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Supraclavicular Neck Mass In A 14 Month Old Boy, Jana Ghulmiyyah

Research Days

Background: Lipoblastoma is a rare benign tumor arising from embryonic fat cells in children younger than 3 years of age. They rarely present in the neck and usually do not have spindle cell appearance. We therefore present a case of neck lipoblastoma with review of the literature.

Case Description: We present the case of a 14-month-old male who presented with 1 month history of a right supraclavicular neck mass that was enlarging gradually. On physical exam, it was non tender, mobile with no overlying skin changes. Patient did not have any respiratory distress. A fine needle aspirate (FNA) showed spindle …

Social Capital And Cross-Boundary Collaboration In Wyoming Wildfire Management Networks, Hannah L. Spencer, Christian Heisler

Student Research Symposium

Wildfire hotspots often intersect jurisdictional boundaries, so protecting human communities and restoring healthy fire regimes will require collaborative, cross-boundary action from fire managers. However, collaboration between fire management groups can have varied outcomes depending on the actors involved, all with different missions, financial obligations, and cultures. One way to conceptualize the interactions between actors is with the idea of social capital. We will investigate the following research question: how does social capital impact cross-boundary collaboration in wildfire management networks? We will survey wildfire managers in northwestern Wyoming about their collaborative actions using a snowball sampling method. Using Social Network Analysis …

Investigation Of The Externship Selection Process Across Asha-Accredited Speech Language Pathology Programs, Teale Niles, Lindsey Schwab, Brandon Eddy

Student Research Symposium

Graduate students in speech-language pathology (SLP) must complete 400 clinical clock hours during graduate training, the majority of which frequently come from off-campus externship experiences. Graduate students are matched to externship sites by their program. No studies to date have systematically documented how graduate programs in speech-language pathology select students for externship experiences nor the constraints involved in the externship process (e.g., academic schedule). The goal of this study is to survey ASHA accredited SLP programs to describe the current procedures being used to place students at externship sites and the roles and perspectives of the externship coordinators. Externship coordinators …

Comparison Of Heavy Metals In Spinach Grown On The Roof Ground Location At Portland State University, Tyler A. Robin

Student Research Symposium

As a result of urbanization, fresh, healthy food can be expensive and easily contaminated but space for local farming is limited. Roofs can be underutilized in densely populated cities and can offer a space for local fresh farming. The purpose of this study is to continue a previous study done in 2021, to find if growing leafy vegetables on the roof can limit heavy metal exposure from air pollutants. This study compares spinach grown on the roof in 2021, 2019 and spinach bought from stores around the Portland State University campus and the heavy metals found in these greens. The …

Surface Plasmon Characterization In Ag Nanotriangles For Evaluation Of Fano Resonance Conditions, Nabila Islam

Student Research Symposium

Surface plasmon polariton (SPP) is a collective oscillation of electrons and light at the metal -dielectric interface excited by the incident radiation on metal surface through the momentum matching conditions. The properties of SPPs and the resonance conditions are highly dependent on the confining materials and geometry of the confining nanostructure. The sensitivity of the surface plasmon resonance to the property of the confining materials made Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors a central tool for biosensing. However, the frequency resolution of SPR sensors is typically limited by the broad resonance of the SPR mode. The resolution can be enhanced through …

Memristors, Memcapacitors And Their Application In Neuromorphic Computing, Nithyakalyani Sampath

Student Research Symposium

Data-intensive computing operations, such as training neural networks, are essential but energy-intensive. Memcapacitance and memristance,which can be described as capacitance and resistance, with “memory”, are properties of semiconductor devices that are observed on the nano-scale. These properties allow for data storage without a constant source of power, leading to hardware which is more energy efficient.

We intend to demonstrate that we can build specialized hardware onto which a neural network can be directly mapped using memristors and memcapacitors, improving the energy efficiency of the network. We will use Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis (SPICE) to model our memcapacitor and …

Visualization Of Eye Development In Annual Killifish Using Whole-Mount Immunohistochemistry, Carmen Z. Rodriguez, Jason Podrabsky

Student Research Symposium

Vertebrate eye development is highly conserved. Current models have identified the gene networks involved in eye development, but lack the context of extreme environmental conditions that challenge these fundamental programs. Typical vertebrates live for many years while annual killifishes can complete their entire adult lifespan in a matter of weeks. Thus, annual killifishes are a strong model for age-related diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD); an irreversible loss of central vision. Annual killifishes enter embryonic diapause; a period of developmental and metabolic dormancy. These embryos are extremely resistant to environmental stresses such as hypoxia/anoxia that would cause irreparable damage …

Growing Reservoir Networks Using The Genetic Algorithm Deep Hyperneat, Nancy L. Mackenzie

Student Research Symposium

Typical Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) have static architectures. The number of nodes and their organization must be chosen and tuned for each task. Choosing these values, or hyperparameters, is a bit of a guessing game, and optimizing must be repeated for each task. If the model is larger than necessary, this leads to more training time and computational cost. The goal of this project is to evolve networks that grow according to the task at hand. By gradually increasing the size and complexity of the network to the extent that the task requires, we will build networks that are more …

Mapping Ecosystem Service Flows Of Estuary Restoration Projects On The Oregon Coast To Identify Impacted Stakeholders, Shersten Finley

Student Research Symposium

Restoration of largely depleted estuarine systems is increasingly recognized as key to solving a variety of problems coastal communities face currently. Many of these issues will become more acute with climate change and sea level rise. Historic losses of estuary area, and recognition of the ecosystem services provided by functioning estuary ecosystems have resulted in current impetus to pursue estuary restoration. By mapping the flows of ecosystem services using three ecosystem service ‘scorecard’ categories pertaining to coastal resource management: recreation, aesthetics, and cultural/historical/spiritual, we gain a better understanding of the populations impacted by the changes in flows of ecosystem service …

Simple Arenes As Aryne Synthetic Equivalents Via Sulfonium Salt Intermediates, Riley A. Roberts

Student Research Symposium

Arynes are ephemeral molecules that are yet to be fully exploited in synthetic strategy because they are often challenging to access. These reactive intermediates participate in a myriad of reactions that conventional chemistry is incapable of, making them extremely useful for the synthesis of important molecules like pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. While classical approaches for synthesizing arynes employ cheap starting material, extremely harsh reagents are necessary to generate the aryne. In contrast, methods that do not require harsh reaction conditions do require starting material that is exceedingly difficult to synthesize. To access arynes quickly and efficiently, the work described herein aims …

Factors Impacting Heritage Language Maintenance In Children, Helena Sai

Student Research Symposium

This review article aims to examine families’ beliefs and strategies regarding heritage language maintenance in the US. Language status, caregiver beliefs, and community factors are explored in relation to language maintenance across generations. The broader context in which parents make decisions about family language policies were investigated through the following research questions:

1. What is the nature of the relationship between a heritage language’s language status in society and language maintenance across generations?

2. How do parents’ beliefs about the impact of heritage language on academic, social, and career success influence their decision to pass this language to their children?

3. To what …

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Third-Wave, Mindfulness-Based Therapies As Treatments For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Xander Kahle, Avery Waklatsi, Amy Pytlovany

Student Research Symposium

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a severe, difficult-to-treat neuropsychiatric condition that affects millions of people throughout the world. The current first-line psychotherapy for OCD is exposure and response prevention (ERP). ERP is effective but flawed, and researchers seek alternative OCD treatments. We examined two third-wave, mindfulness-based therapies (1) acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and (2) mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) as treatments for OCD. We expected ACT/MBCT to have (1a) significantly higher OCD symptom reduction rates, (1b) higher treatment response rates, and (1c) lower dropout rates than a control (progressive relaxation training/PRT), as well as (2a) equal/higher OCD symptom reduction rates, (2b) …

Using Digital Holographic Microscopy To Characterize Vibrio's Chemotaxis, Jacqueline Acres, Eric Valentino

Student Research Symposium

Vibrio alginolyticus is a marine bacterium that displays distinctive chemotactic behavior. Chemotaxis is the ability to move in response to a concentration gradient, either in the direction of nutrients or away from repellants. Vibrio's single, polar flagellum allows it to form a tight cloud in the presence of a chemoattractant. In this work, we experimentally characterize cloud sizes after both normal culture conditions and simulated microgravity using digital holographic microscopy or DHM. DHM allows visualization of volumetric samples by recording x,y,z and t information in holograms. Plane-by-plane reconstruction retrieves the z-plane information which can then by stitched together into hyperstacks …

Perspectives Of Special Educators And Paraprofessionals On Person-Centered Planning Tools For People Who Use Aac, Samantha K. Stidham, Brandon Eddy, Andryce Andres

Student Research Symposium

Person-centered planning (PCP) is an intervention approach for people experiencing disability. This often results in a document outlining the individual’s preferences in their care, life goals, and transitions. Some people with disabilities communicate using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), which supplements or compensates for impairments in speech and language production often involving the use of external communication tools. Current PCP tools may not fulfill the needs of people who use AAC (PWUAAC) due to limited focus on supporting communication. No PCP tools yet exist specifically designed for PWUAAC. The purpose of this study was to inform the design of a …

The Power Of The Collective: A Multi Agent-Based Modeling Approach To Nuclear Radiation Localization, Benjamin Totten, Christof Teuscher

Student Research Symposium

Gamma radiation is a very high frequency, very dangerous electromagnetic wave that has a chance of being emitted after radioactive decay. Radiation source localization, or locating the previously unknown source of nuclear radiation, in a rapid and efficient manner is critically important, but challenging. We aim to create an architecture for multiple, fully independent agents that cooperate to localize sources faster than existing single-agent architectures, without compromising accuracy. Using Agent-Based Modeling and Deep Reinforcement Learning, agents are enabled to make decisions based on other agents' behaviors while maintaining programmatic autonomy. We hypothesize that radiation sources can be localized faster using …

Research Proposal For An Assessment Of The Potential For The Arbuscular Fungi “Rhizophagus Irregularis” To Aid In Corn Uptake And Availability Of Iron, Caitlin Costello

Student Research Symposium

Global iron deficiency is one factor contributing to malnutrition and varied health conditions. This deficiency accounts for 841,000 deaths and approximately 35,057,000 “disability-adjusted life years lost” (Stoltzfus, R. J. 2003). One way to combat this is to maintain or increase the iron uptake of the globe’s major crops. Research has shown that certain types of mycorrhizal fungi can increase the nutrient uptake of plants. To further this research, we will look at the arbuscular fungi Rhizophagus irregularis and its potential relationship with a short harvest corn variety. This type of mycorrhizal fungi improves plant nutrition including the plant’s ability to …

An Investigation Of Microbial Symbiosis In Vertebrate Embryonic Diapause Using Austrofundulus Limnaeus As A Model, Jose Camara-Lavadores

Student Research Symposium

Studies emphasizing the crucial dynamic between multicellular organisms and microbes continue to broaden our understanding on how these relationships lead to pathogenicity or mutual benefit. Many studies show that microbes can aid hosts through a variety of mechanisms including: metabolism, neuro development, physical performance, and behavior. In this study we aim to characterize the microbiota of the annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus, and investigate the potential role that microbes may have in supporting embryonic diapause. Diapausing embryos can survive extreme environmental stresses such as anoxia, drought, and fluctuating osmolarity and pH. Understanding the potential role that microbes may play in …

Houseless Water Insecurity During Covid-19 Pandemic, Alicia N. Gamble

Student Research Symposium

Water security is of the utmost importance for the houseless population. However, little is known about how the houseless population has been resilient to water barriers related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to understand houseless individuals' perceptions of public versus grassroots water sources, and the barriers and impacts of these sources. In order to understand these perceptions, individuals experiencing houselessness (e.g. living in tents, vehicles, emergency shelters, couch-surfing, or no roof) that utilize water sources in Portland, Oregon will be interviewed while walking in public areas to gain rich qualitative data, along with GPS data …

Hemp-Lime Insulation: A Climate Friendly Building Material, Ginger Rose Jensen

Student Research Symposium

It is critical to reduce greenhouse gas from the atmosphere to reduce the impacts of climate change. Oregon’s Climate Action Plan has established goals to reduce emissions by developing ‘Clean Buildings’ and increasing the CO₂ sequestered by the state's ‘Natural and Working Lands’. Carbon negative construction materials like hemp-lime insulation could contribute to both goals.

Hemp-lime is a non-structural insulation material made from crushed hemp hurd, a lime-based binder, and water. It is non-toxic and versatile alternative to traditional insulation materials. Hemp-lime was submitted to be added to the International Residential Codes (IRC) index in 2022. IRC approval would …

Effect Of Eosinophils In Purinergic Receptor P2x3 Expression In Mouse Sensory Neurons, Emily J. Mize

Student Research Symposium

P2X₃ purinoceptors are expressed by airway sensory neurons and activated by extracellular ATP released during periods of cell stress. In asthma, sensitivity to ATP is increased. Airway eosinophilia, which is common in a majority of asthmatics, increases airway sensory nerve density in mice and humans. Whether eosinophils increase neuronal P2X₃ expression in asthma is unknown.

P2X₃ expression was quantified in vagal ganglia from wild-type (WT) mice and transgenic mice with airway eosinophilia (NJ1726), systemic eosinophilia (NJ1638), and eosinophil-deficiency (PHIL) using RNAscope in situ hybridization. Images were obtained using confocal microscopy. The percentage of P2X₃ positive pixels …

How Are Changes In Temperature And Salinity Impacting Intertidal Mussels?, Casey A. Martin

Student Research Symposium

Marine organisms living within the intertidal zones, such as mussels, experience a wide range of environmental conditions every day. Due to Climate change, these environments are transforming in such a way that may impact a mussels ability to successfully reproduce, grow, and live. Previous studies have shown that successful gamete development in freshwater mussels has been linked to temperature and species behavior has been observed to be influenced by salinity levels. In order to test the impact of temperature and salinity on mussel physiology, mussels were exposed to several treatments with varying conditions. Those conditions included a combination of a …

The Effects Of Running On Arithmetic Problem Solving, Kayia C. Snyder, Nicholas Smith Dr.

Student Research Symposium

In this work, we propose to examine the effects of physical activity on academic performance as physical activity is shown to improve mood, energy levels, confidence, and memory retention. We propose to recruit a sample of 200 psychology students from Portland State University. Each student will be asked to take an arithmetic problem-solving test then asked to study the material for three weeks. Of the 200 students, 100 will be randomly assigned to a physical activity condition, in which they will be asked to run 30 minutes prior to studying, then all students will be asked to take a timed …

Exploring The Function Of Heart Regeneration In Survival Of Anoxia In Embryos Of The Annual Killifish Austrofundulus Limnaeus, Connor Taylor Kime

Student Research Symposium

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world, half of which is caused by myocardial infarction (MI) or heart attack. Most of the damage resulting from MI is due to oxygen deprivation that leads to cell death. The resulting cardiac scarring due to MI is chronic in humans and is not yet treatable; the only method of restoration is heart transplantation. Other organisms, such as fishes, show great cardiac regenerative capacity. The annual killifish, Austrofundulus limnaeus, can survive for months without oxygen at certain developmental stages. Examining gene expression responses during anoxic exposure and recovery in …

Meeting Minutes, Wku Staff Council

Staff Council

Minutes of May 2022 meeting.

Women Writing Steel: Fiction, Memoir, And Poetry, Donna Dzurilla

ASA Annual Conference

Economic centers of northern Appalachia (Johnstown, Pittsburgh, Steubenville, Weirton, Wheeling, and Youngstown) define the Rust Belt because of their historical association with the steel industry. Steelworkers and mills populate the work of regional male authors and poets such as Thomas Bell, Robert Bruno, and Robert Gibb. Their work constitutes a subterranean canon of literature, however, works about the steel industry written by women are overlooked. Women steelworkers and writers such as Harriet Simpson Arnow, Jan Beatty, Margaret Byington, Steffi Domike, Eliese Colette Goldbach, Rebecca HardingDavis, and Eleanor Wymard explore the mills and the life of steelworkers in their works.

Respiratory Function In Transgender And Gender Diverse Individuals On Testosterone Therapy: A Comparative Study, Jillian River R. Browy, Alicia Heitzman, Deanna Britton, Jeff Conn, Karen Drake, Aaron Ziegler

Student Research Symposium

Introduction: The primary goal of this pilot study was to examine the impact of testosterone therapy, as part of medical treatment to align gender identity, on measures of respiration and voice.

Methods: Participants consisted of a group of transgender and gender-diverse individuals, assigned female at birth, who had been taking testosterone for at least one year and a control group of age- and race-matched peers, also assigned female at birth, who had never taken testosterone. Data were collected on the primary outcomes of respiratory volume and strength, reflected by measures of forced vital capacity (FVC), maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), and …

Computational Investigation Of The Mechanism Of An Octahedral Ni(Ii) Proton Reduction Catalyst And Importance Of Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding, Avik Bhattacharjee, Dayalis S.V. Brown, Carolyn N. Virca, Trent E. Ethridge, Oreana Mendez Galue, Uyen T. Pham, Theresa M. Mccormick

Student Research Symposium

Water-splitting to make hydrogen gas is of extreme importance in the field of alternative energy research. Transition-metal complexes are capable of catalyzing the conversion of water to hydrogen at higher pH, with low overpotential. Our research focuses on the importance of intramolecular hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) on the pKa and thermodynamic stability of the catalytic intermediates of a well-known proton-reduction catalyst, nickel (II) tris-pyridinethiolate. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations on the parent catalyst and eleven derivatives demonstrate geometric isomer formation after the protonation step of catalysis. These isomers differ in the relative thermodynamic stabilities and pKa values, which can be attributed …

Stakeholder Perceptions Of Microplastics Management In Oregon, Maya A. Hurst-Mayr

Student Research Symposium

There is currently no federal policy in the United States that specifically addresses microplastics (MPs) pollution. However, states are beginning to act on this issue; California’s SB 1422 initiates measurement of MPs in drinking water resources and Senate Bill 1263 requires the state to adopt a strategy to reduce the ecological impact of MPs in marine ecosystems. Other West Coast states like Oregon and Washington are expected to follow California’s example. It is important to know what the actors who are a part of shaping MPs policy in Oregon would see as barriers and opportunities to doing so. We conducted …

Climate Model Skill At Simulating Large-Scale Atmospheric Circulation Patterns And Associated Temperature And Precipitation Over The Pacific Northwest, Graham Taylor

Student Research Symposium

The ability of the latest state-of-the-art suite of climate models to simulate observed large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns over the Pacific Northwest of North America is evaluated. Twelve representative patterns of atmospheric circulation are identified using machine learning applied to observational data. Climate model data from simulations of the historical period are mapped to each observational-derived pattern, and the resulting differences between patterns, as well as differences in frequency of pattern occurrence, are quantified. In general, models are able to simulate the range of circulation patterns with reasonable accuracy, although model skill varies to some degree across the 25-member climate model …

Developing Therapeutic Alliance Through Improvisation: A State-Of-The-Art Review For The Speech-Language Pathologist, Ryan Depauw

Student Research Symposium

Background: With the needs of patients in modern healthcare becoming increasingly complex, providers may benefit from using adaptive skills to develop therapeutic alliance in patient-centered care. This review examined the potential application and benefit of theatrical improvisational skills in healthcare generally and in the allied health profession of speech-language pathology specifically.

Methods: A literature search was completed across 6 databases. Search terms included “clinical improvisation,” “medical improvisation,” and “applied improvisation.” Searches were limited to journal articles published in English from November 2011 through November 2021. Articles included for full review were of original research and focused on applied …