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Addressing Disparities Among Latine Students in Special Education
No full textThis study used Improvement Science to understand and address the overrepresentation of Latine students identified with specific learning disabilities (SLD) in elementary school settings. It highlighted the processes and systems that impacted Latine students\u27 educational opportunities and services--emphasizing the need for culturally and linguistically aligned instructional practices. The study was set in a suburban school district in the Pacific Northwest, where many Latine students received special education services. It investigated the root causes of SLD over-identification among these students. It suggested that enhancing educational outcomes required a focused effort to reduce over- and under-identification in special education. The document now details the examination of the disproportionate representation of Latine students in SLD and the involvement of a biliteracy specialist in addressing these issues. The study advocated for a systemic approach, including professional development, culturally responsive practices, and a data-driven decision-making process to address the disparities. The goal of the study was to reduce the risk ratio of Latine students being identified with SLD to a proportionate amount and improve the referral and evaluation process. The Dissertation in Practice underscored the need for comprehensive and collaborative efforts to tackle the overrepresentation of Latine students in special education and advocated for equitable educational practices that considered these students\u27 cultural and linguistic assets
Imputation via Domain Adaptation: Rethinking Variable Subset Forecasting from Knowledge Transfer
No full textMultivariate time series forecasting in practical deployment faces a critical challenge termed Variable Subset Forecasting (VSF), where certain variables accessible during training are entirely missing during inference. This creates a stark discrepancy between the training (source domain with full variables) and inference (target domain with partial variables) environments, disrupting cross-variable dependencies and fragmenting global temporal patterns. Existing imputation methods, limited to transferring local knowledge (e.g., temporal neighbors or pairwise correlations), fail to capture essential global dynamics, leading to severe performance degradation under distribution shifts. To address these challenges, we redefine VSF as a cross-domain knowledge transfer problem and propose VIDA, a framework that systematically transfers Variable Invariant knowledge from complete to partial observations through Domain Adaptation. Key to our approach is (1) Global time-frequency joint representation learning, which encodes temporal dynamics via dilated convolutions and captures low-frequency spectral consistency using Fourier neural operators, and (2) Sinkhorn-regularized distribution alignment to bridge non-overlapping feature supports across domains via optimal transport. Unlike imputation-first methods, VIDA enforces task-driven consistency by jointly optimizing predictions on reconstructed and original data, ensuring the transferred knowledge directly enhances forecasting robustness. Extensive experiments across four real-world datasets show that VIDA outperforms state-of-the-art imputation methods by 25% on average with partially observed variables. This work establishes a new paradigm for variable-missing scenarios by unifying imputation and forecasting through principled knowledge transfer
Global Maintenance of Histone Post-Translational Modifications During the Transition into Anoxia in Embryos of the Annual Killifish
No full textMany organisms have adapted to survive anoxic or hypoxic environments, but the epigenetic responses involved in this successful stress response are not well described in most species. Embryos of the annual killifish have the greatest tolerance to anoxia of all vertebrates, making them a powerful model to study the cellular mechanisms necessary for anoxia tolerance. However, the global histone landscape of this species has never been quantified or explored in relation to stress tolerance. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and a Python bioinformatics workflow were used to identify histones and their post-translational modifications. This pipeline resulted in the detection of 252 unique biologically relevant histone post-translational modifications (hPTMs) (unimod + residue). These PTMs represent 16 types of biologically relevant hPTMs present during both anoxia and normoxia in Wourms\u27 stage 36 embryos. This hPTM library presents an exciting opportunity to study histone modifications across development and in response to environmental stressors. No significant changes in PTM or histone abundance were observed between anoxic and normoxic embryos, suggesting that 24 h of anoxia is not sufficient to induce epigenetic or histone isoform changes at the organismal level. This result is inconsistent with data presented for similar stresses in mammalian cells and thus stabilization of the hPTM landscape may be an adaptation that supports anoxia tolerance
Predation by the Brown Vine Snake, Oxybelis Koehleri, on the Autotomized Tail of an Escaping Common Anole, Anolis Humilis
No full textDuring a natural history hike at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica, we observed a Brown Vine Snake, Oxybelis koehleri, consuming the autotomized tail of a Common Humble Anole, Anolis humilis, which had escaped predation. This event represents a rare documented instance of a vine snake feeding exclusively on a detached lizard tail. Tail autotomy is a widespread anti-predator strategy among lizards, with the shed tail continuing to writhe post-detachment, potentially attracting predators. Lizard tails are lipid-rich and offer a convenient energy source, especially in resource-scarce environments. Although such behavior has been noted in other reptiles, it is seldom reported in snakes. Our observation occurred during an unseasonal dry spell, which may have reduced prey availability, prompting opportunistic feeding behavior. This case highlights the ecological importance of tail autotomy and raises questions about its role in predator-prey dynamics and feeding strategies in snakes under environmental stress
Synoptic-scale Meteorological Patterns Associated with Extreme Precipitation Over the Contiguous United States and Concomitant Seasonal and Regional Variability
No full textSeasonal and spatial variations of synoptic-scale weather patterns concurrent to extreme precipitation days, defined as days above the seasonal 95th percentile of the daily precipitation distribution, are characterized over a 44-year period (1980-2023) for the Contiguous United States (CONUS). Using atmospheric reanalysis data and a grid-cell centered approach, we construct seasonal anomaly composite patterns for sea level-pressure (SLP), integrated water vapor transport, 500 hPa geopotential height (Z500), and 300 hPa wind speed. Atmospheric variables known to be important for extreme precipitation. By interpolating composites for each grid cell onto the same polar coordinate grid relative to the grid cell we are able to directly compare composites from any grid cell with each other providing a comprehensive climatology of meteorological drivers of extreme precipitation across the entire CONUS for all four meteorological seasons. We describe results for winter and summer. A novel k-means clustering technique is employed to group standardized anomaly patterns to identify regions with similar pattern characteristics. Descriptive statistics to quantify pattern strength and correlation are computed as grid cell by grid cell metrics. The combination of these approaches helps to diagnose the average synoptic conditions associated with extreme precipitation in each season at all CONUS grid cells in an easily interpretable format. Results show that winter patterns associated with extreme precipitation are on average stronger than summer; and our patterns show height and pressure gradients aligned with enhanced vapor transport. We find that western US Z500 and SLP anomaly patterns associated with extreme precipitation tend not to have dipoles or to exhibit weak dipoles and that pressure patterns tend to be vertically stacked in the west. By contrast, we find that eastern US Z500 and SLP anomaly patterns have clear dipoles which is indicative of the east having stronger baroclinicity, and these patterns exhibit a tilt with height to the pressure gradients. Identified regions and circulation patterns vary by season. Results from the current study can be used as a baseline for understanding how well climate models simulate the synoptic-scale conditions that drive extreme precipitation and how and if meteorological patterns associated with extreme precipitation change in the future. Motivated by a desire to answer these climate and climate model questions, this methodology was created with a goal of extensibility to climate model data in future work
When You Know: Essays
No full textThis collection of personal essays centers themes of relationships, both romantic and familial; bodily disconnection; and religion. Such topics are examined through the lenses of anxiety and intuition, forces which both contradict and complement each other. When You Know: Essays attempts to investigate how to put trust in one’s own body and mind despite disease, disorders, and the unknowable cosmic order
Summer Proceedings 2025
No full textThis comprehensive collection showcases cutting-edge research from undergraduate students participating in three innovative programs at Portland State University: the NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site on Computational Modeling Serving Portland, the alternative Research Experiences for Undergraduates (altREU) program, and Teuscher Lab internships. These programs leverage community partnerships while breaking traditional barriers through fully online, accessible formats that welcome students regardless of background or circumstances. The 24 projects span foundational AI methods, healthcare and medical AI, transportation and urban safety, environmental and earth sciences, language and social AI, and specialized neural architectures. From developing assistive driving companions and emotion-aware AI for elderly care to predicting volcanic ground deformation and analyzing power grid resilience, these contributions address pressing real-world challenges. The proceedings represent undergraduate research that is accessible, collaborative, and deeply committed to using computational tools for the public good, demonstrating how computational modeling transcends traditional boundaries to create solutions for a more safe, sustainable, and equitable world
I Wished I Could Have Said Bye : Exploring Youth Reactions to Formal Mentoring Relationship Endings
No full textYouth mentoring programs strive to create stable, supportive relationships between adult mentors and youth mentees to promote positive youth development. Although these formal relationships always reach a conclusion, little is known about how mentees experience the endings of their relationships. This study elicits the words and perspectives of mentees to investigate the emotional reactions provoked by mentoring relationship terminations. Participants were youth (n = 72) in a prospective study of mentoring relationship development who completed a survey following the official closure of their match. Asked how they felt about the match ending, mentees more often indicated negative rather than positive emotions. Invited to give a single word describing their feelings, youth shared a range of responses (e.g., nonchalant, bittersweet, confused, shocked, sad, lonely, angry, abandoned). On an adapted Extended Grief Inventory, youth were more likely to endorse positive memories, but sizeable proportions also endorsed items from the traumatic grief subscale. Content analysis of responses to how mentees wished the ending had been different yielded themes such as wanting an explanation, a final meeting, a chance to say goodbye, a better relationship experience, or simply continuing the match. The findings, interpreted with respect to attachment theory, ambiguous loss, and disenfranchised grief, suggest mentoring relationships have meaning to youth beyond the life of the relationship and that endings can elicit strong feelings. With an ethical imperative to do no harm to youth, mentoring programs should attend to the potential for loss and grief and provide adequate support to mentees during and after relationship endings
Distributed Energy Resources: A Systematic Literature Review
No full textThe traditional power grid, characterized by its centralized nature and one-way power flow, has long been the backbone of electricity supply and distribution. Grid operators have historically found various ways to accurately predict demand, anticipate faults, and prepare appropri- ate responses. However, with the rapid integration of Distributed Energy Resources such as Photovoltaic, storage systems, grid-interactive generation, and flexible-load assets, energy consumption and production patterns have become less predictable, transforming the grid into a two-way power flow system. Managing the potential of these Distributed Energy Resources requires advanced management systems that provide monitoring, coordination, and aggregation capabilities to grid operators. Supported by advancements in communication technologies and standardized protocols, utilities, researchers, and manufacturers have developed Distributed Energy Resource management solutions to facilitate the transition to a decentralized, distributed power grid architecture while ensuring grid reliability, stability, and resilience. In this systematic literature review, we explored the deployment of Distributed Energy Resource management systems across various countries, analyzing the lessons learned and future directions for each project. Our review revealed a widespread lack of consensus on terminologies and definitions used to refer to systems aggregating Distributed Energy Resources. To address this, we propose a standardized definition of roles for each technology, elaborating on the distinctions among these systems. This work aims to clarify the landscape of Distributed Energy Resource management technologies and provide a foundation for future research and development in this rapidly evolving field
Nuance as Praxis for Teaching About Mandated Reporting:Classroom Activities
No full textAs social work instructors, we have observed students increasingly wanting to engage in critical conversations about mandated reporting. Few resources are available to support instructors in facilitating these conversations. This teaching note offers content and lesson plans for exploring mandated reporting as a moral duty, a harm, an ethical dilemma, and a legal mandate in the classroom. Together, these pedagogical tools can help instructors embrace nuance as a practice for teaching about mandated reporting