OAsis: UNLV's Repository for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity
Not a member yet
24968 research outputs found
Sort by
Screen Time and the Perception of It Among Different Social Classes
No full text“Screen Time” and the subsequent demonization of it is a phenomenon that is not as analyzed through a social and comparative lens as much as psychological and health ones. To address this gap in research, we performed a content analysis on articles concerning families and “screen time” use that were published on two well-known parenting websites SheKnows and Parents.com from 2019 - 2022 (n = 220). In this paper, we address how these articles talk about screen time use among different social classes. In our analysis, we found what appears to be a double standard in the way screen time use is perceived among different classes. Families of higher income are less demonized for screen time use, and have easier access to exercise familial activities that do not rely on a device. It is important to recognize these biases in the popular discourse in order to understand the nuances present within it and to navigate future discussion on it.https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/durep_posters/1232/thumbnail.jp
Latina Maternal Anxiety and Early Child Development: a Scoping Review
No full textLatina mothers\u27 mental health struggles, particularly anxiety, can significantly impact their children\u27s development. In Latino culture, stigma and shame surrounding mental health discussions often prevent individuals from seeking help, which can exacerbate effects. This scoping review aims to examine currently available research on the impact of maternal anxiety on early child development in Latina populations across North America, South America, and the Caribbean. A literature search was performed to find relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature through five electronic databases. Out of 469 results, 33 relevant studies were identified for full-text screening. Data will be extracted to explore the association between maternal anxiety and various aspects of early child development, including language, socioemotional, fine and gross motor, and cognitive development. We expect to find the extent of maternal anxiety’s impact on child development and the unique barriers faced by this population, such as limited access to mental health services, language barriers, and stigma. Identifying gaps in the literature could assist in developing targeted interventions tailored to the unique needs of Latina mothers, ultimately promoting both maternal well-being and optimal child development.https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/durep_posters/1234/thumbnail.jp
Glial-Specific Genes Are Strongly Associated With Alzheimer\u27s Disease by Gene-based Polygenic Risk Score Analysis
No full textMethods: Gene-based PRSs were constructed in AD cases and controls within each gene of the glial cells, according to the GWAS summary statistics of European ancestry. In detail, gene-based PRSs were first calculated for each glial cell type-specific gene for AD cases and controls in the discovery dataset (ADc1234ADA) using PRSet software. A meta-analysis with a fixed model was performed when the signal in both datasets was in the same direction. Bonferroni corrections for multiple testing (at α = .05) were used to determine significance within each of the three glial groups. Forest plots were used to visualize the results of meta-analyses.
Results: Two genes (Bcl-3 and RelB) from microglia were identified to be significantly associated with AD when adjusted with PC1 and PC2. However, when we adjusted with additional covariates age, sex, and APOE ε4 count, the association between BCL-3 and AD turned out to be non-significant. Similarly, the association between RelB and AD was also statistically non-significant.One gene (BIN1) from oligodendrocyte was significant in PC1 and PC2 and also significant when we included the sex, age, APOE ε4 count covariates. None of the genes from astrocytes were significantly associated with AD.
Conclusion: Our findings emphasize the importance of considering cell-type-specific genetic contributions to AD, providing novel insights into the disease\u27s complex biological mechanisms for the disease. In this study, we identified two genes (Bcl-3 and RelB) from microglia and one gene (BIN1) from oligodendrocytes that might play an important role in the development of AD.https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/durep_posters/1241/thumbnail.jp
Alteration of Peripheral Cytokines in Alzheimer’s Disease
No full textAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with the clinical symptoms of gradual cognitive decline and memory loss. Biologically, abnormal accumulation of Aβ (Aβ) plaque and tau tangles in the brain are the core pathological hallmarks in AD. Although inflammatory response is not specific to AD, emerging evidence suggests that the disrupted innate immune system within the central nervous system, particularly microglial activation, might act as the bridge linking Aβ aggregation to pathological phosphorylation and aggregation of tau. The inflammatory response was suggested to initially have a neuroprotective role of attempting to clear Aβ plaques, and then become neurotoxic in a chronic inflammatory state upon failure to clear Aβ. Cytokines, as a family of small proteins acting as the chemical messengers in the immune system, are the potential biomarker candidates reflecting the changes in the immune system. Many studies have evaluated the concentration difference of cytokines between patients in the AD continuum and controls to examine neuroinflammation in AD, however, substantial discrepancies were observed between studies. Considering the dual role of inflammation in AD and the competing and synergistic effects of numerous cytokines in the body, we analyzed the cytokine data from human participants and APP mice with the hypothesis that 1) cytokine concentrations change in a nonlinear fashion with disease progression and 2) the interaction between cytokines is disrupted in AD. We found that multiple cytokines had discrepant association with brain amyloid burden before and after brain amyloid reaching pathological level, and most of them were closely relevant to hematopoietic function. In addition, the correlations between cytokines were substantially different between amyloid positive participants (A+) and cognitively unimpaired amyloid negative participants (CU-). Pairwise correlation analysis between cytokines showed that the cytokine pairs having strong correlations in CU- were more likely to have weaker correlations in A+ group, such a change was consistently observed in the comparison between APP mice and wild-type mice. A discordance score was defined to characterize the less concordant cytokine levels in the disease population at the individual level. Compared to cytokine concentration, the discordance score had better discriminative power in separating A+ participants from CU- participants. Our findings suggest that the immunotherapy targeting at hematopoietic function might be beneficial for delaying AD progression, although the effect might depend on the disease stage and the signaling pathway at the molecular level remains to be identified. Furthermore, compared to the concentration of each cytokine, the interaction between peripheral cytokines might be a more promising metric to characterize altered immune responses in AD
Exploring the Everyday Inner Experience of Grapheme-Color Synesthetes
No full textSynesthesia is a rare, multivariant condition where the stimulation of one sensory or cognitive sense induces extraordinary inner experiences. Grapheme-color synesthesia is a kind of synesthesia where the presentation of letters and/or numbers induce automatic, directly apprehended color phenomena within synesthetes (i.e., individuals with synesthesia). Despite synesthesia’s being defined by remarkable color experiences, first-person investigations that directly study synesthetes’ inner experience are rare. We used descriptive experience sampling (DES) to describe the everyday inner experience of six grapheme-color synesthetes, each sampled for from 6 to 14 sampling days. Our idiographic findings showed that the salient features of each individual participant’s sampled experience were very different from non-synesthetes in that our synesthetes each had some anomalous characteristics and some unusually co-occurring phenomena. Anomalous experiences included instances where what had been apprehended (e.g., the experiential content) involved anomalous features (e.g., inner seeings from unusual perspectives) and instances where how phenomena had been apprehended (e.g., the experiential modality) was anomalous (e.g., visual phenomena that were apprehended as heard rather than seen). Anomalously co-occurring instances were single apprehended events that were directly apprehended across inextricably diverse simultaneous modes (e.g., directly apprehending toothache both as a felt sensation and an inner seeing). We found very few instances of conventional, straightforward grapheme-color phenomena
A Culturally Responsive Approach to Mindfulness and Mental Health Informal Education
No full textThe qualitative study examined the mental health aspects of marginalized elementary school students in addition to constructing and implementing a culturally responsive and sustaining mindfulness program to observe if there were improvements regarding emotional regulation and awareness. To achieve this, I constructed a culturally responsive and sustaining mindfulness program, implemented this program, and studied the responses from students. The research questions that fueled this study include: (1) What types of negative emotions do marginalized elementary students experience? What is the root cause for marginalized students experiencing negative emotions during their elementary school years? (2) How can incorporating mindfulness techniques embedded with culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogies aid marginalized students in overcoming negative emotions that they experience in elementary school? (3) How can culturally responsive mindfulness programs be sustainable and transformative for marginalized students who frequently encounter negative emotions? (4) What challenges and difficulties are there in developing and implementing such a program? How do I search for and implement solutions? The results from this study showed that the majority of marginalized students consistently felt negative emotions at school, including overwhelming stress caused by academic pressure, nervousness due to previous trauma related to bullying, and anger due to disliking school for numerous reasons. Additionally, creating such a program that incorporated mindfulness and culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogies positively impacted students, equipping them with critical reflection skills to discover new techniques to help them overcome negative emotions and build resilience. The main challenge I faced as the researcher when constructing and implementing such a program was ensuring the program incorporated effective and meaningful activities that embraced all student cultures
Methodologies For Studying NIH Funded Laboratory Output: A Mixed Methods Approach
No full textMy research is focused on methodologies for increasing funding for National Institute of Health (NIH) funded laboratories. More specifically I am interested in exploring how mixed methods of research, such as guided survey methods, semi-structured interviews, and bibliometrics can provide a greater number of comprehensive metrics for attaining/continuing funding.For NIH funded laboratories, producing metrics that show NIH objectives were met is necessary for demonstrating the value of the laboratory’s efforts and value of their research. The primary way that laboratories can ensure funding will continue to support their efforts is by showing how funds are being used in the laboratory, and the value that award funding provides to the scientific community, as well as public health. To meet NIH objectives around the development of large-scale laboratories Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE), Centers for Translational Science Awards (CTSA), other translational science efforts and initiatives, investing in efforts that record greater metrics and additional records of valuable output from laboratories is imperative for growth. The thread of these three chapters provides sufficient evidence that positive ontological direction for NIH funded laboratories can happen with integrating more inclusive evaluation frameworks. Former frameworks for evaluating laboratories involved collecting totals of output that exclusively captured scientific dissemination via publication metrics, this includes citation rates, publication counts, patents, completed therapy trials (to name a few). For a better direction, I am proposing that new benefits models are tested in addition to these common methods of collecting metrics, such as the Translational Science Benefits Model (TSBM). The TSBM includes over 16 indicators that can track scientific benefits in addition to the traditional counts (citations, publications, patents, therapy, and drug trials). The TSBM includes educational initiatives, public health resources, legislative progress, and other indicators that the funding the laboratory receives is being used to do beneficial work for science and the communities that are touched by the funded laboratory. By widening the metrics by evaluating a lab to include other evidence of value in science, laboratories can better illustrate the innovation coming from their laboratories
Self-Regulated Learning through Self-Concordant Goals, Social Modeling and Sustainability Focus
No full textResearch has shown that when students spend time reflecting and autonomously selecting their college goals, they show high intrinsic motivation, low extrinsic motivation and improvement in emotional and social adjustment over the first several months of college. Despite of this, it is estimated that 77% of first- and second-year students are undecided on their major and many remain undecided as they transition into their junior and senior year. Moreover, in education settings the primary emphasis is on academic success, but focusing solely on academic goals is limiting. As learning is inherently social, academic and social domains cannot be separated, while social goals act as motivators for learning behaviors and increase academic and social competence. Therefore, the goal selection process deserves a lot more consideration and attention than is currently given. To this aim, I used Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and its offshoot, The Self-Concordance Model (SCM) as a framework for the contention that academic/career, well-being and social goals should all be relatively aligned towards the betterment of self and the society at large. This case study contributes to the goal selection literature by offering insights on group projects that incorporate SCM and SDT principles under a self-selected common purpose. The interviews conducted at the end of the semester showed the unificatory power of a self-selected common purpose during their group projects, however the leap from group projects centered around grand challenges to similar interdisciplinary majors was not always obvious to the students
Cultured Coils: A Multiple Case Study Exploring Black Mothers’ Hair Choices and the Impacts on Their Black Daughters
No full textBlack hair is culturally significant and a form of self-expression for Black women. The literature reviewed about Black women and their hair focused on Black women and their hair experiences but did not explore the ways in which the generational impact or influence of those hair experiences. This study employed the theoretical frameworks of Collins (i.e., Black Feminist Thought) and Crenshaw (i.e., Intersectionality) to explore how Black women think about Black hair and how those thoughts impact the choices they make regarding their and their daughter’s hair. A qualitative method of an exploratory multiple case study, utilizing semi-structured interviews, was used as it allowed the researcher to describe the participants’ experiences while respecting the uniqueness of each individual participant. Black mothers (n = 4) who have Black daughters between the ages of 3 and 17 were interviewed to investigate Black mothers’ hair choices and the impacts of those choices on their Black daughters. Four themes emerged from the findings of this study including a) Black hair is enough, b) natural hair is the best option for Black hair, c) childhood hair shame, and d) breaking the cycle. These findings implicated that despite the disproportionate complex forms of external and internal factors that shape and influence how Black mothers view themselves and their hair, they are still able to have positive, beneficial experiences with their Black hair and share in those positive experiences with their Black daughters. The recommendations from this study are for a) parents to continue utilizing resources to facilitate discussion about Black hair, b) educators to incorporate more representation of Black hair within the curriculum, and c) policymakers to pass laws in all 50 states to address the ongoing discrimination of Black hair in schools and the workplace
Haloacetonitriles (HANs): Factors Affecting Their Formation and Mitigation
No full textHaloacetonitriles (HANs) are nitrogenous disinfection byproducts (DBPs) detected frequently in chlorinated and chloraminated water. HANs are considered a serious concern in drinking water and water reuse, as some unregulated HANs have been found to be more cytotoxic and genotoxic compared to regulated DBPs. This research focused on two issues regarding HAN formation during chlorination and chloramination of source waters. The first issue investigated the effects of various water quality and operation parameters, including disinfection mode, chlorine (or chloramine) dose, chlorine (or chloramine) contact time, pH, and bromide concentration, on the formation of HANs during the chlorination and chloramination of a tertiary filtered wastewater effluent and surface water used as a drinking water source. HAN formation potentials in two sources were determined under varying levels of the aforementioned factors, and statistical analyses were conducted to assess their significance. Tertiary wastewater effluent exhibited a higher potential for HAN formation compared to surface water samples. HAN formation was greater during free chlorination than during in-situ chloramination with prechlorination and preformed monochloramination. Dihalogenated acetonitriles (DHANs) were the predominant HAN species across all the disinfection schemes for both source waters. The results indicated that disinfectant dosage and contact time consistently and positively correlated with HAN formation across all disinfection schemes. Conversely, pH demonstrated an inverse relationship with HAN formation, which was significant only during preformed monochloramination of both water sources. The net DHAN formation was higher at lower pH levels and decreased as pH increased from 7 to 9. Bromide concentration significantly impacted net DHAN concentrations across all disinfection schemes for both samples except during preformed monochloramination of wastewater effluent, with bromide having the greatest influence on HAN formation among all considered factors. The HAN speciation shifted toward brominated HANs from their chlorinated analogs in presence of bromide in source water. Therefore, water treatment authorities should monitor bromide concentrations of source water whenever HAN formation is a concern.The second issue examined the effects of prechlorination time on the formation of chlorinated and brominated HANs during in-situ chloramination of two surface waters and aimed to identify an optimal prechlorination strategy that minimized DBP-associated toxicity while achieving the oxidant exposure necessary for pathogen inactivation. Chlorination was performed at different doses until achieving a free chlorine exposure sufficient for the three-log inactivation of Giardia cysts at pH 7 and 20 °C. DBP analysis indicated that DHANs and total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) were the predominant HAN and THM species, while haloacetic acids (HAAs) were detected below method reporting levels. Both THM and HAN concentrations as well as toxicity associated with them decreased with increasing chlorine dose and shorter prechlorination time. DBP-associated toxicity was higher in Virgin River samples compared to blended surface water samples under all conditions of initial chlorine concentration and reaction time used to achieve the targeted Ct. DBP analyses and their associated toxicity revealed that employing a high chlorine dosage and a brief prechlorination time effectively minimized both DBP formation and associated toxicity during in-situ chloramination of source waters. This research identifies optimizing prechlorination time as a viable strategy to reduce DBP formation and subsequent toxicity during water treatment