Is Forgetting Good for Learning? Examining the Emergence of Abstract Rule Representations

Presenter(s): Tuong Vy Tran

Faculty Mentor(s): Ulrich Mayr & Atsushi Kikumoto

Poster 131

Session: Social Sciences & Humanities

Most actions are driven by abstract action rules that need to be applied to specific environmental conditions. The abstract goal to make coffee is implemented differently in your own than in your office kitchen. We examine here the degree to which improvements through practice result from (1) strengthened representations of abstract rules, from (2) better adaptation to specific environmental conditions, or from (3) representations that integrate abstract rules and specific conditions into conjunctive representations. We used a task that required the application of up to four different abstract spatial translation rules in order to respond to a given spatial stimulus. Subjects (N=46) performed an initial, 45-minute session applying two of the four rules to one of two possible stimulus configurations. During the second, 45-minute session, the two withheld abstract rules and the second stimulus configuration were introduced. To test the possibility that abstract, generalizable knowledge is fostered through consolidation or forgetting of specific conjunctive representations the second session occurred either right after the first session, or one week apart. Results showed that it was harder to apply new rules to practiced than to new stimulus configurations–– a clear indication conjunctive representations between abstract rules and stimulus settings. Importantly, this effect was substantially weakened when the new rules/stimulus settings were tested after one week. This suggests that during the 1-week delay, specific conjunctive representations were weakened (i.e., forgetting), thereby increasing the contributions of abstract rule representations. In other words, forgetting can benefit the emergence of generalizable skills.

Connecting Students to the Universe through Research and Outreach at Pine Mountain Observatory

Presenter(s): Maggie Thompson

Co Presenter(s): Odelia Hartl, Nicole Ringsdorf

Faculty Mentor(s): Scott Fisher

Visualization Lab 2 & 4 PSC

Located in central Oregon atop a 6500-foot peak, Pine Mountain Observatory (PMO) is an astronomical facility owned and operated by the UO Department of Physics. PMO is a hybrid research/outreach facility where UO students are deeply involved in projects that range from engineering and facility maintenance to making research-grade observations and data analysis. In particular, the size of the telescopes at PMO makes it well-suited for undergraduate research programs. In the last two years many UO undergraduates have worked at PMO to bring our newest telescope online. This robotic telescope, named ‘The Robbins’ after a generous benefactor, has been designed from the ground up to be operated remotely from the UO campus in Eugene.

Although we are still in the process of upgrading the internet connection to PMO to allow routine remote observing, in this presentation we will demonstrate the software programs that will be used when we have a live connection to the facility. Additionally, we will be demonstrating commercial and custom-written software packages that are used to reduce, calibrate, and analyze astronomical data. Our goal for this unique session of the symposium is to introduce visitors to PMO and the projects that our undergraduates are leading at their astronomical observatory.

A Lithostratigraphic Analysis of the Crooked River Mascall Formation

Presenter(s): Alexandra Thompson

Faculty Mentor(s): Samantha Hopkins

Poster 72

Session: Sciences

This project presents a comprehensive lithological and biostratigraphic record of the Miocene Mascall Formation deposits of the Crooked River Basin in Central Oregon. The Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG) covered the Crooked River Basin and much of the Pacific Northwest in the middle Miocene, altering the landscape and ecosystem. As a result of this event, an analysis of the depositional history of this region is worthwhile because it explores the impact of large scale basalt flows on subsequent basin evolution. University of Oregon geology students have measured stratigraphic sections in four different locations across the Crooked River basin in order to quantify the differences in depositional history across the basin. The sites are stratigraphically situated between the lower boundary CRBG and upper capping Rattlesnake Ash Flow Tuff (RAFT). For each region, we have created a representative stratigraphic column, and correlated rock units between the regions. The Mascall Formation in the Crooked River Basin is consistent with published descriptions of the Lower Mascall Formation: mostly fine siltstone and sandstone with diatomite, ash, and chert deposits and some tuff strata (Bestland, 1998). Each of the four sites share characteristics of the Lower Mascall which suggests similar depositional environments across the sites; however, the sections vary in the thickness and representation of individual identifiable strata, suggesting variation in where deposition was greatest through the half-million years of the section. This is the first comprehensive assessment of the stratigraphy of the Crooked River Basin, which has significant implications for understanding landscape reorganization following volcanism.

Communicating Change: A Study of Current and Proposed Communication Strategies for Prompting Individual Behavior Towards Ocean Conservation

Presenter(s): Kayla Thomet

Faculty Mentor(s): Dean Mundy & Hollie Smith

Poster 32

Session: Sciences

Due to the volatile state of our oceans, I am studying the effectiveness of different environmental campaigns on individual behavior towards reducing plastic waste in the ocean. Results indicate that individuals are most likely to change their behavior based on a moderately emotional advertisement which provides specific direction on how to alter behavior. Individuals appear willing to advocate for policy change to solve the overall problem. Currently, there is a shortage in research regarding the area of oceanic environmental communication. Through surveys, focus groups, and interviews, this study will address the effectiveness of current campaign strategies used to communicate environmental issues and provide suggestions for communicators to prompt sustained behavior change towards ocean conservation. The theoretical foundations of this study are the awareness-action gap, the effects of Grunig’s Theory of Publics, and the effectiveness of broad environmental campaigns. There is a profound lack of awareness regarding the health of the ocean; nearly half the survey respondents indicated that the ocean’s health is neutral, moderately healthy, or very healthy. Preliminary results from the survey indicate greater impact of emotional advertisements on prompting desire for action. Furthermore, advertisements depicting a consumer product directly harming an animal are the most effective in generating a visceral response. With the current status of the health of the ocean, it is crucial to take action as communicators and create lasting change. The environment is at a turning point; if communicators don’t act immediately, there will be no chance to reverse the damage done to the planet.

The Impact of Foreign Involvement on Political Reform Organizations

Presenter(s): Sravya Tadepalli

Faculty Mentor(s): Dan Tichenor & Jane Cramer

Poster 126

Session: Social Sciences & Humanities

This paper assesses the impact of foreign involvement on political reform organizations in Jordan. Through a comparative evaluation of the democratization work of completely foreign- funded international organizations, partially foreign-funded Jordanian organizations, and Jordanian organizations that do not receive foreign funding, derived from several interviews conducted with democracy practitioners in international and local NGOs, political activists, scholars, and others, this paper examines the effect of foreign involvement on organizational strategies, credibility, and effectiveness, ultimately arguing that foreign involvement (and conversely, the lack thereof) has a considerable impact on the way political reform organizations have been able to carry out their activities. This study can hopefully be used to help both foreign and Jordanian policymakers and activists understand the way in which foreign involvement can help and/or impede democratic progress in Jordan.

Characterizing Early DNA Break Repair in C. Elegans

Presenter(s): Nicole Szczepanski

Faculty Mentor(s): Diana Libuda & Austin Harvey

Poster 19

Session: Sciences

Accurate chromosome segregation is critical for the formation of viable gametes by the specialized cell division of meiosis. During meiosis, programmed double strand DNA breaks (DSBs) are formed and repaired by recombination mechanisms to maintain genomic integrity and to promote proper chromosome segregation. In order to better understand early repair dynamics of DSBs, we intended to devise a strain via CRISPR with an early repair phenotype closer to wildtype phenotype for future live imaging experiments. In past experiments, endogenously tagged GFP::RAD-51 mutants were utilized, but strayed from the usual wildtype phenotype. RAD-51 is a conserved recombinase that indicates an early repair stage of DSBs and is required for all meiotic recombination events. Using immunofluorescence, DSBs display distinct early repair dynamics through differential RAD-51 foci, leading to the hypothesis that these distinct dynamics indicate different DSB repair outcomes. Using the C. elegans model, we found that endogenously tagged GFP::RAD-51 mutants did not show a more wildtype RAD-51 foci phenotype after inheriting two copies of wildtype RAD-51 compared to worms that did not inherit the duplication. We also found that there is a significant difference between RAD-51 foci in early pachytene and late pachytene, the former having larger volumes and stronger intensities, representing interhomolog repair outcomes. In addition, interhomolog crossover repair outcomes show smaller, dimmer foci than do noncrossover outcomes. This indicates differential DSB end-resectioning between different stages within meiosis and between different repair outcomes.

The Relationship Between Self-Reported Mindfulness and the P300

Presenter(s): Josephine Swift

Faculty Mentor(s): Jennifer Lewis & Don Tucker

Poster 95

Session: Social Sciences & Humanities

Mindfulness is a state of awareness that allows an individual to more effectively monitor their cognition and emotions. The ways in which mindfulness impacts aspects of cognition, including attention and attentional control, are still being researched. The current study examines how dispositional mindfulness is related to individuals’ attention and attentional control as measured through dense-array EEG (dEEG). We examined participant’s (n=72) scores on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ; Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer, & Toney, 2006) and their event-related potentials (ERPs) generated from completing the color-word Stroop task modified for dEEG recording. Response times were also recorded. ERP waveform amplitude differences for the P300, an ERP associated with attentional processes, did not significantly differ by category (i.e., Incongruent, Congruent). However, preliminary analyses showed a relationship between self-reported mindfulness and the amplitude of the P300 (across both categories), whereas higher scores on the FFMQ were associated with attenuated P300 amplitudes. Decreased P300 amplitudes may indicate the deployment of less attentional resources. It’s possible that individuals who are more mindful, have naturally increased attention and therefore require less attentional resources in a cognitively demanding task. Mindfulness has been found to be an effective intervention for mood disorders, particularly anxiety disorders (Blanck et al. 2018). Understanding the particular ways that mindfulness impacts cognition may lead to a further understanding of the mechanisms by which mindfulness improves anxiety symptoms and thus improve treatment.

Modulating Diradical Character in Indenoindenodibenzothiopene and Benzofluorenofluorene Structures For Ultimate Application Within Organic Electronics

Presenter(s): Eric Strand

Faculty Mentor(s): Michael Haley & Joshua Barker

Poster 51

Session: Sciences

The Haley Lab is interested in the synthesis and characterization of organic hydrocarbon scaffolds which can be used as semiconductors. The family of indenofluorene hydrocarbons exhibit unique electronic properties such as antiaromaticity and diradical character, which contribute to their allure for scientists. Our lab has developed highly modular synthetic routes toward many analogues of this parent scaffold, which can be further optimized through subtle synthetic tuning. Our ultimate goal is to create a library of analogues with tuned electronic characteristics such that we may identify the most promising candidates for device implementation. Fusing a variety of aryl moieties onto the parent scaffold allows for this by decreasing the HOMO-LUMO energy gap and subsequently improvement in electron mobility and conductivity. Initially focused on proving the diradical character in an analogue of indenoindenodibenzothiopene, our current project has successfully shown this by reacting the molecule through a known radical degradation pathway.

Our studies into indenofluorenes have shown promise in regard to the ability of these molecules to serve as potential replacements for current inorganic counterparts within devices. Continuous fundamental studies into the electronic abilities of these molecules will help to elucidate the ideal characteristics of organic semiconductors, which is imperative for the feasible implementation of these molecules into devices. This project is now focused on the optimization of previous synthetic routes such that further studies into these highly interesting molecules can be carried out.