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About the Collection
The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) provides students with the opportunity to present their research at three annual undergraduate research symposia. This collection contains student posters.
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The East LA Walkouts of 1968: How a Community Came Together for the Fight of Chicano Educational Rights
Cynthia Castro
5-2-2025The Walkouts of 1968 occurred from March 1st to March 8th when thousands of Chicano students from 5 East LA high schools marched to have their voices heard by the school board and people across the United States of America
Issues:
Chicano youth and student movement was determined to find a new identity and radical forms of political power that were different from past generations (Munoz Jr., 75)
Chicano students were major contributors to the Chicano movement • The Walkouts were a foundation point for other educational movements in the Chicano community
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Live Entertainment Tax
Khalea DeMesma
5-2-2025The Live Entertainment Taxis a 9% tax that is exclusively for casinos, nightclubs, and venues that have a minimum occupancy of 200. The Live Entertainment Tax is managed by both the Nevada Gaming Control Board, which oversees events that are held at gaming establishments, and the department of Taxation, which handles events held at all other venues. Clark County is home to the Las Vegas Strip, which is where the majority of the revenue from this tax is collected.
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Perception of Emotions in Autism With Controlled Elicitation
Austin Gillespie and Rachel DeWald
5-2-2025Recognizing emotions play a crucial role in effective communication.(1)
Previous research has rated autistic expression as awkward.(2)
These studies captured unnaturally elicited emotions by having participants imitate emotions from scripted prompts and pictures
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Developing a Trial Unique Sequencing Task for Mice
Yader Gomez, Lilly Hagos, Gage Pompa, Ariana Mitic, Orlando Montiel, and Talha Soluoku
5-2-2025The hippocampus and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) play distinct yet complimentary roles in the performance of cognitively demanding tasks.
While rodent models cannot truly capture human cognition, there is a serious need to develop more cognitively demanding rodent tasks to better understand human cognition to develop new tools to fight neurodegeneration.
Sequencing tasks are some of the most difficult for rodents to perform and are notoriously difficult to train.
Cutting edge interactive touch screen technology allows us to test an endless array of sequences, in a sound-controlled enclosure featuring a simple behavioral response for the mice.
Study Aim: To create a standardized protocol that can be used to effectively assess cognitive performance during sequence memory tasks in mice.We used the ABET II software to devise a program coupled with the Second Generation Bussey-Saksida Touch Screen Chamber.
This setup will allow us to test new sequences each day and is readily adaptable for recording electrophysiological signals from the ACC and hippocampus.
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Designing AI-Driven Dining: A UX Approach to Enhancing the Self-Service Experience
Kaylin Joung, Yuki Hayashi, and Dailuaine Esguerra
5-2-2025Artificial intelligence has transformed many industries, yet its integration into self-dining experiences is still emerging. This research explores how AI can enhance self-dining by introducing technology like interactive kiosks and robot servers to improve efficiency, personalization, and customer convenience. By addressing current gaps, we aim to create a more seamless and engaging dining experience.
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Stress and Glucose Regulation in Adults at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Secondary Analysis From a Randomized Controlled Trial
Sophia Lysne, Regina Dispa, Brenna Way, Bea Francene Pilnade, Donya Shahamati, Romina Ballesteros, Christopher Acosta, Keren Morales, Esther Adaji, and Ohis Egbaidomeh
5-2-2025Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a major public health concern, significantly increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Additionally, prediabetes is a critical precursor, as it elevates the risk of developing both T2DM and CVDs. (2)
Recent literature reveals among individuals with severe perceived stress, there is a higher likelihood of HbA1c% levels meeting the criteria for prediabetes (5.7– 6.4%) as compared to those with lower perceived stress. (3)
Studies show that psychological stress has hyperglycemic effects in individuals with T2DM, suggesting that stress is associated with poorer blood glucose control. (4)
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Leukemia and Thyroid Cancer in Relation to RECA Boundaries
Cora Marinos
5-2-2025A total of 1,054 test were conducted by the United States between 1945 and 1992. This is more Atomic tests than all other countries combined. Of those tests 928 were conducted at the Nevada Test Site located 65 miles from Las Vegas, Nevada.
These tests spread nuclear fallout throughout the United States causing the people in nearby communities to become sick. The public outcry spurred the passing of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in 1990 (RECA) It’s scope of coverage was broaded in 2000. Despite many groups fighting for further expansion, the Act expired in June of 2024.
Of the different diseases caused by radiation exposure I have chosen Thyroid Cancer and Leukemia to study. They are both covered under RECA and manifest very differently. Thyroid cancer can take years even decades after initial exposure to manifest. Leukemia on the other hand can be used as an early warning sign of radiation exposure because children are more susceptible to radiation through contaminated milk.
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The Role of Money in Elections
Brandon Nabbefeld
5-2-2025What if your vote mattered less than a millionaire’s donation? In every election cycle, billions of dollars flow into campaign war chests but what does that mean? Let’s follow the money and see who is truly influencing our elections. Money plays a powerful role in shaping electoral outcomes and public policy in democratic systems. In the United States, campaign funding has become increasingly dominated by large donations. This is because in 2010, Citizens United v. FEC decision opened the doors for unlimited independent political spending, sparking widespread concerns about fairness, transparency, and the influence of wealthy donors in politics.
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Relationship Closeness and Eating Disorder Pathology in Undergraduate Female Friends Dyads
Jessica Nguyen and Maegan Nation
5-2-2025Eating disorders (ED) are one of the leading mental health concerns among undergraduate students
Rates nearly doubled from 15% in 2013 to 28% in 2020 and 2021
Relationship closeness may play a crucial role in both development and recovery from EDs.
Limited research on platonic relationships and ED pathology, specifically relationship closeness.
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Marine Heat Waves Effects on Rocky Intertidal Ecosystem Functioning
Skyler Peterson, S. Schneider, C.L. Webb, and A. Leighton
5-2-2025Severe heat waves may cause long-term changes in marine ecosystems and are expected to increase in magnitude and frequency. Here we use surveys from six localities across a six-year interval (2013-2019) to investigate the effects of heat waves on the functional diversity of rocky intertidal ecosystems (Vancouver Island, Canada).
Functional diversity, the number and types of functions performed by organisms, influences ecosystem stability and health. To assess changes in functional diversity we used analyses of biological traits. Biological traits are measurable properties of organisms that describe their morphology, physiology, and behavior. We quantitatively assessed changes in functional diversity in response to marine heatwaves in 2014-2016, and 2019.
Understanding changes in functional diversity in response to climate change is essential to effectively manage ecosystems as heatwaves are expected to increase in frequency and magnitude.
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Design and Assembly of a Lightweight, Multi-Cannula Tetrode Drive for Bilateral Hippocampal and ACC Recordings
Homero Phelps, Jasmine Sidhu, Jonathan V. Trinidad, and Talha Soluoku
5-2-2025Implants and Electrophysiology:
Electrophysiology is the study of the electrical properties of cells and tissues, neuronal implants enable high-resolution recordings of neuron action potentials and their locations in the brain.
Data gathered is key in investigating/mapping cognition and effects of neurological pathologies on regular neural systems.
Hyperdrive Model:
Previous model was restricted to two implant sites, and displayed frequent tetrode deformation
Hyperdrive was modified to support four implant sites and 16 independently movable tetrodes using 3D modeling software, while keeping its weight below 1.5 grams.
Targets:
Researchers targeted the hippocampus (CA1, CA3) and ACC, using the novel bilateral model
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Araki Hirohiko: Elevating the Craft of Manga Through Art Nouveau and Art Deco
Andre Polidoro
5-2-2025Araki Hirohiko is a mangaka for one of the longest running manga in history, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (1987–present). Throughout his several decade career, he has drawn over 20,000 pages for his manga by hand.
The art for his manga was inspired by 20ᵗʰ century fashion illustration. Through his rigorous practice he was able to secure many collaborations with high end fashion brands, and even a temporary exhibition in the Louvre.
Through this practice, he has become a contemporary artist of Art Nouveau and Art Deco which he portrays through the illustrations for his manga.
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Competence Protein ComEA and Oxidative Stress in Bacillus subtilis Stationary Phase Mutagenesis
Angeline Roldan and Sam Schauf
5-2-2025Stationary Phase Mutagenesis is a process where a bacterium can accumulate mutations in the absence of cell division. This may occur via competent DNA uptake and oxidant DNA damage and repair. ComEA is a transmembrane protein in B. subtilis that is required for the transport of exogenous DNA into the cell. (Figure 1)
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Divided Attention With Long-Term Memory: Recollection and Familiarity for Musical Melodies
Gaia Steinberg, Jackson S. Pelzner, and Rhiannon N. Soriano Smith
5-2-2025Objective: Test whether the well-established effects of divided attention 1, 2. (DA) found with non-musical (i.e., verbal and pictorial) materials generalized to musical melodies.
Background: Few studies have used melodies to test recognition models (e.g., DPSD). Parks et al.2 showed stimulus complexity alters source memory reliance on recollection (R) and familiarity (F).
Method: Used a 2 (attention) x 2 (melody type) mixed design with an old-new recognition test to compare DA effects across well-known and novel melodies.
Experiment 1: Applied an n-back task to split participants’ attention; no significant DA effect was observed.
Experiment 2: Shortened melody length and added a simultaneous DA task to address ceiling performance issues from Experiment 1.
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The Coso Paradox: An Additional Perspective of Indigenous Identity
LeeAnna Sueno
5-2-2025The Coso Mountain Range in Inyo County, California is an archaeological site rich with evidence of human interactions throughout prehistory. One of the most striking features is Coso’s abundance of rock art, estimated at over 100,000 etchings, with over half depicting Ovis canadensis (Bighorn Sheep). Coso’s rock art has been long-debated as a site of “shamanistic” prevalence, including vision quests, rain god worship , and interpretations of fertility. While spirituality is an integral part of many Indigenous cultures, it is highly unlikely that such a mass creation spanning hundreds of years and multiple cultural groups would be solely spiritual.
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The Demise of Fossil Cycad National Monument as a Consequence of Paleontological Resource Mismanagement
Nathaniel Valentine, Vincent Santucci, Justin Tweet, and Aubrey Bond
5-2-2025Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota (Figure 1), Fossil Cycad National Monument boasted well-preserved specimens of cycadeoid fossils from the Cretaceous and concentrations of these fossil plants were greatest at the site’s location (Santucci and Hughes, 1998). I studied historical records to estimate the number of fossils removed by paleontologists at the site between 1890-1957.
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The Development of Liking and Familiarity Responses to a Novel Musical Scale
Maya Velazquez, Dan H. Berkowitz, Nicholas Kathios, and Psyche Loui
5-2-2025Musical preference is shaped by listening experience
Listeners tend to like music they’ve heard before familiarity correlates with liking (1).
As listeners acquire knowledge of how music is structured, they make better predictions about events as they unfold.
Familiarity and prediction are key drivers of musical pleasure (2,3).
Present study aims to characterize the relationship between listening experience/exposure and preferences during childhood
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The Relationship Between Gender and Experienes of Weight Stigma From Healthcare Providers
Isabella J. Aceituno and Shannon Sagert
11-22-2024Healthcare providers are a common source of weight stigma, which is associated with lower physician trust, poorer patient outcomes, and the avoidance of healthcare services. Currently, there is a lack of consensus in research on whether women and men are equally likely to experience weight stigma from healthcare providers. The present study examined whether gender differences exist in weight stigma received from healthcare providers in childhood or adulthood, comfort seeking medical care, and healthcare avoidance. Adult participants (N = 196) reported the frequency at which they experienced stigmatizing experiences in healthcare environments in the past 12 months and during childhood using the Stigma Situations in Health Care (SSHC) Scale. The Measure of Healthcare Avoidance (MHA) was used to investigate reasons participants might avoid seeing a doctor, and two additional survey questions gauged participants’ comfort seeking medical care in the past 12 months. Logistic regressions showed no gender differences in past experiences of weight stigma (X2 = .072, 1 df, p =.789) or current experiences of weight stigma (X2 = 2.112, 1 df, p = .146). Furthermore, point-biserial correlations showed no association between gender and comfort seeking care (rpb = .051, p =.480) or healthcare avoidance (rpb =.005, p =.941). These findings suggest that men are as likely as women to experience weight stigma from healthcare providers in both childhood and adulthood, and exhibit comparable levels of healthcare avoidance and comfort seeking medical care. Future research should further examine the frequency and nuances of weight stigma in men, women, and gender-diverse individuals.
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"Screen Time" and the Perception of It Among Different Social Classes
Jasmine Ayon
11-22-2024“Screen Time” and the subsequent demonization of it is a phenomenon that is not as analyzed through a social and comparative lens as much as psychological and health ones. To address this gap in research, we performed a content analysis on articles concerning families and “screen time” use that were published on two well-known parenting websites SheKnows and Parents.com from 2019 - 2022 (n = 220). In this paper, we address how these articles talk about screen time use among different social classes. In our analysis, we found what appears to be a double standard in the way screen time use is perceived among different classes. Families of higher income are less demonized for screen time use, and have easier access to exercise familial activities that do not rely on a device. It is important to recognize these biases in the popular discourse in order to understand the nuances present within it and to navigate future discussion on it.
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Repurposing Non-toxic and Cost-effective Organic Ligancds to Enhance the Removal of Uranium and Thorium From Wastewater
Will Campbell
11-22-2024Cheap, effective and industrially practical remediation methods for uranium and thorium are of utmost importance. Electrocoagulation is a cheap but only mildly effective method for the remediation of these elements. It was recently shown that chelating ligands enhance this process. Unfortunately, few ligands have been tested for this enhancement. Of these, the most effective, Alizarin Red S, had a 99.2% uranium removal efficiency but was expensive ($3.6 / g), toxic to humans and environmentally harmful. Therefore, ligands that avoid these downsides are needed before any industrial application can occur. Potential ligands were found via exhaustive searches of MilliporeSigma’s database. Over 3000 ligands were examined ranging from the histological stains (486 potentials) to organic building blocks (>3000 potentials). From these ligands, it was narrowed down on four criteria. The price must be below $2 / 1 gram, non-toxic to humans, environmentally friendly and selectively chelate to uranium or thorium. Four potential ligands were found from the over 3000 which fit all four qualities well. The differences however included the solubility in water, charge and price. Pamoic acid ($1.33 / g) and quercetin ($1.88 / g) are neutral molecules with low water solubility. Acid blue 40 ($1.6 / g) contains a single negative charge and Acid blue 80 ($1.5 / g) and contains two negative charges. Both have excellent water solubility due to their ionic charges. Herein, we effectively found four potential ligands for use in the removal of uranium or thorium from water via ligand enhanced electrocoagulation.
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Parental Failure and the Double Standards of Screen Time Discourse on Popular Parenting Blogs
Christian Casarez and Annaliese Grant
11-22-2024Understanding screen time discourse is vital in grasping people’s relationship with media comprehensively. This research seeks to add to this body of knowledge by highlighting the double standards present within parenting blogs’ narratives on screen time. Utilizing a qualitative analysis conducted on a dataset of over 200 coded articles (n=220) from parenting blog giants such as Parents.com and SheKnows.com, I argue that popular parenting blogs simultaneously platform content that pushes parents to constantly manage and mitigate their children’s screen time use, while at the same time implicitly encouraging parents to utilize apps, audio, content, and devices to do so. In supporting this claim, I explore the state of screen discourse on parenting blogs, various policing tactics encouraged by parenting blog content, as well as what this paper calls “narratives of parental failure,” which refers to the content & narratives depicting where parents deviated from the perceived idealized norms around screen time management and usage that were established by said platformed parenting content. I then conclude this piece by discussing the implications of these findings to our broader understanding of media, parenting, and socialization, as well as avenues future research in this area should explore.
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Factors Related to Racial Trauma Distress Among BIPOC College Students
Miguel Castano, Richard Chang, and Giezel Guevarra
11-22-2024Racial trauma distress is when post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms occur due to repeated and cumulative experiences of racism and can negatively impacted Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). Consensus in research findings strongly suggest that BIPOC students are more likely to experience racism on university campuses than non-BIPOC students. To mitigate some of these negative outcomes, existing research has shown that psychological safety, resilience, and intraminority solidarity are protective factors for BIPOC students experiencing race-related distress. However, little is known about the frequency of racial trauma distress among BIPOC college students and how these variables may protect against racial trauma distress. Therefore, we examined whether psychological safety, resilience, and intraminority solidarity significantly predicted more or less racial trauma distress among BIPOC college students. Data were collected from 254 BIPOC college students (Mage = 19.45, SD = 3.00) who completed an online survey. A multiple regression model was used to examine whether the predictors significantly predicted racial trauma distress. Results suggest that psychological safety and resilience were significant negative predictors of racial trauma distress. However, intraminority solidarity was a significant positive predictor of racial trauma distress. This research contributes valuable insights into the interaction between psychological safety, resilience, intraminority solidarity, and racial trauma distress and the roles these variables play as potential mitigators against the race-based stress of racial trauma. Understanding the link between these factors and racial trauma distress is crucial for developing effective interventions to address the negative effects of racial trauma distress among BIPOC college students.
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The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Young Mother's Mental Health
Claudia Chavez and Clariana Vitória Ramos De Oliveira
11-22-2024Intimate partner violence (IPV) rates are notably higher among adolescents who are pregnant or have experienced a pregnancy, with physical IPV reaching up to 62%, and psychological abuse being even more common. IPV has serious mental health consequences for adolescent mothers, leading to increased rates of depression and anxiety which can impair caregiving. IPV negatively affects children, increasing the risks of poor maternal bonding, and low birth weight. This study investigates how IPV contributes to adverse mental health outcomes in Brazilian adolescent mothers. A cross-sectional approach was used with data collected between August 2023 to 2024. The study participants were adolescent mothers under 20 years old, with children aged 0 to 5 years, residing in southern Brazil. Research assistants collected data following approval from the Institutional Review Boards (IRB) of UNLV and a partner university in Brazil. The study utilized Fisher's exact test to analyze correlations between mothers' responses to IPV-related questions and their mental health symptoms, as measured by the DASS-21 screening tool. 55.45% of participants who reported experiencing emotional IPV also exhibited moderate to severe depressive symptoms, with a significant correlation between the variables (P < 0.001). Physical IPV was correlated with depressive symptoms (P = 0.01), with 50% of young mothers reporting both experiences. Experiencing IPV at a young age can deteriorate the physical health of an adolescent mother but also increase the likelihood of developing a mental illness. It is important to provide screenings for IPV and mental health to improve the well-being of all mothers.
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Examining Emotion and Ease of Recall for Life Story Memories in Young Adults
Roxanna E. Chavez, Erin L. Murphy, and David E. Copeland
11-22-2024Life stories are narratives that use autobiographical memories to shape personal identity. This study investigated how emotional valence and ease of recall may change over time. Participants were asked to recall ten life story memories in two interviews held three weeks apart. Participants provided ratings of emotional valence and ease of recall for each memory. A significant difference was found in emotional valence between Session 1 (M = 3.159, SD = .772) and Session 2 (M = 2.905, SD = .788), t(68) = 2.734, p < .01, with Session 1 memories rated as significantly more negative (M = 1.812, SD = 1.427) than those in Session 2 (M = 1.275, SD = 1.316), t(68) = 3.232, p < .01. Furthermore, negative memories were more frequent in the last five Session 1 memories (M = 0.986, SD = 0.866) than in all of Session 2 memories (First Five: M = 0.652, SD = .783; Last Five: M = 0.623, SD = .892), F(3, 204) = 3.663, p < .05. For ease of recall, the first five memories in both sessions (Session 1: M = 5.684, SD = 0.806; Session 2: M = 5.612, SD = 0.963) were significantly easier to recall than the last five in both sessions (Session 1: M = .214, SD = 1.128; Session 2: M = 5.136, SD = 1.080), F(2.498, 169.864) = 7.369, p < .001. Overall, these findings suggest participants recalled more accessible memories first, with negative memories being harder to retrieve as sessions progressed.
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Effects of Low Dose Exposure to Radiation and Sleep Fragmentation on Discrimination in String-Pulling Behavior with Female Rats
Jonathan F. Cortez, Diana Lloyd, T. L. Garcia, A. Adhikari, N. M. Attallah, N. Moges, D. H. Rodgers, K. S. Dhede, K. D. Omengan, and A. A. Blackwell
11-22-2024Astronauts will face harmful stressors, such as galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) and sleep fragmentation (SF), on a three-year space flight mission to Mars and back. Astronauts perform skilled reach-to-grasp behaviors on these missions, including interacting with controls to navigate the spacecraft. Recent work has shown that GCR and SF disrupt skilled reach-to-grasp behavior in rodent models; however, the underlying nature of these deficits is unknown. To determine if tactile sensation and proprioceptive feedback contribute to these impairments, this study evaluated the effects of radiation and SF exposure on memory and sensorimotor discrimination in a rodent model. Twenty-one outbred Wistar, retired breeder, female rats were food restricted, habituated in a string-pulling task to a single thick (0.2 cm diameter, 162 cm length) string, and then half were irradiated with 10 centi-grays of 250 MeV/n Helium (single ion in GCR). After irradiation, rats were reassessed with a single thick string and then tested with side-by-side thick and thin strings (0.1 cm) pre- and post-SF (12h session where a mechanical bar swept across the floor every two minutes). Thus far, findings show that rats took significantly fewer trials to reach criterion after one session of SF regardless of radiation status; one session of SF and irradiation did not impair memory in a simple discrimination task using string-pulling behavior which may be attributed to practice effects. Ongoing analyses of cognitive and fine motor skill performance measures may contribute to understanding spared versus impaired performance aspects after SF and when irradiated.