Library News - Research Guides at Sonoma State University Library

Light blue sign with text reading New SSU Research.

Focus on: SSU Research

10/31/2025

Rita Premo

Sonoma State faculty continue to produce excellent scholarship and creative activity. The following include articles and other materials disseminated during the month of October.

Leyva, L. A., Mitchell, N. D., Posada-Castañeda, R., Byrne, M. H., Luna-Bazán, R., Ashkenazy, Y., & Abreu-Ramos, E. (2025). Racially-Affirming Community in Instructional Servingness for Latin Students’ Gateway Mathematics Classroom Participation. AERA Open, 11.

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) advance servingness (i.e., racially-affirming support for Latin* students through campus programs and services) to promote academic success. However, the role of mathematics instruction in servingness is underexamined. Given how gateway mathematics courses filter out racial diversity in STEM majors, insights about Latin* students’ experiences of instruction in these courses can enhance servingness. This study analyzed 27 undergraduate Latin* students’ experiences of servingness through classroom participation in gateway mathematics courses at an HSI. We focused on classroom participation due to its well-documented influence on Latin* students’ mathematics identities and STEM persistence. Latin* students largely reported supportive instruction that reduced risks of participation. However, cultivating a racially-affirming community (a key aspect of servingness on the broader HSI campus) was also necessary to disrupt racialized influences and ensure Latin* students’ equitable access to participation. We conclude with implications for research and practice to advance servingness through STEM education across HSIs.

Ricart, A. M., Gómez, J. B., Karm, R. H., Largier, J. L., Bastos Correa De Souza, V., Dias, A. S., Velázquez, M. G., Nelson, T., Cavanaugh, K. C., Cavanaugh, K. C., & Hughes, B. B. (2025). Persistent kelp forests during a massive decline reveal the importance of land–sea connectivity. Ecology (Durham), 106(9), Article e70212.

A fundamental goal in ecology is to understand the drivers of stability in natural ecosystems in the face of disturbances. However, this is challenging when biotic and abiotic stressors operate simultaneously across multiple spatial scales. Such is the case for bull kelp forests (Nereocystis luetkeana) in northern California, where losses of predators combined with marine heatwaves have led to shifts from kelp forest to sea urchin barren states. However, despite the >90% loss of bull kelp forests since 2014, some patches remain. Here, we investigate the bull kelp community assemblage in these remnant patches as well as the drivers of bull kelp forest resistance. We used a combination of in situ field surveys (years 2020–2022), remote sensing data (years 2016–2022), and a laboratory grazing experiment with urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus). We found that, in addition to the two dominant states (kelp forest vs. urchin barren), there is a third community state dominated by understory canopy‐forming macroalgae that stays subsurface. Moreover, bull kelp abundance and cover were positively associated with freshwater flow and proximity to freshwater sources, and bull kelp persistence was positively associated with sand cover, all of which seem to diminish sea urchin abundance and the negative effects of sea urchin herbivory on bull kelp. This was also shown in the laboratory experiment where sea urchin herbivory rates on bull kelp decreased with decreasing salinity. Overall, these results suggest that freshwater influence in shallow coastal environments could prevent loss of bull kelp and show that land–sea connections should be considered for species‐specific management and conservation actions.

García, J. J., & Ni, H. W. (2025). Editorial to the special issue on Diversity Science: From theory to action in applied settings. Current Psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.).
Over the past few years, furthering diversity science as an interdisciplinary field has been vital to addressing societal inequalities that disproportionately affect historically marginalized and minoritized communities. Within a diversity science framework, human behavior and psychological processes are shaped by—but also influence—social environments. Plaut (2010) originally defined diversity science as “the study of the interpretation and construction of human differences—of why and how differences make a difference—within the context of existing, historically shaped cultural and structural realities” (p. 168). This field has several theoretical principles, including the need to dismantle the mask of neutrality afforded to those in dominant groups, a focus on minoritized perspectives to resist homogeneity in psychological processes among minoritized groups, an examination of the sociocultural climate that minoritized persons navigate, and centering a sociocultural approach to understand different racialization processes among communities of color (Plaut, 2010; Miller et al., 2019). Since then, diversity science has had remarkable growth and recognition as a legitimate field of study that includes various diverse communities (Causadias et al., 2023; Miller et al., 2019). In the backdrop of historical/current backlash against DEI—and to highlight the scientific contributions of this diversity science to the broader academic community—our special issue features 18 articles from both U.S. and international scholars, representing countries such as China, Türkiye, Spain, South Korea, Japan, Ethiopia, Portugal, Germany, and Taiwan. Articles within this special issue span multiple fields, including Educational Psychology, Health Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Kinesiology, Developmental Social Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Medicine, Behavioral Sciences, Public Health, and Social/Economic Psychology. Featured work applies the theoretical principles of diversity science to five contexts: education, healthcare, industrial/organizational, stress-based research, and innovative methodology.

Shrestha, S. (2025). Device and method for determining a level or concentration of an analyte in a person's blood from one or more volatile analytes in the person's breath (U.S. Patent No. 12278013). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

A device configured to determine a level or concentration of a disease-related analyte in a person's blood from volatile analyte(s) in the person's breath. The device includes one or more sensors configured to detect the volatile analyte(s) in the person's breath, a microcontroller in communication with each sensor, a transmitter, a battery, and a housing. The microcontroller contains logic that correlates parameter values from the sensor(s) or the level/concentration of the volatile analyte(s) to the level/concentration of the disease-related analyte. The transmitter is configured to transmit the parametric value from each sensor and/or the level/concentration of the volatile analyte(s) and/or the disease-related analyte. The housing surrounds, encloses and/or secures the sensor(s), the microcontroller, the transmitter and the battery, and contains a tube or opening through which the person exhales so that the person's breath contacts the sensor(s).

If you're interested in other scholarly and creative works by Sonoma State faculty, you can check out items from the SSU Faculty book display on the 2nd floor of the Schulz Information Center or use the specialized search option within OneSearch and select SSU Research.

Psychology, Electrical Engineering, Biology, Mathematics

Title image reading New SSU Research with leaves on the top left corner.

Focus on: SSU Research

09/26/2025

Rita Premo

So much great scholarship this month from our SSU faculty! We're delighted to showcase the most recent publications and scholarly works coming out of the university.

Springmier, K. (2025). An Exploration of Faculty and Student Perceptions of Generative AI. Library Trends, 73(4), 426–442.

The release of generative artificial intelligence (AI) large language chatbots such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini, as well as many others, has left many questioning the implications for higher education. This article reports the results of an exploratory study intended to capture student and faculty perception and use of generative AI. At a midsize regional university, students and faculty were invited to participate in separate surveys to record their experiences with and opinions of generative AI tools. Questions probed students and faculty to detail their use or non-use of generative AI inside and outside the classroom as well as their perceptions of the technology. Results indicate that faculty are reluctant to embrace generative AI, citing concerns that generative AI enables plagiarism and is a detriment to student learning. By contrast, student respondents reported using generative AI tools to organize, structure, or proofread their work; for brainstorming or idea generation; and for clarifying complex course topics. Results indicate that the difference between student and faculty perceptions and uses of generative AI provides an opportunity for librarians, who are especially skilled at adopting, adapting, and critiquing new technologies. The article concludes with suggestions for librarians on how to support AI literacy for the academy.

Hoogendam, W. B., Jones, D. O., Ashall, C., et al. (2025). Seeing the Outer Edge of the Infant Type Ia Supernova 2024epr in the Optical and Near Infrared. The Open Journal of Astrophysics, 8.

We present optical-to-near-infrared (NIR) photometry and spectroscopy of the Type Ia supernova (SN~Ia) 2024epr, including NIR spectra observed within two days of first light. The early-time optical spectra show strong, high-velocity Ca and Si features near rarely-observed velocities at $ 0.1 c$, and the NIR spectra show a “knee.’’ Despite early-time, high-velocity features, SN~2024epr evolves into a normal SN~Ia, albeit with stronger peak-light Ca absorption than other SNe~Ia with the same light curve shape. Although we infer a normal decline rate, Δ m 15 ( B ) = 1.09 ± 0.12 ~mag, from the light-curve rise, SN~2024epr is a Branch”cool’’ object and has red early-time colors ( g − r ≈ 0.15 ~mag at − 10 ~days). The high velocities point to a density enhancement in the outer layers of the explosion, predicted by some models, but thick-shell He-detonation models do not match the smoothly rising light curve or apparent lack of He in our early-time NIR spectra. No current models (e.g., delayed detonation or thin He shell double detonation) appear to reproduce all observed properties, particularly the unusual early-time colors. Such constraints are only possible for SN~2024epr from the earliest optical and NIR observations, highlighting their importance for constraining SN~Ia models. Finally, we identify several literature SNe~Ia with intermediate mass elements at $ 30 000 k m s ^{-1}$ within days after the explosion that evolve into otherwise normal SNe~Ia at peak light, suggesting the early-time spectra of SNe~Ia may hide a broad diversity of observational characteristics.

Cortese‐Krott, M. M., Fukuto, J. M., & Ahluwalia, A. (2025). Recent innovations in targeting redox biology for therapeutics. British Journal of Pharmacology.

Redox signalling governs key physiological and pathological processes, offering diverse therapeutic targets across disease contexts. This editorial introduces a special issue of the British Journal of Pharmacology highlighting recent advances in redox biology, including novel small molecules, non‐canonical nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide pathways, epigenetic modulation and immune regulation. Together, these contributions illustrate the translational potential of redox‐targeted pharmacology and outline future directions for innovation in the field.

Hotz, S. J., Karm, R. H., Hughes, B. B., & Zippay, M. L. (2025). Effects of thermal history on the heat shock response of bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana). Botanica Marina.

In 2013, a marine heatwave called the “Blob” caused northern California bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) populations to decrease significantly. The loss of this foundation species motivated recent investigations on kelp thermal tolerance to understand how warming events might impact their physiological performance. We tested the effect of acclimation temperature on bull kelp by measuring the protein abundance of a molecular chaperone, heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70). Blades were collected from two sites (Big River and Russian Gulch) and acclimated for 7-days at two temperatures (13 and 17 °C) before tissues were subjected to a 1-h heat shock (13, 17, 20, 23, and 26 °C). Results showed a significant difference between acclimation temperature with 20 % greater total Hsp70 protein abundance in bull kelp acclimated to the warm treatment, while site was only marginally different. Heat shock temperature had no effect on total Hsp70 protein abundance. This study is the first to report about the heat shock response of bull kelp and found that thermal history of an organism is an important factor in determining whether an organism can mount a heat shock response. This information can help understand bull kelp’s tolerance to future marine heatwaves.

Bell, D., Halbur, M., Elias, F., Pearson, N., Crocker, D. E., & Bentley, L. P. (2025). Assessing Umbellularia californica Basal Resprouting Response Post-Wildfire Using Field Measurements and Ground-Based LiDAR Scanning. Remote Sensing (Basel, Switzerland), 17(17), 3101.

In many hardwood forests, resprouting is a common response to disturbance and basal resprouts may represent a substantial component of the forest understory, especially post-wildfire. Despite this, resprouts are often overlooked in biomass assessments and drivers of resprouting responses in certain species are still unknown. These knowledge gaps are problematic as the contribution of resprouts to understory fuel loads are needed for wildfire risk modeling and effective forest stewardship. Here, we validated the handheld mobile laser scanning (HMLS) of basal resprout volume and field measurements of stem count and clump height as methods to estimate the mass of California Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica) basal resprouts at Pepperwood and Saddle Mountain Preserves, Sonoma County, California. In addition, we examined the role of tree size and wildfire severity in predicting post-wildfire resprouting response. Both field measurements (clump height and stem count) and remote sensing (HMLS-derived volume) effectively estimated dry mass (total, leaf and wood) of U. californica resprouts, but underestimated dry mass for a large resprout. Tree size was a significant factor determining post-wildfire resprouting response at Pepperwood Preserve, while wildfire severity significantly predicted post-wildfire resprout size at Saddle Mountain. These site differences in post-wildfire basal resprouting predictors may be related to the interactions between fire severity, tree size, tree crown topkill, and carbohydrate mobilization and point to the need for additional demographic and physiological research. Monitoring post-wildfire changes in U. californica will deepen our understanding of resprouting dynamics and help provide insights for effective forest stewardship and wildfire risk assessment in fire-prone northern California forests.

Wu, N., Fong, B., Yang, X., & Zeng, K. (2025). Hardware-Accelerated Music Transcription on the Cloud via FPGA Implementation. 2025 IEEE World AI IoT Congress (AIIoT), 0299–0308.

This paper presents a real-time, cloud-accessible music transcription service implemented on a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The system integrates a web server and chord transcription engine directly on the FPGA board, delivering a Software-As-a-Service solution for Automatic Music Transcription (AMT). By leveraging hardware acceleration, the proposed design achieves a significant reduction in processing latency-transcribing chord sequences in 680 milliseconds compared to 2.5 seconds using a conventional Python-Based approach. The architecture includes a reusable Vivado Suite Block Design Intellectual Property (IP) core, which enables efficient integration into other FPGA-based applications. Validation is performed using dedicated test benches for each subsystem, as well as full-system demonstrations via remote hardware interaction. The complete design is released as open source, providing a flexible foundation for developers to extend the AMT pipeline or integrate additional register-transfer level modules such as Discrete Fourier Transform and Pattern Matching.

The Airlie House Revisited Workforce Training Working Group, with contributions by B. Ford, A. Boutin, K.C. Head, J. Doershuk, K.C. Nolan, A. Palmiotto, et al. Aligning Education With Industry: Strategic Pathways to CRM Workforce Readiness. The SAA Archaeological Record, 25(4), 12–19.

American archaeology faces a myriad of challenges. It is easy to get lost in the immediate risks facing the disciplines, such as the loss of federal funding for academic research or the threat to laws and regulations protecting archaeological sites. Rightfully, much of the discipline's energy is focused on meeting the moment. Yet, even if we are successful in defeating some or all of these threats, there will remain a structural dilemma facing the disciplines. Put simply, “Are we training students adequately for the jobs and careers that exist now and in the future?” That question relates two interrelated problems: (1) the high demand for cultural resource management (CRM) professionals to support efficient compliance with US heritage management laws and (2) the cuts to resources for anthropology and archaeology programs within institutions of higher education. This article, an outgrowth of the “Airlie House 2.0: Visioning Future Directions in CRM Archaeology Workshop” (Banks et al. 2025), suggests that both of these problems can be addressed by creating or modifying existing education programs to be more CRM-focused, as suggested by Altschul and Klein (2022). We argue that aligning programs with professional industry needs and standards ensures that archaeologists achieve relevant competencies, broaden their informed entry into archaeological professions, and meet the spirit and intent of disciplinary ethical standards, such as the Society for American Archaeology's Principles of Archaeological Ethics. This article has two goals" (1) to arm, proponents of CRM-oriented archaeological education with an argument for why these programs are both needed within the current structure of higher education and fit university proproitoes and (2) to map various strategies to prepare students for careers in CRM.

Electrical Engineering, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Cultural Heritage and Resources Management

Focus on: SSU Research

08/29/2025

Sonoma State faculty conduct research and create art and knowledge that changes the world. Below are a few recently released examples:

Kouba, P. V., Latimer, A. M., Young, D. J. N., Odkins, M., Bell, D. M., Clark, I. R., & North, M. P. (2025). Prescribed and natural fire help restore fire-adapted conditions in an Eastern Sierra Jeffrey pine forest. Forest Ecology and Management, 595, Article 123010.

In the western US, restoring forests to historical, fire-adapted conditions can reduce fire risk, but most fire-adapted restoration targets in California focus on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. By comparison, Eastern Sierra Jeffrey pine forests experience distinct climate and growing conditions, and both their historical structure and the effects of fire suppression are different from those of their west-side counterparts. In this study, our goals were (1) to use spatially-explicit forest reconstruction methods to estimate the historical, fire-adapted structure of eastern Sierra Jeffrey pine forests; (2) to describe the structural changes observed after 54–65 years of fire exclusion; and (3) to quantify the structural effects and restoration potential of 1–2 recent fire events that followed the fire exclusion period. At two sites in the Eastern Sierra near Mammoth Lakes, CA, we surveyed stands and collected tree ring series to establish tree ages and reconstruct maps of the forest at the end of the frequent-fire period (1941), after the period of fire exclusion (1995/2006), and in recent years (2018). We found that half a century of fire exclusion led to denser stands with fewer, smaller openings and larger clumps of trees, much like in the western Sierra. However, east-side forests were not as departed from fire-adapted conditions, and 1–2 fire events in recent years showed potential to restore many structural characteristics to their prior state. Our results can inform forest management decisions, and they support the use of prescribed fire and managed wildfire in forest restoration. [Display omitted] •Historical forests here were less dense, with smaller tree-clumps and larger gaps.•Eastern Sierra Jeffrey pine forests are not as departed as many western US forests.•Low productivity and shorter fire exclusion period may have limited forest changes.•Return of fire after ∼60 years restored aspects of active-fire forest structure.

Virmani, R., Mason, D., & Suarez, M. (2025). (Re)claiming sacred spaces: Male educators of color speaking truth to power in the classroom. In Building Community to Center Equity and Justice in Mathematics Teacher Education (Vol. 6, pp. 315–330).

This new volume of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE) Professional Book Series provides mathematics teacher educators practical ideas of how to build community to center conversations and action on equity and justice in mathematics teacher education. This 24-case collection of experiences from mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) expresses how they build community in the following kinds of settings in order to provide examples of how this work can be done in a variety of MTE contexts: Cases to Build Community with Prospective Teachers; Cases to Build Community in Professional Development with Practicing Teachers; and Cases to Build Community with Graduate Students and Fellow Mathematics (Teacher) Educators. This book is written from and with a critical, practitioner stance and provides a variety of research-based cases (e.g., scenarios, tasks, modules, activities) to support MTEs to build community in mathematics teacher education courses and professional development collaborations. Creating learning communities that center on the joy, beauty, resiliency and variety of experiences and ways of knowing community members, particularly marginalized communities, is critical to promote agency and action that can support critical conversations that disrupt oppression in mathematics and mathematics teacher education.

Smeds, E. A., Cooper, Z., & Bentley, L. P. (2025). lacunr: Efficient 3D lacunarity for voxelized LiDAR data from forested ecosystems. Methods in Ecology and Evolution.

Structural complexity has been considered a key driver of ecological phenomena in forested ecosystems. Geographic metrics that attempt to summarize the heterogeneity of complex 3‐dimensional (3D) spatial structures, such as fractal dimension and rugosity, provide insights into ecological processes such as biodiversity, productivity and resilience. Lacunarity is a popular metric for quantifying the spatial heterogeneity of 2‐dimensional data via determining the texture associated with patterns of spatial dispersion. Given the widespread availability of 3D remote sensing data, it is beneficial to increase the scaling efficiency of existing computational algorithms to make lacunarity calculations feasible for voxelized LiDAR data. We present an open‐source software package ‘lacunr’, written in the R programming language, which allows for efficient calculation of 3D lacunarity using LiDAR point clouds, with specific emphasis on forest stands. It includes tools to process point clouds into voxel data and 3D spatial maps and facilitates rapid visualization of lacunarity curves via built‐in plotting functions. ‘lacunr’ is applicable to LiDAR data regardless of collection method (e.g. terrestrial or airborne), as it only requires a point cloud with XYZ data for use. This makes it accessible for a wide range of users, specifically ecologists and foresters. ‘lacunr’ can easily be integrated into existing data‐analysis workflows for LiDAR data and removes a significant computational barrier previously hindering calculations of lacunarity using 3D point clouds.

Quinn, C. A., Burns, P., Jantz, P., Salas, L., Goetz, S. J., & Clark, M. L. (2024). Soundscape mapping: understanding regional spatial and temporal patterns of soundscapes incorporating remotely-sensed predictors and wildfire disturbance. Environmental Research. Ecology, 3(2), 25002.

Increased environmental threats require proper monitoring of animal communities to understand where and when changes occur. Ecoacoustic tools that quantify natural acoustic environments use a combination of biophony (animal sound) and geophony (wind, rain, and other natural phenomena) to represent the natural soundscape and, in comparison to anthropophony (technological human sound) can highlight valuable landscapes to both human and animal communities. However, recording these sounds requires intensive deployment of recording devices and storage and interpretation of large amounts of data, resulting in large data gaps across the landscape and periods in which recordings are absent. Interpolating ecoacoustic metrics like biophony, geophony, anthropophony, and acoustic indices can bridge these gaps in observations and provide insight across larger spatial extents and during periods of interest. Here, we use seven ecoacoustic metrics and acoustically-derived bird species richness across a heterogeneous landscape composed of densely urbanized, suburban, rural, protected, and recently burned lands in Sonoma County, California, U.S.A., to explore spatiotemporal patterns in ecoacoustic measurements. Predictive models of ecoacoustic metrics driven by land-use/land-cover, remotely-sensed vegetation structure, anthropogenic impact, climate, geomorphology, and phenology variables capture landscape and daily differences in ecoacoustic patterns with varying performance (avg. R 2 = 0.38 ± 0.11) depending on metric and period-of-day and provide interpretable patterns in sound related to human activity, weather phenomena, and animal activity. We also offer a case study on the use of the data-driven prediction of biophony to capture changes in soniferous species activity before (1–2 years prior) and after (1–2 years post) wildfires in our study area and find that biophony may depict the reorganization of acoustic communities following wildfires. This is demonstrated by an upward trend in activity 1–2 years post-wildfire, particularly in more severely burned areas. Overall, we provide evidence of the importance of climate, spaceborne-lidar-derived forest structure, and phenological time series characteristics when modeling ecoacoustic metrics to upscale site observations and map ecoacoustic biodiversity in areas without prior acoustic data collection. Resulting maps can identify areas of attention where changes in animal communities occur at the edge of human and natural disturbances.

Gutiérrez, R., Ortega, O., Lahme, B., & Ford, B. (2025). I was scared and excited to do the work: rehumanizing mathematics through lesson study at a Latine-serving institution. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, 14(5), 73–88.

Mathematics instructors seek to address the well-being of students who are Indigenous, Black and Students of Color who have experienced mathematics classrooms as harmful spaces. Lesson study (LS), which engages multiple instructors at once, is a viable tool for enacting institutional change. This study investigates one US university mathematics and statistics department implementing a rehumanizing mathematics (RM) framework and especially how one AfroLatina member experienced the work. Changes in their instruction sought to better support Latine students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The study sought to understand what meaning faculty members made of their work.

Kirsch, R. E., & Ray, E. (2025). Bunkerization as a fantasy of consumer sovereignty: The politics of American disaster preparation. Thesis Eleven, 189(1), 54–69.
This paper theorizes “bunkerization” as an organizing principle in American society that emerged after the atomic bombings of Japan and continues through contemporary crises. Bunkerization reconfigures domestic space as a defensive fortress through consumer choices, inverting Schmitt’s definition of sovereignty from “the sovereign is he who decides in the exception” to “the sovereign is he who is decided by the exception.” Three key arguments are advanced: (1) bunkerization explains how Americans oriented themselves post-1945 and manifests distinctively in American society; (2) bunkerized society transforms citizens into consumer-sovereigns managing personal micro-states while maintaining American identity; and (3) this consumer sovereignty fantasy reveals how America conceptualizes its katechontic function—restraining apocalypse while envisioning post-collapse futures. Bunkerization is critiqued as a neoliberal fantasy that individualizes collective threats, making them manageable through market choices rather than collective action, leaving citizens to purchase their way to an illusory safety.

Turner, A. A., Clark, M. L., Salas, L., Seymour, C., Snyder, R. L., … Taljaard, P. (2025). BioSoundSCape: A bioacoustic dataset for the Fynbos Biome. Scientific Data, 12(1), Article 1432.
Most biodiversity data are collected at fine spatial scales, but threats to species and ecosystems occur at broad spatial scales. Remote sensing allows broad-scale assessment of biodiversity but these data need to be ground-truthed with contemporaneous in situ datasets. Various faunal groups produce sounds or vocalizations which can then be related to remotely-sensed data. As part of the NASA-led BioSCape project, the BioSoundSCape project deployed Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs), which record sounds in an approximately 50 m radius, at 521 sites spread across an area of approximately 119,058 km 2 in the Greater Cape Floristic Region, South Africa, during the wet and dry seasons of 2023. The ARUs recorded sounds one in every ten minutes, over 4–10 days, producing 825,832 minutes of recordings (approximately 400,000 minutes of recording in each season). These sound data are georeferenced to within 20 m, with time and date information, so may be useful for relating biodiversity patterns in soundscapes to vegetation structure, fire history, plant phenology, distance to roads and other human infrastructure.

Environmental Studies, Geography, and Planning, Political Science, Biology, Mathematics, Education

Focus on: SSU Research

07/29/2025

Rita Premo

SSU faculty produce consequential research relevant to the university, the North Bay, and the broader public. The library is pleased to highlight and share monthly via Focus On: SSU Research. Here is July 2025's digest of newly published research:

Sperou, E. S., Krause, D. J., Borras‐Chavez, R., Charapata, P., Costa, D. P., Crocker, D. E., Smith, K. J., Thompson, B., Best, A., Anderson, J., Goebel, M. E., Bonin, C. A., & Kienle, S. S. (2025). Individual Specialization in a Generalist Apex Predator: The Leopard Seal. Ecology and Evolution, 15(6), e71593-n/a.

Apex predators are typically considered dietary generalists, which often masks individual variability. However, individual specialization—consistent differences among individuals in resource use or ecological role—is common in apex predators. In some species, only a few specialized individuals can significantly impact prey populations. Leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) are apex predators important to the structure and function of the Southern Ocean ecosystem. Though broadly described as generalists, little is known about their trophic ecology at the population or individual level. We analyzed δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N profiles in whiskers (n = 46) from 34 leopard seals in the Western Antarctic Peninsula to assess trophic variation. We also evaluated individual consistency across years using repeat samples from 7 seals over 2–10 years. We compared population and individual isotopic niche space and explored drivers of intraspecific variation in leopard seal trophic ecology. We find that leopard seals have a broad trophic niche (range: 6.96%–15.21‰) and are generalists at the population level. However, most individuals are specialists (59% for δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C), with only a few generalists (13% for δ¹⁵N, 6% for δ¹³C). Individuals also specialize at different trophic levels. Most variation in trophic ecology is driven by individual specialization, but sex and mass also contribute. We also find that some seals specialize over time, consistently foraging at the same trophic level, while others switch within and between years. This suggests some seals may disproportionately impact prey, especially when specialists consistently target specific species. Long-term specialization by a few leopard seals likely contributed to the decline of the local Antarctic fur seal population. Our findings show the importance of examining individual specialization in leopard seals across their range to understand their impact on other prey populations. This approach should be applied to other apex predator populations, as a few specialists can significantly impact ecosystems.

Mangun, G. R., Liu, Y., Bengson, J. J., Fannon, S. P., DiQuattro, N. E., & Geng, J. J. (2016). Neuroimaging approaches to the study of visual attention. In Neuromethods (Vol. 119, pp. 387–417).

Selective attention is a core cognitive ability that enables organisms to effectively process and respond to relevant information while ignoring distracting events. Elucidating the neural bases of selective attention remains a key challenge for neuroscience and represents an essential goal of translational efforts to ameliorate attentional deficits in a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Knowledge of the cognitive and neural mechanisms of attention is crucial for the development and refinement of brain-machine interfaces. In addition, the relevance of attention mechanisms also extends to training and education methods. A more nuanced understanding could enable the development of more effective strategies and programs, enriching the educational landscape. This chapter will examine how functional imaging methods, with a primary focus on fMRI, have deepened our understanding of core aspects of attention, such as how attention is controlled, focused on relevant inputs, and reoriented, and how this control leads to the selection of relevant information. The most relevant studies will be reviewed with a focus on fMRI methods. However, a discussion of electromagnetic recording methods used in conjunction with fMRI, including simultaneous EEG/fMRI methods, will also be included where appropriate.

Burton, B. R. (2025). Six Steps to a Successful Study Abroad Program: Case Study in Stockholm, Sweden. csuglobalaction (2)2, 1-12.

This article is meant to serve as a guide for developing a short-term (typically 2 to 3 weeks long) faculty-led study abroad program. I will focus solely on my work in Stockholm, Sweden, during summer 2023. This article will be particularly helpful to faculty members who are new to developing their own study abroad programs. I have six suggested steps for developing a successful faculty-led program. These six steps include:

thinking about what you want for students and your own career;
building on-campus partnerships;
recruiting and supporting students as early as possible;
making the program itinerary interactive and rewarding for your students;
preparing students for international travel;
reflecting at the conclusion of the program while continuing to build long-term relationships with global partners.

Bhang, C. H., Yoon, E., Alejandre, S. M., Lefebvre, E. A., & Yeh, E. Y. (2025). Resilience Among 1.5 Generation Korean American Emerging Adults. Asian American Journal of Psychology.

This qualitative study uses grounded theory to uncover cultural factors that promote resilience in 1.5 generation Korean American emerging adults. A total of 14 Korean Americans recruited from Los Angeles and surrounding areas completed demographic questionnaires and semistructured interviews ranging from 1 hr to 1.5 hr. The data were then analyzed using grounded theory, which yielded three categories and a model of cultural factors that promote resilience in 1.5 generation Korean American emerging adults. Results indicated several themes in each of the three main categories of resilience-promoting factors, cultural context, and understanding of cultural context. From the findings, we developed a conceptual model of 1.5 generation Korean Americans’ resilience process in the intersection between culture and resilience. The model involved cultural context, resilience-promoting factors, and meaning-making between culture and resilience, adding onto ecosystemic, socioecological frameworks of resilience.

Hao, B., Ahmadi, Y., Zhang, T., Chen, C., Lu, Z., Ma, H., & Kim, K.-H. (2025). Ultrathin K-doped g-C 3 N 4 /BiOBr heterojunctions with S-scheme charge transfer for efficient photodegradation of tetracycline. Journal of Environmental Management, 391, 126677.

Residual tetracycline (TC) in aquatic ecosystems poses a significant risk to the health of both flora and fauna. Advanced catalysts with strong photocatalytic capabilities have emerged as a promising solution for not only TC degradation but also water purification. Here, the photocatalytic destruction (PCD) of TC has been investigated using ultrathin potassium-doped g-C₃N₄/BiOBr heterojunctions (KCNx/By, where x and y are the percent mass ratio values of KOH/melamine and KCN/BiOBr, respectively). All PCD tests have been conducted under 300 W of illumination from a xenon lamp with a light intensity at the catalyst surface of 280 mW. The PCD efficiencies of the formulated KCN2/B3 (92.7 % within 30 min) are approximately 1.62 and 1.34-fold higher than those of KCN2 and BiOBr, respectively. KCN2/B3 achieves the strongest performance against TC in terms of removal-reaction kinetics (r: 0.209 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹) and space-time yield (5.90E-03 molecules·photon⁻¹·g⁻¹) among the common photocatalysts built by g-C₃N₄- or BiOBr. The superior photocatalytic activity of KCN2/B3 can be attributed to the S-scheme charge-transmission pathway, which efficiently preserves photogenerated electrons (B3: reduction catalyst) and holes (KCN2: oxidation photocatalyst). This newly fabricated 2D/2D nanocomposite can be used in the construction of a scalable photocatalytic system for the remediation of TC in wastewater.

Green, N., Norwood, A., Sidhe, C., Mutlow, A., Aymen, J., Stiles, R., Bushell, J., Lim, T., Culver, E., Reeder, N., Timmer, M., Connelly, F., Charbonneau, J., McCall, W., Koenig, L., Stein, M., Geist, N., Lambert, M. R., & Hernández-Gómez, O. (2025). Shell Lesion Prevalence and Bacteriome Associations in Threatened Western Pond Turtles (Actinemys marmorata and Actinemys pallida) in California, USA. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 61(3), 574.

Bacteriome characterization studies can provide insights into the microbial ecology associated with disease. We collected western pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata and Actinemys pallida) from six San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA, ponds; assessed their shells for lesions; and collected shell swabs and keratin scrape samples to evaluate bacteriome differences between the whole shell (swabs) and the affected tissues (scrapes). We quantified shell lesion type and prevalence by using visual inspections of photographs collected of the plastron and carapace and then applied 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to characterize the associated bacteriomes of shells that observed pits, ulcerations, or no lesions. We observed shell lesions at high frequencies throughout our sites, with larger individuals (>100-mm plastron length) more likely to possess injuries. We saw no differences in alpha diversities between shells presenting with lesions and those on which we did not observe lesions; however, swab samples showed higher bacterial richness than keratin scrapes. The bacterial composition within the scrapes was influenced by pond location and then lesion presence. We observed a higher relative abundance of Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, Cyanobacteria, and Deinococcota in the shell keratin microflora of turtles with shell lesions. Because western pond turtles are under consideration for listing under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 in the USA, understanding patterns of shell disease pathologies and the bacteria associated with disease is imperative for the management of current populations.

Hernandez, K. M., Clemento, A. J., Linossier, J. E., Crocker, D. E., Costa, D. P., Reichmuth, C., & Garza, J. C. (2025). Microhaplotype Methods Enable Relationship Inference in a Bottlenecked Mammalian Species. Animal Conservation.

Genetic methods provide the ability to assess key aspects of population biology. Recent advances in high‐throughput, low‐cost DNA sequencing are providing opportunities to study species with limited genetic diversity. In particular, microhaplotype genetic markers have exponentially increased our ability to elucidate kin relationships and social structure through accurate pedigree reconstruction. Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) have extraordinarily low genetic variation—among the most depauperate of any mammal species—making it challenging to discern familial relationships with genetic methods. Here, we describe the discovery of a panel of 122 microhaplotype markers for the species, validated by genotyping population samples with a standard amplicon‐sequencing approach. Additionally, we correctly assigned known mother‐offspring pairs with high confidence in the inferred relationships, successfully overcoming historical obstacles to the use of genetic tools for relationship inference in pedigree studies of northern elephant seals. This work enables key conservation questions to be addressed for this species and provides an example of how to advance understanding of the ecology, behavior, and reproduction of other mammals with very low genetic diversity.

Geckle, B., Fang, K., & Saraví, J. R. (2025). Editorial: Skateboarding and society: intersections, influences, and implications. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 7, 1649479.

Over the last 75 years, skateboarding has come a long way, evolving from a niche activity among surfers in California to a global phenomenon with millions of participants worldwide. Throughout its history, the activity of skateboarding has diversified. The people who skateboard, where they ride, how they ride, and their reasons for riding have evolved as skateboarders have developed new and creative ways to participate in the activity. As the activity of skateboarding has changed, so too have skateboarders’ interactions with their surrounding communities, both physically and socially. These unique characteristics of skateboarding have attracted the attention of researchers over the last several decades. Books, theses, and articles are evidence of this research. The Research Topic presented here, entitled “Skateboarding and Society: Intersections, Influences, and Implications,” contributes to this body of literature by demonstrating how skateboarding can be a useful mechanism for negotiating power, placemaking, urban and social development, education, and change.

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Criminology & Criminal Justice Studies, Psychology, Biology, Chemistry

Focus On: SSU Research

04/25/2025

Laura Krier

So much great scholarship this month from our SSU faculty! We're delighted to showcase the most recent publications and scholarly works coming out of the university.

Martinez, Andres G. “Political Partisanship, Trait Empathy, and Social Justice Concerns in a Representative Sample of Californians.” Discover Psychology., vol. 5, no. 1, 2025.

Abstract: The current study provides an analysis of a representative sample of Californians (N = 875) to obtain insight into the nature of emotional empathy across the political divide. Although Democrats, Republicans, and Independents differed in average trait emotional empathy levels, the magnitudes of these differences were not large. Analysis showed that although all political categories showed some degree of empathy, the target of this empathy varied by political party. Specifically, Democrats’ and Independents’ empathic tendencies were linked to social justice concerns. In contrast, Republicans’ empathic tendencies were disconnected from this domain. These findings provide evidence that—in California and perhaps beyond—political affiliation predicts who is seen as worthy of empathy. Discussion explores the implications of these findings for political polarization and cooperation across partisan categories.

Ma, Alyson C., et al. “Admissions Policies and Colleges’ Retention Rates.” Education Economics., 2025, pp. 1–19.

Abstract: Our study examines the relation between college admission criteria and college–student retention in the United States. We report two key findings related to admissions requirements using a dataset for the 2021–2022 academic year. First, there is little evidence that test–optional admissions policies had a significant effect on retention rates for this cohort. Second, Required/Recommended Letters of Recommendation and Secondary School Record are consistently associated with 1.3–3.3% higher retention rates. When combined with the appropriate institutional supports these results may assist HEIs maintain or increase retention rates in this new admission landscape.

Marsh, Erik J., et al. “Dating the Ebb and Flow of Tiwanaku and Post-Collapse Material Culture across the Andes.” Quaternary International., vol. 727, 2025.

Abstract: This paper presents a comprehensive Bayesian refinement of the chronology of Tiwanaku material culture. To place this material pattern in space, we present a presence-only map of most sites with Tiwanaku redware ceramics, snuff trays, and textiles. We compile radiocarbon dates and assess their material associations before building Bayesian models. We present bespoke calibration curve mixtures for each major region, based on air mixtures from climate models. The models suggest that redwares burst onto the scene in the AD 600s in the Lake Titicaca Basin (Peru and Bolivia) and around the same time, snuff trays with the same iconography appeared in burials at San Pedro de Atacama (Chile). Other parts of the Andes first saw this material culture later, and only in the AD 900s was it clearly present in all regions. Around ∼AD 1040, Tiwanaku redwares were no longer used at Tiwanaku or in Moquegua. Residents of the Western Valleys immediately innovated new post-collapse styles derived from Tiwanaku redwares, appearing and fading away at different times in different valleys. A small community near Lake Titicaca maintained old traditions for generations, including the use of raised fields and Tiwanaku burials. We assess temporal alignments and disjunctures in order to highlight variability of Tiwanaku material culture, long assumed to be fairly homogeneous over space and time. This opens the door to more nuanced, generation-scale questions about the interaction networks that assembled and disassembled Tiwanaku.

Naser, Sokiyna, et al. “At-Home Breath Data Collection for Signatures of Type 2 Diabetes: A Pilot Clinical Study.” Biosensors., vol. 15, no. 3, 2025.

Abstract: This study investigates the potential of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in breath as non-invasive biomarkers for monitoring blood glucose levels in individuals with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A pilot clinical study was conducted to explore the correlation between VOCs and blood glucose levels in six T2DM patients. Participants used a custom-developed sensor device to collect breath data at home, alongside finger-stick blood glucose readings. Breath data were transmitted to a cloud database, while blood glucose readings were recorded on paper charts. The sensor data from the device and the blood glucose readings from the charts were consolidated to create the study dataset. Support vector machine and random forest models were employed to analyze the dataset, which achieved accuracies of 85% and 82%, respectively. The results demonstrate the feasibility of at-home breath sensor data collection for clinical studies and suggest its potential as a viable alternative to traditional invasive glucose monitoring methods. Future studies will expand the dataset to include more participants and additional clinical variables to enhance model performance and predictive power. This research highlights the promise of non-invasive breath analysis for glucose monitoring, which could improve patient compliance and diabetes management.

Janousek, Christopher N., et al. “Blue Carbon Stocks Along the Pacific Coast of North America Are Mainly Driven by Local Rather Than Regional Factors.” Global Biogeochemical Cycles, vol. 39, no. 3, 2025.

Abstract: Coastal wetlands, including seagrass meadows, emergent marshes, mangroves, and temperate tidal swamps, can efficiently sequester and store large quantities of sediment organic carbon (SOC). However, SOC stocks may vary by ecosystem type and along environmental or climate gradients at different scales. Quantifying such variability is needed to improve blue carbon accounting, conservation effectiveness, and restoration planning. We analyzed SOC stocks in 1,284 sediment cores along >6,500 km of the Pacific coast of North America that included large environmental gradients and multiple ecosystem types. Tidal wetlands with woody vegetation (mangroves and swamps) had the highest mean stocks to 1 m depth (357 and 355 Mg ha−1, respectively), 45% higher than marshes (245 Mg ha−1), and more than 500% higher than seagrass (68 Mg ha−1). Unvegetated tideflats, though not often considered a blue carbon ecosystem, had noteworthy stocks (148 Mg ha−1). Stocks increased with tidal elevation and with fine (<63 μm) sediment content in several ecosystems. Stocks also varied by dominant plant species within individual ecosystem types. At larger scales, marsh stocks were lowest in the Sonoran Desert region of Mexico, and swamp stocks differed among climate zones; otherwise stocks showed little correlation with ecoregion or latitude. More variability in SOC occurred among ecosystem types, and at smaller spatial scales (such as individual estuaries), than across regional climate gradients. These patterns can inform coastal conservation and restoration priorities across scales where preserving stored carbon and enhancing sequestration helps avert greenhouse gas emissions and maintains other vital ecosystem services.

Fraleigh, DC, et al. “Intra-Annual Consistent Diet of Lanternfish and Krill in Adult Female Southern Elephant Seals Mirounga Leonina from the South Georgia Population.” Marine Ecology Progress Series., vol. 753, 2025, pp. 175–89.

Abstract: Southern elephant seals Mirounga leonina are top predators in the Southern Ocean and significant consumers of mesopelagic mid-trophic level prey while spending most of the year foraging out at sea. Yet, there is still considerable uncertainty regarding variability in the dietary composition between individuals and over time. We ran a suite of mixing models using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios from the vibrissae of 54 adult female southern elephant seals from the South Georgia population (2005–2009) and potential fish, squid, and krill prey. Our goals were to (1) estimate the dietary composition of this population as a whole, (2) compare the dietary composition of individuals between previously identified foraging strategies, and (3) quantify the degree of dietary consistency at the individual level throughout a long foraging migration. Models indicate that myctophid fish were the dominant prey item consumed (mean 45% of diet), followed by Antarctic krill and Antarctic jonasfish. However, there was considerable variability within and among groups of seals regarding specific prey items consumed and the degree of individual dietary specialization, possibly as a means of reducing intraspecific competition. Finally, our models provide evidence of most seals displaying dietary consistency throughout a foraging migration. These findings have important management implications for the South Georgia population in an uncertain future and highlight the need for more effective krill management along the western Antarctic Peninsula.

Freborg, Kaija, and LaTonia Clark Chalmers. “Seeing the Field: Applying Watson’s Unitary Caring Science to Discern Racism.” International Journal for Human Caring., vol. 28, no. 4, 2024, pp. 228–38.

Abstract: Raising unitary consciousness is fundamental in critical social praxis as the nursing profession grapples with its past and present relationships with racism. Watson’s Unitary Caring Science guides nurses to embody a practice that uplifts compassionate care and champions human dignity and belonging. However, contradiction resounds and persists; racial discrimination cannot exist simultaneously with unitary caring moments. An examination of how White comfort and White supremacy influence the Caritas–Veritas Field and a consideration of how nursing’s perceived caring ideology could act as a barrier to racial justice praxis are provided. By answering Watson’s call to see the field, move beyond the ego-self, and build positionality-informed consciousness to disrupt racism within caring moments, nurses can be better aligned with the ethical and moral standards of the profession.

Jenkins, Ryan, et al. "Recent Insights in Responsible AI Development and Deployment in National Defense: A Review of Literature, 2022–2024.” Journal of Military Ethics., 2025, pp. 1–23.

Abstract: This “literature refresh” identifies the most relevant new research in AI and robotic systems ethics from January 1, 2022 to January 31, 2024. Our selection methodology consisted of traditional research methods as well as novel human-AI teaming techniques, leveraging the expert human judgment of the authors, enhanced with a collection of AI and computational tools. We have identified stable trends in the critiques of the use of AI in the defense and security domain that cluster around worries about machine bias as well as the propensity of the technology to exacerbate human cognitive biases. Training data ambiguities, irregularities or untrustworthy data, and outright hacking of training sets are notable problems reported by the papers in our research set. This limits the trustworthiness of some systems which is heightened by the “black box” nature of many of these technologies which makes accountability and testing difficult. Given the speed and immense scale of operations that AI systems are involved in, there is a pronounced drift away from the reliance on “human in the loop” and “human on the loop” as the gold standard. We are now at the stage where a new ethical paradigm is needed.

Kim, Chong-Uk, and Gieyoung Lim. “The Economic Impact of Napa Valley on Other California Grape Districts.” Applied Economics., 2025, pp. 1–17.

Abstract: This paper investigates the economic impacts on other grape-growing regions in California relative to Napa Valley. To test empirically, we examine the influence of the production levels and prices of each grape variety in Napa, prioritized by their prevalence in Napa, on the production and price of the same varieties in other regions. Our empirical results suggest that first, price changes of Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa affect prices across all other major regions. Second, changes in Sonoma’s Pinot Noir prices are found to influence fluctuations in Napa’s prices. Last, the lesser impact of production changes on other regions compared to price dynamics may be attributed to environmental factors.

Anthropology, Biology, Nursing

Focus On: SSU Research

11/25/2024

Laura Krier

Want to know what kind of amazing research happens at Sonoma State? Read on for this month's SSU research update.

Baker, Z. (2024). Governing climate : how science and politics have shaped our environmental future. University of California Press.

After decades of debate about global warming, the fact of the climate crisis is finally widely accepted. People at all scales-from the household to the global market-are attempting to govern climate to deal with its causes and impacts. Although the stakes are different now, governing climate is centuries old. In this book, Zeke Baker develops a genealogy of climate science that traces the relationship between those who created knowledge of the climate and those who attempted to gain power and govern society, right up to the present, historic moment. Baker draws together over two centuries of science, politics, and environmental change to demonstrate the "co-production" of what we know about climate in terms of power-seeking activity, with a focus on the United States. Governing Climate provides a fresh account of contemporary issues transecting science and climate politics, specifically the rise of "climate security," and examines how climate science can either facilitate or reconcile the unequal distribution of power and resources.

Glasgow, J. (2024). The significance impulse : on the unimportance of our cosmic unimportance. Oxford University Press.

Why should we strive to be important? Does it make our lives go better if we are especially significant? This book argues that the common impulse to seek exceptionally high levels of significance is misguided. One reason why is that we cannot reach cosmic-grade significance, even if we do matter somewhat in our communities. We do not have the size, duration, or power that would allow us to be that important. Even the value that we do contribute to the universe, our loving and rationality and pain and pleasure, are in short supply. So our significance has built-in limitations. What is more, being exceptionally significant would not be to our personal benefit: it does not advance our well-being, our meaning in life, or any other of our interests. In fact, we have ample reason to embrace our modest levels of mattering: if we do not matter very much, then we are liberated to go about our lives without worry, to the same extent. We should thus feel good about our unexceptional lives. This book is a celebration of being ordinary.

Voelkel, J. G., Stagnaro, M. N., Chu, J. Y., Pink, S. L., Mernyk, J. S., Redekopp, C., Ghezae, I., Cashman, M., Adjodah, D., Allen, L. G., Allis, L. V., Baleria, G., Ballantyne, N., Van Bavel, J. J., Blunden, H., Braley, A., Bryan, C. J., Celniker, J. B., Cikara, M., & Clapper, M. V. (2024). Megastudy testing 25 treatments to reduce antidemocratic attitudes and partisan animosity. Science., 386(6719), eadh4764.

Abstract: Scholars warn that partisan divisions in the mass public threaten the health of American democracy. We conducted a megastudy (n = 32,059 participants) testing 25 treatments designed by academics and practitioners to reduce Americans' partisan animosity and antidemocratic attitudes. We find that many treatments reduced partisan animosity, most strongly by highlighting relatable sympathetic individuals with different political beliefs or by emphasizing common identities shared by rival partisans. We also identify several treatments that reduced support for undemocratic practices-most strongly by correcting misperceptions of rival partisans' views or highlighting the threat of democratic collapse-which shows that antidemocratic attitudes are not intractable. Taken together, the study's findings identify promising general strategies for reducing partisan division and improving democratic attitudes, shedding theoretical light on challenges facing American democracy.

Cooley, L. A., Hindle, A. G., Williams, C. L., Ponganis, P. J., Hannah, S. M., Klinck, H., Horning, M., Costa, D. P., Holser, R. R., Crocker, D. E., & McDonald, B. I. (2025). Physiological effects of research handling on the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part A, Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 299, 111771-.

Wildlife researchers must balance the need to safely capture and handle their study animals to sample tissues, collect morphological measurements, and attach dataloggers while ensuring their results are not confounded by stress artifacts caused by handling. To determine the physiological effects of research activities including chemical immobilization, transport, instrumentation with biologgers, and overnight holding on a model marine mammal species, we collected hormone, blood chemistry, hematology, and heart rate data from 19 juvenile northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) throughout a translocation experiment. Across our six sampling timepoints, cortisol and aldosterone data revealed a moderate hormonal stress response to handling accompanied by minor changes in hematocrit and blood glucose, but not ketone bodies or erythrocyte sedimentation rate. We also examined heart rate as a stress indicator and found that interval heart rate, standard deviation of heart rate, and apnea-eupnea cycles were influenced by handling. However, when seals were recaptured after several days at sea, all hormonal and hematological parameters had returned to baseline levels. Furthermore, 100 % of study animals were resighted in the wild post-translocation, with some individuals observed over four years later. Together, these findings suggest that while northern elephant seals exhibit measurable physiological stress in response to handling, they recover rapidly and show no observable long-term deleterious effects, making them a robust species for ecological and physiological research.

Melino, K., Bell, B., & Freborg, K. (2025). Deconstructing Professionalism as Code for White (Power): Authenticity as Resistance in Nursing. Nursing Philosophy, 26(1).

The concept of professionalism is embedded into all aspects of nursing education and practice yet is rarely critically interrogated in nursing scholarship. This paper describes how professionalism in nursing is based on whiteness. When actualized, this oppressive construct homogenizes individuals' identities to assist nurses in building and wielding power against each other and against patients, and results in dehumanization and disconnection. Foregrounding an ethic of authenticity as a practice of resistance against white professionalism offers an alternative possibility for how nursing could be taught, practiced and theorized. As such a practice must begin with oneself, the authors outline a reflexive process from which to begin this work.

Liu, L., Ahmadi, Y., Kim, K.-H., Kukkar, D., & Szulejko, J. (n.d.). Assessment of interference/synergistic effects in the adsorption of polar and non-polar VOCs on a commercial biomass-based microporous carbon. Chemosphere (Oxford).

This research has been carried out to investigate interference/synergistic relationship in adsorption behavior between polar and non-polar volatile organic compounds (VOCs: formaldehyde (FA) versus toluene) using commercial macadamia nutshell (MNS)-based microporous activated carbon (i.e., Procarb-900: namely, P900). The breakthrough (BT) volume, adsorption capacity, and partition coefficient of P900 are estimated for 100 ppm FA as a single component and as a binary phase with 100 ppm toluene. The basic features of FA adsorption over P900 adsorbent are accounted for in terms of interaction between the key variables (e.g., pore size distribution, adsorbent particle size, surface element compositions, and sorbent bed mass). Accordingly, the powdered P900 (0.212-0.6 mm: 150 mg) exhibits an adsorption capacity of 5.7 mg g-1 and a partition coefficient of 0.19 mol kg-1 Pa-1 for single-phase FA at the 10% BT level. Interestingly, its performance is synergistically improved in the presence of toluene (e.g., >150%) in the early stage of adsorption (e.g., 10% BT), possibly reflecting diffusion resistance of the adsorbent (e.g., small particle size and developed ultra-micropore structure) and natural attributes of FA (e.g., low affinity and smaller kinetic diameter). The overall results of this study are expected to offer a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the interactions between the mixed VOC system and microporous adsorbents.

Sociology, Communication Studies, Biology, Philosophy, Nursing