Digital Commons Network^™

Availability, Use, And Impact Of Workplace Mental Health Supports During The Covid-19 Pandemic In A Canadian Cohort Of Healthcare Workers, Shannon Ruzycki, Anil Adisesh, Igor Burstyn, Quentin Durand-Moreau, France Labreche, Tanis Zadunayski, Nicola Cherry

Études primaires

We investigated the availability and use of workplace mental health (MH) supports during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Canadian cohort of healthcare workers (HCW) and measured anxiety and depression by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) completed at four contacts 2020–2022. Reports were available for 4400 HCW working with patients. Half the HCWs had a clinically significant HADS score at one or more contacts Access to MH supports increased during the pandemic, with 94% reporting access to some workplace support by 2022: 47% had made use of at least one support. 25% of those with high HADS scores used …

Assessment Of Waste Workers Occupational Risk To Microbial Agents And Cytotoxic Effects Of Mixed Contaminants Present In The Air Of Waste Truck Cabin And Ventilation Filters, Genevieve Marchand, Loïc Wingert, Carla Viegas, Liliana Caetano, Susana Viegas, Magdalena Twaruzek, Nancy Lacombe, Delphine Lanoie, Isabelle Valois, Francois Gouin, Ewelina Soszczyńska, Robert Kosicki, Marta Dias, Maximilien Debia

Études primaires

Workers in the waste-processing industry are potentially exposed to high concentrations of biological contaminants, leading to respiratory and digestive problems and skin irritations. However, few data on the exposure of waste collection truck (WCT) drivers are available. The goal was to document the microbial risk of the waste collection truck (WCT) workers while in the vehicle cab. Long-period sampling using the truck air filters (CAF) and short time ambient air sampling in the cab were used. The potential release of microbial particles from CAFs was also investigated since it could contribute to the microbial load of the cabin air. A …

Impact Of The Ear Canal Motion On The Impedance Boundary Conditions In Models Of The Occlusion Effect, Simon Kersten, Franck Sgard, Michael Vorländer

Études primaires

The occlusion effect (OE) denotes the increased low-frequency perception of bone-conducted sounds when the ear canal (EC) is occluded. Circuit and finite element (FE) models are commonly used to investigate the OE and improve its prediction, often applying acoustic impedances at the EC entrance and tympanic membrane (TM). This study investigates the sound generation caused by the structural motion of the EC. In addition to the EC wall vibration, it accounts for the motions of the EC entrance and TM, resulting from nondeforming motion of the surrounding structures. A model extension including these motions with the impedances is proposed. Related …

Determinants Of Sars-Cov-2 Igg Response And Decay In Canadian Healthcare Workers: A Prospective Cohort Study, Nicola Cherry, Anil Adisesh, Igor Burstyn, Carmen Charlton, Yan Chen, Quentin Durand-Moreau, France Labrèche, Shannon Ruzycki, Leeann Turnbull, Tanis Zadunayski, Yutaka Yasui

Études primaires

Introduction: Healthcare workers (HCWs) from an interprovincial Canadian cohort gave serial blood samples to identify factors associated with anti-receptor binding domain (anti-RBD) IgG response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Methods: Members of the HCW cohort donated blood samples four months after their first SARS-CoV-2 immunization and again at 7, 10 and 13 months. Date and type of immunizations and dates of SARS-CoV-2 infection were collected at each of four contacts, together with information on immunologically-compromising conditions and current therapies. Blood samples were analyzed centrally for anti-RBD IgG and anti-nucleocapsid IgG (Abbott Architect, Abbott Diagnostics). Records of immunization and SARS-CoV-2 testing from …

The Influence Of Transfer Distance And Pace Of Work On Foot Positioning Strategies And Low Back Loading In A Manual Material Handling Task, Jasmin Vallée Marcotte, Xavier Robert-Lachaine, Antoine Muller, Denys Denis, Hakim Mecheri, André Plamondon, Philippe Corbeil

Études primaires

Foot positioning strategies are a key parameter in manual materials handling. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of transfer distance, pace and foot positioning on low back loading. Sixteen handlers performed a free handling task with conditions of pace (self-selected and 25% faster), distance (1.5 m, 1.0 m and 0.5 m), height (near-ground and above-waist levels), and mass (10 kg and 20 kg). A linear mixed model was used to evaluate the effects of mass, distance, pace and height on foot positioning occurrences. A non-parametric test (nparLD) was used to evaluate the effects of Pace × …

Comparing The Sensitivity And Degree Of Boolean Functions Via The Hypercube, Annie Rupp

Maseeh Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

This research explores the relationships between various complexity measures of Boolean functions—specifically Query Complexity, Sensitivity, Spectral Sensitivity, and Degree—modeled via hypercube sensitivity graphs and adjacency matrices. While the theoretical bounds for total functions are generalized, it remains unknown whether a function exists where these measures are perfectly equal. Focusing on the tight bounds demonstrated by the OR and PARITY functions, this work outlines a future research framework utilizing a contradiction proof style. By assuming and reverse-engineering established proofs, the study aims to uncover mathematical contradictions that could definitively determine the existence of such a total function.

Improved Quartz Tube Furnace For Wildfire Condition Testing, Casey Coffland

Maseeh Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

This research presents improvements to a Quartz Tube Furnace used for wildfire condition testing at the Healthy Buildings Research Lab at Portland State University. The primary objectives were to enable the calculation of modified combustion efficiency (M.C.E.), recharacterize internal tube temperatures at 400°C and 650°C, and allow furnace control independent of a laptop. CO₂ and particulate matter sensors were added at the inlet and outlet of the apparatus to collect emissions data during biomass combustion (Douglas Fir pine needles), which a microcontroller uses to calculate M.C.E.. Temperature recharacterization revealed that the internal temperature of the quartz tube was approximately 150°C …

Influence Of Renewable Energy Into Power Systems, Cristian Gomez

Maseeh Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

Renewable Energy Sources (RESs) like wind, solar photovoltaic, and bioenergy are great because they have low or zero carbon emissions, making them ideal for the environment. However, RESs are not perfect their dependence on weather and their non-existent inertia poses a threat for power systems. Integration of RESs would inadvertently reduce the overall inertia of the grid, increasing the risk of frequency events. Therefore, RESs pose significant challenges to the traditional power system’s ability to manage frequency stability effectively. The objective of this research is to discover the effects of RESs into the Western Interconnection. The increase in ROCOF from …

Exploring Real-Time Robotic Control Using Synthetic Neural Systems, Daniel Restrepo

Maseeh Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

Central Pattern Generators (CPGs) are neural circuits found in the spinal cords of many animals. They are responsible for generating computationally efficient rhythmic outputs used in locomotion, limb manipulation, breathing, and intestinal contraction/relaxation. Traditional robotic control models, such as non-spiking neural networks or Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control systems, although faster to simulate, have limitations in handling adaptive and complex tasks. Spiking CPGs, which mimic real neurons by communicating through discrete spikes, are particularly robust in the presence of environmental noise or changes, resulting in more energy-efficient and dynamic behavior. The aim of this research project is to evaluate the NVIDIA Jetson …

Generating Magnetic Fields From An Orbital Simulator, Emily Snodgrass

Maseeh Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

This project focuses on generating magnetic fields from an orbital simulator to test satellite hardware during space missions. Using Basilisk, a simulation framework that references a model for Earth's magnetic field. To recreate these environmental conditions on Earth, the project uses a Helmholtz cage. Running a current through the pairs of coils controls the magnetic field in the center, to simulate the magnetic field that a satellite would experience at any point in its orbit. Future work will involve running a full hardware in the loop simulation that changes the magnetic field in the cage as the Basilisk values change, …

Impact Of Cuticular Conductance On Foliar Water Uptake In Fagus Grandifolia, Rory Price

Maseeh Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

Foliar water uptake (FWU) is a process many trees and plants use to uptake water vapor into their leaves. They do so through several pathways: stomata, the leaf cuticle, trichomes, and hydathodes. This research focuses on modeling stomatal and cuticular conductance in saturated and unsaturated systems. By creating a comprehensive model, it will be possible to predict the impact of drought and other climate changes on ecosystems, water availability, and the water/carbon budget for different regions. Cuticular conductance could be removed or left out of climate models but can offer some insights. By including cuticular conductance values in the model …

Comparison Of Different Theories Of The Immersed Boundary Method For Large-Eddy Simulations, Sienna Christensen

Maseeh Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

Large-eddy Simulation (LES) is a commonly used compuational fluid dynamics (CFD) method which strikes a balance between computational cost and model accuracy by modeling the large fluid motion and uses mathematical models to account for the small scale motion. Accurate modeling of immersed boundaries is crucial for the overall accuracy of the model. The objective is to compare the two approaches to immerse boundary method (IBM) implementation. Both the Velocity reconstruction and Stress reconstruction methods are viable options for further study and have unique advantages and disadvantages. The Velocity reconstrucion method is conceptually simpler to understand and has intricacies which …

Deformation And Coalescence Of Two Impacting Droplets In Microgravity, Cabala Newell

Maseeh Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

Collision of two water droplets between one and two milliliters in microgravity environment is investigated. Multiple differing papers have been written that experiment with droplets in microgravity or theorize about how two droplets suspended in microgravity may mix but this is the first instance in which experiments are being conducted. These Collisions directly impact what's known about practical fluid mixing in microgravity, liquid sprays, and microfluidics focusing on droplet fusion. Tracking these droplets during the collision process is expected to give velocity trends similar to the graph above, where both droplets reach 0 velocity when they coalesce into a single …

Investigating The Role Of 1-Wire In Low-Power, Crystal-Free Sensor Networks, Mitch Montee

Maseeh Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

We present an investigation into implementing a 1-Wire driver on the Single-Chip Micro Mote (SCµM), a crystal-free, low-power system-on-chip designed for wireless sensor networks. Because SCµM omits a traditional crystal oscillator to maintain a minimal form factor, it relies on an LC tank oscillator, introducing phase noise and clock jitter. To address timing sensitivities, a 1-Wire driver and corresponding bus hardware were developed and integrated into the open-source OpenWSN protocol stack. Performance evaluations across 100 and 1,000 data transfers demonstrated a 0% error rate under both high-frequency (HF_CLOCK) and low-frequency (LF_CLOCK) clock sources using CRC validation.

Airframe Stability And Recovery For Launch Vehicle No. 3.1, Samantha Bechtel

Maseeh Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

This project presents the airframe stability analysis and recovery system design for Launch Vehicle No. 3.1 (LV3.1) at the Portland State Aerospace Society. Rocket stability relies on maintaining the center of gravity (CG) above the center of pressure (CP). Component masses were modeled in Onshape CAD and simulated in OpenRocket, yielding a stability margin of 2.7 cal for LV3.1. This meets the minimum stability requirement of 2 cal or greater for reaching Mach 1.041 and an apogee of 14,584 ft. Airframe weight was minimized using lightweight materials—including carbon fiber, 3D-printed parts, and aluminum modules machined with an isogrid pattern. For …

Is Now A(Nother) Teachable Moment Honoring The Memory Of Dr. William S. Spriggs, Francine J. Lipman

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Religious Accommodations In The Dobbs Era, Ann C. Mcginley

Scholarly Works

Given the deep political divide in the U.S. and the emotional response to the abortion issue, workplaces may become hostile environments that harm workers based on their pro- or anti-abortion views or their out-of-work activism. Besides hostile environments, some workers may suffer workplace discipline based on their speech at work or refusals to engage in certain job requirements. Disciplining employees for engaging in workplace speech or refusal to perform parts of their jobs may violate workers’ rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which requires that employers grant religious accommodations in the workplace if doing so …

Nextgen Licensure & Accreditation, Nachman Gutowski

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Embedding Racial Justice In The Work Of Environmental Non-Profits, Patience A. Crowder, Tom I. Romero Ii

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Taxing Undocumented Immigrants Redux, Francine J. Lipman

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Style, Substance, And Process: An Elegant Trio, Justin Iverson

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

From Briefs To Bytes: How Generative Ai Is Transforming Legal Writing And Practice, Joseph Regalia

Scholarly Works

ChatGPT is having a moment in the legal field. And for good reason: Generative artificial intelligence (“AI”) was already disrupting the practice of law before OpenAI’s new chatbot came on the scene. But ChatGPT marks a new era. The brain behind OpenAI’s latest AI contains up to a trillion artificial neurons and was trained on hundreds of billions of pieces of text gathered on the web. All that data makes for the smartest AI ever.

But what’s more important is that all that computational muscle is aimed at things lawyers do every day: (1) Understanding complex concepts, (2) analyzing convoluted …

Fighting Institutional Betrayal: Gender Pay Equity Litigation Against University Employers, Nantiya Ruan

Scholarly Works

Universities are workplaces replete with observed gender pay gaps despite the legal protections in place to mitigate against such a reality. This Article analyzes recent university gender pay equity lawsuits to examine their efficacy in four types of litigation: (1) Class and Collection Action; (2) Government Action; (3) Union Action; and (4) Individual Action. From these case studies of different types of litigation, we learn several important lessons about prosecuting equal pay laws and how to best protect against unequal pay.

First, the Article sets forth the gender pay equity landscape, including the national pay gap picture, the legal framework …

Training Law Students To Model Civility When Social Media Makes Civility Harder To Maintain, Nancy B. Rapoport

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Am I My Colleague's Keeper When It Comes To Disclosing Connections?, Nancy B. Rapoport

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Catholic Sexual Abuse In Louisiana, Leslie C. Griffin

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Failing To See What's In Front Of Our Eyes: The Effect Of Cognitive Errors On Corporate Scandals, Nancy B. Rapoport

Scholarly Works

Why do we believe flim-flam artists so readily, especially in the business and commercial realm? This Article explores four reallife versions of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” fable—FTX, WeWork, Theranos, and a former bankruptcy judge’s hidden romance— and asks why people bought into the hype. Where were the warning signs, and how might we better spot those signs in the future?

A Life In Service: Interview With The Hon. Christopher M. Klein, Nancy B. Rapoport

Scholarly Works

Over the course of a few days, Judge Christopher M. Klein agreed to sit down, figuratively speaking, with Professor Nancy Rapoport and answer a few questions about how he approaches his job as a bankruptcy judge.

By way of background, Judge Klein was appointed to the bench in 1998 as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of California. He was a member of the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of the Ninth Circuit from 1998 through August 2008, serving as Chief Judge from 2007 to 2008. Prior to 1988, after service in the Marine Corps as an artillery officer …

Dicta Mines, Pretext, And Excessive Force: Toward Criminal Procedure Futurism, Frank Rudy Cooper

Scholarly Works

Scholars have recently criticized Fourth Amendment pretext doctrine for leading to more police contact with Black and Brown people and thus to racially disproportionate uses of excessive force. This Essay reveals the intersection of the Court’s pretext and excessive force doctrines by unearthing their shared roots in the 1973 United States v. Robinson search-incident-to-arrest opinion.

This Essay’s new insight is that Robinson contains what it calls a “dicta mine.” A dicta mine is (1) an unnecessary statement that (2) a Court silently recharacterizes as having already resolved an issue, (3) exploding it into a significant doctrine. The Robinson dicta mine …

Perceptions Of The Covid-19 Vaccination Within A Convenience Sample Of Sudanese Americans, Jonathan Freese, Fatima Abuzaid Mbbs, Mujtaba Abdellatif Md, Harlan Sayles, Nada Fadul

EMET Projects

No abstract provided.