Digital Commons Network^™

A Digital Image Processing Method For Detecting Pollution In The Atmosphere From Camera Video, Amrita Nikhil Amritphale

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this thesis we examine the use of digital cameras to detect the magnitude of atmospheric pollution present in the atmosphere. Digital cameras are inexpensive and are being used in countless areas, many of which are outdoors and very public. For example, we see digital cameras located at street intersections, city and state parks, and recreation areas. The theory presented in this paper could help agencies to monitor air quality at any of these sites. Our theory is based on certain molecules and particles that are present in clean air absorb, luminesce, refract, reflect, or scatter the red, green, and …

Always Away, Mollie Bergeron

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

At any given time, there are pages of notes and thoughts running through our minds; these have to come out in some way. In order to stay sane, to stay human, I write poems. These poems are interested in breath and space, memory and nostalgia, loss and water. Each of these ideas has its own fit as part of the poem as well as part of life and being alive. Human emotion is varied through these. Observation and perception, turned into poems through the very physical act of putting words onto a page, allow these memories and experiences to live …

Examining The Testing Effect Using The Dual-Process Signal Detection Model, Nicole Jessica Bies-Hernandez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Taking a test can lead to enhanced long-term retention compared to not practicing the information or simply restudying, a finding known as the testing effect (Roediger, Agarwal, Kang, & Marsh, 2010). The current study examined whether the dual-process signal detection (DPSD) model (Yonelinas, 1994) offers an approach for investigating the testing effect across two experiments. Experiment 1 investigated if the DPSD model could be used to examine the testing effect, and it also examined a factor (i.e., the number of practice sessions) that influences the magnitude of the testing effect. Experiment 2 investigated whether making the final test dependent on …

Strategic Electronic Property Control Of Self-Assembling Pyrazine-Acenes, Lacie Brownell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Control of electronic properties in organic semiconductor materials is essential for electro-optical applications such as field-effect transistors, light-emitting diodes, and photovoltaic devices. This work is focused on two systems that highlight different approaches for the manipulation of electronic properties: (I) the development of electron-deficient (n-type) materials by selective lowering of E_LUMO and (II) low energy gap materials by controlling both E_LUMO and E_HOMO

To specifically lower E_LUMO, a pyrazine-acene π-platform was extended using electron-withdrawing moieties. These include: pyridine, pyrazine, and benzothiadiazole (system I). From the base pyrazine-acene, the most significant change in E_LUMO of …

Sexual Assault Detectives' Justifications For Aggressive Victim Interviewing Methods: A Qualitative Study, Shauna Davis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The crime of sexual assault is substantially underreported; yet, when victims do report, often times they are met with skepticism and blaming attitudes by law enforcement. Literature shows that sexual assault victims report being further traumatized by the harsh methods used by police and investigators. The effects of rape are aggravated when victims have a negative experience upon reporting, making this a serious concern. Efforts have been made to improve victim treatment but with little success. With reform efforts dating back to the 1970s, the question that must be asked is why is this still a problem? Most articles on …

A Bird Cannot Fly With One Wing: A Study Of Women's Responses To And Attitudes Toward Sexual Infidelity In Montego Bay, Jamaica, Dana Renae Foster

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research focuses on women's emotional and behavioral responses to men's sexual infidelity in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Sexual infidelity can be defined as extradyadic sex within a monogamous relationship that threatens the stability of the relationship (Mark et al., 2011). Since the ultimate reproductive constraint for women is access to resources, this study explores how a woman's education level (as an indicator of her socioeconomic status) affects her response to her partner's sexual infidelity. The Caribbean region is largely absent from the literature on sexual infidelity, with the exception of one study in Trinidad (Flinn, 1988) that focuses on mate …

Does Movie Viewing Cultivate Unrealistic Expectations About Love And Marriage?, Lauren F. E. Galloway

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The present study examines the association between consumption of media messages via movie viewing and endorsement of ideals and expectations about romantic relationships in a university-based sample of 228 respondents. Frequent viewing of romantic comedy and drama films was significantly and positively correlated with idealized notions that love conquers all, greater expectations for intimacy, and endorsement of the eros love style. Viewing preference for romantic movies was also significantly and positively correlated with fantasy rumination and marital intentions. However, participants who frequently watched romantic movies did not endorse beliefs in sexual perfection, mindreading, or disagreement disallowance. Implications of the findings …

Team Policing Revisited: A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation In Las Vegas, Nevada, Natalie Nicole Martinez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In 1967, the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice recommended team policing, which involves the decentralization of patrol officers and investigators to the same, defined geographical area, as a way to more effectively organize police officers and improve crime control. Despite initial enthusiasm from police officers and administrators, team policing quickly faded from use during the 1970s because its design was incompatible with the centralized model of policing prevalent at that time. However, the implementation of community-oriented policing, which promotes various organizational changes and the use of problem-focused strategies, has changed police departments in recent years and …

President Barack Obama And The Commencement Of A New Perspective On Epideictic Speeches, Milene Ortega Ribeiro

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Commencement speakers are typically expected to praise students and motivate them. When the commencement speaker is a President, the expectation is different. This thesis investigated the functions of epideictic address in light of the rhetorical presidency doctrine. Close textual analysis of the three most controversial commencement speeches delivered by President Barack Obama revealed that the challenge of fulfilling the expectations of a commencement address, while responding to rhetorical problems, required the President to adopt complex rhetorical strategies. The predominant strategies included humor, strategic use of rhetorical presence, and ideological identification. The President used strategies that allowed him to be the …

Initial Elastic Modulus Degradation Using Pressuremeter And Standard Penetration Test Results At Two Sites, Dustin Robbins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In-situ testing was performed at two sites consisting of pre-bored pressuremeter testing, seismic surface wave testing to develop a shear wave velocity profile, and Standard Penetration testing during the soil boring phase in order to evaluate the feasibility of using large shallow foundations for a project. This study focuses on a comparison of the in-situ direct measurements of soil stiffness obtained from this testing program. The small strain modulus obtained from the seismic surface wave test results is compared to the intermediate strain modulus obtained from both the initial loading pressuremeter modulus and reload pressuremeter modulus. The modulus calculated from …

Perceptions Of Police Responses To Domestic Violence, Kelly Rae Stout

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Domestic violence, also known as, intimate partner violence (IPV), has become an epidemic in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control and prevention (CDC), about 24 women and men are victimized by an intimate partner each minute, equaling about 12 million victims every year (2012b). In recent years, the public has become more aware of IPV situations. An increase in public service announcements has helped to inform the public and has brought these dangerous situations out from behind closed doors. In the age of technology, information is more easily distributed and exchanged which has also increased public …

An Analysis Of Reading Skills Instruction Provided To Special And General Educators In Their Pre-Service And In-Service Teacher Education, Wendie Lappin Castillo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

More than half of all school-age children in the United States read below grade level (NCES, 2012a). Seventy-five percent of all special education referrals are due to poor reading skills (NCES, 2012b). The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services reports that 50% or more of students with disabilities score at or below the 20th percentile on reading assessments (U.S. Department of Education, 2010). Once children fall behind in the acquisition of reading skills, intense intervention is needed to reach an adequate level of reading accuracy (Torgesen, 2008). Unfortunately, struggling readers lose practice time for each month and year they …

Due Partly To Inertia, Justin Lee Irizarry

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the preface to Leaves of Grass Walt Whitman said, "The poets of the kosmos advance through all interpositions and coverings and turmoils and stratagems to first principles. They are of use--they dissolve poverty from its need, and riches from its conceit." My poetry aims to exist in Whitman's `kosmos' and in doing so advance through the turmoil and the strategies of certainty to something resembling principles. Politics is a common theme; it is not in an attempt to write political poetry, but an attempt to not leave anything out. Other themes throughout this manuscript include death, music, wanting, having, …

There Are Moments That Hang Suspended, Mark B. Lennon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project is the culmination of ten years of work in poetry. It was begun in imitation of those who impressed, not only with their fine words and dexterity with language, but also with their clear conviction in their subject material. Reflected in the works of Allen Ginsberg, Walt Whitman, and Adrienne Rich, among others, was evidence of a life lived, in Thoreau's term, deliberately. The writing of poetry seemed to be not simply a means of expression, but a goad to live a life worth examining, and to keep doing so; a progress report for a radical mind.

Politics …

Sickle Cell Disease: A Quality Improvement Initiative For Emergency Department Providers, Pretrescia Marie Walker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is an incurable, chronic condition that results in a constellation of disorders, frequent emergency department (ED) visits, and repeated hospital admissions. Those affected often suffer from pain crisis, infection, acute chest syndrome, stroke, and multi-organ impairment and frequently do not receive adequate pain management during acute pain episodes because ED providers view them as drug seeking. The majority of patients with SCD are African-American and may be low income, uninsured, or on Medicaid. As a result, these demographics make ED under-treatment of pain in patients with SCD a health equity issue. This was a pre-experimental one …

Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Investigation Of Steel Fiber Reinforced Self-Compacted Concrete, Belayhun Tesfaye Gebretsadik

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Concrete is a basic material used for a number of applications in civil engineering projects. Structural concrete is brittle material under normal conditions. Therefore, by adding short and randomly distributed steel fibers, it is possible to improve the ductility and other basic properties of concrete. However, the addition of steel fibers results in loss of workability of the concrete, especially in self-compacted concrete. Therefore, in this study, ADVA-140 high range water reducer (HRWR) superplasticizer was added to improve the workability of self-compacted (SC), steel-fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC). The amount of superplasticizer varied with the volume percentage of fiber for the beams; …

Land-Based Exercise And Its Effect On Quality Of Life Outcomes In Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review, Cody R. Buckner, Lindsay C. Martin, Michael L. Soukup

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: The purpose of this systematic review was to examine effectiveness of land-based exercise interventions for improving quality of life (QOL) of individuals with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.

Methods: A systematic search included PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Academic Search Premier, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Inclusion criteria included land-based exercise interventions aimed to improve lower extremity strength and QOL, published since 2000. Exclusion criteria included OA of joints other than the knee, and aquatic-based and surgical interventions. Studies were evaluated using a modified version of the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM) methodology score.

Results: Level of …

Therapeutic Neuroscience Education For Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain And Its Effect On Activity Level, Pain Perception, And Function, Stephen Burton, Amber Domingo, Ryan Spencer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a significant cause of disability and inactivity in the United States. Patients with chronic pain are often symptomatic even in the absence of tissue damage. This is a major reason patients need to be educated about their pain. Cognitions such as fear, anxiety and faulty beliefs may impact the pain experiences and changing cognitions are important in changing pain behavior. If patients understand that the pain they are experiencing may not be a true indication of the health of their tissues, they may experience less fear of their pain, and may be able …

Effects Of Footstrike Pattern On Low Back Posture, Shock Attenuation, And Comfort During Running, Traci L. Delgado, Emilia Kubera-Shelton, Robert R. Robb

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: Barefoot running (BF) is popular in the running community. Biomechanical changes occur with BF, especially when initial contact changes from rearfoot strike (RFS) to forefoot strike (FFS). In addition, changes in lumbar spine range of motion (ROM), particularly involving lumbar lordosis, have been associated with increased low back pain (LBP). However it is not known how changing from RFS to FFS affects lumbar lordosis or LBP. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine if a change from RFS to FFS would change lumbar lordosis, and/or decrease shock attenuation, and/or change comfort levels in healthy recreational/experienced runners.

Methods: …

The Acute Effects Of Upper Extremity Stretching On Throwing Velocity In Untrained Baseball Throwers, Ashley Delobel, Lanisa Harveson, Jason Melton, Michael Williams

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of static and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching of shoulder internal rotators on throwing velocity as compared to a typical dynamic warm-up.

Subjects: 27 male untrained throwers (mean age = 25.1 years old, SD =2.4) with basic knowledge of throwing mechanics.

Methods:The study was conducted over a series of three sessions with at least one week between each session. During each session, subjects warmed-up, threw 10 pitches, were randomly assigned to one of three separate stretching protocols, and then threw 10 more pitches.The three protocols were static stretching, …

Characteristics Of Subjects Who Avoid Activities And Participation Due To A Fear Of Falling In Parkinson’S Disease, Russell Gourlie, Spencer Sorensen, Rithea Vong

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background and Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine and identify key characteristics of and differences between people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) who exhibit moderate/high fear of falling avoidance behaviors and those that exhibit low fear of falling avoidance behaviors.

Subjects: A total of 24 subjects (5 females, 19 males; mean age= 72.2, SD=9.1) participated in this study.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to identify descriptive characteristics of subjects with PD associated with moderate/high levels of fear avoidance behavior (MHA) or low levels of fear avoidance (LA) as measured by the Fear of Falling Avoidance-Behavior …

Test-Retest Reliability And Responsiveness Of Gaze Stability And Dynamic Visual Acuity In High School And College Football Players, Denise Kaufman, Mallory Puckett, Mitchell Smith

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to establish reliability and responsiveness of the active dynamic visual acuity test (DVAT) at speeds of 150 to 200 degrees per second (deg/sec) and the gaze stabilization test (GST) in high school and college football players.

Design: Reliability design

Setting, Participants, Main Outcome Measures: A total of 50 high school and college football athletes completed vestibulo-ocular reflex testing using the DVAT and GST in the yaw (horizontal) and pitch (vertical) planes on two separate occasions within 14 days.

Results: Test-retest reliability for the DVAT was good in yaw, Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) (3,3) …

Using Over-The-Counter Ear Filters As A Treatment To Improve Dizziness And Balance In Patients Diagnosed With A Traumatic Brain, Brandy Sue Whitney

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background and purpose: People diagnosed with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) usually have physical, cognitive, emotional, and sleep deficits. Sensory overload is a common symptom of TBI. One treatment prescribed for sensory overload is over the counter ear filters. Ear filters have shown to decrease sensory input. Could the ear filters have an effect on balance and dizziness without much cost to the patient or the clinic?

Subjects: Patients diagnosed with a mild or moderate brain injury, ages of 18-65 years old. They needed to be medically stable, potential to walk, and have complaints of dizziness and/or balance problems.

Methods: …

Alpcs(2a)-Mediated Photochemical Internalization Of Bleomycin And Concurrent Hyperthermia Of Multicellular Tumor Spheroids, Aaron Andersen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Treatments for glioblastoma multiforme and invasive ductal carcinoma involve surgical resection and adjuvant or concurrent targeted therapies. The goal of the secondary treatment is to reduce the cancer cells in the resection margin and other areas of suspected involvement. Photochemical internalization is a targeted therapy using light to activate photosensitizers embedded in cellular structures to improve the delivery of macromolecules within the cell.

In a previous study, optimized treatment parameters including radiant exposure, and irradiance, concentration of AlPcS(2a), temperature, and the concentration of bleomycin were determined for human ACBT glioma multicell spheroids. The current study investigates the effectiveness of the …

Predictors Of Resilience And Their Influence On Adaptation After Elective Abortion, Anna Marie Antonio

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The literature has inconsistent findings on the impact of an induced abortion on a woman's physical and psychological well-being. The purposes of this survey research design using correlation and multiple regression analyses were to determine the relationship between protective factors, risk factors, resilience, and outcomes (positive or negative). Additionally, this study investigated whether resilience, protective factors, and risk factors could be predictive of positive or negative outcomes following induced abortion. A convenience sample of 216 women was recruited nationally from hospitals, clinics, and various organizations. Inclusion criteria included women, 18 years of age or older, living in the United States, …

Samsara, Erica Anzalone

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In Samsara, I bring a spiritual-historical lens to art, war, feminism, religion, and the body in extremis. Although the word samsara resonates mostly within the Hindu and Buddhist faiths, meaning literally to wander through the rounds of death and rebirth, my poetics of transience and trauma crosses cultures, including Muslim, Christian, and Judaic notions of spirituality. Bosnia, Iowa, Boston, and Prague are all shifting sands within the mandala-like hourglass of this collection. My voice often issues from a working class register and speaks with rebellious power from a place of powerlessness: "E-bay nirvana, you want me to yes sir/I'll get …

Implementing A Bystander Awareness Program On A University Campus, Robert Joseph Vadovic

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Between 17% and 62% of college students experience some form of violence during their time at school. About 25% of female college students experience a sexual assault before graduating. One university had seen an increase in violence, including assaults and bias events. Administrators and nurses implemented a bystander awareness program to help alleviate this growing problem. Members of the college's residence life staff and its Greek organizations (fraternities and sororities) participated in the Step Up program, a prosocial training program to get people to intervene safely when witnessing acts of violence. Participants (N=236) completed surveys prior to the program, immediately …

Mapping The Online Gambling E-Servicescape: Impact Of Virtual Atmospherics On The Gambler's Experience, Brett Lillian Levine Abarbanel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A structural model is proposed and empirically examined that investigates the influence of an online casino's atmospheric cues on consumer behavioral response. A stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model, often used to frame other servicescape research, is adapted as the basis of the theory that the online casino environment will influence the organismic effects of cognitive and affective states, which in turn influence gamblers' approach or avoidance behavioral intentions. Analyzed elements of the online gambling site stimulus include high and low task-relevant cues, financial trust, and gambling value. Personal and situational factors and demographic characteristics were found to moderate the relationship between atmospheric …

Real Time Pattern Recognition In Digital Video With Applications To Safety In Construction Sites, Dinesh Bajracharya

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In construction sites, various guidelines are provided for the correct use of safety equipment. Many fatalities and injuries occur to people because of the lack of exercise of these guidelines and proper monitoring of the violations. In order to improve these standards and amend the cause, a video based monitoring tool will be created for a construction site.

Based on the real time video obtained from cameras on the site, a classification algorithm will be created which has the intelligence to recognize if any safety rules have been violated. A classification vector will be created based on the different classifiers, …

Word Calling In 3rd And 4th Graders: Exploring Student And Teacher Characteristics, Lindsay Starr Couzens

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Reading difficulties in elementary school-aged children may occur when two components of reading- word identification, comprehension, or both of these skills- are weak or underdeveloped (Gough, 1972; Hoover & Gough, 1990; Joshi & Aaron, 2000; Savage, 2001). One type of reading difficulty that is frequently identified by teachers is known as "word calling." Previous research (Hamilton & Shinn, 2003; Hendricks, Reynolds & Sinatra, 2003, Meisinger, Bradley, Schwanenflugel, Kuhn, & Morris, 2009) found that teachers were not accurate in their identification of word callers (word callers). They tended to over-identify these students in their classrooms, confusing them with typical struggling readers. …