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How are emojis interpreted by different generations
Brisa Mendoza and Jade Sanchez
Emojis have become a universal tool for expressing emotions, improving intelligibility, and expressing tone in text-based conversations as their use in digital communication has grown substantially. The purpose of this study is to investigate how emojis function in communication and how they affect the emotional tone and intelligibility of messages. In order to find out more, we will look at how various groups use emojis in different situations, such as formal versus informal communication. In order to present a thorough grasp of their impacts on communication dynamics, we will concentrate on quantitative elements
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Storage batteries (Renewable energies/Cars) - Background for CURE "Battery Discharge" Project
Alexa Miner, Clarissa Cortez, James Gonzalez, and Ryan Romine
In the past, and even today, Texas is known for its oil rigs and non-renewable energy sources, but it has also become a pillar for solar and wind turbine created power. As of late, the usage of these kinds of renewable resources has become essential to keep Texas as efficient as we once were in an ever growing world, where more people need more energy. However, a caveat concerning renewable energy resources is how available they are. At first, this unfamiliar territory led to people doubting its productivity when there was a lack of wind or sunshine. The solution to this: lithium ion batteries. These are considered “smart” batteries and have the ability to store energy for later use when these resources are not readily available.
Before the use of these lithium-ion batteries, renewable energy systems and resources would use things like compressed air, mechanical gravity storage, and flow batteries, to keep energy during no peak times.Initially, lithium-ion batteries and their storage abilities can be costly to set up and maintain. There is also concern for lithium, which is a metal that comes from earth , to continue to work long term. These resources can sometimes affect the environment negatively. However, this advancement in technology allows for efficiency and can take the burden off of non-renewable resources and, comparatively, affects the environment less than drilling. The battery is efficient because it is run by software. The utilization of these batteries reduces dependency on the grid during peak hours and can save customers significant amounts of money. The U.S. remains behind compared to other countries,, but Texas stays at the forefront.
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Systematic review on alzheimer research
Charles Mueller
What is Alzheimer's Disease?
• Alzheimer's Disease (AD), is a degenerative disease, caused by a large buildup of "Senile Plaques"1 in the spaces between neurons2 .
History
• AD was discovered by Aloise Alzheimer in 1906.1
• Term "Alzherime's Disease" coined in 1910.1
Purpose of Review
• Abnormal deposits of Aβ linked to plaque buildup in 1984.1 Purpose of Review • This review was created to investigate the demographic data of empirical research conducted on the treatment of AD.
• Inspired by past shortcomings in research, like that of cardiovascular disease in women3 ,this review aimed to bring attention to any discrepancies between the research and the need of patients.
Uncured Ailment
• AD makes up 50 to 75% of all dementia, and there is currently no cure.
• There is still much to learn regarding preventive treatment and demographic-specific treatment. Most importantly, there is still a need for a cure.
Hypotheses
•It was expected that 67% of the participants would be female.4
•It was expected that the mean age of participants would be greater than 65 years old.4 •It was expected that 86% patients would have received drug therapy as form of treatment.. 5
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The role of ASD on the reality television dating show, "Love on the Spectrum"
Priscilla Muñoz
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder that is determined by early challenges in social and communicative behaviors (Taddei et al., 2024), has been studied widely in all stages of life, from toddlers to the elderly (Heijnen-Kohl et al, 2017; Debodinance et al., 2017). • Every case of ASD is unique in that each can present different behaviors, however, there are three behaviors that are prevalent in many cases of ASD. The behaviors that are found and studied often include repetitive behavior (Martinez-Gonzalez, 2022), emotional meltdowns (Lewis & Stevens, 2023), and restricted interests (Jasim & Perry, 2023).
• Specifically, one study found that while autistic individuals had lesser opportunity to socialize and grow an intimate relationship due to their anxiety of meeting a potential partner, these individuals reported showing the same amount of interest in a romantic relationship compared to neurotypicals, depending on their identified gender (Hancock et al., 2020).
• The current study aimed to compare autistic males’ and females’ observed behaviors demonstrated during romantic relationships.
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SOX18 unleashed: Exploring the transcriptomic landscape – differential gene expression analysis via RNA Seq in overexpressed SOX18
Van Nguyen, Terry Shackleford, and Lori Boies
Cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide, and childhood sarcomas such as Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and Ewing Sarcoma (ES) are particularly aggressive with limited targeted treatment options. Despite advancements in cancer therapies, metastatic sarcomas still have a survival rate below 30%, emphasizing the need for new therapeutic targets. SOX18, a transcription factor has played a role in vascular development and endothelial differentiation, functioning as a key driver of angiogenesis. In cancer, increased SOX18 expression has been linked to dysregulated cell migration, invasion, and therapy resistance mechanisms. However, the extent to which SOX18 influences RMS and ES at the transcriptional level remains an open question.
The cell lines (ES7, ES8, RH41, JR1) were sent for RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analyses to characterize the transcriptomic effects of SOX18 overexpression. By identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and enriched signaling pathways, this study seeks to find the potential mechanisms by which SOX18 contributes to sarcoma progression, therapy resistance, and immune evasion. We explore whether SOX18’s transcriptional influence in Ewing Sarcoma is primarily linked to immune modulation, extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, or epigenetic regulation. Given the distinct molecular landscapes of ES7 and ES8, this research also seeks to explore whether SOX18 exerts differential oncogenic effects in different Ewing Sarcoma subtypes, potentially guiding future therapeutic strategies targeting SOX18-driven pathways.
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Maternal obesity alters antigen-bound IgG levels in breast milk
G. Sophia Noriega, Andrea Paredes, Emma C. Colins, and Elizabeth A. Leadbetter
• Maternal obesity is an increasingly prevalent condition worldwide that has been associated with adverse outcomes in offspring, including higher propensity to infection and elevated risk of immune-related disorders like asthma and allergies 1 .
• Breast milk contains a wide variety of immunological components that are essential for neonatal immune development. Among these, it contains immunoglobin G (IgG) immune complexes, which are formed by IgG bound to specific antigens2 .
• These immune complexes have been suggested to play a crucial role in antigen-specific immune response in breastfed infants3 , increasing oral tolerance and asthma prevention 4 .
• Colostrum, the first milk produced after birth, is especially rich in immune components and plays a fundamental role in the immune system development of the infant 1 .
• The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of maternal obesity on this immunological process by measuring antigen-bound IgG immune complexes in colostrum and plasma samples from a cohort of 9 mothers with BMI between 18.5-25 or >30 kg/m2.
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Association of AI Derived Biomechanics and Hand Grip Strength
Theophile Nsabimana
Biomechanical analysis offers a way of better understanding the mechanism of a person's movement pattern or functional decline. Usually, motion analysis is costly and requires the purchase of a lot of equipment and software. This makes the technology out of reach of students, educators and researchers in austere settings.
Fortunately, artificial intelligence has brought affordability to motion analysis and created a whole new method of analyzing functional performance. OpenCap is an application which was produced by Stanford University and is hailed as being a future replacement to higher costing systems. Gait analysis provides an indication of a person's walking symmetry and walking rate. All of which are related to lifelong health (Falisse et al, 2025).
Likewise, hand grip strength is closely related to functional capacity or decline. A higher grip strength is associated with lifelong health. Typically, a hand dynamometer is used to measure a person's hand grip strength, these are usually several hundred dollars. Fortunately, a newer lower costing tool was validated to be as accurate as the more expensive type (Vaishya et al 2024)
Thus, the purpose of this study was to use low-cost technology to identify potential associations in older and younger adults.
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STEM Voyager
Alexis Nunez, Jaya McGill, Patrick Canez, Fernando Jaime, Pedro Perez, and Gianluca Porzio
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" This is a question that people are far too familiar with. Many STEM professionals would also say that they are not currently in the career that they initially thought. Somehow there was a moment of inspiration in their life that catalyzed their decision to pursue a STEM degree. This project aims to convert a school bus into a mobile STEM lab that brings hands-on, engaging STEM experiences to middle school students and supports teachers with interactive lessons. The bus will address space and cost challenges by serving as a flexible, traveling educational hub. Key technologies included are 3D Printers, Flight Simulator, Robotic Arm, VR headsets, Drones, and Robot Racing. The team focused on design, material procurement, collaboration with our SAISD sponsor and third-party experts for complex tasks. Ultimately, the project seeks to spark student interest in STEM careers and support their academic growth.
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An exploration of telemedicine application service quality and its relevance with patient satisfaction
Victoria Olguin
Telehealth is the usage of technology to connect people from distinct locations to deliver healthcare services. Though the COVID-19 pandemic did accelerate the usage of telehealth, the practice of telehealth can date back to the civil war in the 1860s, when messages were sent from wounded soldiers back to medics. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the telehealth care model quickly accelerated and is now used and accepted by many worldwide. After the pandemic, patients have continued to use telehealth health services by downloading telehealth mobile applications on their mobile devices that connect them to their healthcare provider. This has raised the question of what telehealth mobile application factors create satisfaction for customers, and how mobile applications can improve.
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CD36 deletion hampers T-bet B cell-differentiation in R848 immunized mice and HFD models
Andrea Paredes, G. Sophia Noriega, Carlo Vanz, Emma Collins, Elizabeth A. Leadbetter, and Benjamin T. Enslow
In states of chronic inflammation, a subset of B cells exquisitely responsive to nucleic acid antigen and expressing the proinflammatory transcription factor T-bet have been found to accumulate1. Depending on the context, these T-bet+ B cells can play both protective and pathogenic roles, from enhancing antiviral defenses to contributing to autoreactive antibody production and exacerbating metabolic disease1,2.
• Recently, our laboratory and others have found that T-bet+ B cells extracted from human or murine tissues exhibit unusually high expression of the class B scavenger receptor and fatty acid translocase CD36.
• As CD36 expression in B cells is generally limited to specific subsets3,4, its presence on these T-bet+ B cells raises questions about its role in promoting pathogenic B cell responses.
• Here, we used flow cytometry to investigate if deletion of CD36 from B cells hindered T-bet B cell formation in R848 and HFD models.
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The names we bear: A historical timeline of labels and identities among mexican americans
Serena Parra
My analysis explores the evolving identity of Mexican Americans shaped by both historical and social experiences. Following these events, I examined how their contributions towards the development of identity, specifically focusing on assimilation and cultural preservation. Through this posing the question on how identity was influenced and maintained during these pivotal eras and whether identity can be defined or found.
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ConLang: Muzibogun
Serena Parra, Renee Alonzo, CJ Spears, and Maurissio Gonzalez
Constructed Languages or “conlangs” have exploded in popularity in recent years through books and television shows such as Dothraki in Game of Thrones and Klingon in the Star Trek series, as well as in films such as Na’vi in Avatar and Heptapod in Arrival. British linguist and writer, J.R.R. Tolkien, who invented the Quenya and Sindarin languages for The Lord of the Rings, called the language creation process glossopoiea. As glossopoieans, we studied the layers of language: Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, and Pragmatics. We are the land of Muzibogun! We speak Muzibogun, and our people are called Muziboguns. In our language, gender is defined by social roles through work and education. Women are educated for complex jobs, such as accounting, medicine, and education. Men are educated for manual labor, such as agriculture, construction.
We have a theocratic society. At age 13, non-binary individuals are educated to become church members and to serve as governing leaders. Muzibogun reflects the influence of grammatical gender on the perception of gender roles within our society, emphasizing how these roles are embedded in linguistic structures.
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Traditional gender roles and intimate partner violence: Exploring relationships between religion, self-control, and alcohol
Carina J. Pawlak
IPV is the physical, psychological, or sexual aggression by a married, unmarried, or live-in partner (Patra et al., 2018).
- Male perpetrators are reported for 92% of the IPV cases compared to females and are more likely to severely injure or kill their partners (Levitt et al., 2008).
- In a traditional community that had lax attitudes toward IPV, there was an 80% increase in the likelihood of perpetration and women’s consent to the violence increased their likelihood of victimization by 11% (Linos et al., 2013).
- To maintain traditional gender roles found within religious communities, some men may use religion such as using reaffirming Bible verses: “Wives submit yourselves unto your husbands, as unto the Lord” (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Ephesians 5:22). - Masculine gender role stress occurs when men are confronted with threats to their masculinity, which may prompt them to act violently when traditional gender roles are breached (Baugher & Gazmararian, 2015; Baumeister et al., 1996).
- Finkel et al. (2009) found that participants had a higher likelihood of committing IPV if they were low in dispositional self-control.
- Alcohol intoxication was found to be positively correlated with IPV perpetration (Grom et al., 2021).
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Playful paws: Are there sex differences in playfulness with freshwater otters?
Julianne Pena
Personality is crucial for understanding the lives of species because it affects how they survive, the way they move, reactions to diseases, and much more (Merrick & Koprowski, 2017; Wolf & Weissing, 2012). The importance of this research is to understand how biological sex may interact with otter personalities through social interactions amongst other otters, the physical world, and humans. Female and male otters vary in the way that they play, with males playing more rough than females (Green, 2000). Play, which is associated with rock juggling, decreases as otters mature (Alliston et al., 2020). Females used object play more than males (Alliston et al., 2020). Social and locomotor play is preferred by otters over object play (Beckel, 1991). Purpose The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of sex and age on the personality trait of playfulness within three contexts: with other otters, the physical world, and humans. Hypotheses Sex can have an affect on the enthusiastic playful interactions with other otters, people, and the physical world There will be a difference in playfulness with otters who are older versus those who are younger.
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Low-Cost dermatoscope with early melanoma detection
Diego Pensado, Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Brianna Valadez
Melanoma arises from melanocytes, the cells that produce the pigment melanin. Melanoma can affect anyone, though some individuals face higher risk.
● While it makes up a smaller fraction of skin cancer cases, it can become life-threatening quickly if not detected early.
● Regular self-examinations and professional checks are essential for timely intervention.
● Excessive sun exposure, lighter skin, family history, and having numerous moles increase susceptibility to melanoma.
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Investing in the future
Sophia Phelan
Research question
Do HBCUs and HSIs liberal arts provide higher returns on investments than Non-Minority Serving liberal arts institutions for students?
Uniqueness of HBCUs and HSIs
Historically Black Universities and Colleges
• Must be founded before 1964
• Provide educational opportunities for Black Americans
• Strong ties to Black culture and history
• Focus on community service and leadership development
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
• At least 25% of the student body is Hispanic or Latino
• Incorporate culturally relevant curriculum and support services
• Committed to making higher education accessible to Hispanic students
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Cult: virtual tourIan
Ian Poll
Introduction: The Blank Shepherd Building is an important place at St. Mary’s University where students research, invent, and work together. But not everyone can visit it. This virtual tour solves that problem by using games and technology to bring the building to life.
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Texas' EV tax: Right or wrong?
Andrew Ponce
This poster was created for the 5th annual Research Showcase. From the poster:
Texas passed SB505 in, May 2023.
Enacted in September 2023.
SB505 → $200 annual fee (bundled with the $50.75 auto registration). Additional $400 fee for initial EV purchase. This would mean the EV owners pay for their two years of ownership upfront.
Critics say SB505 targets EV’s and disincentivizes a greener societal approach.
Does this law unfairly target EV’s and/or does it make owning an EV more expensive than gas-powered?
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Spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of ugi adducts of Isatin
Callah Preti and Erick Y. Morales Orrante
• β-lactams are essential structural components of many antibiotics and widely studied due to their biological importance and synthetic versatility.
• The Ugi reaction is a multicomponent reaction involving: • Aldehyde, primary amine, carboxylic acid, and isocyanide.
• Rapidly generates α-acetamido carboxamide derivatives (Ugi adducts). • The study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of two oxindole-based β-lactam derivatives:
• 1-Benzyl-N-(tert-butyl)-2-oxo-3-(2-oxoazetidin-1-yl)indoline-3- carboxamide (4a).
• N-(tert-Butyl)-2-oxo-3-(2-oxoazetidin-1-yl)indoline-3- carboxamide (4d).
• Characterization methods included IR Spectroscopy, UV-Visible Spectroscopy, and X-Ray Crystallography.
• Future work will investigate metal complexation to enhance β-lactam stability, alter electronic properties, and improve biological activity
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MI Lock Pros
Feras Rabee
Locksmith businesses often rely on inefficient communication and outdated job management methods, leading to delays, missed opportunities, and customer dissatisfaction. Mi Lock Pros was created to solve this problem. It is a mobile app designed to streamline job assignment, technician tracking, and customer communication. The solution includes secure login, job tracking, real-time messaging, GPS based navigation, and technician performance monitoring—all accessible via a simple interface on both Android and iOS. Powered by ASP.NET Core Web API and .NET MAUI, it ensures smooth backend integration with a user-friendly frontend.
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MI Lock Pros
Feras Rabee
Locksmith businesses often rely on inefficient communication and outdated job management methods, leading to delays, missed opportunities, and customer dissatisfaction. Mi Lock Pros was created to solve this problem. It is a mobile app designed to streamline job assignment, technician tracking, and customer communication. The solution includes secure login, job tracking, real-time messaging, GPS based navigation, and technician performance monitoring—all accessible via a simple interface on both Android and iOS. Powered by ASP.NET Core Web API and .NET MAUI, it ensures smooth backend integration with a user-friendly frontend.
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The effect of different incentives on student attendance of campus events
Liam M. Riley
Research has shown that students who attend more events tend to perform better academically (Bergen-Cico & Viscomi, 2013). Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the relationship between incentives and student attendance of events at St. Mary’s University. Events hosted during the 2023-2024 academic year were used as a sample. However, events hosted after February 21 st , 2024, were excluded due to staff turnover in the student life office. It was hypothesized that a food and giveaway item would result in the highest attendance, followed by food only, then prize only events. It was also hypothesized that events that offered a prize would have the most consistent attendance versus events that offered food only or food and a giveaway. Results from a one-way ANOVA showed that events that offered food and a giveaway item had the highest mean attendance, followed by food only, then a prize. Events that offered a prize, while having the lowest mean attendance, also had the smallest range, supporting the hypothesis that prize events would have the most consistent attendance numbers. These findings have implications for event programmers to better plan events for higher attendance with ramifications for students’ improved academics.
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“Analyzing the relationships between substance abuse and mental health disorders in American adolescents, aged 12 to 25, using a quantitative, correlational design”
Jacob M. Rodriguez and Carolyn Tubbs
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “many people with substance use disorders also have another mental illness, and vice versa” (NIDA, 2024a). Because there is a bidirectional relationship between mental disorders and substance abuse, individuals who suffer from mental disorders are susceptible to the development of substance abuse disorders. The percentage of adolescents using substances in 2023 is like the percentage in pre-pandemic 2020, with approximately “10.9% of eighth graders, 19.8% of 10th graders, and 31.2% of 12th graders” reporting drug use in the past year (NIDA, 2024b). Welsh et al. (2017), reported significant relationships between mental health disorders and the use of various substances in some adolescent populations. Like adults, adolescents struggling with mental health disorder disorders are more likely to self-medicate with an illicit substance. This research sought to further explore these relationships in a national sample of adolescents, i.e., individuals between the ages of 12 and 25
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