chiaroscuro lighting, moral ambiguity, and non-linear storyline, work to expose and also reinforce social hierarchies that preserve whiteness and oppression of minorities. The research positions these films within the postwar socio-political context of the United States, addressing the influence of the Hays Code, Cold …

Sae Baja Drivetrain Capstone 2024-2025, Leslie Alvarez Cisneros

University Honors Theses

This thesis reviews the 2024-2025 Baja SAE Drivetrain capstone project. The Baja SAE competition mimics real world engineering problems where teams of students design and build off-road vehicles that can handle tough, rough terrain. The objective of this capstone was to design a functional and reliable drivetrain system for the vehicle, within the constraints of a limited budget and the SAE competition guidelines. As part of a 12-member capstone team divided into three subgroups: frame, suspension, and drivetrain. As part of a four person drivetrain team, we picked up where the 2023-2024 team left off by relying on their past …

Felicia Davis

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

How Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (Mbsr) Techniques Affect Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Literature Review, Piper Ritke

Honors Theses

This literature review examines the potential effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) as a non-invasive therapeutic intervention for individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Traditional treatments for OCD, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure and response prevention (ERP), are evidence-based but can be distressing for some patients. MBSR, originally developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, emphasizes nonjudgmental awareness of thoughts and may offer a less intrusive alternative. Three peer-reviewed studies were analyzed: a randomized controlled trial comparing MBSR with cognitive therapies, a technology-supported mindfulness intervention utilizing EEG feedback, and a case study documenting individualized MBSR treatment. All studies demonstrated reductions in …