Academic Preparation, Recruitment & Outreach

2024 Symposium Abstracts

• Lucie Fiorino, Neuroscience

  Faculty Mentor: Yi-Li Lam, Dr. Sika Zheng, UCR Division of Biomedical Sciences

   

  Bak1 Microexon 5 Knockouts: Neuronal Migration Variance Within the Cerebral Cortex

   

  Regulation of neuronal cell death (apoptosis) is necessary for neurons’ long term survival. Developmental attenuation of neuronal apoptosis is mediated by neuronal splicing of Bak1 microexon 5 to inhibit BAK1 protein expression (Lin et al., 2020). Our previous studies, conducted on embryonic and early postnatal mice, show exon 5 deletion leads to animal lethality around birth, but the role of microexon 5 splicing in longer term survival is poorly understood. Our lab has generated a Bak1 microexon 5 fl/fl; Nex-Cre (BakNex) mouse model restricting microexon 5 knockout to a smaller subset of neurons.While the lifespan of these mice is extended relative to germline knockouts, we still observed neuronal loss in the upper layer of the cerebral cortex.

   

  In the BakNex conditional knockout mouse model, microexon 5 knockout occurs before neurons complete migration to the upper cortical layer, so it is necessary to test whether microexon 5 knockout leads to neuronal loss by affecting neuronal migration patterns. We will stain BakNex and control coronal brain sections with layer markers CTIP2, SATB2, and CUX1.In utero electroporation of Bak1 microexon 5 fl/fl mice will enable comparison between wildtype and knockout cells, further confirming potential effects.

   

  If microexon 5 knockout promotes neuronal loss by interfering with migration, we expect knockout cells localized to layers disparate to their expected regions in the cerebral cortex, with reduced migration in upper layers and varied layer thickness. Elucidating the mechanisms of neurodegeneration in the developing cortex may contribute to the development of effective therapeutics.

   

   

  References

  Lin L, Zhang M, Stoilov P, Chen L, Zheng S. Developmental Attenuation of Neuronal Apoptosis by Neural-Specific Splicing of Bak1 Microexon. Neuron. 2020;107(6):1180-1196.e8. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2020.06.036.

• Camille-Faye Cabebe, Psychology

  Faculty Mentor: Elizabeth Davis, UCR Department of Psychology

   

  What Passes On: A Study On Intergenerational Emotional Regulation

   

  Generations within families have handled their emotions differently due to coping skills, beliefs, and life circumstances. Some generational populations like Gen X and Gen Z are more prone to maladaptive emotion regulation skills due to their historical experiences (e.g., COVID 19 and previous wars) and behaviors (e.g., ignoring/distracting from a problem) (Grelle et al., 2023).  When these maladaptive behaviors become habitual, they can be passed down to younger generations who learn about and model the coping behaviors of older generations (Zhang et al., 2022). However, generations who talk about their emotions and tell stories can help emotional regulation strategies so it can be helpful for younger generations’ emotional regulation skills (Haegen et al., 2022) (Hernandez et al., 2023). However, we don’t know the extent to which these emotional regulations passed down through generations. The primary goal of this research project is to investigate the extent to which adults’ emotional regulation patterns correspond to those of their children.55 predominantly Latinx/Hispanic parent–child dyads participated in a cross-sectional, multi-method lab study of family emotional functioning. Parents and children separately completed semi-structured interviews and watched a scary movie clip, then engaged in a dyadic conversation about the movie.Behavioral coding will assess children and parents’ own and interpersonal emotion regulation during the movie discussion and in interviews.  Analyses will focus on identifying similarities in reactions and emotion regulation strategies.  Overall, this study would help provide knowledge about how intergenerational transmission of emotion processes occurs within Latinx populations.

• Joanna Chang, Psychology

  Faculty Mentor: Ian Ballard, UCR Department of Psychology

   

  Large Language Models Show Human-Like Decision-Making Biases

   

  Recent studies have shown that large language models (LLMs) exhibit analogical reasoning abilities comparable to, or even exceeding human capabilities (Webb et al., 2023). These models were trained to generate human-like text, yet they developed this advanced reasoning ability. This study examines whether LLMs make decisions similarly to humans by manipulating factors such as risk and delay, known to influence human decision-making.

   

  First, we examined the decimal effect, where people make more impulsive decisions between rounded monetary values than non-rounded values (Fassbender et al., 2014). Second, we investigated whether the reward magnitude impactsLLMs' intertemporal choices, categorizing rewards into large, medium, and small (Ballard et al., 2017). Additionally, we test LLMs' risk evaluation using two decision-making problems: the Cancer Problem and the Fatal Disease Problem, based on how the outcomes are framed and labeled (McNeil et al., 1982; Wang et al., 2001). Lastly, we assess the impact of emotional states such as stress, hunger, happiness, and sadness on LLM decision-making (Keinan, 1987; Bless et al., 1996; Ballard et al., 2017; Kassas et al., 2022).

   

  Current results show that LLMs are affected by both the decimal and magnitude effects, similar to humans. We anticipate that other manipulations will also influence LLM decision-making. These findings have implications for psychological theories of human decision-making, which often rely on a dual-systems framework combining cognitive and emotional systems. Since LLMs lack emotions, our results suggest the need for alternative explanations of these effects in humans. We propose rethinking the theory in favor of a model where the linguistic organization of concepts strongly influences human decisions. In this system, framing manipulations influence decision-making by biasing the linguistic accessibility of relevant concepts, such as negative or positive future outcomes.

• Laura Hitt, Electrical Engineering

  Faculty Mentor: Shaolei Ren, UCR Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

   

  Quantifying Europe’s Water Footprint

   

  In recent years, there has been an increase in AI usage and a rising concern for the impact of computers on freshwater scarcity and energy consumption. Large AI models, such as ChatGPT, use millions of liters of freshwater to train the models, cool data centers, and generate electricity. These staggering numbers have gone unmonitored, and with the growing population, freshwater scarcity will continue to be a global problem.If not addressed, about half of the world’s population will experience severe water stress by 2030.

  This project aims to make water footprint data more accessible to technological industries. We produced a dataset containing the direct water usage from cooling systems and indirect water usage from electricity generation. The cooling system's water consumption depends on the outside air temperature and humidity whereas electricity generation is a combination of fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. The dataset includes the hourly water usage efficiency from various locations in Europe in 2023. Initially, we collected and cleaned the annual data by filling in missing values and getting rid of duplicates. After calculating the values for direct and indirect water usage, these figures were then plotted to visually demonstrate their changes throughout the year. As we continue to gather more data from other parts of the world, the results from this project will help estimate the water footprint of AI models and assist industries in optimizing their water usage, leading to a reduction in their overall water footprint.

• Sophia Liu, Biochemistry

  Faculty Mentor: Joseph Genereux, UCR Department of Chemistry

   

  Using Hsp40 Affinity Profiling to Analyze the Effects of Long Term Cellular Manganese Exposure

   

  Manganese is a transition metal not regulated in our drinking water as it does not present a threat at low concentrations. However, at high concentrations and long term exposure, manganese can cause proteins to destabilize and misfold causing health problems. Additionally, manganese binds to these misfolded proteins and prevents their degradation causing accumulation. In previous studies, long term exposure to manganese promotes ɑ-synuclein aggregation and present symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease.

  Our study investigates manganese at subtoxic concentration (1mM) exposure on HEK293T cells using Hsp40 affinity profiling. We test these conditions at different time points (1hr, 2hrs, 4hrs, 8hrs, 24 hrs) to assess when the proteins start to destabilize and misfold. We expect to identify which proteins misfold and quantify the ratio of how much misfolded proteins bind to hsp40 at the different time points using mass spectrometry. In addition, from previous studies, we know that Mn2+ targets a transcription-associated protein, NF-𝛋B Repressing Factor (NKRF), so we use western blotting to test for an increase in hsp40 binding which means an increase in protein misfolding after exposing the cells to manganese at different time points.

  Based on previous studies, we know which proteins will misfold due to manganese exposure, so we expect similar proteins to misfold at subtoxic concentrations. This study will demonstrate how long it takes proteins to misfold. This study provides evidence that manganese in our drinking water can be toxic and cause health issues and provides a basis for implementation of heavy regulations on our drinking water.

• Mariam Mikhail, Mechanical Engineering

  Faculty Mentor: Jun Sheng, UCR Department of Mechanical Engineering

  Design and Fabrication of a Steerable Concentric Bevel Tip Needle for Precision Medical Applications

   

  Needle insertion is one of the simplest and least invasive medical procedures in numerous healthcare treatments and diagnostic techniques. Bevel-tip needle steering enhances precision and reaches targets that straight-line trajectories cannot. It can also actively correct the trajectory error caused by tissue force. The asymmetry of a bevel-tip needle causes it to bend naturally in soft tissue, allowing for better needle-tip navigation and improving many medical operations. However, existing designs of bevel-tip needles require continuous rotation of the needle, which may cause damage to tissue integrity. To address these issues, we are developing a concentric tube design that steers the needle without continuous rotation. It will consist of an outer tube and an inner wire, both with a bevel tip. The outer superelastic nitinol tube (0.5969 mm outer diameter) and inner superelastic nitinol wire (0.4000 mm outer diameter) were both cut to a 20-degree tip angle using a 2 mm milling machine drill. A linear motion stage will provide the translation of the entire needle. Two motors will be attached to the outer tube and inner wire to provide independent rotational motion,. The needle will be tested by inserting it into gelatin phantoms of different stiffness to assess their curvature trajectories using camera vision. It is predicted that the fabrication of the concentric design will allow enhanced navigation, reduced tissue displacement, improved curvature controls, and minimal tip deviation. Additionally, the design is expected to result in shorter recovery times, lower infection rates, reduced scarring, and better surgical outcomes.

• August Quan Pfeilsticker, Neuroscience

  Faculty Mentor: Juhong Chen, Department of Bioengineering

  Improving UniCas14 gene editing efficiency in bacteria: A CRISPR-based protein engineering approach through directed evolution.

   

  In recent years, CRISPR systems (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) have pioneered a new age of gene editing through continuous advancements in Cas (CRISPR-associated) protein engineering. The Cas14 variant stands out due to its unique ability to cleave single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) without the need for a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) site, thereby enabling the targeting of virtually any DNA sequence. This characteristic, combined with its smaller size (400-700 amino acids), heightened sensitivity, and superior specificity, makes Cas14 the optimal choice for high-fidelity ssDNA cleavage and nucleotide mismatch detection. Current applications of Cas14 are primarily limited to investigating ssDNA viruses and SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) genotyping, due to its lack of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) cleavage capability and lower gene editing efficiency compared to Cas9. Moreover, Cas14 can produce off-target ssDNA cuts once activated, which, while useful for genotyping, can hinder broader gene editing applications. To address these limitations, error-prone PCR was employed to create a diversified mutant library of Cas14 plasmids. Utilization of type IIS restriction enzymes (PaqCI) enabled precise digestion of the mutated Cas14 protein and the plasmid backbone, reforming the plasmid together with golden gate assembly. This library was then subjected to selective ccdB plasmid toxin screening, enabling the growth of bacterial colonies harboring superior mutated plasmids. Through this directed evolution approach, we aim to enhance Cas14's gene editing efficiency in bacteria. Our work holds promise for expanding the utility of Cas14 in gene editing and diagnostic applications, potentially leading to improved specificity in ssDNA cleavage and detection.

• Sumeet Sammi, Economics

  Faculty Mentor: Veronica Sovero, UCR Department of Economics

  Impaction Status Within the California State University System and its Effects on Admissions Rates for High School Students

   

  Impaction status varies at each of the California State University (CSU) system’s 23 campuses, affecting high school students all across the state. As a campus or program within the campus receives more applicants than it can accommodate, the campus or program becomes impacted which ultimately influences the admissions process. The Budget Act of 2017 introduced a set of policies that intended to lessen the effects of impaction through admissions advantages for students applying to their local CSU campus and through redirection for students that were not admitted into any CSU.

  In order to understand how the implementation of impaction policies affects local and nonlocal high school students, admissions rates for each CSU campus will be analyzed from the years 2018-2022. In addition to admission rates by campus, more data about the applicant’s race and the county of the applicant’s high school will be evaluated to find how impaction policies affect students from different races and backgrounds.

  After a preliminary analysis of the data, we see that local students benefitted from admissions advantages however the implementation of impaction policies could disproportionality affect historically underrepresented and lower-income students more. The results imply that impaction status at CSU campuses can determine the prevalence of social mobility for students at different levels. Considering that locality affects students’ decisions about which college to attend, optimizing the local area around a CSU campus to maximize the number of local students admitted can help us determine whether the policies had the intended effect of increasing college attainment and further understand how to incorporate similar polices into impacted programs.

• Nishant Tiwari, Computer Science with Business Applications

  Faculty Mentor: Ahmed Eldawy, Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering

  Nationwide Farmland Identification Using Machine Learning and Satellite Imagery.

   

  Various agricultural sectors need accurate information about farmlands and areas being farmed to enhance production, manage resources, and implement sustainable methods. This necessity calls for a nationwide dataset, which is named "Farmland Identification." In this study, we develop a machine learning framework that uses satellite imagery to systematically identify and mark agricultural land. By using the Segment Anything Model (SAM) from Meta and training a farmland classifier model, we can effectively distinguish agricultural areas from non-agricultural ones. This combination of models not only improves our ability to spot farmlands but also helps in pulling out detailed geographic features critical for building an extensive farmland database. The dataset we have created provides vector-based outlines of agricultural zones, offering essential insights into land use patterns across the United States. Using machine learning and satellite imagery together could greatly improve how agricultural planning and monitoring are done, giving stakeholders valuable data that aids in making informed decisions and supporting sustainable farming. We plan to share this dataset with researchers, who can utilize the data to explore various applications and contribute to informed decision-making and sustainable farming practices. Furthermore, this dataset could be a valuable resource for future researchers looking to further explore agricultural lands.further understand how to incorporate similar polices into impacted programs.

• Steven Vu, Bioengineering

  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jun Sheng, UCR Department of Mechanical Engineering

   

  Micro scale Soft Robotic Actuator For Treatment of Intracranial Diseases

   

  Cerebral aneurysms, responsible for more than 500,000 deaths per year in the United States, pose a significant health risk due to their potential to cause a hemorrhage, leading to brain damage or death if left untreated. Current treatment using existing catheters with distal tips are constrained, limiting its ability to effectively perform in surgical thrombectomy. To address this issue, we propose a development of a micro scale hyperelastic hydraulic-powered tip with a diameter of one millimeter. Beginning with the macro scale development, we refined our approach to the micro scale level, resulting in a minimally invasive tool capable of fracturing fusiform aneurysms via a helical motion powered by a supply of water. This endovascular device allows for greater degrees of freedom to twist while producing the least-invasive effects on human tissue, offering efficient removal of the blood clots within cerebral vessels. Our current silicone actuator is three millimeters in diameter, but we aim to reduce it to one millimeter to address aneurysms typically occurring in blood vessels of 1.5 millimeters or smaller. This fluid-driven actuator can also provide an easier and cost-effective technique for treatment of general vascular surgery due to its inexpensive silicone-based material and simple fabrication procedure.

• Annabelle Yang, Mechanical Engineering

  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jun Sheng, UCR Department of Mechanical Engineering

  Design and Control of Soft Fabric Universal Bending Actuator for Fruit Harvesting

   

  Rigid-link robots have been used in the agricultural industry to automate redundant operations; however, the unstructured environment within tree canopies poses challenges for robots to reach produce that are not on the surface. On the contrary , the advantages of soft robots such as bending capabilities and flexible manipulation to navigate around branches to retrieve the fruit while minimizing breakage. We have a fabric-based soft actuator design with three pneumatic modules for universal bending by calibrating each with a general pressure control system. By using stiffness modulation, we can dynamically control the position of contact with real time data. An end effector is attached that uses vacuum suction to grasp fruits. The actuator has demonstrated potential to be mounted on traditional robot arms that extend the height of target range. Its low cost, ease of fabrication, customizability, and use of commercially available material makes this soft robot a prospective common application, making it a viable option for harvesting citrus on farms, such as those found in Riverside.

• Huimin Lei, Education Society and Human Development

  Faculty Mentor: Rachel Wu, UCR Department of Psychology

  A Community-based Learning Intervention for Low-income Older Adults.

   

  Previous studies have found that older adults can experience improvements in their cognitive and functional abilities via learning new skills, such as a new language or technology (Chan et al., 2014; Leanos et al., 2020; Nguyen et al., 2020; Park et al., 2014). It is also theorized that engaging the brain in learning new difficult skills could potentially prevent or delay declines in cognition during older adulthood (Wu et al., 2017). Thus, it is especially important for older adults who are at higher risk of experiencing declines and developing Alzheimer’s disease to participate in learning new skills. Unfortunately, cognitive interventions in research tend to lack representation of older adults who are at higher risk (e.g., low-income, racial/ethnic minorities; Tzuang et al., 2018). This lack of representation is often due to the barriers that low-income, racial/ethnic minority older adults face to participating in such interventions (Rodriguez et al., 2022). To address this gap, we have proposed to create a tailored learning intervention that takes into account the barriers, wants, and needs of racial/ethnic minority older adults as part of a low-income residential facility for seniors. We will teach a total of 40 older adults (62 years or older) from this facility English and how to use a tablet as part of the learning intervention. To ensure that we learn about the community to properly tailor the intervention before launching it, we conducted a survey with 39 of the residents interested in our intervention. Results showed that the older adults are indeed interested in learning English and technology, and they also expressed interest in learning how to paint and dance. With this information we will finalize the planning of the intervention for which we hypothesize that their engagement will lead to cognition, functional ability, and well-being improvements.

• Ashley Avila, Gender & Sexuality Studies

  Faculty Mentor: Claudia Holguin-Mendoza, UCR Department of Hispanic Studies

  Examining Mexican Spanish & Exploring the Implications of Calling Mexican Spanish “Incorrect” in U.S. Spanish Classes

   

  When Mexican Spanish speakers take a Spanish class in the U.S., we are told that the Spanish that we speak at home is wrong; there are an abundant amount of people who recount these experiences. Yet, the standard Spanish taught in schools is not the Spanish used by Spanish Speakers in their communities (Faltis 1984, p.31). We are shamed for speaking and knowing what we know - linguistic shaming (Gallegos 2023). We are told that the words we use are “improper,” “slang,” “not a real word,” etc.. In my research I will be examining newspapers from Mexico, specifically Ciudad Juarez and analyzing words/phrases that have been traditionally considered “slang” or “improper” Spanish. I will focus on analyzing, explaining, and translating the meaning, and showing that any language or words used by a people are a valid part of a language because of its cultural meaning. I will also be exploring the ramifications of this linguistic shaming and will be explaining why we should not be calling a certain language that is used in a community “improper” or “slang,” because it makes people view themselves in a deficit thinking (Valencia 2010) point of view of themselves and their community. Finally, I argue that Latinxs bilingual sociolinguistic practices in the U.S. are part of the community’s culture, and that people should not be made to feel ashamed but proud.

• Martin Ochoa, Physics

  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Andrew Joe, UCR Department of Physics and Astronomy

  Proximity-Induced Magnetic Effect in Graphene Heterostructures

   

  Graphene has quickly gained prominence in two dimensional (2D) van der Waals heterostructure devices as a potential replacement for faster, multi-functional and more energy efficient electronics. The unique properties that emerge within graphene, such as high carrier mobility, external gate voltage tunability as well as good chemical stability give advantages over other materials. However, graphene lacks magnetic effects useful for integration into spintronics devices.Here, we aim to employ the use of heterostructures made of graphene and other 2D materials to induce magnetization in graphene and observe the anomalous Hall effect (AHE). To achieve this, we select a Ferrimagnetic insulator, Tm3 Fe5 O12 (TIG) to be a magnetic substrate. Graphene/TIG heterostructures have reported a spin splitting, however the AHE hasn't been observed. To improve spin splitting, we will place a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD), WSe2 , on top of graphene to enhance the Spin-Orbit Coupling in the heterostructure. We use mechanical exfoliation to isolate individual layers of graphene, WSe2 , and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), then we use a dry transfer technique to stack h-BN/WSe2 /graphene heterostructures onto TIG film, grown in a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) chamber. After preparing the heterostructures, we will use nanofabrication techniques to define the device and then apply a high magnetic field for characterization. In this project we hope to induce magnetization and further discover the AHE present in graphene. Realizing AHE in graphene and spin splitting via Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) Oscillations will serve as an important step for furthering spintronic applications.

• Grecia Ortega, Media and Cultural Studies

  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jose Del Real Viramontes, UCR School of Education

  Exploring the Effectiveness of Digital Media in Enhancing STEM Education and Engagement Among K-12 Students

   

   

  As the use of technology increases, various forms of digital media, including online videos, interactive simulations, and educational films, are being implemented into classroom settings to supplement STEM learning and outreach. Teachers use YouTube videos created by educational channels such as TED-Ed to supplement their lessons and engage students with an accessible visual medium (Otchie et al.). Microsoft has created a classroom-friendly version of their popular game called Minecraft: Education Edition, which has specialized lessons on subjects such as computer science, math, and chemistry. A study done in 2023 found that exposure to STEM-related media, such as videos and video games, has a significant impact on fostering a student’s interest in pursuing a STEM career (Chen et al.). This study examines the current state of digital media in K-12 educational settings through a systematic literature review of various articles published within the last five years. This research aims to identify the opportunities and challenges when incorporating digital media in schools and evaluate its effectiveness in increasing student interest and understanding of STEM subjects. Through the literature review, the researcher will provide guidance on how to effectively implement digital media into classrooms to complement and promote STEM education in a digital society.

• Haley Penaloza, Anthropology

  Faculty Mentor: Richard T. Rodriguez, UCR Department of English

  “Calladita Te Ves Más Bonita”- Analyzing the Beauty and Power of Voice Through the Artistic Representation of two Mexican Icons

   

  The phrase “Calladita Te Ves Más Bonita'' translates to “You are much prettier when you are quiet.” This phrase has continuously been used in the Latino community to silence women who dare speak on issues of racism and sexism therefore challenging the notion that women should be silent and subservient. In Spanish, the diminutive suffix “ita” is used to add a layer of affection or to soften the meaning of a word. In this case, it is used to further belittle the receiver by diminishing its severity. The rise of movements like the Chicana feminist movement is due to the lack of intersectionality in traditional feminism and women wanting to push against traditional norms. Through this movement, we can see Chicanas take back their power and speak up against the injustices in their community despite what it might cost them. Silence is considered beautiful, outspoken women are risking “ugliness” for the sake of their community and themselves. Chicanas are either a Malinchista or fall into the ideal role of mother and caretaker. Throughout this research, I analyze and examine Mexican icons La Malinche and La Virgin de Guadalupe and how they are represented in Chicana artworks created by Yolanda Lopez and Mercedes Gertz. Furthermore, an in-depth examination of various sources, including "Sexuality and Discourse: Notes from a Chicana Survivor" by Emma Perez, is carried out to ascertain the ongoing influence of these figures on the contemporary Chicana Feminist movement. Overall, despite adversity, the need and power of voice prevails.

• Shranjeet Singh, Computer Science

  Faculty Mentor: Neftali Watkinson Medina, UCR Department of Computer Science

  Optimizing the Speech Recognition on EdgeAvatar to Detect English in Different Languages

   

  Speech recognition technology has come a long way, proving to be useful in different use cases. Notably in EdgeAvatar, a system to create virtual beings uses Microsoft's Azure for speech recognition. While effective for American English, it does not do as well with English in foreign accents. The goal of this project is to tackle this issue and allow EdgeAvatar to excel on foreign settings. To do this, a pipeline was created that uses an algorithm to detect what accent is being used in the audio. The modifying this audio into a way that is understandable by the Microsoft Azure speech recognition system. The testing of this pipeline displayed that it was effectively able to detect the accent that was being spoken and allowed the machine to understand it. The testing showed it had less bias to American English which is a significant achievement compared to the previous state of EdgeAvatar.In this paper we showcase a pipeline for transforming audio coming from an ESL speaker. The audio is then used as an input to a transcription model that is trained on native American English. Although this was successful, it still depends on Microsoft Azure to do the speech recognition and limits efficiency of the conversation of EdgeAvatar.

• Mario Arce Acosta, Applied Mathematics/Economics

  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Veronica Sovero, UCR Department of Economics

  An examination of education-occupation mismatch and wage penalties of DACA-likely eligible and ineligible college graduates

   

  Education-occupation mismatch, or educational mismatch, is the discrepancy between an occupation’s educational requirements and a worker’s educational attainment or field of study, that often results in a wage and productivity penalty than those that were educationally matched - and skilled immigrants face higher rates of mismatch and wage penalties (Li and Lu, 2022; Hsin and Ortega, 2018). The 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy allows youth that meet certain criteria as youth to be shielded from deportation and allows them work authorization within the United States. We look at the education-occupation mismatch rates and wage penalties of DACA-likely eligible and ineligible college graduates by building econometric models for mismatch and wage with U.S.-born citizens as the benchmark category. Our results indicate that DACA-likely eligible and working, college graduates face higher rates of vertical and horizontal mismatch, and receive greater associated wage penalties for being mismatched than their U.S.-born citizen peers.

• Danna Castro Rueda, Chemistry

  Faculty Mentor: Joseph Genereux, UCR Department of Chemistry

  Handling Mistargeted Proteins: Quality Control of Transthyretin in the Cytosol

   

  Proteins have designated pathways in which they fold to their native state which allows them to complete their task in the cell. However, mutations can interfere with these pathways and result in mistargeting and ultimately causes the proteins to not reach the ER. Quality control mechanisms regulate protein pathways to keep homeostasis in the cell. Protein transthyretin (TTR) under normal conditions cotranslationally moves from the cytosol into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to form into their native states. We discovered that when TTR is mistargeted (purposely with mycolactone, which is a translation inhibitor) there is an unknown mechanism that cleaves TTR to avoid aggregation of this protein to prevent toxicity to the cell. Based on previous mass spectrometry data, we hypothesize that a protein known as DDI2 is responsible for this cleaving, which forms a more stable protein that will not aggregate in the cytosol. If TTR is not cleaved, it has the potential to aggregate into an amyloid which could result in cytotoxicity. By using drug treatments such as mycolactone, TTR can be mistargeted, blocking its pathway into the ER. Additionally, adding DSP will also crosslink interacting proteins to TTR. If our hypothesis is correct it should link DDI2 to TTR, which will be validated using mass spectrometry. Additionally, we will attempt to use different shRNAs to silence DDI2 in hopes of seeing the cleaved form of TTR no longer appear, indicating that DDI2 was responsible for the cleaving. This will provide us with more information of fundamental biology on how the cell handles mistargeted proteins in the cytosol.

• Neida Barco, B.S Cell, Molecular & Developmental Biology

  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Monica J. Carson, UCR School of Medicine Division of Biomedical Sciences

  Age and Sex Specifc Inflammation Differences in TREM2-KO Mice

   

  TREM-2, triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2, is a gene that is exclusively expressed in microglia in a healthy brain. TREM-2 is a receptor for multiple ligands and regulates multiple microglial functions including inflammatory signaling as well as its homeostatic and disease-associated microglia (DAM) states. Throughout development, there is an increased TREM-2 expression during neuronal synapse elimination, neuronal wiring, and brain connectivity. To further investigate neuro-inflammatory responses, mice of two different genetic backgrounds, wild type and TREM-2-KO, were treated with IP-LPS, a component of bacteria that induces a peripheral innate immune response. To begin analyzing the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), bulk RNA was collected from whole brain tissues of both groups and followed by a Nanostring Neuropathology Panel for the quantification of gene expression. With Rosalind software, the differentially expressed genes were identified and compared between the control and IP-LPS injected mice. The up-regulated and down-regulated genes were organized between sex and age. After comparing male and female mice throughout 3 different ages, pup, adult, and old, two distinct observations were made. Firstly, male mice are more dependent on TREM-2 as we seen that male mice tend to have more differentially expressed genes, compared to the females. Second, both sexes showed less DEGs the older the mice got, which is consistent with previous studies that describe the expression of TREM-2 as a function of age. Overall, this project shows that there are age and sex specifc genetic responses to inflammation. Future studies are required to study the differences in genes expressed by the sexes and their changes as they age.

• Rachel Francis, Psychology

  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Tuppett Yates, UCR Department of Psychology

  Evaluating the Impact of Parental Praise on Problem-Solving Persistence in Children

   

  Child-directed praise is commonly seen as a form of positive parenting that promotes child development.However, the effects of praise may vary depending on the type of praise given. This study examines how three distinct forms of parental praise (i.e., process, person, and ambiguous) affect children’s problem-solving persistence. We hypothesize that process praise, highlighting child effort, will foster persistence, whereas person praise, emphasizing child characteristics, will undermine child persistence. This study examined 244 parent-child dyads (children are 50.2% assigned female sex and 45.9% Latine) to investigate the impact of praise received at age 4 on children’s later problem-solving persistence at age 8. Independent coders rated child-directed praise across a series of challenging parent-child tasks during a laboratory assessment at age 4. Children’s problem-solving persistence was assessed by separate sets of coders during these same tasks at age 4 and similar parent-child interaction tasks at age 8. A linear regression holding child sex, ethnicity, SES, IQ, and prior persistence constant, revealed unique positive contributions of process praise (β=0.207, p = .002) and ambiguous praise (β = 0.170, p = .009) to increased problem-solving persistence. Conversely, person praise predicted decreased persistence at age 8 (β = -0.163, p = .004). These findings underscore the nuanced effects of parental praise on children’s problem-solving persistence. Ongoing analyses will evaluate mediation models to understand how parental praise may influence long-term adaptation via child persistence.

• Alison Garcia, Psychology

  Faculty Mentor: Rebekah Richert, PhD, UCR Department of Psychology

  Parental Socialization of Prayer Practices in Early Childhood Among Latino-Catholic Families

   

  Prayer, a form of communication with the divine, is a cornerstone of religious practice (Long et al., 1967). Understanding how prayer practices are introduced and maintained in early childhood is vital for comprehending broader aspects of religious socialization, especially learning norms and rituals (Richert & Corriveau, 2022). As routines and rituals are vital to family life, this study aims to understand how Latino Catholic parents socialize prayer practices with their children.

  Twenty-eight Latino Catholic parents (96.4% female), aged 23 to 48 (M = 32.18, SD = 5.888), participated in the study. Children (50% female) ranged in age from 3.60 to 5.98 (M = 4.57, SD = 0.711). Parents answered four questions about when parents started including children in open conversations with God, when children started imitating prayer actions, and the contexts and content of what parents were aiming to teach. Two coders coded responses using the Rigorous and Accelerated Data Reduction (RADaR) method.

  Findings suggest most children were invited to talk to God with their parents in toddlerhood. The format varied, with some parents incorporating prayer as a daily routine while others engaged more sporadically. By age four, a developmental stage marked by imitation, children begin reproducing actions influenced by family routines and religious observances (Richert et al., 2016). As prior research indicates that rituals and routines impact parenting competence and child adjustment (Fiese et al., 2002), this research provides an underrepresented context for future research to explore.

• Bigdail Gastelum, History and Philosophy

  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alejandra Dubcovsky, Department of History

  Marriage, Baptism and Social Integration of Asians in Colonial Florida

   

  In 1565, the Spanish established St. Augustine, Florida and relied on the Catholic church to convert Native people and bring them into the Spanish colonial project. With their baptismal, marriage and burial records, the Franciscans analyzed and produced some of the earliest demographic records of colonial America. While many of these records provide information about the Spanish colonists, others contain details about Indigenous people, as well as those from African and Asian descent. This paper explores La Florida, a digital archive of 75,000 records and focuses on one of the most understudied groups represented in these records: the people of Asian descent. By analyzing 15 baptismal, marriage and burial records from 1618 to 1763 of people of Asian descent, who are often referred to as “Chino or China” though that was not necessarily their actual place of origin, this paper investigates how the Catholic church understood as well as shaped people’s identity and status.

• Cigo Govea-Orozco, B.A Philosophy

  Faculty Mentor: Richard T. Rodriguez, English Department

  Queer Theory for Chicano/x Parents: The Role of Familismo and Language in the Relationship between Queer Children and their Parents

   

  The concept of familismo is almost always present when discussing Chicanx and Latinx culture. Oscar E. Patron defines Familismo as “a cultural value that involves individuals’ strong identification with and attachment to their nuclear and extended families, and strong feelings of loyalty, reciprocity, and solidarity among members of the same family” (Patron 2021). This paper focuses on how familismo can help navigate the acceptance from Chicano parents of their children's queer identities and gender identities. I will delve into the struggles queer and trans-chicano folks experience when navigating these familial dynamics and attempt to complicate the notion of familismo to think about how we can expand its meaning to include queer and trans individuals. I will challenge the idea that Chicanx culture is inherently homophobic, while at the same time drawing attention to the normativity around the way familial dynamics are understood. Moreover, this paper explores the role language plays in mitigating these relationships. It emphasizes the complexities that arise due to the lack of direct translations from English to Spanish for terms related to queer and trans identities. I underscore the evolution of language in fostering acceptance and support within Chicano families for their queer and trans-identifying children. This project aims to expand the understanding of familismo and promote broader acceptance among Chicano families by advocating for an inclusive approach to language and culture.

• Alberto Reyes, Geophysics

  Faculty Mentor: Andrey Bekker, UCR Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

  EVIDENCE FOR ATMOSPHERIC O2 WITHIN MOROCCAN ATLAS RANGES CARBONATES

   

  In the Earth’s atmosphere today, Oxygen makes up 21% of the air we breathe. The Great Oxidation Effect (GOE) describes the increased signs of atmospheric oxygen in our present atmosphere, which could stem from a period between 2.4 to 2.1 billion years ago. In the past Oxygen levels may have ranged as low as 1%-10% (Bekker, Holland 2011). The GOE can be tracked geochemically, through a selection of rocks from before, during, and after this period, to demonstrate significant atmospheric changes. By observing the ratio of d18O , carbon and nitrogen isotopes in carbonates, we are able to see a correlation between isotopic fractionation and atmospheric O2. This study in particular observes the exposed 500 Mya Neoproterozoic-Cambrian carbonates from the Anti-Atlas and High Atlas ranges of Morocco, Africa. Here, over 50 samples are processed via a diamond-coated micro-drill to extract sample powder that is then used to determine d18O and d13C ratios within the rock. Results thus far have shown us nitrogen (d15N) levels consistent with this time interval. Learning more about the complex relationships between multiple isotopic systems can help us better understand their correlation to atmospheric conditions and can better inform us of geochemical changes throughout Earth’s evolution.

• Maricela Toops, Microbiology

  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Caroline Roper, UCR Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology

  Investigating the Gene PD_0551 of Xylella fastidiosa and its Role in Pierce’s Disease of Grapevines

   

  Pierce’s disease of grapevines is caused by the phytopathogenic bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa. This pathogen resides in the xylem vascular system of the host and subsequently causes symptoms of marginal leaf necrosis, leaf scorching, and even death of the plant. The disease is endemic to California but has recently been introduced in Europe, with devastating consequences to its agricultural industry (Rapicavoli et al., 2024). To contribute to the fight against Xf, the laboratory of Dr. Caroline Roper investigates Xf genes that may be involved in infection of grapevines. In particular, this research project focuses on the Xf gene called PD_0551. To study the possible effects of PD_0551 in contributing to Pierce’s disease in grapevines, I generated a deletion knockout mutant of gene PD-0551 in Xf using various different techniques necessary for molecular cloning, including genomic analysis, designing primers and a plasmid, PCR amplification, and gel electrophoresis. The pathogenicity of the knockout mutant strain will be compared to that of wild type Xf using 80 grapevine plants total, with 30 plants infected with the ΔPD_0551 strain, 30 plants infected with wild type Xf, and 20 plants inoculated with the negative control, PBS, or phosphate-buffered saline solution. The 80 grapevines will be evaluated for disease symptoms over the course of several weeks, on a disease rating scale ranging from 0 (healthy) to 5 (plant death). After the disease rating period, plant tissue will be harvested from each grapevine to measure their bacterial titer. Findings from this study will contribute towards understanding PD_0551's role in Pierce's disease.

• Edward Almaraz, Computer Engineering

  Faculty Member: Dr. Philip Brisk, UCR Department of Computer Science & Engineering

  Simplified Memory Layout in Field Programmable Gate Array Clusters

   

  Modern Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) contain programmable logic elements and memory banks, enabling deployment of complex distributed applications. Unified Distributed Memory System (UDMS) streamlines memory access by introducing virtual memory, which can be allocated dynamically across a cluster of FPGAs.

  Our implementation of UDMS is distributed across multiple Alveo U280s connected via Ethernet and utilizes Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) to transfer data between the FPGAs. This design integrates virtual pages spanning the entirety of Alveo cards’ High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), creating a unified virtual address space across the FPGAs. UDMS utilizes a page table to track all memory pages within the virtual address space, along with offsets to access words (smaller blocks of memory) within a page. UDMS Load and Store operations integrate data communication with local and remote memory buffers, enabling seamless integration into a larger managed memory pool.

  The UDMS hardware design successfully provides a memory abstraction appropriate for FPGA clusters at a reasonable cost in terms of FPGA resource usage. UDMS enables FPGA developers to dynamically allocate memory in a manner that simplifies the development and deployment of complex applications that feature arbitrary memory access patterns.

• Karina Chang, Neuroscience

  Faculty Mentor: Joshua Hartman, UCR Department of Chemistry

  Structuring a Growth Mindset in Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum

   

  General chemistry presents numerous conceptual challenges that act as barriers for undergraduate science students. These barriers are known to disproportionately impact first-generation college students and students from underrepresented minority backgrounds, highlighting the need for targeted support and resources. Our research, which aims to significantly improve student learning outcomes in general chemistry using mastery grading and interactive courseware, could be a game-changer for underrepresented minorities (URM) and first-generation students at the University of California, Riverside. Traditional chemistry course structures rely on one or two midterms, a final exam, and practice from textbook’s end-of-chapter questions. Course structures relying on high-stakes exams can deleteriously impact student performance and morale.

  In comparison, a mastery grading system provides a low-stakes environment that encourages a growth mindset. Within the mastery grading framework, students have frequent unit exams with multiple opportunities for retakes. Interactive courseware that provides immediate feedback and provides resources for students to improve their understanding of challenging concepts between successive attempts. Preliminary results using mastery grading and interactive courseware show a 7.1% improvement in the mean performance on a common final assessment relative to the control group relying on traditional high-stakes testing. The focus of our current work involves building out the resources to deploy mastery grading department-wide.

• Phiphi Dinh, Bioengineering

  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Chung-Hao Lee, UCR Department of Bioengineering

  Creating In Vitro Aneurysm Phantoms for the Purpose of Particle Image Velocimetry

   

  Brain aneurysms occur when the walls of a blood vessel inside the brain weaken and form a focal dilation.  The rupturing of brain aneurysms can cause major damage to a patient's neurovascular health and in many cases premature mortality.  Current treatments for brain aneurysms include open surgical clipping, minimally invasive endovascular procedure using detachable coils, and flow diverting stents.  In vitro flow tests of cerebral vascular systems with patient-specific aneurysm geometries are critical for determining the efficacy and performance of new aneurysm treatment devices.  These tests require a clear and smooth aneurysm model, called phantoms, which involve a series of engineering and manufacturing processes not universally available to all bioengineering researchers. My project focused on the affordable, in-vitro modeling and phantom creation with the intent to use in flow loops to further the study of aneurysm treatment.

  For this project, I 3D printed molds with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filament in the shape of a patient's specific aneurysm geometry.  I then conducted a chemical smoothing process to smooth out the printed layers of ABS.The mold was then casted in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and the ABS mold is later dissolved.  We expect to create clear aneurysm phantoms for the intent of studying flow dynamics within the cerebrovascular system.  The phantoms will have a unique geometry that accurately mimics a patient's vascular conditions.

  This low-cost procedure may be used to create phantoms at different sizes and a wide variety of shapes.  The phantoms and products of this research could be used to assist in testing of various aneurysm treatments and collect flow field data to validate computational models.

• Kaajal Sharma, Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology

  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Natalie Holt, UCR Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology

  Lifelong Benefits of Early Life Exercise: Impact on Adult Exercise Motivation and Musculoskeletal Adaptations in Mice

   

  Today, it is evident that the absence of physical activity impacts human health. This study seeks to unravel how inactivity during childhood sets the stage for adulthood. We hypothesize that exercise during growth will increase exercise motivation in adults and cause changes to the musculoskeletal system associated with improved running performance into adulthood.

  A previous experiment assigned mice to either a control group with no exercise wheels, a low exercise group with access to unloaded wheels during their growth period, and a high exercise group with access to loaded wheels during their growth period. At the end of the growth period (3 months), all mice were given one week of wheel access to assess exercise motivation. Half the mice were euthanized and their muscles were fixed. The remainder of the mice were given a 3-month washout period with no wheel access and then the same exercise motivation testing and muscle fixation. Here we will analyze the effect of exercise during the growth period on motivation to run and make measurements of muscle mass and muscle fiber length from the fixed muscles. We predict that increased exercise during growth will result in increased exercise motivation and small muscles with short muscle fibers, a common change seen with endurance training and that these effects will persist even after the washout period, indicating lifelong effects of early life exercise.

• Sarah Zohary, Environmental Engineering

  Faculty Mentor: Georgios Karalavakis, UCR Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering

  Are You Cooking or Being Cooked: Evaluating Ultrafine Particles and Health Implications from Common Cooking Oils

   

  Cooking oils generate a substantial amount of indoor pollution, posing a severe risk to indoor air quality and human health.  This study aims to characterize the air quality impacts of cooking oils from different feedstocks and with different chemical compositions (i.e., saturated versus unsaturated fatty acids).  In this experiment, 120 milliliters of each oil were sautéed in a pan on a hot plate, sequentially heated to 100 °C, the oil’s respective smoke point, and at temperatures of ±30 °C from the smoke point.  The ultrafine particle emissions were sampled above the hot oil through a tube 30 centimeters above the pan.  These diluted particles are measured in real-time using an Engine Exhaust Particle Sizer (EEPS) to sort particles by size.  The oil producing the smallest particulates is expected to be the most detrimental to air quality due to its potential for deeper penetration into the human respiratory system and its ability to carry more toxic compounds on its surface.  It is anticipated that unrefined, unsaturated oils will break down into smaller particles due to their lower smoke point.  However, before labeling any oil as harmful, we must consider other factors, such as the type of food cooked, ventilation, cooking temperature, and the health impact of ingested oils.  Future research includes creating two color-coded world maps: one representing the most common cooking oil in each country and the other depicting air pollution levels and lung health statistics to explore potential correlations.

• Isabel Romero, Biology

  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Emma Wilson, UCR

  Investigating IFN-g mediated autophagy in astrocytes infected with virulent and avirulent strains of Toxoplasma gondii.

   

  Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan and is arguably the most successful parasite on Earth infecting a third of the human population. T. gondii is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, the second most common cause of death related to foodborne disease in the United States. Those with compromised immune systems are at risk of developing toxoplasmosis which can lead to infection in the brain and inflammation of the central nervous system. A major cytokine mediating protection against T. gondii is IFN-g, which plays a crucial role in controlling parasites that have infiltrated the brain. IFN-g effectively inhibits T. gondii replication within astrocytes, the predominant cell type in the brain. IFN-g stimulated cells express IRGs, interferon-inducible p47 GTPases, which disrupt the parasitophorous vacuole, exposing naked parasites which are subsequently taken up and killed by the lysosome. The aim of this study is to compare IFN-g signaling in astrocytes infected with virulent and avirulent strains of T. gondii. LAMP1, a key lysosome marker in astrocytes, will be used to track parasite killing via autophagy using immunofluorescence assay and flow cytometry. Understanding potential variations in IFN-g signaling between virulent and avirulent strains could enhance our understanding of parasite evasion and reveal strain dependent differences in host manipulation.

• Ariel Ibarra, Biology

  Title: Developing a Novel Triple-Transgenic Reporter Mouse Model to Investigate the Modulation of the Intestinal Epithelial Barrier by the IBD-associated Gene PTPN2

  Authors: Arnel Ibarra, Nancy Saad,  Vinicius Canale, and Declan F. McCole

  Department of Biological Science, Cal Poly Pomona; Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California Riverside;  Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California Riverside

   

  Abstract: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, involves chronic inflammation of the colon and small intestine. Loss of protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2 (PTPN2) gene disrupts the intestinal microbiota, promotes proliferation of Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) a pathobiont associated with IBD, reduces number of Paneth cells, and decreases expression of antimicrobial peptides in mice. Conversely, segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB), a gut commensal that promotes Th17 cell differentiation, a major source of the protective pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17α, appear to be reduced in the ileum of Ptpn2-KO mice. Additionally, the abundance of IL-17+ CD4+ T-cells was reduced in the intestinal mucosa of Ptpn2-KO mice. Investigating the relationship between AIEC abundance and IL-17α levels can lead to a better understanding of IBD pathogenesis and developing interventions to reduce AIEC colonization or modulate IL-17α as targeted therapeutic treatments. Aims: This study aims to develop a novel triple-transgenic reporter mouse model to investigate PTPN2-regulated immune responses and cytokine mechanisms. Methods: The breeding scheme involves crossing three different transgenic mouse genotypes (Ptpn2flox/flox) × (IL-17αGFP/GFP) × (VilCrewt/wt), resulting in the final genotype (Ptpn2flox/flox, IL-17αGFP/GFP, VilCrewt/tg). Genotypes will be validated via PCR and GFP immunostaining. Tissue samples will be used to analyze multiple facets of IBD, including SFB levels and IL-17α quantification through qPCR. This novel mouse model will highlight the interactions between PTPN2 deficiency, gut microbiota dysbiosis, and immune dysregulation in IBD, paving the way for therapies aimed at restoring immune homeostasis in PTPN2-deficient IBD patients.

   

  Four Keywords: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Adherent-Invasive Escherichia Coli (AIEC), Segmented Filamentous Bacteria (SFB), Microbiota

• Andrea Barajas, Environmental Science

  Faculty Mentor: Jay Gan, UCR Department of Environmental Science

  Tire Wear Particles as a Source of Contamination in Lemons

   

   

  Vehicles are essential methods of transportation that require durable tires, and chemical additives are used to preserve tires and prevent oxidation. For example, N- (1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N’-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD) is widely used as an antioxidant and antiozonant in tires. However, 6PPD can be released into the environment by tire wear particles (TWP), which can react with ozone to form N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N’-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine-quinone (6PPD-Q) that has acute toxicity to coho salmon. Crops grown near roadways are therefore susceptible to contamination by tire additive chemicals including 6PPD and/or 6PPD-Q, but no data are available. Samples of leaf dust, lemon fruits, and leaves located along a segment of the 215 freeway were collected and analyzed to determine the presence of 6PPD and 6PPD-Q by liquid-chromatography and mass spectrometry coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Our preliminary results indicated that dust was a major pollution pathway of 6PPD and 6PPD-Q from TWP to the fruit trees, with concentrations in the leaf dust as high as 893 µg/g and 96 µg/g, respectively. In addition, 6PPD and 6PPD-Q were detected in various tissues of the lemon trees, with significant accumulation found in leaves (6PPD: 112 µg/g; 6PPD-Q: 10 µg/g) and lemon peels (6PPD: 20 µg/g; 6PPD-Q: 8 µg/g). Furthermore, samples of dust and lemon/orange tree tissues at incremental distances from the freeway will be analyzed with the aim of revealing the pollution scope and spatial attenuation of these emerging contaminants. The uptake and bioaccumulation of 6PPD and 6PPD-Q will be evaluated to estimate potential human exposure and risks.

• Alejandro R. Borboa-Pimentel, Environmental Sciences

  Faculty Mentor: Samantha Ying, UCR Department of Environmental Sciences

  Sin Agua No Hay Vida: Tap water quality and perception in Polanco communities in Eastern Coachella Valley.

   

   

  Polancos are mobile home parks composed of 14 or less housing units, are a prevalent housing type in the Eastern Coachella Valley first created to provide temporary, affordable housing for seasonal farmworkers. Today, the residents of Polanco parks are composed mainly of low-wage, undocumented immigrant agricultural workers, many of whom experience chronic drinking water insecurity. The tap water for Polancos is primarily sourced from unregulated, untreated, domestic wells that tap into an aquifer that is contaminated with naturally occurring arsenic. Previous reports have shown that some polancos access well water that contains up to 10 times the federally regulated concentration of arsenic (10 ppb); the well water serving a large majority of polancos remains completely or sparsely monitored. In this project, we partnered with Pueblo Unido Community Development Corporation (PUCDC) to collect tap water samples from polancos throughout the Eastern Coachella Valley, with a focus on parks where well water arsenic concentrations are expected to be high. Some parks have had reverse osmosis point-of-use treatments installed with funding support from the State or USEPA due to persistent well water arsenic exceedance; we will be comparing arsenic concentrations and other water quality parameters between treated and untreated taps. Tap water samples will be analyzed for key primary contaminants including arsenic and other toxic trace metals known to co-occur with arsenic (ICP-MS), nitrate (discrete analyzer), and other water quality parameters such as pH, total dissolved solids, and dissolved organic carbon (TOC analyzer). The data will be made available to by PUCDC to ultimately create informative reports and training materials to inform polanco residents on tap water quality and safety.

• Chantal Carrillo, Environmental Science

  Faculty mentor: Sam Ying, Department of Environmental Science

  Optimizing Groundwater Restoration: Enhancing Nitrate Removal and Mitigating Contaminant Mobilization during Agricultural Managed Aquifer Recharge (ag-MAR)

   

   

  Globally, more than 2 billion people rely on groundwater as a freshwater source, and roughly 40% of agriculture depends on groundwater primarily for irrigation (Levintal et al. 2022). Due to exponential population growth, increasing food demand, and changes in precipitation patterns due to climate change, groundwater is being extracted faster than it can naturally be replenished. Thus, leading to groundwater overdraft. Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) encompasses a range of methods being used to replenish aquifers, where excess water in rivers and streams due to storms can be captured and percolated into the subsurface aquifers. To recharge groundwater effectively, potential contaminants must be addressed first. This research focuses on how agricultural MAR (ag-MAR) methods can impact groundwater quality, which uses agricultural land for stormwater infiltration to supplement groundwater recharge. However, nitrate from agricultural fertilizer use can contaminate stormwater recharge that enters MAR basins. Past research has shown that nitrate can be treated with carbon-rich amendments like wood chips, which fuel microbial processes that convert nitrate into harmless N2 gas through a process called denitrification. Here, we use intact soil cores collected from an operational MAR basin at Kelly Thompson Farm, Watsonville, CA, in the agriculturally intensive Pajaro Valley region, to identify the biogeochemical processes driven by wood chip additions, specifically focused on the release and transport of potentially toxic naturally occurring trace metals in the basin soil. The results of this study contribute to our understanding of how to safely implement ag-MAR without inadvertent mobilization of trace metals, including manganese and arsenic, during nitrate treatment.

• Gabriel Tuazon, Environmental Science

  Faculty Mentor: Samantha Ying, UCR Department of Soil Biogeochemistry

  Manganese Cycling/Leaching from Wood Chips and Almond Products (hulls and shells) and its Interactions in the Soil Environment

   

   

  Over 2 billion people globally experience water stress and are becoming increasingly dependent on groundwater to meet their needs. To alleviate this issue, managed aquifer recharge (MAR) has been implemented as a method designed to replenish groundwater supplies by collecting and infiltrating excess surface water into underlying aquifers. Recent studies suggest that MAR basins enhance nitrate removal during infiltration, making them a promising solution. Carbon amendments to soils can enhance nitrogen removal during infiltration by stimulating denitrification. However, there is limited knowledge about the potential use of other readily available carbon sources and the impact of carbon amendments on other solutes, such as trace metals. Our study aims to address this gap by determining how different redox ratio cycles (alternating dry and wet periods) influence the release and movement of carbon and trace metals in MAR basins. We will utilize intact soil cores in flow-through simulations to provide a comprehensive understanding of the biogeochemical processes involved and to assess the feasibility of using alternative carbon sources for improved groundwater management.

• Maria Valencia, Computer Science

  Faculty Mentor: Zhaowei Tan, UCR Department of Computer Science

  Dynamic Optimization of Base Stations for Cellular Networks with Fluctuating User Locations

   

   

  Abstract: Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) is a network paradigm in mobile telecommunications that promotes open, programmable, and virtualized network architectures that support multi-vendor, disaggregated systems. By allowing base stations (BS) to be built using hardware and software from different vendors while still ensuring interoperability, O-RAN fosters a more flexible and integrated work environment. It enables closed-loop control to provide data-driven, and intelligent optimization of the radio access network (RAN) at the user level. A key component of this optimization is handover (HO), a process of transferring an ongoing call or data session from one BS to another as a user moves through different coverage areas. HO optimization employs intelligent and automatic HO techniques to enhance network performance, utilizing O-RAN control applications (i.e., xApps) deployed on RAN Intelligent Controllers (RICs) at the network edge. As users increasingly rely on smartphones and other connected devices (e.g., tablets, smartwatches) while moving between locations, the user connects to multiple BS that are located along its path. This paper addresses the challenge of determining what the optimal BS connection (i.e., the BS that will have the least number of HO) is based on device location where there is more than one BS the user can connect to. A traffic steering (TS) xApp that uses neural networks will integrate custom logic needed to manage the mobility management of individual User Equipments (UEs). Our hypothesis with this integration would allow for better TS with less handovers.

• Weston Andrew Hernandez Waggoner, Mathematics

  Faculty Mentor: Stefano Vidussi, UCR Department of Mathematics

  Applications of the Reidemeister-Schreier Theorem

   

   

  In this talk, we will be talking about the Reidemeister-Schreier process for rewriting group presentations. To accomplish this, we will first define the free group, F, and consider a subgroup H of F. Then, we introduce and use the Schreier transversal for H in F to construct a basis for H, denoted Y. Finally, we can define a new group H* to be the group generated by Y*={y*|y ∈ Y}, and show that the map sending y to y* can be extended to an isomorphism between H and H*.Therefore, it gives us a new group presentation for H, and we say that the group presentation has been rewritten.This is a useful process as it allows us to find equivalence relationships between mathematical structures.  Consequently, one structure maybe easier to work in than another.  If they are isomorphic to each other than expressions constructed in one structure can be mapped to another.  We will apply these ideas to study the abelianization map of the fundamental group of the trefoil knot which will allow us to distinguish the trefoil knot from the trivial knot and to prove that this is a fibered knot.

• Eric Thompson, Chemistry

  Faculty Mentors: Dermot Donnelly-Hermosillo, CSU Fresno Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Kristina Closser, CSU Fresno Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

  Integrating Computational and Organic Chemistry: Impacts of a Short-Term Activity on Imagistic Thinking and Epistemological Development in First-Semester Organic Chemistry Students

   

  Organic Chemistry curriculum needs to facilitate spatial thinking skills and promote epistemological beliefs to support students’ learning. Domain-specific imagistic thinking in organic chemistry requires students to mentally rotate molecules to understand interactions within chemical space. Students and experts differ in spatial thinking application, wherein experts utilize heuristics and analytical thinking to solve problems, but students rely on mental imagery (imagistic thinking) to solve these same problems. When solving stereoisomer problems, experts can determine stereoisomer relationships using analytical thinking, whereas students would need to mentally rotate the molecules to determine said relationships. Computational chemistry offers a unique approach to understand chemical phenomena through the use of models and interactive visualizations. Students, however, can struggle to apply various models of representation to understand chemical phenomena, based on the level of epistemological sophistication. Students with a naïve epistemology would believe knowledge is absolute, however students with a complex epistemology would believe knowledge is tentative and conjectural. Here, we propose an intervention, where students will complete a computational chemistry activity. The activity recapitulates the concept of hybridization to facilitate imagistic thinking and promote more sophisticated epistemologies. Students will take a pre and post-test of the Vandenberg Mental Rotation Test to determine what effect the intervention has on imagistic thinking. A pre and post-test, based on Perry’s Scheme, will determine if students' epistemological sophistication can be promoted by this activity. If successful, such activities could be implemented to facilitate imagistic thinking skills, and promote students' epistemological sophistication to learn chemistry in more nuanced ways.

• Amaya De Vore, Master of Science in Biology

  Faculty Mentors: Dr. Elisa Cabrera Guzman, UCR Department of Evolution, Ecology, & Organismal Biology; Dr. Alexandria Hansen, California State University Fresno, Biology.

  Evaluating the Effects of Fresno State's Mobile Making Program on Youth at the Boys and Girls Club of Clovis

   

  The study draws from a larger research project that investigates the impact of Fresno State's Mobile Making program on youth participants’ interest in Making, and their perception of STEM's relevance. The Mobile Making program is an afterschool initiative aimed at inspiring elementary students' interest in STEM through hands-on activities such as woodworking, electronics, 3D printing, and sewing. The goal is to foster creativity, problem-solving, and a deeper understanding of science and engineering. Through hands-on STEM activities facilitated by student researchers, participants create both functional and playful artifacts. This specific study examines the experiences of Boys & Girls Club youth who participated in a 5-session summer Mobile Making program. Youth participants completed reflections after each activity and a final post-survey. We analyzed these responses to determine which activities were most enjoyable and challenging, and how the program impacted their interest in STEM disciplines. We found that the Mobile Making program increased interest and confidence in Making and STEM.

  Youth highlighted several key aspects of the program, including sharing projects with the community, supportive project leaders, connecting technology to real-world applications, increased interest in similar projects, and opportunities for parents to see their work. This research provides valuable insights into STEM education practices, aiming to inspire young minds and foster a more innovative and capable society. In conclusion, the study underscores the value of hands-on STEM programs in inspiring young learners and preparing future STEM leaders, supporting the growth of an innovative and inclusive society.

• Jordan Incledon, Mathematics

  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Matt Rathbun, CSU Fullerton Department of Mathematics

  Understanding Generalized Hopf Bandings through Hopf Plumbings

   

  Knot Theory is a branch of mathematics dedicated to studying properties of knots. One way to understand knots is by seeing what surfaces we can fit around the knot with the knot as the surface's boundary. A rare type of this kind of surface is called a fiber surface. A surface fibers if we can split up all of S^3, which can be thought of as R^3 plus a point at infinity, into exact copies of that surface. Starting with a disk (a surface that looks like a filled-in circle), we can build fiber surfaces through operations called Hopf plumbings and generalized Hopf bandings. In both of these operations, we attach a special kind of twisted band to a fiber surface in a particular way, which produces another fiber surface. Performing Hopf plumbings and their inverse operations, Hopf de-plumbings (where we cut along one of these twisted bands), is enough to produce every possible fiber surface. So, it must be possible to express a single generalized Hopf banding as a sequence of Hopf plumbings and Hopf de-plumbings. In working on this question, we have identified eight different but related ways in which performing two specific generalized Hopf bandings results in the same surface as performing two specific Hopf plumbings.

• Jordyn Neal, Biology

  Faculty mentor: Dr. Misty Paig-Tran, CSUF Department of Biological Sciences

  Filtering is Rough: Quantifying Surface Roughness of the Filtering Structures in the Megamouth Shark

   

  The megamouth shark is one of three extant filter-feeding sharks that consume plankton. Separating plankton from water requires specialized filtering structures called gill rakers that attach to each gill arch. Filter feeding has independently evolved in each extant filter-feeding shark and the gill raker structures in each are morphologically different. The gill rakers in the megamouth shark are covered with thousands of denticles. Here we map and quantify the 3D surface morphology of the denticles in 15-30 areas along individual gill rakers. In addition, we imaged the epithelial tissue from the gill arch and also along the tongue using profilometry from three individuals as a comparison to the gill rakers. We measured surface roughness, skew, and kurtosis from denticles in each of the areas imaged. Denticle morphology and surface metrology varied on the gill arch, tongue, and gill rakers. The denticle bases on the gill rakers overlap and create imbrication, with variation in denticle shape from base to tip of the raker. This could be due to possible wear and tear from particle impaction and/or turbulent flow. Denticles along the tongue are bristled and angled upright, rather than lying flat on the epithelium. The surface roughness and 3D morphology of the denticles along the filtering structures may indicate a variable flow environment within the buccal cavity. Therefore, denticles with a higher surface roughness may indicate turbulent flow across the filtering structure. Future studies will focus on determining the relationship between denticle morphology on these filtering structures and water flow.

• Marco Hernandez, Computational Chemistry

  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Andrew S. Petit, CSUF Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

  Excited State Anti-Aromaticity Relief as a Quantitative Descriptor of Photoacidity and Photobasicity

   

  Photoacids and photobases are compounds that are normally weak acids or bases that become much more reactive following electronic excitation. Previous experimental and theoretical work has largely focused on charge-transfer as the cause of the increased thermodynamic driving force for proton transfer in the excited state. However, recent work from Judy Wu and co-workers argued that excited state proton transfer from photoacids reduces their excited state anti-aromaticity. In this study, we systematically compare descriptions that describe charge-transfer and excited state anti-aromaticity relief for a diverse family of photoacids and photobases. Our results demonstrate that the magnitude of excited state anti-aromaticity relief quantitatively correlates with the thermodynamic driving force for excited state proton transfer.

  Our calculations utilized ωB97X-D/def2-SVPD to obtain optimized geometries for the ground state and restricted open-shell Kohn Sham (ROKS) for the excited state. We probed charge-transfer by analyzing how electronic excitation and vibrational relaxation affects CHelpG partial charges. We used nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS) analysis to gauge the anti-aromaticity relief. The NICS calculations for the photobases were performed using T1 as a proxy for S1 at the ωB97X-D/def2-SVPD level of theory with a GIAO treatment of magnetic properties using the ORCA software. Photoacids used state-specific CASSCF/6-31G* with an active space consisting of all but 2 of the valence π molecular orbitals using the Dalton software. Overall, our results show new insights into photo basicity and photo acidity and developed a benchmarked computational protocol for accurately describing them.