Digital Commons Network^™

Thermal Regimes Of Beaver-Impacted Stream Reaches In The Tualatin River Basin, Oregon, United States, Miles Mayer, Heejun Chang

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

As beavers are increasingly used in stream restoration, interest in their potential to mitigate stream degradation has grown. However, the impacts of beaver dams on stream temperature remain inconsistent across studies, often due to differences in spatial scale and methodology. We investigated summer thermal regimes at multiple spatial scales in three beaver-impacted streams within the Tualatin River Basin, Oregon, using fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing. Substantial variability in thermal regimes was observed among the three stream reaches and around individual beaver dams within each reach. This variability was primarily influenced by geomorphic changes in stream depth associated with beaver dams and …

Collaborative Governance And Hydrosocial Territorialization: Reaching Consensus On Salmon Restoration Goals In The Columbia River Basin, Thien-Kim Bui, Rebecca Mclain

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Across the Cascadia bioregion, salmon and steelhead are ecological and cultural keystone species that contribute to and illustrate riverine health. Due to complex social, economic, and ecological relations over the past 150 years, many Columbia River Basin salmon and steelhead populations are now listed as threatened or endangered in the United States. This research uses the 2017–2020 Columbia Basin Partnership Task Force as a case study to understand how this collaborative governance effort of sovereign entities and nonsovereign stakeholders navigated competing water claims to reach consensus on aspirational qualitative and quantitative goals for salmon and steelhead restoration. Using semistructured interviews …

The Bridge-Builder Project: Social Justice Bridge-Builder- A Model For Addressing Racial Justice, Marguerite Williams

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Bridge-Builder Project demonstrates that social justice is based on God’s Character, God’s Covenant, and God’s Call. God consistently addressed inequities affecting the oppressed, the orphaned, the imprisoned, and the widowed. Social justice has been associated with political parties; however, it is clearly reflected in God’s view of humanity. For the Christian, our frame of reference begins with God. Scripture offers a clear framework. That framework begins with understanding humanity through the lens of the One who made us – God. God created each diverse human being in His Image—Imago Dei. Based on this premise, God values humanity and that …

Leveraging Distributed Semantics From Deep Learning Architectures For Literature-Based Discovery, Clint A. Cuffy

Theses and Dissertations

Literature-based discovery (LBD) is a scientific process that introduces methods to automatically identify novel insights between non-interacting sets of literature. To date, numerous statistical and machine learning-based methods have been applied in the biomedical domain to find treatments for diseases such as Raynaud's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Multiple Sclerosis. However, the lack of standardized practices and creation of bespoke methodologies produces a scenario where the adoption of LBD remains challenging in real-world systems. Our work addresses these concerns through the improvement of five critical areas: 1) error propagation within LBD's a priori dependent tasks, 2) exploring the integration of modern …

Beyond Homogeneity: Exploring Causal Heterogeneity In Psychopathology, Philip B. Vinh

Theses and Dissertations

Traditional models in psychiatric research often impose assumptions of causal homogeneity, treating population-level associations as reflective of uniform underlying mechanisms. This dissertation challenges that assumption by introducing statistical and machine learning frameworks designed to detect and model causal heterogeneity in the development of psychopathology. Central to this approach is the advancement of finite mixture structural equation modeling (FM-SEM) to identify latent subgroups characterized by distinct, and sometimes opposing, causal pathways.

The dissertation comprises three integrated empirical studies. The first introduces mixDoC, a finite mixture extension of the classical Direction of Causation (DoC) model applied to twin data, enabling the detection …

Persistence Of Southwestern White Pine (Pinus Strobiformis) In An Ever-Changing Environment, Shruti Shrivastava

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Local adaptation is known to occur in multiple tree species, with climate as a main force for it occurring, indicating adaptation and changes occurring in spatially and temporally changing climates. With increased climate change, the question now is what future persistence may appear as, and by what magnitude trait mismatch may occur. This is observed in southwestern white pine (Pinus strobiformis) for drought-response traits: resistance (RT), recovery (RC), and resilience (RS). Using previously collected data, the genetic and phenotypic diversity were analyzed. Using that information, the trait values for individuals where only genetic data was known was …

Diversification Of Avifauna In The Darién Highland Region: Ecological Niche Modeling, Phylogeography And Morphology To Explore Speciation In The Montane Species Myadestes Coloratus, Chlorospingus Tacarcunae And Margarornis Bellulus., Jorge L. Garzon Vasquez Mrs

Theses and Dissertations

Montane regions in the Neotropics are hotspots of endemism and biodiversity, yet their species are especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and geographic isolation. This thesis investigates the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of three bird species endemic to the Darién Highlands of eastern Panama: Myadestes coloratus, Chlorospingus tacarcunae, and Margarornis bellulus. Through an integrative approach combining ecological niche modeling, morphometric analysis, and genomic data from ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and mitochondrial DNA, the study explores the historical biogeography, current distribution patterns, population structure, and phenotypic differentiation of these montane taxa. Ecological niche models revealed that suitable habitat …

Mctr3 Mitigates Cigarette Smoke-Induced Pulmonary Inflammation And Damage, Yu Par Aung Myo

Theses and Dissertations

Smoking is deleterious to our lungs and can precipitate in a multitude of diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is primarily caused by smoking cigarettes and is a major public health issue. Current therapies only treat symptoms without halting or reversing disease progression, thus highlighting a large unmet need to develop new therapies. We address this gap by investigating maresin conjugate in tissue regeneration 3 (MCTR3) which is a newly discovered specialized pro-resoling mediator (SPM) that has the novel property of promoting tissue repair and regeneration in addition to being anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving. For the first time, we …

The Role Of Context Sensitivity On The Association Between Racial Discrimination And Emotional Dysfunction Among Black American Adolescents, Summer C. Bryant

Theses and Dissertations

Black adolescents are at an increased risk of experiencing racial discrimination due to a developmental period marked by increased time away from parents and caregivers and increased time with peers (Fisher et al., 2000). Empirical research has shown that Black adolescents’ experiences of racial discrimination are associated with emotion dysfunction (Benner et al., 2018; Seaton et al., 2009; Sellers et al., 2006). Although previous research has identified racial factors such as racial socialization and racial identity as protective factors by reducing the impact of racial discrimination on Black adolescents’ emotion dysfunction (Gibson et al., 2021; Neblett et al., 2008), we …

Modeling The Impacts Of The Current And Projected Temperatures On Spongy Moth Population Dynamics, Adrienne B. Spring

Theses and Dissertations

The spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) is an invasive forest pest that has caused significant ecological damage across the United States. Its invasion front is shaped by a number of factors, including temperature in both the northern and southern regions. With ongoing climate change, areas that were previously uninhabitable may become increasingly favorable for moth population establishment and expansion, while other areas may experience thermal stress limiting persistence. This study develops a temperature-driven population model to analyze how temperature affects the spongy moth population dynamics along the invasion front. This model incorporates temperature effects on fecundity, stage-specific survival rates, …

Plza Rna Chaperone Activity In Borreliella Burgdorferi Is Modulated By C-Di-Gmp, Dhara T. Patel

Theses and Dissertations

Lyme disease (LD) is the most common arthropod-borne disease in North America and is caused by the spirochete, Borreliella burgdorferi. LD spirochetes are maintained in an enzootic cycle of Ixodes species ticks and a vertebrate reservoir. The secondary messenger molecule c-di-GMP plays a crucial role in adaptive responses during the enzootic cycle. PlzA is the sole c-di-GMP-binding protein identified to date that is encoded by all Borreliella burgdorferi isolates. PlzA has both c-di-GMP-dependent and c-di-GMP-independent functions and is required to complete the enzootic cycle. The full range of PlzA regulatory activities has yet to be fully defined. We determined …

Tate Speech: Radicalizing Rhetoric And Multi-Level Marketing Recruitment Strategies In The Manosphere, Carey J. Priebe

Theses and Dissertations

My study aims to uncover the discursive elements behind the gendered recruitment strategies that influencers in the manosphere use to pipeline men and boys into their multi-level marketing (MLM) companies. In the manosphere, male supremacy is presented as desirable and subversive, and MLMs take advantage of emotional and economic instability. My study examines the Twitter (X) account of the popular manosphere influencer Andrew Tate as I trace his rhetoric along a three-pronged gendered recruitment framework, a framework originally developed around women selling essential oils online and funneling their followers into radical alt-right politics. What are the similarities and differences in …

Functional Analysis Of Ligand Binding Domain 2 Of Outer Surface Protein C Of Borreliella Burgdorferi, Gavin Z. Chambers

Theses and Dissertations

Lyme disease, caused by the spirochete Borreliella burgdorferi, is the most common vector-borne infection in North America. A critical determinant of early mammalian infection is outer surface protein C (OspC), a highly variable lipoprotein that is indispensable for spirochete survival but whose precise function remains unresolved. OspC has been proposed to mediate diverse roles, including complement evasion, adhesion, tissue dissemination, and antiphagocytic activity, supporting the view that it is a multifunctional virulence factor. Structural studies have identified two putative ligand-binding domains (LBD1 and LBD2), with LBD2 forming a solvent-exposed crown at the membrane-distal end of the OspC dimer.

To …

Evaluating Spatiotemporal Vegetation Index Variation To Detect Salt Marsh Dieback On The Georgia Coast, Emmanuella Bosompemaa Obeng

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Salt marshes, essential for coastal protection and carbon sequestration, are increasingly vulnerable to dieback events, threatening ecosystem resilience and vital services. Detecting these shifts early is essential for timely intervention. However, few studies have applied Early Warning Signals (EWS) to coastal marsh systems. Most EWS research has focused on lakes, forests, or climate tipping points, with limited application to salt marsh dieback in the southeastern U.S. Site-specific, long-term spatial analyses are also lacking, as prior work often examines short time frames or single disturbance events. This study investigates the spatiotemporal patterns of salt marsh dieback on the Georgia coast from …

Enhancing The Mechanical Properties Of Sla 3d-Printed Bio-Resin From Linseed Oil Using Cellulose And Lignin Biopolymers, Chukwunonso A. Ikedionu

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Abstract

This research explores the development of bio resin from linseed oil by the process of epoxidation and acrylation to produce acrylated epoxidized linseed oil (AELO). Lignin and cellulose biopolymers were added as reinforcement at varying weight fractions of 1 wt.%, 2.5 wt.%, and 5 wt.%, and their mechanical performance was compared against pure AELO. The formulations were printed using an Elegoo SLA 3D printer to create standardized test specimens like tensile bars, compression cylinders, and hardness blocks, which were all prepared according to the ASTM testing standard.

The results indicate that reinforcement effects depend on both filler type and …

Exploring Associations Between Health And Fitness Measures And Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors In Rural Firefighters, Isaiah Mews

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study investigates the relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and muscular fitness measures in career rural firefighters. MetS is a cluster of conditions that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), a leading cause of death among firefighters. Previous research has shown that cardiorespiratory fitness is inversely related to MetS, but the role of muscular fitness variables remains unclear. This study aims to determine if fitness measures, such as cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and muscular power, can give insight into MetS in firefighters. Participants were recruited from a Southeastern rural fire department and underwent assessments of muscular fitness, …

Examining Exercise Self- Efficacy And Functional Mobility In Urban Law Enforcement Officers, Margo F. Jenkins

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Law enforcement officers perform various physically demanding tasks, but much of their daily activities are sedentary or light intensity. Quality movement patterns are vital for fitness, reducing the risk of injuries, and contributing to motivation for physical activity. PURPOSE: This study examined the relationship between exercise self-efficacy (ESES) and functional mobility (FMS) among law enforcement officers. METHODS: 55 officers participated, with exercise self-efficacy measured using the ESES scale and movement patterns assessed with the Functional Movement Screening (FMS). Correlational analysis and linear regression were used to explore the relationships between FMS and ESES, years of service (YoS) and FMS, …

Effects Of Increased Temperatures And Migratory Status On Passerine Chick Rearing Phenology And Caterpillar Prey Synchrony, Marissa Calvert

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Many species across the globe have been observed to shift the seasonal timing of life history events in response to climate change-induced shifts in their local environments. However, individual species vary greatly in the direction and magnitude of these phenological shifts. Variation in phenological responsiveness to climate change among interacting species can lead to phenological asynchrony, with potential consequences for survival and population health. In years with increased spring temperatures, the timing of passerine chick rearing and of caterpillar activity may shift earlier or later in the year. Differences in the magnitude and/or direction of phenological shifts among passerines and …

Nap-Trap Reveals 5'Utr-Mediated Translation Regulation During Zebrafish Development, Ethan C. Strayer

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

The cis-regulatory elements encoded in an mRNA determine its stability and translational output. While there has been a considerable effort to understand the factors driving mRNA stability, the regulatory frameworks governing translational control remain more elusive. We have developed a novel massively parallel reporter assay (MPRA) to measure mRNA translation, named Nascent Peptide Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification (NaP-TRAP). NaP-TRAP measures translation in a frame-specific manner through the immunocapture of epitope tagged nascent peptides of reporter mRNAs. We benchmark NaP-TRAP to polysome profiling and use it to quantify Kozak strength and the regulatory landscapes of 5’ UTRs in the developing zebrafish …

Increased Nitrate Intake From Beetroot Juice Over 4 Weeks Changes The Composition Of The Oral, But Not The Intestinal Microbiome, Rebeka Fejes, Joana Séneca, Petra Pjevac, Martin Lutnik, Stefan Weisshaar, Nina Pilat, Romy Steiner, Karl Heinz Wagner, Richard J. Woodman, Catherine P. Bondonno, Jonathan M. Hodgson, David Berry, Michael Wolzt, Oliver Neubauer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Inorganic dietary nitrate, metabolized through an endogenous pathway involving nitrate reducing bacteria, improves cardiovascular health, but its effects on the oral and intestinal microbiomes of older adults with treated hypertension are unknown. Our study investigated the effects of nitrate from beetroot juice on the oral and intestinal microbiomes of this population. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial was conducted with 15 participants (age range: 56–71 years), who consumed nitrate-rich or nitrate-depleted (placebo) beetroot juice for 4 weeks. The oral microbiome analysis revealed an increase in Neisseria and a decrease in Veillonella relative abundance (for both, PERMANOVA p < 0.001), with no significant changes in the intestinal microbiome composition. Our findings suggest that an increased dietary nitrate intake from a vegetable source may selectively modulate the oral microbiome and promote an increased abundance of nitrate-reducing species, which was previously associated with improved cardiovascular health outcomes.

Can The Ability To Infer Relevance Account For Dimensional Psychoticism? An Exploration Of A Representative Community Sample, Adam Schwarz, Frank D. Baughman, Evan Dauer, Ruby Koyllor Alarcon Gleeson, Jennifer Haywood, Bo Huei Huang, Karen H. Heslop, Barbara A. Mullan, Susan L. Rossell, Nicolas H. Hart, Darren Haywood

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Psychoticism is a common feature of psychological disorders. Deficits in perceptual inference have been associated with the development of psychotic symptoms. Traditional testing of perceptual inference has had low ecological validity, limiting the ability to infer functional relationships. The aims of this study were to investigate the relationship between the capacity to infer relevance in dynamic environments and dimensional psychoticism, as well as to investigate the association between inferring relevance and dimensional psychoticism. Method: Four hundred participants, representative of the general population of the USA, completed an online questionnaire consisting of the Brief Symptom Inventory, as well as demographic …

Ecological Resources Of A Heavily Modified And Utilised Temperate Coastal Embayment: Cockburn Sound, Peter J. Mitchell, Daniel E. Yeoh, Kurt N. Krispyn, Claire N. Greenwell, Sorcha Cronin-O’Reilly, Delphine B.H. Chabanne, Glenn A. Hyndes, Danielle Johnston, David V. Fairclough, Claire Wellington, Alan Cottingham, Gary Jackson, Jeffrey V. Norriss, Matias Braccini, Hector Lozano-Montes, Chandra P. Salgado Kent, Erin Clitheroe, Alissa Tate, James W. Penn, Marion Massam, Neil R. Loneragan, James R. Tweedley

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Coastal environments and their associated biota provide numerous environmental, economic and societal services. Cockburn Sound, a temperate embayment on the lower west coast of Western Australia, is immensely important for the State and adjacent capital city of Perth. However, urbanisation and associated terrestrial and marine development has the potential to threaten this important ecosystem. This study collated published and unpublished data to review the current state of the ecological resources of Cockburn Sound and describe how they have changed over the past century. Post-WWII, the embayment began undergoing pronounced anthropogenic changes that limited oceanic water exchange, increased nutrient load, modified …

Joint Estimation Of Paternity, Sibships And Pollen Dispersal In A Snapdragon Hybrid Zone, Thomas James Ellis, David Luke Field, Nicholas H. Barton

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Inferring genealogical relationships of wild populations is useful because it gives direct estimates of mating patterns and variance in reproductive success. Inference can be improved by including information about parentage shared between siblings, or by modelling phenotypes or population data related to mating. However, we currently lack a framework to infer parent–offspring relationships, sibships and population parameters in a single analysis. To address this, we here extend a previous method, Fractional Analysis of Paternity and Sibships, to include population data for the case where one parent is known. We illustrate this with the example of pollen dispersal in a natural …

Basic Skills Of 21st Century Teachers, Ömer Cem Karacaoğlu

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study aims to determine the basic skills that 21st century teachers should have. The study is based on the opinions of 79 teachers working in different disciplines on four different campuses in Izmir. The qualitative study used storage technique and content analysis. The opinions of the participants were evaluated to clarify the skill expressions, create themes and determine data categories. The study found that teachers prioritized several core competencies, including creativity, empathy and communication, critical thinking, problem solving and crisis management, and collaboration, curiosity and digital literacy. Other skills were determined as reading comprehension, learning to learn, patience, emotional …

Teaching In Racially Diverse Schools: Towards A Racial Competency Framework, Tebeje Molla, Kerri Garrard, Tim Corcoran

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Safe learning environments foster the wellbeing, engagement, and educational outcomes of students. To develop resources that enable schools to create safe learning environments, we conducted focus group discussions with teachers and African heritage students in selected public schools in an Australian state. This paper reports insights from our discussions with the school staff. The findings indicate that teachers face ‘relational uncertainty’ in dealing with racial issues impacting their engagement with these students. To address these challenges, we propose a racial competency framework, featuring distinctive dimensions, drivers, and domains. The framework emphasises the need for schools to support racial value awareness, …

Design And Fabrication Of An Integrated Solar Still And Uv/Pasteurization System For Domestic Use, Majid H. Ali, D A. Al-Saadi, V V. Ostrikov

Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering

Water, that miraculous liquid, is the fundamental foundation upon which life on Earth is based. The first human civilizations were founded on water, and wherever water is found, civilization is found. Given the increasing population, rising living standards, and developments that have led to increased water pollution and limited water resources, and given the expected rise in fuel and electricity prices in the future, and to rationalize electricity consumption, the use of solar energy is an effective solution for desalination and sterilization of water.In this research, a solar-powered desalination and sterilization system was designed and manufactured to make water potable. …

Teacher Practice Improvement Tool: A Summary Of The Underpinning Research, Fabienne Van Der Kleij, Marijne Medhurst, Michelle Lasen, Christina Rogers, Pauline Taylor-Guy

School and system improvement

In 2025, ACER published the Teacher Practice Improvement Tool (TPIT), as part of its family of improvement tools. A comprehensive review of international research was undertaken to inform the development of the TPIT, which resulted in the inductive development of five inter-related domains that holistically capture the practices of highly effective teachers. This document summarises the research evidence underpinning each of the five domains of the TPIT, drawing on a review of 102 studies. While recognising the interconnections between domains, it presents a structured narrative of key evidence and research-informed considerations for each domain. This summary offers a high-level overview …

Beyond The Drill: Understanding Empathy Among Undergraduate Dental Students, Muhammad Qasim Javed, Zaina Ahmad, Muhammad Muhammad, Kamran Ali, Arham Riaz, Rebecca Glanville

Peninsula Dental School

Introduction: Compassionate care and empathy are fundamental components of health care which contribute to the social construction of physician–patient relationship to meet the expectations of the patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical empathy among undergraduate dental students at a University in the Middle East. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional study which used purposive sampling to recruit undergraduate dental students from five academic years. The Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy-Health Profession Students was used, a reliable 20-item tool with a total score ranging from 20 to 140. Data collection was done online using Google Forms. …

Exploring The Role Of Irf4 In The Sensitivity Of Mantle Cell Lymphoma Cells To Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors, Artjoms Portnojs

Peninsula Medical School Theses

Introduction and aim: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive subtype of B-cell lymphoma. Therapy using Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors has improved clinical outcomes but primary and secondary resistance to BTK inhibitor (BTKi) therapy affects more than half of MCL patients. Resistance most often arises through gene mutations in cells protected from BTKi effects within the local tissue microenvironment. This thesis develops previous work by the group identifying IRF4 as a central mediator of resistance to BTK inhibitors in MCL; the thesis aims to understand how resistance develops and to identify mechanisms to prevent or overcome BTKi resistance in …

Mishra L, Francis T, Nooji D, Aggarwal H, Mccoll E, Eachempati P. Current Concepts In Restoring Endodontically Treated Teeth., Lora Mishra, Prashanti Eachempati, Tony Francis, Devi Prasad Nooji, Himanshi Aggarwal, Ewen Mccoll

Peninsula Dental School

Restoration of endodontically treated teeth (ETT) is crucial for long-term success. This article reviews current concepts in restoringETT, which focuses on structural integrity and functional performance. Key factors, including residual tooth structure, ferrule effect and pericervical dentine preservation, are discussed alongside advances in conservative access designs, biomimetic protocols and innovative materials,such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibres. Decision-making frameworks, including the Restorative Difficulty Evaluation System(RDES), are highlighted to support clinicians in achieving predictable outcomes, ensuring tooth survival and patient satisfaction.CPD/Clinical Relevance: The long-term success of endodontically treated teeth depends on selecting appropriate restorative strategiesthat ensure structural integrity, functional performance and …