Tag: McNair Scholars Presentations

Stress and Implications for Poor Mental and Physical Health Among Latinx Emerging Adults

Presenter(s): Yomaira Tarula-Aranda—Ethnic Studies and Spanish

Faculty Mentor(s): Heather McClure

Session 5.5: McNair Scholars Presentations

The Latinx population is the largest and fastest-growing minority in the United States, and also has growing rates of poor mental and physical health . This research explores how stress is very prevalent among Latinx emerging adults (aged 18–23 years old) and potential contributing factors . Stress is related to an assortment of negative outcomes including development of poor mental and physical health and other outcomes . This research uses data from the Latinx Emerging Adults Project’s Emerging Adult & Peer Survey created by the Center for Equity Promotion in the University of Oregon’s College of Education . To measure stress, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used to measure the frequency, severity and perceived control individuals have over daily stressors within the previous 1-month period . Higher PSS scores have been linked to risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and elevation in stress hormones . Analyses explored potential differences in Latinx emerging adults’ PSS scores by different socio-demographic characteristics . Results will be presented and discussed in relation to the potential risks confronting Latinx emerging adults of stress-related poor health .

Race and Space: Gentrification in Tacoma/Eviction Crisis

Presenter(s): Joseph Moore—Sociology

Faculty Mentor(s): Raoul Lievanos

Session 5.5: McNair Scholars Presentations

Gentrification is a process in which middle class homebuyers, landlords and developers build new structures on previously developed land once occupied by working class populations . This practice has displaced low-income and African-American residents from their homes with little to no time to come up with the type of capital needed to relocate . This research was focused on the gentrification taking place in the Hilltop neighborhood in Tacoma, Washington, which has been a historically African- American area since the early 20th century . The purpose of this study was to use data in the form of firsthand accounts from the residents of Tacoma, narratives from past case studies, city of Tacoma documents, and historical analysis to demonstrate the use of discriminatory real estate/housing practices that have dictated the use of space within Tacoma . This study also used data in the form of eviction rates, percentages, number of evictions, and the number of eviction notices from the Hilltop neighborhood in comparison to the data from the city, state, regional, and national levels . Further data was used in the form of the rising rent costs and property values that have contributed to the displacement of low-income and African-American populations from the Hilltop neighborhood . This study will culminate in a well-researched article that will contribute to existing knowledge and provide further evidence for the occurrence of gentrification in Tacoma .

Intersectional Analysis of Heroin Use

Presenter(s): Joseph Moore—Sociology

Faculty Mentor(s): Clare Evans

Session 5.5: McNair Scholars Presentations

The current opioid epidemic has produced long-lasting consequences for a large population of people in the United States . One of these consequences is addiction, leading to the transition from the often expensive prescription opioids that are prescribed by doctors to the use of less expensive and easily accessible heroin . This research answers the question of how does heroin use differ by race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status and what is the predicted probability of future use among these strata? To accomplish this task I will perform statistical analysis using the most recent survey data sets ranging from 2015-2018 as they were made available by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) . These public use data sets contain 226,632 non-institutionalized US participants aged 12 or older combined . I will use these public data sets to run regression models and calculate probability . My findings thus far demonstrate a higher usage pattern among males living in poverty of all race/ethnicities, with white males using at the highest rate . Furthermore, the least amount of usage rests with African-American females living at more than 2 times the federal poverty threshold level . The results of this study will demonstrate the extent at which heroin is used among different social strata contributing to the existing knowledge .

The Evolution of Coronaviruses: Cross-Species Transfers and Mechanisms of Infections

Presenter(s): Tristan McKibben—Biochemistry

Faculty Mentor(s): J. Josh Snodgrass

Session 5.5: McNair Scholars Presentations

The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its accompanying disease, COVID-19, in late 2019 has had a global impact that will likely be felt for decades to come . As the number of infections and deaths around the world keep rising, there is a pressing need to better understand the virus and its origin . This research reviews the evolution of coronaviruses as well as mechanisms of cross-species transfers and infection . Researchers have identified that SARS-CoV-2 uses the same receptor for cell entry as SARS-CoV (the virus responsible for the SARS epidemic of 2002-2004), which may aid in combating SARS-CoV-2 . In comparing the mechanisms by which SARS-CoV entered the human population and proceeded to infect human hosts to what is currently known about SARS-CoV-2, it is possible to identify areas of research that potentially provide the most utility in the search for a vaccine . The present paper systematically reviews published literature on coronaviruses with the goal of identifying promising avenues for future research .

The Impact of Tuition Increases on the Enrollment of Low-income Students

Presenter(s): Neila Kerkebane—Economics

Faculty Mentor(s): Jonathan Davis

Session 5.5: McNair Scholars Presentations

The United States has experienced an increase in inequality, especially since the 1980s . One question that has been asked repeatedly by researchers and policy makers is how can we promote equality of opportunity? In this thesis, I study the impact of increases in college and university tuition on the enrollment of low-income students . Since higher education has been identified by the literature as a main path for intergenerational socioeconomic mobility, it is important to encourage low-income students to attend colleges and universities . Yet their participation at the moment is lower than their counterparts in higher income classes . We need to identify what is influencing low participation of low-income students in higher education in order to provide solutions to make higher education more accessible for this segment of the population . This study estimates the elasticity of college enrollment to posted tuition rates using administrative data on 2,462 colleges and universities . The aim of the paper is to understand whether a lack of information about posted and actual tuition rates is a barrier to the enrollment of low-income students . For this analysis, I am using a fixed effect model to control for all time-invariant characteristics about the college and specific characteristics .

Age-related and culturally specific causes of depression underdiagnosis among older adults: Results from the Study on global AGEing and adult health

Presenter(s): Joan Hicks—Psychology

Faculty Mentor(s): Josh Snodgrass

Session 5.5: McNair Scholars Presentations

Cultural competency should be prioritized when dealing with any issue surrounding mental health . Older adult populations are growing rapidly in lower and middle-income countries (LMICs) and depression is a neglected form of disability that is especially pronounced in older adults . The current study analyzes data among older adults collected in Wave 1 of the World Health Organization’s

Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) in order to examine the underlying factors related
to underdiagnosis of depression in Ghana, Mexico, India, China, South Africa, and Russia . These countries were compared to observe the societal and individual influences that lead to patterns
of depression diagnosis . We test two hypotheses: 1) lower rates of underdiagnosis of depression being associated with easily accessed and utilized healthcare facilities; and 2) the underdiagnosis of depression being associated with higher levels of stigma . Functional quality of life was a consistent predictor of the underdiagnosis of depression in all countries tested (B’s = 0 .02 to 0 .04, p’s < 0 .001) . Other predictors of underdiagnosis varied greatly by country but include age (p’s < 0 .05 in China and Russia), gender (p’s< 0 .05 in China and India), income (p’s < 0 .05 in China and India), memory status (p’s < 0 .05 in China and India), healthcare quality (p’s < 0 .05 in India and Ghana), social cohesion (p’s< 0 .05 in Mexico, India, and Ghana), and stigma (p’s < 0 .05 in India and Ghana) . Both age-related stressors and cultural differences should be taken into account when addressing the underdiagnosis and, therefore, treatment of depression .

Cost May Be a Barrier to Healthy Eating Depending on Education and Income for Rural Oregon Residents

Presenter(s): Ashley Easter—Family and Human Services

Faculty Mentor(s): Elizabeth Budd

Session 5.5: McNair Scholars Presentations

Fruit and vegetable (F/V) intake reduces the risk for chronic diseases . Research indicates rural communities have limited access to F/V . Unknown is how perceived availability of F/V and cost as barriers to healthy eating vary among rural residents . This study examined perceived availability of F/V and cost as barriers to healthy eating and how each varies by educational attainment and income among residents of a rural Oregon town . A total of 151 residents of a rural Oregon town completed an in-person survey (53 .1±16 .34 years; 63% female; 94% non-Hispanic white) . Respondents indicated the extent to which they agreed that F/V were available in their town and whether cost made healthy eating hard for them . Four Chi-Squared Tests were conducted to determine whether these responses were associated with educational attainment or annual household income . There was no association between educational attainment or income and respondents’ perceived availability of F/V within their town . Cost as a barrier to healthy eating varied significantly by respondents’ educational attainment (X2 (2, 150)= 7 .90, Cramer’s = 0 .23, p < 0 .05) and income (X2 (2, 147)= 25 .85, Cramer’s V= 0 .420, p < 0 .05); such that those with less education and lower incomes were more likely to report that cost was a barrier to healthy eating . Study findings highlight sub-groups (low-income, low-education) among rural Oregon residents who may be at higher risk for experiencing cost barriers to healthy eating, informing future chronic disease prevention interventions .

Cell Specific Ablation: An Examination of Zebrafish Social Circuitry

Presenter(s): Matthew Dawson—Biology/Psychology

Faculty Mentor(s): Philip Washbourne

Session 5.5: McNair Scholars Presentations

The zebrafish has been long used in research to examine the effects of manipulating genes using tools such as the CRISPR/Cas9 system . Nitroreductase is an enzyme, native to E . coli, commonly used in biology for cell specific ablation . By inserting the gene for producing nitroreductase, as well as Gal4/UAS system, one can achieve temporal and spatial selectivity for ablation . After cell ablation, fish were placed into a virtual social behavior assay to look for differences in social interactions . Fish were then terminally sampled and stained using immunohistochemistry and imaged using the Spinning Disk Confocal microscope . Using these images, an average brain was constructed allowing for mapping of the neurons necessary for social behavior . This study aims to begin characterizing the neural circuitry for social behavior in zebrafish .

Identifying Neurons Necessary for Social Behavior

Presenter(s): Matthew Dawson—Biology and Psychology

Faculty Mentor(s): Philip Washbourne

Session 5.5: McNair Scholars Presentations

Humans have a long history of working in social groups with a plethora of research supporting the benefits of positive human interaction . While these behaviors may seem intuitive, they can be argued as the most intricate behaviors displayed by animals . To generate a situationally relevant response to social others, an animal must be able to track dynamic systems . Given the inherent complexity of social behaviors, it is expected that this system can be perturbed by a multitude of neurological disorders . Using animal models, we can begin to construct the neuronal circuitry necessary for social behaviors . This circuitry can be used to understand social behavior deficits and may reveal possible interventions for disorders . Zebrafish, Danio rerio, perform stereotyped social behaviors, such as shoaling, which can be used to explore neuronal changes associated with deficits in performing the behavior . Through chemo-genetic ablations, we were able to cause cell death to select neurons due to variations in gene expression . Chemically treated fish were put into a virtual social assay that untreated zebrafish respond to . Zebrafish exhibiting decreased social response would indicate that the ablated neurons are necessary for social behavior . Our results indicate a population of neurons in the forebrain that are necessary for correct social behavior . This insight will help us construct the circuitry underlying social interactions .

Valence modulates self/other neural recapitulation during interpersonal perception.

Presenter(s): Faith Collins—Pychology

Faculty Mentor(s): Robert Chavez, Taylor Guthrie

Session 5.5: McNair Scholars Presentations

Previous research has demonstrated that neural responses during self-referential thought are recapitulated in the brains of close friends thinking about the self . However, we also know that these processes are influenced by the affective valence of the stimuli and these processes recruit similar areas of the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) . Does positive or negative valence drive the coherence between these representations? We sought to test this question by recruiting small groups of close- knit individuals in a round-robin fMRI design . Subjects reflected on positive and negative traits about both themselves and their group members to estimate neural responses to self and every other person in the group . Next, we used a multi-level linear mixed effects model to compare the correlation distance between self-congruent and self-incongruent patterns striated by positive and negative affect . We found that valence, especially negative valence, modulates the strength of self/other recapitulation effects in the MPFC . These results suggest that affective information influences the neural bases of interpersonal perception and contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms by which valence influences how our sense of self is represented in the minds of others .