2021 Faculty Research Poster Session and Research Fair
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Item Applying Generational Theory to Greater Understand Desirable Relationship Characteristics in Multigenerational Team(2021-03-04) Yarbrough, Jillian R.As the demographics of the workforce change, consider that for the first time, in many organizations five generations are working side by side on multigenerational teams. How can this burgeoning generational diversity be leveraged to support efficiency within organizations and specifically workplace teams? The following paper will seek to identify characteristics of effective multigenerational teams through an in-depth study of Generational Theory, Generational Archetypes and the generation’s preferred relationship characteristics. Included will be an in-depth review of literature and data from observations of multigenerational team experiences. Based on literature and observations recommendations for supporting multigenerational relationships will be offered.Item Biosaline Agriculture: Tomato Production in Egypt and Its Export Potential(2021-03-04) Almas, Lal; Usman, M.; Hazman, M.; El-Sayed, M.; Shams El-Din, A.Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), an important vegetable, has the highest area under cultivation among vegetables at the global level. Egypt is one of the major tomato producing and exporting country. With a population of over 102 million and annual population growth at 2.27%, Egypt is considered one of the fastest-growing nations in the African continent. Egypt’s total land area is 1,000,450 sq. km and the population covers only the 10 percent while rest of the country is desert. The agriculture sector plays significant role in the Egyptian economy, contributing 14.5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. The agricultural sector accounts for 28 percent of all jobs, and over 55 percent of employment in Upper Egypt is agriculture-related. Egypt’s agriculture sector is dominated by small farms using traditional practices. Field crops contribute about 75 % of the total value of Egypt’s agricultural production, while the rest comes from livestock products, fruits and vegetables, and other specialty crops. Major field crops include corn (maize), rice, wheat, sorghum, and fava (broad) beans. Despite a considerable output, the cereal production in Egypt falls short of the country’s total consumption. A substantial amount of foreign exchange is spent annually on the import of cereals and milling products. Egypt is one the major producer of wheat in Africa, with 8.9 million tons in 2020 against its consumption of 21.7 million tonnes. Hence, Egypt is the second-largest importer in the world with more than 12.8 million tonnes in 2020. One of the the main challenges of wheat production in Egypt is available land area. The total arable area is 3.3 million hectares. It is extremely productive and can be cropped two or even three times per year. Most land is cropped at least twice a year, but agricultural productivity is limited by salinity, which afflicts an estimated 35% of cultivated land, and drainage problems. Another challenge to Egypt’s agriculture is shortage of water. Water is a very scarce resource in the region, the major source of this essential commodity is the Nile River. The second threat and the most imminent is the growth of the population. By 2050, Africa’s population is expected to grow by an additional 1.3 billion people, the equivalent of today’s China. For the case of Egypt, the population is expected to reach over 111 million in 2025, lowering the per capita water availability from 1123 m3 in 1990 to 630 m3 in 2025. This shows that the challenge now for Egypt is to look for perennial solutions to lower its dependency on the Nile water supply and to find sustainable alternatives like desalination and biosaline agriculture. This study focuses on the production profitability of tomato by using data from 1961 through 2019 and to identify strategies to increase its production and enhance its export in future in order to earn foreign echange to cover expenses for its imported wheat. The statistical procedures has been applied to analyze and predict the production and consumption of tomato given the estimated population growth of the country up until 2050. The study also provides an overview of all the available opportunities and challenges facing tomato production and its significance in Egypt’s export contribution and potential.Item Circadian Rhythms in Peripheral Serotonin in Mice(2021-03-04) Karaganis, StephenMost organisms possess biological circadian clocks which control and coordinate numerous physiological processes over each twenty-four hour day. Circadian oscillators play a role in generating biological rhythms and coordinating numerous processes with environmental stimuli (such as timing of a meal or exposure to light). In rodents it has been demonstrated that restricting the availability of food to a short window of time during the day can shift the phase of rhythmic oscillations in some peripheral organs (such as the gut and liver) while not affecting the phase of the light entrainable hypothalamic circadian pacemaker. We hypothesize that this paradigm of restricted feeding (RF) would result in a phase shift in the daily rhythm of the hormone serotonin within the serum and gut of mice compared with mice maintained on an ad libitum diet (AL). We also measured circulating levels of platelets since most of the serotonin in the blood is taken up and transported by platelets. Here we present data demonstrating the daily profile of serotonin and its major metabolite, 5HIAA, in serum and duodenum of AL or RF animals maintained under LD or free running conditions. As expected, motility rhythms entrained to the rhythm of food availability cues, whereas no statistically significant rhythm was detected in serum serotonin levels. In duodenum, serotonin and 5HIAA levels appeared to be rhythmic in AL mice only. Interestingly, a circadian rhythm in circulating platelets levels was detected only under RF conditions, but not in AL animals or in constant darkness. This suggests that food intake, but not light, may drive oscillations in platelet production or serve as a zeitgeber for entrainment. Further investigations of circadian control of serotonin biosynthesis and metabolism is ongoing.Item Creating an OER for Texas History(2021-03-04) Stuntz, JeanRecorded Link: https://ensemble.wtamu.edu/Watch/o8K3HwGf | I am creating an open Educational Resource for teaching Texas History at the college level. Currently there is none. I will be using the Handbook of Texas Online plus my own expertise. The result will be a textbook that draws upon the expertise of many that is freely available to students.Item Cross-Cultural Adaptation in the Discourse of Education and Teaching: An Autoethnography of a Female Colombian Immigrant in Academia in the United States(2021-03-04) Albarran, PaolaImmigrants, refugees, and visitors face cross-cultural boundaries when they move to a new “host culture” and strive to build a new life in an unfamiliar place. Recent studies indicated that every year, the population of the United States becomes increasingly ethnically diverse and the number of female graduate immigrants has been increasing as well (Guramatunhu-Mudiwa, 2015). Yet, knowledge about female graduate students who are international immigrants and have become college teachers is limited. Given this trend, the purpose of this research is to examine the cross-cultural adaptation experience of myself as a female Colombian immigrant in academia, as well as the way I have undergone throughout the process of my integration to adjust and feel comfortable in a new culture. I hope my story offers institutions, local community members, and other international students who want to become college teachers, a unique perception of the characteristics of a teacher of color’s lived experiences and a drive to change the culture toward diversity. I am optimistic that my cross-cultural teaching experience could contribute to the general understanding of adaptation in the context of a diverse society in the United States.Item Dogs and Rape in Coetzee’s _Disgrace_ and Ngugi’s _A Grain of Wheat_(2021-03-04) Meljac, EricHow do we see justice in lands once colonized and torn by racism and oppression? When does crime, particularly against animals and women, indicate a change in power? How do we punish the criminals when the rules of what is “just” have changed irrevocably? What do crime and justice have to do with decolonization? One of the common threads tying together Coetzee’s Disgrace and Ngugi’s A Grain of Wheat is the representation of rape coupled with the mutilation of dogs. For Coetzee, the rape of Lucy comes along with the splatter of “blood and brains” of the dogs Lucy keeps in kennels outside her South African home. Ngugi’s scene, though rewritten to exclude direct reference to rape after initial publication, sees Dr. Lynd attacked in her home, her dog torn to pieces before her eyes.This essay will examine the broader implications of these shared acts of violence: the coupling of violence against women with violence against dogs, and the coupling of woman/dog violence in two of the African continent’s most famous novels. Part of the conjecture at play is an idea that the indigenous men who commit these acts are not assaulting the weakest links in the colonial chain (women and animals who have accompanied the masculine colonial powers to the African shores), but instead are directing these acts of violence in efforts to recolonize their own land. In other words, the slaughter of dogs, animals used to promote fear, and the rape of women are direct assaults on colonizing power. Destroying fear in the form of dogs, and actually or potentially inseminating colonial women in acts of rape, suggest acts of violent reclamation—though maybe not justice in its purest sense. Perhaps, too, the reactions of the women attacked suggest something about the changing face of decolonization. Ngugi’s Dr. Lynd lives in fear and misery, injured whenever she sees a dog and remembers the day of her attack. Lucy, on the other hand, remains resolute, decides to remain on the land, fall under the family of a neighboring Black man, and carry the child thrust upon her to term. The results from each novel are mixed, but what is clear is that the face of justice changes when colonial power wanes—whether the true sense of justice is obeyed or not.Item Dyslexia and The School Counselor(2021-03-04) Behl, Malvika; Denton, Kenneth; Simmons, Michelle; Coneway, Betty; Shin, MikyungDyslexia affects about 15 to 20 percent of people within the United States. Most of the time dyslexia is diagnosed within the school system. The researchers reviewed the parent perspective of the diagnosis of young people before, during, and after the diagnosis. Analysis of the collected data helped identify the different emotional and mental health concerns parents have for children either diagnosed with or suspected to have dyslexia. Since there are limited studies that review the school counselor’s experience working with children suspected or diagnosed with dyslexia, the findings from this study help understand the different problems school counselors can focus on to help the mental health concerns of children suspected or diagnosed with dyslexia. Using the research data, the poster will address the different concomitant mental health needs of children suspected or diagnosed with dyslexia in schools and suggest ways in which school counselors can help them with the challenges.Item Emerging Trends in Data Center Management Automation(2021-03-04) Levy, Moises; Subburaj, Anitha S.New and emerging technologies have consolidated the Fourth Industrial Revolution, an era of cyber-physical systems, where the physical and digital worlds are closely connected. While most of the world is being impacted by a pandemic, data centers have managed to keep people connected and keep the economy afloat. As such, they are witnessing an unprecedented need for automation of their monitoring and management processes in order to minimize reliance on human interaction. A growing number of new technologies are transforming mission critical facilities into a highly connected, smart, and more efficient, productive and sustainable industry. Vast amounts of data are being collected in real-time, and processed to predict behavior, to produce actionable recommendations, and to improve decision-making. This paper summarizes the three main emerging technological trends, identified by the authors, which enable these processes in data center management automation: 1) intelligent monitoring and management systems using data science; 2) simulation tools incorporating artificial intelligence and digital twinning; and 3) robotics for process automation.Item Examining Self-efficacy and Goal Orientation as Mediators of the Relationship between Social Presence and Career Planning of MBA Students(2021-03-04) Salazar, Leslie Ramos; Zhang, Yafei; Huntington, Heidi; Khandelwal, Priyanka; Joshi, PrandyaThis study examined Internet self-efficacy, perceived self-efficacy in an MBA program, and intrinsic and extrinsic goal orientation as mediators of the relationship between social presence and career planning confidence. This study found that the self-efficacy and goal orientation variables were significant mediators of social presence and career planning confidence among 292 MBA students. Implications can guide the online course preparation of educations in accredited MBA programs.Item History, Development and Modification of Photo-Catalytic Oxidation technology to apply to the Air Purification System(2021-03-04) Ghosh, Nabarun; Bennert, Jeff; Bennert, Jon; DeLeon, Lyanna; Zavala, Maria; Howard, AubreyThe unprecedented situation with COVID-19 has drawn the attention of the world to emphasize the significance of air quality and air purification processes. It is necessary to develop and modify existing air purification technology to destroy airborne pathogens and purify the air completely. The application of innovative technology producing in-demand novel products is the foundation of the new world trade and economy. Global economies are so tightly interconnected that companies, governments, and industries will soon be forced to cooperate in ways we could not have imagined a few years ago. Advancements in technology continue to have massive effects on business and society; emerging markets have become hotbeds of innovation, especially in efforts to reach middle class and low-income consumers around the globe. Collaboration between the corporate worlds with academia has proved auspicious in scientific inventions. This report covers information on how a Nanotechnology research product was developed and marketed in many countries. With increased population growth and industrial expansions, many cities are experiencing poor air quality. Global warming exerts substantial ramifications on flora and fauna all over the world. Increasing greenhouse gasses causes accelerated pollinosis and fungal spore production. Besides pollen and spores, dusts generated from industrial areas, feedlots, and other facilities contribute to excessive air pollution. Recent wildfires also augment air pollution with burnt plant residues, fibers, gums and burnt shoots floating in urban air. All these have been identified as major aeroallergen irritants for asthma, allergy, and other respiratory ailments. We are in need of a more advanced air purifier that works without filters and improves the air quality to a greater extent than existing air purifiers in the market. We have been analyzing daily aeroallergens of the Texas Panhandle area by using the coated Melinex tape collected from the Burkard Volumetric Spore Trap. After exposure to the local air via the Burkard Volumetric Spore Trap, the Melinex tape was stained and observed under a BX-40 Olympus microscope. The twenty-year aeroallergen data of the Texas Panhandle revealed a gradual shift in the aeroallergen index with the warmer climate and subsequent shift in the flowering seasons. A decade of research in aerobiology and biotechnology helped in developing the AHPCO technology, producing an air purification system that uses Advanced Hydrated Photo Catalytic Oxidation (AHPCO) Nanotechnology to reduce indoor aeroallergen to improve air quality and better food preservation. Air Oasis air purifiers utilize a new generation of AHPCO technology that does not rely on filters or air passing through the air purifier. This new technology simply produces a blanket of redundant oxidizers that clean the surrounding air and sanitize surfaces. We have assessed the unique air purifiers that target the particulate matters in the air and on circumferential surfaces. There is ongoing research at the Research and Development Unit of Air Oasis in collaboration with West Texas A&M University to apply the AHPCO Nanotechnology to construct commodities such as air purification systems, food preservation systems, and cell phone sterilizers.Item How to Effectively Communicate CSR with Employees? Understanding CSR Communication Effects Through the Lens of Reasoned Action(2021-03-04) Zhang, YafeiThis study examined how employees’ perceived communication about corporate social responsibility (CSR) impacts their CSR engagement, and how the effect is mediated via employees’ CSR-related attitudes, perceived norms, and perceived control. Results, based on a survey (N = 406) of participants recruited from Amazon Mturk, revealed that employee perceptions of CSR communication were positively associated with their CSR-related attitudes, perceived norms, perceived control, and CSR engagement. Findings also indicated the mediation effect from employees’ perceived CSR communication to CSR engagement via CSR-related attitudes and perceived norms. This study contributes to the scant research on employee-centered CSR and suggests CSR as an effective strategy to cultivate relationships with employees and to increase their CSR engagement.Item Investigation of a Possible Novel Genetic Mutation in Brangus Calves with Proportionate Dwarfism(2021-03-04) Perkins, ThomasThe University of Nebraska - Lincoln was contacted in May, 2018, with reports of calves born with proportionate dwarfism and in at least one case, mild scoliosis. The calves share the same sire and pedigree relationships observed between the sire and dams of the affected calves suggested a genetic basis of the condition. The purpose of this study was to use genomic tools to attempt to identify genomic variant(s) causative of small size and skeletal deformities in these Brangus calves. After many analyses, no clear candidate variants were identified by any method employed. Variants that fit one of the hypothesized modes of inheritance across all cases in the regions of interest were rare, and when present, had no clear functional impact. If the phenotype observed were due to a simple Mendelian cause, it would be expected that GWAS and homozygosity mapping analyses would each point to a similar region of the genome, and GWAS associations would include multiple, linked markers; this unfortunately was not the case.Item Is All Prejudice Created Equal? Emotions, Power, and Position in the Russian Federation(2021-03-04) Butkovich Kraus, Nicole M.This article argues for conceptualizing prejudice in terms of emotional-types rather than a monolithic feeling of ‘antipathy’ as in paradigmatic work on the subject (Allport 1954). I propose two distinct emotional-types of prejudice: fear-prejudice and hostility-prejudice. I demonstrate how relative group and subgroup positions may predict each type of prejudice. I support this distinction empirically using survey data from approximately 10,000 individuals in the Russian Federation collected in 2003-2004. Results indicate that non-significant predictors of a monolithic conception of prejudice are in fact quite important for predicting different emotional types of prejudice. Within the dominant ethnic Russian group, relative sub-group positions affect the emotional-type of prejudice expressed toward outgroups. I find that individuals within the dominant ethnic group (non-Muslim, ethnic Russians) who possess arguably less social power (women, youth, and those with very low income) are more likely to express fear-prejudice; those with broader anti-racist socialization (the elderly and those with higher levels of education) are more likely to express tolerance, and those with greatest social power (men and those with high incomes) are more likely to express hostility-prejudice.Item Magnetic Properties of Eu_x Ca_(1-x) Fe_2 As_2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) Superconductor(2021-03-04) Shrestha, KeshavWe have investigated the evolution of magnetic properties of EuxCa1−xFe2As2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) materials at different Eu-content (x). The magnetic susceptibility increases while lowering the temperature, showing a typical paramagnetic behavior. There exists a sharp anomaly near 15 - 19 K that arises due to the Eu2+ antiferromagnetic ordering. The temperature dependence of the susceptibility data is analyzed using the Curie-Weiss model and determined the best-fit parameters, the Curie constant (C) and Weiss-temperature (θ) at different x. We found that both parameters, C and θ, vary almost linearly with x. The obtained results are compared with other published data, and their physical implications will be discussed.Item Magnetotransport and Fermi Surface Studies of SnxPb1-xTe Single Crystal(2021-03-04) Nguyen, Thinh; Miertschin, Duncan; Shrestha, KeshavWe have studied the magnetotransport properties of a topological crystalline insulator, SnxPb1-xTe with the applied fields up to 14 T. Magnetoresistance (MR) increases almost linearly with the applied field and reaches a value of 310% at H = 13 T without showing any sign of saturation. At higher applied fields, both longitudinal and Hall resistance show clear Shubnikov de Haas (SdH) oscillations with a single oscillation frequency at α = 57 T. However, an additional frequency at β = 69 T appears if the angle between the field direction and the sample surface is changed. Using the quantum oscillations data, we have constructed the Landau-level fan diagram and determined the trivial topology of the α-pocket. The obtained results are compared with the previous reports and the possible origin of the second frequency (β) will be discussed.Item Magnetotransport Studies of topological Sb_2Te_(2-x)Se_x Single Crystal(2021-03-04) Miertschin, Duncan; Shrestha, KeshavWe have studied the magnetotransport properties of a topological compound, Sb2Te2-xSex. The electrical resistance decreases with temperature showing the metallic behavior. Magnetoresistance (MR) increases with increasing magnetic field, and it reaches a value as high as 300 % at 14 T without showing any sign of saturation. At higher fields, MR shows clear Shubnikov de Haas (SdH) oscillations with a single frequency near 178 T. In addition, there appears a tiny peak near 24 T in the frequency spectrum. We have also analyzed the temperature-dependent quantum oscillations using the Lifshitz-Kosevich theory and calculated several physical parameters characterizing the SdH oscillations. The possible origin of the low frequency at 24 T will also be discussed.Item More “likes” or no “likes”? An Online Experiment Evaluating the Effects of Secondary Cues on the Perceived Source Credibility of Corrective Messages(2021-03-04) Chen, LiAdopting an experimental design, this study examined the combined effects of tweet popularity data, profile image type, and need for cognition (NFC) on individuals’ perceived source credibility (PSC) of corrective messages. Three major findings were identified. First, PSC is positively associated with perceived message effectiveness and intentions to retweet a corrective message. Second, NFC moderates the effects of popularity data on PSC, such that high NFC individuals perceived tweets without popularity data to be most credible while low NFC individuals considered tweets with high popularity data most credible. Finally, in the high NFC group, a combination of a medical logo profile image and no tweet popularity data resulted in the highest PSC, and in the low NFC group, a combination of a real person profile image and high popularity data condition resulted in the highest PSC.Item Motivators of Pursuing Nursing Education at the Graduate Level(2021-03-04) Loftin, Collette; Phillips, AngelaMotivators of Pursuing Nursing Education at the Graduate Level Abstract Background: As the U.S. nursing shortage continues, there remains a growing need for a highly educated work force. The necessity to pursue a graduate degree in nursing has not been as widely encouraged as the baccalaureate degree. Master’s prepared nurses are essential across a variety of health care settings to serve in leadership, management, and advanced primary provider positions, as well as academic settings as faculty members and researchers. While the percentage of nurses earning a master’s degree has risen gradually, the need for additional highly educated nurses persists as rapid advancements in health care technology including telehealth and informatics occur. Purpose: Having a greater understanding of the motivators to return to school, barriers preventing return, and factors that enable students to persist in a graduate level program will facilitate nursing programs to recruit qualified students and help (facilitate) meet the needs of current and future students. While there is an abundance of literature reporting on these factors for RN-BSN students, there is a dearth of information on the similar considerations for MSN students. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to ascertain what the motivators, barriers, and persistence factors are for nurses seeking to earn a graduate nursing degree. Methods: This study utilized a cross-sectional descriptive survey of graduate level nursing students to determine what factors motivated them to return to school, the barriers they had overcome, and what elements allowed them to persist in their studies. Results: The highest level of agreement for motivating factors included: finding personal satisfaction in earning an MSN (M = 4.76), a desire to expand nursing knowledge (M = 4.31), a belief that nurses with an MSN command greater respect as professional (M = 3.76), and the belief that earning an advanced degree would increase confidence at work (M = 3.61). Financial challenges (M = 3.70), inflexible work schedules (M 3.54), and difficult family situations (M = 3.20) were shown to be the main barriers students needed to overcome in order to return to school. The highest agreement among the factors that allowed students to persist in the MSN program included the following: personal reasons encourage me to persist (M = 4.82), confidence in ability to complete the program (M = 4.45), have the necessary family encouragement and support to complete the program (M = 4.45), and have the necessary faculty encouragement and support to complete the program (M = 4.18). Conclusion: A recommendation is made for more robust recruitment, expanded awareness of program/curriculum details for potential students, and encouraging employers to provide tuition reimbursement and loan repayments. Additionally, ensuring that employers who do provide financial support communicate this to their employees as a motivating factor.Item Multilevel Models for Single-Case Data: Using Virtual Manipulatives for Students With Disabilities(2021-03-04) Shin, MikyungThe purpose of this study was to synthesize the effects of using virtual manipulatives to increase the mathematical accuracy of students with disabilities over the last 20 years of research. We extracted a total of 1,797 raw data points from 114 cases across 35 single-case studies. By applying three-level multilevel modeling, we analyzed both immediate effects and trends during the intervention phase, in addition to potential moderation effects related to student characteristics (case-level) and intervention features (study-level). The average immediate effect and trend during the intervention were statistically significant. The average immediate effect varied significantly by student grade, disability type, developer, device, type of virtual manipulative, and visual model embedded in virtual manipulatives. Additionally, the visual model embedded in virtual manipulatives significantly influenced the average trend during the use of virtual manipulatives. Datasets and R codes are posted through an online data repository: https://osf.io/wvtxg/?view_only=8272597c1fb342beb40f2f088addcded%C2%A0Item The Music of Isolation(2021-03-04) Rushing, SarahRecorded Presentation: https://youtu.be/io7GCeVJi4M | “The Music of Isolation” explores solo piano pieces written by composers who endured physical, geographical, and social isolation. The program is comprised of Fantasia in C Major, Hob. XVII:4 by Franz Joseph Haydn (1789), Three Preludes for Piano by Charles Griffes (1919), and Rondeau by Olivier Messiaen (1943). Each piece has been carefully chosen from the composers’ oeuvres to represent periods of their lives characterized by isolation. The full range of human emotion is explored, from brilliant creativity, to despair and darkness, to release. Despite their disparate styles, the unifying theme of isolation provides insight and historical context for each composer’s compositional choices. Haydn’s Fantasia was composed near the end of his time in Esterháza and is the culmination of his unique keyboard writing. The work’s surprising harmonic shifts and unorthodox keyboard techniques are indicative of the composer’s unique development due to his geographical isolation. Griffes’s Preludes were composed in the final year of his life, shortly before he succumbed to the Spanish Flu. Messiaen’s Rondeau, composed shortly after his release from Stalag VIII-A, gives us a glimpse into life post-isolation. The goal of the project is to introduce the audience to lesser-known works by well-known composers. The presentation includes video recordings of the three works, plus a lecture presentation on the historical context of each piece, providing a sense of shared connection that invites the audience to view each composer’s work with a fresh perspective.