Category: 2022

The benefits of intergenerational family support on post-partum depression in the Tunisian Health Examination Survey

Presenter: Ava Hearn − Neuroscience

Faculty Mentor(s): Josh Snodgrass, Alicia DeLouize

Session: (In-Person) Oral Panel—Healthy Considerations

Postpartum depression (PPD) is considered the most common maternal morbidity in many parts of the world, yet while maternal health is increasingly prioritized in global health initiatives, the factors leading to the development of PPD are not fully understood. Lack of social support has been cited as one of the most important contributors to postpartum depression, but social support outside of partner relationships has not been widely investigated. Given trends in global aging and the increased presence of tri-generational families worldwide, it is important to examine whether the presence of co-residential grandparents influences the health and well-being of new mothers. Although this relationship has been the focus of recent interest in wealthy nations, research has yet to explore the impact of grandparent support in low- and middle-income countries. The present study uses sociodemographic and health data from the Tunisian Health Examination Survey to look at how family structures in this northern African setting affect postpartum depression. We hypothesized that postpartum depression would be lower with the presence of co-residential grandparents. It was found that new mothers living in a multigenerational household (M = 0.00) had less depression than those that did not live in a multigenerational household.

Do we perceive when they deceive? Effect of pauses and dialect on the perception of deception

Presenter: Zoë Haupt − Communication Disorders and Sciences

Faculty Mentor(s): Melissa Baese-Berk

Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation

When attempting to detect a lie, numerous social and linguistic factors influence the perception of whether the speaker is telling the truth or lying. The current study investigates how pausing and dialect influence listeners’ judgments of truthfulness. Pauses are often associated with deceptive behavior, but it is unclear how the specific acoustic qualities of pauses affect the listeners’ perception of deception. An additional factor that has been shown to influence listener judgments is the dialect of the speaker. Speakers who use African American English (AAE) dialects, for example, are perceived as less credible than speakers who use a Standard American English (SAE) variety. In this study, bidialectal speakers recorded several narratives using both AAE and SAE. Listeners were asked to rate how truthful each speaker is after listening to a recording of a narrative via an online survey. Pause duration and the dialect used by the talker were manipulated to investigate the contributions of each factor to the perception of deception. The findings of this study will contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the interaction between social biases and speech perception, linguistic markers associated with deception, and listeners’ perceptions and judgments of pausing and dialects.

 

Identifying COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Motivators for People Who Inject Drugs in Lane County

Presenter: Blake Hardin − Economics, Global Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Melissa Graboyes, Camille Cioffi

Session: (In-Person) Oral Panel—Covering Covid

People who use intravenous drugs (PWID) are at greater risk of mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases yet also express higher levels of vaccine hesitancy than the general public. For the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying common vaccine hesitancy motivators among intravenous drug users is key to ongoing vaccination campaigns against the disease. However, very little research has used qualitative methods to examine why intravenous drug users are often more vaccine hesitant. This thesis used a mixed-methods design, conducting 41 semi-structured interviews and 260 quantitative surveys with PWID in Lane County to understand better the most influential contributors to vaccine hesitancy among this demographic group. The interviews and surveys demonstrated a consistent connection between the poor social determinants of health and frequent dehumanization of intravenous drug users and their reduced willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. This thesis proposes a new model for assessing vaccine hesitancy among PWID, directly informed by the actual experiences shared by collaborators for this project. Moreover, the results of this thesis elucidate the need to address systemic barriers in healthcare that inhibit accessibility, trust, and confidence in preventative services like vaccines among marginalized communities. Current and future vaccine outreach programs for PWID must first establish a foundation of trust to alleviate vaccine hesitancy and encourage vaccine uptake.

Constructing Belonging: An In-Depth Analysis of the Oregon Sanctuary Movement

Presenter: Alexis Han − Global Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Kristin Yarris

Session: (In-Person) Oral Panel—HURF

In the 1980s, churches in Oregon and across the nation declared themselves as sanctuaries for Central Americans fleeing civil conflict. This marked the start of the sanctuary movement, a religious and political campaign to assist migrants seeking safety in the United States. The movement made its way into the political sphere in 1987 when Oregon became the first state to pass a sanctuary policy, limiting the use of local law enforcement to apprehend undocumented immigrants. Decades later, the Oregon legislature solidified these protections in 2021 with the passage of the Sanctuary Promise Act. In researching the many dimensions of the Oregon sanctuary movement, my research project takes a multi-disciplinary approach to answer these research questions: How has the Oregon sanctuary movement evolved from its origins in faith-based activism? And how does Oregon’s sanctuary policy and the work of sanctuary and immigrants’ rights activists intersect to cultivate belonging for undocumented people? I engaged in a multi-method study by thematically analyzing interviews with Oregon sanctuary activists and analyzing the Sanctuary Promise Act through analysis of the bill’s text and contextualizing its provisions with interviews from community advocates and submitted public testimonies. These analyses show the resiliency and adaptability of the Oregon sanctuary movement as a community-powered campaign that responds to the needs of undocumented Oregonians in order to cultivate belonging.

Queering the Way: Investigating the Relationship between U.S. LGBT+ Advocacy and Policy Advancement

Presenter: Matthew Hampton − Planning, Public Policy and Management, Political Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Dyana Mason, Alison Gash

Session: (In-Person) Oral Panel—The More You Know (in depth looks and prevention)

The modern LGBT+ rights movement in the United States has pushed political and social advancement since the mid-twentieth century, continuing the fight for equal treatment even as hundreds of anti- LGBT+ bills are being proposed and passed in states across the country. This study analyzes the specific tactics used by LGBT activists and nonprofits from the mid-twentieth century to present day, framing them using Political Opportunity Theory to try to explain how they make campaigns or movements successful. The study will be conducted using interviews of LGBT+ activists and aligned policy makers, either archived or original. Ultimately the study seeks to answer the question: In the LGBT+ rights movement (specifically the fight for equal employment), what advocacy strategies have worked to create political and social change, and how can their success be replicated for current and future rights battles? Do political and social change require both grassroots and policymaker support? Using theories, previous scholarly literature, and activist interviews, many factors were found to contribute to the overall success of an advocacy campaign: access to resources, ability to mobilize populations, clear goals and strategy, and strong relationships between outsider activists and political insiders. The goal of this report is to increase knowledge for creating effective policy and social change both inside and outside of policy arenas to further promote LGBT+ equality and understanding.

Data “Counterstory:” Academic Text Accessibility and Open Educational Resources

Presenter: Matthew Hampton − Planning, Public Policy and Management, Political Science

Co-Presenter(s): Grace Trammell

Faculty Mentor(s): Emily Simnitt

Session: (In-Person) Data Stories—The Languages of Data

Textbooks are an essential aspect of learning in higher education curriculum. In many cases professors will require students to purchase one or multiple textbooks, creating an additional financial burden for students. When this happens, students are left with few options: find a lower- cost alternative, or drop the class. Thus, textbooks are a means of creating a literacy and education gap within higher education, with low-income students most impacted by it. However, Open Educational Resources (OERs) are a means to reduce this gap by providing equitable literature to all students within higher education. In recent years, (OERs), free academic texts, have in-part filled the gap by providing public knowledge to students and other groups. With the use of OERs openly accessible on the internet or in libraries, community members not affiliated with universities also have the opportunities to learn about various subjects they may not have had before. While working on an in-house University of Oregon OER, the Talking Stories website, we discovered that putting together a well-researched OER had as much to do with compiling credible academic information as presenting it in a way that anybody, regardless of education level, can understand. Based on this, we will share our experience and knowledge gained during this project to creating change and expanding community literacy. We will speak to how broadening academic text accessibility through OERs can increase community literacy.

Personal training and the students at UO

Presenter: Olivia Gurley − Human Physiology

Co-Presenter(s): Jackson Hullinger, Karl Schenk

Faculty Mentor(s): Chantelle Russell

Session: (Virtual) Oral Panel—Strive to Thrive ARC

This paper analyzes how personal trainers affect and influence the wellness of college students at University of Oregon. If students work with personal trainers then their overall wellness will improve because working with a personal trainer offers a more structured workout plan for people who are inexperienced or uncomfortable at the gym, less risk of injury, and guidance on proper nutrition. To prove this, we read through multiple scientific research papers and spoke to various personal trainers and students about how personal training has benefitted them. Our primary results showed that among the people we interviewed, the overwhelming majority of participants showed improvements in their overall wellness. However, these results were based on prior experience in the gym and their individual relationship with their trainer. The implications of these results can help direct more students who are not comfortable with the gym and/or whose physical and mental health is not well to the Rec Center. Additional possible outcomes of this could be a raised GPA among students at UO, better physical and mental health of students, and just an overall better campus. Overall physical and mental wellness are important aspects of wellness that UO is trying to help students with, and directing students to meet with a personal trainer would be the most beneficial way to improve wellness.

Victims’ Advocate Experiences and Perceptions on Engaging with Survivors of Crimes

Presenter: Ethan Guo − Sociology

Faculty Mentor(s): Ellen Scott

Session: (In-Person) Oral Panel—Connection and Community

The United States Criminal Justice System’s response to crimes committed against other persons relies heavily upon people who are “Victims’ Advocates”. This advocate system is what guides survivors through the process of criminal justice by working closely with survivors to ensure that they are comfortable and aware of their rights and the ways in which they are involved in a criminal case. This study utilizes multiple interviews with Victims’ Advocates, as well as supplementary interviews with survivors in order to examine Victims’ Advocates’ perception of their impact on survivor experiences with the criminal justice system. Both in general experiences as well as how specific circumstances create different environments for survivors. Interviews from advocates revealed a pattern of how survivors’ responses differ greatly across the specific type of survivor and the nature of the crime experienced. Perceived participation and engagement levels differed greatly between crimes such as: domestic violence, theft, burglary, stranger assaults, homicides, car theft. Experiences; and also varied by across the extent of impact a survivor felt their participation and engagement would have in the proceedings against the defendant. Recognition of these patterns and differences when it comes to survivor involvement can better inform our societal approaches to how organizations and their frameworks’ are better suited for the needs of survivors.

Intragroup Dominance Hierarchies of Domestic Female Llamas in a Long-Term Herd

Presenter: Skye Grubb − Anthropology

Faculty Mentor(s): Larry Ulibarri, Frances White

Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation

This study examines the presence of a dominance hierarchy among females of an established domestic llama herd. To examine this, a group of thirteen female llamas and one male cria were fed high-quality food in clumped distributions. Their agonistic interactions were observed and recorded using a continuous recording method separated into one minute intervals, as well as a combination of focal animal sampling and scan sampling. A variety of factors including age, long-term health, established time within the herd, proximity, size, frequency of aggression, and reproductive success were examined regarding contribution to the linear dominance hierarchy. Centrality and physical positions within the herd social structure were also considered during analysis of rank. Upon the construction of the original dominance hierarchy, tests of linearity were performed to establish the potential of reversals and changes in the hierarchy over the period of roughly six months. A fairly linear dominance hierarchy has been constructed, showing three distinct groupings of females in terms of general proximity. The majority of reversals occurred in the higher positions of the hierarchy, with individuals lower in the hierarchy interacting aggressively only minimally.

The Role of Synaptic Adhesion Molecules in Electrical Synapse Formation in Zebrafish

Presenter: Margaret Grivette − Neuroscience

Faculty Mentor(s): Adam Miller, Jen Michel

Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation

Chemical and electrical synapses work together to shape brain function but little is known about the regulation of electrical synapse formation4. Chemical synapses are junctions that send neurotransmitters across the gap to the receiving neuron. Electrical synapses are physically connected by connexin proteins which are supported by scaffolding proteins that allow charged ions to diffuse between neural cells1. ZO1b is a MAGUK scaffolding protein required for the formation and function of electrical synapses. It contains three PDZ binding domains that bring other proteins together to organize multiple interactions 1,2. Kirrel proteins belong to the transmembrane immunoglobulin superfamily of cell adhesion proteins and have a cytoplasmic PDZ binding domain (PBD). Kirrel 3 is particularly important because alterations in the gene are associated with intellectual disability and the Kirrel 3 protein has recently been found to help build synapses in the mouse hippocampus 3. To determine whether Kirrels may play a role in electrical synapse formation in zebrafish, we tested whether the predicted Kirrel 3 PDB binds to ZO1b PDZ domains using an in vitro binding assay. We found that the Kirrel 3 C-terminus binds to PDZ1 of ZO1b. This interaction is dependent upon the predicted PDB since removal of the last 6 amino acids of the Kirrel 3 tail abolished the interaction.