Office of Undergraduate Research

Heather Berry

Assessing for Deep Vein Thrombosis During Pregnancy: What is Clinical Practice if not Homan's Sign

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep, most commonly in the lower leg or thigh. DVT is a condition that has a high probability of leading to pulmonary emboli, which can result in sudden death. Assessment of “Homans’ sign”-- pain
associated with dorsiflexion of the ankle—has been used in clinical evaluation for DVT in women after childbirth for over 50 years. Recent studies, however, have questioned the use of Homans’ sign as generally unreliable. The purpose of this study is to determine to what extent Homans’ sign is used as an assessment tool for DVT in a national sample of obstetrical units.

Sam Coffman

Paleoindian Occupations at Pluvial Lake Tonopah & Mud Lake, Southcentral Nevada.

The origins and ages of stone-tool technologies used by early humans in the Great Basin are poorly known. Supposedly earliest are "{luted" points, but their relationship to other fluted projectile points from the rest ofthe continent is uncertain. They may be the same age or perhaps younger. The best way to determine their affinities is by morphometric analysisthe study of size and shape similarities. In addition to morphometric studies, determining the source areas of stone used to produce the points will better ascertain early human mobility and range size in the Great Basin's Late Pleistocene.

Laura Garchar

Origin and Characterization of Geothermal Waters at Desert Queen, Nevada

The proposed undergraduate research project aims to compare the Desert Queen geothermal system, in the Hot Springs Mountains of Nevada, to the nearby system at Desert Peak in order to see if Desert Queen is an extension of the Desert Peak system or, alternately, if the Desert Queen system has a different origin. This will be done through comparative chemical analysis of water samples at Desert Queen and Desert Peak. By looking at the amounts of trace elements, stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes, and using chemical geothermometers to infer temperature, the nature of the reservoir at depth of Desert Queen can be visualized. Additionally, the degree of any mixing of waters between the source at depth and the surface can also be inferred. Since the geothermal systems at Desert Peak and nearby Brady Hot Springs are both currently being used as sources of geothermal energy, one goal of the proposed project is to determine whether Desert Queen also has the potential to be utilized as a source of geothermal
energy.

Gretchen Hill

Major Expressions of Basque Identities in the Great Basin Region

In the late 19th century, Basque populations migrated over from the Old World to the New in search of opportunities in the sheep herding industry. The Basque country population is made up of several provinces in northwestern Spain and parts of southwestern France. While the majority of the migrated Basque population began in the U.S. as sheepherders, some extended their stay, and people of Basque extraction became part of communities in the Great Basin. This study will explore identities that the Basque population brought to the Great Basin and that are still represented in the eastern Sierra Nevada and the intermountain west.

Tamara Johnston

Discerning Newe Sogobia

In 1863, the Western Shoshone signed a Treaty of Peace and Friendship, the Treaty of Ruby Valley, with the US Government. The Treaty defined the Western Shoshone's land (Newe Sogobia), as it gave the government certain land-use rights. Currently, the US claims the Western Shoshone lost their land long ago through "gradual encroachment," but the Western Shoshone assert that they neither ceded their land nor lost it legally. This study will examine the legal documents to discern whether Newe Sogobia remains today and will use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to identify and map the many definitions of the nation's boundaries.

Raymond Lee

Orchestra Collaboration Software

The proposed Orchestra Collaboration Software is a performance tool to be used in an orchestra setting to enable better collaboration between the conductor, section leaders, and musicians. The goal of the software is to display music sheets for each musician on a Tablet PC during rehearsals and performances. Along with the music sheet, orchestra leaders will be able to make annotations to the music sheet for specific sections. Currently, all available music composition software tools do not manage the performance side of orchestra music. Researching and implementing a Tablet PC-based solution that reads the MusicXML format will fill this gap.

Kevin Marino

Investigating the Effects of Extreme Maximum Temperatures on Aviation in Nevada

Extreme heat and prolonged heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense in the western US. This research will examine the impact of extreme air temperature on aviation in the state of Nevada. As air temperature rises, air density declines and this changes the performance characteristics of aircraft. In some cases aircraft are grounded by air temperatures too hot to allow for lift-off. This study will collect field data and produce a model of air density and no-fly days for a number of extreme temperature scenarios in Nevada.

Maria Marshall

The Effects of Petroleum Hydrocarbons on the Release of Phosphorus from

This research proposes to investigate the relationship between petroleum hydrocarbons released from internal combustion engines, phosphorus present in engine oil and in sediments, and, ultimately, the declining clarity of Lake Tahoe. An unrecognized source of phosphorus into Lake Tahoe is from the motor oil in four cycle engines, which is present at a concentration of 0.1% by weight in motor oil. Vehicle emissions around the Lake, as well as water craft engines, release phosphorus and hydrocarbons, which ultimately become associated with sediments. The hypothesis of this project is that petroleum hydrocarbons associated with sediments cause chemical reducing conditions and release phosphorus into Lake Tahoe, which is the limiting nutrient in Lake Tahoe for algal growth. Increasing algal growth is the primary cause for the decline in water clarity. With the new awareness, the Lake Tahoe community
would be able to better sustain the health of the lake, prolonging tourism and increasing their economic gain.

Rebekah McKenna

Association of MCR1 and C-kit polymorphisms with susceptibility to Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma in Sinclair pigs.

Polymorphism at MCR1 and C-kit genes will be investigated in Sinclair swine. Number and frequency of alleles present in Sinclair swine will be estimated. A large boar family will be genotyped and polymorphisms will be tested for association to susceptibility to malignant melanoma within the boar family if the boar is heterozygous. In addition, linkage disequilibrium of alleles at these loci with
susceptibility to malignant melanoma will be tested using the allele information provided by the dam to the piglets.

Julie Petereit

Application of approximate iterative method to Riccati equations

We intend to apply the approximate iterative (AI) method of V.K. Dzyadyk to scalar and matrix Riccati equations in order to obtain a solution in the form of polynomials. Using such polynomials we can obtain highly accurate approximate solutions.

Simon Pugh

Development of a Nutrient Intake Model for Implementation in Grazing Efficiency

The main goal of the present proposal is to investigate the relationship of heart rate with nutrient resource allocation in sheep and its application in the development of a practical grazing efficiency model under range conditions. The supporting objectives of the study are to 1) to establish the relationship between nutrient intake and nutrient utilization for maintenance, growth, and pregnancy, 2) to establish the relationship of heart rate with nutrient resource allocation, and 3) to develop a practical model for the calculation of grazing efficiency that can be used in range sheep production systems. Improved grazing efficiency will optimize resource
utilization, improve profitability of ranch operations, strengthen agricultural competitiveness of rangeland enterprises, and animal well-being.

Kimberly Schulte

Analysis of Strut-and-Tie Model Design Specifications for High Strength Concrete

The intention of this research is to determine whether concrete strength impacts the design values for the strut-and-tie model (STM). The STM is a simplified model within the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Load Resistance Factor Design (AASHTO LRFD) Bridge Design Specifications. The model has been introduced into the specification but designers did not have to use it. It will now be required and needs verification and clarification. Loading tests will be performed on three deep beams with varying concrete strengths. This experimental program will show whether the AASHTO LRFD equation for limiting strut compressive strength is conservative.

Stacy Shamblin

Religion and Parole Board Decision-Making

Parole board members make decisions whether or not to release inmates on parole. This experiment will examine the effects that an inmate’s religious conversion or lifestyle change may have on the parole board’s decision. Previous studies lead us to hypothesize that conversions to Christianity will be viewed more favorably than conversions to Islam. This is likely because many people have stereotypes of Muslims as being dangerous. Also, a conversion to Christianity will make the prisoner a member of the parole board member’s ingroup (assuming most are Christians), while an Islamic conversion will make the prisoner an outgroup member.

York Smith

Anthony Taylor

Spatial Analysis and Behavioral Use at 1st and 2nd century San Felice, Italy

The goal of my research is to determine the function of several buildings from the 1st to 2nd century Roman site of San Felice in southern Italy, a rural production site (villa) possibly owned and operated by the imperial family. By studying material remains including small finds (i.e. metal objects, bone, wood, glass, etc) and ceramics found at and near the site I will be able to construct a building layout scheme and describe likely activities occurring in various rooms of said buildings. This data can then be compared to
the work of other researchers concerning the use patterns and layouts of other Roman settlements in southern and central Italy. This research will help clarify the functional division of space within rural sites in Roman Italy of the first and second centuries AD by
linking stratigraphic, architectural, and artifactual data, something that is rarely done on similar Roman sites.

John Underwood

Touchscreen Technology Changing the Kitchen

Abstract: As the common household transcends the technology gap, life becomes easier for the traditional family or couple to take care of everyday tasks. As a result, one of the largest concerns for a family or couple relaxing involves deciding what to eat. To assist this, the suggested technology is a touch screen in the kitchen that holds information for recipes, inventory of food, searches for recipes involving specific ingredients, and even a step-by-step mode to walk the inexperienced cook through preparing a meal. Evaluating the results of the proposed research means basically observing family lifestyles involving food preparation and comparing this to how technology has changed the traditional household.

University of Nevada, Reno
Maintained by: Karin Saxon