Digital Commons Network^™

21st-Century Skillset Perceptions Of Students In An Information Technology Career Academy Compared To Those At A Comprehensive School, Edward C. Fletcher Jr., Amber D. Dumford

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

In this study, we compared the perspectives of students’ 21st-Century competencies (critical thinking and communication, applied learning, and intrapersonal and interpersonal skills) based on participating in an urban magnet information technology (IT) career academy compared to a traditional, comprehensive high school. We utilized propensity score matching to match academy and comprehensive high school learners on various demographic variables. The propensity score matching resulted in 299 matched pairs (n = 598). Using the matched groups, we ran linear regression models to investigate the relationship between school participation and students’ perceptions of their 21^st-Century skill attainment. We found that …

A Survey Of Faculty Perceptions Of Community College Career And Technical Education, Thomas Gauthier Dr.

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

Community colleges are the leaders in facilitating career and technical education (CTE), and faculty help develop program offerings on campus. This study explored faculty perceptions of community college CTE programs using the survey research method. Participants included 36 faculty members from various disciplines from 15 state colleges in Florida. Participants were sent a digital survey and asked to use a scale from 0 (do not agree) to 8 (agree) to score their agreement level with 43 statements of opinion. Data revealed that community college faculty perceive CTE as beneficial, but CTE programs must include the habits of mind and support …

Phage Commander, An Application For Rapid Gene Identification In Bacteriophage Genomes Using Multiple Programs, Matt Lazeriff, Geordie Ryder, Sarah L. Harris, Philippos K. Tsourkas

Computer Science Faculty Research

The number of sequenced bacteriophage genomes is growing at an exponential rate. The majority of sequenced bacteriophage genomes are annotated by one or more of several freely available gene identification programs (Glimmer, GeneMark, RAST, Prodigal, etc.). No program has been shown to consistently outperform the others; thus, the choice of which program to use is not obvious. We present the Phage Commander application for rapid identification of bacteriophage genes using multiple gene identification programs. Phage Commander runs a bacteriophage genome sequence through nine gene identification programs (and an additional program for identification of tRNAs) and integrates the results within a …

A Telecollaboration Project On Giving Online Peer Feedback: Implementing A Multilateral Virtual Exchange During A Pandemic, Michael Joseph Ennis, Massimo Verzella, Silvia Montanari, Agnieszka M. Sendur, Marieta S. Pissarro, Staci Kaiser, Andrew Wimhurst

Language Resource Center Faculty Research

Telecollaboration, also called virtual exchange or online intercultural exchange, is a form of collaborative learning whereby language learners in different locations engage in computer-mediated communication to complete tasks online. There is ample evidence that telecollaboration promotes the acquisition of language skills, intercultural competence, and digital literacies. Challenges faced implementing virtual exchanges include differences in time zones, learning objectives, academic calendars, and cultural attitudes. The present article describes a case of a multilateral telecollaboration project based on the facilitated dialogue model involving four institutions-two in Europe and two in the United States-that was designed to prepare students for the experience of …

Interstate 11: The Road To Prosperity In Nevada, Arthur C. Nelson

Policy Briefs and Reports

Interstate 11 (I-11) offers Nevada a unique opportunity to advance the economic development prospects of one of the state’s most economically challenged areas: Elko and eastern Nevada. Although the state used a qualitative system to choose a western route for I-11, this process may not have considered fully the costs of extending I-11 to Canada in a cost-effective manner or in a manner consistent with I-11 purposes, especially avoiding congested areas. This briefing report reviews the history and purposes of I-11; summarizes the I-11 route options; considers how I-11 might extend to Canada in a way that is consistent with …

Community-Level Resources Bolstering Resilience To Hiv/Aids: Perspectives Of Middle-Aged And Older Men Who Have Sex With Men Living With Hiv/Aids, Renato M. Liboro, Tammy C. Yates, Charles Fehr, George Da Silva, Francisco Ibañez-Carrasco, Andrew Eaton, Daniel Pugh, Lori E. Ross, Paul A. Shuper

Psychology Faculty Research

Most prior research on resilience to HIV/AIDS has utilized quantitative tools (e.g., scales and surveys) to examine individual-level assets (e.g., self-efficacy, hope, optimism) that researchers believe represent or approximate resilience to HIV/AIDS with minimal consideration for the perspectives of men who have sex with men (MSM), the population that has remained at greatest risk of, and the most impacted by HIV/AIDS in North America since the 1980s. The aim of this qualitative study is to identify community-level resources that bolster resilience to HIV/AIDS based specifically on the perspectives and lived experiences of middle-aged and older (MAO) MSM living with HIV/AIDS. …

Rare And Low Frequency Genomic Variants Impacting Neuronal Functions Modify The Dup7q11.23 Phenotype, Farah Qaiser, Yue Yin, Carolyn B. Mervis, Colleen A. Morris, Bonita P. Klein-Tasman, Elaine Tam, Lucy R. Osborne, Ryan K.C. Yuen

School of Medicine Faculty Research

© 2021, The Author(s). Background: 7q11.23 duplication (Dup7) is one of the most frequent recurrent copy number variants (CNVs) in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but based on gold-standard assessments, only 19% of Dup7 carriers have ASD, suggesting that additional genetic factors are necessary to manifest the ASD phenotype. To assess the contribution of additional genetic variants to the Dup7 phenotype, we conducted whole-genome sequencing analysis of 20 Dup7 carriers: nine with ASD (Dup7-ASD) and 11 without ASD (Dup7-non-ASD). Results: We identified three rare variants of potential clinical relevance for ASD: a 1q21.1 microdeletion (Dup7-non-ASD) and two deletions which …

Barriers And Facilitators In Rehabilitation In Chronic Diseases And After Surgery: Is It A Matter Of Adherence?, Elijah E. Sanches, Emily Aupers, Nasser Sakran, James Navalta, Tomasz Kostka, Sjaak Pouwels

Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Research

Although it has been generally acknowledged that participating in rehabilitation programs is better for chronic diseases or post-surgery, the adherence rates of these programs remain lower than expected. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), adherence has been defined as follows: "the extent to which a person's behavior corresponds with agreed recommendations from a healthcare provider." In general, rehabilitation is well investigated, and in chronic diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease, neuromuscular disease, cancer, and even psychiatric diseases like depression, it has been shown that exercise therapy, in particular, has beneficial effects on morbidity, mortality, and convalescence …

Accurate Flux Calibration Of Gw170817: Is The X-Ray Counterpart On The Rise?, E. Troja, B. O'Connor, G. Ryan, L. Piro, R. Ricci, B. Zhang, T. Piran, G. Bruni, S. B. Cenko, H. Van Eerten

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

X-ray emission from the gravitational wave transient GW170817 is well described as non-thermal afterglow radiation produced by a structured relativistic jet viewed off-axis. We show that the X-ray counterpart continues to be detected at 3.3 years after the merger. Such long-lasting signal is not a prediction of the earlier jet models characterized by a narrow jet core and a viewing angle ≈20 deg, and is spurring a renewed interest in the origin of the X-ray emission. We present a comprehensive analysis of the X-ray dataset aimed at clarifying existing discrepancies in the literature, and in particular the presence of an …

Assessing Acceptability Of Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Dose Among Adult Americans: A Cross-Sectional Study, Tesfaye Yadete, Kavita Batra, Dale M. Netski, Sabrina Antonio, Michael J. Patros, Johan C. Bester

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Given the emergence of breakthrough infections, new variants, and concerns of waning immunity from the primary COVID-19 vaccines, booster shots emerged as a viable option to shore-up protection against COVID-19. Following the recent authorization of vaccine boosters among vulnerable Americans, this study aims to assess COVID-19 vaccine booster hesitancy and its associated factors in a nationally representative sample. A web-based 48-item psychometric valid survey was used to measure vaccine literacy, vaccine confidence, trust, and general attitudes towards vaccines. Data were analyzed through Chi-square (with a post hoc contingency table analysis) and independent-sample t-/Welch tests. Among 2138 participants, nearly 62% intended …

Teacher Preparation, Motivation, And Self-Efficacy: A Comparative Study Of New Teachers In Japan And The United States, Shaoan Zhang, Andromeda Hightower, Qingmin Shi

Teaching and Learning Faculty Research

Using the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018, this study examines U.S. and Japanese new teachers’ initial teacher preparation (ITP), feelings of preparedness, motivations, and self-efficacy. The analysis of 355 U.S. and 433 Japanese new secondary teachers provided several findings. First, ITP in the U.S. more often included teaching in mixed-ability and multicultural settings, cross-curricular skills, and technology than Japan, and U.S. teachers felt more prepared than Japanese teachers in every category of preparation. Second, Japanese teachers were more likely to declare teaching as their first career choice and reportedly scored significantly higher on motivations to become a teacher …

Substance Use Among College Students During Covid-19 Times: A Negative Coping Mechanism Of Escapism, Manoj Sharma, Kavita Batra

Social and Behavioral Health Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

The Concentration Camp As Site Of Refuge: The Rise Of The Refugee Camp And The Great War In The Middle East, Michelle Tusan

History Faculty Research

The refugee camp today has been naturalized as a product of failed international idealism and political expediency that serves as a timeless reminder of the plight of displaced peoples. This article explores the refugee camp’s origins as a product of a late Victorian imperial and military legacy and the contingencies of World War I. The use of the concentration camp as a tool to provide refuge and control displaced populations began during the war as a humanitarian measure. Part of a larger world of camps that interned civilians, prisoners of war, and refugees during World War I, the refugee camp …

Data Of The Constructivist Practices In The Learning Environment Survey From Engineering Undergraduates: An Exploratory Factor Analysis, Chengcheng Li, Shaoan Zhang, Tiberio Garza, Yingtao Jiang

Teaching and Learning Faculty Research

This paper presents the dataset of a questionnaire on first-year engineering undergraduates’ perceptions of constructivist practices in the learning environment. The questionnaire with a 5-Likert scale was adapted from previous research. The sample consisted of 293 first-year engineering undergraduates in the southwest region of the United States. The online questionnaire was sent to participants who completed it voluntarily at the end of Fall 2019. A total of 274 of 293 participants completed the questionnaire with a response rate of 93.515%. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to test the underlying factor structure of the questionnaire, which serves as a good reference …

Social Media Activism: Did We Say What We Meant To Say? A Thematic Analysis Of Slutwalk Los Angeles Hosted By Amber Rose, Yahindra Maxey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined the convergence of activism and social media to analyze how messages are conveyed using an online platform. Using the official Instagram page of SlutWalk Los Angeles as the object of study, this paper examined what messages were being communicated online and how it reflected the movement. As social activism continues today, this study is relevant because it will provide insight on using visual imagery as a form of protest. Through thematic analysis, several themes emerged which include, inclusion, sexual liberation, re-appropriation, and rape awareness. These themes are explored and detailed, ultimately confirming the complex, polysemic nature of …

How Long-Term, Non-Monogamous Romantic Relationships Maintain Sexual Satisfaction, Anna Kessler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Eroticism is an important element of couple's relationships. Sexual intimacy has the power to bring couples closer together, as higher levels of sexual intimacy results in higher relationship satisfaction, or hinder relationships if either or both partners aren’t sexually satisfied in their relationship. The current study’s purpose is to understand how long-term, non-monogamous relationships have successfully maintained “eroticism” throughout the course of their relationship. In this study, 24 couples who are in a committed, romantic relationship of at least 7 years were interviewed. The interviews were conducted individually over a video call platform, and each was completed withing approximately 60 …

How Covid-19 Has Impacted Romantic Relationship Dynamics, Alexandria Jayci Lake

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to provide an exploration of impacts to romantic relationship dynamics attributed the COVID-19 pandemic. Though many attributes of COVID-19 classify it as a distinct, unique event in its own right, a literature review of past global health events and economic crises provided a foundational reference point from which to compare it to. Twelve participants who were in relationships with another person for at least four years at the time were interviewed, six of which who were parented individuals and six of which who had no children, to discover how COVID-19-related changes developed over the …

The Influences Of Medicaid On Mental Health Practitioners, Matthew Mohan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Medicaid is the largest publicly funded health insurance program which influences the mental health practitioners’ treatment of low income individuals (Altman & Frist, 2015; Rowland et al., 2003). To understand how Medicaid influences mental health practitioners, this study utilizes institutional theory by using the five propositions from Lammers and Barbour (2006) to analyze how Medicaid’s communicative practices influence mental health practitioners who treat those who are in poverty. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 mental healthcare practitioners who accepted Medicaid: two psychologists, five social workers, one psychiatrist, and two psychiatric nurse practitioners. The results demonstrate how mental health practitioners respond …

Racial/Ethnic Disparities In Mental Health Diagnosis Of Maltreated Youth, Shadie Burke

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Racial/ethnic marginalized youth are more likely to receive a misdiagnosis of a mental health disorder than their White peers. Misdiagnosis contributes to existing disparities for racial/ethnic marginalized groups by leading to longer durations of untreated and worsening mental health symptoms. For maltreated youth, receiving a misdiagnosis can lead to a failure to connect with appropriate mental health services, medication regimens, therapeutic foster homes, and academic and developmental resources. To date, very few empirical studies have identified disparities in mental health diagnosis among racial/ethnic marginalized maltreated youth. The present study examined two key research questions: (1) what racial/ethnic disparities in diagnoses …

From Language Comprehension Towards General Ai, Binay Dahal

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Language comprehension or more formally, natural language understanding is one of the major undertakings in Artificial Intelligence. In this work, we explore a few of the problems in language understanding using fixed deep learning models. Specifically, first, we look into question generation. Asking questions relates to the cognitive ability of language comprehension and context understanding. For that reason, making progress in question generation is significant. We introduce a novel task called “question generation with masked target answer” and propose various models and present the baseline result for the task. Next, we extend on the question generation task and develop a …

Monitored Compression Therapy: Using Smart Technology To Optimize The Treatment Of Lower Extremity Swelling, James Skelly

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) and Venous Stasis Ulcers (VSUs) are symptoms which stem from diabetes – a disease effecting over 34 million people in the United States alone as of 2020. This Thesis details the design of a pressure-sensing garment used to enhance the treatment of CVI. The garment uses small force sensors (four levels: the insole of the foot, the lower leg, the lower calf, and the upper calf) to sense the pressure applied by a compression stocking. The sensed data is transmitted wirelessly via Bluetooth to a smartphone application that was developed to display the data and interface …

The Concept Album As Postmodern Literature: A Critical Examination Of Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral, Kelly E. Stith

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

With the humanities becoming progressively more open to interdisciplinary studies, there exists a space for music to be part of the discourse surrounding literature. One of the most important developments for music was the rise of the concept album, a medium where the individual tracks are defined by a larger theme or a unifying narrative. The concept album first emerged in the 1960s and became a method for musicians to experiment with expanded storylines and lyrical motifs that overthrew classical models of music albums. One of the most

influential concept albums, Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral, which came out …

Exploring The Latent Space Of Image Captioning Networks, Mikian J. Musser

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

State-of-the-art image captioning models can successfully produce a diverse set of accurate captions. Previous research has focused on improving caption diversity while maintaining a high level of fidelity. We shift the focus from accuracy and diversity to controllability. We use a modified version of the traditional encoder-decoder network that allows the model to produce a meaningful and structured latent space. We then explore the latent space using several latent cartographic methods: lerp, slerp, analogy completion, attribute vector rotation, and interpolation graphs. Additionally, we discuss different categories of latent space and provide modifications for each of the cartographic methods. Finally, we …

Ab-Initio And Empirical Simulations Of Aluminum And Copper Metal, William Wolfs

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this work, I perform detailed calculations on the bulk and electronic properties of aluminum and copper metal. Originally, I was motivated by experimental work on the solidsolid phase changes in pure aluminum. These phase changes were well predicted by density functional theory(DFT) but difficult or impossible to predict using embedded atom method potentials(EAM). EAM potentials are in wide use to describe many properties of bulk materials, and it seemed worrying that something so basic as a phase change could not be predicted. I began running high precision calculations with DFT and compared the results to EAM potentials which had …

Multiple Approaches To Auditory Rhythm: Development Of Sustained Musical Beat And The Relation To Language, Development Of Rhythmic Categories Via Iterated Production, And A Meta-Analytic Study Of Neural Entrainment To Beat, Karli Marie Nave

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Rhythm is ubiquitous to human communication, coordination, and experience of music. In this dissertation, I address three empirical questions through three different methodologies, all of which contribute to the growing body of literature on human auditory rhythm processing. In Chapter 2, I present a registered report detailing the results of independent conceptual replications of Nozaradan, Peretz, Missal, & Mouraux (2011), all using the same vetted protocol. Listeners performed the same tasks as in Nozaradan et al. (2011), with the addition of behavioral measures of perception. In neuroscience, neural correlates to musical beat perception have been identified, yet little to no …

Machine Learning Analysis Of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (Snp) Data To Predict Bone Mineral Density In African American Women, Erick Githua Wakayu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease in which an individual’s bones weaken, making bones fragile and more susceptible to fracture. While commonly found amongst postmenopausal Caucasian and Asian women based on previous studies, those of African descent (African American/Black) have largely been ignored when it comes to osteoporotic studies, especially when it comes to Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS). From GWA studies, we gain access to single nucleotide poly-morphisms (SNPs) that may contribute to certain illnesses, such as osteoporosis. With low Bone Mineral Density (BMD) being one of the primary markers of potential osteoporosis, it is prudent that proper research is …

Hybridity, Ecocriticism, And Feminist Perspectives In She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power, Sarah Warso

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Children’s cartoons are growing increasingly nuanced in the twenty-first century. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) is an animated television series targeted towards young girls that includes themes of ecocriticism and feminism. The show does this by introducing cyborg, or hybrid, characters. My research explores how cyborg identities in children’s media and their feminist, ecocritical meanings in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. The cyborg, as a feminist mythic hero, breaks down binaries and recodes communication between opposing forces. The She-Ra is filled with characters that inhabit multiple identities. The main character, Adora, identifies as both a former Evil …

Preparation To Performance: A Conductor’S Journey To The Podium, Geoffrey B. Neuman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The journey to the podium for a successful music educator that conducts performing ensembles requires a strong methodology steeped in score study, rehearsal planning, repertoire selection, musicianship skills, performance skills, and administrative duties. At the beginning of a career, educators often find themselves lacking the high level skills necessary to become a successful educator on the podium. This is often due to the many non-conducting requirements needed to complete the degree. Once a position is secured and professional life begins, these skills are often not fully developed. This then results in the music educator lacking the qualities needed to prepare …

Designs And Outcomes Of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Tms) And Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Rtms) Circuits, Daniel Senda

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis reports the design and outcomes of several circuits intended for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) research. In simple terms, TMS circuits are composed of four main blocks: high voltage power source, energy storage bank, control switch, and coil. Each one of these blocks has characteristics that influence how well the circuit will perform for TMS procedures. A successful TMS research circuit must have the ability to emit controlled electromagnetic pulses through a coil connected to it. For the first block, voltages ranging from 50 V to 2 kV were used. In the second …

Feasibility And Efficacy Of Virtual Darkness In Reducing Intra-Individual Sleep Variability Among Young Adults With Insomnia, Samantha Nicole Sherwood

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

BackgroundInsomnia impacts 30% of people and is associated with increased risk for medical and psychiatric illness. However, pharmacological treatments for sleep yield mixed results and often result in undesirable side effects indicating a need for novel insomnia interventions. Sleep patterns also demonstrate high intra-individual variability which may be associated with greater daytime impairment, and sleep-wake cycles are strongly affected by the timing of exposure to blue-green wavelength light. Virtual darkness, a novel intervention, blocks blue wavelength light from reaching the eye to simulate actual darkness on retinal cells sensitive to light. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to …