Submission No. 1

University: UC Merced

Department: Molecular Cell Biology

College: Biological sciences

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Jesselynn LaBelle

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Stephanie Woo

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: TAEL 2.0: An improved optogenetic gene expression system for zebrafish

Inducible gene expression systems are valuable tools for studying biological processes. We previously developed an optogenetic gene expression system called TAEL that is optimized for use in zebrafish. When illuminated with blue light, TAEL transcription factors dimerize and activate gene expression downstream of the TAEL-responsive C120 promoter. By using light as the inducing agent, the TAEL/C120 system overcomes limitations of traditional inducible expression systems by enabling fine spatial and temporal regulation of gene expression. Here, we describe ongoing efforts to improve the TAEL/C120 system. We made modifications to both the TAEL transcriptional activator and the C120 regulatory element, collectively referred to as “TAEL 2.0.” We demonstrate that TAEL 2.0 consistently induces higher levels of reporter gene expression and at a faster rate, but with comparable background and toxicity as the original TAEL system. With these improvements, we were able to create functional stable transgenic lines to express the TAEL 2.0 transcription factor either ubiquitously or in the developing endoderm. We demonstrate that the ubiquitous line in particular can be used to induce expression at late embryonic and larval stages, addressing a major deficiency of the original TAEL system. We believe this improved optogenetic expression system will be a useful resource for the zebrafish community.

Submission No. 2

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Public Health

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Faculty

Name: Tanisha Garcia

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Kara Zografos

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Has The Affordable Care Act Influenced Cardiology Disease Rates In The San Joaquin Valley?

This study evaluated the effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) healthcare reform on Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) within the San Joaquin Valley (SJV). The sample consisted of Patient Discharge Data collected from the Office of Statewide Planning and Development (OSHPD) from the years 2010 -2017. The report provides a summary of CVD in the San Joaquin Valley and the burden held on residents despite the increased number of insured under the ACA. Key findings include: Did the ACA impact the distribution of insurance coverage for circulatory hospitalizations in older adults living in the SJV? To what extent does the drop in utilization of county indigent programs and self-pay account for the increase in Medi-Cal use?

Hypothesis incites that access to healthcare in the SJV increased due to the ACA. As a result, CVD patients from the age of 40-64 declined. With the data, we show how many individuals appeared in 2013 with county indigent or self-pay and changed in 2015 to Medi-Cal. Additionally, regression statistics provided the likelihood of people changing insurance from county indigent or self-pay to Medi- Cal. The evaluation of this data demonstrates the positive impact the ACA has on the SJV for those suffering from CVD. Any changes made to the ACA could be detrimental to the existing state of CVD in the SJV. Thus, causing more economic burden to the state of California.

Submission No. 3

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Mike Jian

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Mike Jian

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Crystal structure of a cross-species reactive nanobody in complex with human serum albumin

Nanobodies are single-domain antibodies derived from the unique heavy-chain antibodies found in camelid species. Nanobodies are attractive therapeutics as they are easy to produce, are highly stable, and can bind targets inaccessible to traditional antibody formats. However, one disadvantage associated with nanobodies is rapid renal clearance resulting in a short serum half-life. One innovative solution to increasing the serum half-life of nanobodies is to make use of bispecific nanobodies. In this format, a therapeutic nanobody is fused to a second nanobody specific for the highly abundant plasma protein, serum albumin. Such bispecific nanobody constructs targeting serum albumins have been shown to increase the half-life of therapeutic nanobodies. The use of an albumin-specific nanobody that cross reacts with albumin found in commonly used research animals is particularly desirable as the bispecific nanobody could be used in pre-clinical animal trials. Previously through immunization of a llama with human serum albumin, we have generated a panel nanobodies which cross-react with the serum albumins of humans, macaques, mouse, and rat. To determine the basis of the cross-species albumin reactivity of the nanobodies, we used X-ray crystallography and obtained the structure of the nanobody M79 in complex with human serum albumin. The structure revealed that of the three nanobody binding loops, only two of the loops (CDR2 and CDR3) interacted with human serum albumin. The M79 nanobody bound to the apex of subdomain IIB on human serum albumin, specifically forming polar contacts with residues D308, D314, N318, and E321. Comparison of the serum albumin sequences from human, macaques, mouse, and rat show that the residues in serum albumin that bound M79 are highly conserved amongst the species explaining the nanobodies’ cross-reactivity. These results give insights on the cross-species specificity of M79 towards serum albumin, and can bolster the use of M79 in animal model experiments.

Submission No. 4

University: University of California, Merced

Department: Economics and Business Management

College: Please see below

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Sang Hoang

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Justin Hicks

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Stock Price and Investor Information Availability

Information and investment decisions are directly related according to all fundamental models of corporate finance and economics. As such, I propose a direct measurement of capturing investor information with the use of Google Trends - Search Volume Index (SVI). Using the SVI of companies in the S&P 500 and their monthly stock prices; and monthly closing stock prices extracted from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Research Data Services database (WRDS) I ran a time-series regression from 2008 to 2018 and find that there is a significant relationship between SVI’s web searches and the price of a stock 2 to 4 months from the time the search index makes a major change. The relationships between the SVI and the stock’s monthly price is negative and statistically significant at the 2 month lag. In my findings, A 3 standard deviation increase in web searches leads to a .48 dollar decrease in stock price 2 months out, controlling all attributes of the firm. The implications of this research findings confirm that Google Trends’ Search Volume Index can predict stock prices.

Submission No. 5

University: University of California, Merced

Department: Political Science

College: College of Social Sciences

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Alondra Calderon

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Elaine Denny

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Stress Amongst College Students

In the University of California, Merced it was reported in the 2019 year alone, 52.3% of students were struggling with handing financial stress and 42.1% were struggling with overall stress. In addition, evidence suggested that students tend to have trouble with adjusting and fully being able to finish college because of overall stress put upon them. The purpose of this research is to understand the importance of the stress in students in order to find methods of coping and adjusting resources. An analysis done through this research showed that college students under more stressful circumstances tend to be less academically successful then those with on-campus resource knowledge and use. Researchers job is to find the right mechanism to improve not only resources to deal with stress, but also how to adequately provide those resources to students.

Submission No. 6

University: UC Merced

Department: School of Natural science

College: Math

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Ricky Yan

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Chen Yangquan

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Unmanned Ground Vehicle for Water Leak Detection

The Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) project is the future of the next generation’s agricultural gadgets. Instead of the past’s archaic methods of manually searching for leaks with acoustic procedures, the UGV project hopes to replace the previous methods with a more strategic appliance – a powerful camera attached to a fully autonomous vehicle. The experiment is implemented to obtain computer vision algorithm capable to detect water leak in pipes. By using background subtraction and optical flow method. Which enable the rover autonomously to navigate through way-points and detect pipe leaks more frequently, efficiently, and accurately than a field worker would. The experiment result is shown to be not perfect. However, we found out both two methods have its own strength. We like to conduct more future research to improve the result.

Submission No. 7

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Educational Leadership

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Doctoral

Name: Amanda Stewart

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Kimberly Coy

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Sense of Belonging in Digital Spaces

The purpose of this study is to understand the various ways that students finding belonging in digital spaces. In order to best understand belonging in digital spaces, it is important to understand what students find to contribute or not contribute to their sense of belonging when they are engaging in digital spaces. This research will also seek to understand which spaces for students are the most crucial for facilitating belonging.

Research Questions

Q1: How do college students make meaning of their experiences in university-sponsored digital spaces in relation to their sense of belonging on campus?

Q2: What kinds of experiences in digital spaces make students feel like they belong or do not belong on campus?

Q3: What potential do digital spaces have to impact sense of belonging on campus for college students?

Submission No. 8

University: California Health Sciences University

Department: Clinical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy

College: California Health Sciences University - College of Pharmacy

Category: Faculty

Name: Rebecca Leon

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Rebecca Leon (self)

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Using SPICE (Students and Practitioners for Interprofessional Collaboration and Education) to Tackle the Opioid Epidemic in the Central Valley

This study describes and evaluates the impact of an interprofessional collaborative called SPICE (Students and Practitioners for Interprofessional Collaboration and Education), comprised of health professional students and faculty from California Health Sciences University’s College of Pharmacy, Fresno State and community providers in Fresno County. This academic year, SPICE has focused on “Tackling the Opioid Epidemic” and its interprofessional activities have included hosting a journal club to review evidence-based literature about the opioid epidemic, the creation of a patient education newsletter to distribute to community health clinics, and the organization of a naloxone training/certification workshop. After each SPICE meeting, a validated and anonymous survey is administered to participants to assess changes in their perception about patient care and self-reflection of Interprofessional Education and Collaborative competencies. Research is ongoing, but preliminary data has been overwhelming positive, with participants expressing feelings of “empowerment to collaborate with colleagues across disciplines”, “challenged to think of solutions … [and] hear from a broad variety of inter-professionals and their perspective on patient care and clinical experience”, and “hope for the tackle against opioid abuse. This can drastically change the direction health care is going and educate future health professionals as students so they can implement these ideas into their professional work”. SPICE originally started with students and faculty from only three health disciplines, but it has since grown to include 6+ health disciplines, with an average attendance of 15-20 participants per monthly meeting. The research from this novel interprofessional collaborative will help researchers better understand the methodologies for preparing healthcare students and practitioners for interprofessional collaborative practice. SPICE also provides other institutions with an innovative, yet easily reproducible, model for interprofessional activities that move beyond profession-specific educational efforts to engage students and practitioners in interactive learning together to address significant public health issues. Submission No. 9

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Electrical and Computer Engineering

College: Lyles College of Engineering

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Robert Wong

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Shahab Tayeb

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: A Data-Centric Approach to Taming the Message Dissemination in the Internet of Vehicles

The Internet of Vehicles (IoV) aims to establish a network of autonomous and connected vehicles that communicate with one another and with road-side units (RSUs) and a central trust authority (TA). Messages must be efficiently and securely disseminated to conserve resources and preserve network security. Currently, there is much research on the security schemes and methods of disseminating messages. Furthermore, there is a deficiency of information regarding resource optimization. This paper takes an interdisciplinary approach by merging both cybersecurity and data science to optimize and secure the network. The proposed method applies Prim’s algorithm to an existing vehicular security scheme, Privacy-Preserving Dual Authentication Scheme (PPDAS), to further network efficiency in terms of time consumption. When a dual authentication security scheme is in place, the time taken for message dissemination follows a quadratic growth; applying Prim’s algorithm to the security scheme reduces the time to disseminate messages to a linear growth. The number of messages sent was decreased by a magnitude of up to 44.57. Prim’s algorithm had average savings in time by a magnitude of 42.17 and in power by a magnitude of 42.17. Contemporary security schemes are compared with PPDAS to justify the overhead consumption. The usage of network resources, such as time and power, is reduced, which substantially enhances the performance of the vehicular network and allows for the scalability of the IoV.

Submission No. 10

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Michelle Scire

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Cory Brooks

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Protein crystallography reveals a rare intra-disulfide bond within a human antibody CDR3 loop

Over 80% of adenocarcinomas express an abnormal version of the mucin protein MUC1. Abnormal MUC1 is unique and distinguishable from normal MUC1 due to its hypoglycosylated nature, which exposes a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) in the amino acid sequence. The VNTR can be targeted by antibodies for therapeutic purposes and has been deemed the second most promising target of 75 potential tumor associated antigens. Preliminary studies discovered a promising antibody that targets the VNTR called H16K6. The objectives of this study are to determine if a known anti-MUC1 antibody H16K6 can be crystalized and if that crystal structure can be solved and analyzed. The antibody was first purified from Chinese hamster ovarian cells transfected with H16K6 DNA. A crystal screening tray was set up and crystals were harvested. Diffraction data was collected, translated, and the H16K6 Fab structure was solved using molecular replacement. Antibody H16K6 contained an abnormally long complementarity determine region three (CDR3) binding loop on the heavy chain. Additionally, the CDR3 binding loop contains a rare intra-disulfide bond. These findings are curious because CDR loops are tasked with binding antibody targets, therefore this CDR3 loops unique characteristics may affect VNTR binding affinity. Future studies will look at the impact of the CDR3 intra-disulfide bond in binding the MUC1 VNTR by first performing binding studies. Next, the intra-disulfide bond will be mutated out and the binding studies repeated to determine the disulfide bonds impacts and purpose.

Submission No. 11

University: University of California, Merced

Department: School of Engineering

College: School of Engineering

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Diana Cruz Garcia

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Kara E. McClskey

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Stem Cells to Vasculature within a Microfluidic Device

As the fields of tissue engineering and drug discovery transition towards using larger organoids, they are limited by integration with perfusable blood vessels. Thus, the need for developing perfusable vascular is mounting. Using a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic devices, perfusable blood vessels have been generated by seeding human aortic endothelial cells (HUVECS) and normal human lung fibroblasts (NHLFs) within fibrin or collagen gels, however, these vessels do not integrate with other cells/tissues. This study examined the ability to co-differentiate both endothelial cells (ECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) from a population of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC)-derived vascular progenitor cells (VPCs) within our 3D microfluidic device. Using our two-step serum free induction protocol for EC derivation, we have explored different matrix combinations (fibrin, fibronectin, collagen I& IV) that co-direct VPCs into neo-vessel structures. This research explores the co-differentiation of multiple tissues that can later be incorporate in the development of larger organoids.

Submission No. 12

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Nicholas Olveda

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Qiao-Hong Chen

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Luteolin derivatives selectively suppress androgen receptor-positive LNCaP prostate cancer cell proliferation

Prostate cancer is a global issue with high prevalence in the U.S., South America, Central and South Africa, and Australia. Current treatments for advanced stages of prostate cancer often results in recurrence. Luteolin is a dietary flavone ubiquitously distributed in several of vegetables and fruits, as well as traditional medicines. Luteolin has been demonstrated to have capability in suppressing prostate cancer cell proliferation in cell models and in reducing tumor size in mice models. However, the therapeutic potential of luteolin is limited by its moderate potency. To alleviate this drawback, fifteen new 7-O-substituted-3',4',5-O-tertramethylluteolins have been designed and synthesized from commercially available hesperidin through a four-step procedure, including oxidation, global methylation, glucoside hydrolysis, O-alkylation, and N-alkylation. Among them, twelve derivatives have so far been evaluated for in vitro potency against both androgen receptor-positive LNCaP cells and androgen receptor-null DU145 and PC-3 cell lines. Luteolin and enzalutamide (a current leading prostate cancer therapy) were used as positive controls. The following conclusions can be drawn from our current data from the WST-1 cell proliferation essay: (1) modification on 7-OH of trimethylluteolin can significantly improve its antiproliferative potency; (2) 7-O-bromopropyl-3',4',5-O-tertramethylluteolin was established as the optimal compound that is more effective towards androgen receptor-positive LNCaP cells than androgen receptor-null cell models; and (3) the optimal derivative exhibits greater efficacy than enzalutamide in the LNCaP cell model.

Submission No. 13

University: Modesto Junior College

Department: Human anatomy

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Faculty

Name: Derek Madden

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Derek Madden

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Does a vegetarian diet reduce physical activity? Evidence from studies on wild primates.

Acquiring nutrients to sustain life in the natural world may influence body movements. We explore this concept by comparing range of motion in monkeys with omnivore (plant & non-plant-based foods) vs vegetarian diets.

We were approved by the Nicaraguan government for a 1-month study at Maderas Rainforest Conservancy on Ometepe; a 276 square meter island situated in lake Nicaragua. We conducted 3 days habituating with wild populations of white-faced capuchin (Cebus capucinus) and black howler monkey (Alouatta caraya), followed by 23 consecutive days of field study. We employed standard field methods for 30-second focal observations to acquire random data on body positions during primate excursions through various forest types.

Howlers and capuchins were often in neutral hip postures (e.g. for climbing and quadrupedal walking), with capuchins (omnivore diet) displaying the greatest thigh range of motion (P < 0.1; F/F-critical = 38.79/4.01).

Omnivorous primates engage frequent wide-ranging leg actions to obtain widely scattered and difficult to access foods, such as mobile prey and grubs ensconced in tree bark. In contrast, howler monkeys’ plant-based food resources were abundant and required reduced finesse to acquire. We speculate whether the diverse nutrients in the omnivore diet makes dynamic physical activity possible from an energetic perspective; whereas vegetarian diets favor slower, energy-saving physical activity.

Submission No. 14

University: University of California, Merced

Department: Department of Natural Sciences

College: Department of Natural Sciences

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Gabriel Viramontes

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Clarissa Nobile

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Identification of Transcription Factors Regulating Caspofungin-induced Flocculation

Candida albicans is a commensal of the human and also the most common human fungal pathogen. Changes to the host immune system, pH, and microbiota can lead to C. albicans overgrowth, causing life-threatening, disseminated infections. One treatment for invasive Candida infections is the commonly prescribed drug Caspofungin. This drug treats the infection via the inhibition of b-(1,3)-D- glucan synthesis, causing fungal cell wall repair to halt, resulting in cell death. Interestingly, C. albicans yeast cells will flocculate, tightly adhering to one another, in response to Caspofungin treatment. We hypothesize that flocculation is a fungal stress response that increases C. albicans resistance and survival to Caspofungin, and that this phenomenon is regulated by several transcription factors. We took a forward genetic screening approach using a transcription factor (TF) deletion mutant library to identify TFs with altered abilities to flocculate. Thus far, we have identified that deletion of transcription factors EFG1, FLO8, CAS5, ACE2, FCR1,RGT1,SUT1,BCR1,HAC1,ZCF9, orf19.668, and orf19.1729 resulted in aberrant flocculation after exposure to Caspofungin. Based on these results, we are beginning to mechanistically understand the regulation of this drug response at the molecular level. In the future, this work has the potential to lead to the development of new therapeutic solutions against pathogenic fungi.

Submission No. 15

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: HEAL

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Cynthia Villalobos

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Nicole Walsh

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Aiding Veteran Students with their Transition into Higher Education

Veteran student populations are on the rise across the U.S. due to benefits from the revised Post 9/11 G.I. Bill that guarantees financial assistance for housing and education for exiting service members. As veterans begin their transition into their new student identity, pre-existing identities are in competition in the reprioritizing process. Institutions seeking integration practices for this student population fail to acknowledge the multiple identities that veterans bring to the campus community and do not provide proper social support from peers alike. The purpose of this study is to examine how cohort programs for this student population provides support for veterans transitioning in their new student identity as well as with retention and degree completion at California State University, Fresno (Fresno State). This qualitative study will be conducted utilizing one-on-one in-depth interviews and document analysis to examine how effective the Veteran Education Program assists veteran students at Fresno State. After completing my research, recommendations will be given for institutions and educational leaders to consider as they work to better support this student population.

Submission No. 16

University: UCSF - Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Alexandra Hough

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Tricia Van Laar

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae Biofilms

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a pathogenic bacterium that causes significant clinical infections. Its virulence can be attributed to its ability to form biofilms. Biofilms are communities of microorganisms that can be very difficult for the immune system to clear without antibiotics. Another concern is the recent emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) K. pneumoniae strains.

Biofilms have been described as allowing bacteria to tolerate antibiotics. Recent research suggests though that previously sensitive cells within a biofilm can develop resistance to an antibiotic after continued exposure. The objective of this study is to determine whether previously sensitive K. pneumoniae cells can develop resistance while inside a biofilm, therefore evolving the ability to grow in antibiotics without a biofilm.

Biofilms of an MDR K. pneumoniae strain were grown on glass discs and treated with either 5 times or 100 times the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of kanamycin (kan), a select antibiotic the strain is sensitive. After 24 hours of treatment, the biofilms were placed in antibiotic-free media for 24 hours. After every treatment and recovery period, the biofilm on one disc in each treatment condition were disrupted and plated on 0x, 5x, 100x MIC kan LB agar plates.

The cells in biofilms treated with 5x MIC kan were able to develop resistance to 5x MIC kan MIC in a single day. The cells in biofilms treated with 100x MIC kan had developed resistance to 100x MIC kan as early as 4 days. Cells from untreated biofilms were never able to grow on antibiotic LB agar.

We then extracted and sequenced whole genomic DNA from the biofilms. In our preliminary data, the breseq pipeline our preliminary analysis has identified single nucleotide polymorphisms in cells resistant to 100x MIC kan. By identifying genes mutating during antibiotic therapy, better treatments may be developed to combat resistance evolution. Submission No. 17

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Physics

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Kylee Ford

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Frederick Ringwald

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Statistical Analysis of Low States in VY Sculptoris Stars

The first detailed statistics of the VY Sculptoris stars, a class of cataclysmic variable binary star systems, are compiled and presented here. These light curves are time-series observations of these stars’ apparent magnitudes in visible light. These observations were made by the American Association of Variable Star Observers and were made available publicly on a server funded by the National Science Foundation. In each of the 29 stars in this sample, the presence of low states that define the VY Scl stars was confirmed. The VY Scl stars typically spend most of their time in a high state, and irregularly drop by between 0.4 and 7.6 magnitudes into low states. We have compiled tables of the depths and durations of the low states for each system. We discuss these statistics in the context of the explanation that the low states may be caused by concentrations of magnetism on the secondary star, namely starspots.

Submission No. 18

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Education HEAL Pathway

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Hailie Williams

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Susana Hernandez

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Understanding the Role Cross-Cultural and Gender Center’s Play in Supporting Minority Students at a Minority-Serving Institution

Research indicates a dissonance between the success of minority students in terms of graduation, retention, and a sense of belonging at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). MSIs are colleges and universities designated and established by student enrollment standards, including the percentage of registered minority students at an institution. MSIs are producing less minority graduates in comparison to non-MSIs. Although MSIs are enrolling a sizeable number of students, they are not producing equitable outcomes. Empirical research determines that MSIs are not directly and positively benefitting their intended designated populations.

The methodology for this study is a qualitative narrative inquiry. The Cross-Cultural and Gender Center will be the focus of the study in regard to CSU Fresno being designated as an MSI. A narrative interview will allow for staff members’ personal feelings to construct the research. The methods to carry out the study include a marginally guided narrative verbal and/or written interviews of staff members that work within departments that work toward supporting and advancing the college experiences of minority students at CSU Fresno’s campus. Considering the summary of the results of the study, I am currently in the advanced stages of data collection. Preliminary data collection is ongoing.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine how MSI, CSU Fresno, a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), as well as an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving-Institution (AANAPISI) is supporting and directly benefiting their minority students with college experience and sense of belonging. The objective of this scholarship is to understand the role that Cross Cultural and Gender Center’s play in supporting its minority students.

Submission No. 19

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Laura Tellez

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Sylvia Miller

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Palliative Conversations for Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the Intensive Care Unit

Literature has shown early and frequent palliative conversations enable patients to make informed decisions about their care. This study will explore if and when palliative conversations are occurring between patients and their providers. Study subjects will be patients with a documented diagnosis of COPD admitted to ICU. Through retrospective chart review, data will be collected in an attempt to answer the following questions. When do doctors initiate palliative conversations? Is it by physician preference, or is there something in the patient’s symptomatology that prompts a palliative conversation? When during a patient’s stay in the ICU are conversations taking place? Who is obtaining palliative referrals and when?

Submission No. 20

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Criminology

College: College of Social Sciences

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Kaylee Jones

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jenna Kieckhaefer

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Sexual Assault & Sexual Harassment in the LGBTQ+ Student Community at a California State University

This study investigated the rates of sexual harassment and sexual assault in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) (the + in LGBTQ+ serves as a way to include sexual and gender minorities that are not explicitly covered by LGBTQ) and heterosexual cisgender student communities at a California State University. Specifically, the study will examine whether the rates of sexual harassment and sexual assault differ between LGBTQ+ and hetrosexual cisgender students. An online survey was distributed via departments and classes at the campuses. Additionally, school clubs and organizations that may have a higher number of our target population, LGBTQ+ individuals, were also contacted. The confidential survey collected demographics on the individual and information about their personal experiences with sexual harassment and sexual assault. After the sexual harassment and sexual assault survey, participants were routed to another shorter survey in which the participant could leave identifying information in order to receive extra credit and/or be entered into a drawing to win a giftcard. The second survey is not tied to the initial survey, so the participant’s name will not be attached to their responses in the first survey. LGBTQ+ students were found to experience sexual harassment at a significantly higher rate and sexual assault at a slightly higher rate than their heterosexual counterparts.

Submission No. 21

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Literacy, Early, Bilingual, Special Education

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Faculty

Name: Monica Billen

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Steven Hart

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Examining Influences on Preservice Teachers’ Culturally Sustaining Literacy Pedagogy and Practice

The journey in becoming a teacher who embodies culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) is messy and fraught with complexity (Pajares, 1992; Paris & Alim, 2017). As teacher education faculty, we have continually considered how to best prepare future educators. We aim for our preservice teachers (PSTs) to value and enact a social justice stance, which sustains their students’ diverse cultures and languages (Paris, 2012). We have wondered if the siloed structure of our teacher education program supports our PSTs’ development of culturally sustaining literacy pedagogy (Liu & Milman, 2013). To support this goal, we developed a unique looping model of teacher education grounded in the construction of a community of co-inquirers, including university faculty, PSTs, mentor teachers, and district administrators (Garrison, D. R., & Arbaugh, J. B. 2007). The purpose of the community was to create opportunities to collaboratively engage in multiple levels (e.g., community inquiry, faculty inquiry) of deep inquiry over an extended period of time. This critical ethnographic study (Hammersley, 1992; Springwood & King, 2001) focused on the developmental journey of 26 teachers and sought to better understand the process in becoming a teacher in an urban, low socioeconomic, multicultural setting. Data was gathered throughout a three semester credential program and the first semester of a master's program and concurrent first semester of becoming a teacher of record. The project and data collection will continue throughout the candidates’ completion of the master’s program and completion of their first several years of teaching. Preliminary findings include a description of the barriers to becoming a culturally sustaining literacy teacher, including (a) candidate’s pedagogical beliefs, (b) state requirements, (c) mandated district curriculum and a description of supports to becoming a culturally sustaining literacy teacher including (a) looping with culturally sustaining teacher educators (b) engaging in constant inquiry and (c) building relationships with children.

Submission No. 22

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Sitong Wu

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Qiao-Hong Chen

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Structure manipulations on aliphatic hydroxyl group(s) of flavonolignans increase the antiproliferative potency and selectivity towards LNCaP prostate cancer cells

Prostate cancer still has the highest incidence and the second highest mortality rate of all cancers in American men. The castration-resistant prostate cancer is the lethal version of prostate cancer, which deprived the life of approximately 30,000 U.S. men each year. The current therapeutics for castration- resistant prostate cancer can only prolong median overall survival by about 2 to 4 months. Androgen receptor transcriptional activity has been demonstrated to be the key factors leading to the deadly castration-resistant prostate cancer. Flavonolignans are a small class of naturally occurring hybrid molecules biogenetically originated from flavonoids and lignans. Certain flavonolignans have been demonstrated to have potential in treating castration-resistant prostate cancer. But the naturally occurring flavonolignans have moderate antiproliferative potency. This study aims to investigate the effect of chemical modifications of the aliphatic hydroxyl group(s) of a flavonolignan, Silibinin, on the antiproliferative potency in three prostate cancer cell models. To this point, 20 derivatives were synthesized from commercially available Silibinin. Our WST-1 cell proliferation assay data indicate that modifications on the aliphatic hydroxyl group(s) result in greater potency and higher selectivity towards androgen receptor-positive prostate cancer cells (LNCaP). There optimal derivatives exhibit nanomolar antiproliferative potency (IC50 values = 150, 340, 410 nM, respectively) in the LNCaP cell model, which is 60- to 166-fold greater than current FDA-approved second generation antiandrogen enzalutamide.

Submission No. 23

University: California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Department: Agribusiness and Food Industry Management

College: Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture

Category: Faculty

Name: Jon Phillips

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Jon Phillips

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Strategic Market Analysis: A Case Study of Beeswax Candles

Large companies mass produce candles that are not usually made of natural ingredients in different styles and shapes. Beeswax, a natural material that is currently being produced at Cal Poly Pomona, could be used to create new products including candles. This study examined the market potential for beeswax candles produced by Cal Poly Pomona. The business strategy research was based on secondary data. Existing sources were obtained and used to evaluate the market situation. Particular attention was paid to companies who market candles (potential competitors) as well as consumer needs. The study included an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) for beeswax candles. Beeswax candles would promote the use of natural candles that are hypoallergenic and produce less indoor pollution while being burned. The candle industry has many competitors with a wide range of marketing strategies, including pricing. The study identified strategic alternatives such as potential expansions in product lines, personal brand packaging, competitive pricing, different distribution channels, and utilization of campus and local promotions to help meet market needs. Beeswax candles are a niche in the market and something new to Cal Poly Pomona. The results of this study show that Cal Poly Pomona beeswax candles have an opportunity in the market with room for growth and development and they have potential to be very successful. This study encourages further development and presentation of Cal Poly Pomona beeswax candles to the local market.

Submission No. 24

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Educational Leadership Department

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Mai Lee

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Nichole Walsh

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Undergraduate Hmong Students’ Achievements at Fresno State

As the largest Asian-American ethnicity at Fresno State, undergraduate Hmong students may appear to maintain a constant presence on campus, but in actuality their academic achievements diminish with each passing year. As a general student population, Hmong students are falling behind in attaining the all-important Bachelor’s degree. Fortunately, a handful of Hmong students do find their way through the challenges of their collegiate studies to attain academic success. This study will identify and connect with high achieving undergraduate Hmong students at Fresno State in attempt to understand two points: (a) varying factors this student population consider as having, or had, an impact on their academic experiences, and (b) how participants maintain a balance of the responsibilities attached to each different factor. It will be conducted as a qualitative study with an asset-based approach and utilize a semi-structured focus group; which will then lead to selecting individual participants for a case study. Furthermore, the study will explore the experiences of different individuals in an attempt to discover what is unique to each student, as well as possibly identifying any shared commonalities with the larger group as a whole. The purpose for conducting this research is to expand our knowledge about what undergraduate Hmong students at Fresno State consider to be effective factors in support of their academic achievements. In doing so, the hope is to gain a better understanding of what institutional services are working to find social justice for this important student population.

Submission No. 25

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Psychology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Esmeralda Munoz

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Rosa I. Toro

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Filial Responsibility and Latina College Students Well-Being: The Moderating role of Acculturative Stress and Depression.

In Latinx households, there is a cultural expectation that youth contribute to the family (Orellana, 2003). Filial responsibility refers to engagement in caregiving (Toro et al., 2018). While some research indicates that filial responsibilities have a positive influence on adolescent psychological adjustment, cooperative behavior, and autonomy (Alvarez-Jimenez, 2009), other work states it is linked to problematic behaviors in boys (Kuperminc, 2009). To address this inconsistency, perceptions of fairness of filial responsibility has been a focus of study and shown to predict a decrease in psychological distress (Kuperminc et al., 2013) and higher levels of behavioral restraint (i.e. self-regulation: Kuperminc et al., 2009). Furthermore, Toro and colleagues (2018) examined the relationship between filial responsibilities, familism, and depressive symptoms among Latinx emerging adults and found that depressive symptoms were negatively associated with familism and positively associated with engagement in and perceived unfairness of filial responsibility. The present study investigated the association between engagement in different forms and perceived unfairness of filial responsibilities among Latinx adolescents’ socioemotional well-being and the moderating role of familism.

Instrumental responsibilities were positively associated with expressive responsibilities, perceived unfairness, familism, and both behavioral outcomes. Expressive responsibilities positively associated with perceived unfairness and both behavioral outcomes. Unfairness and familism were positively associated with both behavioral outcomes. Regression analyses examining the main effects of the different dimensions of filial responsibilities and well-being provided support for the proposed hypotheses. Specifically, results demonstrated that perceived unfairness was the only filial responsibilities dimension significantly associated with internalizing (β = .54, p < .01) and externalizing (β = .53, p < .04) behavior problems. Moderation analyses revealed no significant interactions.

Findings indicate there are additional factors to consider when examining filial responsibilities. Furthermore, they point to the importance of programs that support can be provided for Latinx families when children perceived engagement in filial responsibilities as unfair.

Submission No. 26

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Mathematics

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Summer Al-Hamdani

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Khang Tran

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: On Binomial Combinations of Chebyshev Polynomials

The sequence of Chebyshev polynomials of the second kind, given by {U_m(z)}, is a well-known sequence of orthogonal polynomials whose zeros lie on the interval (-1,1) and are dense there as m approaches infinity. In this talk, we study the zero distribution of a sequence of polynomials {P_m(z)} formed by linear combinations of Chebyshev polynomials whose coefficients are of binomial type. In particular, we prove that the probability that the zeros of P_m(z) lie on (-1,1) approaches 100% as m approaches infinity.

Submission No. 28

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Angham Ahmed

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Cory Brooks

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Determination of the Crystal Structure of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 Int277 Bound to Single-Domain Antibodies

Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 (EHEC) is a foodborne pathogen presenting a significant risk to human health worldwide. This pathogen is a highly virulent E. coli serotype, causing serious and potentially lethal infections. EHEC pathogenicity involves the adhesion protein intimin, which is a surface exposed virulence factor necessary for mediating intimate bacterial invasion and colonization. Due to its critical role in EHEC pathogenesis, intimin has attracted attention as a potential antibacterial drug target. Such drugs could prevent the interaction of intimin with its cognate bacterial secreted receptor Tir, thereby neutralizing the bacterial colonization of the host’s GI tract. One novel solution for preventing EHEC pathogenesis is by employing a unique class of antibodies known as single-domain antibodies (sdAbs, nanobodies, VHH), which were generated via immunizing a llama with EHEC intimin. These nanobodies exhibited a high specificity, affinity, and neutralization capacity against EHEC. Therefore, we hypothesize these nanobodies have the ability to specifically bind to the Tir binding domain of intimin blocking EHEC infection. The goal of this research project is to understand the mechanism of how these nanobodies bind the antigen by determining their crystal structure in complex with intimin. These nanobodies and intimin have been purified, and complexes co-purified using size exclusion chromatography. Crystals were collected for one of the intimin-nanobody complexes, sent out for structural analysis, and diffraction data were obtained. However, the structure could not be solved due to translational non-crystallographic symmetry. Next, we will collect diffraction data for the other intimin-nanobodies complexes and analyze their structures along with preforming in vitro inhibition studies of EHEC with mammalian cells in the presence or absence of these nanobodies to confirm their capability to neutralize EHEC.

Submission No. 29

University: California Health Sciences University

Department: Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences

College: California Health Sciences University/College of Pharmacy

Category: Faculty

Name: Farid Khalafalla

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Farid Khalafalla

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Novel insights into the role of P2X5 purinergic receptor in human cardiac progenitor cells

INTRODUCTION:Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of death due to limited regenerative capacity of adult mammalian heart following injury. Autologous cardiac progenitor cell (hCPC) therapy holds promise for promoting heart regeneration. However, hCPCs derived from aged HF patients with various comorbidities exhibit poor growth, survival, and communication with extracellular environment that could impair detecting extracellular stress signals and initiating appropriate regenerative responses post-injury. This study explores the role of purinergic receptors that primarily detect extracellular nucleotides released during injury/stress, with a focus on P2X5 receptor (P2X5R) activated by extracellular ATP. ATP stimulates hematopoietic stem cell proliferation and migration, mesenchymal stem cell differentiation, and embryonic stem cell cardiomyogenesis. Despite studying a variety of ATP receptors in stem/progenitor cells, the role of P2X5R has not been previously explored.

METHODS/RESULTS:hCPCs were isolated from cardiac tissue of HF patients undergoing left ventricular assist device implantation. hCPCs from multiple HF patients exhibit varying growth kinetics and senescence levels. Preliminary results demonstrate that P2X5R is upregulated in hCPCs with faster growth rates and lower levels of senescence markers compared to slow-growing hCPCs. Knocking down P2X5R impairs hCPC proliferation and survival under oxidative stress along with decreasing the activation of ERK, a canonical pro-proliferation/pro-survival signalling molecule. Assessing the impact of P2X5R knockdown upon hCPC senescence and secretion of cardioprotective paracrine factors is underway. The effect of augmenting P2X5R expression on antagonizing hCPC senescence, stimulating proliferation, survival, and protective paracrine effects on co-cultured cardiomyocytes will be tested. These findings will be extended in vivo to assess whether P2X5R overexpression in hCPCs enhances their reparative potential for injured mouse myocardium.

CONCLUSION:This study extends our recently published reports highlighting the impact of overexpressing select purinergic receptors upon rejuvenating aged hCPCs and enhancing their functional responses, introducing a novel interventional strategy to improve therapeutic outcomes of hCPCs in HF patients.

Submission No. 30

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Emmanuel Flores

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Tricia Van Laar

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Assessing Antimicrobial Resistance in Multi-Strain Probiotics

Probiotics are live microorganisms that can competitively exclude enteropathogens and beneficially modulate bodily systems when consumed by their host. Probiotic products often appear as dietary supplements containing various bacterial strains. Although their benefits are well studied, there is a lack of reporting on their ability to resist antibiotics. In this study, we obtained and sequenced five multi- strain probiotic supplements for downstream metagenomic analysis. We assembled genomes and plasmids from our paired-end reads with SPAdes and plasmidSPAdes assemblers. We then used the Kaiju taxonomic classifier to identify bacterial species within the supplements. In one of the supplements, we found bacterial Streptococcus pneumoniae, a human pathogen. However, in all the supplements we found other bacterial species not labelled on the nutritional information. We then used the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) and integrated it with the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) to construct a database of antibiotic resistance (AR) nucleotide sequences provided by CARD to align with our probiotic genomic and plasmid sequences. We found various genes conferring resistance to several classes of antibiotics. Lastly, we used the Bioinformatics Application for Navigating De novo Assembly Graphs Easily (BANDAGE) to visualize De Bruijin graphs of our genomic and plasmid assemblies to identify where AR nucleotide sequences are located in the assembly and which bacterial species carries that AR nucleotide sequence. We found that the genome and plasmid assemblies showed Bifidobacterium spp. containing most of the antibiotic resistance genes found in all the samples. Alongside these results, Streptococcus pneumoniae was found containing genes conferring resistance to erythromycin and fosmomycin. Results from this study will help identify overlooked risks in the use of multi-strain probiotics and can be used for future monitoring of antibiotic resistance.

Submission No. 31

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Department of Mathematics

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Audrey Baumheckel

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Tamas Forgacs

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Using Non-Constant Functions to Create Beatty Sequences

In 1927, J. V. Uspensky showed that if a non-trivial collection of k sequences of a special form partition the natural numbers, then k must be equal to two. Such a pair of sequences is called a Beatty sequence and its complement. In our research we investigated one possible generalization of his result. In particular, we considered replacing two constants in his construction with more general functions.

We have shown that given a bounded monotone increasing function f satisfying the constraints 0

We are currently investigating why this should be the case, and whether the only way to produce a pair of sequences which do partition the natural numbers is to use constant functions.

Submission No. 32

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Education

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Doctoral

Name: Ed Gonzalez

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ignacio Hernandez

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: A Comparison of Demographic Profiles and Academic Outcomes of Charter Schools and Traditional Public Schools in Fresno, Kings, Madera, and Tulare Counties

This study compared charter schools and traditional public schools in Fresno, Kings, Madera, and Tulare counties to determine whether there were statistically significant differences in demographics and academic outcomes between the two types of public schools. School choice advocates have posited that charter schools, freed from the bureaucracy and regulation of traditional public schools, would use their autonomy to become more innovative and improve academic outcomes for their students (Stein, 2015). It was further argued that charter schools would untether poor and minority students from failing neighborhood schools, and result in more integrated schools. This quantitative study examined differences between student subgroups and used Cohen’s h to determine effect size—small, medium, or large. This statistical method was used to determine if any differences were meaningful, or statistically significant, between the two types of public schools. Student demographics were identified by race/ethnicity, English Language Acquisition Status (ELAS), and socio-economic status (SES). Academic outcomes were measured by the percent of students who met or exceeded the standards in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math on the 2018/19 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). Findings were that charter schools differ significantly from traditional public schools in student demographics, with fewer poor, minority, and non-fluent students. Academically, however, there was no statistically significant difference between charters and traditional public schools. Viewed through the lens of Critical Race Theory and Whiteness Studies, the implications are that charter school advocates may have a less altruistic purpose than purported (Chapman & Donnor, 2015; Henry, 2019). A comparison of the 12 types of charter school configurations further found that charter schools differ significantly in demographics and academic outcomes depending on their origination (Start-ups or Conversions), their affiliation with a local district (Dependent or Independent), and their curriculum delivery method (Site-based, Online, or Blended).

Submission No. 34

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Dianne mae Benigno

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Kathleen Rindhal, DNP, FNP-C

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Assessment of the Prevalence and Causes of Recurrent UTI Complications

Introduction Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common conditions diagnosed and managed in the Emergency Department (ED), especially among young and middle-aged group women. Despite following the existing standard guidelines for UTI diagnosis, prevention, and treatment, UTIs are still prevalent and recurring cases lead to complications.

Benefits/Value The primary goal of this study is to identify recurrent UTIs among young women treated in the Emergency Department in one of the hospitals in Central Valley. Findings obtained from this study can lead to the assessment of the risk factors and the effectiveness of the treatment plan for UTI. Thereby, promote wellness and improve the quality of life and general health of the valley residents.

Method The researcher utilized a retrospective chart review to collect data identifying the preventable causes of recurrent UTI's. Data collection occurred within 6 months from January 2019 to June 2019. The subjects selected in this research includes women aged 18-49 years old diagnosed with uncomplicated UTI and had revisited the emergency room for recurrence and complications of UTI. Exclusion criteria include existing physiologic abnormalities of the urinary system, limited mobility, presence of a urinary catheter, urinary stent, urinary devices, history of a urinary procedure or surgical interventions, pregnancy; and comorbidities or illness that causes frequent UTI. The following exclusion criteria were determined to increase the risks of acquiring UTI.

Results Data analysis and results of the project are pending project completion. The final result of the research will be discussed in the poster presentation.

Conclusion The study will identify the increasing cases of recurrent UTI and women revisiting the ED due to UTI complications and possible admission to the hospital. Submission No. 35

University: UCSF - Fresno

Department: computer science

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Vikrant Doma

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Matin Pirouz Nia

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: EEG Sensor Network Based Feature Extraction for Predicting Brain Disorders

Detection of brain disorders and their onset is done by a number of diverse techniques in terms of software automation and human intervention. However, the software automation and human intervention thus far have aimed to distinguish between a healthy patient and a single mental disorder. The research done here utilizes electroencephalogram (EEG) brain signals to identify brain disorders namely: schizophrenia, insomnia, epilepsy, autism, and alcoholism from a healthy brain. Our approach can be used as a pre-screening tool to help diagnose a patient with a mental disorder and rule out other mental disorders within the same test. This system is based on data accumulated from five different datasets, one for each mental illness. The epilepsy and autism datasets consisted of 16 subjects each, insomnia contained 24 subjects, and schizophrenia contained 71 subjects. This research proposes a complex network-based feature extraction method, which extracts features such as average degree, global clustering coefficient, average shortest path, and several centrality measures from networks created out of EEG sensor data. These extracted features were used to create a new dataset of network statistics. Machine learning was applied to the newly created dataset. The machine learning models used are support vector machines, K-nearest neighbor, and logistic regression. All three were compared to see which produced the best results, which was K-nearest neighbor achieving an 85%. Whereas SVM and Logistic regression both achieved 77%

Submission No. 36

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Computer Science

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Parneet Kaur Saran

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Matin Pirouz Nia

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Three Minute Thesis (Please note only 20 will be selected.)

Project Title: Electroencephalogram analysis for prediction of Autism Spectrum Disorder with Machine Learning approach

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopment disorder associated with impairments in socio- communication, relationships, restrictions in thoughts, imagination, etc. Autism being identified as genetic, depending upon person to person and their socio-communication, it is important for computer science researchers to analyze the big data visualizations using phenotype features(age, sex, etc) of each patient. This paper aims to develop a framework in which the subject does not need to push emotions. It is done with machine learning algorithms and affective computing to produce a better man-machine interface. The emotion of disabled people was deduced through Electroencephalogram (EEG) signal by placing EEG headset electrodes on their scalp. To classify the emotions and to differentiate the person as autistic or neurotypical, and to extract features (wavelength, waveform, mean, etc) from EEG signals, the machine learning algorithms K-nearest neighbors (KNN) algorithm, Random Forest Classifier, Support Vector Machines, and Logistic regression were used. Based on data-sets for Autism in toddlers and Autism in adults, a prediction model is developed which predicts the chance of ASD characteristics so that parents/guardians can early steps and the performance rate of every method applied was determined to choose the best classifier model and precision rate achieved for best classifier model is 73 percent. This data-set supports the hypothesis that an electroencephalogram could be used to evaluate the performance of proposed methods and has the potential to benefit individuals with ASD.

Submission No. 37

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Education: Higher Education, Administration and Leadership

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Briana Rodriguez

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Christina Luna, Ed.D

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Academic Identity Engagement In College Student Athletes

College student-athletes are a unique group of individuals in that they have to navigate between two identities during their undergraduate career - student and athlete. These identities are in constant competition with student-athletes more likely to claim their athletic identity over their academic identity during their first few years at college. Most athletic programs have academic advisors and tutors to help student-athletes become academically successful and meet academic eligibility standards but do not focus on the holistic and academic identity development of student athletes. The purpose of this study is to explore how academic mentorship programs support academic success and engagement in college student-athletes. I use a combination of interpretivism and constructionism to acknowledge that identity is a social construction to conduct a qualitative case study that uses semi-structured one- on-one interviews to examine how academic mentorship programs influence the development and acknowledgement of academic identity in continuing student-athletes. I am currently in the advanced stages of data collection. This study adds to the current body of literature regarding student athletes and expands our understanding of how students-athletes balance their dual roles of student and athlete.

Submission No. 38

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Nursing Department

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Lindsay Jackson-Tito

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kammi Sayaseng

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Identify Parents’ Common Beliefs and Opinions About HPV and HPV Vaccine Among Low- income Hispanic Community Members in a Rural Setting

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection that has been linked to many cancers and warts in both women and men. In 2006, the first HPV vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration and introduced into the public. Currently, the HPV vaccine used in the United States protects against nine types of HPV, including seven types that cause cancer. The recommended age to begin the vaccine series is between 9-26 years, ideally before sexual activity begins. Vaccination uptake among adolescences, ages 13-17, remain low. Due to parents and guardians making health decisions for adolescences during the age of recommended vaccination, identifying how parents make their decision would be helpful in determining how to increase vaccine uptake. During the literature review, parental attitudes, beliefs and opinions about HPV and HPV vaccine was identified to be a major reason for vaccine uptake or declination. A twenty-item scaling questionnaire is currently being administered to a sample size of thirty or more for data collection. Questionnaires are distributed to Hispanic parents or guardians of children between the ages of 9-17 during a provider visit at a federally funded clinic in Fresno County. Population was identified due to researcher convenience. The questionnaire is administered in either English or Spanish depending on native language of parent. Consent is agreed to upon initiation of questionnaire. Data is pending and will be analyzed using Chi-squared and coded by computer assistance.

Submission No. 39

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Kremen School of Education

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Anyssa Garza

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Juan Carlos Gonzalez

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: The Importance of Sense of Belonging within Commuter Transfer Students

The purpose of this study is to interview commuter transfer students and explore who they are and the hindrances and contributors to their sense of belonging within a 4-year university. The interview focused on (a) what factors contributed to a sense of belonging, (b) what factors hindered a sense of belonging, and (c) how student affairs professionals should engage and support their development to a sense of belonging. Findings showed that while commuter transfer students have a difficult time to create a sense of belonging, once sense of belonging was developed their connection to the institution, faculty, and peers was strengthened. The reasons commuter transfer students did not develop a sense of belonging was numerous. This population of students felt like their sense of belonging was an important part of integration within the institution and feeling a connectiveness.

Submission No. 40

University: Worcester State University

Department: Biotechnology

College: Worcester State University

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Nathan DeMello

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Mariam Ismail, Jennifer Canfield, Cassandra Saitow

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: THE USE OF INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR AND RECOMBINANT E. COLI TO PRODUCE HYDROGEN GAS

The development of a photocatalytic H2 Production system can allow for the use of solar power as a clean renewable energy source. AM-6 crystals are a photocatalytic inorganic material used as a semi- conductor in combination with a biological system to produce this renewable energy source. Investigating the crystals and creating techniques to make them as reactive to sunlight as possible is a key contributor to the data collection. As electrons are released from the semi-conductor, a recombinant E. coli cell with the hydrogenase gene will combine the electron with a proton from water to make the hydrogen gas in a process called water splitting. Thus allowing for the harnessing of pure hydrogen gas from solar energy.

Submission No. 41

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Alyssa Morelli

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Morgan Hawker

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Utilizing radio-frequency plasma treatment to modify the surface chemistry of silk fibroin films

Silk fibroin (herein referred to as silk) has many properties that give it an advantage to traditional synthetic biomaterials. One of these properties is that it degrades enzymatically. This enzymatic degradation is tunable which allows silk-based materials to be deployed in a range of biomedical applications. Most studies that have attempted to modify silk degradation have done so by adjusting the bulk properties in a silk material. Changing the bulk properties presents a challenge because any such structural changes to the material can impact its intended function. In this work, we take steps to address this challenge by instead modifying the surface properties of materials while still maintaining their bulk properties. The goal of this work was to alter the surface chemistry of the silk therefore creating a route to control enzymatic degradation. We utilized radio frequency plasma treatment with hydrocarbon precursors to control silk film surface chemistry. Plasma treatment is ideal for the surface modification of polymer materials because it does not require any solvent and takes place at room temperature. Furthermore, plasma processing offers a broad parameter space, where variables include applied power, pressure, and precursor composition. The plasma modified films were observed by trends of wettability through the use of a water contact angle goniometer. These data establish trends in wettability as a function of plasma parameters. These studies represent the first steps in developing a comprehensive model for controlling the enzymatic degradation of silk through surface chemistry modification. The knowledge gained from these experiments will allow us to better understand how silk interacts with biological environments.

Submission No. 42

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Department of Viticulture and Enology

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Dianna Vazquez-Rosas

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Qun Sun

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: The Effects of Gypsum, Compost, Biochar and Sulfur Applications on Vineyard Soil Properties in San Joaquin Valley

Much of the agricultural soil on the west side of San Joaquin Valley (SJV) is heavily affected by drought and salinity. This research project was to investigate the soil physical and chemical properties in a commercial vineyard located in SJV, and to assess the impact of gypsum, compost, biochar and sulfur on the soil properties in a research lab.

Core samples were taken in the top 16 inches depth of soil using soil augers for the physical properties testing. Other samples were collected from the top 12 inches of soil with soil probes for the chemical properties testing. In the soil amendment test, three different levels of gypsum (5, 10, 15 ton/acre), 3 ton/acre of compost, 3 ton/acre of biochar and 1 ton/acre of sulfur were applied. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), saturated water content and field capacity were analyzed.

The results showed that the vineyard soil was low in organic matter content (3.9%). It was an expansive, or swelling-shrinking, clay soil. When the soil was saturated with water, its bulk density varied between 1.07 and 1.11 g/cm3, barely larger than that of water. However, when it was completely dry, its volume considerably shrunk and cracked, and the bulk density increased up to 1.64 g/cm3. The soil chemical properties showed that the soil was high in pH, ranged from 7.5-7.7, and it was moderate in salinity. The soil amendment results showed that 5 ton/acre of gypsum addition increased Ksat from 37.3 to 42.9 cm/day, followed by sulfur and compost, but biochar decreased Ksat by 50%. All the application increased saturated water content and soil field capacity.

We concluded that 5 ton/acre of gypsum, 3 ton/acre of compost and 1 ton/acre of sulfur had potential to improve the vineyard soil quality in San Joaquin Valley. It can guide SJV grape growers to use appropriate soil amendment practice.

Submission No. 43

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Department of Viticulture and Enology

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Graduate

Name: Antonios Marinos

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Qun Sun

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Quality Differences of Cabernet Sauvignon from Madera AVA and Other California Regions, and Viticultural Improvement

Cabernet Sauvignon is widely planted in Madera AVA, California (crush district 13). However, the price per ton for Cabernet Sauvignon in this region is much lower than the other California wine regions. It is becoming more and more challenging to maintain economic sustainability and competiveness to grow Cabernet Sauvignon in this region. The overall goals for this study were: 1) To understand the differences in chemosensory characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon grape and wines between Madera AVA and other California wine regions, and to determine which fruit traits drive quality difference. 2) To investigate if mechanical leafing and deficit irrigation could achieve the desired fruit quality, and guide Madera AVA grape growers to use appropriate farming practice.

Cabernet Sauvignon berries were harvested at commercial vineyards from Madera AVA and other regions (McFarland, Linden Livermore, Paicines and San Lucas). The cultural practices were carried out according to commercial industry standards for that area. In a Madera vineyard, the experiment was a two (deficit irrigation) × three (leaf removal) factorial trial with a split block design and five replicated blocks. Wines were made in triplicate for each location.

The results showed that berries from Madera AVA were low in acidity (pH 3.9-4.0). Total berry anthocyanin, total berry phenolic compounds, and wine color intensity were comparable to those from McFarland, but 25-35% lower than those from Linden, Livermore, Paicines and San Lucas. However, Madera berries treated with deficit irrigation (50% ETc) combined with mechanical removal at bloom had higher total berry anthocyanin and total phenolic compounds and wine color intensity. These quality indicators were better than those from McFarland, and close to Linden. Sensory evaluation results indicated that the wine made from treated berries in Madera AVA was fruity, peppery and balanced with sourness, bitterness and astringency. Submission No. 44

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: History

College: College of Social Sciences

Category: Graduate

Name: Patricia Brito

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: William Skuban

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Three Minute Thesis (Please note only 20 will be selected.)

Project Title: From Strong Mothers to Independent Women: Tracing the Development of Chilean Feminist Identity in the Twentieth Century

Chilean women have not been strangers to collective resistance. Throughout Chile’s rich history, women have played a critical yet underestimated role as political activists. Women were instrumental in the rise and fall of Chile’s most infamous leaders, Salvador Allende (1970-1973) and Augusto Pinochet (1973- 1990).

Almost thirty years after the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, Chilean women continue to find themselves subjected to conservative and discriminatory laws. On July 25, 2018, thousands of women took to the streets at Plaza Italia, an urban area where santiaguinos often gather for protests and celebrations. Collectively, these women crossed class and generational lines and sought to demand the reform of Chile’s strict anti-abortion laws. This protest, unique in the way it deployed language and social media, sought to challenge the heteronormative gender roles in Chilean society.

This presentation analyzes the development of a Chilean feminist identity in the twentieth century, tracing women’s transformations from strong mothers during the first wave feminist movement, to independent women in Chile’s second wave feminist movement. By utilizing the latest research in gender studies and analyzing how gendered discourses have shaped identity, social, and political institutions, this presentation argues that Chilean women continue to be critical historical authorities, and their engagement in Chile’s political process has helped dismantle old, and create new, gendered relations of power. Finally, this presentation will examine how women’s political involvement has shaped contemporary feminism and the feminist revolution currently taking place in Chile.

Submission No. 45

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Women's Studies

College: College of Social Sciences

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Shawna Irissarri

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Katherine Fobear

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Three Minute Thesis (Please note only 20 will be selected.)

Project Title: Lesbian Pornography: Liberatory Potentials and Capitalist Constraints

Pornography is an important facet of any culture, as it often reveals deeply-held societal attitudes. I am interested in studying lesbian pornography both in the mainstream as well as independently produced by queer women. In comparing mainstream pornography and its depiction of cis and transgender (trans) lesbian/queer sexualities with pornography produced and made for queer/lesbian women, I interrogate the intersections of gender, race, and sexuality to explore how in both fields of pornography, power hierarchies and identities are reproduced as well as deconstructed and how they are reflective of power imbalances outside of the realm of pornography (Ryberg, 2015). I also wish to examine how societal attitudes contribute to and are reinforced by the production of these depictions. The production of said pornography must be examined as well to determine the influence of other factors at play including the creation of the film, marketing, and sales. I am interested in looking at the political economy of producing and selling lesbian pornography and how producers and actors must work within a matrix of neoliberalism and heteropatriarchy to sell their services and products. I will conduct this study by analyzing multilple, lesbian pornographic films as well as queer discussion boards relating to the experiences of queer women pornography actors and producers. In addition, I seek to complicate the conversation around pornography by taking neither a pro- nor anti- pornography stance, but instead offer a critical analysis of pornography as it exists within the context of capitalism and systemic inequality and how this limits its liberatory potential. I am currently still in the process of collecting data, but thus far results indicate that mainstream lesbian pornography tends to reproduce harmful gender norms more stringently than lesbian made porn. Lesbian porn producers and actors also face discrimination in the porn industry.

Submission No. 46

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Department of Viticulture and Enology

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Undergraduate

Name: David Garcia

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Qun Sun

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: The Effect of Deficit Irrigation and Mechanical Leaf Removal on Cabernet Sauvignon/Ruby Cabernet Berry Quality

The San Joaquin Valley (SJV, crush district 11, 12, 13, and 14) contains 40% of the wine grape acreage and crushes 70% of California wine grapes. However, the average price per ton of wine grapes in the southern SJV ranges from $200 to $500, which is much lower than other wine regions. The goal of this research is to determine how mechanical leafing and deficit irrigation affect yield and berry composition of Cabernet Sauvignon and Ruby Cabernet.

Cabernet Sauvignon berries were harvested at commercial vineyards from Madera, and Ruby Cabernet berries were harvested from a Fresno vineyard. In Madera vineyard, the experiment was a two (deficit irrigation) × three (leaf removal) factorial trial with a split block design and five replicated blocks. The two levels of water deficit were 80% ETc through the growing season and 50% ETc from berry set to veraison and 80% ETc after veraison. The three timings of mechanical leafing were bloom, berry set, and no leafing. In Fresno vineyard, deficit irrigation was kept at 80% ETc from berry set to veraison and decreased to 60% ETc from verasion to harvest. Four timings of mechanical leafing included: bloom, berry set, veraison, and no leafing.

In a Madera vineyard, the results showed that deficit irrigation significantly decreased yield through cluster number and berry size. But it reduced IBMP and increased berry anthocyanins and phenolic compounds. Leafing didn’t change yield components, but improved berry anthocyanins and increased IBMP when conducted at bloom. In a Fresno vineyard, leafing at berry set and veraison reduced cluster weight through decreased berry number/cluster. Leafing at bloom and berry set improved berry anthocyanins and total phenolic compounds, but leafing at veraison did not have effect on these parameters.

Submission No. 47

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Computer Science

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Pujitha Surapareddy

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Pujitha Reddy Surapareddy

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Early Prediction of Students Success

Educational data mining techniques are widely used in academic prediction on student performance in classroom education. In this research, data is acquired from the School Management System and various online repositories. Data is processed and cleaned in a way to fit the model. Feature Extraction is carried out to identify the parameters mainly contributing to student success. Data with extracted features are fed into Decision Trees, Random Forests and SVM to benchmark the accuracy of prediction. SVM is proven to have accuracy with 0.913). We also modeled a recommendation system that recommends courses for students based on similarities of students’ course history. This model employs data mining techniques to identify patterns in course enrollment procedure. We also have noticed that clustering the students based on their history of enrollment made the association rules generated using apriori most efficient than the rules generated without clustering. The frequent items that were found from the rules are depicted as a network. The efficiency of this network is verified by distributing its degree. The expected result from this is a scale-free network.

Submission No. 48

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Nancy Chavez

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Jason Bush

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Examining Angiogenic Biomarkers in Aggressive Tumor Types of Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy in the United States with an estimated 52,070 new cases diagnosed in 2019 (American Cancer Society, 2019). Roughly 2,170 Americans die from the disease each year and its incidence is steadily increasing. The incidence of thyroid cancer are higher in the Central Valley of California than in other parts of the state. Recent evidence demonstrates that the second most common type of well-differentiated thyroid cancer is the follicular variant of papillary thyroid cancer (FVPTC). A critical issue in the pathology field involves refining the criteria for which lesions of FVPTC are benign and which have the potential to metastasize. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether thyroid tumors with elevated expression of angiogenic (blood vessel- forming) biomarkers correlate with clinical features of aggressiveness. We recruited a test cohort of 20 archival FVPTC tumor tissue specimens and optimized tissue recovery for laser micro-dissection (LCM) by deparaffinization and staining. LCM was performed with multiple cuts between 1500-2000 um to separate tumor tissue from adjacent normal control tissue. From this micro-dissected FVPTC material, RNA was extracted and quantified for downstream semi-quantitative RT-PCR analyses of common angiogenic factor expression. Preliminary results demonstrate the difficulty in maximizing reliable and quantitative differences from archival tissue when comparing tumor versus control tissue. Therefore, we have moved to an SYBR green qPCR-based strategy that improves quantitative reliability due to greater sensitivity. Our hope is to integrate pathologic findings with molecular validation for predictive clinical utility.

Submission No. 49

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Dianycza Covarrubias

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Janine Spencer

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: TAVR and Nursing

The Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a new procedure used to treat patients with aortic stenosis that are not candidates for open heart surgery. Research has shown there is a high variability in mortality rates that result from TAVR complications in hospitals. Nurses have been shown to have an important role in reducing TAVR mortality rates because they can monitor for complications early and respond appropriately. However, there is a gap of knowledge regarding effective educational tools that can be used to help increase TAVR nursing knowledge as a preventative measure to decrease the potential of failure to respond to TAVR complications. The purpose of this project was to assess if the implementation of a TAVR educational tool would result in an increase in TAVR nursing knowledge by nurses who were unfamiliar with caring for this patient population. This is a quasi-experimental study that took place in a San Joaquin Valley hospital with a sample of 20 cardiology nurses unfamiliar with caring for patients that had undergone a TAVR procedure. Investigative techniques consisted of using a test that measured nursing knowledge before and after the implementation of a TAVR educational tool. A paired-t-test was used through SPSS to analyze findings. Results demonstrated a significant deficit in TAVR nursing knowledge before the implementation of the TAVR educational tool. After the TAVR educational tool was implemented there was a significant increase in test scores compared to pre-test scores. The findings of the project indicate implementation of the TAVR educational tool was successful in increasing TAVR nursing knowledge. The educational tool used in this study was shown to be an effective tool that can be implemented in other hospitals. Ensuring nurses have adequate knowledge on TAVR patient care is important and could be the additional intervention needed to reduce TAVR complications.

Submission No. 50

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Plant Science

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Gurbinder Kang

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ranjit Riar

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Interaction of Salinity and Gibberellic Acid on Cotton Growth and Yield

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of varying amounts of salinity and gibberellic acid on the growth rate and yield of cotton plants. We transplanted 27 cotton plants into planting pots with 9 of the pots having no saltwater added to them before transplanting, 9 of them having a medium amount of saltwater added to them (10-12dS/m), and the last 9 having a high amount of saltwater added to them (16-19 dS/m). The plants were given 64 oz of water every other day when they were watered. The gibberellic acid was sprayed onto some of the plants through random assignment. The plant height was also recorded along with the total number of leaves on the plants being counted weekly. Preliminary results indicate that the gibberellic acid increased plant height as the hormone helped those plants overcome the adverse effects of the salts. We also measured the chlorophyll content in the leaves of the plants throughout their different growth stages. Further tests will be conducted to determine the amount of salts that stayed in the soil and plants versus the amount of salt that may have leached or leaked out of the planting pots over the 4-month watering and growing period.

Submission No. 51

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Higher Education, Administration, and Leadership

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Avita Hang

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Nichole Walsh

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Motivations of First-Generation Hmong Students in Their Educational Attainment

Hmong students are facing an educational disparity within the American educational system. They are academically achieving at a far lesser rate than their peers. They are faced with many institutional barriers such as a lack of outreach and accommodation, no sense of belonging, poverty, and forms of racism/discrimination such as microaggressions. Along with these institutional barriers, Hmong students are dealing with cultural barriers at home as well. With these barriers, Hmong students are struggling to survive and thrive in the educational system. Although there is an educational disparity in the Hmong community, many first-generation Hmong students are still able to overcome these unfortunate circumstances and pursue higher education. In order to understand what drives these students in their educational attainment, it is important to focus on what motivates them to overcome these barriers. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study is to provide and receive insight on the motivational factors first-generation Hmong students have that drives them in their educational attainment thus, overcoming the aforementioned barriers to success. Currently, the study is in the advanced stages of data collection. This study will shed light on the factors that attributed to Hmong students educational attainment. This will be the chance for first-generation Hmong students to express their narratives on how they were able to be resilient and navigate through the challenges of the foreign educational system. The experiences will be used to inform a broader understanding of the group. The information gathered from this study will be analyzed and potentially be used to implement into programs geared towards future Hmong students to galvanize them in their educational attainment. This data will also benefit educators who work with Hmong students in better understanding their struggles and how to appropriately accommodate for Hmong students to help them succeed academically.

Submission No. 52

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Christian Dwyer

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Kristi Closser

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Developing a Chemical Database to Store Molecular Excited State Information

The main objective of this project is to create a chemical database that can store excited state information. Current chemical databases consist of quantities such as physical properties, ground state geometries, and sometimes NMR or IR spectra, however there is minimal or no information available about electronically excited states. Part of the reason for this is that excited state information tends to vary significantly between different types of molecules, and this makes it more difficult to store and process. For this project, a prototype of an excited state database was created using twenty organic molecules. The data was calculated using the commercially available Q-Chem software package and visualized using IQmol. The relevant data from the output files was then extracted using a Python script. The computed data includes optimized molecular geometries, SCF energies, IR/Raman frequencies, and excitation energies. For prototyping, the calculations were done at the Hartree-Fock (HF) level of theory using configuration interaction singles (CIS), the Tamm-Dancoff approximation (TDA), time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT), and a Gaussian basis set, 6-31G. The extracted data for each molecule includes its Cartesian coordinates, SMILES nomenclature, molecular geometry, CIS/TDA/TDDFT energies and amplitudes, orbital energies, and the excitation calculation methods and bases. In addition, the excitation energy trends that exist between the molecules in the database were analyzed using hierarchical clustering and then visualized using a dendrogram. Ultimately, additional data from a large number of molecules will need to be generated in order to create a robust database that can be searched and used to better understand patterns and behaviors of excited electronic states.

Submission No. 53

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Natalie Davis

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Peter Garcia

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: The Role of Nurses in Hip Fracture Management

Hip fracture among the elderly population is a rapidly growing issue in the healthcare system at an estimated 340,000 per year and is expected to double by 2040 as the aging population continues to grow. The mortality rate ranges from 15-58% in the first year post surgical repair. Nurses are greatly involved in the care of patients with hip fracture, yet there is little literature on nursing knowledge or perceptions of hip fracture nursing care and how much of an impact nursing care makes on patient outcomes. The purpose of this study is to assess the knowledge and perceptions nursing students, near graduation, have specific to hip fracture care among the elderly population. A cross sectional descriptive survey will be conducted among nursing students. The students will fill out a paper survey tool created to evaluate their knowledge and perceptions of the nursing role and how it pertains to elderly patients with hip fracture. This study is ongoing and the results are pending.

Submission No. 54

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Animal Science and Agriculture Education

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Cameron Standridge

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Steven Rocca

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: An Examination of Agricultural Literacy and Perceptions in an Animal Science General Education Course

While the agriculture industry plays a vital role in the United States’ economy, studies have shown that as urbanization continues to increase, the majority of Americans have become detached from rural life. As a result, they are unable to comprehend basic agricultural practices, leading to an unfavorable opinion of the industry. This study evaluated the change in students’ knowledge and perception of agriculture during their enrollment in Animals in Society, a General Education course at California State University, Fresno, to explore how agricultural education is combating today’s agricultural literacy issues. Using an online instrument modified from Duncan and Broyles (2006), a pre and post-test was completed by 44 respondents at the beginning and the end of the course. The 20 knowledge questions and 19 perception questions addressed a variety of agricultural topics such as animal health, biotechnology, and agricultural ethics. A comparison of the pre versus post-test results show that knowledge of agricultural concepts increased collectively, and students were more confident in their answers as “Not Sure” responses decreased. Furthermore, attitudes towards animal handling improved and respondents were more comfortable with biotechnology in agriculture after taking the course. Collectively perceptions remained similar between the pre-test and post-test, which may be attributed to two-thirds of respondents being agriculture majors. Ultimately, this study showed that Animals in Society increased students’ agricultural knowledge but did not necessarily improve their perceptions of the agricultural industry.

Submission No. 55

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Pawanpreet Gill

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Katherine Waselkov

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Population genetics of the widespread perennial wildflower Phlox speciosa using microsatellite markers

Phlox speciosa is a perennial wildflower native to western North America, ranging from the Sierra Nevada of California to British Columbia and into the mountains of Idaho and Montana. They have notched petals that range in coloration from white to bright pink and bloom during the months of April- June. They grow in diverse environments such as dry rocky ridges, mixed conifer forests, and sagebrush slopes. The goal of this experiment is to determine whether there are cryptic species within P. speciosa that allow the plant to spread across its geographic range and show great variation in morphological and ecological traits. Many species of the genus Phlox have shown variation in chromosome number (ploidy level) across their geographic range, but interestingly, P. speciosa shows little variation in ploidy level across its wide geographic range. Lack of ploidy level variation means there may be a different explanation for the huge range of variation in morphology and ecology in this species. Extracted DNA from 23 populations that were previously collected from across the species range is being genotyped with six microsatellite markers, and data is analyzed with population genetic statistics and software such as STRUCTURE. Our results so far show that even though this species is widespread across a large geographic range, it seems to show no genetic structure and little genetic diversity with the five microsatellite markers that have been genotyped for a majority of populations. Phlox speciosa grows at between 250-8000 feet in elevation, with many populations living between 4000-8000 feet, meaning it is particularly threatened by climate change. However, our results suggest that cryptic species within P. speciosa are unlikely, and therefore morphological and ecological differences between populations may be due to phenotypic plasticity, and the species might be resistant to the threat of climate change.

Submission No. 56

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Romy Lum

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Katherine Waselkov

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Characterizing Herbicide Resistance in Invasive Palmer Amaranth

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) is a dioecious C4 annual weed from the family Amaranthaceae. Palmer amaranth is native to northern Mexico and the southwestern U.S. Palmer amaranth began to spread out of its native range in the early 20th century, possibly due to the spread of human activity. While the spread of Palmer amaranth was recognized in the early 20th century, the plant wasn’t considered a serious agricultural pest until the late 1980’s. As an agricultural pest, Palmer amaranth can make harvesting crops more difficult, decrease crop yields from 50 to 80 percent, and delay crop germination time. Due to continuous application and overuse of herbicides, populations of Palmer amaranth are strongly selected for herbicide resistance.

Recently, Palmer amaranth has been appearing throughout Central California in agricultural areas. It is important to determine whether these populations carry herbicide resistance genes to determine the most effective management strategies for Palmer amaranth. At least one California population is hypothesized to be resistant to glyphosate (the widely-used chemical RoundUp®) based on field trials. We also hypothesize that some populations in the Southwestern range of Palmer amaranth may be independently developing herbicide resistance. To test these hypotheses, we surveyed a number of populations from the Southwestern US and central California for herbicide resistance using genetic and greenhouse methods. Genetic testing was done via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and quantitative, real-time PCR (qPCR). Of the 29 surveyed populations, 4 showed signs of genetic resistance to acetolactate synthase-inhibiting (ALS) herbicides, and one showed 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3 synthase- inhibitor (EPSPS) resistance to glyphosate. Greenhouse assays were also used to quantify herbicide resistance. The 29 sampled populations were stratified, germinated and treated with four different herbicide chemicals. After screening, 12 populations showed potential ALS resistance. These results suggest that herbicide treatments within the Central Valley must change to maintain effectiveness.

Submission No. 57

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Plant Science

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Aaron Black

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dave Goorahoo

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: The Evaluation of Nitrate Leaching Factors for Broccoli

Nitrate leaching is a major problem for sustaining California’s aquifer in a toxic free state. Toxic levels of nitrate in drinking water can lead to blue baby syndrome which effects the transportation of oxygen in the body. The purpose of this study was to analyze the optimum rate of nitrogen to incorporate in the soil for a broccoli crop while minimizing the leaching of nitrates passed the root-zone. The study began with planting broccoli in an eighth/acre plot with 48 subplots in a complete randomized design. The nitrogen product CAN-17 was applied with backpack sprayers in equivalence to 0 – 60 – 120 – 180 lbs./acre. Pre- and post-harvest soil samples were taken. There were four soil samples taken in each subplot ranging from 1 to 4 feet depth in 1-foot intervals. The broccoli root-zone is one foot in depth, so the extra three feet will show what levels of nitrate have leached passed the root-zone. The soil samples were analyzed by an AQ2 test for nitrate levels in ppm. The root-zone in the pre-harvest sample was high in nitrates with an average level of 27.2 ppm while the root-zone in the post-harvest sample was lower with an average of 3.8 ppm. The leached-out nitrates were higher in the post-harvest samples. With heavy rain during the growing season, nitrate levels in each plot showed an increase in leaching. 120 lbs./ac rate showed the least amount of increase of nitrates in the leaching zone (+ 7.56 ppm) compared to 60 lbs./ac rate (+ 28.14 ppm). Heavy precipitation during 2019 halted irrigation timing and pushed nitrates further into the soil. More testing is needed to understand the optimum rate of nitrogen to incorporate into the soil for broccoli.

Submission No. 58

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: History

College: College of Social Sciences

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Chip Williams

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Annabella Esaña-Najera

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: The Chicana Struggle

For generations through a combination of social and political forces, including nationalism, colonialism, patriarchy, and racism, Mexican American identity developed into a culture of its own within the United States. Within the broader portrayal of the history of Chicano liberation, many women of color reached the point where exclusionary, masculine, and unfair political and social culture could no longer be tolerated. Through mobilization and organization, Chicana feminism and leadership in the 1960s and 1970s made a dramatic impact on the lives of minorities and aided in the advancement toward equality for Mexican Americans. The Chicano Movement developed in part because many Chicanos and Chicanas did not consider themselves American due in large part to the way they were treated compared to white U.S. citizens. Additionally, that disparity in treatment became even larger for Chicanas having to deal with patriarchal oppression and subordination. In seeking to contribute to conversations on Chicana history, this study argues and finds that discrimination helped establish the basis for the development of Chicana identity and feminism. In the context of the Chicano Movement, this project evaluates the crossroads of race, gender, and relations by analyzing primary sources and historical narratives of people of Mexican ancestry, and particularly Mexican American women within the United States.

Submission No. 59

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: MBA

College: Sid Craig School of Business

Category: Graduate

Name: Elliot Meme

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Zhanna Bagdasarov

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: An Examination of Ethical Decision Making Differences Between Reserve Officer Training Corps and Civilian College Students

Unethical business practices are in the news on a seemingly daily basis. Business owners face the difficult task of finding ethically sound candidates for open positions. What if an under-tapped labor pool existed with more exposure to ethical decision making (EDM) thanks to college and military service experience? College students in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) gain experience in a variety of areas that may improve their EDM capabilities. Using the sensemaking model of EDM, our study seeks to empirically identify if differences in EDM quality exist between ROTC students and non-ROTC students. Prior research indicates that many aspects of military service, especially as an officer, should enhance EDM quality. Our hypotheses are that ROTC students will exhibit better sensemaking processes, utilize more sensemaking strategies, and make decisions of higher quality than their non-ROTC counterparts. A Qualtrics survey was distributed to Army and Air Force ROTC students as well as non-ROTC civilian students. Participants read a brief ethics case and responded to a number of open-ended questions meant to provide insight into their EDM. Two hundred and twenty eight responses were content analyzed by a group of trained raters. Data analysis is currently in progress. This study will contribute to existing EDM research and provide a starting point for an expanded, deeper study in the same area in the future. It also provides an opportunity for business owners and leaders to consider the role military officership plays in the process of evaluating candidates for positions where EDM issues will be present.

Submission No. 60

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Health and Human Services

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Kassandra Diaz

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Sylvia Miller

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Knowledge of Antibiotic Use in a Rural Hispanic Community

The purpose of this study is to collect data regarding the knowledge of the Hispanic community regarding antibiotic use and to determine if lack of knowledge contributes to the misuse of antibiotics. This study investigates the knowledge of the rural Hispanic community regarding the use of antibiotics in a primary family practice, in Fresno California. This study will assess the knowledge of antibiotic use in the Hispanic community in a rural setting. The setting will be in a Family Practice Clinic in Fresno, California. Participation will be voluntary, there will be an anonymous 8 question questionnaire assessing knowledge of antibiotic use. The questionnaire is a validated tool from the Department of Public Health, University of Turin, Turin, the primary benefit of this study is to determine the knowledge regarding the use of antibiotics in a Hispanic population. There are minimal potential risks involved with this questionnaire based.

Participants will be anonymous, voluntary and no compensation will be given. They will be given the 8- item questionnaire to complete; completion of the questionnaire implies individual consent for participation in this study. Participants will be asked to answer each question with one of 2 given responses: Yes and No. This questionnaire should not take more than five minutes. Knowledge of antibiotics will be identified as the topics within the questionnaire and the data collected will be analyzed by calculating the percentage of yes and no answers for each question by the researcher. At this point data collection is till on going.

Submission No. 61

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Vanessa Valencia

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Rory S. Telemeco

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: A novel method for measuring aerobic performance in lizards

Aerobic scope is the difference between maximal and resting (or standard) metabolic rates (MMR and SMR) and is an important measurement of how animals perform. However, aerobic scope is not a widely used performance measure in reptiles because measuring MMR is challenging with traditional methods. We developed a novel method to measure MMR and thus aerobic scope in lizards using a small, commercially available robot (HexBug Fire Ant). Here, we compare aerobic scope measurements using this method and a more traditional method, recovery from exhaustion, in Western Fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis). We first measured each lizard’s SMR and then either ran them to exhaustion or introduced the HexBug and re-measured metabolic rate. We both measured short-term MMR and the time to recovery following both methods to quantify MMR. The novel HexBug method gives similar results to the traditional method but it is quicker and more efficient. The HexBug method can be a useful tool in measuring the aerobic performance of lizards and perhaps other small animals in order to have a better understanding of their capacity to perform aerobic work in diverse environments.

Submission No. 62

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Nancy Burchfiel

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Peter Garcia DNP

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Patient Knowledge Deficits with Informed Consent for Surgery

Perioperative staff at Valley Children’s Hospital are discovering on the day of surgery that families of children, who are about to undergo a surgical procedure, are asking questions about the procedure that normally would have been discussed between them and the surgeon, thus recognizing a knowledge deficit. The aim of the research project was to see if there is a connection between patient knowledge deficits with informed consent and the families’ primary language, level of education and the size of the family. Through the literature review, it was discovered that cultural competence between healthcare providers and families played a vital role in communication retention. Families were asked questions based off of the CAHPS Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers and Systems Survey which was handed out after surgical consultations in the Neurosurgery clinic. The sample size was 20 pediatric patients with their legal guardians at Valley Children’s Hospital who were selected to undergo a neuro surgical procedure. The data collection was retrieved over a two month period. It was found that 30% of the families said that there were no pictures, drawings models or videos used by the surgeons to help explain the procedure. The risks of the surgical procedure was not explained according to 5% of the families. Out of the surveys completed, 80% had English as their primary spoken language and 20% Spanish. It is believed that the differences in demographics with the patients and families played a major role in the knowledge deficits regarding the patient’s procedure. The data collected from this research project will help build communication tools at various departments at Valley Children’s Hospital and strive to minimize knowledge deficits.

Submission No. 63

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Department of Food Science and Nutrition

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Lisbet Villasenor

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Shabnam Pooya

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in school-age children in Central Valley and the effect of nutritional intervention on the disease trajectory.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the accumulation of fat in the liver also known as steatosis. It is referred to as the silent disease, as it is not accompanied by any symptoms. Individuals who are overweight or obese are at an increased risk of developing NAFLD. According to the 2016 Community Health Needs Assessment Report, 42.7% of children are overweight or obese in Fresno County. Furthermore, in the US, Hispanic children have the highest NAFLD prevalence. In Fresno County, Hispanics make up 50.3% of the population. The purpose of the study was to investigate the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in 9-12 years old school aged children in the Central Valley and assess how it compares to other geographical regions through the utilization of systematic reviews and published literature. Additionally, the effect of nutrition education, physical activity and healthier habits on the NAFLD trajectory was explored and compared. Through the use of research, it was concluded that children categorized as overweight or obese had the highest rate of fatty liver, regardless of the demographic. Additionally, the prevalence of fatty liver differed among races and ethnicities, however, Hispanics had the highest prevalence. Lifestyle interventions focusing on changes in diet and physical activity have demonstrated an improved NAFLD.

Submission No. 64

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Mathematics

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Trevor Ferguson

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Khang Tran

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: q-Series and Ramanujan's Congruences

A q-series is a series whose coefficients are of the form (a;q)_n for a and q to be complex numbers and n to be an integer or infinity. In this talk, we will use famous q-series identities to prove two of Ramanujan's Congruences and their generalizations.

Submission No. 65

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Samantha Gabrielle Rivera

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: John Constable / Mamta Rawat

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Sensitivity of Burkholderia thailandensis in the Presence of Oxidative Stress

Burkholderia pseudomallei, a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen, causes melioidosis. Symptoms of melioidosis include large skin lesions and pneumonia. It can take months to treat due to high intrinsic antibiotic resistance. Burkholderia thailandensis, a non-pathogenic member of the B. pseudomallei family, is frequently used as a model to study Burkholderia biochemistry. We are interested in understanding how a bacterium survives under stress, either in a human host or in other environments. Glutathione (GSH) is a low molecular weight thiol that is present in most organisms, except for most Gram-positive bacteria. It plays a role in protection against oxidative stress and several other detoxification pathways. Ergothioneine (EGT) is another low molecular weight thiol that is present in most organisms but synthesized in only a few. Its role in bacteria is not very clear. In this study, mutants disrupted in GSH biosynthesis and metabolism and EGT biosynthesis were characterized. We performed Kirby-Baur disk assays on B. thailandensis and its mutants (gshA1-, gshA2-, gshB-, egtB-, and gor-) to determine its susceptibility to oxidants, metals, and alkylating agents. We used a rich medium, TSB, and a chemically defined medium, M9. The growth of wildtype and the mutants was also monitored in the two different media. Our results demonstrate that GSH and EGT have different roles in the cell and that the EGT deficient mutant is not as susceptible to the different stressors as the GSH deficient mutants.

Submission No. 66

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Julie Thao

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Kathleen Rindahl

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Postpartum Women's Health Literacy on Syphilis Infection

Syphilis infection during pregnancy is a rising health concern in the nation, state, and local region according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2017). CDC reported the year 2016 had the highest rate of congenital syphilis since 1998, with a significant increase of 87% between 2012 and 2016. Current county records in the local area of Fresno, California reflected that the year 2016 and 2017 had a 20-year history of highest rate of congenital syphilis. However, many postpartum women appear to not understand the ramifications involving syphilis infection during pregnancy. The purpose of the study is to determine whether providers are consistent with documenting syphilis infection education provided to the patient during prenatal care. A retrospective chart review will evaluate providers documentation of 50 postpartum patients with hospital admission between January 2018 to January 2020. The inclusion criteria are those diagnosed with antepartum syphilis during the first, second, or third trimester. Data collected will include confirmation of syphilis immunoglobulin G (syphilis IgG) upon admission and education on syphilis from the provider to the patient.

Results and conclusion are still in process.

Submission No. 67

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Alyssa Marie Rivera

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Qiao-Hong Chen

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Three Minute Thesis (Please note only 20 will be selected.)

Project Title: Synthesis of (10S, 11S)- and (10R, 11R)-Hydnocarpin D

Prostate cancer is currently ranked as one of the most common types of cancers in American men with an estimated 190,000 cases to exist and 33,00 deaths to occur in 2020. Hydnocarpin D was isolated in an extremely limited amounts from Hydnocarpus anthelminthic as a racemic mixture devoid of optical activities. Previous studies have shown that racemic Hydnocarpin D to contain promising anti- proliferative property in seven different human cancer cell lines, including one prostate cancer cell line. There are no studies, however, on the biological profile of its optically pure enantiomers. This study, thus, aim to synthesize optically pure (10S,11S)- and (10R, 11R)-hydnocarpin D and investigate its anti- proliferative property on prostate cancer cell lines DU145, LNCaP, and PC3. The key flavone intermediate 4',5,7-O-tri(p-methoxybenzyl)luteolin has been synthesized from readily available hesperidin through a six-step process that includes glucoside hydrolysis, phenol protection, dehydrogenation, selective demethylation and selective debenzylation. The key lignan intermediate that contains the phenylpropanoid moiety has also been synthesized through a six-step transformation that included SN2, reduction and asymmetric dihydroxylation from readily available vanillin. Another three- step process consisting of Mitsonubu coupling, debenzylation and ring-closing reactions has, thus far, yielded (10R, 11R)-hydnocarpin D.

Submission No. 68

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Nagat Alrubati

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Qiao-Hong Chen

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Synthesis and antiproliferative evaluation of nine 23-O-substituted-tetramethyl-2,3- dehydrosilybins

It is estimated that 1 in 9 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. As the second most lethal cancer, approximately 30,000 men are deprived of life each year. Current available therapeutics for castration-resistant prostate cancer in metastatic settings only exhibited overall survival time less than 32 months. Silibinin is a natural flavonolignan that possesses potential to treat prostate cancer. Silibinin inhibits the function of androgen receptors which is at least partially associated with its antiproliferative effects on androgen receptor (AR)-positive prostate cancer cell lines. However, silibinin suffers from low potency and bioavailability. Thus, our goal is to structurally modify the 23-OH of 3,5,7,20-tetramethyl-2,3-dehydrosilybin to improve the potency towards AR-positive prostate cancer cells. To this end, we have synthesized 9 derivatives from 3,5,7,20-tetramethyl-2,3-dehydrosilybin. Among them, 6 derivatives were prepared via a one-step transformation using sodium hydride (or triethylamine and 4-dimethylaminopyridine) as the base. The azide derivative was made from an SN2 reaction of the corresponding tosylate. The 23-NH2 derivative was achieved by reducing the azide. Overall, 9 synthetic derivatives have been structurally characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS. Our WST-1 cell proliferation assay data shows most of the derivatives can selectively suppress cell proliferation in an AR-positive LNCaP prostate cancer cell model.

Submission No. 69

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: School of Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Rachael Ton

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Kammi Sayaseng

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Pediatric Acute Otitis Media Watchful Waiting: Nurse Practitioner Students’ Perspective

Acute otitis media (AOM) affects almost every child in the United States by the time they are three years old. Antibiotics are often prescribed for this common childhood infection even when they are not clinically indicated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2017 34% of antibiotics prescribed for 0-19 year olds for acute respiratory conditions was unnecessary (CDC, 2019). It has been discovered that there is a lack of provider adherence to evidence-based AOM treatment guidelines. When utilized, the watchful waiting treatment option is a valuable tool in the battle of reducing unnecessary antibiotic use in pediatric cases of AOM. The purpose of this quantitative, descriptive study is to identify nurse practitioner students' perspective of watchful waiting as a treatment option for pediatric AOM. A 16-item questionnaire with binary and multiple-choice questions will be used to assess the perspective that FNP students has about AOM and its treatment options. The survey will be administered to the current FNP students at California State University, Fresno. The data will be analyzed using various methods. The results are pending. This project will identify nurse practitioner students' perspective of watchful waiting as a treatment option for pediatric AOM and help to incorporate watchful waiting into their future practice as FNPs.

Submission No. 70

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Aisha Lewis

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Joel Slade

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: The role of MHC Class 1 genotype on resistance to West Nile Virus in reservoir host, the American robin ( Turdus migratorius)

West Nile Virus (WNV) poses a serious threat to wildlife. In particular, wild birds can succumb to WNV if they are in poor condition or lack protective immune genes. In an infectivity trail, juvenile American robins (Turdus migratorius) were infected with WNV and given either ad libitum or restricted food treatments. The study revealed that robins with restricted food became more infected with WNV than those with unlimited food access. However, the robins showed high variability in infectivity levels within each treatment, implying there may be underlying genetic causes for resistance and susceptibility to WNV. A candidate immune gene family that may explain this variation in WNV infectivity is the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). For my study, I characterized MHC class I WNV-infected robins. I PCR- amplified robin DNA with previously published primers and confirmed they properly targeted MHC class I exon 3 with Sanger sequencing. Next I will estimate individual diversity of MHC class I in these robins using high-throughput sequencing. I predict that these robins that were more resistant to WNV will either have high MHC diversity (heterozygote advantage) or particular MHC alleles that confer WNV resistance. My study will contribute to understanding how host genotype in wildlife is an important factor to consider when evaluating WNV risk.

Submission No. 72

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Dalton Leibold

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Rory Telemeco

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Elevated basal metabolic demand decreases Sceloporus thermal limits, but only under extreme hypoxia.

Why do animals die when they get too hot? Although several hypotheses have proposed mechanisms driving thermal limits, two empirically supported hypotheses have come to lead the conversation: Subcellular Breakdown and Oxygen Capacity-Limited Thermal Tolerance. The Hierarchical Mechanisms of Thermal Limitation framework makes novel predictions about the interactive effects of oxygen, metabolism, and temperature on organismal performance and thermal limitations by incorporating both these non-mutually exclusive hypotheses into a thermal performance curve paradigm. We tested one such prediction that basal metabolic oxygen demand and oxygen availability interact to decrease critical thermal limits in ecologically relevant oxygen environments. We measured body temperatures selected by Sceloporus occidentalis in four hypoxic environments (6%, 8%, 10%, 12%) after they had been at rest (low metabolic demand) or run to exhaustion (high metabolic demand). There was an interactive effect between oxygen availability and exhaustion treatment on S. occidentalis preferred body temperature and voluntary thermal maximum. Sceloporus in the 6% oxygen treatment selected lower average and maximum temperatures when exhausted compared to when they were at rest. Sceloporus will not naturally experience 6% oxygen environments, which suggests that thermal limits are stable across ecologically relevant oxygen environments.

Submission No. 73

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Viticulture and Enology

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Matteo Ramagli

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Luca Brillante

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Ecophysiological Characterization of one-Vineyard Estate in the Hillslopes of the Adelaida District AVA, Paso Robles, CA

Grapes cultivated for wine production are one of the biggest commodities in the State of California. Due to the timing of their vegetative and reproductive cycles, rising labor costs and water scarcity modern management practices require a combination of cultural, biological, physical, and chemical approaches to ensure the best quality crop is being produced. In order to understand their interaction, we performed a comprehensive study of a hillslope commercial estate in the Adelaida District AVA, Paso Robles, CA (Daou Family Estates).

The vineyard is a recent establishment and due to its unique geographical location, physical and environmental factors greatly enhance the production of very complex and diverse wines. The study was conducted in order to increase the knowledge about the environmental relationships affecting grape quality and inform site specific farming approaches that would maximize the yield and quality of each block. The three year-long investigation of the estate’s terroir began in June 2019, and throughout the summer season and early fall, vegetative and chemical measurements such as stem water potential, shoot and cluster counts, berry sampling and berry chemical analysis (brix, pH, TA) were performed in order to start developing a data set that will help us understand the mechanism regulating the vineyard system at the scale of the estate. Our initial data analysis included variables such as aspect, slope, rootstocks, and soil type. Beginning results show us that vineyard blocks having an aspect between 0 and 90 degrees, a slope between 15.00 and 18.99 %, and being grafted on 1103P rootstock suffered more water stress throughout the season. Furthermore, vineyard blocks having an aspect between 0 and 90 degrees, a slope > 19.00 %, and being grafted on 420A rootstock, showed higher total sugar accumulation at harvest. These are preliminary results, as data is still being analyzed.

Submission No. 74

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: HEAL

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Nancy Vue

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Nichole Walsh

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Identifying First-generation Hmong Students Sense of Belonging through Hmong Student Organizations/Association(s) (HSO/A(s))

The purpose of this study is to find out the relationship between Hmong students and how their engagement in Hmong Student Organizations/Association(s) contribute to their overall sense of belonging in the higher education setting. This study will also examine the types of influences Hmong Student Organizations/Association(s) have on first-generation Hmong students’ sense of belonging and their experiences navigating higher education. The methodology of this study will utilize a mixed methods approach of both quantitative and qualitative narratives, with an emphasis on student dialogue through open-response survey feedback. The purpose of this approach is to ensure the student voice is heard and used as a catalyst for diversity and equitable change in services to ethnic minority students, such as the Hmong population. With concerns for results, it is still in the early stages of data collection. In conclusion, this study will serve as a means for a more equitable approach in hosting minority students in educational institutions and create a more welcoming experience for first- generation Hmong students.

Submission No. 75

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Department of Educational Leadership

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Justin Smith

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Christina Luna

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Exploration of Adult Learners Experiences and Perceptions Towards Campus Inclusivity and Campus Engagement

For this study, the researcher is gaining greater insight into the experiences and perceptions of the nontraditional adult-learner student population towards campus inclusivity and campus engagement. Incorporating a qualitative research method, the research is conducting semi-structured surveys with 40 participants who identify as 25 years of age and older and are pursuing their bachelor’s degree at California State University, Fresno. The participants are pursuing several different areas of study, which allows the researcher to identify engagement and perception trends among particular fields of study. Previous literature identifies that nontraditional-age students have different needs and motivations than traditional-age students and these factors may influence their opportunities to be engaged and integrated on campus. This study further analyzes the current experiences and perceptions of the student population and provides insight on areas of strength and weaknesses concerning student integration and sense of belonging. The study addresses the different levels of engagement for the student population including academic and socially, as well as provides a more definitive definition of what engagement is perceived as for adult-learners. The findings will be used to provide a foundation for university administrators to incorporate methods that will better support these students to strengthen their perceptions towards campus engagement and provide a positive sense of belonging.

Submission No. 77

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Cambria Coffman

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Sylvia Miller

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Education To Families About The Dying Process

It has been noted thorough clinical practice that family members of a dying patient are anxious. There is limited research regarding education provided to family members of a dying patient. Naturally, they are anxious because they do not know what to expect. The question(s) posed are: Can educating family members of an actively dying patient help reduce their anxiety about fear of the unknown? Will educating family members about the active dying process assist them in managing acute grief? Does educating family members about the active dying process reduce anxiety? A conversation will take place informing the family members of a patient who is actively dying about the signs and symptoms of dying. A retrospective voluntary survey will determine if anxiety has been reduced with education about the signs and symptoms of an actively dying patient. The purpose of this study is to measure anxiety. This study is ongoing. The end result would be to have a decrease in anxiety with provided education.

Submission No. 78

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Education

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Joshua Smith

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Juan Carlos González

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Central Valley Community College African-American Transfer Students and the Challenges they Face Throughout their College Career

For this research study the researcher will examine the barriers/factors of African American/Black transfer students that hinders them to not graduate or transfer from a two-year institution to a four- year institution. The researcher will specifically analyze the students at Fresno City College and surrounding Community Colleges in the Central Valley. In this study, the researcher will examine the following barriers that African American students face being or having a dependent, having to work, or even the high school courses they took in preparation for college or lack thereof. The researcher will conduct a survey using a sample of African American students from Central Valley community colleges. This research is ongoing and will continue to collect data throughout the process. Then the data collected with assist and interpret the barriers/factors African American transfer students face.

Submission No. 79

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Department of Child and Family Science

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Kajai Xiong

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Jessica McKenzie

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Continuity and Change in Cultural Values: Beliefs About Interracial Marriage in Two Thai Communities

This study examines continuity and change of cultural values in rapidly globalizing Thailand. Research suggests that modern globalization shifts cultural values away from collectivism and toward individualism (Greenfield, 2009). However, little is known about how cultural values are managed in the transition from collectivism to individualism. Studying the endorsement of the ethics of autonomy (self seen primarily as an individual) and community (self seen primarily as part of a collective) (Jensen, 2015) in variously globalized contexts can clarify how cultural values are managed in this transition. Eighty participants (20 adolescents and 20 parents in both a traditional Thai village and a globalized Thai city) discussed if and when it is morally acceptable for a Thai person to marry a foreigner. Inductive thematic analysis revealed three themes.

Traditional Values: Rural parents and adolescents aligned their moral values with community virtues. These participant groups—and especially parents—felt that marriage for money was acceptable because the person marrying into the family (i.e., the foreigner) would assist in financial matters. Rural adolescents felt that love should be the basis of marriage, but that exceptions could be made when interracial marriage improved the family’s quality of life.

Global Values: Urban adolescents aligned their moral values with the ethic of autonomy. They believed “real love” alluded to compatibility between two people and individual choice. For them, marriage for money was morally wrong.

Negotiating Traditional and Global Values: Both parent groups and rural adolescents internally negotiated the ethics of autonomy and community. Parent groups ultimately chose community virtues, while rural adolescents did not settle on one ethic.

The urban adolescents serve as a benchmark to showcase collectivistic values’ transformation into individualistic values. The remaining three participant groups illustrate the transition of cultural values, which includes a process of negotiation between local and global values. Submission No. 80

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Kamalpreet Sekhon

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Kammi Sayaseng

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Assessing the Effectiveness of Intraoperative Ondansetron for the Prevention of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Children undergoing Tonsillectomy.

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are one of the major side effects of surgery, occurring approximately 10% to 30% in all surgical patients. The incidence of PONV is reported to occur between 33.2% to 82% in children, which is twice as high as comparted to adults (Tateosian, Champagne, & Gan, 2018). The research has reported that the occurrence of PONV can be up to 89% in children after tonsillectomy (Squire & Spencer, 2018). Tonsillectomy is one of the most common surgical procedure performed in children. Postoperative vomiting (POV) is one of the major complications of this surgery. PONV can be related to delayed discharge from the recovery room, and may also be associated with unplanned hospital admissions. Many studies have shown that PONV can be prevented to some extent with appropriate and timely management. This is a retrospective descriptive study on the occurrence of PONV in children, between 5 to 18 years old, who underwent tonsillectomy procedure at the local children’s hospital in the Central Valley. The finding from this review will help determine whether the use of prophylactic ondansetron can decrease the incidence of PONV in the recovery room. The results of this study are still pending.

Submission No. 81

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: College of Science and Mathematics

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Olivia Soghomonian

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Oscar Vega

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: The Beauty of Fractals

Fractals are fascinating objects that most times exhibit self-similarity, and thus can be constructed recursively. In this talk, we will explore the beauty of fractals, their self-similar nature, and their recursive properties, together with some of the mathematics behind them. We will also discuss an interesting connection between fractals and the golden ratio, a quantity that usually signifies mathematical beauty.

Submission No. 82

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Mathematics

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Jagdeep Basi

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Carmen Caprau

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Quandles!

Knot theory, a subfield of topology, is the study of mathematical knots which are closed curves in three dimensional space. The main goal of knot theory is to distinguish knots, and the basic tool for classifying knots consists of projecting a knot onto a plane, creating a knot diagram. Such diagrams can be further studied by associating them to kei or quandles, which are sets with binary operations satisfying axioms analogous to the ordinary moves used to manipulate knot diagrams. In this talk, we will explore ways to generalize quandles through various examples and approaches, by relying on visual and simple algebraic tools, and provide a glimpse of the playful connections between topology and algebra.

Submission No. 83

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Educational Leadership

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Joseph McIntire

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Cecilia Mendoza

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: The Impact of MTSS on Socially Disadvantaged Latinx Students in Mathematics

This research is derived from the observation that in recent years, Latinx students from low income homes have a tendency to score lower on high stakes math assessments than the general student population. As such, the objective of the study is to analyze student data using mixed-method research in an effort to establish potential implementation techniques and the subsequent impact of Multiple Tier Student Support (MTSS) academic systems at the primary (K-5) and secondary levels (9-12). The case study research is being conducted in a suburban K-12 school district in the central valley, where data has been collected from three separate school sites (K-5; comprehensive high school; magnet high school). An equity audit will investigate the implementation of the MTSS programs at the three sites to determine the impact of core, intervention, and intensive service to socially disadvantaged Latinx students. General findings suggest that there are academic discrepancies in mathematics. Researchers seek to triangulate the impact of MTSS, mathematics, and socially disadvantaged Latinx students.

Submission No. 84

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: FNP Masters

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Gita Khattaie

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: DR. Peter Garcia

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Skin Rejuvenation with Intensive Pulse Light (IPL)

Objective: The researcher explores the human experience of medical spa procedures, specifically those taking part in Intensive Pulse Light (IPL) skin rejuvenation. Key informants were surveyed about their perceived self-image before and after taking part in IPL. The researcher gained a better understanding of the potential increase in positive self-image clientele may experience.

Methods: The instrument developed was a pre-and-post survey. The researcher started with 50 intake cards. The pre-and-post survey was completed by a minimum of ten key-informants, picked at random from the intake cards, after completion of a consent form. A Likert-scale included a simple 1-to-5 scale as well as open-ended questions. Responses and analyzation were derived via qualtrics, an online data collection tool used for secure gathering and analysis. The researcher used a correlational design to understand the experience of a person that is living the reality, a reality not controlled by the researcher. There was no financial compensation for participating in the research project.

Summary of Results: Data collection is currently in process. The pre-and-post survey measured key- informant changes in perceived self-image. The aggregated responses detail quantitative analysis and documented responses also include those from qualitative open-ended questions. Aggregate responses generated from individual responses allow for key-informant findings to be anonymous. The final goal was to collect 10 complete pre-and-post surveys.

Conclusion: The findings not only remind care providers of the importance of keeping the human experience in clinical settings, but also document the positive changes that can be instilled through medical spa experiences. IPL is a common procedure in medical spas, so in researching perceived self- image, the researcher is able to better inform potential patients of the benefits.

Submission No. 85

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: School of Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Marcel Salery

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Kathleen Rindahl

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Healthcare Provider's Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding the Care of Transgender People in Fresno County, California

Researchers have demonstrated that healthcare discrimination of transgender individuals is a significant problem. A multiyear project conducted by the Virginia Transgender Health Initiative Study found that of the 350 respondents, 41% had experienced transgender related discrimination. Of great concern is that discrimination in general has been consistently linked to suicide attempts among transgender people, with a lifetime prevalence of 25 to 41% which is more than five times higher than the national average of 4.6%. This is a qualitative descriptive survey in which participants completed the Medical Practitioner Beliefs and Knowledge about Treating Transgender Patients survey and the Medical Practitioner Attitude Towards Transgender Patients survey to determine their knowledge of how to care for transgender people and their attitudes and beliefs regarding transgender people.

Submission No. 86

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Jasmin Mann

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Kathleen Rindahl

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Coccidioidomycosis Among Providers in California

Coccidioidomycosis, also known as cocci or Valley Fever, is a fungal disease prevalent in California and Arizona. In 2017, there were 7,466 new cases of cocci reported to the California Department of Public Health (Valley Fever, 2018). This disease has similar signs and symptoms to other diseases and tends to be misdiagnosed, which can lead to delayed treatment and cause further complications. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding cocci among providers in California. A voluntary survey was distributed to licensed providers or soon to be providers across California to evaluate their personal knowledge of Valley Fever, attitudes towards Valley Fever, and practices in treating the disease. The data collection is currently ongoing and will be analyzed using the assistance of the statistics studio at California State University, Fresno. The collected data will be reviewed for evidence of provider knowledge gap.

Submission No. 87

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Pamandeep Khangura

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Peter Garcia

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Lifestyle Modification in Prevention of Hypertension in Indian Community

The focus of this project is on supporting hypertensive patients in Indian community and educating them on the lifestyle modifications necessary towards their well being. Healthcare workers and nurses are often recognized as engineers for prevention of hypertension. American Heart Association recommends frequent blood pressure checkups. This project will help understand and explore lifestyle modifications that can be used in prevention. This project will aid nurse practitioners with understanding specific patient population and their lifestyle. By understanding how Indian population generally perceives preventative measures, nurse practitioners will able to better adapt and fulfill patient needs. This study will empower providers to focus on the type of education that needs to be provided to Indian population for optimal results. A quantitative quasi-experimental study will be performed to assess the knowledge of Indian population about hypertension and life style changes. All of the data will be collected from questionnaires. The study will be conducted at Sikh Institute, 4827 N Parkway Dr Fresno CA 93722. At least 500 Indian men and women gather with their families for congregational worship every Sunday. The results are currently pending for the study.

Submission No. 88

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Dana Lichtenstein

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Hubert Muchalski

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Gold(I)–NHC-catalyzed synthesis of benzofurans via migratory cyclization of 2-alkynylaryl benzyl ethers

Benzo[b]furan is a heterocyclic structure that is composed of a furan ring fused to a benzene ring. It comprises a multitude of important pharmaceuticals, bioactive products, and polymers. Small organic molecules containing a benzofuran motif demonstrate tremendous capabilities to address many health- related problems, from microbial infections to cancer. For example, benzofuran is part of necessary medications, such as amiodarone (treats irregular heartbeat and tachycardia) and naloxone (an opioid antagonist). The majority of benzofuran-containing drugs and pharmaceuticals are synthetic and there is a sustained interest in the development of new selective methods for synthesis of this very valuable heterocycle. Here we report a gold(I)-catalyzed cyclization reaction of ethers of 2-ethynylaryl phenols. By adding an electron-rich O-para-methoxybenzyl (OPMB) group to the starting material and using a gold(I)-NHC dimer complex we developed a reliable transformation that yields 2,3-substituted benzofurans at moderate to high yields. In addition to presenting the substrate scope and reaction optimization, we also propose a possible mechanism for this reaction.

Submission No. 89

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Animal Science

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Saiisha Kaushal

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Scott Williamson

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Evaluating the Efficacy of Administering Excede® in Reducing the Presence of Respiratory Disease in Neonatal Pigs

Swine Respiratory Disease (SRD) is the leading cause of swine mortality in the United States. SRD is the prevalent cause of death in nursery and grower/finisher pigs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of administering Excede®, (Zoetis, Kalamazoo, MI), to neonatal piglets, by measuring their growth and survivability. Excede® is designed to treat all bacteria associated with SRD. Two hundred fifty-four neonatal piglets were randomized into groups based off the number of piglets in each litter. The four treatment groups included: a control group, receiving no product, and piglets receiving 0.1mL, 0.2mL, or 0.4mL of Excede®. Shots were given subcutaneously in the neck, using a 20 x 1/2'” gauge needle for piglets under 21 days of age and a 20 x 1” gauge needle for the other days of age. Shots and weights were recorded within the first twenty-four hours of birth, at 14 days, and 28 days of age. Final weights were recorded at 42 days of age. At 42 days, control piglets averaged 23.6 lbs. (1.115 SE), 0.1mL piglets weighed 23.17 lbs. (0.714 SE), 0.2mL piglets weighed 23.76 lbs. (0.709 SE), and 0.4mL piglets weighed 21.91 lbs. (0.663 SE). Control, 0.1mL, and 0.2mL piglet groups consistently had higher weights than the 0.4mL treatment group. Therefore, the use of Excede® at 0.4mL is not recommended. The dosage that the results recommend is 0.2mL as it yielded the greatest amount of growth determined by weight.

Submission No. 90

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Curriculum and Instruction

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Connor Calaway

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Mariya Yukhymenko, Ph.D.

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Perceptions and Perspectives of LGBTQ Topics and Inclusive Curriculum Amongst Secondary School Administrators

Over the past several years public schools across California’s Central Valley have been falling behind in their endeavors to incorporate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) inclusive content into their curriculum, despite such curriculum being legally mandated by the State sense 2011. The current study will investigate to gain a deeper understanding of the perspectives and perceptions held by secondary school administrators on the topic of LGBTQ inclusions on school campuses and in curriculum. To accomplish this, the study used a qualitative case study research approach. The bounded system for the purpose of the study was first defined as one school district in the Greater Fresno Area, and then again as one secondary school within the district. Participants were two in-service administrators working at the secondary level, and one teacher who worked under them. Administrative participants partook in three semi-structured interviews while the teacher participant completed two. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis through a lens that decentralized ideas of heterosexual, cis-gender dominance. The interviews were divided into three topics: (a) community served, (b) workplace environment, and (c) personal experiences. Analysis of participant responses indicated that there existed several disconnects associated with topics relevant to LGBTQ inclusions. Some disconnects include: accurate knowledge of how gender and sexuality develop in adolescents, as well as affirming practices outside of anti-harassment. Findings also indicated that such disconnects existed even amongst individuals who viewed themselves as pro-LGBTQ inclusions. There are several ways in which secondary school administrators can improve their approaches to mediating inclusions amongst resistant community and campus populations, such as offering professional development opportunities designed around deconstructing the roles of gender and sexuality in educational settings, continuing education on topics pertaining to how gender and sexuality are socially constructed, and engaging in professional mentorship programs with LGBTQ-identifying individuals.

Submission No. 91

University: University of California, Merced

Department: Chemistry and Chemical Biology

College: School of Natural Science

Category: Doctoral

Name: Anargul Nuryar

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Benjamin J. Stokes

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Brønsted acid-catalyzed stereospecific dearomative spirocyclization of benzo[b]thiophene alkenes to access vicinal quaternary centers

Spiroheterocycles are important molecular motifs in synthetic and naturally occurring biologically active compounds. Construction of spirocyclic molecules bearing a single quaternary center has been investigated quite frequently in recent years. However, limited methods are available to install a spirocyclic quaternary center adjacent to a second quaternary center. Herein, we describe a Brønsted acid-catalyzed stereospecific dearomative spirocyclization of benzo[b]thiophenes linked to the β- position of styrene by a geminal dialkyl carbon atom. Cis benzo[b]thiophene alkenes form the vicinal quaternary center containing spiroheterocycles at room temperature with triflic acid. The benzo[b]thiophene is the apparent electrophile, while the styryl arene is the nucleophile; the styryl alkene is preserved in the spirocycle. This work demonstrates the first example of dearomative spirocyclization of unactivated hindered alkenes under acid-catalyzed conditions.

Submission No. 92

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Mathematics

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Jack Luong

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Khang Tran

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Zeros of a Table of Polynomials Generated by a Bivariate Recurrence Relationship

Bivariate recurrence relations are of interest due to their application in various combinatorial problems. For example, they can be used to count the number of rook paths from one corner of an infinite chessboard to another corner. In this talk, we study a table of polynomials obtained from the bivariate recurrence relation H_{m,n} + H_{m-1,n} + H_{m,n-1} + zH_{m-1,n-1} = 0 with initial conditions H_{0,0} = 1, H_{-1,n} = H_{m,-1} = 0 for all natural numbers m and n. Equivalently, this table of polynomials is generated by ΣΣH_{m,n} t^m s^n = 1/(1 + s + t + zst). We show that all zeros of any polynomial in this table are real. We also consider the more general class of recurrence relations generated by R(s,t)/(1 + s + t + zst) where R(s,t) is a polynomial in s and t. In particular, we give an upper bound that depends only on R(s,t) on the number of complex zeros of H_{m,n}.

Submission No. 93

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Computer Science

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Manaliben Ajudiya

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr.Matin Pirouz

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Search Application for Distributed Systems

Search engines have been inseparable elements of the world wide web. Contemporary search engines based on Web 2.0 are centralized and are therefore susceptible to availability attacks such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), insider threats, and ethical issues such as censorship and search biases. This paper proposes a decentralized search engine based on Web 3.0, with a distributed application without any dedicated server hosted on InterPlanetary File System (IPFS). The project’s decentralized nature circumvents concerns raised by centralized search engines. Various critical applications have been designed for distributed technologies before. However, these applications are facing storage problems because of the transaction overhead. The proposed distributed application will address the storage problem of transaction in a block along with access of transaction of a particular block. Moreover, the distributed systems are based on user contributions. Network overhead and query delays are common problems because of selfish user behavior in unstructured peer to peer network. The proposed framework presents a modified version of the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) that uses Ethereum smart contracts to provide access controlled file sharing. The effect of access controlled IPFS is analyzed using experiment setup.

Submission No. 94

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Doctoral

Name: Rosanna Ruiz

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: James J Mullooly

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Awe as a Professional Development Approach to Environmental Education

Practitioners need to feel confident in their knowledge and understanding of the natural world, have a sense of connectedness to the environment around them, and be comfortable in their ability to effectively implement environmental education (EE) curriculum. EE is a catalyst that promotes the knowledge acquisition of environmental concepts, which in turn can promote the development of appreciation and aptitude for addressing local and global environmental challenges that are ever present in the world today. The focus of EE has been approached almost exclusively from a learner’s perspective, often disregarding the professional development (PD) needed to support teachers in their efforts to facilitate effective experiences for students. Linnemanstons and Jordan (2017), as well as Sondergeld and Milner (2014), illustrate how teacher empowerment is a critical factor in PD programs for EE. This study explores the impacts of awe in a field-based PD. To best understand the experiences of participants in a field-based PD program, a novel visual-narrative interview protocol was applied through a lens of transcendental phenomenology. The platform for this exploration is the field-based PD experience of the Morpho Institute Educator Academy in the Amazon Rainforest. Participants of the 2019 cohort willing to share their insights and professional learning experiences were engaged in semi- structured, one-on-one interviews. Results indicate that PD experiences in outdoor settings provide space for teachers to develop personal connections to the natural world, and that these connections positively impact efficacy in relating EE concepts. Further indications show that PD reflective of the desired student experience influences teacher effectiveness in the classroom setting. In sum, a connection to the environment is central to shifting teacher mindset and increasing their level of comfort with EE instruction, and the emotional triggers (awe) resulting from experiences in the natural environment can impact personal environmental connection, skill acquisition, and behavioral transitions.

Submission No. 95

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Nursing Department

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Adriana Ruelas

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Janine Spencer

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Clinical Characteristics and Readmission Rates of Patients with Methamphetamine Associated Heart Failure.

Heart Failure (HF) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide and continues

to increase as the population is getting older (Metra & Teerlink, 2017). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between methamphetamine associated heart failure (MAHF) and readmission rates compared to the patients with heart failure not associated with drug abuse and the clinical characteristics of both populations. The researcher would like to investigate length of stays (LOS), age, diagnosis of systolic, diastolic or combined HF, and the 30-day readmission rates of patients admitted to a hospital in the Central Valley of California with MAHF and those with heart failure HF not associated with methamphetamine abuse (MA). The financial burden of HF in this country is significant, consuming 2-3% of the total cost of healthcare and in the next 20 years, it is predicted to increase by 200% (Metra & Teerlink, 2017). HF is responsible for over one million hospitalizations and 32 billion dollars in health care costs annually in this country with a higher amount of methamphetamine users in the Western U.S. (Sliman, Waalen, & Shaw, 2015). As methamphetamine abuse (MA) increases, so will health related problems that require increase in healthcare utilization in an already medically underserved area (Gruenewald, Johnson, Ponicki, Remer, & Lascala, 2010). The regions in the U.S. with the highest concentration of methamphetamine use are some of the poorest in the nation so it is essential to find ways to flag high risk individuals early in order to prevent costly medical care for the patients and reduce financial burdens. If improvements are not made in prevention, interventions, and treatment in this patient-population, this condition could soon become a preventable epidemic.

Submission No. 96

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Psychology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Delilah Lucatero

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Paul Price

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Do Feelings of Power Affect Attentional Flexibility?

We attempted to replicate a highly cited study claiming to show that feeling powerful improves people’s ability to shift their attention in a difficult mental task. We did this because a) this study has never been replicated and b) many high-profile results in psychology have been shown not to replicate. (Psychology is sometimes said to be undergoing a “replication crisis”). In our study, college students (N = 119) recalled and wrote about a time when they had power over another person or a time when another person had power over them. Then they saw a series large letters, each composed of a many copies of a different smaller letter (e.g., a large O composed of many small Es). In the global task, they had to indicate as quickly as possible whether the large letter was a vowel or consonant. In the local task, they had to do the same for the small letter. Consistent with previous research using this task, we found that responding was somewhat faster in the global task (M = 575 ms, SE = 214) than in the local task (M = 598 ms, SE = .018), although this was not quite statistically significant (p = .07). We also found that responding was faster (p = .003) when the large and small letters were both vowels or both consonants (M = 577, SE = .018) as opposed to one being a vowel and the other a consonant (M = 576, SE = .018), and this was statistically significant (p = .003). However, there were no differences between the powerful and powerless conditions, suggesting that feelings of power may not affect attentional flexibility, as has sometimes been claimed. We will soon combine our results with those from two other labs for a stronger test of the hypothesis.

Submission No. 97

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Counselor Education and Rehabilitation

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Christopher Johnson

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Dominiqua Griffin

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Preparing for substance abuse in the LBGTQ community

This presentation identifies pertinent literature on substance abuse patterns, factors influencing substance abuse, and special treatment needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) sexual minorities. The purpose is to identify effective assessment and treatment methods when counseling the LGBTQ community members with substance abuse disorders. The research utilized qualitative research methods, including content analysis, to assess peer-reviewed journals from Google Scholar and Psychinfo and data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration. The results displayed LGBTQ members face mental hardships not experienced by heterosexual counterparts making sexual minority members nearly twice as likely to develop alcohol and substance abuse disorders and thus have co-occurring mental health disorders. The analysis supports that substance disorders stemmed from the development of foster-care relationships with non-family members that develop from family conflicts, social isolation, brief intimate relationships, and a lack of active coping skills. When engaging in substance use, certain sexual minority groups were more likely to binge drink and identify the use of amphetamines, marijuana, LSD, and injection-based drugs. The data reflected Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment models should be implemented with LGBTQ members to combat dual-disorders by incorporating mixtures of substance abuse counseling, group counseling, psychoeducation, pharmacological treatment, and motivational interviews. When assessing sexual minorities for dual-treatment, one’s coping skills and previous trauma were crucial variables when creating successful individualized treatment plans for sexual minorities with co-occurring disorders. In conclusion, LGBTQ members are a small population when compared to their heterosexual counterparts, but they are more likely to develop substance abuse issues and have co-occurring mental health disorders. This presentation will provide mental health professionals with practical ways to utilize individualized treatment plans that implement characteristics of the wellness-model and the medical- model to best engage and support LGBTQ members with substance abuse issues.

Submission No. 98

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Earth and Environmental Science

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Jennifer Gonzalez

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Mathieu Richaud

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Grain Size Analysis of Sediment from The Canterbury Basin, New Zealand, to Determine the Impact of Global Sea Level Change on Deposition Cyclicity

The goal of this research project is to determine the impact of global sea level change on deposition cyclicity through grain size analysis of sediment from the Canterbury Basin, New Zealand. The Canterbury basin is an intra-continental rift and sag basin located east of New Zealand’s South Island (Blum et al., 2011). Grain size analysis is used to classify sediments, sedimentary environments, and sedimentary rocks. This analytical method is used to determine the percentages of different grain sizes contained within a sediment. Samples with larger grains are interpreted to be deposited when sea-level rise has occurred. This is because during rates of sea-level rise, deposition will occur as the shoreline moves landward. Grain size increases as deposition rates increases. During sea level regression, there is no deposition of sediment, so any sediment that is deposited consists of small grains.

Submission No. 99

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Shirlene A. Daw

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Lynn Jakobs

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Care Transitions for Improved Outcomes

There is an increased emphasis on improving patient outcomes when transitioning from the acute care setting to the outpatient setting. Healthcare agencies utilize scores on the Transitions of Care section of the HCAHPS (the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey to help measure their success in meeting this quality outcome. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to examine nurses’ perceptions of their role in this process and to improve satisfaction.

The method included a quantitative descriptive study that included 18 Medical-Surgical nurses who completed surveys regarding the activities they perform and the difficulties they face in carrying out care transition. Three themes were identified from the data on nurses’ activities, (1) assessment, (2) patient education, and (3) team communication. Four themes were identified from data on nurses’ difficulties in carrying out care transition, (1) team communication, (2) time management, (3) policy and procedure, and (4) training.

Analysis of survey results revealed that nurses perceive their most significant challenge to a safe discharge transition as a lack of team communication among healthcare providers involved in the transition process. As a result, an educational module, designed to improve communication between primary nurses, patients, and discharge planner, was developed. The module consists of both digital and simulation exercises. Upon completion of the module, participants will be surveyed to evaluate how well the educational module has improved communication surrounding the care transition process.

Submission No. 100

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Political Science

College: College of Social Sciences

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Jaskaran Singh

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Everett Vieira

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Three Minute Thesis (Please note only 20 will be selected.)

Project Title: The Bad “G-Words”: Guilty of Genocide? Case Study Analysis of the 1984 Anti-Sikh Pogroms

1984 remains one of the darkest years in modern Indian history. In June, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered a military assault on the most significant religious center for the Sikhs, the Golden Temple, in Amritsar, Punjab. Even per government sources, the attack resulted in the death of thousands of Sikhs. On October 31, 1984, Mrs. Gandhi was assassinated by her two Sikh bodyguards leading to a series of deadly organized Anti-Sikh Pogroms. This paper is devoted to analyzing whether the Anti-Sikh Pogroms that took place across India from November 1-4, 1984, constitute a genocide. I utilize mixed methods research that involves collecting, analyzing and integrating quantitative (genocide descriptive statistics) and qualitative data (archival work). I do so by testing a singular novel hypothesis: I examine hate rhetoric from the state during October 31- November 4, 1984, which I compare to an increase/decrease in state violence (genocide descriptive statistics); followed by evidence and data from seven sources based on number of deaths and internally displaced people; and textual analysis of A-Perpetrators in archive research. In measuring hate rhetoric, I triangulate my sources with a content analysis of specific terms or phrases on newspaper, radio, and state-owned TV stations.

Submission No. 101

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Daisy Xiong

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Alejandro Calderon-Urrea

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Assay on C. elegans’ Life Span Identifies Major Differences in Genetically Closely Related Strains

Plant Parasitic Nematodes (PPNs) cause billions in monetary loss in the agricultural industry each year. Many nematicide agents are pesticides that are harmful to humans and the environment. A new and more environmentally friendly form of pesticide is needed to control nematodes in agriculture to prevent economic losses. In Dr. Alejandro Calderon-Urrea’s lab at Fresno State, it has been discovered that certain chalcones (17, 25, and 30), derived from the parent molecule 1,3-diphenyl-2-propen-1-one, and belonging to the flavonoid family of organic compounds, are 100% effective against the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans at concentrations of 10-5 M.

In the current study, we conducted experiments to study the lifespan of four (2) different strains of C. elegans: the N2 Wild Type Bristol (ancestral) strain and a GFP standard strain derived from the N2 strain. Our interest is to develop a more robust and reliable assay to identify differences in various C. elegans strains, including chalcone mutant strains. The results indicate that the GFP standard strain has a similar lifespan as the N2 strain. However, when analyzing the GFP standard strain for this experiment, Chalcone 17 was more effective than Chalcone 30 in killing nematodes at the L4 stage. While in the N2 Wild Type experiment, Chalcone 30 more effectively killed L4 stage C. elegans than Chalcone 17.

Submission No. 102

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Psychology Department

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Guadalupe Cervantes Chavez

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Karl Oswald

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Best Practices for Learning New Information: Testing Across Time Intervals

In the past, researchers have examined the best practices for learning new material. Research on the “spacing effect” reliably shows that people learn more when learning trials are distributed across time rather than massing the learning trials. This effect has been shown with both ‘restudy’ and ‘retrieval’ (testing) methods during learning trials. The current research explored whether the spacing effect can be enhanced using retrieval versus restudying during additional learning episodes. Participants were tasked to memorize 12 SAT word pairs. Participants learned by using a restudy or testing method in both distributed and massed learning trials. Consistent with previous research, we found a spacing effect such that distributed learning trials (M=3.26, SD=1.78) resulted in better learning than massed trials (M=2.53, SD=1.66). We also found that testing (M=3.49, SD=3.49) resulted in higher learning than restudying (M=2.30, SD=1.73). Most importantly, we found a larger spacing effect for testing trials than restudying trials (F(1,134) = 11.87, p < .00). These findings support an encoding explanation of the spacing effect and argue against theoretical explanations that describe the spacing effect in terms of deficient processing. The deficient processing theory indicates that distributed learning trials (spaced trials) of learning allows for additional processing of the information when compared to massed information. Our results fit with a large body of research outside of the spacing effect on how disuse affects the accessibility of memories. Future research is discussed in terms of practical applications.

Submission No. 103

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Department of Child and Family Science

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Jose Reyes

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Jessica McKenzie

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Beneath and Beyond Biculturalism: The Experiences of Hmong American and Latin American Emerging Adults in the Central Valley

Although growing up bicultural is increasingly common in the U.S. due to accelerated immigration, little is known about how minority youth internally manage heritage and American cultures to construct their identities. This study examines the psychological experiences of biculturalism among emerging adults in Fresno—one of the most racially and ethnically diverse cities in the U.S. (McPhillips, 2020).

Forty-seven self-identified bicultural participants (24 Hmong, 23 Latino/a, Mage = 22.26) took part in this study. Ninety percent of participants were born in the U.S., and all participants had at least one parent who was born outside of the U.S. Participants completed the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (which includes ethnic identity commitment and ethnic identity exploration subscales; Roberts et al., 1999), constructed an identity map that represented their experience of biculturalism, and took part in a semi-structured interview.

A one-way ANOVA revealed differences in Hmong and Latino/a ethnic identity commitment. Hmong participants were less psychologically committed to their ethnic/cultural group (M = 3.07, SD = 0.48) than Latino/a participants (M = 3.57, SD = 0.31), F(1, 45) = 17.34, p<.001. Thematic analyses of participants’ identity maps and discourse highlight that Latin Americans commonly perceived heritage cultural values (e.g., family, respect, hard work) as enabling American values of academic success, occupational success, and openness. Hmong Americans, meanwhile, commonly perceived heritage cultural values (e.g., gender roles, intergenerational care-taking, religion) as antithetical to American values of equality, independence, and academic success.

Findings suggest that Hmong emerging adults may be less committed to their ethnic identity because heritage values are deemed incompatible with American values. Latino/a emerging adults, though, typically experience heritage and American values as intertwined. Centering the perspectives of bicultural youth clarifies how bicultural identities are integrated and points to integration-related challenges.

Submission No. 104

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Lillian Vang

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: David Lent

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: A Cross-Species Analysis of the Lateral Pallium in Muraenidae and Anguillidae to Determine the Relationship Between Spatial Cognitive Development and Habitat Complexity

This project aims to understand the correlation between the relative size of the lateral pallium and habitat structural complexity across several species in two families of eels, the Muraenidae and the Anguillidae. The ability to navigate and use spatial mapping is important among species in these eel families in order for survival. In these two families combined, there are hundreds of species, which inhabit a variety of ecosystems with varying levels of spatial complexity, from coral reef matrices to muddy river floors. Therefore, different species have adapted behaviors to different ecosystems and habitats where they find themselves requiring changes in brain function. Other studies have suggested that more spatially complex environments are associated with an increased requirement for spatial cognition. It has been identified that in teleost fish, such as these eel species, spatial cognition is directly related with the lateral pallium, a brain region in the telencephalon that is homologous to the hippocampus in mammals. Thus, it can be hypothesized that the more spatially complex the habitat is, the larger the lateral pallium will be in relation to the rest of the brain. To identify the lateral pallium size in relation to the total brain size, multiple species of eels in the Anguillidae and Muraenidae families were dissected, and the brains were further processed through histology for evaluation. In the first part of the study, a novel histological procedure was created and optimized to analyze the eel brains. From the preliminary data collected thus far, there has not yet been conclusive evidence either supporting or rejecting the hypothesis that the relative size of the lateral pallium is significantly correlated with habitat complexity. As a larger sample size is analyzed, we expect that there will be a statistically significant correlation between spatial complexity of habitat and relative lateral pallium size.

Submission No. 105

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Counselor Education and Rehabilitation

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Yaneth Montes

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dominiqua M. Griffin, Ph.D., NCC

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: School Based Counselors Perceptions: Working With Latino/a’s In Middle To High Schools

To determine the roles, practices, challenges, and demands school based counselors face in advocating for Latino(a) adolescents and their families a study was conducted interviewing various school counselor educators from California. The study focuses on the challenges that school counselors face in advocating for first-generation Hispanic students. The study examines the literature surrounding the perceptions on the roles, practices, challenges and demands placed on school based counselors. This study will help to identify how they define their roles, their challenges and the potential changes they would like to see in their work with Hispanic students and families. This study uses a qualitative approach to explore these aspects of school counseling, following five to eight school counselors at three public middle and high schools in a rural area in California. The researcher will use interviews to collect the data, and a thematic analysis to understand the findings.

Submission No. 106

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Christopher Dillon

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Hubert Muchalski

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Synthesis and Evaluation of Insect Pheromone Precursor Analogues for Use in a New Generation of Pest Control Lures

The San Joaquin Valley is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world, enjoying a multi- billion-dollar farming industry with a diverse offering of crops. As such, the control of invasive and destructive pest insects is imperative to avoid crop loss and contamination. The identification and control of pest species begins with capturing specimens of interest in the field using a physical trap with a chemical lure to attract the insect; the lure matrix is impregnated with a volatile organic compound that is attractive to a species of interest. Herein we present the proof-of-concept of an aqueous matrix for the humidity-controlled release of attractant compounds for insect trapping in the field. Traditional bait matrices exhibit continuous volatile evolution that depends on ambient temperature, but the aqueous matrix releases volatiles during periods of high humidity (early morning and evening) when insects are typically most active. This advantageous quality could increase the lifetime and effectiveness of insect traps in the field. Proprietary bait compounds were synthesized using contemporary organometallic chemistries and volatile release was quantified using solid-phase volatile capture and analysis by GC-EI-MS.

Submission No. 107

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Simrit Dhindsa

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Hubert Muchalski

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Gold (I)- Brønsted acid co-catalyzed synthesis of substituted isocoumarins

Heterocycles are small ring molecules that contain elements that are heteroatoms, such as oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. Heterocycles are an important class of organic molecules and are found in biologically active compounds, organic materials and drugs. This project focuses on the synthesis of heterocyclic esters called isocoumarins, which are benzo-fused lactones. Many biologically active compounds contain isocoumarin structural motifs. Isocoumarins are essential component molecules in several pharmaceutical applications to combat cancer, fungal infections and are a motif present in antiallergenic complexes such as thunberiginol A from the leaves of hydrangea dulcis folium. Isocoumarins are synthesized through the methology of gold (I) catalyzed reactions from 2-alkynyl benzoate esters. The 2-alkynyl benzoate esters are made through Sonogashira palladium cross-coupling reactions. This synthetic methodology was utilized to synthesize ten substrates with electron donating and withdrawing groups. In a typical reaction, 2-alkynyl benzoate ester undergoes cyclization reaction catalyzed by a gold (I) complex in toluene. It is established that less than 1 mol % of catalyst is needed to complete the reaction and the method tolerates a variety of substrates. These reactions are very efficient and result in high yields averaging around 80-90%.

Submission No. 108

University: UCSF - Fresno

Department: Civil and Geomatics Engineering

College: Lyles College of Engineering

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Michelle Larsen

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Michelle Larsen

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Exploring the Effects of Traffic-related Air Pollution on Public Health in Census Tract Level

Traffic has a significant impact on public health. Traffic-related air pollution affects the health of individuals, especially when it comes to respiratory and cardiovascular health. A large number of people die due to respiratory and cardiovascular-related complications each year. According to the World Health Organization, 17.9 million people died because of cardiovascular diseases in 2016, representing 31% of all global death. Although the impact of the traffic-related air pollution on individuals is evident, the relationship between traffic-related air pollution and public health has been less investigated in the census tract level. The main goal of the study was to determine whether there was a relation between the health of a community, the traffic within them and how they connect. Traffic and health data of the entire Fresno County were collected and then were analyzed at the census tract level. The results of this research showed a significant effect of traffic congestion on public health in the census tract level. The findings of this study could help in future planning and in the allocation of funds to help communities with health problems.

Submission No. 109

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Jonas Onuoha

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Jason Bush

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: TITLE: Developing Combinatorial Nano-particles to Target Chemo resistant Pancreatic Cancer Cell Model.

INTRODUCTION: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal cancer worldwide. The poor rate of survival associated with this disease has been attributed to several factors including chemo-resistance. Many studies have demonstrated the need for improved strategies that can deliver a high concentration of anticancer drug to tumor cells. Nano-particles such as micelles can increase the solubility of poorly water-soluble drugs and deliver them in high concentration inside the cancer cells. Curcumin, a plant flavonoid with anticancer effect but limited by its poor water solubility, offer to be promising when delivered in a nano formulation. In this study we have developed a mixed micelle formulation of poloxamer polymer and α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) encapsulating curcumin to treat resistant pancreatic cancer.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF METHODS: Curcumin-loaded Poloxamer 407/TPGS and Poloxamer 407/123 micelles at different ratios of polymers were prepared using a thin film hydration method. The freshly prepared micelles were freeze-dried (lyophilized) for removal of water and long-term storage. The physiochemical properties such as physical appearance, particle size, polydispersity, zeta potential, drug encapsulation efficiency and drug loading were characterized. The in-vitro anticancer activity of the formulations is being tested in chemo-resistant pancreatic cells, Aspc-1.

SUMMARY OF RESULT: The average diameter of curcumin-loaded poloxamer 407/TPGS and P407/P123 (polymer ratios of 1:1, 1:3 and 3:1 with a target of 10% w/w curcumin loading) was 18.08±0.8 nm and 30.09±0.2 nm, and a zeta potential of – 33.23 ± 0.9 mV and -41.01±0.5 mV, respectively. The encapsulation efficiency of the formulations ranged from 95-82% and 55-30% and drug loading ranged from 2-9% and 1-5%. Micelles with poloxamer 407/TPGS ratios of 1:3 and 3:1 are promising delivery system for curcumin because of their small particle size, acceptable negative charge and good encapsulation efficiency.

CONCLUSION: Poloxamer 407/TPGS mixed micelles with ratios of 1:3 and 3:1 may be a suitable nanocarrier for curcumin and potentiate its chemotherapeutic effect.

Keywords: Curcumin, Poloxamer 407, Poloxamer 123, TPGS, Chemo-resistance, pancreatic cancer. Submission No. 110

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Anindita Rajasekaran

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: David Lent

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Degenerative Effects Of Beta-Amyloid Protein On Spatial Memory When Induced In Drosophila Melanogaster Models

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a well known neurodegenerative disease associated with abnormal protein aggregation. Two of these proteins are tau protein and beta-amyloid protein, both of which have been shown to work independently and simultaneously in the development of AD. The purpose of this study is to determine how beta-amyloid protein affects spatial learning and memory in a Drosophila melanogaster model. This organism shows a robust ability to model human neurological systems. The Gal4-UAS system was used to express beta-amyloid protein in selective tissues of the brain, including the ellipsoid body which is homologous to basal ganglia, the mushroom bodies which are homologous to the hippocampus, and the entire brain. To study behavior, a visual thermal maze assay was used. The assay involved training flies to learn the location of a “cool spot” on a hot floor in relation to surrounding visual cues. Each group of flies underwent five training trials. Then, the flies were tested in the absence of the cool spot. The time the flies spent attempting to recognize the location of the cool spot as predicted by visual cues was examined. Results show that beta-amyloid expression in the ellipsoid body, correlates with a slower cool spot recognition time. Similarly, beta-amyloid expression in the mushroom bodies and expression in the entire brain correlate with a slower recognition time of the cool spot, however, both of these correlations are weaker. This suggests that beta-amyloid protein causes greater spatial memory degeneration when affecting a region homologous to the basal ganglia and may reflect issues with visual motor planning. These results are similar to results in comparable studies testing the effects of differential levels of tau protein expression on spatial memory; however, flies expressing altered levels of beta-amyloid are comparatively more prone to fatal decline.

Submission No. 111

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Department of Educational Leadership

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Kimberly Cubre

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Christina Luna

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Decentralized organizational structures and higher education brand creation

The purpose of this qualitative case study explores the effect of higher education brand identity formation when the campus’ marketing or communications department’s organizational structures are decentralized. The literature review confirms that branding is needed in today’s competitive higher education marketplace. It also suggests that it is difficult to create a unified and cohesive brand identity through multi-level campus departments, a variety of communication mediums and with so many internal and external constituents (alumni, students, staff, donors, friends, etc.). Through online surveys with Marketing or Communications Directors from peer California State University (CSU) campuses, and document analysis of published peer campus organizational charts, analysis will be completed. The results provide the researcher with best practices and the ability to make recommendations that can be implemented on the campus of California State University, Fresno. These suggestions could potentially prompt campus to change their organizational structure or provide ways to improve processes as it relates to their communications and brand strategy delivery.

Keywords: higher education, marketing, brand, decentralized, organizational structure

Submission No. 112

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Sean Carpenter

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Laurent Dejean

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Quantification of microbial growth by microplate spectrophotometry

Due to their use as biological models and their potential for industrial application, microorganisms such as bacteria and yeast are of great interest to researchers. From genetic engineering to drug development, determination of the growth rate of these organisms is often the foundation of many areas of microbiological research. One of the most common methods used to calculate growth rate of microorganisms is to measure the optical density of cells at 600 nm (OD600) using a traditional UV-Vis spectrophotometer. If the OD600 is proportional to the number of cells in solution at a given time, it stands to reason that monitoring this value over the course of several hours will reveal how quickly the cells are dividing. Although this method has proven to be a valuable tool for assessing microbial growth, it has several limitations. For example, manual collection of absorbance data removes the cell culture from optimal growing conditions for the duration of the collection period, which may influence results. Furthermore, this method has considerable logistics concerns, as data collection can take several hours with repeated measurements every 30 minutes. Here, we present a novel, high throughput approach to OD600-based growth rate calculations using a 96-well plate format. We demonstrate that microplate spectrophotometry can be used to calculate the growth rate of the yeast S. cerevisiae with comparable accuracy to traditional spectrophotometric techniques, with increased precision and more ideal growing conditions.

Submission No. 113

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Nick Sciaroni

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Glenda Polack

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Proprietary PEG Film May Reduce Thickness of Breast Implant Associated Collagen Capsules

INTRODUCTION: Capsular contracture is the most common complication following breast implantation caused by an excessive chronic immunological reaction to the foreign body promoting a thick fibrous capsule that can lead to pain and deformity. Implants with textured surfaces are associated with thinner capsules and lower incidences of capsular contracture compared to smooth-surfaced implants, as the textured surface is thought to disrupt the alignment of collagen fibers and contractile forces around the implant; however, textured implants are more likely than smooth implants to result in biofilm formation and have an increased risk of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). A proprietary polyethylene glycol (PEG) film is used with ocular contact lenses to create a wetting surface, increasing lubricity and reducing protein and lipid deposition.

METHODS: The effect of the proprietary PEG film applied to textured and smooth silicone implants on implant- associated inflammatory factors is hypothesized to reduce encapsulation and biofilm formation by altering the presentation of the implant surface and is examined in vivo. Five groups of 9 week old Sprague-Dawley female rats were implanted subcutaneously with smooth and textured silicone with and without the PEG film for 6 months. Adjacent implant capsule and tissues were histologically examined to compare fibrovascular capsule thickness and phenotypes of immunocellular inflammatory infiltrates.

RESULTS: In agreement with current literature, our preliminary findings show smooth implants are associated with thicker capsules than textured implants. Furthermore, the efficacy of the proprietary PEG film in reducing implant- associated capsular contracture in an animal model is supported by preliminary histological findings of significantly thinner collagen capsule in both textured and smooth with film versus all implants without film.

CONCLUSION: This may have implications of another method to alter the biological response to foreign material implantation.

Submission No. 114

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Department of Educational Leadership

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Karina Reyes

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Varaxy Yi Borromeo, Ph.D.

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Three Minute Thesis (Please note only 20 will be selected.)

Project Title: The Educational Aspirations of Latina Mothers: A Qualitative Study of the Stories and Challenges Faced by Mothers Organizing and Advocating to Expand Access to Higher Education

For this study, the researcher gained further understanding into the experiences and history of K-12 Latina mother advocacy efforts and how their role serves to make equitable changes in education. Little is known about Latina mother’s role in higher education which can serve as an important piece in the success of higher education attainment for Latinx students. Utilizing a qualitative, narrative inquiry research method, semi-structured interviews and a focus group was conducted with 3-5 participants whom reside in Fresno, CA, have children enrolled in school, lived outside the U.S. prior to arriving in Fresno, have been involved in activism/organizing efforts, and identify as a Latina woman. The overarching questions that guided this inquiry was, what are the educational aspirations Latina mothers have for their children going into higher education and how does organizing and advocating as a united group support access in higher education in the Latinx community? This research study seeks to situate Latina mothers as a population worthy of further exploration through their unique perspectives and insights in helping expand access to education to Latinx students. The pathways involving the experiences of Latinx students in both K-12 and post-secondary education were (1) the educational impact of K-12 and higher education as a foundation start to understand the pathways of Latinx students in education, (2) the systemic inequities and discrimination experiences that impact Latinx students’ access and opportunities in education, and (3) the advocacy efforts and experiences by groups of Latina mothers. These findings were used to understand how to better support Latina mothers in their advocacy efforts to increase access for Latinx students in higher education. Based on preliminary data, recommendations were made. These recommendations consist of: (1) parent committee programs, (2) diverse and accessible parent events, and (3) partnerships among parents and higher education administrators.

Submission No. 115

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Mechanical Engineering

College: Lyles College of Engineering

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Alejandra Leija

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: The Nguyen

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Blood Pressure Nitinol Measuring Device

Nitinol is a shape memory alloy that is used in various biomedical applications. When the material is heated up, it returns to is memory shape. The goal is to use this material to measure blood pressure rather than using traditional bulky bladder methods. The design consists of a nitinol wire that will be wrapped around a circular chain with an alternating pattern of a soft and hard material. The alloy will have pegs at the top exterior face of the hard material. The wires will wrap around and through these pegs in a helical pattern. The idea is to tighten up the shape memory alloy wire in order to create a squeezing effect where the wrist would be located so blood flow is interrupted. This would be done by heating up the wire. The next step would then be to discover some possible sensors that could be implemented in the design to read blood pressure measurements. Using such material should allow a more economically affordable smart device.

Submission No. 116

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Armenian Studies

College: College of Arts and Humanities

Category: Faculty

Name: Hagop Ohanessian

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Paula M. Carbone

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: College Academic Readiness and English Placement

This dissertation served as a study to address opportunity gaps that exist in urban education. The focus was exploring the problem of college academic readiness of First-generation community college minoritized students enrolled and placed into developmental English courses. One community college in the state of California was used to highlight the experiences of First-generation minoritized students transitioning from high school to community college and their subsequent enrollment in developmental English courses. In doing so, an educational cultural capital framework was utilized to further understand their preparation and for college. Furthermore, cognitive and non-cognitive skill sets were used as a foundation for college academic readiness. This dissertation examined the following research question: What is the relationship between educational cultural capital of First-generation minoritized community college students and their perceived understanding of college academic readiness and English remediation? Interviews (thirteen students) served as the primary method for data collection. The findings suggest that there was a relationship between educational cultural capital and the participants’ perceived understanding of college academic readiness through cognitive and non- cognitive skills. In addition, there was English remediation through their lack of understanding of the English placement test and its effects of not successfully passing. The participants demonstrated a lack of understanding of educational cultural capital, which is an important component of college academic readiness. Implications for the field include bridging opportunity gaps in urban education with emphasis on addressing the impact that placement testing has on First-generation community college minoritized students who are disproportionately enrolled in developmental English classes. Developing educational cultural capital early on their high school academic career is also important when addressing college academic readiness and English remediation.

Submission No. 117

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Mathematics

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Erica Sawyer

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Mario Banuelos

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Deep Learning Methods for Detecting Structual Variants in Related Individuals

Structural variants (SVs) are observed differences between the sequenced genome of an individual as compared to a reference genome for that species. These differences include deletions, inversions, insertions, and duplications. Since some variations are associated with certain diseases, our work focuses on developing methods to detect such genomic changes. Because current DNA sequencing methods may be costly and are not capable of identifying precise locations and boundaries of SVs, we seek to develop machine learning and deep learning methods for identifying probable deletions in DNA based on genomic information of related individuals.

We will explain the implementation of neural networks, gradient descent, and logistic regression to predict SVs. We then introduce our preliminary model, which uses the observed genomic information of two parents and offspring to predict locations of SVs in the genome of the child, and investigate the performance of this model under different neural network architectures using various performance metrics. Furthermore, we discuss the expansion of our model to simultaneously predict SVs for both the parents and the child.

Submission No. 118

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Ethan Sakamoto

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Morgan Hawker

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Tuning wettability of silk fibroin films using plasma treatment to customize hydrophobic recovery time for biomedical applications

Silk fibroin is a naturally derived polymer capable of use in vivo owing to its non-immunogenic properties. Increased hydrophilicity for the surface of silk materials when being inserted in the body is crucial, as this hydrophilicity is known to promote cell growth on the material. Cell growth is central to a myriad of biomedical applications including tissue regeneration and wound healing. Native silk is hydrophobic, meaning it often requires modification for these applications. One method to enhance hydrophilicity is plasma treatment, a low temperature, solvent-free strategy, amenable to polymer modification, where a range of gas precursors with varying chemistries can be used. Unfortunately, this modification is often short-lived because polymers experience a process called hydrophobic recovery. The goals of our research are: 1) understand the hydrophobic recovery process for silk, as this has not yet been studied, and 2) tune the rate at which the silk recovers to better adapt to a variety of applications within the biomedical industry. Through the use of a contact angle goniometer, we measured the water contact angle of control and plasma-modified silk films. For plasma modification, we exposed the films to a water vapor plasma for varying amounts of time. We observed an initial enhancement in hydrophilicity when compared to native silk (water contact angles ~ 70°). These water contact angle data show changes in surface wettability as a function of aging time, demonstrating our ability to control the ultimate hydrophobic recovery time of the silk material. From this initial experiment, we hope to more deeply understand the chemistry between plasma and naturally derived polymers capable of both modification and use inside the human body.

Submission No. 119

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Psychology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: KayLee Cotton

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Karl M. Oswald

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Assessing the Efficacy of Trauma Sensitivity Training

Childhood trauma is the maltreatment of youth through abuse, neglect, and/or household dysfunction. Research has increased due to the pervasive nature and impact that traumatic experiences have on health outcomes and academic functioning. To try to address this problem, trainings on trauma sensitivity have been implemented in some schools, designed to help educators acknowledge and respond to the impacts of childhood trauma. Despite this movement, there is very little research to evaluate whether these trainings are effective in enhancing trauma sensitivity. The current study measured whether educators who had training scored higher on a trauma-sensitivity measurement than educators who had no training. The sample consisted of 128 educators in the Central Valley of California. Participants completed an anonymous online survey which included the ARTIC-35 Scale. The 35-item scale assesses changes in attitudes of the trainings and understanding the impact of trauma in and outside the classroom. The scale is divided into five subscales that assess the educators’ perceptions of the underlying causes of behavior, response to problem behavior and symptoms, on the job behavior, self-efficacy at work, and reactions to the work. Preliminary analyses suggest that trauma sensitivity does not differ across trained and untrained educators. However, the overall sample showed relatively high trauma awareness. The results emphasize the need to further assess training efficacy and the necessity for evidence-based practice in sensitivity training aimed at helping children who have experienced trauma.

Submission No. 120

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Psychology and Chicano and Latin American Studies

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Yovani Muñoz

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rosa Toro

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: The Perceptions of Mental Health Among Central Valley Campesinos and Their Adolescent Children

This study seeks to investigate how mental health is conceptualized, familism acts as a protective factor for adolescents, and acculturation can influence California's Central Valley Latinx farmworkers families' decisions when seeking mental health treatment or care for their adolescent children. There are health service disparities in the Latinx farmworker community, specifically mental health services. Research states that there are difficulties and barriers to receiving mental health services or care because of the new set of challenges of being in a new country and the stigma behind mental health. Investigating how the Latinx farmworker community interprets and understands mental health from a cultural perspective is important because much of the research uses psychological testing that is normed to Western notions and samples. Therefore, understanding how family helps in the mental health of adolescents within Latinx farmworker families, how acculturation can impact whether an adolescent decides to seek mental health services, and the type(s) of mental health services or care Latinx farmworker families may choose for their child while being in a different country is critical. Preliminary analysis has shown that parents refer to mental health concerning substance abuse (e.g., alcoholism), depression, or stress. The context for mental health issues was related to familial stress or unemployment (e.g., difficulty in finding a job). Parents have stated that they manage with their mental health through outdoor activities (e.g., sports, hiking, walking outside, yoga), self-regulation (e.g., counting to ten or letting go of the situation), or talking with family members (e.g., lessens weight on shoulder, receive advice, or gain support). From the adolescents' perspective on mental health, they refer to mental health to how an individual feels (e.g., self-esteem), depression/anxiety, or fearful. The context relating to mental health is related to the perceptions of the self-body image, conflict with a parent, or being misunderstood. The adolescents spoke about how they manage through talking with friends or family, exercising, or avoiding the situation that can cause conflict.

Submission No. 121

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Edgar Gutierrez

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Hwan Youn

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Residue Asn-133 provides stability to the Inactive Form of the cAMP Receptor Protein

The Escherichia coli cAMP receptor protein (CRP) exists in equilibrium between two main conformational forms: cAMP-free form and cAMP-bound active form. CRP in its active form regulates genes, however in E. coli cells CRP is found predominantly in the inactive form, this prevents wasteful gene expression when cAMP is absent. Using a protein visualization software, we identified residues forming charge interactions unique to the inactive form and absent in the active form. The putative residues were individually substituted by alanine via site-directed mutagenesis to assess the role of the original amino acid in the protein. If the original amino acid has a role in the stability of the inactive form, then in theory, a substitution of such residue would result in increased CRP activity by stabilization of active form, and indirect destabilization of inactive form. The resultant mutants were tested for in vivo transcriptional activity. The CRP mutant N133A displayed higher cAMP-dependent activity, therefore position N133 was targeted for codon randomization on wild type and A144T backgrounds, the A144T background mutation was used to elevate transcriptional activity to a detectable level in a cAMP-free environment. The resultant pool of CRP mutants was screened for those which displayed higher in vivo transcriptional activity then wild type CRP. Four mutants: N133H, N133M, N133Q all in A144T backgrounds and N133F in wild type background displayed elevated cAMP-free activity. These results suggest that absence of original N133 not only destabilizes the inactive but apparently larger sized amino acids at position 133 stabilize the active form resulting in cAMP-independent activity. We hypothesize that larger amino acids are required to fill the cavity and we are currently making more mutants at position E54, the interaction partner of N133 in the inactive form. This work lays the groundwork for the study of the inactive form of CRP.

Submission No. 122

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Esther Fernandez

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Joel Slade

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: The Loss of Migratory Behavior and the Evolution of MHC Class I in Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis)

The seasonal migration of songbirds contributes to their exposure to varying environments where these birds can encounter different predators, parasites, and other risks not experienced by sedentary populations. Successful migration depends in part on the evolution of mechanisms that allow them to cope with exposure to novel selective forces, including parasitic infections. Research has shown that a highly duplicated immune gene family, the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), is subject to parasite-mediated selective pressures. Several studies have argued that parasite-mediated selection can favor locally adapted alleles (good gene effects) and a combination of alleles (heterozygote advantage) at MHC. In this study, we investigated the diversity and differentiation of MHC class I in two subpopulations of dark-eyed juncos native to Virginia. The slate-colored junco (J. h. hyemalis) and the Carolina junco (J. h. carolinensis) diverged ~10,000 years ago when the Carolina junco population remained sedentary in the Appalachian Mountains year-round instead of migrating northward in the spring. Due to their exposure to various environments, we hypothesize that migratory populations will have higher MHC diversity and differentiation in comparison to sedentary populations who should contain fewer, locally adapted alleles. Blood samples were collected in early spring at the Mountain Lake Biological Station in 2018 (n migratory = 35, n resident =34). Individual MHC class I alleles were cloned to produce high-throughput sequencing primers, so we can evaluate MHC diversity and differentiation between each subspecies. These results will give us insight into how MHC class I has evolved in response to risks imposed by different migratory strategies.

Submission No. 123

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Psychology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Sebastian Flores-Mondragon

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Paul Price

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Effect of Group Size on Judgments of Average Attractiveness

Recent studies from our lab demonstrate that judgments of averages often exhibit a sample size bias. That is, they increase as the sample size increases. For example, the average size of a group of squares is judged to be greater when there are more squares (even though the objective average is held constant). In the present study, we demonstrate this same effect on judgments of the average attractiveness of groups of people. College students (N = 84) rated the average attractiveness of 48 groups of people shown on a computer screen, where the groups varied systematically in size (4, 8, or 12). They made their rating of each group on a 0-100 attractiveness scale. We also varied how the groups were organized. In the mixed condition, the group size varied from trial to trial. In the constant condition, the group size changed only after every 16 trials. This manipulation is interesting because research on numerosity perception has shown that people’s brains habituate to successive presentations of groups of the same size, suggesting that the constant condition may yield a weaker bias or even none at all. Our results demonstrated an overall sample size bias, with judgments of average attractiveness increasing as a function of group size, F(1,82) = 11.71, p = .001. Although the sample size bias in the constant condition was somewhat weaker than in the mixed condition, the group size x condition interaction was not statistically significant, F(1,82) = 0.37, p = .544. We will continue to explore this issue in future studies. However, it is important to emphasize that the overall results confirm that the sample size bias is very general—extending even to judgments of the average attractiveness of groups of people.

Submission No. 124

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Art and Design

College: College of Arts and Humanities

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Kelsey Smith

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Laura Huisinga

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Developing for Potential Functionality of Smart Accessories

Smart devices are a rapidly developing technology in today’s society that have proven substantially beneficial. The purpose of this study is to explore the potential capabilities of smart accessories to perform tasks via touch and gestural input, and how best to integrate said technology into a user- friendly application. For this project, I will be defining the utilities and methods of use for a smart accessory, as well as developing a mobile app that would designate which functions the user wants to connect to a specific touch pattern or physical gesture. I will then be assessing the application’s user experience by studying a test group and recording the quantitative and qualitative results.

Submission No. 125

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Art and Design

College: College of Arts and Humanities

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Heather Quintanilla

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Laura Huisinga

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Fresno State Map Using Augmented Reality

In my project, augmented reality (AR) is being used. There is a scan code on the Fresno State map and users would be able to use it with their smartphones. This will help people around campus to figure out what the buildings around campus would look like. It will be helpful for new students, visitors, high school and community college students who are touring the campus, and other people. People easily get lost when they are familiar with the campus and do not know what the buildings are supposed to look like.With this AR feature on the Fresno State map,it would be similar to Google Maps to a certain extent. Google Maps is something that has helped with researching for this project. However, unlike Google Maps, this AR feature on the Fresno State map would only be available on smartphones. A research element that I will contribute to this project design is using images of the buildings around campus when people want to know what a certain building looks like. Another research element that would be used is that there would be a feature of what the inside of the building would look like. This would help people who are lost on campus and not confused. It would give them an idea how to navigate around campus. Some of the results of doing the project would be that it had helped people who were lost and trying to figure out where a certain building looked. In conclusion, having an AR feature would help prospective and new students as well as Fresno State visitors.

Submission No. 126

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Feiling Vang

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Kristi Closser

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: A Comparative Study of the Photoexcited States of Phenylurea Herbicides

Photodegradation is one of the primary abiotic mechanisms by which organic molecules can break apart. In the Fresno area, a large quantity of these herbicides are used every year and can affect the environment, particularly through the water supply. After they serve their purpose, herbicides themselves can cause soil and water contamination and they also degrade through many different pathways producing products which are potentially more toxic than the parent compound, presenting health risks to humans and the environment. In this project, we calculated the excited states and initial forces of several different phenylurea herbicides using quantum chemical methods to help predict how these molecules degrade. The calculations were done using Q-chem, a commercially available software package using density functional based methods with Gaussian basis sets (6-311G** and 6-311++G**). Various classes of functionals (B3LYP, BLYP, and w-B96) were used to compare the structure and properties of the different phenylurea herbicide molecules. We found many similarities between these molecules but also some very interesting differences. Ultimately, if we can accurately predict photodegradation products for a given class of molecules, this can potentially lead to developing safer but effective alternatives for widely used pesticides.

Submission No. 127

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Michael Castro

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Tricia Van Laar

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Can Pseudomonas aeruginosa handle its liquor? Challenging adhC mutant pseudomonas

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative bacterium which is highly motile and forms robust biofilms during infection. Previous work in our lab has found that these phenotypes are decreased in a gshA mutant. GshA is necessary for the synthesis of an antioxidant called glutathione. This thiol is involved with the removal of radical oxygen species that cause oxidative stress. Based on our previous study, I have designed a project to explore an alternative pathway involving glutathione. Specifically, my project deals with a gene called alcohol dehydrogenase C (adhC) that produces a protein called GSNOR. The protein GSNOR is involved in a biochemical reaction that releases glutathione from a complex interaction with nitric oxide (NO) and allows glutathione to suppress radical oxygen species. We hypothesize that loss of adhC will result in decreased motility and biofilm formation similar to what is seen in the gshA mutant because glutathione will be unable to function. For our first step in studying adhC, we used a two-step PCR method followed by homologous recombination to generate a knockout in P. aeruginosa. For future work, we plan to generate a complement strain and begin phenotype testing. We also are in the process of testing enzyme function of a purified protein. This work will contribute to knowledge regarding alternative strategies for combatting P. aeruginosa infections.

Submission No. 128

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Andrew Pacheco

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Joel Slade

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: The prevalence of avian malaria between migratory and non-migratory subspecies of dark- eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis)

Migration is a costly behavior whereby animals experience a wide-variety of environments between breeding and wintering grounds. For migratory animals, such as songbirds, there is an increased risk of disease exposure, such as bloodborne parasites (avian malaria (haemosporidians); Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon). A candidate group of birds to explore whether migratory birds are more susceptible to avian malaria are dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis). The migratory slate-colored junco (Junco hyemalis) and non-migratory Carolina junco (Junco h. carolinensis) diverged ~10 000 years ago and currently live in sympatry over the winter in the Appalachians. In the spring of 2018 at the Mountain Lake Biological Research Station, blood samples were collected for each subspecies (nmigratory = 35, nresident =34) to subsequently test for the presence/absence of avian malaria. I predicted that the migratory junco will have higher prevalence of avian malaria than the non-migratory junco, on the basis that migratory juncos may be exposed to more parasites during migration. At Fresno State, I performed nested PCR to amplify a specific region of the cytochrome b (barcoding gene) to determine the groups of avian malaria that each subspecies may have been exposed to. Sanger sequencing on known infected birds confirmed that my protocol was accurately amplifying cytochrome b in avian malaria. Afterwards, with gel electrophoresis, I was able to determine which birds were infected with avian malaria by counting the presence/absence of DNA. I found ~43% of migratory juncos were infected with Plasmodium/Haemoproteus and ~37% were infected with Leucocytozoon. In contrast, I found ~38% of non-migratory juncos were infected with Plasmodium/Haemoproteus and ~18% were infected with Leucocytozoon. The difference in Plasmodium/Haemoproteus infection is not considerably different between each subspecies, however migratory juncos show a higher prevalence of Leucocytozoon infection in comparison to non-migratory juncos. Ultimately, these results shine light on how differences in migratory behavior may affect disease risk.

Submission No. 129

University: UCSF - Fresno

Department: Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Kwang Eun Lee

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Lynn Jakobs

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Perception of Mental Illness Among Nursing Students

Patients with mental illnesses experience health disparities in our healthcare system. Diagnostic overshadowing (DI) is a phenomenon whereby healthcare providers disregard a patient’s physical symptoms of illness, as they presume those symptoms to be part of patient’s mental illness. DI potentially leads to treatment delays, may contribute to less than optimal treatment outcomes, and may cause unnecessary return visits to emergency department (ED). The primary goal of this study is to assess nursing students’ perceptions toward mental illness; a key factor in DI. During this study, undergraduate nursing students, currently in their psychiatric clinical rotation, were surveyed regarding their perception of patients with mental illness. The Community Attitudes to Mental Illness (CAMI) Scale, was administered to 58 nursing students at Fresno State. Results of the study, which are pending, will be shared will the students in hopes of increasing awareness of possible misconceptions that may hinder care to this vulnerable population. The ultimate goal is to promote the appropriate medical assessments and interventions to meet the physical needs of patients with mental illness.

Submission No. 130

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Center Valley Health Policy Institute

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: LaMecia Ward

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Tania Pacheo-Werner

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Sweet Potato Project: An Evidence-Based Practice to reduce Mental Health Disparities among African American Youth

West Fresno is located in Central California and is a hub to agriculture and many industrial plants. These residents, many who are African American, experience environmental burdens, lack of opportunities, and disparities in neighborhoods, resulting in poorer health outcomes. In August 2017, the Sweet Potato Project (SPP) a longitudinal study began at the West Fresno Family Resource Center as part of the California Reducing Disparities Project, which aims to reduce mental health disparities around California through preventive innovative strategies. The SPP utilizes a culturally relevant curriculum of leadership development and mentorship centered on farming and entrepreneurship. This study reports on the protective and resilience factors around self-efficacy and hope for the future of Year 1 cohort of using quantitative data. The youth participating in this project were 12 to 16 years of age, with a sample of n=25 youth participants. Quantitative data was collected through surveys with Qualtrics software. A pre and post-survey was administered to the cohort. Results of pre and post-survey reveal students want to pursue higher education (68%, p<0.05). On average, participants agreed to the statement that they can handle the problems that come up in life (61%), indicating self-efficacy. Participants were also asked if their past experiences prepared them for their future, most had strongly agreed to this statement (n=16). These changes occurred while situations in their neighborhoods and neighborhood cohesion did not change. Culture-based/age-appropriate interventions can result in increased mental health resilience among African American youth.

Submission No. 131

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Chong Heu

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Janine Spencer

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Knowledge of Diabetes Type 2 Complications Among the Non-English Speaking Hmong Adults in Fresno

Introduction Diabetes is a complex endocrine disorder that can lead to multiple complications if not properly managed. Research shows that Diabetes complications have the most impact on people from low socioeconomic background and low education. However no research has been done in the non- English speaking Hmong diabetic adults in Fresno to evaluate their knowledge.

Benefits/Value The results of this research project will provide a better understanding for health care workers regarding the knowledge non-English speaker Hmong diabetics possessed. Furthermore, encourage providers and policy makers to have diabetes, complications, and management information done in the Hmong language for non-English Hmong diabetics. This project is done with the hope that with increase in knowledge will lead to decrease in complications cause by diabetes in this population.

Method The researcher will be using a quantitative quasi-experimental design to assess the knowledge regarding type 2 diabetes causing multiple organs failures. Data collection will occur between March to April of 2020. A total of thirty diabetic Hmong participants will be selected from an adult day care in Fresno to join this study. All participants will be asked to complete a survey of 16 questionnaires regarding diabetes knowledge, risk of complications, and management. An educational power point about diabetes, complications, and diabetes management will be taught in the Hmong language to all participants. Then a post evaluation would be conducted to assess for improvement in diabetes knowledge.

Results Data analysis and results of this research project are pending project completion. The final outcomes will be discussed in the poster presentation.

Conclusion The research will identify the lack of knowledge regarding diabetes and it’s complications in the non-English speaker Hmong adults in Fresno. Submission No. 132

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Political Science

College: College of Social Sciences

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Beverly Perez-Alvarez

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Bryant, Lisa

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: The Perfect Mass Murder for the Mass Media

While much has been written about mass shootings and their effect on gun laws and mental illness awareness, less has been written about how the media manipulates the way in which mass shootings are portrayed, which influences the public discourse around gun laws and mental illness.

In this paper, I draw upon theories of framing and agenda-setting as the two common stylistic approaches the media uses to highlight specific details of a mass shooting for the purposes of influencing the way a mass shooting is viewed by the public. I argue that media framing of mass shootings drives public interest. I hypothesize that when the age of the victim decreases, the location of a mass shooting occurs in a ‘safe space’, and when the media releases in-depth details of the mass shooter, the public interest will increase.

Because mass shootings are relatively uncommon, I will use a comparative analysis of other types of crimes to determine what details of a crime the media uses to increase public interest. For my quantitative research, I will examine the relationship between characteristics of the shooter and the victims along with Google search counts to determine whether public interest increases as more details of a mass shooting and the perpetrator are released.

Preliminary results of the data, including relevant research about media determining newsworthiness among homicide victims, suggests an inverse relation: as the age of the victim decreases, media coverage increases. Regarding the location of a mass shooting, research suggests mass shootings that occur in a school setting receive more media coverage and public attention due to the notion that school is the ‘safest place’ for a child. Lastly, preliminary results suggest that as more in-depth details of a mass shooting perpetrator are widely publicized by the media, the public interest also increases.

Submission No. 133

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Manaal Mian

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Emily Walter

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Using active learning in the face of personal and institutional barriers: A mixed methods study

Active learning reduces course failure rates and improves scores on conceptual tests much more than traditional lecture. However, most STEM professors in North America continue to exclusively lecture. This work has led institutions to seek to understand why faculty teach like they do and build meaningful professional support for faculty. This requires researchers to decide (a) how to encourage faculty to use more active learning and (b) how to best measure whether change efforts are impacting faculty teaching practice. The purpose of this research project is to understand the nature of observed and self-reported teaching practices and also unpack what attitudes, norms, or perceived barriers inform teaching practices. Our methods include surveying faculty using the Postsecondary Instructional Practices Survey (PIPS), 3 observations using the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS), and one semi-structured interview. We took a convenience sample of faculty that were surveyed (n=56), observed (n=58 individuals; 160 class periods), or both (n=32). We will be adding an additional 25 faculty to this sample (75 observed class periods, and 25 faculty interviews). We ran Pearson’s correlations among items on PIPS and COPUS variables to understand the relationship between intent and behavior, and followed up with interviews (n=25). In our initial findings, we found that some instructors (n=12) were under-reporting lecture, but that faculty could accurately self-report group work (r=.390, p=.025) and clicker questions (r=0.405, p=0.019). Additional quantitative and qualitative findings will help us to understand the extent to which our survey and observation findings can be explained by (a) misalignment of faculty intent and teaching behavior or (b) potential misalignment of our survey and observational protocols. We expect the talk to interest a wide group of CCRS participants, including education researchers, faculty developers, and university administrators.

Submission No. 134

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Devon Lee

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Laurent Dejean

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Relative Contributions of PM2.5 Chemical Constituents to Overall ROS Production

Identifiable links have been established between ambient atmospheric particulate matter (PM) exposure and adverse health effects in humans. PM2.5 poses significant risk to the respiratory system of humans, triggering inflammatory responses at the distal ends of the tract upon interaction with alveolar macrophages (AM). Understanding the contribution of organelle-specific ROS production is imperative to developing treatments tailored to combat cellular oxidative stress. Furthermore, an analysis of the relative contributions of each constituent compound to the overall generation of ROS is necessary to understand the proportionate toxicities of each compound of interest.

Past iterations of the study were successful in quantifying the oxidative stress potential of PM2.5 samples originating from filters collected from the areas of Fresno and Claremont during summer and winter months. PM2.5 collected in these samples was demonstrated to induce varying ROS responses in NR8383 AM, revealing sample origin as a factor in ROS production, and strongly suggesting that chemical composition of PM2.5 is a major determinant of AM ROS generation. We elected to study three commonly PM2.5 -occurring cyclic diones (9,10 phenanthrenequinone, 1,2 naphthoquinone, and 1,4 naphthoquinone) and two commonly occurring transition metals (Cu2+ and Fe2+) for their propensity to generate oxidative stress within a cellular context. Analysis of the stress response in AM established that cell populations treated with quinones on average reached a peak intracellular ROS level at comparatively lower treatment concentrations than cells treated with transition metals. As previously hypothesized, results reaffirmed the notion that organic compounds possess substantially higher stress potential than either transition metal, limited only by lower relative concentrations, and identified Iron (II) to be the principal contributor to oxidative stress responses at nearly every site.

Submission No. 135

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Department of Educational Leadership

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Erika Castanon

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Susana Hernandez

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Recognizing the Community Cultural Wealth of First-Gen, Latinx Honors Students

The purpose of this case study is to understand how the Smittcamp Family Honors College at California State University, Fresno recognizes the Community Cultural Wealth of Latinx, first-generation students. The Community Cultural Wealth framework explores six forms of “capital”: linguistic, familial, social, navigational, resistant, and aspirational. Using a qualitative methodology, the research will be conducted as a case study. A survey will be sent out to scholars who entered the Smittcamp Family Honors College in the fall 2016, fall 2017 or fall 2018 semesters. Survey participants will be invited to be a participant in one of three focus group sessions. Additionally, a content analysis will review the honors college’s official website and social media accounts to evaluate if the program recognizes these forms of capital in its communications. Based on the potential findings in this case study, the researcher can provide strategic recommendations on programming based on the various accounts from first- generation, Latinx students. This can help directors, administrative staff, and faculty in the honors college support scholars using an asset-based approach.

Submission No. 136

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biochemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Dilpreet Sekhon

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Laurent Dejean

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Understanding the Biological Mechanisms Behind ROS Production due to PM 2.5

The Central Valley faces adverse health effects due to the increased amount of air pollution. Exposure to particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) can enter the respiratory tract and the alveolar macrophage (AM), where oxidative stress rises due to the production of excess reactive oxygen species (ROS). The mechanisms through which PM 2.5 produce excess ROS through interactions with alveolar macrophages will be analyzed in the project, while also analyzing heme oxygenase (HO-1) and its role in this process with rat NR8383 AM cells. Previous studies suggest that HO-1 plays a role in intracellular ROS regulation, so in this project conducting treatments on transition metals such as iron clarify the involvement of HO- 1 in a PM 2.5 induced ROS response, since HO-1 is known to regulate iron metabolism. To identify the chemical constituents responsible for PM 2.5 -induced stimulation of ROS production in lung macrophages. Normal rat lung macrophages (NR 8383) are exposed to ambient PM 2.5 samples containing different pre-defined quantities of iron. Western blotting and Zymosan treatments would confirm the increase of the HO-1 proteins. These cells will then be analyzed through fluorescence-based microplate assay and hypothetically there should be enhanced ROS production in PM, with the lack of HO-1, a protective enzyme. If the biological processes through which PM 2.5 can cause ROS can be understood, the detrimental effects of pollution could be analyzed and utilized to prevent populations from adverse health conditions.

Submission No. 137

University: California Health Sciences University

Department: Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences

College: California Health Sciences University/College of Pharmacy

Category: Doctoral

Name: Mandhir Johal

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Farid Khalafalla

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: An Interprofessional Framework to Improve Health Literacy in Underserved Communities Inspired by Kotter’s Change Model

INTRODUCTION:

Underserved communities display higher rates of chronic diseases partially due to limited access to healthcare and poor health literacy. Herein, we propose a stepwise methodology for establishing interprofessional community engagement programs facilitated by trained healthcare professional students to improve health literacy and address priority health needs in underserved communities.

METHODS:

1) Identifying priority health needs for underserved community using published Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) reports (e.g., obesity, opioid addiction, diabetes, tobacco use) and creating a sense of urgency. 2) Building a guiding coalition of experts in the identified area of health need. 3) Communicating the vision of improving community’s health literacy. 4) Enlisting healthcare professional student volunteers from different specialties and proactively planning for interprofessional educational sessions (e.g., logistics and scheduling).5) Training students interprofessionally on basic knowledge in the identified area of health need along with foundational coaching/motivational interviewing skills. 6) Assessing students’ knowledge, coaching skills and interprofessional competencies through mock interviews using standardized rubrics/surveys (e.g., Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies Attainment Survey [ICCAS]). 7) Coaching underserved community members by trained interprofessional students and tracking health outcomes (e.g., BMI to evaluate reduction in obesity). 8) Removing barriers to accessing community by getting buy-in from community leaders. 9) Ensuring sustainability by engaging community members and delegating leadership roles.

ANTICIPATED RESULTS:

Pilot implementation of this methodology and data collection are underway. This framework is anticipated to enhance students’ interprofessional competencies and coaching skills along with improving health literacy and boosting health outcomes in underserved communities.

CONCLUSION:

This model introduces a structured, innovative platform for interprofessional education and practice, which engages students in meaningful patient-centered projects that contribute to reducing health disparities in underserved communities. This framework, inspired by Kotter’s Change Model, can be easily adapted by pharmacy and healthcare professional programs nationwide. Submission No. 138

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Jasleen Kaur

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Qiao-Hong Chen

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Two approaches to 3,5,7,20-O-tetramethyl-2,3-dehydrosilybin

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer amongst men in the United States and is the second leading cause of death. Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) contributes greatly to the high mortality rate. Current chemotherapies can only prolong approximately 3 years of median overall survival in mCRPC patients. Thus, alternative methods need to be developed to treat mCRPC. Silibinin, a natural product from milk thistle has been demonstrated to have potential in treating prostate cancer. However, silibinin is not suitable to be move towards clinical use due to its low potency and poor pharmacokinetic profile. In order to make 23-O-3,5,7,20-tetramethyl-2,3-dehydrosilibinin derivatives for the evaluation in cell models, this study focused on the synthesis of the key intermediate: 3,5,7,20- tetramethyl-2,3-dehydrosilybin. We have developed two methods to synthesize this intermediate. In method 1, starting with an inexpensive material vanillin, we used a wittig reaction followed by the reduction of ester mediated by diisobutylaluminum hydride to furnish coniferyl alcohol. A biomimetic radical coupling reaction of quercetin and coniferyl alcohol was used to construct 2,3-dehydrosilybin. Subsequently, dimethyl Sulfate was then used to achieve the intermediate in an overall yield of 5.8%. In method two, starting with silibinin, trimethylation on the phenolic alcohols of silibinin and oxidation by hydrogen peroxide were performed to give 5,7,20-O-trimethyl-2,3-dehydrosilbinin. The resulting product was then methylated at 3-OH to produce the intermediate in an overall yield of 16.6%. The intermediate 3,5,7,20-tetramethyl-2,3-dehydrosilibinin will then be used to synthesize 8 new derivatives.

Submission No. 139

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Psychology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Marisol Duran

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Chris Miller

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Three Minute Thesis (Please note only 20 will be selected.)

Project Title: Functional Connectivity of the Triple Network Model of Depression: A Meta- Analysis

Primary studies using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) have reported abnormal functional connectivity according to a triple mode network model (central executive network, default mode network, and salience network) and the rest of the brain. It has been proposed that the aberrant connectivity between these networks play a significant role in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). We conducted a comprehensive, seed-based, resting-state meta-analysis of the triple mode network model of depression. Using multilevel kernel density analysis, we compared functional connectivity abnormalities of depressed patients (n=1063) to healthy age-matched controls (n=1030). Patients with MDD showed aberrant patterns of functional connectivity compared to healthy aged-matched controls. This study represents an essential step in understanding the specific aberrant neural connectivity within and between the triple network model in patients with MDD.

Submission No. 140

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Civil Engineering

College: Lyles College of Engineering

Category: Graduate

Name: Zeinab Younis

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Maryam Nazari

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Application of Treated Rubber Particles and Metakaolin for Strength Enhancement of Tire Derived Aggregate Concrete (TDAC)

Since the increase of the world population rate and the limited resources, researchers are attempting to rely on sustainable reusable resources for many construction projects. According to the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Rubber Manufacture Association, 290 million tires are discarded in the United States each year. Using these durable materials as a green material will be a practical solution to overcome these huge numbers of tires from landfill. For example, the use of waste tire as concrete aggregate is a sustainable solution to deal with this problem and enhance the toughness and ductility of the brittle concrete. However, the previous studies concluded that the substituted rubber particles decrease the concrete strength due to their poor surface bonding with cement matrix. This study aimed to increase the compressive strength of tire derived aggregates concrete (TDAC) by examining two different treatment methods. The first TDA surface treatment was conducted using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution, and the other one was conducted using NaOH solution and coating technique (coated with sikalatex bonding agent, cement, and sand). In addition, 20% of cement was replaced by Metakaolin which has been shown to improve the strength of concrete at all ages. Conventional concrete, untreated and treated TDA concrete (100% TDA replacement by volume of coarse aggregate) were compared by examining their compressive strength according to ASTM C39 and their workability based on ASTM C143. The results showed that NaOH -treated method improves the workability of TDA concrete compared to the untreated and coated TDAC. It was observed significant improvement in the compressive strength in the mixture containing treated-coated TDA.

Key words: Bonding agent, Compressive strength, Metakaolin, NaOH- solution, Rubber, TDA Concrete.

Submission No. 141

University: California Health Sciences University

Department: Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences

College: California Health Sciences University/College of Pharmacy

Category: Doctoral

Name: Rafal Alqaysi

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Farid Khalafalla

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Interprofessional, Team-Based Nutrition and Lifestyle Training for Healthcare Professional Students

INTRODUCTION: Nutrition and lifestyle modifications are effective interventions in tackling many chronic diseases including cardiovascular diseases. However, primary care providers are not sufficiently trained in nutrition and lifestyle education. To address this gap, this study established an interprofessional, team-based framework to train healthcare professional students on healthy nutrition and culturally competent dietary coaching and motivational interviewing.

METHODS: Twelve PharmD student from California Health Sciences University and three dietetic students from California State University, Fresno enrolled in this training program. Three pre-/post-surveys and one post- reflection worksheet were utilized to assess progress in students’ learning outcomes. Assessed learner outcomes included knowledge about obesity, confidence in coaching/mentoring families, perception of healthy nutrition, dietary habits and interprofessional collaborative competencies (communication, collaboration, roles and responsibilities, family-/patient-centred approach, conflict resolution, and team functioning).

RESULTS: Surveys’ quantitative data and reflection worksheet thematic analysis revealed improvement in learner outcomes in almost all of the assessed areas. Students’ knowledge about obesity and mentoring skills improved by 32%. Students’ knowledge about the program curriculum improved by 167%. Students’ dietary habits improved by 28%. Students’ interprofessional competencies improved to varying levels between 9% and 34%. Thematic analysis of interprofessional educational (IPE) reflection worksheet indicated positive reaction to the program, enhanced IPE outcomes and potential application of acquired knowledge and skills on family and future patients.

CONCLUSION: Success of this interprofessional, team-based study encourages us to expand the training program to enrol more students from various healthcare specialties, including medical and nursing students. This IPE framework can be easily adapted by other healthcare programs towards preparing healthcare providers who can work interprofessionally and effectively include basic nutrition and lifestyle recommendations for disease management and preventive care.

Submission No. 142

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: The Department of Physics

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Matthew Brown

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Pei-Chun Ho

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Thermal Analysis of Pr₁₋ₓNdₓOs₄Sb₁₂ in Normal State

The filled-skutterudite compounds PrOs₄Sb₁₂ and NdOs₄Sb₁₂ have attracted interest due to their properties at low temperatures, where they exhibit unconventional heavy-fermion superconductivity (T꜀ = 1.85 K) and ferromagnetism (Tcᵤᵣᵢₑ ≈ 0.8 K), respectively. Previous studies on the series of compounds Pr₁₋ₓNdₓOs₄Sb₁₂ have shown competition between the superconducting and ferromagnetic states and that the two phenomena coexist within the sample for particular concentrations of Nd and Pr. The specific heat of single-crystal clusters of Pr₁₋ₓNdₓOs₄Sb₁₂ was measured in the temperature range from 11K to 300K, and the specific heat was analyzed to determine contributions from the lattice and the conduction electrons. The Debye and Einstein models were used in conjunction to account for the lattice contribution, and the Sommerfeld model was used to account for the specific heat of the electrons. A curve fit was applied to the specific heat data in order to extract values for parameters related to these models, including the Debye Temperature, Einstein Temperature, the electronic specific heat coefficient, and a weighting factor that determines the relative contribution form the Debye model and the Einstein model to the density of state. The evolution of the parameters with respect to Nd concentration can then be determined.

Acknowledgements

Research at CSU-Fresno is supported by NSF DMR-1905636; at UCSD by US DOE DE-FG02-04ER46105 and NSF DMR-1810310; and at Hokkaido U. JSPS KAKENHI JP15KK0146, JP15H05885, and JP18H04297.

Submission No. 143

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Physics

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Adriana Hernandez

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Pei-Chun Ho

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Synthesis of Gadolinium Particles Via Reverse Micelle Process Using DMSO as Polar Solvent

Synthesis of nano-sized rare earth metals is a growing area of research due to the rare properties that these particles exhibit as opposed to their bulk counterpart. The applications of the nano-sized particles extend from using the optical fluorescence of Gd nanoparticles for medical imaging to using the rare magnetic properties Fe2O3 to absorb toxic materials in the environment. Reverse micelles offer a simple and inexpensive solution to synthesize the particles while also protecting them from the external environment. Reverse micelles are molecular aggregates that assemble due to the polarity of the chemicals being used. In this study Gd was reduced from GdCl3 salt through the use of the reducing agent NaBH4. DMSO was used as the polar solvent, AOT as the surfactant, and Heptane as the non-polar solvent. After synthesis, samples of the particles were observed through an optical microscope, which resulted in the statistical analysis that the micelles ranged between 2μm and 15μm in diameter. The majority of the particles that formed were within 10μm. The sample was then filtered through a Nuclepore 8μm pore diameter filter to extract the micelles. Further testing of the unfiltered versus filtered sample was performed through x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The results indicated that the gadolinium chloride salt used was successfully reduced and that few contaminants stayed after filtration. Further work will be directed towards extensively decreasing the average particle size and producing much cleaner samples.

Acknowledgement: Research at Strongly Correlated Electron Laboratory at Fresno State is supported by NSF DMR-1905636.

Submission No. 144

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Krizma Singh

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Ulrike Muller

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Designing mechanical model of a suction feeder to explore its performance landscape

Many aquatic organisms use suction feeding to catch their prey. The smallest suction feeders are bladderworts, an aquatic carnivorous plant (genus Utricularia), and fish larvae. Bladderwort generate suction flows with peak speeds of 5 m/s and reach peak speed in 1 millisecond. In contrast, larval fish reach much lower peak speeds of 1 mm/s within 10 milliseconds. As it is difficult to study the real organisms due to their small size and short duration, we used fluid-dynamic scaling laws to design a dynamically scaled model and characterize the suction flows. This larger and slower model greatly facilitates the recording of data with better temporal and spatial resolution. The model comprised a linear motor and a housing with a circular test nozzle submerged in mineral oil. We combined flow visualization on bladderwort traps with measurements on the mechanical model and compare experimental data with theoretical predictions about inhalant flows. In this study, we show that a dynamically scaled model provides detailed flow fields to explore the differences between bladderwort and fish larval suction flows. Our findings largely agree with theoretical models of suction flows, which show that bladderwort traps generate flows that closely resemble inviscid flow whereas fish larvae resemble creeping flow models.

Submission No. 145

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Central California Center for Health and Human Services

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Faculty

Name: Hayam Megally

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Marlene Bengiamin

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: The Underserved Communities’ Perspective about Mid-level Dental Providers in Fresno county.

In California, Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice (RDHAP) is the dental mid-level model that is allowed to deliver preventative dental services outside the dental facility, without direct supervision of dentists. This study aimed to assess the communities’ awareness of the model and their acceptance to receive dental services from RDHAPs in Fresno County.

Primary data was collected through conducting five focus groups (n=26) with participants from the following target populations: Native Americans, older adults, parents of children with special health-needs, and residents of rural areas. Spanish translation was provided when needed. Fact sheets, in English and Spanish, including general information about the RDHAPs model, scope of work, and a map showing their distribution throughout CA, were shared during the focus groups. All sessions started with providing basic oral health education about oral hygiene and the process and prevention of oral diseases. The focus group guide included questions asking about participants' perception of the RDHAP model, their acceptance to receive care from those providers, and suggestions to improve the model to better serve their community.

Results showed that participants in general were not aware about the existence of this model in CA. Some participants shared that RDHAPs’ mobile care delivery is convenient. Participants showed a general acceptance of receiving dental services from RDHAPs. Many participants shared concerns about the few number of RDHAPs in the Fresno area and the lack of knowledge about the estimated cost or co-pay that they may charge. Few participants showed some concerns about the infection control measures and if there is adequate oversight regarding these measures.

RDHAPs can improve the access to dental care in Fresno County, however the lack of awareness about the model and the extreme shortage in the area are main barriers to maximizing the benefit of this model in the County.

Submission No. 146

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Electrical Engineering

College: Lyles College of Engineering

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Lancelot Laurence Leong

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Hovannes Kulhandjian

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Human Detection and Localization in Heavy Smoke with Multiple Sensors and Machine Learning

This project focuses on human detection and localization in a heavy smoke and low visibility environments using a micro-Doppler sensor and an infrared camera.

The micro-Doppler sensor captures the different motions of a human while the infrared camera captures the presence and the location of a human being in heavy smoke. The collected data from the two sensors is trained using the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) algorithm, after which a decision is made on the existence of a human being in the presence of heavy smoke and the location of them. An object of interest is first captured by an IR camera and a micro-Doppler sensor in a defined time frame. The micro-doppler data is recorded using an Analog to Digital (ADC) and processed by a Python script running on a Raspberry Pi 4 to generate the spectrograms. The IR camera images and the spectrograms are then fed to the trained CNN algorithm coded in Python using TensorFlow, which will be updated to TensorFlow Lite for less strenuous processing for the Raspberry Pi 4. Finally, the neural network makes a decision on the presence of a human in heavy smoke and their location based on its previous training.

When compared to the visible light spectrum, the micro-Doppler's operating frequencies and IR spectrums are unaffected by heavy smoke, and data sampled in either smoke or clear environment were practically identical. At the moment, data is still being gathered, but the machine learning processes have been backed by existing datasets and libraries to help boost accuracy and confidence of the network to identify and localize humans.

With such potential from this type of system, the necessity of such a tool designed to overcome low visibility in heavy smoke is tantamount to a firefighter as a successful rescue.

Submission No. 147

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Paria Azami

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Karine Gousset

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Role of CD7 protein in Tunneling Nanotube formation in Neuronal Cells

Intercellular communication is essential for the function and survival of cells. Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are one of the ways by which distant cells communicate with each other. These actin-based bridges form between two cells and allow the intercellular transfer of signals, molecules, organelles, and pathogens. TNTs are formed through different mechanisms that involve expression of various genes. Myosin-X (Myo10) is one such gene that is found to induce the formation of cellular protrusions including filopodia and TNTs. In a recent study, our lab set up a Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM)- Mass Spectrometry (MS) method to allow for better identification of structural and functional proteins associated with TNTs. Using this technique, CD7 protein was found in one TNT sample and none of the others, suggesting that CD7 might play a role in TNT formation and/or function. Using Succinylated Concanavalin A (Succ Con-A) and Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), we attempted to alter CD7 expression in neuronal cath.a-differentiated (CAD) cells. Con-A is expected to induce CD7 expression and TNT formation while PMA is thought to have the opposite effect leading to decreased CD7 expression and TNT development. CD7 protein expression was analyzed using western blots and TNTs were counted using fluorescent microscopy. We will also use transfection with GFP and transduction with ShRNA to directly alter CD7 expression and verify the effects observed with the drug treatments. We will also study the connection between CD7 and Myo10 during TNT development and establish if the CD7- induced TNTs are Myo10 dependent. Studying TNTs and the molecular pathways leading to their development could pave the way for discovering how these structures could be regulated and used as tools for selective and targeted therapy.

Submission No. 148

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Educational Leadership

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Randy Aoki

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Varaxy Yi Borromeo

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Reviewing the Positives and Negatives on the Principles of Community: Assessing Fresno State’s Top Executive Leadership on Campus Inclusion

The purpose of this qualitative study is to identify the perspectives of high-level administrative staff on the principles of community adopted at a large Higher Education Institution and the administrative staff’s perception of implementation of the principles of community by top senior leaders across the university. Results from a recent survey, 2019 Fresno State Workplace Quality Survey, to the campus faculty and staff issued by the President Joseph I. Castro at Fresno State distributed by a company, ModernThink, will be collected and reviewed. Data obtained through a mixed method consisting of a survey and an interview with high-level staff at Fresno State.

Submission No. 149

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Civil Engineering

College: Lyles College of Engineering

Category: Graduate

Name: Alyssa Nishikawa

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Aly Tawfik, PhD, PTP

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Comparisons of Travel Time, Distance and Mode in England, New Zealand, and the United States

Major cities and countries world-wide conduct periodical travel surveys. These travel surveys are important to identify travel patterns, trends and behaviors and are used by policymakers and transportation professionals to assess sustainability issues, develop travel demand models, appropriate transportation funds and design the transportation infrastructure. Travel surveys have also been used by researchers to conduct temporal and geographical comparisons of travel behavior. There has, however, been limited comparisons made between different nations. This work presents an international comparison between three different world leaders: Great Britain, the United States and New Zealand. It has two main parts: a) it explores travel behavior including trip distance, time, and mode between the 3 countries’ 2017 datasets, and b) it analyzes temporal differences in travel behavior measures between the years 1995 and 2017. Results of the first part of this work indicate differences in travel behavior between the 3 nations. The results indicate possible impact of country size, population density and available transportation modes on travel behavior. It appears that: country size may be directly related to travel distance, population density may be directly related to travel time, and available transportation modes affect the travel time. The second part of this work suggests that both the United States and Great Britain saw reductions in personal travel activity between 1995 and 2017, and that the average trip time and length have increased between the two years. These results indicate how geographic and temporal comparisons of travel behavior measures and trends between nations could help improve our understanding of human travel behavior and lead to more efficient transportation systems plans and designs.

Submission No. 150

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Institute for Food and Agriculture

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Faculty

Name: Karthik Ramaswamy

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Serhat Asci

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Maximizing Economic Benefits of Producing Almonds in the San Joaquin Valley

This study aims to identify the economic benefits of establishing an irrigation district by Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSA) empowered by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in the San Joaquin Valley. A previous economic analysis conducted on SGMA in the San Joaquin Valley shows that one million acres of irrigation land may be converted into dryland farming in the next 20 years due to declining groundwater and limited surface water. The primary objective of this study seeks to maximize the net benefits for the participating crop producers in GSA – by determining the optimal size of the cooperative irrigation district (CID) in a high priority basin.

For this project, a representative farm size of 160-acre is considered, recorded groundwater levels from the monitoring wells are obtained to evaluate the available water supply; finally, crop budgets are prepared, and expected net returns of irrigating almonds are entered into a multi-period mathematical model. This study assumes that the almonds are produced using drip irrigation. A linear programming model is developed to maximize the net present value of the representative farm subject to available water supply, irrigation amounts, and land area. The programming model also generates results concerning the alternative cropland size and groundwater declining rate for 15 years. The irrigation amounts are incorporated into a groundwater simulation model called MODFLOW to determine the groundwater lost due to migration from the CID. Previous studies have shown that if the CID is constructed as large as possible, the groundwater migration can be reduced significantly. However, this study aims to determine the optimal size of CID that will retain 95 percent of groundwater saved. Thus, the principal findings of this study provide essential information for almond producers in San Joaquin Valley to maximize the benefits of maintaining sustainable irrigation land than replacing to dryland crop production.

Submission No. 151

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Higher Education

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Daisy Pelayo Figueroa

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Juan Carlos Gonzlez

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Qualitative Study

This qualitative study examined the higher education aspirations of second grade students in a high- needs, urban elementary school in the Central Valley, California. Participants involved in this study were mainly Latinx students aged seven to eight. Participants of this study participated in focus groups categorized as either higher achieving, at promise, bilingual, and diverse groups. The focus groups also helped students gain knowledge about college from their peers. This study is one of its kind because information based on college choice of elementary aged children is not widely studied. This study is modeled after studies conducted with high school student college choice. Data showed gaps in understanding of higher education aspirations amongst the different focus groups. This project concludes with a few recommendations on how to close those understanding gaps and how to motivate the young students to continue having conversations regarding college choice. This project also lays the ground work for future comparative research of college choice with this population.

Submission No. 152

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Otilia Zepeda

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Lynn Jakobs

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Identification of Sepsis Admission Cases from Nursing Home Residents: A study in Porterville, California

Sepsis has been recognized as a life-threatening event that affects many people of different ages. Sepsis is a systemic response to an infection that triggers an inflammation reaction throughout the body that can lead to death. In the United States, sepsis affects an average of 1.7 million people and is the culprit of 265,000 death per year (Dantes & Epstein, 2018). Regrettably, the elderly and frail are at higher risk for mortality and morbidity due to sepsis. Several research studies have proven that nursing home (NH) residents account for a high number of visits to emergency rooms due to sepsis. This study will identify if there is a high incidence of NH patients admitted to acute care for sepsis. The researcher will be conducting retrospective chart reviews of admissions from NH patients to compare with the general community. The author of this study is still analyzing the data that was collected and results are still pending. The author is hopeful that the results of the study will support filling the gaps in current literature. The author is eager to demonstrate results that successively will lead to increased awareness in early identification of infection and prevention of sepsis in the nursing home community of Porterville, California.

Submission No. 153

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Mathematics

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Erick Gonzalez Garcia

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Oscar Vega

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Automorphism Group of Topological Graphs.

Given a graph G, the automorphism group of G is defined as the set of bijective mappings on the vertices of G that preserve incidence. If the graph is allowed to be "topological" then the automorphism group of a given graph may change depending on the presentation of G. We will discuss this bizarre situation, focusing our attention on the Petersen graph.

Submission No. 154

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Psychology Department

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Summer Olmos

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Georgianna Negron-Long

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Benefits of physical activity for mental health and stress management in college students

Past research has continually shown the positive effects physical activity has on the mental health of college students. Researchers found in a review of the 2005 National College Health Assessment, that students who participated in physical activity every week “demonstrated reduced risk of hopelessness, depression, and suicidal behavior compared with their inactive counterparts.” Other research studies indicate that as exercise rates increase, levels of self-reported anxiety and depression decrease. California State University of Fresno’s Work it Out! (WIO) program was created adhering to that same concept and has implemented a buddy system for added support and motivation. The study included volunteers from the Peer Ambassadors of Wellness (PAWs) program of whom were assigned participants currently seeking treatment for a diagnosis of mild to moderate depression and/or anxiety at the Student Health and Counseling Center. PAWs and participants meet weekly. Participants completed an initial enrollment appointment in which baseline physical activity and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9, a nine item depression scale), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS, a measure of the perception of stress), data were collected and again at the conclusion of program participation. A dependent samples t-test was run comparing three main variables, amount of time physically active, PHQ-9 and PSS scores. Results showed a significant increase in the number of days physically active t(26) = -2.30, p < .05, d = .43 while PHQ-9 scores t(26) = 2.07, p < .05, d = .42. and PSS scores showed a significant decrease t(26) = 3.11, p < .05, d = .73. In conclusion, increases in physical activity can be an effective intervention for reducing symptoms of stress and depression. Future research should take a deeper look into the effect the peer mentor has on these mental health outcomes.

Submission No. 155

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Graphic Design

College: College of Arts and Humanities

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Katherine Lathos

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Laura Huisinga

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: The Scrunchie

Being an undergraduate at Fresno State majoring in Graphic Design, for project two of my graphic design class on researching innovative technologies. After some time, I have decided on designing a scrunchie that is versatile for needs relating to hair and also incorporating some nanotechnology using a bluetooth speaker with sensors to do different actions. My application will include tips for taking care of your hair, what minerals you are lacking/need, distance walked, and the bluetooth speaker features. I am researching nanotechnology so I can use fabric embedded speaker for the speaker portion of the scrunchie. Also, I am researching using sensor points in the scrunchie to do different objectives like skipping the song, increasing or decreasing the volume, opening the app on your phone and on/off. For conducting my usability testing on people, I have chosen to use questions on people who I know own scrunchies but also on people who do not use scrunchies. Conducting questions on a google form on how they keep track of all the things relating to their hair and if they would use a product like this for casual everyday use. My design concept is that it will look like an average scrunchie with no wires or anything, it will all be included in the fabric for the wiring and sensors. A scrunchie that is able to be easily portable and also relate to the healthiness of one’s hair could be a great value to people who listen to music frequently and want to take care of their health.

Submission No. 156

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biotechnology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Shirisha Desai

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jason Bush

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Analysis Of The Anti-angiogenic Effect Of Vasohibin-1 In Cancer

Invasive breast cancer is an angiogenic-dependent malignancy. Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels from existing vasculature that plays an important role in the progression of solid tumors. Cells that form blood vessels (endothelial cells) can produce intrinsic angiogenesis inhibitors induced by angiogenic factors. A recently discovered inhibitor called Vasohibin-1 (VASH1) has potential as an anti- angiogenic agent. In this study, we are investigating the anti-angiogenic effect of VASH1 in combination with another potential anti-angiogenic agent, Zoledronic acid and an FDA-approved agent, Everolimus. We are taking a two-pronged approach by optimizing conditions using in vitro cell-based experiments and then transitioning into a zebrafish-based in vivo angiogenesis assay. The breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, was used in cell viability assays for Zoledronic acid and Everolimus and the resulting IC50 values (concentration resulting 50% inhibitory effect) range between 60-70μM and 160-250nM, respectively which is consistent with concentration found in the literature. We are currently testing these agents in spheroid-based sprouting assays to monitor the spread of cancer cells in a 3D environment. An established transgenic zebrafish expressing fluorescent green protein during vascular development in embryos will be used for in vivo angiogenesis assays. Angiogenesis in zebrafish can be quantified by visualizing the extent of green glowing vessels under fluorescent microscopy. Current results demonstrate strong and consistent vascularization during the first few days after hatching. By testing the effect of combinations of ‘potential’ and ‘known’ anti-cancer agents, we hope to improve the therapeutic shortcomings against angiogenic growth in breast cancer.

Submission No. 157

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Sagar Pyreddy

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Jason Bush

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Analyses of Cell-Cell Interactions in 3D Spheroid Metastatic Breast Cancer Models

There will be over 276,000 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in the US in 2020. Around 42,170 deaths occur as a result of breast cancer every year with about 75% of these patients having breast cancer metastasis to the bone. The underlying causes and factors which contribute to metastasis are not well understood. Our long-term goal is to shed more light on the changes in intercellular interactions which promote the metastatic progression of breast cancer. Using breast cancer cells that have metastasized to the bone (MDA-MB-231Bo), and adapting these cells to grow in a 3-dimensional model that better emulates tumor growth in the body, we can analyze and quantitate different kinds of interactions between cells. We optimized the growth of cell aggregates known as spheroids utilizing the hanging drop method, and determined that 30 μl drop volume with 1000 cells/μl was the most optimal concentration for well-formed spheroids. Following this optimization, spheroids were then harvested and embedded in a matrix composed of 43% methylcellulose and 38% collagen with ~10 spheroids per well. Long-term growth with projections extending from tumor aggregates towards other aggregates were observed. This analysis is evidence of cell-cell crosstalk that exists between expanding tumor aggregates in close proximity to each other. Future work will focus on the composition and expression patterns that drive these molecular interactions.

Submission No. 158

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Physics

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Sarah Kroeker

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Mihai Gherase

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Measurements of the x-ray linear attenuation coefficients of two soft-tissue mimicking materials for bone lead concentration studies

Lead (Pb) is a well-known toxic element that predominantly accumulates in the human bone where it can reside for up to 20 years. Therefore, bone Pb concentration measurement is a better assessment of chronic human exposure from an environmental or occupational source than blood Pb measurements that are employed in clinical cases of more acute Pb exposure. An in vivo bone Pb measurement method was developed in the mid-1980s and 1990s, and it was based on the detection of K-shell x-ray fluorescence (KXRF) photons. The alternative method studied here is based on the detection of L-shell x- ray fluorescence (LXRF) photons (10.5 and 12.6 keV) of Pb and employs an x-ray tube microbeam with silicone detector. This has potential advantages over the KXRF method including increased portability, use of a non-radioactive x-ray source, and lower absorbed dose to soft tissue overlying the bone. The x- ray linear attenuation coefficients (LACs) of three materials in the photon energy range from 12.5 keV to 26.5 keV were measured to aid our research efforts for an accurate calibration procedure of Pb concentration. Two materials were used to mimic the soft-tissue, polyoxymethylene (POM) and polyester resin, and 99.9% purity aluminum was used as a reference material. Energy resolved x-ray spectra were taken for all materials in varying 1 to 5mm thickness. The measured LACs were compared to the NIST XCOM database calculations. POM and aluminum were in good agreement with the XCOM values within the 95% confidence interval. The measured LAC of resin was found to be significantly larger than the XCOM values calculated based on an assumed bulk elemental composition H:0.6%, C:0.3%, O:0.1% taken from a polymer research paper.

Submission No. 159

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biotechnology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Kamna Sreejith

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Cory Brooks

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Effects of Loop length and Disulfide bonds on the flexibility of CDR loops in Camelid Antibodies

Antibodies are vertebrate immune system proteins consisting of two identical heavy and light chains. Antibodies possess six complementarity-determining region loops (CDR loops) which combine to form the antigen-binding site. One exception to this structural antibody model is the heavy chain only antibodies (HCAbs) found in camelids. In contrast to conventional antibodies. HCAbs only have a heavy chain, and thus bind antigen using three CDR loops. The third CDR (CDR3) loop in HCAbs is 3-4 amino acids longer than is typically found in human antibodies. The longer CDR3 loop in HCAbs is thought to be an evolutionary adaption that functions to provide a sufficiently large surface for antigen binding. One possible consequence of the longer HCAb CDR3 loop length may be loop flexibility. A flexible CDR3 loop would have to be immobilized upon antigen binding, imposing an entropic penalty. To mitigate the consequences of a flexible loop, one solution is the preorganization of the loop in a constrained configuration. In some cases, the long CDR3 loop found in camel HCAbs is hypothesized to be constrained by the presence of a non-canonical disulfide bond between CDR loops. In this study, we examine the flexibility of HCAb CDR3 loops as a function of loop length and determine if the presence of a non-canonical disulfide bond reduces loop flexibility. The flexibility of the loops was determined using normalized B-factor values from X-ray structures. B-factor values measure atomic motion and can be used to assess the flexibility of CDR3 loops from known structures. Thus, comparing B-factor values, we expect to find long CDR3 loops have high B-factor values indicating higher flexibility and loops with disulfide bonds to have low B-factor values indicating lower flexibility.

Submission No. 160

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Titus Patton

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Brian Tsukimura

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: The effect of ocean acidification on the growth and development of Artemia franciscana

Ocean Acidification (OA) due to increased anthropogenic carbon dioxide is a major issue effecting the world’s oceans. OA stress has been shown to have negative effects on development and larval growth in various marine invertebrates (Busch and McElhany 2016, Zhan et. al 2020).

This project aims to study the effects of OA on the growth and development of Artemia franciscana. Artemia were grown from cysts in two different pH treatments: 7.1, 7.6, and a control pH of 8.1. pH in each tank was maintained by a pH meter which selectively delivered CO2 or air as pH in the treatment tanks fluctuated. Artemia were grown for a four-week period. Population samples were taken at two- weeks and the end to measure population dry mass. As pH reduced there was a significant reduction in population weight (1-Way ANOVA p<0.001). An analysis of larval stages in the sampled populations showed increasing inhibition of growth at lower pH treatments when compared to the control population. This inhibition of larval development helps to explain the weight differences between the populations. To further investigate this, Artemia were grown for a ten-day period in the same pH treatments. Using Schrehardt’s (1987) description, the larval development stage of 100 individuals from each population was identified. Larval development in the lower pH treatment groups was significantly hindered when compared to normal growth conditions (1-way ANOVA p<0.001). The treatment populations pH 7.1 and pH 7.6 mean larval stage ranged between nauplius (L1) and metanauplius 1(L2) and the mean larval stage for pH 8.1 ranged between metanauplius 2 (L3) and metanauplius 3 (L4). This disruption in the normal larval molt cycle could be due to the extra energy required by Artemia in lower pH environments to separate the hydrogen from bicarbonate for the creation of calcium carbonate required for growth.

Submission No. 161

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Central Valley Health Policy Institute

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Faculty

Name: Guadalupe Corona Gomez

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Tania Pacheco-Werner

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Using Local Public Documents to Measure the Effects of Collective Impact Advocacy Efforts on Health Equity

This paper discusses the creation of a method to objectively measure change in health equity investments in California’s Merced County since the launch of a ten-year collective impact advocacy effort in 2010, and the challenges associated with accessing and using local public data. The research team tracked health equity change by reviewing 10 years of public meeting minutes and agendas of local government bodies (Merced County Board of Directors, Merced City Council, Merced Unified School District, and Merced Unified High School District). Some of the agendas and meeting minutes were not available online, and required formal requests to obtain documents. To identify health equity changes, we used the social determinants of health (SDOH) framework to develop indicators of equitable improvements, including infrastructure such as increased funding for sidewalks/crosswalks, comprehensive school support systems, and resources for English Learners. We identified specific SDOH codes in the analysis, recording codes as they appeared in meeting minutes, and identified themes by examining which issues appeared consistently over the decade and which were prioritized by local leadership. Public meeting minutes are not regulated, which may result in vague records of actions with little or no context to the decision-making process. Understanding the public meeting minutes often required insider knowledge and deeper research into their contents. The archival analysis did reveal positive trends in health equity investments, and was able to identify when community advocacy organizations and leaders were able to effectively advocate for change. This work underscores the importance of access to public documents that are comprehensive, as they are a critical tool for allowing residents to ensure their government is receptive to their needs and so that participation in public decision making is possible.

Submission No. 162

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Orlando Lopez

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Emily Walter

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Unpacking relationships in student attitudes and learning outcomes in Undergraduate Biology

A transformation in undergraduate STEM courses needs to occur to help foster student growth and performance in their STEM courses. For example, introductory biology courses for science majors at Fresno State, students’ performance has been faltering with a >40% DFW rate. There are a number of reasons for this problem, but understanding how courses affect students’ knowledge and attitudes toward learning science is an important piece to this puzzle. For example, if the classroom environment does not promote a STEM identity (e.g. it negatively affects their attitudes toward the discipline), students may be less likely to persist in STEM and less likely to success in a given course. The goal of the study is therefore to understand science majors’ attitudes about science and relationship of these attitudes with knowledge of fundamental biology concepts. We gathered data from 1276 undergraduate STEM students in four biology courses (two introductory courses, one sophomore-junior level course, and a capstone course) from a large enrollment medium-research intensive university in the Western U.S. We used four valid and reliable surveys to gather these data, including the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS; Semsar, Knight, Birol, & Smith, 2011), the Conceptual Inventory of Natural Selection (CINS; Anderson, Fisher, & Norman, 2002), the Energy and Matter in Dynamic Systems Survey (Wilson et al., 2006), and the Genetics Concept Assessment (Smith, Wood, & Knight, 2008). At this poster session, we will share the descriptive and inferential statistics among demographic groups of interest and note how these patterns of interest may be explained by related literature. We will also explore a longitudinal analysis of how students’ knowledge and attitudes change pre- to post- course over a multi-course period. Our poster will include important implications for informing individual course formats as well as how to plan overall course-to-course curriculum.

Submission No. 163

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Ravinder Johal

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Kristi Closser

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Degradation mechanism of imidacloprid in a solution

The degradation mechanism of a neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid, was studied using computational quantum chemistry. Imidacloprid is widely used in agriculture and can find its way into ground and surface water after use, and thus better knowing its degradation process can help with purification of water in the central valley. Research methods included use of Qchem to look at imidacloprid‘s excited states, solvation of imidacloprid in water etc. Some of the computations done on this molecule include: choosing best solvent model for this molecule, looking at the effect of solvation model on the molecular geometry and excitation energies, and looking at energy barriers for breaking various bonds in the molecule. We found that two solvent models, PCM and Langevin Dipoles, were very accurate in ground state but PCM matched experiment better in excited state calculations. It was found that water has a significant effect on imdacloprid as it changes its geometry and excited states. The molecule’s N-N bond was found to be the most likely to break after excitation resulting in its degradation. Also, the accuracy and precision of calculations is affected by methodology used. For imidacloprid excitations, it was found that Density Functional Theory (DFT) worked best when the specific form of the functional known as BLYP. Therefore careful selection of methods is crucial to get the desired and reliable results. In conclusion, in order to learn the degradation mechanism of imidacloprid, data on its solvation in water, excited states, bond breaking was collected which has shown a lot about this molecule’s degradation. Also, process of selection of best solvent model was accomplished which ensures that any future calculations will reliably reflect the behavior of the molecule. Further computational work on this molecule will reveal more about its properties and add to our understanding of its degradation mechanism.

Submission No. 164

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Wesley Hatcher

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Santanu Maitra

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Design and Synthesis of Triarylmethylamine Compounds for Biological Evaluation as Antifungal Agents

Clotrimazole is an antifungal medication commonly used to treat yeast infections, oral thrush, and ringworm. The compound’s three lipophilic rings allow clotrimazole to penetrate fungal membranes where it potently inhibits ergosterol synthesis, disrupting the permeability of the membrane and eventually causing cell death. To further investigate the applications of Clotrimazole’s lead structure and hopefully elucidate anti-infective drug candidates, the S. Maitra Lab has synthesized a focused library of analogous triarylmethylamines (TAMAs) that will be tested for anti-infective activity in fungal assays. The synthesis scheme involved aminating three different triaryl halide starting materials with various primary and secondary amines to create a structurally diverse library. After synthesis, compounds were purified by recrystallization and characterized using 1H NMR, resulting in 30 pure TAMA compounds. These compounds are currently under biological evaluation in the Mujic Lab against several strains of fungi to assess potential antifungal properties of the TAMA compounds. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of compounds with confirmed bioactivity against fungi are being determined using standard broth dilution antifungal susceptibility testing methods. This study has demonstrated the efficacy of SN1 type aminations in the synthesis of TAMA compounds, and analysis of biological data will determine the effects of modulating clotrimazole’s aryl substituents and amines on fungicidal activity. Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR) studies under the guidelines of medicinal chemistry will be further applied to modify the pharmacophore to explore new and novel structural territories for antifungal agents.

Submission No. 165

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Social Work

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Sarah Carr

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Marcus Crawford

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Stabilization of Youth in the Child Welfare System: Interventions for youth at-risk of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking

Intro: Domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) is a violation of human rights and is a recognized global problem. Service providers must identify the specific factors that make children vulnerable to DMST within their unique context. Service providers can then appropriately address these vulnerabilities in order to prevent sex trafficking. The purpose of this research study is to identify innovative strategies within the social work practice to stabilize youth at risk of DMST and prevent these individuals from running away while in the care of child welfare services.

Previous studies have shown an intersection of minors at risk for DMST and the foster care system in North America. Youth in foster care run away from placement double that of youth not in foster care which makes youth especially vulnerable to DMST as they may fall prey to sex traffickers they encounter on the streets. Since foster youth are especially vulnerable to running away and sex trafficking, service providers must work to stabilize this population in order to prevent DMST.

Methods: This study utilizes qualitative methods to identify reasons why youth run away and how social service workers employed by child welfare services can work to create stability for foster youth. Triangulation of qualitative data includes interviews with child welfare social workers and case notes of minors who have a history of DMST in the child welfare system.

Results: Research findings are consistent with past studies as these outcomes emphasize the need for youth at-risk of DMST to build strong connections with caring adults that are well trained and understand behaviors that accompany complex trauma.

Conclusion: The implications of this study highlight the importance of prevention-emphasized intervention to target intersectional vulnerabilities and can be utilized for communities working towards protecting and promoting the well-being of youth at risk or victimized of DMST. Submission No. 166

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Armando Dealba

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Laurent Dejean

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Investigating the effect of recombinant Bcl-2 family proteins on yeast metabolism using 13C NMR

The Bcl-2 family of proteins involved in cell mediated death, apoptosis, may also play a large role in metabolism in cells, and of particular interest in cancer cells. Prior studies have shown cancer cells to undergo a metabolic shift and increase their use of the glycolytic pathway. To this day a complete picture of these effects has not been established. Possible reasons for this are because of the complexity of mammalian cells, as well as the presence of homologs of the Bcl-2 proteins present in these cells. To show these effects, S. cerevisiae can be used as an alternative to mammalian cells because of their ability to grow in a lab setting, they are relatively easy to transform with genes of interest, and the absence of any genes similar to Bcl-2 family proteins. Of particular interest are the Bcl-xL and Bax genes, which have been shown to be protooncogenes found in many different cancers. To study this metabolic shift found in many cancer cells, yeast samples with the different transformants are fed radiolabeled 13C glucose and the metabolite consumption is tracked through carbon NMR. Prior studies have shown promise in finding initial glucose peaks from the NMR and as the yeast undergo their glycolytic metabolism, the production of ethanol and glycerol peaks have been recorded. Together, a flux ratio of consumption of glucose to production of ethanol and glycerol can be calculated. Using this method has shown promise, and along with growth curve data, would provide a process for creating a quantitative metabolic landscape of the effects of the Bcl-2 family proteins in yeast which could become an analog to their effects in mammalian cells and possibly cancer cells.

Submission No. 167

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Educational Leadership and Administration

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Devin-Lee Balbach

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Varaxy Yi Borromeo

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: The Role of National Panhellenic Conference Sorority Membership on Leadership Development

The purpose of this qualitative research study is to examine the role membership in a National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sorority has on the leadership development of women in higher education. Open-ended interviews will also be conducted with active members of NPC sororities at California State University, Fresno to understand the impact their membership has had on their leadership development. Research participants are self-identified active members of NPC sororities at CSU Fresno. “Active” members are defined as current members that are involved in all activities with their organization and currently paying dues. For the purposes of this study, first year sorority members will be excluded to ensure those interviewed have had an opportunity to take advantage of the leadership opportunities offered by their chapter. There are five NPC sororities at Fresno State: Delta Gamma, Delta Zeta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and Phi Mu. One active member from each chapter will be selected to interview. The goal of this study is to provide information on whether NPC sorority membership has a positive, negative, or neutral impact on women in higher education’s leadership development.

Submission No. 168

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Psychology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Celine Jimenez

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Chris Miller

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Meta-analysis of fMRI studies of OCD

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a highly prevalent and morbid mental disorder. We are currently conducting a meta-analysis of fMRI studies of OCD that explores the abnormalities in brain function that are associated with this disorder. This inivolves screening primary studies for inclusion and then extracting data for analysis using multilevel kernel density analysis (MKDA) in Matlab. We hypothesize that individuals diagnosed with OCD will show abnormal patterns of activation throughout the whole brain.

Submission No. 169

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Physics

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Josh Jardenil

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: MIHAI GHERASE

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: A phantom-based study of a new calibration method for L-shell x-ray fluorescence bone lead concentration measurements

Lead (Pb) is a well-known toxic element. In vivo measurements of its concentration in human bone using x-ray fluorescence (XRF) can assess cumulative long-term Pb exposure. Using materials that mimic the x- ray attenuation properties of tissues, one can build so-called phantoms designed to replicate the in vivo measurement conditions. Bone Pb concentration can be measured indirectly by detecting L-shell XRF (LXRF) emissions of Pb. LXRF signal consists of two peaks at 10.5 keV and 12.6 keV in the acquired x-ray photon energy spectrum. The Pb LXRF peak measurement is converted into Pb concentration by dividing it to the slope of a bare bone calibration line. The x-ray attenuation of the soft tissue (ST) overlying the bone is not a priori known during in vivo measurements, hence, accurate bone Pb measurements are difficult. In this study four cylindrical shells of 1, 2, 3, and 4 mm thickness mimicked the ST. Two sets of ST phantoms were made of polyoxymethylene (POM) and polyester resin to replicate variations in the x- ray attenuation of ST. Seven plaster-of-Paris (poP) cylindrical bone phantoms were doped with Pb in 0, 8, 16, 29, 44, 59, and 74 µg/g concentrations. The poP also contained strontium (Sr) (1 mg/g). A previously developed methodology and XRF experimental platform was used to acquire three repeated x-ray photon energy spectra of 300 s each from all 56 (2x7x4) bone and ST phantom combinations. The measured Kbeta/Kalpha ratios of Sr K-shell XRF peaks at 14.1 keV (Kalpha) and 15.8 keV (Kbeta) were demonstrated to be accurate metrics of the ST x-ray attenuation when compared to its atomic value of 0.181. Plots of the relative Pb calibration line slope values versus the relative Kbeta/Kalpha ratio for the two soft tissue materials point to a new internal calibration method.

Submission No. 170

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Inderpreet Bal

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Santanu Maitra

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Design and Synthesis of Triarylmethyl Amine Compounds for Biological Evaluation as Anti- Infective Agents

Clotrimazole is an antifungal medication commonly prescribed for the treatment of yeast infections and oral thrush. Its resonating aromatic rings and an electron withdrawing group, a halogen, significantly contributes to its unique chemical structure and overall medicinal success. To expand on this pharmaceutical lead molecule, our lab is synthesizing a focused library of triarylmethyl amine (TAMA) compounds in order to foster possible anti-infective drug candidates that will inhibit the growth of various pathogenic organisms. Our lab has previously utilized the TAMA scaffold for protein modulation in the area of Alzheimer’s disease. This library of molecules is being resynthesized utilizing similar organic chemistry practices that were conducted in the past in our lab. Dr. Tricia van Laar, a biologist, is collaborating with us to evaluate the anti-infective efficacy of these compounds. The biological assays essentially involve screening these molecules against several strains of bacteria in order to assess their potential activity as anti-infective agents. The synthesized molecules are also being expanded into the realm of being studied as possible novel antifungal agents within our new collaborator, Dr. Alija Mujic’s laboratory. This presentation will focus on the motivation for this project and it’s first phase of study within Dr. Tricia Van Laar’s laboratory and the future direction of this project.

Submission No. 171

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Food and Nutritional Sciences

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Daniel Olmos

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Carmen Licon

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: The Influence of Soil and Sun Exposure Affects the Quality of Mandarins Grown at the Fresno State Farm.

It is known that fruit that is grown in different soil conditions may have positive or negative effects on the sensory attributes during the production process. The objective of this work was to compare the quality of different mandarins grown at the Fresno State University farm in different soils (north and south) and with different sun exposure (east and west). Physico-chemical characteristics and consumer’s perception were studied, including the analysis of brix, size distribution, peelability (just-about-right 5- point scale), sweetness, tartness, juiciness (10-point intensity scale) and overall liking (9-point hedonic scale). Results showed the sugar content of the four samples showed significant differences (p<0.000), where mandarins on the north side with east sun exposure showed significant lower sugar content (12.97 土0.15), followed by southwest and northwest (14.80土0.17 and 15.03土0.15), while southeast showed the highest sugar content (15.33土0.06). The size distribution for all different samples showed a normal distribution. Regarding the sensory evaluation, all samples showed a similar peelability score (3.06土1.15), showing that all different mandarins have a right peelability score. Regarding sweetness, tartness and juiciness, no significant differences were found, nevertheless, the lowest tartness and juiciness, and the highest sweetness values were obtained for southwest mandarins. Overall liking scores did not show significant differences with a mean value of 7土1.5, on a scale from 1 to 10. Further studies are needed and includes selecting a larger group of panelists in order to develop a larger pool of data, specifically descriptive analysis related to mandarin oranges.

Submission No. 172

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Department of Educational Leadership

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Paulito Gilbert (Preferred) Falcon

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Nichole R. Walsh

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Leadership and Lived Experiences

When it comes to student success, involvement is typically touted as a great outlet for students to be successful in their collegiate careers (Clapp-Smith et al., 2019). However, as our colleges and universities continue to change so does the student populations that attend them. They are no longer the traditional college student, that lives on campus and has time to join multiple organizations. Rather it is the rise of “nontraditional” students that include, first-generation, commuter, part/full working, part/full student, parenting and military veteran students (Witkowksy et al., 2016). There is little research today that shows what our nontraditional students' involvement looks like, specifically when it pertains to leadership identity development. Current research supports the narrative of the need to support and assist these students, however, through these formal efforts there is a disconnect of validating students and their lived experience. This qualitative study explores how do nontraditional students’ experiences support their leadership identity? Participants were from a local university in California that fit the nontraditional student profile. Participants took part first in a qualifying demographic survey, from there individuals that had qualified and who chose to participate, then participated in a 30-45-minute interview session in which they discussed their experiences of leadership identity based on their lived experiences (i.e. family role, coursework, volunteerism and work). The results will assist current and future professionals within the field of Student Affairs.

Submission No. 173

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Alvir Sangha

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dermot Donnelly-Hermosillo

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Development of Pre-service Teachers’ Explanations of Scientific Phenomena with Guided Inquiry Approaches in a Physical Science Laboratory

Prior to entering elementary school children acquire scientific knowledge through activities that involve observations, personal investigations, questioning, and sensemaking. It is important to note that teachers play a critical role in developing children’s scientific ideas through such activities. However, many teachers report difficulty in shaping children’s scientific knowledge through authentic science practices. This comes to no surprise as many teacher education programs fail to provide pre-service elementary teachers (PSETs) opportunities to engage in authentic science practices. Furthermore, teacher education programs offer Physical Science courses that maintain disciplinary boundaries between Chemistry and Physics. Physical Science courses taught from a disciplinary perspective fail to support PSETs’ coherent science understanding. This gap plays an important role into why teachers struggle in addressing children’s scientific questions. Children tend to ask questions broad scientific questions that require an integrated understanding between both Chemistry and Physics. This study supports PSETs in developing an understanding of scientific phenomena by engaging students in phenomena related questions, planning and conducting investigations, using evidence to formulate explanations, and communicating results. We explore how a guided-inquiry Physical Science laboratory impacts PSETs’ explanations of scientific phenomena. Data sources include a pretest and posttest comparison and student comments. Quantitative findings display conceptual gains through students’ explanations of chemistry, physics, and integrated scientific phenomena. Additionally, qualitative results shed light on how guided-inquiry approaches support PSETs’ confidence in explaining scientific concepts and expanding beliefs towards guided-inquiry approaches. These findings point to important implications for supporting PSETs’ scientific explanations in light of the Next Generation Science Standards.

Submission No. 174

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Miranda Fulbright

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lynn Jakobs

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Students’ Perception of Health Literacy Interventions in the Central Valley’s Primary Care Setting

Effective communication between a healthcare provider and patient is identified as one of the most crucial aspects of healthcare. If patients are taught how to properly self-manage their disease processes, there may be less avoidable poor health outcomes observed. However, this can only be true if patients are able to comprehend the information that is given to them by healthcare providers. The primary objective of this pilot study is to evaluate if evidence-based interventions are currently being used to promote improved communication and health literacy among patients who seek healthcare services in various primary care clinics that are located within the Central Valley. The utilization and efficacy of these interventions will be determined by Fresno State’s current Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) students who have completed time in the clinics that they have evaluated. The class of 24 FNP students were given a 44-item assessment questionnaire, in which they rated their respective primary care clinics on the effectiveness of four categories: spoken communication, written communication, self- management and empowerment of patients, and supportive systems available to patients. Health literacy deficits were defined as categories of 40% or more that were rated as “Needs Improvement” or “Not Doing.” Of the four categories, only one was identified as deficient, which was spoken communication, rated at 43.6%. Within this category, the technique that was identified as lacking the most was having patients state key points in their own words (also known as the “teach-back method”). By evaluating primary care clinics and clinicians in the current state, specific deficits in communication and health literacy have been identified. Future clinicians can use this data to focus on precise evidence- based communication techniques that are shown to improve comprehension of health-related information that is imparted on patients, with an overarching goal of improving health outcomes in the Central Valley.

Submission No. 175

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Keeton Montgomery

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Krish Krishnan

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) based metabolomics profile of Murcott mandarin oranges on understanding the impact of fungal pathogenicity on fruit physiology.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) based metabolomics profile of Murcott mandarin oranges on understanding the impact of fungal pathogenicity on fruit physiology.

Keeton Montgomery1,2, Arno Erasmus1, and Krish Krishnan2

1Wonderful Citrus, 1701 S Lexington St, Delano, CA, 93215, and 2Department of Chemistry, California State University Fresno

Plant metabolomics is a powerful tool to gain insight on biochemical pathways on plant tissues under certain conditions varying from disease, nutrient deficiency, physical injuries, or even environmental conditions. Many factors contribute to economic loss, such as Penicillium digitatum infection occurring during harvest and packhouse processing, physiological defects leading to unpackable fruit, as well as aged fruit. Gaining metabolic profiles of citrus fruit that are prone to these conditions can provide great insight into fungal pathogenicity and fruit physiology. In this study, we attempt to characterize metabolites from the two layers of the peel of Murcott mandarin, the flavedo, and albedo, as well as hand-squeezed juice and whole fruit blended into a pulp mash to quantify metabolite profiles utilizing 1H NMR. There have been metabolomic studies of this kind using mass spectrometry, but this methodology has specific downfalls such as separation limitations and detector limitations for specific metabolites. Preliminary protocols have been established, and the results suggest a notable difference between the experimental conditions. Details of the results from protocol optimization, metabolomics profiles of the tissues, and the impact of fungal infection on these profiles will be presented.

Submission No. 176

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Physics

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Patrick Kelly

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Ettore Vitali

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: The Supersolid Phase in Simulated Cold Atomic Fermi Gases

We performed a Quantum Monte Carlo study of a two-dimensional cold Fermi gas on an optical lattice, which can be experimentally realized with laser standing waves. At half-filling, when on average one atom occupies each lattice site, the system displays an intriguing supersolid phase: a superfluid with a checkerboard density modulation. The static and dynamic properties of this exotic phase of matter were calculated. Cold atomic gases can serve as a model for other interesting and seemingly unrelated systems such as superconductors and the interiors of neutron stars. It is believed that superfluidity plays an important role in explaining the properties of these systems. Consequently, our research has relevance to a wide range of topics in physics.

Submission No. 177

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Educational Leadership

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Lauren Butler

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Christina Luna

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Three Minute Thesis (Please note only 20 will be selected.)

Project Title: Promoting equity through higher education fundraising in Central California

Fundraising development in institutions of American higher education has evolved into a multibillion- dollar industry over the past 20 years. Even as education and living expenses rise, higher education support from the state has become increasingly unreliable. The confluence of these events has resulted in the creation of the profession of higher education fundraising as university administrators depend on philanthropic and private support of education as a crucial income stream for public universities. This shift is happening alongside a growing population of minority and first-generation students pursuing higher education – particularly in Central California. In this qualitative study, the researchers interview professional fundraisers from three different California public universities, all of which are in the San Joaquin Valley. The interviewees highlight the challenges of fundraising in a region that is regularly ranked among the poorest in America. An emerging theme in the data also relates to the challenges of fundraising for basic needs security for students (i.e. food, housing, clothing) rather than for more traditional, academic fundraising initiatives like scholarships or faculty research support. The researchers compiled a summary of the innovative and entrepreneurial strategies these universities have implemented to overcome these challenges.

Keywords: Higher education fundraising, identity-based fundraising, development, basic needs security, San Joaquin Valley

Submission No. 178

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Graphic Design

College: College of Arts and Humanities

Category: Undergraduate

Name: April Rogers

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Laura Huisinga

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Interplanetary Travel

My goal for this project is the create an app that gives people the opportunity to “visit” other planets. The use for this app would be sometime in the future when interplanetary travel is possible and available to anyone. I plan to use a combination of AR and VR. The app will have an AR interface, giving all the potential planet destinations using accurate planet placement with satellite technology. The user can look around using their phone and see the planets appropriately place in the sky, and then choose the planet they wish to visit and learn more about. Using VR, the app will take the user to the planet they chose. As the user looks around in the VR version of the planet, they can click on different floating icons which will give info about the planet, such as: gravity, atmosphere, weather, water, day/night length.

Since traveling to another planet is a big commitment, someone would obviously want to know a lot about the planet before they decide to go there. This app provides a simple starting point for anyone thinking about interplanetary travel. It will even include travel options and estimated cost. Since some planets are farther than others and require more technologies to stay alive on, the cost for travel will vary depending on the planet. Like many travel apps, it will provide many travel options which the user can choose from depending on their preferences and budget.

Submission No. 179

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Misk Alrawashdeh

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Kristina Closser

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Computational Study of Carbamazepine in Aqueous Environments

The main objective of this project is to find a more effective treatment to remove carbamazepine from the water system. Carbamazepine is an anti-epileptic drug that’s used to prevent and control seizures. Current research discusses the photodegradation processes of carbamazepine, however there is minimal or no information available about photodegradation process of carbamazepine while reacting with water. This research is conducted by the use of computational chemistry to first understand the electronic structures of the molecule in its ground and excited states, and then to look into its degradation processes. This will be done in a quantum chemistry software package called Q-chem, which enables the fast calculations of this large molecule by using density functional and wave functional based approaches and is visualized using IQmol. Understanding the electronic structure of this compound as well as how it reacts with other compounds, such as water or catalysts, can be modeled by using this program. The computed data includes optimized molecular geometries, frequencies, and excitation energies. The calculations for the ground states and frequencies of carbamazepine while reacting with water were calculated using a B3LYP exchange correlation functional and a Gaussian basis set, 6-31G**. The calculations for the excited states were calculated using time- dependent density functional theory (TD- DFT) and a Gaussian basis set, 6-31G. Four low energy structures of carbamazepine in the ground state has been located and their absorption spectrum (wavelength and intensity) has been computed. The preliminary results for the geometric relaxation of the excited state molecule were computed. Ultimately, understanding the different transition states of the excited states of carbamazepine, while reacting with water, is essential in order to find an effective photodegradation process. Future research entails the study of the transition states and molecular orbitals of carbamazepine, while reacting with water, in an excited state.

Submission No. 180

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Sukhmeet Takhar

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Joseph Ross

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Quantifying Developmental Delay in Intra-Species Hybrids

Inherited genes may not function well together, which may induce changes in development. To understand the relationship between genetics and development, one should use a model organism such as the nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae. This microscopic organism is able to self-fertilize and produce hundreds of offspring in a short generation time, providing a large sample size to be studied. Previous research indicates that epistasis in C. briggsae hybrids might affect development and fecundity. This research influenced me to create an F1 generation hybrid, which has a heterozygous nuclear genome. The F1 hybrid was then self-fertilized, and every F2 generation individual was isolated and grown independently. The F1 hybrid hermaphrodite produced 341 offspring, which provides striking evidence of hybrid vigor, because the parent populations rarely produce more than 250 self-offspring. To study the development rate of the F1 hermaphrodite’s entire self brood, micrographs of each member of the F2 generation were collected at regular intervals. Analysis of development rate indicates that considerable variation exists between siblings, providing evidence that genetic differences between the two parental populations influence the health of their grandchildren. Future efforts will use PCR genotyping of all of the F2 individuals to identify the specific nuclear genetic variants that are involved in this interaction and that elicit the cellular- and organismal-level phenotype of delayed development. This, in turn, will provide insights into how mutations can facilitate the process of species formation.

Submission No. 181

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Computer Science

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Kasthuri Perera

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Alex Liu

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: End to End Framework for developement and Training of Multi-Objective Deep Reinforcemet Learning Agents

Reinforcement Learning is a very popular research area. But existing frameworks for reinforcement learning are limited and not flexible. These frameworks can be extended up to an extent. This research project is focused mainly on developing a python-based framework for developing, training, testing and comparing Reinforcement Learning algorithms. The newly proposed framework, utilizing software engineering principles, will be extendable and will be compatible with a multitude of environments and agents. The framework will enable users to create custom grid, or graph-based environments and will have base classes for several benchmark testing environments such as Deep-Sea treasure and some other environments such as Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP). The framework will allow users to extend existing environments and agents and then compare the results. A separate module will also be added to easily compare the performances and results obtained by running agents on different environments. The framework will be compatible with single-objective, multi-objective environments as well as a variety of Reinforcement Learning agents such as Q-Learning, Deep Reinforcement Learning Algorithms and even Actor Critic networks. Basic Q-Learning agent will be included in the framework along with standard Traveling Salesman Problem environment (e.g., Kro A 100). In addition, a novel Hybrid Multi- Objective Deep Reinforcement Learning agent will also be developed and included in the framework. The novel agent will be a hybrid (between Sarsa and Q-learning) deep reinforcement learning agent that can handle multi-objective optimization problems. The performance of the novel algorithm will be analyzed using the developed framework at the end of the development process. It is expected that this algorithm will be able to handle multi-objective optimization problems with large state spaces. Additionally, this framework will provide an ideal solution to developing, training, testing and comparing various kinds of reinforcement learning algorithms efficiently and cost-effectively. Submission No. 182

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Higher Education, Administration and Leadership (HEAL)

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Ramiro Merino Diaz

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Juan Carlos Gonzalez

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Student Leaders: Influence and Digital Leadership via Social Media

The evolution of technology, specifically social media communication tools, are omnipresent at colleges and universities. Educational professionals devote resources and time to develop and cultivate student leaders. These students emerge at their institutions, taking on positions of power and influence in roles from student government, clubs and organizations, programming boards, to residence life. The student leaders are often the ones delivering student services to their peers, from connecting them to resources on campus, to serving as role models for others. In their positions and involvement, they ideally make positive impacts on their campus communities. Through the lens of digital leadership, student leaders share their experiences of utilizing social media tools to communicate their values, express their digital identities and the impact and influence they have on their peers and campus communities.

This informs the need and cruciality of further understanding of these digital experiences and the impact student leaders can have on their respective campuses and communities. In order to contribute to the holistic growth and success of student leaders, more intentional work should be directed to develop curriculum for the usage of social media.

Submission No. 183

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Nathan Sayavong

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Brian Tsukimura

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Indirect Effects of Climate Change on Vitellogenesis of Rocky Intertidal Porcelain Crabs P. cinctipes and P. manimaculus

Species redistribution is a well-documented response to global change. Understanding the resulting physiological responses of organisms is important for predicting community composition changes that may occur under future conditions. The porcelain crab Petrolisthes cinctipes resides in the upper to mid- intertidal zone and shows impaired reproduction when exposed to high temperature. They are expected to respond to rising temperatures by shifting its distribution in the cooler low-intertidal zone where they will experience higher densities and likely interact more often with its congener, Petrolisthes manimaculus. In this study, I addressed how increased density, species interactions (inter- and intra-), and increased temperature impact reproduction, indexed by circulating levels of the yolk protein vitellogenin (Vg). To address these questions, female crabs were randomly exposed to high density (1000 crabs/m2) and low-density (333 crabs/m2) treatments with and without the presence of a competitor species for 7 days. We found that interspecies interactions in high densities and increased temperature caused significant changes in [Vg] in P. manimaculus. [Vg] decreased from pre- to post- treatment, suggesting a downregulation of vitellogenesis. These results demonstrate the transduction of climate change, where direct effects on one species indirectly impact another species and highlight the importance of global change effects on animal populations.

Submission No. 184

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Yevgeniy Mordvinov

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Ulrike Muller

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Assessing the Size-Dependent Encounter Probability of a Carnivorous Plant Predator Bladderwort and Zooplanktonic Prey Ostracods

Bladderworts (genus Utricularia) are carnivorous aquatic plants that catch zooplankton prey using active, submerged, suction traps. Previous studies have shown that these traps are size-selective, selecting against the smallest and the largest prey items. In this study we explore three potential causes of this size selectivity by exploring how the prey versus predator create size-dependence in the encounter probability between predator and prey. First, the traps funnel prey toward their mouth, and this funnel might select against small and large prey. Second, small prey items might have lower swimming speeds and activity levels. Third, smaller prey might be more likely to seek shelter among the branches of the plant, bringing them closer to the traps. We developed three assays to test these hypotheses. Our pilot experiments show that our swimming arena allows us to determine swimming speed and activity levels: We calculated positions across 12 timestamps at 5 minutes apart for ostracod prey ranging in size from 0.25 to 1.0 mm. We found that we can manipulate the funnel in front of the trap mouth. Furthermore, we can determine the spatial distribution of prey items as a function of the presence of bladderwort plants. In the future, these data will be entered into a mathematical model of predator-prey interactions to test whether the traps’ size selectivity can be explained by size effects of encounter probability, as opposed to size effects on capture probability.

Submission No. 185

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Graphic Design

College: College of Arts and Humanities

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Makenna Uriarte

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Laura Husinga

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Enhanced Restaurant Menus

For my project I will be using augmented reality to enhance restaurant menus. Each menu item will have a button next to it that the user can scan to see a photograph of the menu item, as well as be redirected to detailed dietary information and even reviews. This will be beneficial to many people, especially those with special dietary needs, because this information is something that is hard to search for online and not often found from the source. This can still be beneficial even to people without special dietary needs, because it is often helpful to be able to see a photograph of many different items on the menu, rather than just the few that the restaurant provides printed in the menu. For people who are further interested in finding out more about the menu item, they can even get further reviews from customers.

Submission No. 186

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Miriam Kiran

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Emily Walter

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Using active learning in the face of personal and institutional barriers: A mixed methods study

Active learning reduces course failure rates and improves scores on conceptual tests much more than traditional lecture. However, most STEM professors in North America continue to exclusively lecture. This work has led institutions to seek to understand why faculty teach like they do and build meaningful professional support for faculty. This requires researchers to decide (a) how to encourage faculty to use more active learning and (b) how to best measure whether change efforts are impacting faculty teaching practice. The purpose of this research project is to understand the nature of observed and self-reported teaching practices and also unpack what attitudes, norms, or perceived barriers inform teaching practices. Our methods include surveying faculty using the Postsecondary Instructional Practices Survey (PIPS), 3 observations using the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS), and one semi-structured interview. We took a convenience sample of faculty that were surveyed (n=56), observed (n=58 individuals; 160 class periods), or both (n=32). We will be adding an additional 25 faculty to this sample (75 observed class periods, and 25 faculty interviews). We ran Pearson’s correlations among items on PIPS and COPUS variables to understand the relationship between intent and behavior, and followed up with interviews (n=25). In our initial findings, we found that some instructors (n=12) were under-reporting lecture, but that faculty could accurately self-report group work (r=.390, p=.025) and clicker questions (r=0.405, p=0.019). Additional quantitative and qualitative findings will help us to understand the extent to which our survey and observation findings can be explained by (a) misalignment of faculty intent and teaching behavior or (b) potential misalignment of our survey and observational protocols. We expect the talk to interest a wide group of CCRS participants, including education researchers, faculty developers, and university administrators.

Submission No. 187

University: California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Department: Animal Science

College: Huntley College of Agriculture

Category: Graduate

Name: Emily Nemerovsky

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Cord Brundage

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Comparison Of Ramp And Elevated Platform Enrichments In A Commercial Broiler House

Conventional broiler houses are enclosed buildings where chickens are raised for meat production, where chickens spend ~45 days developing from chicks to harvest ready adults. Demand for chicken meat has significantly increased with the rise in human population, and as a healthy, low cost animal protein alternative to red meats. With this type of demand, optimization of chicken health and development in broiler houses is especially important. Providing environmental enrichment within broiler houses has been hypothesized to aid in increasing broiler chicken welfare, and may influence leg health, gait scores, and hunger. Additionally, enrichments have the potential to influence health, behavior, and performance. The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of utilizing platforms and ramp enrichments in a commercial broiler house. Three replicates each of five ramps varying in angle degree, and seven elevated platforms varying in height were placed inside a 20,000 head commercial broiler house equipped with cameras. Data was collected daily and analyzed to evaluate platform utilization. The significance of this study is to add to knowledge about animal welfare and the management commercial broiler systems. This investigation will contribute directly to the broiler chicken production used in meat production worldwide. Three platform designs were used in this study: ramps at 10, 20, and 30 degrees, pyramids with one, two, or three steps, and raised platforms are five cm, ten, fifteen, and thirty cm above the ground. This prospective study tracks the development of leg diseases, growth, and outcome of each flock of chickens that come into a broiler house. This analysis will allow researchers to gather information on which platforms were used most frequently, whether they were wooden, elevated, or angled.

Submission No. 188

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Daisy Underhill

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Rory Telemeco

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Early-life exposure to adult feces and natural substrate does not increase survival of western fence lizards, but may affect their phenotype.

Many lizards, including Sceloporus occidentalis, are difficult to rear in the laboratory past approximately one month of age. This is despite being highly reproductively successful in nature. We studied this high mortality rate observed at four to six weeks post-hatching of juvenile S. occidentalis by testing whether the absence of fecal matter and natural substrate affected juvenile survivability. We placed S. occidentalis hatchlings into a two-by-two factorial designed treatments involving fecal and substrate matter. We then measured survival and phenotype (SVL, Mass, TL) at four ages 7, 14, and 30 days. We expected to see hatchlings in substrate and fecal matter treatments to have higher survival and growth rates. Survival was uniformly poor across all four treatments. This suggests that a lack of microbes or other vital factors in adult feces or natural substrate does not impact juvenile survival. Hatchling phenotypes (SVL, Mass, and TL) were affected by the treatments at 14 days post-hatching, with animals exposed to feces or substrate generally being in better condition than those receiving neither treatment. However, there was no difference in growth 30 days post-hatching. This may be due to diminishing sample sizes from juvenile mortality. Thus, the microbiome might influence offspring growth, but further investigation is needed.

Submission No. 189

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biochemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Aaron Panduro

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Rais Vohra

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Emergency Department Healthcare Staff Knowledge on Opioids

The United States is currently facing an opioid epidemic that has affected the entire country, including the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. Research has shown that despite the severity of this epidemic, healthcare staff have demonstrated gaps in knowledge on the issue. The purpose of this project is to assess the knowledge of Emergency Department staff on topics surrounding Opioids and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). This knowledge assessment aims to benefit our community through the California Bridge Program, which connects opioid-users to resources for treatment. With a better understanding of current staff knowledge on the issue, the Bridge Program can more effectively aid both staff and patients alike. The assessment was obtained through the use of a qualitative survey which was given to providers, nurses, clerks, Patient Care Assistants, and other staff in the Emergency Department of Fresno’s Community Regional Medical Center. Our results are based on a sample size of 89, including 24 Registered Nurses, 16 Resident Physicians, 12 Unit Clerks, and 37 other staff. The data shows that 74% of respondents have seen a patient who overdosed on opioids. While a similar percentage of respondents could identify the overdose medication naloxone (Narcan), a lesser amount of them knew at least one method for administration of it. In regard to opioid withdrawal treatment, over half of respondents knew of the medication buprenorphine, yet only 36% of them could name at least 3 correct symptoms of withdrawal. Findings from this study reveal specific areas where knowledge on this topic can be improved.

Submission No. 190

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Mathematics

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Amanda Liles

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Carmen Caprau

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Mathamagical Properties of Conway's Rational Tangle

Conway’s rational tangles are mathematical concepts stemming from knot theory and have interesting connections with other mathematical concepts, including but not limited to the greatest common divisor, Euclidean Algorithm and limits at infinity. The structure of rational tangles can be described through algebraic operations similar to those in elementary algebra, and the purpose of this presentation is to explain the properties of rational tangles with a hands on activity. Using sequences of twists and rotates on ropes, mathematical functions can be associated with each rational tangle, and compositions of these functions in a wise way return the ropes to the original position (the untangled state). We will also study how rational tangles are connected to more abstract objects, like that of a group. This talk will serve as a brief introduction to the field of topology and knot theory, and will reveal interesting connections between topological and algebraic concepts in mathematics.

Submission No. 191

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Department of Civil and Geomatics Engineering

College: Lyles College of Engineering

Category: Graduate

Name: Milagros Verduzco

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Fariborz Tehrani

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: A Review of the Application of Rotary-Kin-Produced Aggregates in Lightweight Concrete Masonry

Masonry has been used for Centuries as a primary material for building construction. Although it has been used in practice for many years, its composition has not changed very much. The purpose of this research is to create a state-of-the-art-review of lightweight masonry and investigate its behavior with and without reinforcement. The lightweight masonry addresses the mass inertia challenge of masonry construction in seismic regions. The lightweight masonry typically consists of lightweight aggregates such as expanded rotary-kiln-produced aggregates. Lightweight concrete masonry units can weigh up to 85 percent of the normal weight units. Some of the advantages of using lightweight masonry are cost- effectiveness and increased productivity, in addition to protecting the health and safety of masons. The fire resistance is another essential characteristic of masonry construction in comparison to other conventional lightweight construction materials. Hence, lightweight concrete masonry meets the demands for sustainable and resilient construction.

Submission No. 192

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Psychology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Courtney Hill

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Chris Miller

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: A multilevel kernel density analysis of body dysmorphic disorder in adults.

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental disorder in which the person affected is consumed by negative perceptions of themselves and by perceived flaws or defects regarding their own bodily appearance. This preoccupation often impairs the person’s ability to function in multiple areas of their life. BDD is highly comorbid with and similar to other disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), in which perseverative cognition and rumination are common symptoms. In order to provide effective treatment for persons diagnosed with BDD, it is imperative to have empirical data that defines, as clearly as possible with respect to technological advancements, the areas of the brain that are functioning abnormally compared to healthy controls. Multiple neuroimaging studies that focus on task- based neural activation of persons diagnosed with BDD have been conducted. Summarizing this data for a coordinate-based meta-analysis is an effective way to look for congruency of data reported from multiple studies. Whole-brain studies focused on persons diagnosed with BDD compared to matched healthy controls using task-based activation fMRI experiments will be obtained from PubMed. Data extracted from these studies will be analyzed using multilevel kernel density analysis (MKDA).

Based on available studies, we hypothesize that MKDA will show consistent patterns of abnormal activation in the orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and temporal cortex.

Submission No. 193

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemsitry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Crystina Ciula

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Joy Goto

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Metal Binding Properties of Recombinant Bovine Copper-Zinc Superoxide Dismutase (CuZnSOD)

This project examined the metal-binding properties of bovine copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) in the presence of the metal-binding cyanobacteria neurotoxin, Beta-methyl amino L-alanine (BMAA). CuZnSOD acts as an antioxidant in a broad range of organisms by catalyzing the dismutation of the superoxide radical into molecular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. The purpose of this study is to examine the copper (II) and zinc (II) binding properties of this enzyme, and how the binding of the metals can be affected by exogenous BMAA. The CuZnSOD will be expressed in yeast cells, and then purified using various ion-exchange and size-exclusion protein purification techniques. The purified as- isolated CuZnSOD will be demetallated using a metal chelator (i.e. EDTA) and then remetallated by titrating copper (II) and zinc (II) into the apo-SOD. UV-visible spectroscopy is a facile method that will be used to follow the copper (II) binding in the enzyme. Since bovine CuZnSOD is homologous to human wild-type CuZnSOD, the metals bind to the proper active sites in the protein, following demetallation and remetallation. The bovine SOD is characterized using UV-vis, circular dichroism (CD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to characterize the metal-binding, secondary structure, and thermal stability.

Submission No. 194

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Computer Science

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Maheshwar Ravuri

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Hubert Cecotti

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: A fully immersive planetarium using virtual reality

The aim of this research study is to create a virtual model of the effects of light pollution on the visibility of stars when viewed from different parts of the Earth. Specifically, this virtual model will be paired with an immersive virtual reality experience (VR) to create a planetarium-like experience accessible to anyone with a VR headset. This model will provide key insights into the effects of light pollution as it relates to determining the various stars that might actually be observed in a truly dark sky (without light pollution), and understanding the disruption light pollution poses to astronomical research.

The virtual model has been constructed from a dataset comprised of roughly every star visible to the naked eye from the Earth. The data has been sourced from the Yale Bright Star Catalogue among other sources, with a total of close to 120,000 stars in the dataset. Based on the coordinates and temperature of each star derived from various fields in the dataset, it is possible to create a 3D graphical rendering that maps out each star along with a color-coding that represents its temperature. Using a standardized scale (Bortle scale) to measure the level of light pollution in a specific night’s sky, it is then possible to visualize the effect of the light pollution in determining the stars visible. Such a model would highlight the differences between the amount of stars that can be observed in Fresno and the stars that can be seen in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Testing the application with users of varying familiarity with the subject matter has shown the VR application serves as a proper introduction to the effects of light pollution and astronomy in general. In conclusion, this project can be used for educational purposes, outreach and for astronomical research.

Submission No. 195

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Psychology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Jasmin Moreno

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Ellen Woo

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Cognitive Components of Everyday Problem Solving in Dementia

Declines in executive functioning (higher order cognitive skills) and memory are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and can be detected in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the risk state to dementia. The role of these cognitive abilities in everyday problem solving, which is important for real world functioning, needs to be established. Participants included healthy older adults (n=56) and individuals with MCI (n=62) or AD (n=15). Neuropsychological measures of executive functioning (mental flexibility and cognitive search), verbal memory, and visuospatial memory were administered, along with an everyday problem solving test. Separately for each diagnostic group, regression analyses were conducted to determine whether executive functioning, verbal memory, and visuospatial memory predicted problem solving abilities. We found that executive functioning and visuospatial memory were important for problem solving in the control and MCI groups. In the AD group, only executive skills predicted problem solving. These results suggest that, for older adults who suffer more severe memory decline, their everyday functioning is impacted by executive skills rather than recall.

Submission No. 196

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Kevin Cruz

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Joy J Goto, Ph.D.

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Counting Flies: Exploring the Neuroprotective Capability of Zinc on BMAA Induced Neurodegeneration

Chronic consumption of the environmental neurotoxin Beta-methylamino-alanine (BMAA) has been linked to an increase in the Guamanian neurodegenerative disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis- Parkinson’s Dementia Complex (ALS-PDC). The neurotoxin has the potential to bioaccumulate in high concentrations, which increases human exposure. This has caused interest in research regarding neuroprotective agents that can negate the side effects of BMAA, as shown by L-serine (L-ser) in previous research. The role of Zinc (Zn) in neurodegenerative diseases has been controversial. While some studies have regarded Zn supplementation as a potential therapeutic to neurodegeneration, other studies have shown that Zn has no significant effects, and most have attributed its dyshomeostasis to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. The objective of the experiments presented was to study Zn as a potential neuroprotectant against BMAA in Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly).

Feeding experiments were used to assess differences in viability and motility of virgin female fruit flies when fed BMAA (25mM) along with various concentrations, and combinations, of Zn or L-ser. Feeding treatments were administered using an agar base food pellet with 20% of the pellet volume containing the added treatment. Viability was assessed by counting the number of fruit flies that were alive under each of the different treatment conditions once every 24-hours for five days. The motility of the treated fruit flies was assessed using the tap-down test, wherein the number of fruit flies that were able to climb a height of 6 cm after 10 seconds was recorded. The neuroprotective effect of Zn was not fully observed in the experiments, wherein fruit fly viability, and motility, under a BMAA + Zn (5 mM) treatment was only 10% higher than those fed with BMAA alone. The neuroprotective effect of L-ser against BMAA was also not observed, even at equimolar concentrations.

Submission No. 197

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Lyles College of Engineering

College: Lyles College of Engineering

Category: Graduate

Name: Curtis Hernandez

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lalita Oka

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Measuring the effect of microbes on engineering properties of soils

The San Joaquin Valley in central California is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the United States of America. However, engineering properties of such agriculturally productive soil is largely understudied. The microbes present in agricultural soils are believed to be responsible for altering structure and cementation of soil grains. Repeated droughts and depletion of ground water is believed to affect the microbiome which in turn affect the engineering properties of soils. These changes trigger the consolidation process in soils and cause land subsidence. A research was thus undertaken to investigate the effect of microbial activity on hydraulic and mechanical properties of soil. Two soils, one from tree-root zone and another away from tree-root zone were selected and treated with two commonly used fertilizers that served as substrate for microbes. The soil samples were saturated and biofilms were allowed to develop. Hydraulic conductivity of these soils were measured. Direct shear tests were conducted after every three weeks to measure the effect of biofilms on shear strength of soil. The findings of the testing program are presented.

Submission No. 198

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Electrical and Computer Engineering

College: Lyles College of Engineering

Category: Graduate

Name: Honorio Martinez Sarmiento

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Woonki Na

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Battery Management System with Ultra-capacitor for Hybrid Energy Harvesting

Renewable sources in electronic applications keep increasing. Along with this, the need to harvest energy and use it when the renewable sources, such as photovoltaic, cannot produce enough energy. This research paper focuses on the study, simulation, and implementation of a battery management system application for energy harvesting. Bidirectional DC/DC converters are utilized to interface the battery and the ultra-capacitor to the DC bus. The battery energy management system (EMS) will be implemented using a constant current and constant voltage controller. The advanced control algorithms of fuzzy logic control and PI control are utilized for the voltage control application. The sliding mode control (SMC) and the slope compensator are utilized for the current controller. The proposed research will consist of a MATLAB/Simulink system modeling. The validation of the system will consist of a final hardware prototype using a digital signal processing (DSP) controller.

Submission No. 199

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Psychology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Javier Baltazar

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Martin Shapiro

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Heart Rate Variability and the Individual Differences in Memory Task Performance

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a measure of time differences between each heartbeat. HRV reflects the direct influence of the divisions of the autonomic nervous and indirect influence of the brain. Previous research has suggested that HRV correlates with complex psychological processes such as emotional regulation and cognitive functions (Thayer & Lane, 2009). In the present experiment, we investigate the relationship between individual differences in HRV and cognitive functions such as decision-making, attention, and working memory. The present study has two parts. First, we will use ‘wearable’ devices to create each participant's HRV profile by monitoring HRV under different conditions. Next, we will measure each participant's HRV in a psychophysiology lab while presenting them with a series of working memory tasks under different types of distracting music. The wearable devices are from the company EliteHRV™, and the psychophysiology lab uses a state-of-the-art electrocardiogram (ECG) and a photoplethysmography (PPG). This research has two primary goals. The first is to compare HRV data collected from a wearable device to HRV data recorded using the ECG and PPG. The second is to determine if there is a correlation between HRV and performance in terms of accuracy, reaction time, and self-assessment (metacognition) on a memory task.

Submission No. 200

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: MSN Nursing

College: CSUF

Category: Graduate

Name: Maida Jackson

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Janine Spencer

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Burnout Among College Nursing Students

Burnout is a common issue seen among college students. Students are faced with the pressures of multiple assignments, deadlines, and external factors that can increase stress to unhealthy levels. Prolonged periods of elevated stress levels in students can cause increased health risks. Burnout leads to decreased performance in school and causes hopelessness and a sense of defeat. The purpose of this study is to assess perception of burnout, the presence of burnout symptoms, baseline knowledge regarding nurse burnout, and prevention methods among nursing students. This study includes nursing students in their second semester and fifth semester who are completing their Bachelor of Science in Nursing at California State University, Fresno. Participants will be surveyed on signs and symptoms of burnout as well as protective factors. Analyzed data will be used to determine if a variance in knowledge exists between the two nursing semesters and if protective factors reduce or decrease the risk and perception of burnout. Data will be collected and analyzed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Questionnaires will be completed by approximately 120 nursing students. The consent is agreed upon once the nursing students receive the questionnaire. The data collection is currently ongoing and will be analyzed. The data collected will help identify the level of burnout experienced between the nursing students in different semesters. Identifying the burnout levels will allow opportunities for education and prevention of burnout among nursing students.

Submission No. 201

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Fine Arts - Graphic Design

College: College of Arts and Humanities

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Odalys Figueroa

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Laura Huisinga

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Using Augmented Reality Based-Apps to Enhance the Fashion Industry

This study will look into how Augmented Reality, and the use of Augmented Reality programs to form Shopping Tool Apps, can be used to shape the fashion industry, specifically, commercial fashion.Augmented Reality, also known as AR, is an interactive experience where the real world is enhanced with computer-simulated information to create a new environment. Applications using Augmented Reality have gained recent popularity in its effectiveness to immerse their users in the app, as well as in their ability to create a unique experience that is memorable for the users In this study, Augmented Reality is examined in terms of whether it has the potential to make a shopping experience via a simulated Shopping Tool application, highly immersive, effective, and influential towards the user to encourage them to make a well-informed purchase. This would mean that not only would the consumer buy an item present in their reality, but their reality would be shaped to exhibit information on this item such as similar looks, brands, price, material, and even options of where to buy. Results from the study show that because Augmented Reality is a technology that can essentially allow consumers to shop in real-time through an app that offers a whole database of information regarding their fashion choices and merchandise which can become a competitive edge and new niche in the Fashion industry. This way of shopping can save both businesses and consumers millions of dollars by avoiding the costs of merchandise that do not fit right, look right, or do not tailor to one’s needs from one particular source. In conclusion, Augmented Reality is an emerging technology that the future will be seeing more of and if used as mentioned, can become a groundbreaking tool to both the business and merchandising elements of the commercial fashion industry.

Submission No. 202

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Shizra Sipra

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: David Lent

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Examination of Sleep Disruption in Drosophila melanogaster in Response to Expression of A -42

𝛽𝛽 Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that results in the loss of cognitive function, and especially the ability to create new memories. There is no currently known cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Two manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are the buildup of tau related neurofibrillary tangles and beta-amyloid plaque in the brain. Previous research has shown a correlation between beta-amyloid plaque buildup and sleep disturbances exhibited in organisms diagnosed with AD.

To confirm the perturbations of sleep due to beta-amyloid, a Drosophila melanogaster model was employed. This research examines the effects of beta-amyloid protein on the mushroom bodies of fruit flies and how the protein affects sleep cycles. The mushroom bodies found in D. melanogaster are analogous to the human hippocampus. Three different Drosophila lines were created in order to test the effects of the protein in question. The TriKinetics Drosophila Activity Monitor (DAM) was used to monitor the sleep/wake cycles of each line over 24 hours. Each fly was placed in a separate tube and circadian rhythms were measured by a sensor. Results of the three lines with elevated beta-amyloid accumulation were compared with a control line. Our findings reveal that Drosophila lines with increased expression of beta-amyloid displayed increased sleep disruption events as compared to control lines.

Submission No. 203

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Computer Science

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Shifatul Islam

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Alex (Shih-Hsi) Liu

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: SumGAN

Data is everywhere. While it is good to have a large amount of data, at the same time, it is challenging to query these data. Summarizing these unstructured data to capture the context will not only save invaluable time but also use fewer resources. Existing techniques include rule-based, abstractive and extractive text summarization. But they are limited to keyword extraction by occurrences and sentence level contextual summarization.

This project presents SumGAN, a framework that may effectively and accurately generate summarized data from unstructured text data with the right context given a knowledge domain. SumGAN applies cutting edge machine learning Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) by using human-written summaries to train itself to get better and better aiming to achieve higher accuracy. SumGAN utilizes state of the art Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) with a reinforcement learning mechanism. We will introduce a multi-layer dynamic attention mechanism to extract context from both sentence and paragraph levels. A time-decay mechanism that could predict the overall perspective of the source data may be introduced, too.

We aim to analyze unstructured text for multiple sources such as medical injury reports and summarize to understandable and concise paragraphs and thus minimizing the valuable time for the right audience with accurate and helpful contextual data. Our goal is to provide good use cases that GAN-based text summarization with improved attention model may perform better than non-GAN-based traditional rule-based, abstractive or extractive text summarization.

Submission No. 204

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Women's Studies

College: College of Social Sciences

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Brianna Mora

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Larissa Mercado-Lopez

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Fat Girls Don't Wear Flannels

The concept of femininity shapes women’s lives. Society demands that women be feminine to affirm their identity as women. If women deviate from femininity, they are deemed unworthy of acceptance, so conforming becomes a means of survival. However, conforming requires an alternate pathway to acceptance for fat women because dominant constructions of femininity emphasize thinness. Therefore, conforming presents unique challenges for fat women because the standards set in place exclude and demonize their bodies. Through qualitative interviews, this study explored fat women’s experiences with navigating the obstacles that femininity entails. Participants’ interviews established that their challenges with embodying femininity were most prominent in public spaces, how they manage their appearance and in interactions with men. In response to these challenges, they developed strategies of embodying femininity by distancing themselves from the reality of their fatness. They did so by monitoring the appearance and movement of their bodies to appear thinner. The monitoring of their own bodies becomes a means to achieving ideal femininity. By developing strategies of hiding the reality of their fatness, they attempt to gain acceptance from society, or at the very least, avoid criticism. The harsh realities of existing at the intersection of being both fat and a woman are apparent in participants’ testimonies of their everyday experiences.

Submission No. 205

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Electrical and Computer Engineering

College: Lyles College of Engineering

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Kelsey Ewing

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Kimberly Stillmaker and Lalita Oka

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Demonstrating the need for same-gender mentoring opportunities for female students in engineering and computer science

The importance of mentors and role models is well recognized in academia. Hence, faculty often serve as mentors for students in their disciplines. However, because women are underrepresented in engineering and computer science across the United States, female students in these fields have limited opportunities to receive academic mentoring from female faculty. To investigate the degree to which this should be a concern at Fresno State, students of all genders from four colleges (LCOE, CSM, CSB, and HHS) at Fresno State were surveyed. The students’ desire to have faculty and mentors of the same gender was measured. Responses indicated a significantly higher desire for gender homophily among female students in disciplines where the percentage of women is small. Desire for such gender homophily was not observed among male students from HHS, where the male student population is small. Further, among female engineering students who indicated that having same-gender mentors was important to them, 100% agreed that having same-gender mentors made them believe they could accomplish more in their field. These results underscore the importance of continuing to strive to improve the representation of women in the faculty of the engineering and computer science departments. Furthermore, they show that mentoring programs aimed at providing same-gender mentoring opportunities for engineering and computer science students are needed in order to ensure female students see a path to success for themselves in these fields.

Submission No. 206

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Quang Nguyen

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Joy Goto

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: A Locomotor Activity Study of the Effects of L-Serine on and Beta-Methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) fed Drosophila melanogaster

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Parkinsonism Dementia Complex (ALS-PDC) is a neurodegenerative disease described by loss of motor function, tremors, and dementia due to neurodegeneration. The disease is thought to be caused by Beta-Methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), a non-protein amino acid found in blue-green algae. BMAA was found to incorporate into human proteins in place of L-serine and cause misfolding links to neurodegeneration. L-serine, an essential amino acid, is shown to interfere with the effect of BMAA in vivo studies. The research investigates the novel impact of L-Serine on BMAA-induced flies in long-term studies. The interaction of BMAA and L-serine was analyzed through circadian rhythm and sleep of wild-type Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies). We used the Drosophila Activity Monitor (DAM) systems to record the activity of 64 flies (gender and age-matched). The experimental groups were fed with L-serine, BMAA, BMAA with L-serine and the control group was fed with standard fly agar. Fly activities were recorded by the number of flies passing the IR beam in the monitor for 10-day (12- h/12-h, 22 °C). After 10-days, BMAA-fed flies did show irregular activity compared to control and L- serine. BMAA co-fed with L-serine showed similar activities as the control. For daytime vs nighttime activity (mean activity counts), control showed regular activity (day: 137, night: 21) as compared to BMAA (day: 162, night: 155). Moreover, L-serine+BMAA exhibited normal daytime activity but not nighttime activity (day: 138, night: 167). The data from the DAM show the abnormal activity of flies in the long term when fed with BMAA, such as abrupt sleep patterns due to high activity during the dark phase. L-serine reduces hyperactivity when co-fed with BMAA. This preliminary data supports our hypothesis that L-serine ameliorates the effects of BMAA in flies and is a starting point for further research in drug discovery for ALS-PDC.

Submission No. 207

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Vang Thao

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Krish Krishnan

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Study of Carbamate Formation of 2,4-Diaminobutyric (DAB) Acid and 2,3- Diaminopropanoic Acid (DAP) in a Bicarbonate Solution

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease, and ~60,000 people in the United States are diagnosed every year. Researchers have investigated the connection between β- methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) with PD and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), after an indigenous community in Guam showed increase symptoms of both PD and ALS. BMAA can undergo carbamylation in the presence of bicarbonate to form α-carbamate and β-carbamate. Though studies have demonstrated the formation of carbamates, the exact role roles of these carbamates at the neurological level are still not known. This study investigates two other neurotoxins, DAB (2, 4-diaminobutyric acid) and DAP (2, 3-diaminopropanoic acid), which have a similar structure to BMAA and their respective formation of carbamates. Preliminary Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) studies indicate that both DAB and DAP do form the carbamates in bicarbonate solution. This study will present a systematic investigation of carbamates formation in DAP and DAB in bicarbonate solution using high-resolution solution-state NMR spectroscopy. Time-dependent pH changes of the DAB/DAP bicarbonate solution were performed to understand the role of CO2 in the solution, and the results are compared with the use of an internal pH indicator in the NMR experiments. Results from a combination of pH-dependent one-dimensional and two-dimensional exchange spectroscopy (EXSY) are used to characterize the changes in the dynamic equilibrium between DAB/DAP and its carbamates. The completion of these investigations will lead to how DAP or DAB and their respective carbamates have a distinct dynamic equilibrium process. These experimental results may lead to better understanding of the mechanism of action of the neurotoxins DAP and DAB and their carbamates.

Submission No. 208

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Mathematics

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Samuel Cleofas

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Oscar Vega

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Hyperplanes in a Projective Geometry over a Finite Field

Projective geometry started to be weighty viewed in a more abstract lens in the nineteenth century. It could be defined as the study of invariant sets/properties under certain functions that keep pairs of collinear points collinear. A real world example of this occurs when we go to the movie theater; the movie on the big screen is being emanated from a smaller projector in the back of the room. If we think of rays of light being casted out by the projector, we have that all the points on the rays are collinear with a fixed point which is the projector.

This presentation will be about n−1-dimensional subspaces in an n-dimensional vector space, otherwise known as hyperplanes, and how they may be arranged in ‘good’ ways.

Submission No. 209

University: California Health Sciences University

Department: Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences

College: College of Pharmacy

Category: Faculty

Name: Vinayak Shenoy

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Vinayak Shenoy

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Targeting Angiotensin Type 2 Receptor for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Background: Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal lung disease characterized by scar formation and shortness of breath. Only two antifibrotic therapies have been approved for IPF treatment with no curative effects. Thus, there is a clear unmet medical need to search for novel drug targets. Accumulating evidence suggest that angiotensin II type 2 (AT2) receptor confers protection against fibrosis. Death of alveolar epithelial cells (AEC) is a key event for the initiation of IPF. Bleomycin, a potent inducer of apoptotic cell death in AEC is a well-established in vitro model for IPF. We employed this model to evaluate the functional role of AT2 receptor using a non-peptide agonist, Compound 21 (C21).

Methods: We investigated the effects of C21, a selective AT2 receptor agonist against bleomycin- induced death of human pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells (A549). The MTT (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2- yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay was performed to determine A549 cell viability.

Results: Initially, we determined the concentration of bleomycin required for the induction of cell death in A549 cells. A dose-dependent induction of cell death was obtained with bleomycin (μg/mL: % cell death; 1: 30%; 10: 55% and 20: 58%). For subsequent experiments, 10 μg/mL bleomycin concentration was used. Next, we evaluated the cell-protective effects of C21 at different drug doses (0.001, 0.005, 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 μM). C21 treatment of bleomycin-exposed A549 cells (10 μg/mL) produced a dose- dependent decrease in cell death. We also observed that C21 treatment of bleomycin-exposed A549 cells resulted in decreased expression of TGF-β, and increased expression of AT2 receptor. However, there was no change in the expression levels of ACE2, N-cadherin and Mas receptor.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that C21, the selective AT2 receptor agonist protects against bleomycin- induced alveolar epithelial cell death. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the cytoprotective effects of C21. Submission No. 210

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Psychology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Yaritza Reyes

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rosa Toro

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Acculturative Family Distancing and Behavior Outcomes Among Latinx Adolescents: An Exploration of the Mediating Role of Conflict

Acculturative family distancing (AFD) suggests that the acculturation gap between immigrant-origin parents and children is due to immigration, conflicting beliefs, and different rates of acculturation (Hwang, 2006), and occurs from discrepancies in cultural values and communication difficulties. Furthermore, the influence of AFD is thought to be transmitted via family conflict (FC). Indeed, research suggests that AFD impacts depressive symptoms (Toro & Farver, 2019; Carrera & Wei, 2014; Weaver & Kim, 2008), but little research has investigated AFD in the Latinx community and included salient types of conflict among immigrant families. This study aimed to address the relation between AFD and adolescent behavior outcomes (i.e. internalizing and externalizing behaviors) and the mediating roles of acculturation gap conflict (AGC), and family conflict (FC) among Latinx adolescents. Participants included 117 Latinx adolescents (Mage = 14.21, SDage = .53, 59% female) from three different high schools in the central California-area. Participants self-reported on AFD (Hwang, 2006), AGC (Basáñez et al., 2013), FC (Robin & Foster, 1989; from Prinz, 1977), and behavioral outcomes (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001). Results indicated support for the study hypotheses. Regression analyses demonstrated that AFD was positively associated with internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Next, each conflict variable fully mediated the relationship between AFD and both behavior outcomes when examined on their own. But, when examining which mediator was stronger, results demonstrated that AGC was the stronger mediator for both behavior outcomes. Results demonstrate the robustness of AFD among children of immigrants. Furthermore, results demonstrate that when studying Latinx adolescents, researchers should take into account salient conflict among immigrant families. Future studies should continue investigating AGC and its underlying dimensions. Finally, results also point to the importance of developing programmatic efforts that seek to reduce the degree of AGC among Latinx families to support young adolescents’ well-being.

Submission No. 211

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Eric Aguilar

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Cory Brooks

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Potential immunotherapeutic huAR9.6 for ovarian and pancreatic cancers expressing MUC16

Monoclonal antibody(Mab) or immuno-therapies are increasingly used in conjunction with chemotherapy and surgeries due to their success in tumor reduction, patient survival. In this study we will explore the binding of mab humanized AR9.6(huAR9.6) to mucin 16(MUC16), which are found overexpressed in advanced pancreatic and ovarian cancers. We are particularly interested in the MUC16 SEA-domains because huAR9.6 is known to bind SEA5. AR9.6 inhibits or blocks the activation of the Akt signal transduction pathway, which in healthy cells requires epidermal growth factors to bind to epidermal growth factor receptor-1 (Egfr-1), while in cancer cells MUC16 interacts with Egfr-1 causing metastasis. The molecular mechanism used by AR9.6 inhibiting or blocking the Akt pathway is unclear. We hypothesize that AR9.6 sterically inhibits or blocks MUC16 interaction with Egfr-1.

To test our hypothesis, we ran binding assays and have solved crystal structures of huAR9.6 and SEA5. HuAR9.6 was expressed in mammalian cells and SEA5 was recombinantly expressed in bacterial cells, while both were isolated using affinity and size exclusion chromatography. Crystal screening and x-ray diffraction measurements were used to resolve the crystal structures of huAR9.6 and SEA5. Affinity constants were obtained by SPR, while ELISA, immuno-blotting and reducing/non-reducing SDS-PAGE were used to assess complex formation.

Our results will show a 3D crystal structure of huAR9.6 in complex with SEA5 elucidating the conformational epitope used to inhibit or block MUC16 interaction to Egfr-1. While assessing the binding of huAR9.6 to SEA5 establishes methods that can be used to assess specificity of huAR9.6 to other SEA domains.

Taken together, our data shows strong evidence of complex formation of AR9.6 to SEA5. These findings will help to provide a foundation for future research in using AR9.6 for immuno-therapies for advanced ovarian and pancreatic cancers expressing MUC16.

Submission No. 212

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Amanda Rea

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Hwan Youn

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Molecular basis for a small amino acid requirement at the F-helix residue of CRP, Val183, in transcriptional activation

The Escherichia coli cAMP receptor protein (CRP) activates transcription by binding to DNA via its F-helix. Recent data from our lab showed that Val183, one of the F-helix residues, is important for the transcriptional activation of CRP because the amino acid size is small. In order to elucidate the molecular basis for this small amino acid requirement at the position, we first inspected the active CRP structure, which revealed that Ile172 is located near the Val183 amino acid. This led to the hypothesis that a large amino acid at position 183 may sterically hinder Ile172, thereby potentially leading to the loss of CRP activity. To test this hypothesis, we created V183I, a CRP mutant containing a larger residue (Ile) at position 183 and then in this mutant background randomized the codon for the amino acid at position 172 using the method of modified site-directed mutagenesis. The resultant mutant plasmid pool was then introduced to a CRP reporter strain utilizing lacZ as the reporter gene, and the transformed cells were screened for transcriptionally active CRP mutants. DNA sequencing of five representative mutants were selected for DNA sequencing, which revealed four Leu (with three different codons) and one Ile substitutions, meaning that Leu/Ile are optimal at position 172 for CRP function. This result is contrary to the expected selection of a small residue at position 172 to circumvent steric hindrance with Ile183. Therefore, a mere combined size of 172 and 183 residues cannot fully explain the Leu/Ile requirement at position 172. Our current hypothesis is that the Leu/Ile requirement at position 172 is to preserve the hydrophobic protein pocket surrounding 172 position intact which involves the nearby Ile144. We are currently constructing CRP mutant altered at position 144 to test if the hydrophobic nature of Ile144 is indeed important for CRP activity.

Submission No. 213

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Plant science

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Joshua Condra

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: John Bushoven

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Power generation in Agriculture

The testing of a self-contained power generation unit is an attempt to remedy the electrical power limitations that are common in the agricultural industry, especially in regions located far from existing power grids. To achieve this an electric motor was coupled to the electrical generating units via various sprocket and chain assemblies, each with a different and predetermined output. Unit 1 was designed to produce enough electricity to recharge a capacitor and subsequently run the motor. Unit 2 was designed to create electricity for use beyond the operation of the motor. To accomplish this, the size of the sprocket was such that the motor completed 1 revolution for every 2 that the generating units completed. The volts, amps, and ohms were recorded with a multimeter at every connection. It was readily apparent that the various combinations of motors and power generating units were not able to produce sufficient power to be considered self-contained. This was likely due to the lack of torque and revolutions per minute. These limitations suggest that it would likely only be feasible to create a self- contained unit if significant technological advances in materials used for motor windings (currently copper) are made.

Submission No. 214

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Graphic Design

College: College of Arts and Humanities

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Emily O'Masters

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Laura Huisinga

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Three Minute Thesis (Please note only 20 will be selected.)

Project Title: Using Technology to Manage Medical Dietary Restrictions.

My project is going to be a progressive web application integrating AR technology. It will address the needs of those who have certain medical conditions and need to adjust their diet to accommodate their medical issues. As a 21-year-old who was diagnosed with Celiac disease at age 15, I have had to Google search, read articles in store aisles, and hope for the best when it comes to my diet. My project is intended for those with gastrointestinal diseases, deficiencies, allergies, diabetes, and any other medical condition that relies on diet as a monitor of health. The user will create a personal profile and medical id, which allows them to enter their needs and severity of their complications. The app will scan a QR code using ZAP AR, which will allow all sorts of information such as hidden ingredients and shared facility documentation to appear regarding the food product. The app will apply the user’s profile once an item is scanned and display a meter determining the spectrum of safety for the user. The spectrum will analyze safety levels by taking data such as the item’s ingredients and production methods, whether it is rich in a substance the user is deficient in, and sugar levels, to name a few. The app will be completely personalized to allow the user to know exactly what it is they are putting in their body, and the amounts of the substances that are healthy or unhealthy for them to allow them to make informed decisions on what they are fueling themselves with. It will be able to be used by those with slight allergies, all the way to those with Type 1 diabetes. The app will allow users to input a request to include an item if there is not information about it.

Submission No. 215

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Rosa Galindo-Carmichael

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kammi Sayaseng

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Postpartum Depression in Hispanic Spanish speaking women

The birth of a child is thought to be a joyful time in a woman’s life. Many physical and mental obstacles are involved in the recovery process after giving birth, one such as Postpartum Depression (PPD). PPD is a crippling mood disorder, historically neglected in health care, leaving mothers to suffer in fear, confusion, and silence (Beck, 2006). The National Alliance for Mental Illness reports that Latino/as have been identified as a high-risk group for major depression and generalized anxiety disorder, but engagement into treatment may be difficult since Latino/a immigrants are more likely to seek counseling from primary care or from church rather than mental health providers and many hold cultural beliefs that prevent help seeking (Sampson, M., Torres, M., Duron, J., Davidson, M., 2017 p. 209). The purpose of the study is to educate and increase knowledge on PPD in Spanish speaking Hispanic first time mothers. Educational presentation will be given to the women in the study and an educational pamphlet will be given. An evaluation of the researcher’s presentation will be collected as data collection source. It is important that these mothers are able to differentiate between postpartum baby blues, PPD, and postpartum psychosis. Educational support to high risk women is a positive way for patients to gain confidence in recognizing if and when to seek help. Resource that may be needed within the first year of the postpartum period or for any future pregnancies and possible PPD. The research information will be collected using a Qualitative descriptive study. Duration of the study will be four weeks or until desired number of subjects achieved (30-100). The study results are pending of final result.

Submission No. 216

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Criminology

College: College of Social Sciences

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Marisa Loza

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Jenna Kieckhaefer

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: “Are You Okay and How Can I Help?”, Police Officer Rapport and Its Effects On Mock- Witness Memory

According to Newberry and Stubbs (1990), rapport is defined as a “harmonious sympathetic connection to another”, and in order to build rapport three componets are needed: mutual attention, positivity, and coordination (Tickle-Degnen & Rosenthal, 1990). To obtain more accurate and abundant information from cooperative witnesses law enforcement are recommended to use rapport. However, no known studies have assessed if actual officers build rapport (or not), resulting in a more thorough and accurate statement. This study involved recorded interviews between active-duty police officers from various local agencies and student mock-witnesses. Witnesses watched a mock-crime video about a convenience store robbery and were to act if they were actual witnesses to this crime. Before initiating the interview officers were assigned to one of three conditions (1) conduct the interview as they normally would, (2) build as much rapport as possible, or (3) they weren’t allowed to use any rapport. Transcriptions of the interviews were audio and video recorded then transcribed and scored. Each transcript was unitized based on the type of information, followed by the placement of the individual units in five categories (1) accurate, referring to a detail shown in the video, (2) inaccurate, referring to a detail not shown in the video, (3) don’t know, or don’t remember, (4) subjective interpretation, referring to opinions or other information that cannot be verified, or (5) information added for realism. With eighty-four officers who participated, the preliminary results indicate the rapport condition as having the highest number of accurate units as well as inaccurate units. Overall, this study is foundational for the examination of officer rapport and its ability to score for eyewitnesses accuracy.

Submission No. 218

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Ana Chavez

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Ana Chavez

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: DNA Methylation Patterns in Rhizopogon vesiculosus and Rhizopogon vinocolor

DNA methylation is an important factor in understanding epigenetic gene regulation in symbiotic species. Epigenetics is a crucial approach to develop modern medicinal treatments and diagnosis for severe diseases like cancer. In this study, Ectomycorrhizal fungi that form symbiotic relationships with tree species and beneficial for forest ecosystems will be observed. Fungi fruiting bodies are thought to produce antibacterial properties useful for antibiotic development and medicinal treatment. Fungi in the genus Rhizopogon, in this project specifically, Rhizopogon vesiculosus and Rhizopogon vinicolor, are host-specific sister species that colonize Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir) in different ways. To investigate downregulation and upregulation in R. vesiculosus and R. vinicolor in colonizing P. menziesii, whole-genome bisulfite methylation sequencing will be used. DNA methylation patterns observed in Rhizopogon fungi will be compared to metatranscriptomes of fungal and host-tree interaction to investigate the role of DNA methylation in the regulation of symbiosis. Symbiosis gene interactions are important because they play a major role in increasing the rates of survival between species. DNA methylation studies are a novel way to provide valuable information about the symbiotic relationships between R. vesiculosus and R. vinicolor on P. menziesii.

Submission No. 219

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Social Work

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Phong Moua

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dheeshana Jayasundara

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Factors that have contributed to Hmong-American student success in graduate school.

Hmong are a refugee community with a history of about 40 years in the United States. According to Pew Research Center (2015), data shows that Hmong-Americans’ higher education attainments for their bachelor’s degree are at 18%, whereas 3% are only earning their postgrad degree. This data goes to show that Hmong American students are lacking in pursuing a postgrad degree. There isn’t sufficient research showing what leads to Hmong student success in the higher education settings. This study then focuses on the experiences and factors that lead to Hmong-American students to become successful in their experiences as a graduate student, specifically in the State of California. This study used a qualitative design. A snowball sampling method was utilized to recruit up to 8 participants. A semi structured interview was developed to collect data of the experiences of success and recommendations. Using content analysis coding method, four themes were found that contributed to Hmong graduates succeeding in school. These include family and friends’ support systems, mentorship from faculty and administrators, peers and colleague support going through the graduate program, and supportive staff who helped identify resources. Based on these findings, this researcher hopes to inform and bridge gaps to help Hmong-American students and the community to understand successful experiences of Hmong American students that attended graduate school. Recommendations identified by the participants and the researcher to better help Hmong American students experiences as they navigate through graduate school. This would also be beneficial for college advisors, professors, academic support programs, and other professionals that will work with Hmong-American students in the future. Other implications for future practice, policy and research in areas of Hmong-Americans in higher education is also discussed in the conclusion.

Submission No. 220

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Department of Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Elena Ramos

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Joy J. Goto, Ph.D.

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Investigating SOD1 Abrogation With L-Serine And BMAA In Fruit Flies

Beta-N-Methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) is a non-natural amino acid produced by cyanobacteria and can biomagnify in the food chain to humans. Chronic exposure to BMAA leads to increased incidents of neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and dementia due to its neurotoxicity. It has been studied that BMAA during the translation process of RNA to protein, the amino acid L-serine is replaced by BMAA thus causing an aggregation of misfolded proteins. With that said, the protein in question is the antioxidant copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) which is an enzyme that converts metabolic waste into harmless compounds. It has been shown that when SOD1 is mutated, it destabilizes and aggregates to cause ALS. In previous research from our lab, L-serine abrogated the effects of the BMAA neurotoxin, and more research is underway to further explore these effects at the cellular level via protein analysis in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) since their neurons are similar in structure and function to that of humans. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the amount and enzymatic function of SOD1, L-serine, zinc, and BMAA. The methods of this experiment are that 10 fruit flies for a total of 50 flies have been treated with varying concentrations and combinations of BMAA, L-serine, and zinc. To avoid bias, the treatments given to the flies are blinded until the final data analysis of the current experiment. It is hypothesized that the results of this study will show a concentration and activity-dependent increased in SOD1, with increasing concentrations of BMAA; L-serine with BMAA will abrogate these SOD1 effects. This ultimately provides the possibility of using L-serine as a drug or therapy to slow down the progression of neurodegenerative disease.

Submission No. 221

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Maram Kiran

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Krishnan and Dr. Goto

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: The Effects of Carbamate Adducts of BMAA in Drosophila melanogaster

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Parkinsonism Dementia Complex (ALS-PDC), a neurodegenerative disease found in high rates in the indigenous Chamorro population of Guam, is thought to be influenced by the presence of a neurotoxin, Beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), produced by blue-green algae in cycad roots. However, the neurodegenerative mechanism of BMAA is currently unknown. It has been established that the functional assay of BMAA must have bicarbonate ions in the experiment. BMAA has also been shown to form alpha and beta carbamate products in bicarbonate solution due to the potential deprotonation of its two amines by bicarbonate. The alpha carbamate is structurally similar to glutamate and is hypothesized to affect the glutamate receptors, which can induce excitotoxicity. Although in vitro experiments have demonstrated that BMAA and its carbamates adducts exist under a dynamic equilibrium, it is unclear if the carbamate adducts cause any notable physiological effects related to neurodegeneration. Using the Drosophila Activity Monitoring system (Trikinetics), we conducted a series of in vivo experiments analyzing the 10-day activity of Canton S. Drosophila melanogaster under four different dietary treatments: the standard diet (Control, fly agar) and three other diets of fly agar with known concentrations of BMAA, bicarbonate, and BMAA with bicarbonate. The flies were subjected to 12-hour light:12-hour dark cycles at a controlled temperature of 22 ºC. By employing well-established statistical tools, the results of the experiments will be analyzed to understand the activity levels of flies based on circadian rhythm and sleep activity. Current data shows a high-level of hyperactivity in BMAA-fed flies, while controls retain the periodic circadian rhythms. The results from these experiments will aid in the understanding of the physiological consequences of the formation of carbamate adducts of BMAA in the fruit fly model system.

Submission No. 222

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Mathematics

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Celeste Navarro

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Steve Chung

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Forecasting Box Office Revenue through Predictive Analytics

Historically, the domestic and international box office revenues have consistently increased in the last several decades. In 2018, total earnings at the box office was more than 11 billion US dollars. Hence, it is of great interest to determine the factors that affect the box office revenue and to formulate a predictive model. To this end, we have examined a dataset that consists of 1,900 films from 2006 to 2018, which was obtained from OpusData. We considered four different popular models: (1) linear regression; (2) decision tree; (3) neural network; and (4) multivariate adaptive regression spline (MARS) regression. We divided the data into training and testing sets and fitted each model using the training set. We then examined the revenue forecast of each model using the testing set. The results indicate that the decision tree model best predicts the revenue.

Submission No. 223

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Culinology

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Joanie Snow

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Carmen Licon

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Phantom Aromas and Taste Perception

The overconsumption of salt is an ever-growing concern in the United States, and the food industry is searching for new innovative ways to reduce the sodium content in food products while maintaining the quality of taste. In this sense, low-sodium products can be improved by adding “phantom aromas”. These molecules are added with the objective of “filling the brain” with the perception of a similar flavor, even though this flavor is not present. This area of neuroscience and taste is relatively new but may help tackle certain dietary concerns that plague our country today. To this end, the aim of this project was to study the perception of a reduced-salt broth by adding guaiacol as the phantom aroma. To test this, we used food-grade Guaiacol which has savory notes that mimic ham and bacon flavors. Fresno State staff, faculty and students participated in the study. Participants ages ranged between 18 and 35 years old (mean 21 ± 1.4), both male and female, totaling 31 panelists. First, guaiacol was added at a concentration of 0.5648 mg/L to a low-sodium chicken broth and tested against a regular chicken broth formula in a series of sensory evaluation tests: triangle tests, and scaling test for saltiness on a hedonic scale from 0-9. Regarding the triangular test, no significant differences were found between the guaiacol-spiked broth and the reduced-salt broth (p>0.05). For saltiness perception, guaiacol-spiked broths had an average value of 4.5±, while reduced-salt broth had an average of 5±, showing no significant differences (p>0.05). Second, the taste threshold of guaiacol was performed to determine the individual and group best estimate threshold (BET) using five ascending concentrations of the spiked chicken broth solutions, with a three alternative forced-choice task. The results showed that the taste threshold for guaiacol on reduced-salt chicken broth was 0.706 mg/L. These results will be tested further and a new series of triangle tests will be performed using 0.706 mg/L and 1.1296 mg/L to see which concentration is best detected in the guaiacol-spiked broth. With overconsumption of salt contributing to many health concerns, finding alternatives that will retain the flavor may prove to be a valuable asset in the future of food industries.

Submission No. 224

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Dietetics and Food Administration

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Kaitlynn Watson

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lisa Herzig

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Body Dysmorphia Prevalence in Nutrition and Dietetics University Students

A cross-sectional study was constructed to identify the prevalence of fat phobia, anti-fat attitudes, and body appreciation scores among dietetic and non-dietetics students at CSU, Fresno and CSU, San Francisco. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between participants’ anthropometric measurements and survey responses, as well as determine if there was bias in dietetics students. A total of 297 college students from both campuses completed the survey and anthropometric measurements of height, weight, and waist circumferences. These measurements were taken to determine the prevalence of the previously stated factors. The survey contained four validated scales of, anti-fat attitudes, fat phobia, body appreciation, and Pulver’s silhouette. A series of ANOVA’s were utilized to analyze results of the validated instruments used in the survey, and body mass index (BMI). Additionally, a series of Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients were processed to calculate the relationship between the survey and BMI, waist to height ratio, and waist circumference. Significant differences existed in body appreciation scores between dietetic students (M=3.61, SD=0.66) and non- dietetic students (M=3.81, SD=0.70); t(288) = 2.49, p=0.013). Statistically significant differences did not exist between the fat phobia and anti-fat attitudes tested, however, scores indicated a pattern of fat phobia and anti-fat attitudes. Specifically, there were significant positive correlations between fat phobia and anthropometrics measurements. Based on the results, there is clear harmful perceptions in students, potentially impacting future overweight, patient care. With training and awareness, focused on body stigmas, the future Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) can be trained to treat each patient without bias, regardless of size.

Submission No. 225

University: UCSF - Fresno

Department: Emergency Medicine Department

College: Emergency Medicine Department

Category: Doctoral

Name: Mackensie Yore

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Brian Chinnock, MD

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Vaginal Self Sampling Is Not Inferior to Provider Endocervical Sampling for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia Diagnosis

Introduction

Patient-collected vaginal self-sampling (VSS) has equivalent sensitivity to provider–performed endocervical sampling (PPES) for detecting Neisseria gonorrhea/Chlamydia trachomatis (NG/CT) in gynecology clinics but has not been examined in the emergency department (ED) setting. The objective of this study was to determine if sensitivity of VSS was noninferior to PPES in the diagnosis of NG/CT.

Methods

This single-institution, prospective, observational cohort study included a convenience sample of female patients >= 18-years-old needing NG/CT testing. NG/CT testing was performed with a rapid nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT). Patients had VSS and PPES testing during the ED visit. VSS was compared with PPES, the gold standard. The primary outcome measure was noninferiority of VSS using a sensitivity of 90%, as previously referenced for point of care testing, for the diagnosis of NG/CT. Secondary outcome measures include concordance of VSS and PPES and patient acceptability of VSS.

Results

470 patients were enrolled; 69 (15%) positive for NG/CT (23 gonorrhea, 36 chlamydia, 10 both). VSS had a sensitivity of 97% (95% CI 91% - 99%) for the detection of NG/CT. The concordance rate was 99% (95% CI 97% - 100%). There were 160 patients (2 5%) who declined enrollment, with most common reason being in too much pain (43 patients). Of enrolled patients, 460 (98%) found VSS acceptable, 371 (79%) felt confident in doing VSS correctly, and 380 (81%) preferred VSS to PPES.

Conclusion

VSS using a rapid NAAT has noninferior sensitivity compared to PPES in the ED setting. It also has a high rate of concordance with PPES and high patient acceptability. VSS could allow for earlier collection of samples and, in combination with a rapid NAAT, earlier results in an impacted ED setting, and also would give another diagnostic option in the patient in whom a pelvic examination cannot be performed. Submission No. 226

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Counselor Education and Rehabilitation

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Mariela Ramirez Munoz

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Song Lee

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Campus Climate Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Latinx Students

This research study explored the perceptions of campus climate, specifically feelings of safety and inclusion, for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Latinx students at California State University, Fresno (Fresno State). The purpose of this study was to examine how safety and inclusion affect the academic performance of this population by identifying the factors that hinder their academic success. A convenience sample was utilized to recruit five self-identifying LGBTQ and Latinx students enrolled in classes at Fresno State. Participants partook in a semi-structured interview on how their experiences of safety and inclusion played a role in their academics as a sexual minority student in a higher education institution. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis to generate common themes. This data analysis identified several themes related to feelings of safety on campus such as the need to improve inclusion at Fresno State, effects on physical and mental health, and the importance of support systems on campus which includes the encouragement from professors and peers. The results suggest how these themes affected the academic outcomes of students. Implications and recommendations for faculty, administrators, and student services professionals are discussed to better serve sexual minority students at Fresno State. These include having more representation for LGBTQ students of color so they feel supported and continue to achieve their educational and career goals.

Submission No. 227

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Counselor Education and Rehabilitation

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Giselle Velazquez

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Juan Carlos Gonzalez

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: College Choice Process for Latina Teenage Mothers

This study explores how Latina teenage mothers navigated the college choice process as historically both Latinas and teenage mothers are minority populations in terms of attaining a post-secondary education. The purpose of this study was to analyze and further understand the experiences of Latina teenage mothers on their pursuit of higher education beyond high school. Through a qualitative research method, data was collected through semi-structured interviews with six participants from Fresno, California who pursued post-secondary education and identify(ied) as Latina teenage mothers. This study further explored the support systems and barriers that impact the navigation of the college choice process for Latina teenage mothers. Participants experienced challenges in attaining higher education due to having needs that the school system did not adequately meet nor support. However, participants found the motivation, emotional support, and informational support outside of the school system in regards to pursuing post-secondary education. These findings were used to understand how to better support teenage mothers in attaining higher education. In addition, these findings add to the gap in the current literature regarding teenage mothers and the attainment of higher education. Implications and recommendations are included for school counselors, teachers, superintendent(s), and school systems as a whole. These recommendations include acknowledging, supporting, and addressing the needs of teenage mothers at the systemic level.

Submission No. 228

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Department of Mathematics

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Gobind Puniani

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mario Banuelos

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: The Role of Activation Functions in Deep Learning Architectures

Artificial neural networks are computer models that “learn” to perform certain tasks (such as image classification) by processing prodigious amounts of labelled input data. Like the neural networks in our brain, these artificial neural networks learn how to perform a task by reinforcing pathways that lead to success and abandoning pathways that lead to failure. Activation functions play a key role in neural networks by introducing non-linearity into the system, which is needed to help the model accommodate for a wide variety of potential classification schemes. However, activation functions are often overlooked by researchers in the field of deep learning, who prefer to rely on standard ones like ReLU and Tanh without considering whether they are the best for a given task. We investigate two new activation functions, called TAct and mTAct, which interpolate between other activation functions, depending on the task. We explore the role of these functions on accuracy over a multitude of neural network architectures varying in complexity and learning rate. These activation functions were tested in the context of image classification, using an extensive image dataset known as CIFAR-10. Preliminary results show that TAct and mTAct seem to perform better than standard activation functions on simple models with few parameters and low learning rates. Although the mathematics behind the interactions of activation functions within the model is still not fully understood, the behavior of TAct and mTAct provides some insight into this unresolved matter.

Submission No. 229

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Biology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Evelin Munoz

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Emily Walter

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: A Multi-Institutional Exploration of Teaching Practices, Attitudes, and Organizational Climate

The goal of my study is to do a massive, quantitative examination of how variables that contribute to active learning adoption interact. I will be doing a valid and reliable survey study of 7 institutions of higher education exploring how faculty teaching practice is influenced by (a) faculty attitudes, (b) organizational climate (e.g. policy), and (c) perceptions of control. My aim is to unpack the correlations among teaching practices, attitudes, and climate, and explore these variables using hierarchical linear modeling for sources of variance at the individual, departmental, college, and university levels. Understanding the complex system in which people teach can lead to improving instructional quality in STEM and reduce student attrition from STEM fields. In addition to local impacts, the project will provide a model for other institutions implementing change initiatives. The types of data collection proposed are easy to use and are emergent key metrics for measuring instructional practices. Lastly, the project provides a necessary, novel, and holistic analysis. The field is in need of this transferable model of cognitive, social, and organizational influences on teaching in order to plan better institutional transformations. Results for the 7 institutions I am exploring are on going. Generally, departments with leaders (e.g. Chairs) who were unsupportive in active learning were less likely to report doing active learning. We found more women than men using evidence-based practices (p<0.05). Engineering is significantly more instructor centered than biology and earth and environmental science (p<0.05).

Submission No. 230

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Counselor Education and Rehabilitation

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Faculty

Name: Dominiqua Griffin

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dominiqua Griffin

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Applying the Role of School Counselors in Barbados: Implications for Counselors, Counselor Educators and International Policy

School counseling was first initiated in Barbados in 1988, and since its inception, the role of the counselor has expanded. This study focuses on the roles, practices, challenges, and demands of school counselors in Barbados. This study is the first to center the narrative of school counselors and their perceptions of their role. Barbados received independence from Britain in 1966, yet many of their policies and the culture still rests in colonial British values. These values impact the various institutions, including the education system. Since Barbados is a small state, having a population of 285,000, they rely heavily on the larger economic powers. The qualitative study uses an ethnographic methodology to delve into the roles and challenges, while the thematic analysis presented three overarching themes. The themes are Roles, Responsibilities, and Requirements (the 3R's); Problematizing the Policies, Politics and Culture; and School- Family-Community Contexts. The study provides context and insight into the experience of a school counselors in a small state, and recommendations for counselors, counselor educators, and international policy makers. This study challenges the notion that holds the United States, and other Western countries as the gold standard for counseling practices, and centers a small state. Larger economic powers can benefit from the work of counselors in small states because of their use of holistic wellness and the communal network they create for themselves, with limited resources. Therefore, Western countries, such as the U.S. can benefit from further understanding the nuanced experiences of school counselors in Barbados and other small states.

Submission No. 231

University: California Health Sciences University

Department: Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences

College: College of Pharmacy

Category: Faculty

Name: Muhammad Hussain

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Muhammad Hussain

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Understanding Barriers to Effective Utilization of Healthcare by the Hmong Residing in the United States.

Introduction: The Hmong continue to preserve their cultural and religious beliefs while living in the United States (US). They are known to seek traditional care when dealing with health issues. Due to spiritual beliefs and cultural traditions, they have certain perceptions about seeking western healthcare. The objective of this study is to provide insight into different barriers that influences obtaining healthcare by the Hmong.

Brief Summary of Methods: We utilized refereed journal articles and other sources for knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Hmong for healthcare in US. We focused specifically on three chronic diseases: diabetes, mental health, and hypertension.

Summary of Results: Cultural beliefs and practices, reliance on family, and limited awareness of available services influence the Hmong from seeking western care. Severity of disease state influences their decision in perusing traditional or western care. If symptoms didn't seem severe, they would go for traditional healthcare. Problems with language proficiency, health insurance and cost are also considerations for obtaining western health care by them. Many Hmong have misconceptions, and poor knowledge regarding diseases and risks. Some are reluctant for taking medications for life-long, and only take their medications when they have pain or discomfort. They would like healthcare providers help them in gaining better understanding about chronic diseases, complications, how medications work and their side effects for staying motivated and compliant to treatment.

Conclusion: Understanding Hmong culture and beliefs towards seeking western care, and appropriate communication regarding this could help healthcare providers take better care of their Hmong patients.

Submission No. 232

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Economics

College: Sid Craig School of Business

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Jennifer Vang

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Kevin Capehart

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: "The Last Straw: How Political Parties Influence Fresno State Students' Attitudes Towards Climate Change."

With the rise of American consumers choosing to be “eco-friendly” or “sustainable” in the effort of preventing climate change, there has been a significant debate about the usage of plastic straws vs. alternative types of straws. In addition to the current political climate and the upcoming 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, there is some tension between political parties regarding the climate change debate and whether Americans should adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.

In this survey, current Fresno State students are asked for their opinions regarding alternative straw options in general and on Fresno State’s campus, particularly at The Bucket restaurant and the Starbucks located in the Henry Madden Library. Fresno State students are also asked about their political opinions and attitudes towards climate change and how they are influenced by their respective political parties for their beliefs. The focus of this survey is to essentially confirm if a correlation existed among Fresno State students when it comes to using plastic or alternative types of straws and how this will affect their decision to vote in the upcoming 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. Through qualitative data analysis, the survey's results revealed that Fresno State students' beliefs in climate change and the tendency to use plastic or alternative types of straws correlate with their respective political party's typical stance on the climate change debate. Thus, this survey confirms that political parties and their views do have some influence on Fresno State students' attitudes and beliefs on climate change and whether they decide to use plastic or alternative types of straws.

Submission No. 233

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Central California Center for Health and Human Services

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Faculty

Name: Yesenia Silva-Aguilar

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. John Capitman

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Fresno County Community Health Needs Assessment

The Central Valley Health Policy Institute (CVHPI) was contracted by the Fresno County Department of Public Health, in collaboration with Fresno Community Health Improvement Partnership and Fresno Metro Ministry, to develop methodology for a countywide health needs assessment. The aim was to identify placed-based and population-based needs of the most vulnerable residents in Fresno County as well as to align the identified needs with priorities from key informants and stakeholders from health and multiple sectors beyond health to illustrate areas of agreement and identify synergies for areas of action.

The CVHPI analyzed primary data from these focus groups 1) placed-based (n=11), 2) vulnerable population (n=12), 3) stakeholders focus groups (n=4), and 4) key informant interviews across sectors (n=49). Grounded Theory was utilized to analyze the primary data and the Social Determinants of Health framework was implemented to identify upstream themes (i.e., barriers and facilitators of health). We tallied the themes within the four groups of populations to develop priorities needs for each data source. Priority needs with the highest synergies among the four groups of populations were identified as priority areas of agreement.

Among the placed-based focus groups public transportation, proximity to pesticides and poor air quality were among the priority needs. Synergy among vulnerable population was around income, public transportation and lack of specialist were the top priorities. Key informants agreed that political will, community engagement and specialists’ availability were main priorities, while stakeholders agreed that community engagement, language access in the health care system and affordable health care were the main priorities. Results showed that the four groups of populations agreed that development of public transportation, economic opportunity, and the health care system.

The assessment achieved its goal of identifying priorities of agreement among identified populations. Residents in this assessment primarily drove areas of agreement.

Submission No. 234

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Graphic Design

College: College of Arts and Humanities

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Vanessa Dominguez

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Laura Huisinga

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Enhancing Real Estate Through the use of Augmented Reality and Smart Glasses Technology

The purpose of this app is to show potential homeowners the personalized changes they could make in a house virtually right before their eyes using smart glasses technology. Customization helps both the buyer and seller. The buyer gets a customized house that fits every need and desire one could want when buying a home. The seller gets to match the house to the consumer and not the consumer to the house. I will be creating an app that uses augmented reality, virtual reality, and smart glasses technology to successfully bridge the gap of a physical and virtual reality. Augmented reality will give the buyer the ability to see real world changes in front of their own eyes. They can imagine themselves in the physical space and experience the changes with more of a personal connection. Smart Glasses are how the user will see the changes in the physical space. They will be able to see what is customizable within each individual house. For example an icon indicating that a structure is removable or what the wall would look like with different windows.

Submission No. 235

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Educational Leadership

College: Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Category: Graduate

Name: Patricia Ayala Macias

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Juan Carlos Gonzalez

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Writing "Equity" is not Enough! A Case Study of the Graduation Initiative 2025 Implementation on a California State University Campus

Since 2007, the California State University (CSU) has partaken in two initiatives in the past: Access to Success and the Graduation Initiative 2009. Both earlier initiatives laid the foundation of the most recent initiative, the Graduation Initiative (GI) 2025. The GI 2025’s graduation rates goals for first-year and transfer students have been historic as the initiative has specifically focused on eliminating equity gaps for underrepresented minoritized students.

Most studies have focused on the challenges of collecting accurate graduation data, institutional accountability, equity in higher education, and debated how to increase graduation rates of underrepresented minoritized students at 4-year institutions, but very few studies have examined how graduation initiatives are implemented by institutional administrators. Previous research studies have determined Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) in general do better in graduating and retaining underrepresented minoritized students; however, these institutions have significantly fewer resources.

This research study is a qualitative case study of a 4-year public institution. The researcher aims to interview 5 to 9 participants who are administrators in Student and Academic Affairs. This study aims to examine the ways in which administrators from Student Affairs and Academic Affairs implement the Graduation Initiative 2025 and the implication this has on the achievement of closing equity gaps for underrepresented minoritized students at a CSU campus. In addition, the researcher aims to identify how equity and academic barriers are addressed at this institution by the two divisions. Preliminary results show some challenges in accurately desegregating campus graduation data, inconsistently in the definition of equity among administrators, and the lack of communication among the divisions.

Submission No. 236

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: School of Nursing

College: College of Health and Human Services

Category: Graduate

Name: Angelina Bravo

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kammi Sayaseng

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Breastfeeding Barriers of Hispanic Spanish Speaking Women

The low breastfeeding rates among Hispanic Spanish speaking women are attributed to barriers that are unique to this population group and those barriers affect the duration of breastfeeding. Barriers include being migrant workers, education level, language, lower socioeconomic class requiring them to return to work shortly after giving birth, lack of access to pumping or breast milk storage capabilities, lack of family support, childcare issues and the cultural belief that infants need formula. There are known benefits to breastfeeding and known negative consequences of not breastfeeding but there is little research into why these mothers do not continue breastfeeding at or near the rate of initiation after delivery. As interventions are made to raise the nationwide deficit of breastfeeding rates, it is important to focus on special population groups such as minorities and more specifically on Hispanics because of characteristics that are unique to this ethnic group. Review of literature concluded that specific attention to Hispanic/Latino families and other immigrant populations with culturally tailored interventions could increase exclusive breastfeeding rates which would improve the health of the mother and child. This study was facilitated by the use of a questionnaire which determines identifiable barriers to breastfeeding. Data is analyzed using software for qualitative data, mixed methods, text and multimedia analysis. The conclusion shows what barriers are prominent among this group of mothers.

Submission No. 237

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Psychology

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Sina Davoudi Kanderagh

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Sharlet Rafacz

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Evaluation of a Preference Assessment Targeting Workplace Motivating Operations

Preference assessments are commonly used in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis, but mainly in clinical settings. Recently, some research has been done on its effectiveness in organizational settings. However, most of the research on preference assessments in business settings has only used this tool for reinforcer identification. The purpose of this study is to use the preference assessment to identify aversive work characteristics that are present in the work environment. The data aggregated from this study will enable businesses to better understand employees’ preferences regarding feedback, job structure, and specific habits. Making organizational changes based on the results of this assessment may help to decrease work absenteeism and tardiness and also increase job satisfaction and/or other positive outcomes. This poster presentation will provide results that were gathered from distributing the assessment to a large retail establishment, possible interventions based on these results, and discuss further implications of this assessment for the workplace.

Submission No. 238

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Child and Family Science

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Kimberly Nguyen, Ricel Dayuday, Susan Solano and Priscilla Lopez

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Aimee Rickman

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: “Just Google Me”: A Semiotic Study of Google Search and Student Identity

A recent study by Pew reports that more than 80% of U.S. internet users identify Google as their primary internet search platform. More than 90% of people do not go beyond the first page of results returned from a Google search (van Deursen & van Dijk, 2009). Nearly three-quarters of users describe the information they obtain from Google search as accurate and trustworthy, and a full 66% identify Google as fair and unbiased (Purcell, Brenner, & Rainie, 2012). 89% of U.S. youth use the internet at least several times a day and 45% report being online “almost constantly” (Anderson & Jiang, 2018), and Harvard’s 2018 Survey of Young American’s Attitudes Toward Politics finds U.S. youth trusting Google more than major political institutions, including local government.

Within semiotic and sociocultural frameworks, information-seeking beliefs and practices are understood as having the potential to inform the development of individual and social cognition. This study considered what youth might be learning.

Using public computers, four researchers conducted five separate Google image searches three times over a one month period querying three terms that relate to researchers’ current identities, one term reflecting researchers’ possible future identity, and one unrelated term. The first 22 images from each search were analyzed (n=1320), first using open coding. From this, researchers wrote descriptions of signifiers and semes. They then used axial coding to identify patterns within and, later, across images, and discussed cultural knowledge to identify codes around meaning.

Images that resulted from terms were interestingly not consistent across searches. However, each search contained the same consistent messages associated with the Googled term. These messages represented partial understanding of the definition of the term, with certain meanings affirmed through repetition and other meanings left out. Significant differences were found regarding race, ethnicity, gender, and class. Patterns will be discussed.

Submission No. 239

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Animal Sciences

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Kyle Moucka

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Kyle Thompson

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Evaluation of Lifeline Protect at arrival and NutraPro formulated into a traditional milk program under California feeding and housing conditions during the winter and summer seasons on dairy calf blood chemistry profile.

Research is evaluating the effects of feeding Lifeline Protect (colostrum supplement, LP) and NutraPro (spray-dried plasma) to dairy calves under California winter and summer stress on the blood chemistry profile. The objective was to analyze the effects of LP and NutraPro products on the blood chemistry profile of Holstein bull calves during a California winter and summer. The calves were brought in from several different dairies around California State University, Fresno and housed in California style wooden hutches for 56 days. The winter phase compared calves given bovine spray-dried plasma NutraPro (BNP) treatment to a control group whereas the summer phase included a third group that was given a treatment of porcine sprayed-dried plasma NutraPro (PNP). During the winter phase the treatment groups were fed LP at first feeding, followed by whole milk fortified with milk replacer, and 5% BNP to reach a total solids of 14%. The control groups were only fed whole milk and fortified with milk replacer to reach a total solids of 14%. During the summer phase the treatment groups were the same as the winter with the addition of another treatment group of 5% PNP. Blood was drawn from calves (n=54) at day 1, 7, and 21 of the winter phase. Blood from Holstein bull calves (n=90) was collected on day 1, and 21 during the summer phase. Plasma was sampled from the coccygeal vein, immediately centrifuged, placed in 2 mL microcentrifuge tubes, and frozen at -20º C until analyzed using a VetScan VS2 (Abaxis, Union City, CA) for albumin, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, total protein, globulin, blood urea nitrogen, creatine kinase, phosphate, and magnesium. Milk consumption was monitored with weighing before and after morning and evening feedings. Grain consumed was measured daily. Health and fecal scores were recorded following each feeding.

Submission No. 240

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Graduate

Name: Candido Breceda

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Krish Krishnan

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Enzymatic kinetics of acetylcholine by acetylcholinesterase using real-time nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and progress curve analysis

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful spectroscopic method that can be used to characterize chemical structures as well as dynamic processes associated with chemical reactions. Enzymatic breakdown of acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter) to its products choline and acetic acid via surplus of acetylcholinesterase enzyme are considered a factor in someone developing the neurodegenerative condition known as Alzheimer’s disease, as it decreases levels of acetylcholine in neural synaptic cleft, interrupting impulse transmissions.

Measuring enzymatic activity is well-established and routinely practiced in various fields of research, where kinetic information can be collected by performing multiple enzymatic reactions at different initial substrate concentrations using various spectroscopy methods. NMR can be used to improve this practice as the same kinetic information can be collected in a single reaction by applying the Lambert-W function to the entire reaction in progress curve analysis. The initial rate information produced NMR with progress curve analysis can be compared to the traditional Michaelis-Menten methods of initial rate analysis using other spectroscopic methods. Following conversion of acetylcholine to its products by acetylcholinesterase using NMR and progress curve analysis has demonstrated the ability to obtain kinetic information to produce initial rates.

Submission No. 242

University: University of California, Merced

Department: Sociology

College: School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Connie Liu

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Tanya Golash-Boza

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: The Impacts of Incarceration on Women of Color in the Central Valley

Research shows that incarceration creates financial, emotional, and social burdens on children and partners of incarcerated individuals. This research project focuses on how the incarceration of a family member impacts women’s role in the household. Five interviews were conducted with women of color in the Central Valley of California who have an immediate family member currently or formerly incarcerated. The interviews reveal that incarceration of a family member often impact women’s aspirations, financial and caretaking responsibilities. These findings suggest women’s experiences are affected throughout the incarceration, often resulting in women having to take on multiple responsibilities in order to provide for their family.

Submission No. 243

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Chemistry

College: College of Science and Mathematics

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Lindsey Sano

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Lindsey Sano

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Investigating SOD1 Abrogation With L-Serine And BMAA In Fruit Flies

Beta-N-Methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) is an environmental toxin that produced by cyanobacteria. Upon exposure to BMAA, the amino acid is suspected of increasing the occurrences of certain neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and dementia. In previous studies, BMAA has shown altering effects during the translation process of RNA to protein, in which the amino acid, L-serine is replaced by BMAA. The current study is focusing on the protein copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1), an enzyme that serves the purpose of converting toxins into harmless compounds. Studies have shown that when SOD1 is mutated, it potentially changes amino acids and thus causes ALS. The sensitivity to the SOD1 mutation is still unknown as to why the altered enzyme results in the death of nerve cells. From previous studies from our lab, the focus will be on L-serine and its effects of the BMAA neurotoxin. The study will use fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) for subjects as their neurons have similarities in terms of functionality and structure as compared to humans. The research will further explore the effects at the cellular level vis protein analysis. The purpose of this study is to determine the correlation between the concentration and enzymatic function of SOD1, L-serine, zine, and BMAA. The methods of this experiment include treating 10 fruit flies for a total of 50 flies with various concentrations and combinations of BMAA, L-serine, and zinc. To avoid bias, the treatments are given to the flies blinded until the final data analysis of the current experiment. The current hypothesis is that the results will show that the concentrated and activity-dependent increased in SOD1, with increasing concentrations of BMAA; L-serine with BMAA will abrogate these SOD1 effects. Thus, possibly resulting in the use of L-serine as a drug or therapy to slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.

Submission No. 245

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Art and Design

College: College of Arts and Humanities

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Eduardo Reveles

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Laura Huisinga

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Augmented Reality Environment Art

The objective for this research project is to conceptualize an Augmented Reality mobile application that can be used as a beneficial tool for artists, programmers, architects, engineers, or designers. This tool could potentially be helpful by giving the user a simple way to create digital campaigns, full scale model buildings or art installations using their mobile phone. AR is a technology that uses a computer generated images or three-dimensional objects and places it into a real world environment, which is created and displayed through a device camera screen. Through usability testing and information architecture research, the goal is to find the best user experience design for this app and AR user interface.

In this project I developed a proposal, then conducted initial usability research by finding data and statistical information on the user demographics. With this data I am able to develop personas of the people most likely to use this app. In turn, it helps to create a simple prototype of the interface on paper. Then conducting information architecture, which is created by extracting data on the users experience to produce a blueprint for the interface navigation. First we give participants scenarios to perform.Then record whether the participants were able to complete the tasks. After the testing is complete. We conduct surveys in the process of creating this conceptual application.

By using these results I am able to design a UX/UI that is easy and seamless for people to navigate through. This program will benefit people by giving them a new tool in AR technology, which is fast growing and has been used in various other markets. It’s giving consumers a new way to experience the web and the environment around us. As well as inspire others to think more innovative.

Submission No. 246

University: UC Merced

Department: Economics

College: UC Merced

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Jose Rosa

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Ketki Sheth

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Returns on education

The prevailing wisdom of the returns on education is obtaining a degree from a competitive university will provide more financial guarantees after graduation. The focus of this study is to analyze the current literature pertaining to the returns of education based on differences in GPA, gender, and race variables that cause differences in job outcomes. Moreover, this study would contain a review of literature that observes and captures the returns of going to elite universities, on wage premiums and graduate school acceptance rates. The implications of these past contributions will result in a new study that analyzes a university's prestige and its effect on employer callbacks. The methodology for this project will involve audit studies that uses GPA as a treatment variable to analyze the effects of employer callbacks using fictitious resumes from most prestigious universities (labeled Tier 1) and Tier 2 universities as referenced from the U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 annual ranks, a common database that is known for ranking U.S universities. These fictitious resumes are constructed by the algorithm called the Resume Randomizer Program (Lahey & Beasley, 2007). The callbacks received would then be tallied with its tier and its GPA proxy which would allow determining whether the data shows any statistical differences on returns on education. The economic significance of this research field is that it would provide a quantitative method to predict a specific student’s return on undergraduate education, given their scholastic abilities and financial resources.

Submission No. 247

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Criminology

College: College of Social Sciences

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Isela Ojeda

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Jenna Kieckhaefer

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Examining Positive Interviewing Behaviors from Police Officers with Mock-Witnesses

Although positive interviewing techniques are very effective in producing good quantities of accurate information from a cooperative witness, very few police investigators use such positive techniques in the field. The current study sought to follow-up on the previous study and examine police officer interviewing techniques. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and then analyzed for the presence of a number of positive (i.e., encouraging witness, reinstating event’s context, etc.) interviewing techniques officers used. Similar to previous research officers are using many negative techniques, like asking mostly yes/no questions, but we did find evidence of several research-based techniques being used.

Submission No. 248

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Criminology

College: College of Social Sciences

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Nuvia Garcia

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Jenna Kieckhaefer

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: Examining Negative Interviewing Behaviors from Police Officers with Mock-Witnesses

Very little research has examined police interviewing behaviors with cooperative witnesses, often finding that negative techniques outnumber positive ones. The current study seeks to add to this literature and our understanding of what police officers do - both the good and bad - during their interviews with witnesses. Through this study researchers have analyzed more than 80 videos of police and mock-witness interviews and have identified 15 negative techniques that these officers use, including interruptions, leading questions, and distractions. Similar to previous research, officers are using many negative techniques. However, we did find evidence of several research-based techniques being used.

Submission No. 249

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Criminology

College: College of Social Sciences

Category: Undergraduate

Name: Esmeralda Garcia

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Jenna Kieckhaefer

Were Human Subjects Used? Yes

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Concluded

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Project Title: What are the relationships between underage drinking and sexual assault, drinking and driving, and sex crimes?

Alcohol is a depressant that is commonly used by minors and can lead to poor decision-making. This is then when the decision to commit crime can happen. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a 2017 dataset that is made up of responses to a survey given to almost 15,000 high schoolers across 46 states. The current study will focus on students from ages 13-17 for the year 2017 and the relationship that exists between underage drinking and committing crime, specifically acts of violence and sexual behaviors. Results indicate that there has been a decrease in sexual and physical dating violence from the years 2013 to 2017. Further results and implications will be addressed.

Submission No. 250

University: California State University, Fresno

Department: Plant Science

College: Jordan College of Agriculture and Science Technology

Category: Graduate

Name: Laura Boots-Haupt

E‐Mail Address: [email protected]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ranjit Riar

Were Human Subjects Used? No

Regarding Data Collected, is it Ongoing or Concluded?: Ongoing

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Project Title: Evaluating biological nitrogen fixation of different Fababean (Vicia faba L.) cultivars

Laura Boots-Haupt, Ranjit Riar, Kyle Brasier, and Hossein Zakeri

Fababean, an annual winter legume, has the potential to enhance soil fertility due to its ability to biologically fix atmospheric nitrogen in the root nodules. It can be used as a winter cover crop before planting the main summer crop in many areas of the US. This experiment is aimed to evaluate 63 genotypes of fababean, and their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen.