Tag: Poster Presentation

October 27, 2021 admin

HNSE-P5-4. Chemically Exhausted Biochar as a Sustainable Replacement for Chemical Fertilizers


Alexa Smolinski1
Ahdee Zeidman2, 3
Faculty Mentor: Erick R. Bandala, Ph.D.2
1Nevada State College
2Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute
3Department of Water Resource Management, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

ABSTRACT
Biochar is a carbon rich solid created from agricultural wastes via oxygen-less heat treatment (i.e., pyrolysis). It is used as a soil amendment for its potential to mitigate soil degradation and as an alternative for water treatment because of its ability to absorb nutrients. Recently, biochar has been successfully used by our research group in the removal of nutrients from contaminated water. After exhaustion, biochar has been found to retain significant amounts of nutrients that can be used to improve soil quality, plant growth, and viability. In this research, chemically exhausted biochar used for the removal of nitrate ions in water was incorporated into soil at different ratios and used to grow cherry tomato plants over the course of four weeks and compared against the use of chemical fertilizer. Results suggest chemically exhausted biochar aided in increased plant growth and biomass production of cherry tomato plants because of the increased nutrients supplied by the chemically exhausted biochar compared to the use of chemical fertilizer which created inhabitable conditions for the plants. These methods and results provide a foundation for future experiments exploring the use of water treatment chemically exhausted biochar as a soil amendment.

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October 27, 2021 admin

HNSE-P4-5. Regulation of Eye Stem Cells During Regeneration

Iris Nava1
Cindy X. Kha1
Faculty Mentor: Kelly Ai-Sun Tseng, Ph.D.1
1College of Science, School of Life Sciences

ABSTRACT
Regeneration is a response to injury that results in the regrowth of damaged or lost body parts. The mechanisms of this process are poorly understood. Studying a highly regenerative species can further our understanding of the natural regeneration process. The African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, is an excellent model for studying regeneration as it can regenerate multiple structures including its eyes. Xenopus embryos regenerate eyes within 5 days (Kha et al., 2018). The Vacuolar-ATPase (V-ATPase) is a proton pump that moves protons across the plasma membrane. This pump is important in regulating membrane voltage and has been shown to be important for appendage regeneration. Chemical inhibition of V-ATPase blocked embryonic eye regeneration in Xenopus and resulted in a small regenerate eye. Thus, the function of V-ATPase is required for this process. This project aims to determine the role of V-ATPase during eye regeneration by examining the eye defects caused by V-ATPase inhibition. Insights to the regeneration process can lead to potential medicinal applications.

This research was funded by UNLV’s TRIO McNair Scholars Institute, which is housed within UNLV’s Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach and funded under the TRIO Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program by a grant (P217A170069) from the U.S. Department of Education. 

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October 27, 2021 admin

HNSE-P6-3. The Experience of Postpartum Depression in African-American Fathers

Darlyn Magaña1
Lawrence Jackson, Ph.D.2
Faculty Mentor: Brandon Eddy, Ph.D.2
1College of Liberal Arts, Department of Psychology
2Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, Couple and Family Therapy Program

ABSTRACT
There have been more studies that have been conducted to learn about postpartum not only in mothers, but there have also been studies on postpartum in fathers. While little is known about PPD in men, even less is known about how African American fathers experience PPD and other mental health issues. Therefore this area of study is crucial especially as there haven’t been any studies focused on this population in PPD. In order for the stigma of postpartum depression in fathers to be normalized, there needs to be necessary education, prevention, screenings, and treatment for fathers especially those in racial groups that are underrepresented. Under the direction of Dr. Brandon Eddy and Dr. Lawrence Jackson, we seek to learn about the experience of postpartum depression in African American fathers. Using semi-structured virtual interviews, we are currently in the process of collecting data from the experiences of fathers by using purposive sampling and snowball sampling. After transcribing the interviews from the participants, coding will occur to find themes within the interviews.

This research was funded by UNLV’s TRIO McNair Scholars Institute, which is housed within UNLV’s Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach and funded under the TRIO Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program by a grant (P217A170069) from the U.S. Department of Education. 

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October 27, 2021 admin

AHS-P4-2. Singapore Waste Management


Jialu Li1
Yitong Huang1
Faculty Mentor: Kimberly Nehls, Ph.D.2
1Lee Business School, Department of Accounting
2Lee Business School, Department of Marketing and International Business

ABSTRACT
With the constant population growth in such a limited land, Singapore is faced with multiple challenges in waste management. Over the last decades, Singapore aimed to strive for a zero-waste environment for its nation by reducing the significant amount of waste disposed of through recycling and maximizing landfills. The scope of this poster is to present whether Singapore has had an efficient control over its waste management in the last two decades. The poster took approaches to analyze statistics that concludes the recycle rates categorized into different classifications of waste disposals from 2003 to 2020 and average of total saved energy through the process of recycling. Overall, the findings suggest Singapore had an efficient waste management at the beginning with constant growth of recycle rate, but discrepancies are found starting from 2018 since the rate declined rapidly in three years. So coming to the conclusion that Singapore’s efficiency on waste management control still has the potential to develop sustainable improvement. Visualizing these data can help Singapore’s government to implement recycling policies that motivate people to improve their living environment.

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October 26, 2021 admin

AHS-P3-5. The Challenges Navigated by Frontline Workers During Covid-19


Anjalee Herath1
Faculty Mentor: Kimberly Nehls, Ph.D.2
1Lee Business School, Department of Finance
2Lee Business School, Department of Marketing and International Business

ABSTRACT
During the coronavirus global pandemic, the frontlines have navigated challenges of unprecedented market, social, and cultural disruptions. The objective of the study was to investigate different challenges experienced by the frontline workers during the early stages of the outbreak and what are the transformative changes in their jobs that they had to undergo from the first wave of the pandemic to the present. Here I conducted qualitative research among three frontline workers representing human services, education, and hospitality industries. They participated in semi-structured interviews by telephone. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed manually. Six theme categories emerged from data analysis. Participants experienced physical, psychological, and financial distress, health concerns, social exclusion, and job insecurity. The most common challenge for all was the safety of their health and financial distress. Consequently, each of their jobs has transformed dramatically and employee morale has decreased for a lot of employees while others have realized the value of their job. The study found that frontline workers’ resilience and the spirit of professional dedication despite being drained physically, emotionally, and financially during the covid-19 outbreak. This suggests the need to understand and target involvement for the specific risks and challenges faced by different groups of frontline workers in order to have a better contingency plan for future events of this nature. Strategies should be implemented to support and to meet the unmet needs such as physical and mental health, reasonable pay, job security, and the overall quality of life of the frontline workers.

1 Comment
October 26, 2021 admin

AHS-P3-1. Did You Eat Your Worms?!


Tahner Green1
Faculty Mentor: Kimberly Nehls, Ph.D.1
1Lee Business School, Department of Marketing and International Business

ABSTRACT
If Americans include insects as part of their diets, global pollution will decrease. Insects use less water to farm, produce 85% less methane than regular barn animals, and are packed with nutrition. As I analyzed the world population, I discovered that 80% of the world already eats bugs as part of their diets. It’s especially popular in underdeveloped countries. Spreading the popularity to America will be difficult, as the most consumed meat is Chicken, Cows, and Pigs. These animals are mass produced and cause a huge impact on the environment. In conclusion, if we work together to bring insects in American meals, we can decrease global warming and create a sustainable environment.

5 Comments
October 26, 2021 admin

HNSE-P5-1. Behavioral Evaluation of a Novel Mouse Model With the Loss of GABAB Receptors

Skylyn J. Ferguson1
Amanda M. Leisgang Osse2
Andrew A. Ortiz2
Chloe Mamales2
Will Poston1
Faculty Mentor: Jefferson Kinney, Ph.D.1
1College of Sciences, School of Life Sciences
2College of Liberal Arts, Department of Psychology
3School of Integrated Health Sciences, Department of Brain Health

ABSTRACT
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDD) are described as the progressive degeneration of the central and peripheral nervous system’s structures and functions. Neuroinflammation may contribute to deficits in memory and cognition and has shown to be a hallmark in many NDD including: Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Microglia are the main glial cells responsible for mediating neuroinflammation. Microglia alterations could be a key in the chronic neuroinflammation observed in NDD. In addition to neuroinflammation, alterations in neurotransmitter systems can contribute to deficits in learning and memory. The principal inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), has demonstrated to be essential for cognition. Changes in the GABAergic system could lead to impairment of learning and memory. GABAB receptors are G-protein-coupled receptors found on microglia exhibiting anti-inflammatory properties. To investigate the role of the GABAB receptors in neuroinflammation, we developed a novel mouse model, GAB/CX3ert, with a knockdown of the GABAB receptor on microglia. In this study, we examined the learning and memory of the GAB/CXert mice compared to wildtype controls, as well as comparing males and females.

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October 26, 2021 admin

AHS-P2-3. What Determines Musical Preference?

Camryn Bishop1
Natalia Arshad1
Special Olds2
Faculty Mentor: Kimberly Nehls, Ph.D.2
1Lee Business School, Department of Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology
2Lee Business School, Department of Marketing and International Business

ABSTRACT
Music is a universal interest in every human culture. It is evident that music plays a substantial role in the lives of people all over the world because it produces diversity among preferences, and it exhibits links to individuals’ personality traits. After conducting our research, we aim to determine which factors influence an individual’s choice in music. A problem we would like to address in our research is the preconceived notions individuals have based on a person’s music taste. Our objective is to determine how personality and age influence musical predilections among different regions of the world. The methods we plan to utilize to conduct our research is to evaluate case studies, assess surveys, and conduct observational trials. The goal we want to achieve after research is conducted is to learn what gravitates individuals to pick certain music preferences. Some qualitative and quantitative data factors that indicate the results of the project are the diversity in personality types and age ranges. Our research is still in the works, but we anticipate our findings to give us more insight on what factors matter to individuals that lead them to pick a certain music style. This study is unique because it shows how diverse preferences in music are in different regions of the world and if those musical tastes are influenced by different factors depending on the region. Some broad implications we will discuss include common misconceptions of personality based on specific musical likings and why individuals prefer certain types of music.

3 Comments
October 26, 2021 admin

HNSE-P1-1. Comparison of Biochar Attained from Various Feedstocks for the Adsorption of Arsenic in Water

Fabianny Anez-Cohen1
Suraj Pochampally1
Christina Obra1
Jaeyun Moon, Ph.D.1
Faculty Mentor: Erica J. Marti, Ph.D.1
1Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction

ABSTRACT
Water is a fundamental human right, yet in many developing countries, it is a luxury. Water shortages and polluted water have become routine for millions of Venezuelans in the last two decades due to a failing economy and infrastructure mismanagement. According to the World Health Organization, arsenic (As) is a worldwide pollutant. Though it occurs naturally, As is toxic and may cause chronic poisoning with prolonged exposure. An estimated 4.5 million individuals in Latin America are chronically exposed to high levels of As (>50 𝜇g/L), some up to 2000 𝜇g/L. Biochar, a carbon-based material, effectively adsorbs and sequesters pollutants. However, the decisive argument for further investigation of this sustainable adsorbent is its production from locally available and inexpensive materials. Furthermore, due to its large surface area, biochar soaks up pollutants from water. This research evaluates the feasibility of using sustainable biochar to remove As from water. In this study, we selected various feedstocks, specifically sugarcane bagasse, peanut, and walnut shells, which are readily available biowaste in Venezuela. Each feedstock was pyrolyzed for a specific time and temperature under an inert (Ar) atmosphere to produce biochars. First, biochars were characterized using various techniques such as FTIR analysis, BET theory, SEM, and others. Then, comparative, temperature-controlled adsorption batch experiments were conducted to estimate the adsorption capacities of each biochar. Future research will focus on taking the highest As adsorbent and preparing a water filtration system that a small community could use, providing them with improved access to clean water.

1 Comment
October 26, 2021 admin

AHS-P1-7. Most Impactful Years of the Yemeni Civil War

Adam Abdalla1
Jacob Gross2
Noah Myers3
Abhinav Dagar1
Faculty Mentor: Kimberly Nehls, Ph.D.1
1Lee Business School, Department of Finance
2Lee Business School, Department of Accounting
3Lee Business School, Department of Marketing and International Business

ABSTRACT
The Yemeni civil war that started in 2014 has ravaged the country and has led to a surge of negative changes in living conditions throughout the area. Many different events throughout the seven-year war have led to harsh conditions to still be prevalent throughout the country. It is hard to pinpoint what years of the war had the most effect on the society’s well-being. Using data from the Yemen Data Project, it was possible to find what years of the war were the most violent, and compare that data to the GDP of Yemeni people, the number of undernourished people in Yemen and the average dollar amount of aid the Yemeni people require per year. Results showed that despite the beginning years of the war being the most violent as the most airstrikes were being dropped, the conditions of Yemeni people continue to get exponentially worse despite a heavy drop in the amount of airstrike attacks against them. Lack of military clashes has not led to better conditions that deteriorate day by day. The vast intensity of the first few years of the war were so devastating that they created a ripple effect in which the infrastructure of the country was heavily damaged, leading to a situation that will need much assistance to repeal the effects of the most impactful years of the war.

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