Digital Commons Network^™

Impact Of Oceanographic Gradients And Marine Heatwaves On The Picophytoplankton Community In The Northern California Current System, Kristin E. Forgrave, Carey P. Sweeney, Melissa Steinman, Anvita U. Kerkar, Timothy M. Pettit, Anne W. Thompson

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Northern California Current (NCC) system is a productive coastal ecosystem with a mosaic of temporal and spatial features. The phytoplankton community plays a crucial role in supporting the rich ecosystem and economically important fisheries of the NCC. Our study integrates data across two years (2022-2023) and multiple transects to investigate the community composition of two major phytoplankton groups in the NCC: picocyanobacteria and photosynthetic picoeukaryotes (PPE). The abundances and cell sizes of the phytoplankton were measured using flow cytometry. We found PPE present at similar concentrations in both summer and winter, while picocyanobacteria were much more abundant in the …

Potent Acridone Antimalarial Against All Three Life Stages Of Plasmodium, Papireddy Kancharla, Rozalia A. Dodean, Yuexin Li, Xiaowei Zhang, Sean Kelly, Jordan Charlton, Angley Binauhan, Laurize Garcia, Diana Caridha, Jane X. Kelly, Multiple Additional Authors

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

New antimalarial therapeutics ideally should target all three major life cycle stages. Here we present an acridone antimalarial chemotype that is potent against blood, liver, and mosquito stages of malaria parasites, with the potential for single-dose cure of bloodstream infections, radical cure of liver infections, and blocking of transmission to mosquitoes. Attributes of lead candidate T111 include potent in vitro activity against cultured parasites, ex vivo activity against clinical isolates, oral single dose cure in an asexual blood stage rodent model, inhibition of sexual blood stage parasites, activity against relapsing parasites in non-human primate liver cells, prevention of parasite development …

Bahadur Representations For Canonical Quantile Regression: A Correction And Extension, Stephen Portnoy

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Portnoy (2022) introduced a version of Canonical Correlation anal- ysis based on Regression Quantiles. The proof of the asymptotic convergence of the estimators contained some gaps. A new proof is developed using Bahadur representations to obtain asymptotic represen- tations for the Canonical Regression Quantile components with error uniformly O_p (n^-1/4 log n). These innovative representations justify approximations and automatically provide joint convergence in dis- tribution. This enables an inductive argument to obtain asymptotic results for all components. These novel Bahadur approximations may have more general application and interest.

Let's Chat About Spoken Discourse: A Tutorial To Support Use Of Spoken Discourse Analysis When Providing Aphasia Clinical Services., Manaswita Dutta, Laura L. Murray, Hyejin Park, Elizabeth Burklow, Arpita Bose, Hana Kim, Kathryn Greenslade, Amy E. Ramage, Collean Combs, Anusha Balasubramanian, Marianne Casilio

Speech and Hearing Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Spoken discourse is integral to everyday communication; improving discourse outcomes is a primary goal for individuals with aphasia and their families. Consequently, the application of discourse analysis in aphasia assessment and treatment has gained increasing attention in both research and clinical settings. Despite its recognized value among researchers and clinicians, several barriers-such as limited time, inadequate training, and lack of resources-continue to impede the widespread use of discourse analysis into clinical practice. To facilitate its broader adoption, speech-language pathologists require access to comprehensive resources that include information on discourse tasks, outcome measures, psychometric properties, and practical examples of how to …

Homework, Households, And Hurdles: The Unexpected Drivers Of Student Graduation Perceptions, Daniel Alhassan, Zahra Fatah, Priscilla Mansah Codjoe, Caroline Bena Kuno, Dorcas Ofori-Boateng

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Students’ perceptions of their likelihood to graduate are important determinants of their academic engagement, yet these perceptions remain understudied. This study, which is based on the 2021 Monitoring the Future survey of 8th- and 10th-grade students in the United States, uses machine learning algorithms to identify the most important factors that influence these perceptions. Among the tested models, random forest provided the best classification performance. Using permutation-based feature importance, we identified frequent participation in schoolwork, maternal education, paternal education, and homework completion as the most important predictors of students’ graduation perceptions. These results highlight the importance of targeted and well-coordinated …

Kolmogorov–Smirnov-Based Edge Centrality Measure For Metric Graphs, Christina Durón, H. Kravitz, Moysey Brio

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this work, we introduce an edge centrality measure for the Helmholtz equation on metric graphs, a particular flow network, based on spectral edge energy density. This measure identifies influential edges whose removal significantly changes the energy flow on the network, as indicated by statistically significant p-values from the two-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov test comparing edge energy densities in the original network to those with a single edge removed. We compare the proposed measure with eight vertex centrality measures applied to a line graph representation of each metric graph, as well as with two edge centrality measures applied directly to each …

Mediating Role Of Self-Efficacy In The Association Between Fatigue And Depressive Symptoms In Females With Rheumatoid Arthritis, I-Yu Hsiao, Hanoch Livneh, Chieh-Tsung Yen, Ming-Chi Lu, Wei-Jen Chen, Tzung-Yi Tsai

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background and Objectives: Extant research on the relationship between fatigue and depression in people with rheumatic diseases portrays a divergent picture. While caring for persons with this medical condition, one issue that represents individual confidence in carrying out specific tasks, namely self-efficacy level, has attracted significant attention. Yet, the information regarding whether self-efficacy may pose a clue linking these two major symptoms is still unknown. The aim of this study, therefore, is to examine whether self-efficacy mediates the association between fatigue and depressive symptoms among persons with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Materials and Method: A cross-sectional study of 224 …

Population Genomic Investigation Of The Oregon Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps Wrighti) Reveals Suburban Populations Are Remnants, Not Recent Introductions, Clare Yang, Laura Guderyahn, Charlotte Corkran, Steven Wagner, Lauren M. Chan

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the face of urbanization and anthropogenic change, some native species persist while others are lost. Understanding native populations, particularly in marginal habitat, can lend insights into the effects of habitat change. The Oregon Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps wrighti) is endemic to the late-successional forests of the Cascade Range in Oregon and has declined due to land use change. In 2007, several populations of the Oregon Slender Salamander were found within highly human-modified localities in the Portland Metropolitan Region. We investigate whether these, and other newly discovered suburban populations, represent remnant populations that persisted in the face of habitat …

Religious Identity, Linked Fate, And Political Ideology: Explaining Civil Rights Philanthropy Among Muslim And Jewish Americans, Rafeel Wasif, Afshan Paarlberg, Shariq Siddiqui, David King

Public Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

Social identity theory predicts that individuals prefer to give to people with the same identity as themselves. However, individuals have multiple identities that interact simultaneously. For instance, religion is an essential identity for many individuals, particularly those from racialized minority groups, such as Muslims and Jews, who are often discriminated against due to these identities. Moreover, individuals like to support faith-based causes. However, they may also feel that they have a linked fate identity, where they perceive a commonality with other persecuted minorities due to similar experiences of discrimination. Moreover, political ideology is another vital identity marker for many individuals. …

Strengthening Connections: A Randomized Controlled Trial Examining The Impact Of A Supervisor Support Intervention On Loneliness And Military Couple Relationships, Cynthia D. Mohr, Annamarie S. O'Neill, Jacquelyn M. Brady, Todd E. Bodner, Tori L. Crain, Leslie B. Hammer

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Social connection has been declining across the general population (i.e., the “loneliness epidemic”), though some groups, including military personnel, are experiencing particularly high rates. This has led to calls for a multilevel national strategy, including workplaces, to build social connection (U.S. Surgeon General, 2023). To answer this call, the present study draws on the wise intervention approach (Walton, 2014), multidimensional model of social connection (Holt-Lunstad, 2022), and models of the bidirectional relationship between sleep health and relationship functioning (Gordon et al., 2017; Troxel et al., 2007), to deliver a workplace intervention that builds social connection for military employees and their …

Understanding The Care Needs Of People With Post-Stroke Aphasia: A Qualitative Study Of Stroke Care Transitions, Amy B. Thomas, Gerasimos Fergadiotis, Lonnie A. Nelson, Catherine R. Van Son, Celestina Barbosa-Leiker

Speech and Hearing Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Communication difficulties experienced by people with aphasia (PWA) cause disconnects between meaningful conversations and care received. The purpose of this study was to identify concepts PWA define as (1) the most critical facilitators to transitional care and communicative access success, and (2) transitional care and communicative barriers. A qualitative descriptive study design was utilized. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six PWA and two communication partners and analyzed using directed content analysis, guided by the theory of Human Scale Development. Findings revealed that barriers and facilitators centered on three Needs: (1) Participation: Participation in life events was directly related to public …

Heightened Risk: Childhood Trauma And Anticipatory Grief Exacerbate The Impact Of Loneliness On Depressive Symptoms And Lps-Stimulated Cytokines In Dementia Caregivers, Kelly N. Brice, Jensine Paoletti-Hatcher, E Lydia Wu-Chung, Vincent D. Lai, Daniel L. Argueta, Michelle A. Chen, Itee Mahant, Bryan T. Denny, Charles Green, Luis D. Medina, Multiple Additional Authors

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dementia spousal caregivers are at a disproportionate risk for adverse mental and physical health outcomes. Loneliness is associated with depressive symptoms and proinflammatory cytokine production among caregivers. Additionally, childhood trauma, anticipatory grief, and poor sleep quality are all associated with enhanced stress reactivity. This study used a cross-sectional design to investigate whether loneliness is associated with proinflammatory cytokine production and depressive symptoms in caregivers, and whether these relationships are strongest among caregivers who report high levels of childhood trauma, high amounts of anticipatory grief, or poor sleep quality. A sample of 111 dementia spousal caregivers provided blood samples and completed …

Exploring The Association Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency And Dental Health In Older Adults, Man Hung, Amir Mohajeri, Jacob Marx, Corban Ward, Martin S. Lipsky

Institute on Aging Publications

Background

Vitamin B12 plays a crucial role in overall health, yet its impact on dental health, particularly dental caries, remains underexplored. Older adults are at an increased risk of vitamin B12 deficiency and dental disease, but the relationship between these two factors is not well understood. This study examines the association between serum vitamin B12 levels and dental health in older adults using data from the NHANES 2011–2014 cycles.

Methods

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using NHANES data from 1,907 participants aged 65 and older. Serum vitamin B12 levels were categorized as normal (>221 pmol/L), marginal (148–221 pmol/L), and …

Examining The Anxiolytic Effects Of Flavonoids In Passionflower: A Gut-Brain Axis Perspective, Khelen R. Walsh

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

This literature review investigates the influence of Passiflora incarnata on the Gut-Brain Axis, focusing on the role of flavonoids and the specific biological mechanisms involved in this process. The study aims to identify Passiflora incarnata as a practical, non-harmful, and cost-effective alternative to current modern anxiety medications. This study also emphasizes the need for further clinical trials to integrate Passiflora incarnata further into healthcare settings. Using a narrative review approach, this analysis will examine pre-existing empirical articles, all of which have been found on credible sites, are peer-reviewed, and have been published within the past twenty-five years. The data discussed …

Safe-Haven Ignorance: The Epistemic Refugee, Purya Rabet

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

This paper engages with the emerging field of ignorance studies. Per feminist critique, the classic “X knows that p” formulation in epistemology fails to account for the subjectivity and situatedness of X. Building on feminist and critical race theory contributions, this paper puts forward a positive theory regarding resistance to belief-revision. The inquiry concerns the relationship between X’s ignorance and X’s self. This paper interrogates defensive reactions to knowledge and their connection to the narrative sense of self. It introduces “safe-haven ignorance”—a psycho-sociopolitical defense mechanism—which occurs when an individual becomes hostile toward knowledge that contradicts their established self-narrative. This contradiction …

Who's Afraid Of Femininity? An Examination Of Hegemonic Masculinity And Envy, Shiloh R. Frost, Emily Shafer

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

The woman's rights movement has made strong progress over the past years, yet strict attitudes on how men and women should behave persist. Manhood is defined as being the polar opposite to womanhood, as any expression of femininity is treated as a threat to its dominant position within gender hierarchy. Research has shown that while women have managed incorporate traditionally masculine roles into womanhood, the same has yet to be done for manhood — specifically in the case of cisgender and heterosexual men. In fact, societal wide disdain towards the femininities persists despite attempts to challenge the gender hierarchy. This …

A Qualitative Case Study On Nature Relatedness In Advanced Alpinists And Members Of Subsistence Communities, Devon Martin

University Honors Theses

In light of the current possibility of climate disaster and ecological destruction, a branch of psychology has formed to investigate the human relationship with nature. Scaled surveys have been created to gauge nature relatedness with the hope that this construct might help predict environmental awareness and action towards environmental change. This undergraduate thesis aims to explore the concept of connection to nature through a detailed case study on two participants who are both advanced alpinists (high risk mountain recreationalists) and members of subsistence communities (procuring food directly from the environment). The participants were given scaled surveys of nature relatedness and …

Mindful Marcelo: The Process Of Writing And Illustrating A Culturally-Specific Children's Book For Early Psychoeducation, Liz Romero-Herrera

University Honors Theses

Socio-emotional learning (SEL) is imperative for young children to learn prosocial skills and how to identify and regulate their emotions. Most children begin to develop these skills in early childhood and depend on caregivers and teachers to model them. However, caregiver and teacher biases related to child gender and race can limit equitable access to high-quality SEL, placing male students of color at higher risk for maladaptive coping strategies. To address this gap, this thesis documents the creation of a culturally sensitive children's book focused on SEL concepts for young Latino boys. Throughout this thesis, I documented the process of …

Working Paper No. 100, Social Realism And Socialist Realism, Amanda F. Worman

Working Papers in Economics

This inquiry sees to establish that as a genre, “social realism” reflected values of the American system of market capitalism out of which this art style emerged. During the same timeframe, what has been categorized as “socialist realism” reflected values of the Soviet system out of which this art style also arose. The “Great Depression” that dogged the American economy and society through the 1930s, as well as the “Iron Fist” rule characteristic of Joseph Stalin’s heavy industrialization drive for Soviet Russia, appears to have promoted and shaped these two distinct but similar art styles under consideration, as responses to …

The Discovery, Communication, And Implementation Of New Geologic Findings: Examining The Cascadia Earthquake, Saylor Brainard

University Honors Theses

The Cascadia Subduction Zone, located off the Coast of the Pacific Northwest, is at risk of generating a 9.0 magnitude earthquake in the near future. Despite its significance, the discovery of the seismic potential of Cascadia didn't occur until 1987, when geologist Brian Atwater searched for non-traditional forms of earthquake evidence. As decades of continued research fleshed out Atwater's initial discovery, the implications associated with the discovery became apparent, presenting Washington and Oregon with the high probability that a massive earthquake will take place within the next century. Communicating the severity of this geologic discovery to both the public and …

The Role Of Neuroscience In Mental Health Management Within The Adhd Population, Kadi Rae Smith

University Honors Theses

Neuroscience-based educational interventions play a role in the management of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), including the regulation of ADHD-correlated depression and anxiety. Existing research shows that elevated rates of depression correspond to anxiety within the ADHD community; approximately 8.83% of the global population. Social ostracization and isolation are established contributors to depression and anxiety which are commonly comorbid with ADHD. The need exists for further investigation of the beneficial impact that an accurate, biological understanding of how the brain works has on the mental health of the ADHD population, and by extension their families, education systems, and medical industries. …

Trauma In The Middle Ages: The Viking Experience Of Trauma Through Saga, Kagan L. Vogt

University Honors Theses

Trauma is a fundamental part of human experience and the ways in which human beings experience trauma differs drastically depending on the time and culture represented. Research on trauma in the Middle Ages does exist, however, often offers windows into very narrow intersections within the study of historical trauma. Other cultures and particularly oral traditions lack the same attention from scholars in trauma. The specific experience of Vikings as referenced in the oral tradition of sagas offers a unique window into the traumatic experience of Vikings as well as how they responded to trauma. This unique response to trauma is …

Beyond The Genome: The Racialized Exposome, Flourishing, And Stress Biology In African Americans, A Non-Exhaustive Review, Enye Washington

University Honors Theses

Racial health disparities remain an enduring challenge in the United States, disproportionately impacting African American communities through higher rates of chronic disease and premature mortality. This non-exhaustive literature explores how the racialized exposome - a term denoting the totality of social, environmental, and structural stressors rooted in systemic racism - biologically embeds itself via stress-responsive pathways. Specifically, it examines the interaction between racial stress, flourishing, and key biological markers, including allostatic load and telomere length, considering the gut-brain axis. The review highlights robust evidence that chronic exposure to racial discrimination and structural adversity contributes to multisystem dysregulation and accelerated cellular …

How Do Montessori-Based Activities Affect Behaviors For Older People With Dementia: A Literature Review, Isabel Quigley

University Honors Theses

Objectives: This literature review is meant to analyze the development on the research on Montessori-based activities for adults with dementia.

Introduction: Baby Boomers are the largest generation to enter senior age (65+) in history due to the advancement in medicine to increase life expectancy. Dementia is a neurocognitive disease that affects parts of the brain related to memory and signs typically surface around 65 years old. Dementia is not considered healthy aging. Montessori-based activities have been recently developed as an intervention to encourage a feeling of accomplishment and success for adults with dementia.

Methods: Two electronic databases …

Pvc Biodegradation Potential Of Native Fungal Strains From Mt. Hood National And Tillamook State Forests, Bristol Ozturgut

University Honors Theses

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a toxic, degradation-resistant environmental waste product. Recent research has revealed fungal enzymatic activity capable of biodegrading plastics. As PVC infiltrates local environments, it becomes imperative to determine the adaptability of local fungi to PVC substrates. In this experiment, 100 local native fungal strains sampled from the Tillamook State and Mt. Hood National forests and one commercial strain of common oyster mushroom were investigated for their ability to colonize and digest PVC by direct isolation on 0.1% and 0.2% PVC-enriched limited growth media. Substrates for positive cultures were imaged using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to analyze potential …

The Potential For Improv As A Therapeutic Tool In The Context Of Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Suggestions For Dbt Clinicians, Jocelyn Borden

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores the theoretical and practical intersections between improvisational theater and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), proposing that the core tenets of improv closely align with the philosophical foundation and therapeutic goals of DBT. Aimed at mental health professionals, this work provides a conceptual framework and praxis for incorporating improv-based activities into DBT skills training to enhance client engagement, experiential learning, and emotional resilience. Through an examination of improv theory, parallels with DBT principles, and practical suggestions for integration, the thesis outlines how applied improvisation can be used as a supplemental tool in traditional DBT treatment. The final section includes …

Where's The Dim Sum? Art, Oral History, And The Chinese American Diaspora In Portland, Or, Rayli Dornan

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the history, transformation, and contemporary significance of Portland's Chinatown through an oral history framework, emphasizing the voices of Chinese American artists. Beginning with a comprehensive historical overview from the mid-nineteenth-century Gold Rush migrations and railroad labor to twentieth-century exclusion, dispossession under urban renewal, and the late-twentieth-century dispersal into suburbs, the thesis traces how structural racism and policy shaped both the physical landscape and communal life of Oregon's Chinese diaspora. Through in-depth interviews with local artists, this research aims to illuminate how individual experiences of identity, belonging, and creative expression navigate the tensions between heritage and adaptation.

Drawing …

Working Paper No. 102, Knowledge And Power: Towards Anintellectual Biography Of Michel Foucault, Amanda Bergeson

Working Papers in Economics

This inquiry seeks to establish that in his efforts as an intellectual, scholar, and author of books that would include Discipline and Punish [1975], Michel Foucault emphasizes the importance of power and power relations, especially of an authority (such as a sovereign) over the common people. Drawing from Discipline and Punish [1975], this inquiry considers how Foucault’s understanding of genealogy got rooted and shaped by Friedrich Nietzsche’s critique of history; a view which altogether challenged the idea of historical progress, while also revealing the contingent nature of truth. The second section considers how sovereign power evolves into disciplinary mechanisms embedded …

Characterization Of The Quaternary Active Twin Lakes Fault, Mount Hood, Oregon, Johnathan Peterson

University Honors Theses

The High Cascades chain of volcanoes results from Cascade Arc volcanism and is responsible for the generation of the highest topography in the state of Oregon. Surrounding Mt. Hood at the crest of the Cascade chain in northern Oregon is the Mt. Hood Fault Zone, an extensional fault zone of generally north-south trending normal faults that down-drop this high volcanic topography. The Twin Lakes Fault is located just south of Mt. Hood and is one of the southernmost faults in the Mt. Hood Fault Zone, previously mapped as approximately 12-13 km in length. This study provides the first in-depth characterization …

Self-Representation In Manga: The Importance Of Gay & Lesbian Visibility In Japanese Society, Rylan Newsom

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the evolving landscape of gay and lesbian self-representation in Japanese manga through a hermeneutic analysis of three key texts: My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Kabi Nagata, and My Brother's Husband and Our Colors by Gengoroh Tagame. It investigates how manga functions not only as a storytelling medium but as a sociocultural mirror, uniquely positioned to illuminate the often-invisible negotiations of identity, shame, and social position that queer individuals experience in Japan. Through the lens of Takie Lebra's concept of bun (role or place in society), this project explores the ways in which queer characters seek legitimacy, …