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Demographic and Economic Implications of Alternative US Immigration Policies
No full textDue to the United States’ decades-long stalemate in federal immigration policy-making, major institutional forecasts of the U.S. population have not included assumptions about changes in immigration policy. However, the 2016 election of President Donald Trump and the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated just how much policy shifts can affect immigration flows, with substantial implications for the country’s demographic future. We created national-level population and economic projections through 2060 using nine different immigration policy scenarios, reflecting differences in both the scale of immigration allowed and the mix of immigrant visas issued (family reunification versus economic and labor visas). The projections highlight the dramatically divergent outcomes associated with different immigration policy choices. Although even very high levels of immigration do not fully offset population aging, higher levels of immigration are associated with substantial increases in GDP and significant reductions in Social Security deficits. The family-emphasis scenarios produce greater population and economic growth, compared to the labor-emphasis scenarios at similar levels of immigration. Immigration is not the only way to address labor shortages and population aging, but our projections show that immigration restriction, or even the maintenance of moderate levels of immigration, will produce serious social and economic challenges in the future. Although the situation is unfolding, our findings are especially important given that the 2024 re-election of President Trump has resulted in widespread efforts to restrict immigration
Seismic Fragility Analysis of Above-ground Liquid Storage Tanks
No full textLiquid storage tanks are critical infrastructure, serving as key storage facilities for various products. As the contents in these tanks are usually highly toxic and flammable, damage to these structures under earthquakes can cause severe consequences, including energy shortage, fire and explosion, and spilling and long-term environmental damages.
Although new liquid storage tanks are designed according to the updated seismic design codes, large numbers of existing storage tanks were built before modern seismic design codes and did not undergo necessary seismic retrofitting. Observations and reports from past earthquakes demonstrate that these older tanks can be highly vulnerable to seismic excitation. Common failure modes include wall buckling, connection failure (detachment of the tank’s base plate from the tank wall). Under earthquakes, liquid storage tanks may experience several failure mechanisms due to the dynamic interaction between the fluid and the structure. High compressive stresses can develop in the bottom part of the tank wall, potentially causing wall buckling. Simultaneously, seismic forces and fluid motion may lead to uplift of the base plate, which can result in the separation of the shell-to-base welded joint.
Focusing on tank wall buckling and base-wall connection failure, this study proposed a streamlined approach to assessing the seismic vulnerability of unanchored steel liquid storage tanks. This study develops seismic fragility curves for liquid storage tanks at different filling levels. Two failure modes are considered: wall buckling and connection failure. The analysis helps assess tank vulnerability under earthquake loading conditions
Individualized Deals for Overqualified Employees: an Investigation of Supervisor Perceptions of Employee Overqualification
No full textIn this study, we extend overqualification research by examining the indirect relationship between supervisor perceptions of employee overqualification and performance outcomes via task i-deals. We predict that employees are more likely to be granted task i-deals to the degree to which they are perceived as overqualified by their supervisors, which in turn indirectly and positively affects their task performance and citizenship behaviors. Further, we expect the relationship between supervisor-rated overqualification and task i-deals to be stronger when supervisor perceived peer overqualification and workgroup team orientation are lower. Analyses of multi-wave multi-source data from 682 employees nested in 115 workgroups in a consumer retail company in Iran provided support for our model. A second vignette-based experimental study of 183 participants offered additional support for the directionality of relations. Theoretical and practical implications and avenues for future research are discussed
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi as Key Drivers of Plant Resilience: Mechanisms of Stress Adaptation in Saline Environments
No full textArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a critical role in mediating plant responses to environmental stress, yet their ecological significance in saline wetland restoration remains underexplored. This greenhouse experiment investigated the effects of salinity, root-zone barrier type (solid, mesh, none), and neighboring species identity on AMF colonization and physiological responses in three native estuarine plants: Carex densa, Juncus patens, and Scirpus microcarpus. Results demonstrated species-specific physiological responses to salinity, with Juncus patens showing greater resilience in maintaining photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) and percent cover at higher salinity levels, while Scirpus microcarpus exhibited a significant decline. Mesh barriers, which permitted fungal but not root connectivity, were associated with increased AMF colonization and elevated electron transport rates (ETR), suggesting that AMF-mediated facilitation was more effective when direct root competition was excluded. Notably, Juncus patens acted as a suppressive neighbor, significantly reducing the percent cover of Carex densa and Scirpus microcarpus under high salinity. A significant three-way interaction among species, barrier type, and neighbor identity on percent cover and AMF presence underscores the complexity of belowground biotic interactions under stress. These findings support the hypothesis that AMF access enhances plant performance under saline conditions and emphasize the importance of spatial partitioning and plant-plant interactions in wetland restoration strategies. This study provides novel insight into how species-specific and community-level dynamics mediate mycorrhizal benefits, informing adaptive management of tidal wetlands in the face of sea level rise
A Profile of Freshman Inquiry Students Fall 2025
No full textIn order to better understand the students enrolled in Freshman Inquiry (FRINQ) courses and identify areas where they may need support, University Studies (UNST) began collecting and compiling data on these students. This report presents a profile of FRINQ students from Fall 2025. It presents an overview of all students enrolled in FRINQ during Fall 2025 and then summarizes information from the Prior Learning Survey
Synthesis and Characterization of Highly Stable Fisetin Encapsulated in Lecithin-Chitosan-Savie Nanoparticles
No full textSenolytic drugs, of the class of polyphenolic flavonoids, have attracted attention for a wide variety of medical applications for which they may be delivered topically, orally, and/or intravenously. However, due to their hydrophobicity and sensitivity to light and oxygen, they have been proven difficult to package and deliver. Here we report a synthesis method for encapsulated fisetin using lecithin-chitosan ionic gelation with a recently reported surfactant that is an alternative to polyethylene glycol (PEG)-containing compounds. Called “Savie” for a contraction of its components, sarcosine-Vitamin E, this surfactant allows for production of sub-100 nm nanoparticles that are bench stable for at least 10 months without aggregation. The environmentally sensitive fluorescence of fisetin allows it to be used as a tool for analysis of particle structure and stability. Absorbance, steady-state fluorescence, and fluorescence lifetime measurements alone and with quenchers indicate that a fraction of the fisetin is accessible to the surface solution and highly photooxidizable, whereas a second fraction is deeply complexed within the particle and significantly more stable. The two fractions may be distinguished from their absorbance peaks. The particles are readily taken up by cultured fibroblasts, with distinct fluorescence lifetimes occurring on the edges vs the interior of the cell. The particles show strong antioxidant activity in cells which is a combination of the effects of fisetin and Vitamin E
Oregon State Rank Assessment for Plumed Clover (Trifolium plumosum var. plumosum)
No full textOregon state conservation status assessment for Plumed Clover (Trifolium plumosum var. plumosum) using NatureServe methodology, 2025
Fractional Order Hierarchical Decompositions Using Multigrid Components
No full textMotivated by the fractional order multilevel decompositions of finite element spaces developed previously, we exploit additive representations of popular multigrid (MG) cycles to design fractional order MG decompositions. The additive representations enable us to scale the individual hierarchical components thus ending up with fractional order hierarchical decompositions that are based on the readily available MG components. This results in a highly efficient and scalable (in terms of high-performance) fractional order hierarchical MG decompositions that we tested in the setting of finite element white noise sampling as an alternative to PDE-based white noise sampling using fractional order shifted Laplacians
The Power of Positive Lesbian Representation in Television: How it Affects the Well-Being and Identity Formation of LGBTQ+ Adults
No full textTo date, there are no studies which explore the effects that positively represented Black and lesbian characters in television have on LGBTQ viewers. Exposure to LGBTQ characters has the potential to validate LGBTQ identities and improve well-being. A comprehensive literature review and quantitative analysis using Żerebecki et. al.\u27s codebook reveals there are simply not enough characters depicted to provide such research. In an attempt to demonstrate the qualities possessed by positively portrayed Black, lesbian characters, this study analyses Taissa Turner from the hit series Yellowjackets available on the streaming network Paramount+
Green Weave: A Textile Guide to the Future of Fashion
No full textFashion and technology are inextricably linked. The more advanced our technology becomes, so too does fashion and our understanding of it. Fashion is also one of the top contributors to climate change. However, modern technology has the potential to change the way fashion impacts our planet, working harmoniously with nature instead of against it. This thesis investigates the connection between technology and fashion, resulting in a handbook for fashion designers who want to implement more sustainable practices into their work with the help of modern technology