Digital Commons Network^™

Hannah Turnipseed Honors Portfolio, Hannah Turnipseed

Honors Capstone Portfolios

Hannah Turnipseed's honors portfolio captured in May 2022.

Jessica Wimp Honors Portfolio, Jessica Wimp

Honors Capstone Portfolios

Jessica Wimp's honors portfolio captured in May 2022.

Tremblings, May 2022, Western Aspen Alliance

Tremblings

Wolf-elk-aspen interactions: Trophic cascade or trickle?

Elaine Brice

Dan MacNulty

As one of the world’s first National Parks, Yellowstone is renowned for a dynamic landscape that is home to many charismatic species. As one of the few deciduous trees in the Park, aspen is a valuable member of the ecosystem. A century of decline is mostly attributed to elk herbivory of aspen recruitment, while climatic factors are often regarded as unimportant.

Detecting The Intensity Of Denial-Of-Service Cyber Attacks Using Supervised Machine Learning, Abigail Hubbard

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks are aimed at shutting a machine or network down to block users from accessing it. These attacks can be difficult to detect and can cost millions in damages or lost earnings. Since the first DoS attack occurred in 1999, the way DoS attacks have been launched has become more complicated, making them more elusive and harder to detect. The first step to detect and mitigate a DoS attack is for a system to identify the malicious traffic.

In this experiment, we aim to identify the malicious traffic within ten seconds. To do this the project was divided …

Contributing Factors To Drug Abuse In The Appalachian Region, Will Holcombe

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Appalachian region faces wide scale drug use and opioid addiction that exceeds the national average, and the crisis needs more attention in order to properly address the epidemic. Many previous studies have documented the problems Appalachian residents face regarding opioid addiction and other diseases of despair. However, this study focuses on two specific contributing causes of the opioid crisis: a lack of access to medical care and over-prescription of opioids. Additionally, while the problems of substance abuse, particularly opioid abuse, are well represented in media accounts, there is an under-representation of drug recovery and the positive aspects of the …

Raps Sheet, May 2022, Retirement Association Of Portland State

RAPS Sheet: Monthly Newsletter

No abstract provided.

The Shape Of Things: A Theatrical Examination Of The Progression Of Emotional Manipulation, Kylee Lorio

Honors Projects

In Neil LaBute's work, The Shape of Things, graduate art student Evelyn Thompson meets security guard and future muse, Adam Sorenson, in an art museum during his late-night shift. Their meeting poses the question of just how far humans are willing to go for love. In less than two hours, LaBute’s insight regarding manipulation between intimate partners calls the integrity of our own interpersonal relationships into question. This project encapsulates the materials of Bridgewater College student Kylee Lorio while directing this production during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Diagnostic Featural Detection Or Filler Siphoning: A Red Box Study, Brynn Schuetter

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The current study is a replication and extension of previous research by Colloff and Wixted (2020). In their study, they created a novel identification procedure called the simultaneous showup. They found support for the diagnostic feature detection theory over the filler siphoning theory. The current study was interested in seeing if covert filler siphoning was still occurring in their novel procedure by asking participants how photos of fillers influenced their identification decision. Participants of the study viewed two crime videos and completed an identification task. If they were assigned to the simultaneous showup task, they were asked if and how …

Elevated Levels Of External Cysteine Inhibit Nitrogen Fixation By The Methanogenic Archaeon Methanosarcina Acetivorans, Regan Massey

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Methanogens are nitrogen fixing and methane producing archaea that play a key role in the cycling of carbon and nitrogen on earth. The global carbon and nitrogen cycle is vital to all life which makes the methanogen a primary organism of study. Methanogens are the only archaea capable of fixing nitrogen, and in order to do so, methanogens use a vital enzyme called the nitrogenase which fixes dinitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3). Expanding our understanding on metabolic processes of methanogens allows us to understand their environmental impact and advance their use in biotechnological applications. Methanosarcina acetivorans is the model used …

Utilization Of The Fundamental Attribution Error With Increased Immune System Inflammation, John Odom

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Immune system inflammation is associated with sickness behavior, depressive mood, and alteration of decision-making processes. Because of these cognitive effects, inflammation may also lead to increased use of heuristics, for example the Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE). In the current research, inflammation was experimentally increased using the influenza vaccine, with participants receiving either the vaccine or a placebo injection and completing a measure that tests for the FAE. There were no significant differences between the two conditions regarding the number of personal, situational, or overall attributions made by the participants in the measure that would indicate use of the FAE. However, …

Effects Of A Leucine Supplementation On Mitochondrial Markers In Pre-Cachectic Female Mice, Breanna Williams

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cancer cachexia is a wasting syndrome characterized by extreme weight and skeletal muscle loss that results in death in many tumor bearing individuals. Because skeletal muscle requires a high amount of energy to function, skeletal muscle fiber cells need healthy mitochondria to function. When skeletal muscle loss atrophy occurs, the mitochondrial network is degraded. Different treatments for this muscle atrophy are being studied, one of which is a leucine supplementation since leucine has been found to stimulate skeletal muscle growth in other studies. However, current data suggests that a leucine supplementation in cachexic individuals exacerbates this atrophy. PURPOSE: This study …

Effect Of Larval Experience On Learning Mate Preference In Bicyclus Anynana, Taryn Tibbs

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Phenotypic traits are shaped by the interaction of an organism's genes and the environment they experience. The plasticity of phenotypic traits is particularly responsive to developmental environments which can shape adult traits, such as expressed behaviors like mate choice and the ability to learn preferences. The Lepidoptera species Bicyclus anynana has been shown to learn mate preference based on social interaction following emergence from the chrysalis, however if and how the social complexity of the larval experience affects this ability to learn is less understood. Here I test the effects of isolation during the larval period on a female’s ability …

How Flow Regime Affects Predator-Prey Relationships Of Stream Darter And Shiner Species, Anna E. Richardson

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Analysis of the interactions between abiotic and biotic factors of environments and ecosystems is a highly valued area of research. This study focuses on the interactions between the biotic component of predation and foraging of certain stream fish species and the abiotic component of the flow regime that those species reside in. Gut content analysis followed by statistical calculations in the form of t-tests and chi -quared tests were performed on two fish species who both inhabited a stream with a groundwater flashy flow regime as well as a stream with a runoff flashy flow regime. The research showed that …

Evaluation Of Selected Nuproxa Feed Additives For Protection Against Lameness And Improving The Wellbeing Of Broilers In A Lameness Challenge Model, Jaren Hernandez

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

A common concern in commercial industries profiting from broiler chickens is their inability to yield a completely healthy flock. Bacterial Chondronecrosis with Osteomyelitis poses a threat to these companies by impairing the birds' proximal and distal tibial and femoral heads. In 2000, roughly 17.3% of broiler chickens were affected by Bacterial Chondronecrosis with Osteomyelitis which caused a substantial economic loss in the industry (McNammee et al., 2000). BCO cannot be tied to a particular bacterial species; this experiment focuses on evaluating the efficacy of certain commercial feed additives while determining the bacterial species causing BCO in this set of the …

What Dictates Carbon Dioxide Emissions Worldwide?, Bhowmik Sujey Soori

2022 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

The factors that lead to carbon dioxide emissions worldwide have been a popular topic for the last 30 years; however, a relatively underexplored topic is the relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and economic growth. This paper attempts to identify what type of relationship exists between carbon dioxide emissions, economic development, and energy consumption. Multiple econometric models, including Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), fixed effects, and a random effects model, were estimated for a panel data set of roughly 100 countries from 1960 through 2016. The results of the models show that there is no correlation between real GDP per capita and …

The Woman Behind The Glass: Representation Of Prehistoric Women And Gender In Museum Exhibits, Megan Rose Rodriguez

2022 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

This thesis investigates and analyzes the ways in which Texas museums represent women and gender in prehistoric human exhibits and how this relates to the manner in which modern women view their own past. This study aims to assess human evolution exhibits and their depictions of gender in prehistoric populations, especially images and portrayals of social groups and gender roles. This was done through in-person assessment of the ways in which humans were depicted in exhibits by means of photographing the exhibits and observing the physical appearance and activity of the humans depicted. The study found that Texas museums present …

Vulnerabilities Posed By Information Technology Systems Of Firms Fixed Effect Panel Ols, Aparna Narayanan

2022 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

The information technology infrastructure of firms plays an essential role in their operation. With this, many cybersecurity risks arise at an organizational level. This research seeks to understand if the age and size of a firm are related to this risk factor. The research utilizes a dataset containing records of 13,075 companies across the period of 2014-2020, extracted from the directory of records of autonomous system numbers from CyberGreen. This study hypothesizes the following: H1. Organizational age will have a positive relationship to the organizational risk score, making them more vulnerable to attacks. H2. The organizational size will also have …

Differential Privacy, Rimisha Ghorsaini

2022 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

This research is based on the current emerging technology, Differential Privacy. The research questions deal with privacy issues in information systems, processing, handling, organizing, and retrieving data. The goal is to collect the information and the uses of differential privacy algorithm in the data privacy processes and reveal the application of differential privacy in various fields including the field of internet technology. This study conducted a survey of 89 University of Texas at Arlington students to understand their perception of information security. The survey revealed that participants were less attentive towards their daily activities, such as shopping, online registration, and …

Flawed Female Protagonists As Figureheads Of Social Change In Tomi Adeyemi’S Legacy Of Orisha Series And Suzanne Collin’S The Hunger Games Trilogy, Kylie Burnham

2022 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Recent years have witnessed female characters at the forefront of fantasy and dystopian works. Through Katniss Everdeen, Zélie Adebola, and Amari Olúborí, this work aims to illustrate how flawed female protagonists leading social change highlight modern issues and encourage readers to critically consider their relationships with the world. It also displays that interplay between readership and text lays the groundwork for social change by encouraging readers to confront and navigate societal flaws. Utilizing close readings of Tomi Adeyemi and Suzanne Collins’s books, the study analyzes protagonist portrayal, how protagonists reflect society, and how settings reflect the reality. It also employs …

An Analysis Of Suicide Coercion, Melissa Yvonne Horton

2022 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

This paper aims to define and understand the linguistic mechanisms behind incidents of suicide coercion. This is accomplished through case studies where there are sufficient records of the incidents that can give insight into the language the perpetrators used. Using well-established research on coercion in a general sense, this paper adjusts those ideas to specifically describe suicide coercion. To do this, quotes from each incident are broken down using speech-act theory to study the effect of the words on the listener, the perlocutionary acts of the perpetrator. This approach shows promising applications including legislating effective laws that target suicide coercion.

Degrees Of Pectoral Reduction On The Gymnophtalmidae Lizards, Thu M. Tran

2022 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

The Gymnophtalminae family comprises over 250 lizard species. Many of these microteiids present with reduced limbs that contribute to their snake-like appearance. Several predictions regarding limb reduction arise from genetic and environmental influence; however, there is limited literature supporting the impact of limb reduction on the pectoral girdle. Five Gymnophtalminae species were selected, and Dristhi software was used to perform CT segmentation to view their pectoral bones. Echinosaura horrida presents with the most developed pectoral structure, as this is a fully developed quadruped species. Whilst Calyptommatus leiolepis presents with the most reduction with a thinner structure and diverges from a …

An Explainable Artificial Intelligence Approach To Convolutional Neural Network Optimization And Understanding, Nicholas Laudermilk

2022 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) show promise for the technology’s use in widespread biomedical applications. As these models grow more complex, understanding how they work becomes increasingly more difficult. To use these systems in the healthcare setting, it is imperative to reduce model ambiguity and increase user trust in their decision-making. Explainable AI (XAI) techniques were used to optimize the development of a super-resolution convolutional neural network (SRCNN). Image augmentation was performed on the training data, and k-fold cross-validation was used to obtain more reliable metrics. Activation maps were used to show the output of each convolutional layer, and the …

Circadian Rhythm And Exercises: How Time Of Day Effects Physiological Variables Responsible For Exercise Performance, Chidozie C. Nwankwo

2022 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

In contemporary physiology, the circadian rhythm influences more than the neurotransmitters melatonin and cortisol. Monitored from hypothalamic pacemakers and suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), metabolic and physiological structures are under a biomolecular schedule. Likewise, peripheral tissues are coordinated through the hormonal, autonomic, and behavior stimuli that direct the metabolic processes that occur in the skeletomuscular system. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether the time of day could significantly affect the metabolic response to an anaerobic capacity test. Subjects had weight, height, and body fat percentage (BF%) recorded before the Wingate Anaerobic Test. Resting blood lactic levels were documented …

Measuring Texas Horned Lizard Population By Capture-Mark-Recapture In Roby, Texas, Erin Schillings

2022 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

The Texas horned lizard, Phrynosoma cornutum, is classified as a threatened species. They are known by the horns on their head and as the state reptile of Texas. This flat-bodied and fierce-looking lizard is important to our ecosystem by limiting the ant population, but is falling prey to larger predators, such as coyotes and rattlesnakes. To further conserve the species and study the population size, a team of researchers went to west Texas to capture and mark lizards with electronic Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags. They had an encounter number of 164 from 2010-2021. The data consisted of: GPS coordinates, …

Chromatin Mapping Of Planktonic Crustacean Daphnia Pulex Using Atac-Seq, Waris Muhammad Khuwaja

2022 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Assay for transposase accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) is a method used to study the accessibility of chromatin in a eukaryotic DNA. In eukaryotes, the DNA is packaged into chromatin to fit in the nucleus. The accessibility of chromatin by the proteins is determined by its packing status. In this research, an adapted protocol of nucleic ATAC-seq was performed on Daphnia pulex, a planktonic crustacean, to optimize it and generate a chromatin map. ATAC-seq was performed on 150 and 500 Daphnia pulex, following three major steps: nucleic isolation and purification, transposition reaction, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) library amplification. …

A Study Of Vortex And Vorticity In A Laminar Flow, Aayush Bhattarai

2022 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Vortices are ubiquitous in nature. From kitchen sinks to galaxies, they can be found everywhere. Usually, the swirling motion of fluids comes to mind when one thinks of vortices. Being significantly important in various fields such as engineering, physics, chemistry, and aerospace, it has been extensively studied for centuries. Still, we do not have an unambiguous and universally accepted definition of a vortex. Often vorticity is used to describe the vortex, which is accurate for rigid body rotation; however, this explanation is simply not true for the fluid flow in the boundary layer. For fluid rotation, pure shear deformation needs …

Creating And Comparing Seated Posture Classification Models Using Machine Learning And Computer Vision, Rithik Kapoor

2022 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

The pandemic has led to a huge increase in the number of people teleworking these days. The growing time people spend in front of the computer elevates the risk of them developing bad posture habits that in the long run can result in health issues. It therefore becomes highly important to develop methods to monitor and correct the posture of people now adjusting to this new lifestyle of teleworking. Although there are many posture correction apps on the Google play store, almost all of them involve using some kind of expensive tracker that is placed on the body and are …

Association Of Infant Mortality Rates And Healthcare Resources In Urban And Rural Counties Across The United States, Vanessa Guevara

2022 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Infant mortality rate, an indicator of community health, was 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in the United States in 2019. The purpose of this study was to understand rural urban relationships between healthcare resources and infant mortality at the county-level. The design was secondary, cross-sectional, descriptive, comparative, and correlational. There were 471 urban and 15 rural counties with infant mortality data. Average infant mortality rate was higher in rural (M=8.99, SD=1.59) compared to urban (M=6.19, SD=1.74) counties. There was a statistically significant difference for infant mortality, total hospitals, hospitals with NICUs, and OBGYNs in rural compared to urban counties. …

Guaranteeing The Code-Accepted Taret Collapse Mechanism Of Steel Structure, Mateo Galvez

2022 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Standard structural design practice requires designing for almost every possible load scenario, including high winds, strong earthquakes, and large magnitude live loads. However, it is impractical and expensive to design for every possible scenario The best engineers can do for these extreme load cases is design the failure mechanism to behave a specific and safe way so there is no sudden structural failure. This project designed the controlled and predictable failure mechanism for the 5-story apartment building that was designed by the senior design project group. This is not something that can be achieved using structural modeling software and a …

Testing For Transfer Of Learning In Educational Palliative Care Vr Simulation, Alexis Lueckenhoff

2022 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Because palliative care scenarios are difficult to simulate, a VR simulation including four unique end-of-life scenarios is developed to provide more experience to nursing students before graduating and completing tasks in the field. Such applications have a wide range of possible inputs, making them difficult to test. However, testing is essential to ensure that a product meets its original requirements in addition to achieving its intended purpose of transfer of learning. Thus, a testing strategy is proposed to assess validity and fidelity of the simulation using both objective and subjective means. The performance of both nursing students and experts will …