Digital Commons Network^™

Influence Of Weekend Social Jetlag On Glucose Tolerance Testing, Ariana Khzarjyan, Srushti Wagh, Graham Mcginnis

Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences Student Research

Background: Circadian rhythms regulate physiological and metabolic functions across a 24-hour cycle. However, modern lifestyles often disrupt these rhythms. A common example is weekend schedule shifts, when people sleep and wake later than on weekdays, a phenomenon referred to as social jetlag (SJL).

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to; 1) determine whether chronic SJL leads to impaired glucose tolerance, and 2) determine if acute changes in glucose tolerance occur following a weekend of social jetlag (SJL).

Methods: Fifteen male C57BL/6 mice on a normal chow diet were used in this study. To model social jetlag (SJL), mice were …

Violent And Property Crime In The Mountain West, 2024-2025, Sydney Mitchell, Kian Parikh, Kristian Thymianos, Olivia K. Cheche, William E. Brown Jr.

Criminal Justice

This fact sheet presents 2024-2025 violent and property crime data for the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Crime data are sourced from the Real-Time Crime Index (RTCI) created by AH Datalytics. The RTCI table, “Reported UCR Part One Crimes Year to Date” compares violent and property crime rates during the time frames of January-October 2024 and January-October 2025 for states across the U.S. This fact sheet highlights the violent and property crime rates in each Mountain West state and considers how these data have changed between January-October 2024 and January-October 2025.

The State Of Mental Health In The Mountain West, 2025, Cason Noll, Anirudh Polagani, Taylor Volk, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet presents data on the mental health of youth and adults, as well as the availability of mental health care, across the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah in 2025. The data are derived from "The State of Mental Health in America 2025,” originally published by Mental Health America (MHA).

Child Care Costs In The Mountain West, 2025, Cason Noll, Isabelle G. Graham, Mohit Pande, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet reports child care affordability and cost data for the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) report, “Child care costs in the United States,” highlights data on the differences in child care affordability across the United States. This fact sheet presents data on the percentage of annual income required to afford infant care for a minimum-wage worker, a typical child care worker, and a median family with children based on state-level income data for each Mountain West state. This fact sheet also reports annual costs, including college, …

The Rise Of The Global Middle Class, Homi Kharas

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

As part of the Brookings Scholar Lecture Series, Brookings Mountain West presented a lecture titled, "The Rise of the Global Middle Class" by Brookings senior fellow in global economy and development, Homi Kharas.

For the last two hundred years, ever since the start of the Industrial Revolution, the most successful economies in the world have developed large, stable middle classes. With globalization, the expansion of the middle class has accelerated to a historically unprecedented speed. But global consumerism is scaling faster than the adaptation of institutions, ecosystems, and social norms. Brookings senior fellow Homi Kharas discusses his most recent book, …

Phytic Acid (Insp6) Activates Hdac3 Epigenetic Axis To Maintain Intestinal Barrier Function, Sujan Chatterjee, Zachery Sin, Nguyen Tran, Loretta Vierra, Anuj Shukla, Tam Tran, George Koshkaryan, Kevin Ritter, Xue Bessie Sue, Saharat Jolak Ragsac, Seungman Park, Qian Liu, Richard Van, Katherine Huang, Kayci Huff-Hardy, Richard Rood, Anas Gremida, Martin Gregory, Chien-Huan Chen, Mira V. Han, Parakkal Deepak, Adikfi Saiardi, Henning J. Jensen, Prasun Guha

Life Sciences Faculty Research

HDAC inhibition shows promise in cancer treatment but pan-HDAC inhibitors cause gastrointestinal issues in 48% of patients. Understanding HDAC activation mechanisms is crucial to treating diverse diseases beyond cancer. Our study reveals that inositol polyphosphate multikinase (IPMK) and inositol hexakisphosphate (InsP6 or phytic acid), enriched in vegan diets, play essential roles in activating the HDAC3 epigenetic axis and maintaining intestinal barrier integrity. IPMK binds to HDAC3 and drives InsP6 synthesis, which selectively activates HDAC3 at a 10 nM concentration by recruiting the DAD domain of its corepressor protein. IPMK deletion diminishes HDAC3 activation, leading to histone hyperacetylation and MMP gene …

The Wear-Bot Checklist: A Risk Of Bias Tool For Evaluating Validity And Reliability Research In Wearable Technology, Bryson Carrier, Jennifer A. Bunn, Chris Eschbach, Joel D. Reece, Gregory J. Welk, Brett A. Dolezal, James W. Navalta

Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Research

This paper proposes an innovative tool designed to standardize the evaluation of validity and reliability studies in the rapidly evolving field of wearable technology. We introduce the WEArable Technology Risk of Bias and Objectivity Tool (WEAR-BOT), a tool that addresses the need for a comprehensive and systematic way to assess bias in studies examining consumer-grade and research-grade wearable devices. This is the first tool designed to evaluate the risk of bias in validation and reliability studies. Other risk of bias tools like the Cochrane ROB, COSMIN, or the many other risk of bias tools are designed for different study methodologies …

Abortions In The Mountain West, 2022-2025, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet presents data on the number of abortions provided annually in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah between July 2022 and June 2025. The data are retrieved from the Society of Family Planning’s #WeCount report,  which includes data on abortion volume across all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. This fact sheet focuses on the administration of both in-person and telehealth abortions in the Mountain West.

Computational Tools For Tandem Repeat Detection Using Long-Read Sequencing, Qian Liu, Jincheng Li

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Tandem repeats (TRs) play essential roles in a variety of biological functions, and their abnormal expansions are significantly implicated in phenotypic variation and cause >60 human diseases. However, long TR regions cannot be reliably detected using short-read sequencing, and long-read sequencing enables accurate genome-wide detection of TRs. In recent years, various computational tools have been developed to detect and genotype TRs from long-read data. In this survey, we systematically categorize and review 39 computational tools designed for TR detection, visualization and functional interpretation. We discuss their strengths and limitations for TR detection from long-read sequencing data, highlighting current challenges and …

Comparison Of Surgical Treatment Patterns And Temporal Trends For Stage I-Iii Invasive Rectal Adenocarcinoma Among Regions In The United States, Whitney Elks, Declan Feery, Celina Cosme, Kavita Batra, Lance Horner, Charles St Hill, Ovunc Bardakcioglu

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Background: Practice patterns of surgical management of rectal adenocarcinoma vary among US regions. Nationwide, there has been an overall trend toward the performance of anterior resection (AR) over abdominoperineal resection (APR) in the surgical management of invasive rectal adenocarcinoma when feasible. It is suspected that this trend is adopted at a slower rate in underserved regions of the United States. Methods: Data from the NCDB for 2004–2019 was queried for patients with stage I-III rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent anterior resection (AR) or abdominoperineal resection (APR). Comparisons of AR versus APR were made among year, region, approach, and stage. Results: Of …

The Risc-V Fpga (Rvfpga) Teaching Package, Daniel Chaver, Sarah Harris, Luis Pinuel, Olof Kindgren, Zubair Kakakhel, Chris Owen, Jose I. Gomez-Perez, Fernando Castro, Katzalin Olcoz, Julio Villalba-Moreno, Alexander Grinshpun, Freddy Gabbay, Luke Seed, Rui Duarte, Manuel Lopez, Oscar Alonso, Robert Owen

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

RISC-V is a free and open-standard ISA based on RISC principles, allowing anyone to design, manufacture, and sell RISC-V chips and software. Its flexibility and growing ecosystem have made it popular in research, education, and industry, increasing the need for educational materials. This paper provides an in-depth description of the RVfpga course, which offers a solid introduction to computer architecture using the RISC-V instruction set and FPGA technology. It focuses on providing hands-on experience with real-world RISC-V cores, the VeeR EH1 and EL2 cores, developed by Western Digital and hosted by ChipsAlliance. The course targets students and educators in computing-related …

Public Education Rankings In The Mountain West, 2025, Anthony Arroyo, Yiselle Olivas Ruiz, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

K-12 Education

This fact sheet reports 2025 public education rankings for the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The Consumer Affairs report, “Best States for Public Education 2025,” ranks all 50 U.S. states across four categories: K-12 performance, school funding and resources, higher education quality, and school safety. This fact sheet also highlights the change in each Mountain West state’s overall ranking between 2024 and 2025.

Betting On The Future By Re-Discovering The Past: History Of Hospital Infrastructure In Early Las Vegas And Southern Nevada, Aidy Weeks

Library Faculty Research

In the summer of 2025, the library director began reviewing resources available from the University Libraries Special Collections Portal to learn about early hospital infrastructure in Las Vegas and Southern Nevada. Using the keyword “hospital”, they reviewed 1,000 records to locate primary resources that could help tell the story of Las Vegas’s first hospital and Southern Nevada early history. In total, they located photos, oral histories, city documents, and newspaper articles, to help put together a timeline of which hospitals, current events, and key figures were critical in establishing a medical presence in Las Vegas and Southern Nevada. Information was …

Paywall Payout: A Three Year Review Of The Soml Open Article Fund, Aidy Weeks

Library Faculty Research

In 2022, the School of Medicine Library launched the Open Article Fund as a way to support faculty, residents, and fellows with their scholarly activities when submitting open access publications that would otherwise be ineligible for funding through the University Libraries fund which limited recipients to tenure-track faculty. After feedback from the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine Office of Research, The pilot fund was structured after the University Libraries funds with some modifications including awarding $2,000 instead of $1500 towards a publication, allowing for publications in hybrid journals, and requiring multi-author team submissions. The fund was initially supported by $30,000 …

Examining The Impact Of Racial Microaggressions And Psychological Distress In Latine Individuals: A Focus On Ptsd, Anxiety, Depression, And Stress, Melanie Garcia, Yajairy Cabrales, Miguel A. Castano, Richard Chang, Gloria Wong-Padoongpatt

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

Latine individuals in the United States face distinct mental health challenges due to unique stressors, including systemic racism and discrimination. While research has established that racial microaggressions—such as daily slights, insults, and invalidations—negatively impact the psychological well-being of people of color, there remains limited scholarship specifically focused on Latine communities. This study examines different types of racial microaggressions—such as invisibility, criminality, and sexualization—as predictors of psychological distress among Latine individuals. A sample of 434 Latine participants completed measures assessing their experiences with racial microaggressions, as well as symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and trauma. Four multiple linear regression models were …

Caregiver Training: Improving Social Determinants Of Health, Patient Safety, Empowerment Through Improving Elder Care Education And Skills, Kathleen Thimsen

Nursing Faculty Research

Caregiver training (CaGi TRaining) is a time-tested intervention aimed at improving safety in elders living and aging in place in the community. While elder abuse and maltreatment was the intial purpose of the project, with over 3500 Caregivers graduated from this program since 2009, the course has addresses social determinants of health, and improved workforce pipelines by providing stable employment, improved self-efficacy, and confidence demonstrated by self-reports at graduation and in follow up surveys. Previously learners without a high school diploma retruned to school to obtain a GED (40%), with an additional return to school for bacalaureate and degrees (27%) …

The Evolving Roles Of U.S. Academic Librarians: A Snapshot Of Job Responsibilities In 2023, Russell Michalak, Laura Rose Taylor, Michelle Reed, Amanda Koziura, Devon Ellixson

Library Faculty Research

This study examines the evolving roles of academic librarians across North America. Adapting a survey tool published in a prior Canadian study, it surveys over 350 librarians in the United States, analyzing shifts in Research Support, Teaching and Learning, Digital Scholarship, User Experience, and Scholarly Communication. Results indicate significant engagement in information discovery and digital scholarship with a growing need for training in digital tools and data management. The resulting report highlights the crucial role of academic librarians in adapting to technological and educational changes, underscoring the necessity for ongoing professional development.

Shallow Groundwater Extraction Strategies In The Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, Teryl Stacey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Las Vegas Valley faces severe water scarcity due to Nevada’s limited Colorado River allocation and an arid climate. Population growth and prolonged drought have intensified these constraints, necessitating alternative resource strategies. This project evaluated a strategy to make use of brackish, shallow groundwater (from the top 30 feet below ground surface) located in the central and east-central parts of the valley. Its objective was to extract lower quality shallow groundwater for use as an alternative to fresh water currently being used for some applications that require little to no treatment. Dust suppression is among the most promising of such …

Beyond Additive Risk: Longitudinal Associations Between Discrimination And Positive Affect Development Among Adolescents With Single And Multiple Marginalized Identities, Vanni Jefferson V. Arcaina

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Adolescents with marginalized identities often face chronic exposure to discrimination, a social stressor linked to a range of negative mental health outcomes. While much of the existing literature focuses on internalizing symptoms, fewer studies have explored how discrimination may disrupt the development of positive affect (POA), which is a core dimension of emotional well-being linked to resilience, identity formation, and long-term health. The present study examined how overall, race/ethnicity-based, and sexual minority (SM)-based discrimination affects longitudinal patterns of POA among adolescents with single or multiple marginalized identities. Drawing on four waves of data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, …

Mapping Climatic And Environmental Determinants Of Parasitic Helminth Prevalence In Southeast Asia, Angelica Avisado

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Climate change is reshaping environmental conditions across Southeast Asia (SEA) through rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and increased droughts. These changes alter transmission dynamics of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by shifting spatial distribution, increasing larval development rates, faster pathogen growth development, and increasing transmission rates. NTDs are a group of preventable and treatable infections that disproportionately affect more than 1 billion people globally, specifically in tropical and subtropical regions. A subgroup of NTDs, parasitic helminth infections (PHIs) - particularly schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths, and lymphatic filariasis remains a public health concern in the Southeast Asian region. PHIs and their ecological responses …

Unseen, Unbroken: Black Women In Educational Leadership Overcoming Inequities, Microaggressions, And Invisibility, Inspiring Perseverance And Resilience In Future Black Women Leaders, Angella Baldwin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study explored the challenges that Black women face when pursuing leadership roles in K–12 education, specifically in middle schools. Despite being prepared and eager to lead, Black women are often overlooked and made to feel invisible. Still, we persevere, navigating barriers with determination, faith, and purpose, and continue to support those who follow. Guided by Black Feminist Thought, Endarkened Feminism, and Structural Intersectionality, this study centers Black women’s lived experiences as valid sources of knowledge. It highlights how leadership is shaped by overlapping systems of oppression and resistance, and how it is sustained by prayer, faith in God, and …

Automated Spectrum Analysis And Radionuclide Identification For Robot-Based Gamma Probes, Kennedy Ochieng Mengoh Alila

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Gamma spectroscopy is a technique used for the detection and identification of nuclear materials. Gamma-ray emission by radio nuclides is detected using scintillation detectors or semiconductor detectors such as NaI and CZT. Robot-based gamma probes enable radiation measurements in large areas and hard-to-reach cluttered hazardous environments, which significantly reduces radiation risks to personnel. The robotic probes require automated on-board gamma spectrum analysis and capabilities with platforms (unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned ground vehicle systems) which use Robot Operating System (ROS). The aim of this thesis was to develop a method of an automated spectral analysis and isotope identification for robot-based …

Comparative Study Of Vocal Pedagogy Systems In South Korea And The United States: Developmental Strategies For Classical Voice Education In South Korea, Dongmin Byeon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation presents a comparative study of vocal pedagogy systems in South Korea and the United States, with the aim of identifying deficiencies in Korean higher education and proposing strategies for reform. While South Korean university voice programs are deeply rooted in the traditional master–apprentice model and rely heavily on anecdotal teaching methods, U.S. institutions have developed structured, evidence-based pedagogical frameworks informed by anatomy, physiology, acoustics, and voice science. This research explores the historical evolution of vocal pedagogy in both countries, highlighting how traditional practices in Korea, though culturally significant, have not sufficiently adapted to contemporary scientific standards.

Employing qualitative …

The Maroons: The First Black Nationalists Of The Americas, Marquise K. Camp

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Maroon communities are seldom discussed in academic discussions about Black nationalism. This suggests that the goals and achievements of the Maroons differed from those of Black nationalists, and that there are no significant historical links between the two. This project argues that Black nationalists and the Maroons are closely related, not only because of their shared roots in the African diaspora but also because they both sought independence and self-governance for Black people. The aims of Black nationalists like Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X closely resemble those of the Maroons. By examining the Maroons alongside Black nationalism, one can gain …

Acute And Chronic Effects Of Neuroinflammation On Hippocampus And Anterior Cingulate Cortex Network Dynamics, Lauren A. Crew

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Neuroinflammation has emerged as a critical modulator of cognitive function and neural circuit dynamics, yet the distinct contributions of acute and chronic neuroinflammation to brain function remain poorly defined. This dissertation examines how inflammation independently alters large-scale neural activity and behavior, focusing on interactions between the hippocampus (HPC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), regions essential for memory and executive processes. Using in vivo electrophysiological techniques in a rodent model, this study compares the effects of short-term (acute) and prolonged (chronic) neuroinflammatory states, induced via Poly I:C, on neural oscillations, regional coherence, and spatial coding. Findings reveal that even transient inflammation …

Creando Conexiones Verdaderas?: Examining Latinx Families’ Lived Experiences With Family-School Partnerships, Jacqueline M. Eddy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Family-school partnerships are essential for a child’s academic and social-emotional well-being in schools. These partnerships thrive when families and school personnel cultivate trusting, communicative, and cooperative relationships. However, families from minoritized communities, such as those from Latinx backgrounds, may encounter challenges that prevent them from forming strong, meaningful relationships with teachers and administrators. This qualitative dissertation study was grounded in a social constructivist paradigm and a phenomenological tradition. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of Latinx families as they navigate relational aspects of family-school partnerships in their children’s schools. Using semi-structured interviews, four participants were …

Functional And Microbial Consequences Of Experimental Evolution Under Starvation In Drosophila Melanogaster, Kristal Marie Aguilar-Conger

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Previous studies in the Gibbs lab have shown that starvation resistant Drosophila melanogaster flies have increased lipid content, lower metabolic rates, and poor physiological health. Historically, many evolutionary studies end at the phenotypic level, leaving the genomic basis largely unresolved. Using Evolve and Resequence (E&R) study, we can map genome-wide allele-frequency trajectories under selection, linking phenotypic shifts to their genomic underpinnings. This study utilized the E&R approach to identify enriched biological processes and pathways underlying starvation adaptation in Drosophila melanogaster. Five replicate restart populations (RS A–E) selected for starvation resistance, along with a control (RC), were resequenced at Generations 1, …

Examining The Complementary Nature Of Working Memory And Dual Coding Theory, Elizabeth Hofschulte Collins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The working memory system is responsible for maintaining, manipulating, and transferring information into long-term memory, yet it operates under strict capacity limitations. Dual coding theory proposes that information can be encoded both verbally and visually, allowing learners to distribute cognitive load across complementary representational systems. Leveraging dual coding may therefore enhance recall, particularly for noun-based stimuli, though there is little to no research exploring this possibility. In the present study, 529 adults completed a forward digit span task and pre-test and post-test free recall tasks involving concrete, abstract, and mixed nouns. Participants were assigned to one of four instruction groups …

Applying Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (Inaa) To Characterize Trace Elements In Water Samples Around Lake Mead, Danesha Hunter

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States is located on the boarder of Nevada and Arizona. Despite reaching historically low water levels, it continues to supply water and energy to millions of Americans in the southwest. It is well known that the United States suffers from negative implications from nationwide drought. The ongoing megadrought affecting the Colorado River Basin and its tributaries undergoes the urgent need to assess the future water quality of Lake Mead as it continues to shrink. With water levels depleting at an alarming rate, water quality is significantly impacted, indicating that heavy metal accumulation …

Post-Probationary Principals’ Perceptions Of Professional Development, Matthew Jackson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This qualitative phenomenological study explored post-probationary principals’ perceptions of professional development, examining the relevance, adequacy, and impact of support provided after 4 years of their leadership. Although research and policy have emphasized the development of new principals, professional learning opportunities for those beyond probationary status remain inconsistent, generic, and misaligned with individual and contextual needs. Guided by adult learning theory, this study sought to understand how post-probationary principals evaluate current professional development, describe their desired opportunities, and determine their ongoing needs. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with principals from multiple districts and analyzed using coding, memo writing, and mind …