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Before And After Her Body, Shannon Austin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis, titled Before and After Her Body, is a full-length poetry manuscript submitted for completion of the Master of Fine Arts – Creative Writing Program. This collection delves into several interconnected themes, including gender, the female body, myth, legacy, and time. Broken into three main sections, these poems build from an examination of women as physical bodies to an exploration of women in conversation with other women and with themselves.

In these poems, characters from myth and popular culture blend with the persona of the narrator, who is at once an observer and a participant, discovering her own tradition …

Holocene Climate Evolution Of Continental Western Eurasia Constrained By Stable-Isotope And Cation Geochemistry Of U-Th-Dated Speleothems And Meteogenic Travertine, Jonathan Lloyd Baker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Reliable reconstructions of global and regional climate during the Holocene (11,700 years ago to present) are vital to constraining the natural range of climate variability and testing state-of-the-art models, which seek to forecast the near- and long-term impact of anthropogenic greenhouse forcing. Much of continental Eurasia is still underrepresented, however, in geological proxy reconstructions of Holocene climate variability, and the vast majority of paleoclimate data only reflect conditions during peak summer months (JJA) or the growing season. The paucity of winter proxy data has therefore been cited as a possible explanation for the current mismatch between geological proxy-based and climate-model …

Bi-Directional Testing For Change Point Detection In Poisson Processes, Moinak Bhaduri

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Point processes often serve as a natural language to chronicle an event's temporal evolution, and significant changes in the flow, synonymous with non-stationarity, are usually triggered by assignable and frequently preventable causes, often heralding devastating ramifications. Examples include amplified restlessness of a volcano, increased frequencies of airplane crashes, hurricanes, mining mishaps, among others. Guessing these time points of changes, therefore, merits utmost care. Switching the way time traditionally propagates, we posit a new genre of bidirectional tests which, despite a frugal construct, prove to be exceedingly efficient in culling out non-stationarity under a wide spectrum of environments. A journey surveying …

The Combined Effect Of Photovoltaic And Electric Vehicle Penetration On Conservation Voltage Reduction In Distribution System, Narayan Bhusal

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Global conditions over the past dozen years have led to an expanded appetite for renewable energy sources: The diminishing fossil fuel supply, the political instability of countries producing these fossil fuels, the ever-more destructive effects of global warming, and the lowering of costs for renewable energy technologies have made countries around the world reconsider their sources of energy. The proliferation of photovoltaic (PV) systems especially has surged dramatically with the decreasing initial costs for installation, and increasing government support in the form of renewable energy portfolios, feed-in-tariffs,

tax incentives, etc. Furthermore, electric vehicles (EV) are also becoming widespread due to …

Development Of Chemical Separation Methods Using Transition Metals For Nuclear Forensic And Medicinal Applications, Lucas Peter Boron-Brenner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Insufficient data exists on the effects of prompt fast neutron activation on metals found commonly in nuclear devices and the urban environment. Different metals such as Ti, Au, Fe, and Cu were activated using the Flattop Criticality Benchmark at the Device Assembly Facility on the Nevada Test Site using a known neutron spectrum and flux to determine a baseline cross section value. Cross section information gathered from these neutron activation measurements could provide information that helps government and law enforcement agencies to correctly trace the origin of a nuclear device’s fuel or component features.

Based on activation products produced in …

Separation Of Neighboring Trivalent Lanthanides For Neutron Capture Cross Section Measurements, Balazs Jozsef Bene

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The determination of the low-energy neutron capture cross-section of 171Tm with greater accuracy is important for both astrophysics and Stockpile Stewardship. Thulium-171 is a branching point in the s-process of stellar nucleosynthesis. Branching point nuclei, with half-lives in the order of 1 – 100 years are places where neutron capture and beta decay competes. This isotope is also the second order (n, γ) reaction product of 169Tm, which was used as a radiochemical detector in nuclear weapon experiments. It was placed at strategic locations in nuclear devices. Following the test, samples were analyzed in the collected samples for products of …

Meshless Methods For Numerically Solving Boundary Value Problems Of Elliptic Type Partial Differential Equations, Minhwa Choi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this dissertation we propose and examine numerical methods for solving the boundary value problems of partial differential equations (PDEs) by meshless methods. First we aim at getting approximate particular solutions up of a nonhomogeneous equation by radial basis methods. For instance, the collocation method by radial basis functions (RBFs) for finding particular solutions is very popular in the literature. Now the particular solutions of certain important PDEs by RBF approximation are available with the order of convergence to the exact solutions provided. Here we explore and examine the numerical performances of these particular solutions in various examples. We then …

Petrology And Geochemistry Of The Enriched Poikilitic Shergottite Northwest Africa 10169: Insight Into The Martian Interior, Logan Matthew Combs

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The martian meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 10169 is classified as a new member of the geochemically enriched poikilitic shergottites, based on mineral composition, Lu-Hf isotope systematics, and rare earth element (REE) composition. Akin to other poikilitic shergottites, it shows a similar bimodal texture to other enriched and intermediate poikilitic shergottites. In addition, olivine and pyroxene in the poikilitic zone have higher Mg#’s (Mg/Mg+Fe) than those in the interstitial areas, suggesting that the poikilitic texture represents early-stage crystallization, opposed to late-stage non-poikilitic crystallization. Calculated fO2 values are reduced (FMQ -2.3 ± 0.23) within the poikilitic texture, and more oxidized (FMQ -1.07 …

Algorithms For Tower Placement On Terrain, Binay Dahal

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

We review existing algorithms for the placement of towers for illuminating 1.5D and 2.5D terrains. Finding the minimum number of towers of zero height to illuminate 1.5D terrain is known to be NP-Hard. We present approximation algorithms for solving two variations of the tower placement problem. In the first variation, we consider the placement of a single tower of given height to maximize visibility coverage. In the second variation, we consider the problem of placing reduced number of common height towers to cover the entire terrain. Algorithms for solving both problem variations are based on discretizing the problem domain by …

The Synthesis Of Balkan Folk Tunes In The Music Of Vlastimir Nikolovski And Alexander Vladigerov, Dejan Daskalov

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The study of folk music from the Balkan countries proves to be a long and complex area of study, since the access to sources, scores and literature is quite limited. Distribution of accurate information in regards to Balkan folk music is of significant importance because it would provide a global opportunity for promotion and education on this topic. Without documented research, inaccurate presentations of Balkan music could cause an overall disinterest in this genre.

The original and alluring aspects of this style of music lie mostly in its meter. Moreover, it contains three fundamental metric structures: regular, asymmetric, unmeasured and …

Virginia Woolf And The Flâneuse: A Geocritical Approach To Mrs. Dalloway And The Voyage Out, Kayla Dean

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Using the theoretical framework of Geocriticism, Psychogeography, and the literary concepts of the flâneur and flâneuse, I argue that Virginia Woolf’s female walkers have a unique aesthetic experience from the male walker of literature. Although this experience differs because of the strictures on Victorian and Modernist women in cities like London and Paris, I rely on the framework of both literary walkers to refute scholars who question the existence of the flâneuse. Through works like Mrs. Dalloway, The Voyage Out, “Street Haunting,” “Kew Gardens,” “Literary Geography,” and A Room of One’s Own, I contend through a mix of traditional scholarship …

Hexavalent Chromium Removal From Residual Ion-Exchange Brine Using Ferrous Sulfate, Ana Luiza De Araujo Silva

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Removal of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from water and wastewater is required for health purposes and regulation compliance. Among the technologies available, ion exchange (IX) has been extensively applied and, in most cases, is followed by resin regeneration for the purpose of cost optimization. However, resin regeneration produces residual IX brine, also called waste regenerant brine, which is considered hazardous for containing the contaminant(s) treated in the column. This research focuses on the use of ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) to reduce and precipitate Cr(VI) contained in the regenerant brine from IX resins. The Cr(VI) reduction to trivalent chromium (Cr(III)) occurs due to …

Elliptic Cryptosystem, Elizabeth Dettrey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The elliptic cryptographic algorithm first presented in a paper by E. F. Dettrey and E. A. Yfantis is examined and explained in this thesis. The algorithm is based on the group operations of a set of points generated from an ellipse of arbitrary radii, and arbitrary center in the case of the generalized version, modulo a large prime. The security of the algorithm depends on the difficulty of solving a discrete logarithm in the groups used by this algorithm. While the elliptic cryptographic algorithm is not the most secure among the discrete logarithm based paradigm of cryptosystems for a given …

Media Portrayals Of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cars2 And Frame Analysis Of The Sesame Street Character Julia, Sallyann Ficarrotta

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Media Portrayals of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A CARS2 and frame analysis of the Sesame Street character Julia Media portrayals of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are grossly exaggerated and inaccurate. Julia, a Muppet with ASD, is not depicted as having high-functioning autism, but most of the exaggerated portrayals depicted in movies and television are of a person on that end of the spectrum. The current study, a quantitative content analysis of Julia from Sesame Street, draws from framing theory, most importantly stigmatizing cues, and utilizes the professional assessment tool, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS2). The tool was used to rate …

Clinical Instructors' Cultivation Of Pre-Licensure Nursing Students' Pharmacology Ksas, Rieneke Holman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Adverse drug events affect up to 5% of inpatients; half of these events are caused by preventable medication errors (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2015). Nurses are the final checkpoint between a medication being ordered and the patient taking it. This profound responsibility requires nurses to possess well-developed pharmacology knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs). To acquire these abilities, they must not only receive pharmacology content as part of their educational preparation, but also translate what they have learned during student clinical experiences. This is important in bridging the gap between what is learned in the

classroom and clinical practice. …

Movement Efficiency Through Autonomy Support, Takehiro Iwatsuki

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Supporting performer autonomy has been consistently been shown to enhance motor learning (for reviews, see Sanli, Patterson, Bray, & Lee, 2013; Wulf, 2007; Wulf & Lewthwaite, 2016). Autonomy-supportive situations are those in which learners are given control over aspects of the practice conditions or are provided with other choices, including small and incidental choices that are not necessarily related to the task at hand. Providing autonomy support also benefits immediate motor performance, as demonstrated by enhanced punching velocity and impact forces in a study involving skilled kick boxers (Halperin, Chapman, Martin, Lewthwaite, & Wulf, 2016). Autonomy support is a key …

Preliminary Investigation Of Tensile Strength And Impact Characterization Of Cementitious Composite Incorporating Carbon Nanotubes, Robabeh Jazaei

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Cement has been largely used in the construction industry, specifically as a matrix for concrete. Recently, a new generation of cement-based composite that greatly increases mechanical properties is replacing conventional concrete. With periodic advances in the field, researchers considered particles with high-aspect ratios such as Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) to reinforce cement matrices. Although there is not much literature to draw upon in research, some research on improving the tensile strength of cementitious composite incorporating with CNTs does exist. However, there had been no evidence of investigation into impact strength until this study.

Most papers presented examined the effect of multi-walled …

Concurrency In Blockchain Based Smartpool With Transactional Memory, Laxmi Kadariya

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Blockchain is the buzzword in today's modern technological world. It is an undeniably ingenious invention of the 21st century. Blockchain was first coined and used by a cryptocurrency namedBitcoin. Since then bitcoin and blockchain are so popular that every single person is taking on bitcoin these days and the price of bitcoin has leaped to a staggering price in the last year and so.Today several other cryptocurrencies have adapted the blockchain technology.

Blockchain in cryptocurrencies is formed by chaining of blocks. These blocks are created by the nodes called miners through the process called Proof of Work(PoW). Mining Pools are …

Modeling Impaired Hippocampal Neurogenesis After Radiation Exposure, Kapukotuwa Walawwe Sidath Chathuranga Kapukotuwa

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The birth of neuronal cells from neuronal stem cells is known as neurogenesis, and the granular cell layer of the dentate gyrus of hippocampus is one of the two regions in the brain this process occurs. Cognitive damages following radiation therapy for brain cancers in both children and adults have been linked to impairment of neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Studies followed using mice and rats as model animals have shown impairment in neurogenesis process following exposure to radiation. Obtaining experimental data for radiation-induced changes in neurogenesis in humans is very difficult. Model was developed and applied to mouse data previously; …

Reimagining High School Writing: A Multi-Case Examination Of The Impact Of External Pressures On High School Writing Contexts, Nicole Elizabeth Klimow

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research concerning teachers’ pedagogical beliefs shows a strong relationship between planning and instruction; however, the sources of pedagogical beliefs have not been researched thoroughly. Because teachers bring their histories and experiences to their interactions with students, their pedagogical beliefs may also be present in their instruction, mediating the relationship between knowledge (planning) and action (writing instruction). Framed by Sociocultural Theory (SCT), the purpose of this qualitative, multi-site, multi-case case study was first to understand teachers’ expectations for teaching writing based on their beliefs about learning. A secondary intent was to examine ways in which high school English teachers’ learning expectations …

Morphological And Energy Transport Optimization Of Spectrally-Selective Solar Absorber Coatings At Mesoscale, Dale Karas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A special class of cuprous-based inorganic oxide materials, synthesized as nanoparticles via hydrothermal and co-precipitation methods, are portable to spectrally-selective absorber coatings with high solar-thermal energy conversion efficiency. Operating reliably at elevated temperatures when used in tandem with solar concentrators, these materials enable cost-competitive solar energy conversion technology that can be incorporated with thermal energy storage systems, supporting the viability of novel renewable power generation; notably, optimizing absorptive performance while mitigating thermal losses through re-radiated waste heat motivates sustainable energy production particular to desert climates, where water conservation and ecological sensitivity needs are paramount.

This work targets the chemical synthesis …

Structural Evolution And Regional Implications Of The Arrowhead Mine Fault Within The Pahranagat Shear Zone, Nevada, Usa, Michael Dennis Evans

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Basin and Range province is characterized by normal faults associated with

extension, but the occurrence of strike-slip faults and the seismic hazard accompanying

them is less understood. One major strike-slip zone, the Pahranagat shear zone (PSZ),

lies in Lincoln County, Nevada and within the boundary zone between northern Basin

and Range (NBR) and central Basin and Range (CBR) sub-provinces. The PSZ is a 20-

25 km long zone of Cenozoic left-lateral faults. The Arrowhead Mine Fault (AMF) is one

of the three major faults in the PSZ. The western AMF and the faults that surround and

abut it are …

Deep Data Locality On Apache Hadoop, Sungchul Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The amount of data being collected in various areas such as social media, network, scientific instrument, mobile devices, and sensors is growing continuously, and the technology to process them is also advancing rapidly. One of the fundamental technologies to process big data is Apache Hadoop that has been adopted by many commercial products, such as InfoSphere by IBM, or Spark by Cloudera. MapReduce on Hadoop has been widely used in many data science applications. As a dominant big data processing platform, the performance of MapReduce on Hadoop system has a significant impact on the big data processing capability across multiple …

Design Guidelines And Strategies For Thermal Solar Management Of Fenestration In The Desert Climate, David Mccredo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research evaluates the effects of varying thermal properties of windows in

residential energy use for the moderate altitude and 36'N latitude climate of southern

Nevada, which has a distinct cooling season. A selection of windows across different

shading conditions and total window areas were studied using BEopt energy simulation.

Findings demonstrate that for the specific climate, latitude, and altitude of Las Vegas,

Nevada, the most expensive “high performance” windows are not always the best

option in terms of total site energy use, and can be outperformed by properly shaded

less advanced windows. Under certain conditions, shading was found to …

Larval-Ant Interactions In The Mojave Desert: Communication Brings Us Together, Alicia Mellor

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Butterflies are a diverse and essential group of pollinators whose abundance is predominantly determined by growth and survival of their larvae. In the family Lycaenidae, many species participate in a larval-ant mutualism where ants feed on nutrient-rich nectar produced by larvae and, in turn, protect those larvae from predators. Emerging evidence indicates larval scent in the form of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), not nectar production, drives this interaction. This study takes two approaches to investigate CHCs as the driver behind the larval-ant mutualism in three butterfly species native to southern Nevada: Euphilotes bernardino martini (Martin’s blue), Brephidium exilis (western pygmy blue), …

The Design, Modeling, And Optimization Of A Biomimetic Soft Robot For Fluid Pumping And Thrust Generation Using Electroactive Polymer Actuators, Zakai Jedidiah Olsen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nature is a constant source of inspiration for engineers and scientists through its simple, effective, and elegant solutions to many complex problems. Smart materials and soft robotics have been seen to be particularly well suited for developing biomimetic devices and are active fields of research. In this study, the design, modeling, and optimization of a new biomimetic soft robot is described. Preliminary work was made in the modeling of a biomimetic robot based on the locomotion and kinematics of jellyfish. Modifications were made to the governing equations for jellyfish locomotion that accounted for geometric differences between biology and the robotic …

Numerical Study Of Oxidation In Stainless Steel Alloy Ep-823 By Liquid Lead-Bismuth Eutectic, Rajyalakshmi Palaparty

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The oxidation of stainless steel is influenced by the presence of oxygen in the surrounding medium; the oxygen reacts with the alloy to form an oxide. In certain environments, such as nuclear reactor coolant systems, minimal oxidation of the stainless steel containment functions as a protective shield from corrosive coolants such as liquid lead-bismuth eutectic.

In the current study, this minimal oxidation is evaluated for a system in which corrosion-resistant stainless steel alloy EP-823 is subject to an environment of flowing oxygenated liquid lead-bismuth eutectic at a temperature of 743 K, whereby the thickness of the forming oxide layer is …

Evaluation Of A Continuous Air Monitoring System On An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle For Measurement Of Airborne Radioactive Material, Adam Pfannenstein

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The release of airborne radioactive material presents a health risk hazard to many individuals, emergency responders and public. It is necessary to characterize the unknown radioactive dangers produced in the event of these incidents. Advantages to utilizing unmanned aerial systems in this effort are personnel risk reduction and quick attainment of data points in a plume. By pairing a continuous air monitor and detector with a drone, radioactive material concentration can be quantified, and thus the extent of potential doses can be estimated. A small, low-flow air sampler with a Geiger-Mueller counter was characterized using measurements of sources representing a …

Miocene-Quaternary Deformation Along The Central Maynard Lake Fault, Pahranagat Shear Zone, Nevada, Alexander Peck

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The left-lateral Pahranagat shear zone (PSZ) and Caliente-Enterprise zone (CEZ) exist at the boundary between two sub-provinces, the Northern (NBR) and Central Basin and Range (CBR). The PSZ contains three major ENE striking sinistral faults, including the Maynard Lake fault (MLF), which is the longest fault and marks the southern boundary of the zone. The PSZ has been suggested to be a transfer zone, but little is known about the structures along these major faults that are involved in strain transfer. These left-lateral systems exist within the Central Nevada seismic belt which has experienced significant earthquakes in recent history. Possible …

Machine Learning Applications In Graduation Prediction At The University Of Nevada, Las Vegas, Elliott Collin Ploutz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Graduation rates of four-year institutions are an increasingly important metric to incoming students and for ranking universities. To increase completion rates, universities must analyze available student data to understand trends and factors leading to graduation. Using predictive modeling, incoming students can be assessed as to their likelihood of completing a degree. If students are predicted to be most likely to drop out, interventions can be enacted to increase retention and completion rates.

At the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), four-year graduation rates are 15% and six-year graduation rates are 39%. To improve these rates, we have gathered seven years …